ये त्विह वै वृषलीपतयो नष्टशौचाचारनियमास्त्यक्तलज्जाः पशुचर्यां
चरन्ति ते चापि प्रेत्य पूयविण्मूत्रश्लेष्ममलापूर्णार्णवे निपतन्ति
तदेवातिबीभत्सितमश्नन्ति ॥२३॥

ye tv iha vai vṛṣalÄ«-patayo naṣṭa-Å›aucÄcÄra-niyamÄs tyakta-lajjÄḥ paÅ›u-caryÄá¹ caranti te cÄpi pretya pÅ«ya-viṇ-mÅ«tra-Å›leá¹£ma-malÄ-pÅ«rṇÄrṇave nipatanti tad evÄtibÄ«bhatsitam aÅ›nanti

 ye - persons who; tu - but; iha - in this life; vai - indeed; vṛṣalÄ«-patayaḥ - the husbands of the śūdras; naṣṭa - lost; Å›auca-ÄcÄra-niyamÄḥ - whose cleanliness, good behavior and regulated life; tyakta-lajjÄḥ - without shame; paÅ›u-caryÄm - the behavior of animals; caranti - they execute; te - they; ca - also; api - indeed; pretya - dying; pÅ«ya - of pus; viá¹­ - stool; mÅ«tra - urine; Å›leá¹£ma - mucus; malÄ - saliva; pÅ«rṇa - full; arṇave - in an ocean; nipatanti - fall; tat - that; eva - only; atibÄ«bhatsitam - extremely disgusting; aÅ›nanti - they eat.


Text

The shameless husbands of lowborn śūdra women live exactly like animals, and therefore they have no good behavior, cleanliness or regulated life. After death, such persons are thrown into the hell called Pūyoda, where they are put into an ocean filled with pus, stool, urine, mucus, saliva and similar things. Śūdras who could not improve themselves fall into that ocean and are forced to eat those disgusting things.

Purport

ÅšrÄ«la Narottama dÄsa ṬhÄkura has sung,

karma-kÄṇá¸a, jñÄna-kÄṇá¸a, kevala viá¹£era bÄṇá¸a,
 amá¹›ta baliyÄ yebÄ khÄya
nÄnÄ yoni sadÄ phire, kadarya bhaká¹£aṇa kare,
 tÄra janma adaḥ-pate yÄya

He says that persons following the paths of karma-kÄṇá¸a and jñÄna-kÄṇá¸a (fruitive activities and speculative thinking) are missing the opportunities for human birth and gliding down into the cycle of birth and death. Thus there is always the chance that he may be put into the PÅ«yoda Naraka, the hell named PÅ«yoda, where one is forced to eat stool, urine, pus, mucus, saliva and other abominable things. It is significant that this verse is spoken especially about śūdras. If one is born a śūdra, he must continually return to the ocean of PÅ«yoda to eat horrible things. Thus even a born śūdra is expected to become a brÄhmaṇa; that is the meaning of human life. Everyone should improve himself. Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (4.13), cÄtur-varṇyaá¹ mayÄ sṛṣṭaá¹ guṇa-karma-vibhÄgaÅ›aḥ: “According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, four divisions of human society were created by Me.†Even if one is by qualification a śūdra, he must try to improve his position and become a brÄhmaṇa. No one should try to check a person, no matter what his present position is, from coming to the platform of a brÄhmaṇa or a Vaiṣṇava. Actually, one must come to the platform of a Vaiṣṇava. Then he automatically becomes a brÄhmaṇa. This can be done only if the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spread, for we are trying to elevate everyone to the platform of Vaiṣṇava. As Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (18.66), sarva-dharmÄn parityajya mÄm ekaá¹ Å›araṇaá¹ vraja: “Abandon all other duties and simply surrender unto Me.†One must give up the occupational duties of a śūdra, ká¹£atriya or vaiÅ›ya and adopt the occupational duties of a Vaiṣṇava, which include the activities of a brÄhmaṇa. Kṛṣṇa explains this in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (9.32):

mÄá¹ hi pÄrtha vyapÄÅ›ritya
 ye ’pi syuḥ pÄpa-yonayaḥ
striyo vaiÅ›yÄs tathÄ Å›Å«drÄs
 te ’pi yÄnti parÄá¹ gatim

“O son of Pá¹›thÄ, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth — women, vaiÅ›yas [merchants], as well as śūdras [workers] — can approach the supreme destination.†Human life is specifically meant for going back home, back to Godhead. That facility should be given to everyone, whether one be a śūdra, a vaiÅ›ya, a woman or a ká¹£atriya. This is the purpose of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. However, if one is satisfied to remain a śūdra, he must suffer as described in this verse: tad evÄtibÄ«bhatsitam aÅ›nanti.