यस्त्विह वै भूतानामीश्वरोपकल्पितवृत्तीनामविविक्तपरव्यथानां स्वयं पुरुषोपकल्पितवृत्तिर्विविक्तपरव्यथो व्यथामाचरति स परत्रान्धकूपे तदभिद्रोहेण निपतति तत्र हासौ तैर्जन्तुभि: पशुमृगपक्षिसरीसृपैर्मशकयूकामत्कुणमक्षिकादिभिर्ये के चाभिद्रुग्धास्तै: सर्वतोऽभिद्रुह्यमाणस्तमसि विहतनिद्रानिर्वृतिरलब्धावस्थान: परिक्रामति यथा कुशरीरे जीव: ॥ १७ ॥
yas tv iha vai bhutanam isvaropakalpita-vrttinam avivikta-para-vyathanam svayam purusopakalpita-vrttir vivikta-para-vyatho vyatham acarati sa paratrandhakupe tad-abhidrohena nipatati tatra hasau tair jantubhih pasu-mrga-paksi-sarisrpair masaka-yuka-matkuna-maksikadibhir ye ke cabhidrugdhas taih sarvato ’bhidruhyamanas tamasi vihata-nidra-nirvrtir alabdhavasthanah parikramati yatha kusarire jivah.
- yah
- any person who
- tu
- but
- iha
- in this life
- vai
- indeed
- bhutanam
- to some living entities
- isvara
- by the supreme controller
- upakalpita
- designed
- vrttinam
- whose means of livelihood
- avivikta
- not understanding
- para-vyathanam
- the pain of others
- svayam
- himself
- purusa-upakalpita
- designed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- vrttih
- whose livelihood
- vivikta
- understanding
- para-vyathah
- the painful conditions of others
- vyatham acarati
- but still causes pain
- sah
- such a person
- paratra
- in his next life
- andhakupe
- to the hell named Andhakupa
- tat
- to them
- abhidrohena
- by the sin of malice
- nipatati
- falls down
- tatra
- there
- ha
- indeed
- asau
- that person
- taih jantubhih
- by those respective living entities
- pasu
- animals
- mrga
- wild beasts
- paksi
- birds
- sarisrpaih
- snakes
- masaka
- mosquitoes
- yuka
- lice
- matkuna
- worms
- maksika-adibhih
- flies and so on
- ye ke
- whoever else
- ca
- and
- abhidrugdhah
- persecuted
- taih
- by them
- sarvatah
- everywhere
- abhidruhyamanah
- being injured
- tamasi
- in the darkness
- vihata
- disturbed
- nidra-nirvrtih
- whose resting place
- alabdha
- not being able to obtain
- avasthanah
- a resting place
- parikramati
- wanders
- yatha
- just as
- ku-sarire
- in a low-grade body
- jivah
- a living entity
By the arrangement of the Supreme Lord, low-grade living beings like bugs and mosquitoes suck the blood of human beings and other animals. Such insignificant creatures are unaware that their bites are painful to the human being. However, first-class human beings—brahmanas, ksatriyas and vaisyas—are developed in consciousness, and therefore they know how painful it is to be killed. A human being endowed with knowledge certainly commits sin if he kills or torments insignificant creatures, who have no discrimination. The Supreme Lord punishes such a man by putting him into the hell known as Andhakupa, where he is attacked by all the birds and beasts, reptiles, mosquitoes, lice, worms, flies, and any other creatures he tormented during his life. They attack him from all sides, robbing him of the pleasure of sleep. Unable to rest, he constantly wanders about in the darkness. Thus in Andhakupa his suffering is just like that of a creature in the lower species.