203 - Sins and punishment for them

The Sage’s son (Nachiketas) said: 

1. Chitragupta (himself) spoke about other miscellaneous sins (and their punishments). Listen to them. 

2. Those who do not have good conduct and self-control and have great sins in them, and who die (as a consequence) in the dark half of the month, face punishment. 

3. Those who incur the displeasure of the king or the teacher are all condemned. They care only for their sustenance and they are not dependable or affable. 

4. Those who delight in injuring others, who are cruel, deceitful, obstruct others in their work, kill the gayal, buffalo and goat, 

5. Those that set fire to the forest and those that trade on pigs are tormented in hell for a long time. 

6. When this period is over, they are born again, but will be short-lived and disease-stricken. 

7. Sometimes they are dead even when in womb, sometimes in boyhood or a little later. 

8. They may die by accident like the fall of a log of wood or by weapon or may be blown away by a stormy wind or burnt by fire. They may meet with death also by drowning or being caught in a net or by a fall or by poison. 

9. Those who have the sin of killing mother, father, friend or relation, repeatedly face punishment as long as life-breath remains in them. 

10. Dishonest traders in metals and jewels, those who bring about abortions, magicians, dealers in poison, those who indulge in arson, 

11. Makers of cages, hitters with the trident, tale-bearers, those who pick up quarrels, or make baseless allegations against others, 

12. Dealers in the flesh and hides of cattle, elephants, asses and camels and those that unnecessarily provoke others are all harassed in hells. 

13. After these terrible torments, they take birth as human beings again, 

14. But with mutilated limbs and immersed in misery. 

15. Because of their actions, they meet with injuries in the car, nose, hands and feet. 

16. They get physical ailments as well as mental. They suffer pain in the neck, severe headache and serious stomach disorders. 

17. They become stupid, blind, deaf, dumb and lame, often creeping with their legs. 

18. They may become paralytic, dwarfish, limping, potbellied and disfigured. 

19. Their bad actions bring upon them leprosy of various kinds, hernia, hydrocele and diabetes, 

20. Ophthalmic disorders, venereal diseases, asthma, heart-trouble and discases of stomach and spleen. 

21. They become, thus, afflicted by numerous diseases. These people who have committed cruelty are asked to be severely beaten. 

22. Messengers who deliver the false message are ordered to be duly dealt with. 

23. Those who are harsh towards women, whose talk is of four kinds, namely, false, offensive, ironical and treacherous, 

24. Or provocative, stinging, contemptible, unfriendly, harsh, inconsistent, 

25. Or trifling like the pith of the plantain, or wounding,

26. Grating, meaningless, ceaselessly chattering, incoherent, 

27. Who speak false and defamatory words obstinately, shameless even when condemned and still utter words stinging to the quick, 

28. Who do not tolerate the virtues of others being extolled, all such base persons are ordered to be well bound and punished. 

29. They are then born several times as beasts, worms and birds, 

30. People who have done harm to others or caused harm by others are also punished for their sins for a long time. 

31. When the effects of their deeds are over, they again become born as men but without proper knowledge or ability and are insulted by their own kith and kin. 

32. They will be given up even by their friends and relations as they have done harm to the world and are disliked by the world. 

33. Even the sins of others fall on their heads in the form of lightning, weapon, poison or physical clash with another. Such is the punishment for blabberers. 

34. Those who are corrupt with regard to matters of theft, violence and justice, 

35. Who steal or rob, who live upon taxes and pretending to be rulers, 

36. Who harass the poor in the villages, who cheat people of gold, gems or pearls, 

37. Who do not honour agreements, who oppress people, who are clever in accomplishing selfish aims, 

38. Who engage themselves in unnecessary litigation, who destroy minerals to make silver, 

39. Who appropriate for themselves what is deposited with them, or perform sorcery, all these are tortured in various hells. 

40. These sinners are ordered to be put in these hells for a long time. 

41. At the expiry of the result of their actions, they are born as human beings again, 

42. But in places which always instil great fear, fear from thieves, kings, dangers, diseases and hunger, 

43. Where there will be natural calamities and the people ever greedy. 

44. They will be full of sorrow even while in womb and, when born, they may be deformed, single-handed or potbellied, 

45. With veins protruding all over the body and rheumatic. Their wives will always shed tears and never associate with them. 

46. Their children will never be well-formed. They will be dwarfish and deformed and with unsteady eyes. 

47. In their miserable life they may raise horrible cries, but in vain. They will get only food that is left by others. 

48. Being inferior in appearance, strength and conduct, they may become royal servants of the lowest category. 

49. But they will be homeless, full of misery. 

50. They are cared not even for a straw even by friends and relations in the same caste. They incur royal punishment every day. 

51. They are simply disappointed even when big ceremonies are performed. 

52. If they turn to farming, cattle rearing or trade, whatever they do results in failure, and they fail to know why it is so 

53. Whatever bad befalls that place, these sufferers will be the most affected. 

54. Their fields will not get rainfall, even when there is heavy rain everywhere else; on the contrary they may be damaged by lightning fall. 

55. These people never get happiness, but always great misery. Only a series of sorrows comes upon these who have the sin of stealing. 

56. Now listen to the torments for people who set their minds on the wives of others. 

57. They will be born as animals and will be of unsteady mind. 

58. Those who do adultery will be caught firm and suitably dealt with. 

59-60. Know now what happens to those who outrage the modesty of noble women, either by force or otherwise, by sorcery or in a political turmoil, as also to those who defile rules of Classes and bring about contamination of castes, or molest virtuous persons. 

61. They are put in the terrible hell for thousands of years. 

62. Then they are born as human beings but low in families of contaminated castes. 

63. Those who resort to prostitutes, sorcerers or dealers in liquor and have sexual alliance with bad and outcaste women, although shamelessly wearing the caste-mark and pretending gentlemanliness, 

64. Those who kidnap women and ruin them, those who sport with them, put on their dress, 

65. Those who live upon women, depend on their earnings, worshipping their deities, following their rules, wearing their garments and speaking like them, 

66. Adopting their ways and always speaking about them. 

67. Becoming addicted to pleasures and having a repulsive look, 

68. Get physical and mental distress in abundance. 

69. They are bathed in boiling oil and are fed upon by worms. They are burnt in fire, soaked in lime and thrown in the river. 

70. This is what happens to those who have their minds on the wives of others. I have thus told you all this.