Uttarādhyayana Sūtra 34

On Lêsxâ?

I shall deliver in due order the Lecture on Lêsyâ; hear the nature of the six Lêsyâs (produced by) Karman.

Hear. the names,. colours,. tastes,. smells, 5. touches,. degrees,. character,. variety,. duration,. result, and 11. life of the Lêsyâs.

1. They are named in the following order: black, blue, grey, red, yellow, and white.

2. The black Lêsyâ has the colour of a rain-cloud, a buffalo's horn, (the fruit of) Rishtaka', or the eye of the wagtail.

The blue Lêsyâ has the colour of the blue Asôka, the tail of the Kâsha, or of lapis lazuli.

The grey Lêsyâ has the colour of the flower of Atasi, the feathers of the Kôkila, or the collar of pigeons.

The red Lêsyâ has the colour of vermilion, the rising sun, or the bill of a parrot.

The yellow Lêsyâ has the colour of orpiment, turmeric, or the flowers of Sana and Asana.

The white Lêsyâ has the colour of a conch-shell, the anka-stone', Kunda-flowers, flowing milk, silver, or a necklace of pearls.

3. The taste of the black Lêsyâ is infinitely more bitter than that of Tumbaka, (the fruit of the) Nimb-tree, or of Rôhini.

The taste of the blue Lêsyâ is infinitely more pungent than Trikatuka' and Hastipippali.

The taste of grey Lêsyâ is infinitely sourer than that of unripe Mango and Kapittha.

The taste of red Lêsyâ is infinitely more pleasant than that of ripe Mango and Kapittha.

The taste of yellow Lêsyâ is infinitely better than that of excellent wine and various liquors, honey and Mairêyaka.

The taste of white Lêsyâ is infinitely better than that of dates, grapes, milk, candied and pounded is infinitely worse than that of the corpse of a cow, dog, or snake.

The smell of the three good Lêsyâs is infinitely more pleasant than that of fragrant flowers and of perfumes when they are pounded.

5. The touch of the bad Lêsyâs is infinitely worse than that of a saw, the tongue of a cow, or leaf of the Teak tree.

The touch of the three good Lêsyâs is infinitely more pleasant than that of cotton, butter, or Sirishaflowers.

