Markandeyapurana 14.7.p1

14.7.p1

rājovāca

The king spoke:
“I will go, O servant of the god, where thou shalt lead me. Something I ask, deign to declare it to me aright. These crows with adamant beaks are tearing out men’s eyes; and these men are having their eyes renewed again and again. And what deed have they done? Explain this abominable thing. Likewise they are tearing out the tongue from these other men as it is being reproduced anew. Why are these grievously afflicted men. torn with a saw? Why are these other men, immersed in oil, boiled among meal and sand? And these other men are dragged about by iron-beaked birds; say, of what kind are they, screaming with loud cries through the pain caused by the loosened bodily bands. Pained by the wounds in every limb, why are these men, who have wrought iniquity, struck by the onslaught of the iron beaks day and night. Tell me without reservation, through what maturing of their acts are these and other torments seen among sinners.”

Yama’s officer spoke:
“Mahārājā! it is even as thou hast said, undoubtedly. Nevertheless thou didst commit, Sir! a very trifling misdeed; I will recall it to thy mind. The wife whom thou hadst, a princess of Vidarbha, named Pīvarī,—her season of aptitude for sexual intercourse was formerly rendered barren by thee, who wast enamoured of the resplendent Kaikeyī; hence for the transgression in the matter of her season thou hast incurred, Sir! a deadful hell such as this. As the Fire expects the fall of the liquid butter at the time of the Homa oblation, even so does Brahmā expect the deposit of seed at the approved season. A righteous man who disregarding that season, may become absorbed in objects of desire, would still incur sin by reason of the debt due to his ancestors and would fall into hell. Such indeed was thy sin; naught else is found; come then! go, O king, to the enjoyment of thy meritorious acts.”