कशया ताडयन्तस्तिग्मया सूर्म्या लोहमय्या पुरुषमालिङ्गयन्ति स्त्रियं च
पुरुषरूपया सूर्म्या ॥२०॥
yas tv iha vÄ agamyÄá¹ striyam agamyaá¹ vÄ puruá¹£aá¹ yoá¹£id abhigacchati tÄv amutra kaÅ›ayÄ tÄá¸ayantas tigmayÄ sÅ«rmyÄ lohamayyÄ puruá¹£am Äliá¹…gayanti striyaá¹ ca puruá¹£a-rÅ«payÄ sÅ«rmyÄ
yaḥ - any person who; tu - but; iha - in this life; vÄ - or; agamyÄm - unsuitable; striyam - a woman; agamyam - unsuitable; vