kapila uvāca
tasyaitasya jano nūnaṁ
nāyaṁ vedoru-vikramam
kālyamāno 'pi balino
vāyor iva ghanāvaliḥ
Translation
Kapila said: Indeed, men do not know the powerful influence of time. They are like clouds pushed by a strong wind.
Commentary
yaṁ yam artham upādatte
duḥkhena sukha-hetave
taṁ taṁ dhunoti bhagavān
pumāñ chocati yat-kṛte
Translation
Whatever a person attains with trouble for his pleasure is destroyed by time, which causes the person to lament.
Commentary
Bhagavān refers to time.
yad adhruvasya dehasya
sānubandhasya durmatiḥ
dhruvāṇi manyate mohād
gṛha-kṣetra-vasūni ca
Translation
The fool laments because he thinks out of illusion that house, land and articles related to a temporary body and to his temporary family are permanent.
Commentary
What is the reason for his lamentation? Yad means because. Sānubhandasya means along with wife and others.
jantur vai bhava etasmin
yāṁ yāṁ yonim anuvrajet
tasyāṁ tasyāṁ sa labhate
nirvṛtiṁ na virajyate
Translation
In whatever species he takes birth and roams, he attains happiness and does not become detached from it.
Commentary
This verse shows his foolishness.
naraka-stho 'pi dehaṁ vai
na pumāṁs tyaktum icchati
nārakyāṁ nirvṛtau satyāṁ
deva-māyā-vimohitaḥ
Translation
Even placed in hell, he does not desire to give up that body, since, bewildered by the Lords māyā, he enjoys hellish existence.
Commentary
The enjoyments of hell (nārakyām) are the food, association with women and items he obtains there.
ātma-jāyā-sutāgāra-
paśu-draviṇa-bandhuṣu
nirūòha-mūla-hṛdaya
ātmānaṁ bahu manyate
Translation
With his heart deeply rooted in his body, wife, sons, house, animals, wealth and friends, he is feels fully successful.
Commentary
Nirūòha-mūla-hṛdayaḥ means he whose heart has grown roots of attachment.
sandahyamāna-sarvāḍga
eṣām udvahanādhinā
karoty avirataṁ mūòho
duritāni durāśayaḥ
Translation
Burning in all his limbs, the fool, with sinful mind, performs sinful acts because of anxiety to maintain his family.
Commentary
Udvahanādhinā means with worries about protecting, feeding, showing affection, marrying off his family members.
ākṣiptātmendriyaḥ strīṇām
asatīnāṁ ca māyayā
raho racitayālāpaiḥ
śiśūnāṁ kala-bhāṣiṇām
Translation
His mind and senses are overcome with illusion by words of unchaste women in solitary places and by sweet words of his small children.
gṛheṣu kūṭa-dharmeṣu
duḥkha-tantreṣv atandritaḥ
kurvan duḥkha-pratīkāraṁ
sukhavan manyate gṛhī
Translation
Attentive to family life predominated by suffering, with practices of cheating for gaining wealth, he thinks happiness is counteracting the suffering.
Commentary
Kūṭa-dharmeṣu means having practices filled with cheating for wealth. These family affairs predominantly give misery (duḥkha-tantreṣu).
arthair āpāditair gurvyā
hiṁsayetas-tataś ca tān
puṣṇāti yeṣāṁ poṣeṇa
śeṣa-bhug yāty adhaḥ svayam
Translation
He supports his family with wealth obtaining here and there by violence, while he enjoys only the remnants. By this process he goes to hell.
Commentary
He eats or enjoys whatever is left after his members have eaten. This means that his enjoyment is rare.
vārtāyāṁ lupyamānāyām
ārabdhāyāṁ punaḥ punaḥ
lobhābhibhūto niḥsattvaḥ
parārthe kurute spṛhām
Translation
After trying again and again to maintain himself while failing each time, overcome by greed and feeling miserable, he desires others wealth.
Commentary
Vārtāyām means in maintaining himself.
uṭumba-bharaṇākalpo
manda-bhāgyo vṛthodyamaḥ
śriyā vihīnaḥ kṛpaṇo
dhyāyañ chvasiti mūòha-dhīḥ
Translation
Unable to maintain his family, misfortunate, with useless efforts, bereft of wealth, in misery, thinking of how to maintain his sons, the fool sighs.
Commentary
He meditates on how to maintain his children.
evaṁ sva-bharaṇākalpaṁ
tat-kalatrādayas tathā
nādriyante yathā pūrvaṁ
kīnāśā iva go-jaram
Translation
Just as a farmer does not respect an old bull, his wife and other members do not respect him, since he is unable to maintain them.
