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CHAPTER XXI, 18.
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towards people, this is considered to be dark conduct. Whatever vain actions (there are), and whatever vain gifts, and vain eating, that is considered to be dark conduct. Reviling, and want of forgiveness, animosity, vanity, want of faith also, this is considered to be dark conduct. And whatever such people there are in this world, doers of sinful acts, who break through (all) regulations, they are all held to be dark. I will state the wombs appointed for these (men) of sinful actions. They go to the hell, (namely) the brute (species), to be born in the lower hell * ; (or become) the immovable entities, animals, beasts of burden, demons, and serpents, and worms, insects, birds, and also creatures born from eggs, and all quadrupeds, and idiots, deaf and dumb men, and whatever others are attacked by diseases generated by sin. These dark, evilconducted men, who are sunk in darkness, who bear the marks of their own actions, the current of whose (thoughts) is downwards', sink into darkness. I will now proceed to state their improvement and ascent; how, becoming men of meritorious actions, they attain to the worlds of those who perform good acts. Resorting to a contrary: (course of life), and growing old in (good) actions, they exert · Cf. Gfta, p. 83.
· Cr. Gitá, p. 116. • Such as trees and so forth, which are also forms of life.
• This is alluded to in some Smritis too. And cf. Rhåndogya, p. 358, and the quotation in the commentary on Sinkhya-stra V, 123.
• Such, says Nilakantha, as to fit them for the nether world. See Tattvakaumudi, p. 113. As lo marks, cf. p. 239 supra.
• Cf. Gitá, p. 130. * I.e. contrary to that already described as dark.
• Nilakantha renders this to mean' destroyed for Agnihotra and such ceremonies,' like the goat referred to above at p. 290. (8)
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