21. Very sinful people, fallen into the flood, cry, O Brother, O Son, O Father!'--again and again wailing.

22-23. Hungry and thirsty the sinful drink the blood, it is said. That river, flowing with blood, carrying much foam,

Very dreadful, with powerful roaring, difficult to see into, fear-inspiring,--at the very sight of it the sinful swoon away.

24. Covered with many scorpions, and with black snakes,--of those who have fallen into the midst of this, there is no rescuer whatever.

25. By hundreds of thousands of whirlpools the sinful descend to the lower region. They stay for a moment in the lower region, after the moment rising again.

26. O Bird, this river was created only that the sinful should fall into it. It is difficult to cross and gives great misery, and its opposite cannot be seen.

27. Thus along the Way of Yama, of many kinds of pain, giving extreme misery, go the sinful, crying and weeping and laden with misery.

28. Bound by the noose, some of them being dragged by hooks, and pierced from behind with points of weapons, the sinful are led on.

29. Others are drawn along by a noose through the end of the nose, and also by nooses through the ears; others, by the nooses of death being dragged along, are pecked by crows.

30-32. Some go on the way neck, arms, feet and back bound with chains, bearing many loads of iron,

And being beaten with hammers by the awful messengers of Yama; vomiting blood from the mouth, which then they eat again,

Bewailing their own karmas these beings, becoming exhausted, full of very great misery, go on towards the mansion of Yama.

33-34. And the stupid, thus going on the way, calling on son and grandson, incessantly crying out, 'Oh, oh,' repents:--

'By great meritorious effort birth as a human being is gained. Haying obtained that, I did not do my duty,--also, whatever have I done!

35. 'I made no gifts; no offerings to the fire; performed no penances; did not worship the deities; did not perform service at a place of pilgrimage as prescribed;--O Dweller in the Body, make reparation for whatever you have done!

36. 'I did not duly honour the assemblies of Brahmins; did not visit the holy river ; did not wait upon good men; never performed any benevolent acts;--O Dweller in the Body, make reparation for whatever you have done!

37. ' Alas, I did not excavate tanks in waterless places, either for the benefit of men or for the sake of animals and binds; did not even a little for the support of cows and brahmins;--O Dweller in the Body, make reparation for whatever you leave done!

38. 'I made no daily gifts and did not give food daily to the cow; did not value the precepts of the Vedas and the S'astras; did not listen to the Puranas, nor worship the wise;--O Dweller in the Body, make reparation for whatever you have done!'