Commentary
Kīnāśāḥ means farmers. Go-jaraṁ means an old bull.
tatrāpy ajāta-nirvedo
bhriyamāṇaḥ svayam bhṛtaiḥ
jarayopātta-vairūpyo
maraṇābhimukho gṛhe
Translation
Without disgust for his existence, maintained by his dependents, deformed by old age, he approaches death in his house.
āste 'vamatyopanyastaṁ
gṛha-pāla ivāharan
āmayāvy apradīptāgnir
alpāhāro 'lpa-ceṣṭitaḥ
Translation
He remains like a dog, eating what is placed disrespectfully before him, diseased, without proper digestion, without appetite and weak.
Commentary
Maintained by his sons and others, he becomes like a stone. He, like a dog, eats what is placed disrespectfully in front of him. He becomes diseased (āmayāvī).
vāyunotkramatottāraḥ
kapha-saṁruddha-nāòikaḥ
kāsa-śvāsa-kṛtāyāsaḥ
kaṇṭhe ghura-ghurāyate
Translation
The pupils of his eyes bulge because of air. His throat becomes blocked with phlegm. He coughs and breathes with difficulty and his throat begins to rattle.
Commentary
The pupils of his eyes bulge out because of vāyu, caused kapha in the nāòis, caused by cough and other symptoms. His throat rattles.
śayānaḥ pariśocadbhiḥ
parivītaḥ sva-bandhubhiḥ
vācyamāno 'pi na brūte
kāla-pāśa-vaśaṁ gataḥ
Translation
Lying down, surrounded by lamenting relatives, under the control of the noose of time, though he wants to speak, he cannot.
evaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇe
vyāpṛtātmājitendriyaḥ
mriyate rudatāṁ svānām
uru-vedanayāsta-dhīḥ
Translation
His mind engrossed in family maintenance, with uncontrolled senses, and with the great pain from his lamenting relatives, he dies, losing his senses.
Commentary
Ast-dhīḥ means losing his senses.
yama-dūtau tadā prāptau
bhīmau sarabhasekṣaṇau
sa dṛṣṭvā trasta-hṛdayaḥ
śakṛn-mūtraṁ vimuñcati
Translation
When two terrifying servants of death, with angry eyes, arrive at that time, seeing them, he passes stool and urine in great fright.
Commentary
Now the destination of a dying person who is sinful is described. While dying, he passes urine and stool.
yātanā-deha āvṛtya
pāśair baddhvā gale balāt
nayato dīrgham adhvānaṁ
daṇòyaṁ rāja-bhaṭā yathā
Translation
Putting him in a body suitable for punishment, binding him with ropes by the neck, like a kings servants, they forcibly take the prisoner to be punished on a long road.
Commentary
Pulling him out of his gross body and putting him a body suitable for punishment, they take him away.
tayor nirbhinna-hṛdayas
tarjanair jāta-vepathuḥ
pathi śvabhir bhakṣyamāṇa
ārto 'ghaṁ svam anusmaran
Translation
His heart is pierced by their scolding. Trembling, bitten by dogs on the path, in great pain, he remembers that he is receiving the results of his sins.
Commentary
By their (tayoḥ) scolding he trembles. He remembers I now experience the results of my sins.
kṣut-tṛṭ-parīto 'rka-davānalānilaiḥ
santapyamānaḥ pathi tapta-vāluke
kṛcchreṇa pṛṣṭhe kaśayā ca tāòitaś
calaty aśakto 'pi nirāśramodake
Translation
Afflicted by hunger and thirst, burned by the winds made hot as a forest fire by the sun, beaten on his back by a whip, with difficulty, and though not capable, he moves on a path covered with hot sand, without a resting place with water.
Commentary
On the path there is no resting place with water (nirāśramodake).
tatra tatra patañ chrānto
mūrcchitaḥ punar utthitaḥ
pathā pāpīyasā nītas
tarasā yama-sādanam
Translation
Falling down here and there with fatigue, fainting and being pulled up repeatedly, he is quickly brought along the path of sinners to the abode of Yama.
yojanānāṁ sahasrāṇi
navatiṁ nava cādhvanaḥ
tribhir muhūrtair dvābhyāṁ vā
nītaḥ prāpnoti yātanāḥ
Translation
Brought along the path measuring ninety-nine thousand yojanas in two or three moments, he then receives punishment.
Commentary
The path is ninety-nine thousand yojanas. Because of greater sin, it takes only two moments1 to traverse the path.
