Shanti Parva 279.18
Rahular Itihasa / M. N. Dutt · Shanti Parva Chapter 279 · Verse 18
Sanskrit Original
तिर्यग् गच्छन्ति नरकं मानुष्यं दैवमेव च। सुखदुःखे प्रिये द्वेष्ये चरित्वा पूर्वमेव ह॥ कृतान्तविधिसंयुक्तः सर्वो लोकः प्रपद्यते। गतं गच्छन्ति चाध्वानं सर्वभूतानि सर्वदा॥ कालसंख्यानसंख्यातं सृष्टिस्थितिपरायणम्। तं भाषमाणं भगवानुशना प्रत्यभाषत। धीमान् दुष्टप्रलापांस्त्वं तात कस्मात् प्रभाषसे॥
Creatures are born as men or as intermediate animals or as gods and go to hell. Having acted in pristine lives in such a way as to deserve them, all creatures subject to the ordinances of the Destroyer, experience happiness and misery, the agreeable and the disagreeable. Having enjoyed the measure of happiness or misery commensurate with their acts, creatures always return by the old path, which is measured by the measure of acts. Then the illustrious Ushanas said to the Asura Vritra who was thus talking of the highest refuge of the creation, saying,-0 intelligent Daitya, why, O child, do you utter such foolish rhapsodies?