6. The degrees of the Lêsyâs are three, or nine, or twenty-seven, or eighty-one, or two hundred and forty-three. 7. A man who acts on the impulse of the five Âsravas', does not possess the three Guptis, has not ceased to injure the six (kinds of living beings), commits cruel acts, is wicked and violent, is afraid of no consequences, is mischievous and does not subdue his senses-a man of such habits develops the black Lêsyâ. (21, 22) A man of the following qualities: envy, anger, want of self-control, ignorance, deceit, want of modesty, greed, hatred, wickedness, carelessness, love of enjoyment; a man who pursues pleasures and does not abstain from sinful undertakings, who is wicked and violent a man of such habits develops the blue Lêsyâ. (23, 24) A man who is dishonest in words and acts, who is base, not upright, a dissembler and deceiver, a heretic, a vile man, a talker of hurtful and sinful things, a thief, and full of jealousy-a man of such habits develops the grey Lêsyâ. (25, 26) A man who is humble, steadfast, free from deceit and inquisitiveness, well disciplined, restrained, attentive to his study and duties, who loves the Law and keeps it, who is afraid of forbidden things and strives after the highest good-a man of such habits develops the red Lêsyâ. (27, 28) A man who has but little anger, pride, deceit, and greed, whose mind is at ease, who controls himself, who is attentive to his study and duties, who speaks but little, is calm, and subdues his senses-a man of such habits develops the yellow Lêsyâ. (29, 30) A man who abstains from constant thinking about his misery and about sinful deeds, but engages in meditation on the Law and truth only, whose mind is at ease, who controls himself, who practises the Samitis and Guptis, whether he be still subject to passion or free from passion, is calm, and subdues his senses-a man of such habits develops the are Samayas in the innumerable Avasarpints and Utsarpinis, and as there are countless worlds. (33) 9. Half a muhurta is the shortest, and thirty-three Sâgarôpamâs plus one muhûrta is the longest duration of the black Lêsyâ. (34) Half a muhurta is the shortest, and ten Sâgarðpamâs plus one Palyôpamâ and a part of an Asamkhyêya is the longest duration of the blue Lêsyâ. (35) Half a muhurta is the shortest, and three Sâgarôpamâs plus one Palyôpamâ and a part of an Asamkhyêya is the longest duration of the grey Lêsyâ. (36) Half a muhûrta is the shortest, and two Sâgarôpamâs plus one Palyôpamâ and a part of an Asamkhyêya is the longest duration of the red Lêsyâ. (37) Half a muhurta is the shortest, and ten Sâgarôpamâs plus one muhûrta is the longest duration of the yellow Lêsyâ. (38) Half a muhûrta is the shortest, and thirty-three Sâgarôpamâs plus one muhûrta is the longest duration of the white Lêsyâ. (39) I have described above the duration of the Lêsyâs generally; I shall now detail their duration in the four walks of mundane existence. (40) The shortest duration of the grey Lêsyâ (of a denizen of hell) is ten thousand years, the longest three Sâgarôpamâs plus one Palyôpamâ and part of an Asamkhyêya. (41) The shortest duration of the blue Lêsyâ (of a denizen of hell) is three Sâgarôpamâs plus one Palyôpamâ and a part of an Asamkhyêya, the longest ten Sâgarôpamâs plus one Palyôpamâ and a part of an Asamkhyêya. (42) The shortest duration of the black Lêsyâ (of a denizen of hell) is ten Sâgarôpamâs plus one Palyôpamâ and a part of an Asamkhyêya, the longest thirty-three Sâgarôpamâs. (43) I have described the duration of the Lêsyâs of denizens of hell; I shall now describe that of animals, men, and gods. (44) The duration of any of the Lêsyâs except the best (viz. white one) is less than a muhûrta for (the lowest organisms), animals, and men. (45) Half a muhurta is the shortest duration of the white Lêsyâ (of animals and men), and the longest a Krore of former years less nine years. (46) I have described the duration of the Lêsyâs of animals and men, I shall now describe that of the thousand years, the longest a Palyôpamâ and (a part of) an Asamkhyêya. (48) The shortest duration of the blue Lêsyâ is equal to the longest of the black one plus one Samaya; the longest is one Palyôpamâ plus a (greater part of) an Asamkhyêya. (49) The shortest duration of the grey Lêsyâ is equal to the longest of the blue one plus one Samaya; the longest is one Palyôpamâ plus (a still greater part of) an Asamkhyêya. (50) I shall now describe the red Lêsyâ as it is with gods, Bhavanapatis, Vyantaras, Gyôtishkas, and Palyôpamâ, the longest two Sâgarô pamâs plus one Palyôpamâ and a part of an Asamkhyêya. (52) The shortest duration of the red Lêsyâ is ten thousand years, the longest two Sâgarôpamâs plus one Palyôpamâ and a part of an Asamkhyêya. (53) The longest duration of the red Lêsyâ plus one Samaya is equal to the shortest of the yellow Lêsyâ; its longest, however, is ten muhûrtas longer. (54) The longest duration of the yellow Lêsyâ plus one Samaya is equal to the shortest of the white Lêsyâ; the longest, however, is thirty-three muhûrtas lowest Lêsyâs; through them the soul is brought into miserable courses of life. (56) The red, yellow, and white Lêsyâs are the good Lêsyâs; through them the soul is brought into happy courses of life. (57) 11. In the first moment of these Lêsyâs when they are joined (with the soul), the latter is not born into a new existence. (58) In the last moment of all these Lêsyâs when they are joined (with the soul), the latter is not born into a new existence. (59) While the last muhûrta is running and a part of it is still to come, the souls with their Lêsyâs developed, go to a new birth. (60) A wise man should, therefore, know the nature of these Lêsyâs; he should avoid the bad ones and obtain the good ones. (61) Thus I say.