ādīpanaṁ sva-gātrāṇāṁ
veṣṭayitvolmukādibhiḥ
ātma-māṁsādanaṁ kvāpi
sva-kṛttaṁ parato 'pi vā
Translation
Surrounded by flaming wood, his limbs burst into flames. He is made to eat his own flesh, or others eat his flesh.
Commentary
His punishment is described. The verb attains should be supplied. He is made to eat his own flesh or others (parataḥ) eat it.
jīvataś cāntrābhyuddhāraḥ
śva-gṛdhrair yama-sādane
sarpa-vṛścika-daṁśādyair
daśadbhiś cātma-vaiśasam
Translation
In Yamas abode, his entrails are pulled out while he is alive by dogs and vultures, and his body is pained by the biting of snakes, scorpions and gad-flies.
kṛntanaṁ cāvayavaśo
gajādibhyo bhidāpanam
pātanaṁ giri-śṛḍgebhyo
rodhanaṁ cāmbu-gartayoḥ
Translation
One by one his limbs are cut off, or torn off, by elephants and other creatures. He is hurled from mountain peaks and pushed under water and locked in holes.
yās tāmisrāndha-tāmisrā
rauravādyāś ca yātanāḥ
bhuḍkte naro vā nārī vā
mithaḥ saḍgena nirmitāḥ
Translation
Because by sinful association, a man or woman experiences the punishments of tāmisra, andha-tāmisra, and raurava.
atraiva narakaḥ svarga
iti mātaḥ pracakṣate
yā yātanā vai nārakyas
tā ihāpy upalakṣitāḥ
Translation
O mother! They say that in this world hell and heaven are also experienced. Hellish punishments are seen in this world also.
Commentary
The experiences of hell are not impossible, for there are examples in this world. Even in this world when a king punishes someone, he may tear off limbs. Or sometimes there may be enjoyments such as garlands, sandalwood or women.
evaṁ kuṭumbaṁ bibhrāṇa
udaram bhara eva vā
visṛjyehobhayaṁ pretya
bhuḍkte tat-phalam īdṛśam
Translation
He who maintains his family or his own stomach in this way, after giving up his stomach and his family on dying, will experience such results.
Commentary
Ubhayam refers to family and stomach. Pretya means having died.
ekaḥ prapadyate dhvāntaṁ
hitvedaṁ sva-kalevaram
kuśaletara-pātheyo
bhūta-droheṇa yad bhṛtam
Translation
Having to experience a path of death for the sinful, he enters darkness alone, after giving up his present body maintained by violence towards other living entities.
Commentary
Pātheyaḥ means he who has a sinful path of death experience. He gives up a gross body nourished (yad bhṛtam) by violence to other beings.
daivenāsāditaṁ tasya
śamalaṁ niraye pumān
bhuḍkte kuṭumba-poṣasya
hṛta-vitta ivāturaḥ
Translation
By the arrangement of karma, the man, without his family members, afflicted like a man who has lost his wealth, experiences the fault of maintaining his family sinfully in hell.
Commentary
By the arrangement of karma, he experiences the fault (śamalam) of maintaining his family by sin, without his family, like a man who has lost his wealth.
kevalena hy adharmeṇa
kuṭumba-bharaṇotsukaḥ
yāti jīvo 'ndha-tāmisraṁ
caramaṁ tamasaḥ padam
Translation
Eager to maintain his family by sinful actions alone, the person goes to the final destination of andha-tāmisram, a region of hell.
Commentary
He goes to a place of hell (tamasaḥ padam).
adhastān nara-lokasya
yāvatīr yātanādayaḥ
kramaśaḥ samanukramya
punar atrāvrajec chuciḥ
Translation
After successively going through many births below the human form and becoming purified, he returns to this earth as a human again.
Commentary
Yāvatīḥ yātanā (so many punishments) means that after attaining births as dog and pig gradually and experiencing those lives, he becomes purified of his sin. Then he takes birth again on earth as a human.
Thus ends the commentary on Thirtieth Chapter of the Third Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
Kapila has shown to his mother in five chapters bhakti mixed with guṇas, pure bhakti, as well jñāna and aṣṭāḍga-yoga in sattva-guṇa. In three chapters he now shows, one after the other, results arising from activities of tamas, rajas and sattva. In the Thirtieth Chapter Kapila explains the pains in youth, old age, death and hell of persons agitated by attachment to wife and sons.
Kapila explains now in three chapters the suffering of material life produced by various actions without bhakti to the Lord. Tasya refers to time. Instead of balinaḥ the word balinā (with force) is sometimes seen.