King Mahlratha Goes to Vifnu's Abode

1-7. Then the king, observed by the glance of Death, and with his body emaciated due to consumption caused by extreme sexual enjoyment, died. He was being taken by the attendants of Yama, was repeatedly being beaten, was wailing with loud cries, and remembered his sins. Then Vishnu’s messengers, having come, beat my followers, and saying, ‘He is righteous*, they put him into an aeroplane. The king, with his sins exhausted due to the morning bath in the month of Vaishakha, and being praised by the hosts of celestial nymphs, was taken to Vishnu’s city. Then, thinking that he was unrighteous, the king was again put by the divine messengers at the behest of Vishnu, not far from the path to hell. While going, he heard the various wailings of beings, being roasted in hell. Hearing the very awful cries of the sinners being boiled, the king was amazed and became -extremely afflicted.

8. He said: “O messengers, what is this awful wailing that is heard and is not heard again. Please tell me the reason of it.”

9-17. Beings who have abandoned bounds of morality, who are sinful, and who are bereft of (good) behaviour are thrown into awful hells like Tamisra. Those who have committed sins here (i.e. in this world), after death resort to the path of (the abode of) Yama, suffer very terrible grief. Being dragged by fierce men of Yama, and fallen into darkness, they are eaten up by very awful dogs, foxes, carnivorous animals, crows, herons, -cranes etc. and by wolves and tigers having fire-like mouths and by serpents, scorpions etc. Being burnt by fire, being pricked by thorns, being cut off by saws, being troubled by thirst, and being oppressed by hunger, so also by awful hosts of diseases, fainting at every step due to the odour of pus and blood, they are at times boiled in oils, at times beaten with pestles, are roasted in iron-vessels or at times on stones. At times they eat -what is vomitted; at times (they eat) pus and blood. At times they eat feces; at times awful flesh at places with a foul smell. At times they are eaten by insects with fire-like mouths.

18-24. They, wailing in various tones, are again and again roasted in houses where, in the heaps of hair, blood, flesh, marrow and bones, the dead bodies are scattered in a disorderly manner and are clearly eaten by insects, which (houses) are destroyed by themouths of crows, herons and great vultures and have crores of bodies put very closely without interstices, which have saws and small flat stones for grinding and have no oil, which are made of trees with sharp thorns, and have the pillars of iron, oil and marrow, which are bright with pillars with fierce flames and razors, thorns and nails, which are full with the hot pus of Vaitarapi, and the breasts of men and women cut off with «words, and which are awful on account of being seized with fearful darkness. JThey have nooses tied round their necks; at places they are surrounded by serpents; at places they are squeezed by machines, and at places they are dragged with their knees (seized).

25-29. О king, the sinners, doing bad acts, and wailing, with their backs, heads and necks broken, with their throats choked, (appearing) very awful, they with bodies capable of suffering torment, being whirled in an apartment on the top of the house, are troubled. They wail along with the enjoyment of sensual objects. All beings suffer this (due to) what they have done before. The union (that was had) for love with another’s wife, gives pain. The enjoyment of objects of senses for a short while, has turned out to be giving pain for many years. О best king, having got the touch of the breezes coming from the body of you who bathed duly in the morning in Vaishakha, they are delighted for a moment and due to your lustre have become strong. Therefore, they who remain in the hell are free from wailing. Even the name of those who have a meritorious character is said to lead to happiness. The touch of the breezes that had the touch of their bodies causes delight.

30-32a. Hearing these words, the king, the treasure of compassion, said to the messengers of Vishnu of wonderful acts: “The heart of the good is indeed soft like fresh butter, which heated with fire, certainly melts.”

32b-39a. Abandoning an oppressed and unhappy being, I am not able to go. Fie upon him who, though capable, does not remove the affliction of the oppressed. If these beings became happy due to the touch of the breezes that left after touching my body, then you may take me there. As the sandal-trees that remove the torment of others purify sandal, in the same way those men who remove the affliction of others purify their mother, are blessed. Those alone are the good, who, in this world remove the affliction of others, and for whom their life is (as insignificant) as a blade of grass in the matter of removing the affliction of the afflicted. This earth is sustained by those men who are bent on (doing) good to others. The constant happiness of mind is heaven; it may resemble hell (outwardly). Therefore, the good are always happy with (i.e. due to) the happiness of others. It is better to fall into hell, it is better to die, than having pleasure for a moment except the one that is had by removing the affliction of the afflicted.

39b-45a. Sinful beings are roasted here in the awful hell. They live by (the fruits of) their own deeds. There is no place for misunderstanding. Those who have, in the other world (i.e. on the earth), not given (gifts), not offered oblations, or (have) not bathed at a holy place, (have) also not obliged (any one), or (have) not done, with devotion, a great meritorious act, (have) not offered sacrifices, (have) not practised penance, (have) not muttered (prayers) with joy, are roasted in awful hells. Those who are of a bad character, whose practices are bad, who are condemned due to their diversions and food, who harm others, who commit sins, who amuse themselves in a bad manner, who cut asunder the hearts of others with words cutting the vitals, so also those who sport with the wives of others, are roasted in a hell. Come on, О king, we shall go to Vishnu’s abode. It is not proper for a meritorious person like you to stay here hereafter.

45b-57. О messengers, if I have done meritorious deeds, then why am I brought along this path leading to hell? Or what is my great religious merit? I, given to carnal pleasures, have not done any meritorious act like that. (Then) how shall I go to the city of Vish^u? I have a doubt.

It is true, you, with your mind influenced by lust, did not do a meritorious act, did not perform sacrifices, did not eat the leftovers of a sacrifice; but, formerly, you, impelled by the words of your teacher, bathed duly in the morning (every day) in the month of Vaishakha for three years and devoutly worshipped Vishtiu, the lord of the universe and the killer of (the demon) Madhu. He to whom his devotees are dear, destroys the stream of major and heinous sins. О lord of men, by means of that, the essence of all religious practices, he being honoured by the hosts of gods, is taken to an auspicious place. Vishtju, when worshipped, destroys even major sins. In the same way the month of Vaishakha is declared (to be destroying sins) by Brahma. As by a spark of fire a heap of grass (hay) is burnt, in the same way by the (daily) morning bath in Vaishakha the stream of sins is burnt. As long as a man does not bathe in the morning (every day) in the month of Vaishakha, even the major sins originate in his body. A man who is engaged in vows as laid down (in sacred texts), is freed from streams of sins due to devotion to Vishriu and would go to Vishnu’s abode. О lord of men, since, formerly you did not do meritorious acts from your birth, you were taken along the path to hell. Now, О lord of the earth, being praised by us and the hosts of gods quickly go by an aeroplane to Vishsu’s abode.

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