द्रव्यसूक्ष्मविपाकश्च धूमो रात्रिरपक्षय: । अयनं दक्षिणं सोमो दर्श ओषधिवीरुध: ॥ ५० ॥ अन्नं रेत इति क्ष्मेश पितृयानं पुनर्भव: । एकैकश्येनानुपूर्वं भूत्वा भूत्वेह जायते ॥ ५१ ॥
dravya-suksma-vipakas ca dhumo ratrir apaksayah ayanam daksinam somo darsa osadhi-virudhah annam reta iti ksmesa pitr-yanam punar-bhavah ekaikasyenanupurvam bhutva bhutveha jayate
- dravya-suksma-vipakah
- the paraphernalia offered as oblations in the fire, such as food grains mixed with ghee
- ca
- and
- dhumah
- turned to smoke, or the demigod in charge of smoke
- ratrih
- the demigod in charge of night
- apaksayah
- in the dark fortnight of the moon
- ayanam
- the demigod in charge of the passing of the sun
- daksinam
- in the southern zone
- somah
- the moon
- darsah
- returning
- osadhi
- plant life (on the surface of the earth)
- virudhah
- vegetation in general (the birth of lamentation)
- annam
- food grains
- retah
- semen
- iti
- in this way
- ksma-isa
- O King Yudhisthira, lord of the earth
- pitr-yanam
- the way of taking birth from the father’s semen
- punah-bhavah
- again and again
- eka-ekasyena
- one after another
- anupurvam
- successively, according to the gradation
- bhutva
- taking birth
- bhutva
- again taking birth
- iha
- in this material world
- jayate
- one exists in the materialistic way of life
My dear King Yudhisthira, when oblations of ghee and food grains like barley and sesame are offered in sacrifice, they turn into celestial smoke, which carries one to successively higher planetary systems like the kingdoms of Dhuma, Ratri, Krsnapaksa, Daksinam and ultimately the moon. Then, however, the performers of sacrifice descend again to earth to become herbs, creepers, vegetables and food grains. These are eaten by different living entities and turned to semen, which is injected into female bodies. Thus one takes birth again and again.