SB 5.26.3 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.26.3

अथेदानीं प्रतिषिद्धलक्षणस्याधर्मस्य तथैव कर्तु: श्रद्धाया वैसाद‍ृश्यात्कर्मफलं विसद‍ृशं भवति या ह्यनाद्यविद्यया कृतकामानां तत्परिणामलक्षणा: सृतय: सहस्रश: प्रवृत्तास्तासां प्राचुर्येणानुवर्णयिष्याम: ॥ ३ ॥

athedānīṁ pratiṣiddha-lakṣaṇasyādharmasya tathaiva kartuḥ śraddhāyā vaisādṛśyāt karma-phalaṁ visadṛśaṁ bhavati yā hy anādy-avidyayā kṛta-kāmānāṁ tat-pariṇāma-lakṣaṇāḥ sṛtayaḥ sahasraśaḥ pravṛttās tāsāṁ prācuryeṇānuvarṇayiṣyāmaḥ.

[athedaaneem pratishiddha-lakshanasyaadharmasya tathaiva kartuh shraddhaayaa vaisaadrishyaat karma-phalam visadrisham bhavati yaa hy anaady-avidyayaa krita-kaamaanaam tat-parinaama-lakshanaah sritayah sahasrashah pravrittaas taasaam praachuryenaanuvarnayishyaamah.]

Word-for-word

atha — thus idānīm — now pratiṣiddha — by what is forbidden lakṣaṇasya — symptomized adharmasya — of impious activities tathā — so also eva — certainly kartuḥ — of the performer śraddhāyāḥ — of faith vaisādṛśyāt — by the difference karma-phalam — the reaction of fruitive activities visadṛśam — different bhavati — is yā — which hi — indeed anādi — from time immemorial avidyayā — by ignorance kṛta — performed kāmānām — of persons possessing many lusty desires tat-pariṇāma-lakṣaṇāḥ — the symptoms of the results of such impious desires sṛtayaḥ — hellish conditions of life sahasraśaḥ — by thousands upon thousands pravṛttāḥ — resulted tāsām — them prācuryeṇa — very widely anuvarṇayiṣyāmaḥ — I shall explain.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

atha

thus

idānīm

now

pratiṣiddha

by what is forbidden

lakṣaṇasya

symptomized

adharmasya

of impious activities

tathā

so also

eva

certainly

kartuḥ

of the performer

śraddhāyāḥ

of faith

vaisādṛśyāt

by the difference

karma-phalam

the reaction of fruitive activities

visadṛśam

different

bhavati

yā

which

indeed

anādi

from time immemorial

avidyayā

by ignorance

kṛta

performed

kāmānām

of persons possessing many lusty desires

tat-pariṇāma-lakṣaṇāḥ

the symptoms of the results of such impious desires

sṛtayaḥ

hellish conditions of life

sahasraśaḥ

by thousands upon thousands

pravṛttāḥ

resulted

tāsām

them

prācuryeṇa

very widely

anuvarṇayiṣyāmaḥ

I shall explain.

Just as by executing various pious activities one achieves different positions in heavenly life, by acting impiously one achieves different positions in hellish life. Those who are activated by the material mode of ignorance engage in impious activities, and according to the extent of their ignorance, they are placed in different grades of hellish life. If one acts in the mode of ignorance because of madness, his resulting misery is the least severe. One who acts impiously but knows the distinction between pious and impious activities is placed in a hell of intermediate severity. And for one who acts impiously and ignorantly because of atheism, the resultant hellish life is the worst. Because of ignorance, every living entity has been carried by various desires into thousands of different hellish planets since time immemorial. I shall try to describe them as far as possible.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

For the performer of forbidden acts of adharma, as with the performer of dharma, there are varieties of results for actions according to differences in faith of the performer. The destinations for performing acts out of desire caused by beginningless ignorance are merely transformations of those desires, with thousands of varieties. Among these destinations I shall describe in the detail the various hells. The results of performing dharma according to scriptures have been described already as happiness on Svarga on earth, heaven or below the earth. The results of adharma, in the form of the suffering in hell should also be described. Just as for the performer of dharma (tathā), for the performer of adharma characterized by forbidden acts, by his faith with different degrees of tamas, results appear. By performing adharma due to inattention, there is a small amount of tamas. By performing sin with knowledge there is greater amount of tamas. By performing sin with complete rejection of God there is complete tamas. The cause of the three types of tamas is explained. The jīva has ignorance without beginning. It is impossible to say when or how the jīva developed a relationship with ignorance. The results of desires arising by the jīva’s beginningless ignorance of three types are transformations of those desires. Among the destinations I will describe in detail the various hells.

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Personal Guidance

Hellish life has grades; impiety with knowledge is worse than impiety done in madness. Knowing better and doing worse is heavier than doing wrong while ignorant. Don't take comfort in your education if your conduct lags behind.

Reflection Questions

Where am I doing wrong knowingly, in ways I could excuse if I were ignorant — but I'm not?
What would integrity look like in catching up my behavior to my understanding?

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io