Markandeyapurana 14.21

14.21

vyālakuñjaradurgāṇi sarpacaurabhayāni tu /
hatāḥ pāpena gacchanti pāpinaḥ kimataḥ param //

Yama’s officer spoke:
“Since thou askest me, O king, concerning the rise of the fruits of sinful actions, I will tell thee that succinctly and correctly. A man verily attains merit and demerit in regular order; and his sin or his merit diminishes as he consumes it. But no human action, whether virtuous or sinful, quickly cleanses except by consumption. Diminution arises through consumption. And he abandons merit and demerit through consuming it; hearken to me! From famine indeed to famine, from affliction to affliction, from fear to fear go needy sinners, more dead than the dead. A manifold course do creatures take through the fetters of their actions. From festival to festival, from Svarga to Svarga, from happiness to happiness go the faithful, and the peaceful, the rich, and the doers of good. But sinners, when slain by sin, encounter perils from beasts of prey and elephants, terrors from snakes and thieves; what surpasses this? Decked with fragrant garlands, dad in fine apparel, enjoying beautiful carriages dwellings and food, those who are praised ever go to sacred groves with their meritorious deeds.