450 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 5, Ch. 26

one who does not believe in the Vedas. However, even if one takes up a
different system of religion, according to this verse he must follow the
religious principles he has accepted. Whether one is a Hindu, or a
Mohammedan or a Christian, he should follow his own religious princi-
ples. However, if one concocts his own religious path within his mind, or
if one follows no religious principles at all, he is punished in the hell
known as Asi-patravana. In other words, a human being must follow
some religious principles. If he does not follow any religious principles,
he is no better than an animal. As Kali-yuga advances, people are becom-
ing godless and taking up so-called secularism. They do not know the
punishment awaiting them in Asi-patravana, as described in this verse.

TEXT 16

afeqe F UAT UAgEM A aad AS MAA ATA aT
mee a Tits aaa fir anit
Rema TWiees sata aaa wfaeqhsa:
PUTT TARIELIT STERT? 2M

yas tv iha vai raja raja-puruso vd adandye dandam pranayati
braéhmane va Sarira-dandam sa papiydn narake ’mutra sitkaramukhe
nipatati tatratibalair vinispisyamandvayavo yathaiveheksukhanda Grta-
svarena svanayan kvacin mircchitah kasmalam upagato yathaiveha-
drsta-dosa uparuddhah.

yah—anyone who; tu—but; iha—in this life; vai—indeed:; raja—a
king; raja-purusah—a king’s man; v@—or; adarndye—unto one not
punishable; dandam—punishment; pranayati—inflicts; brahmane—
unto a brahmana; vd—or; Sarira-dandam—corporal punishment:
sah—that person, king or government officer; papiyan—the most sin-
ful; narake—in the hell; amutra—in the next life; suikaramukhe—
named Sikharamukha; nipatati—falls down; tatra—there; ati-balaih—
by very strong assistants of Yamaraja; vinispisyamana—being crushed;
avayavah—the different parts of whose body; yatha—like: eva—cer-
tainly; iha—here; iksu-khandah—sugarcane; arta-svarena—with a
pitiable sound; svanayan—crying; kvacit—sometimes; mircchitah—
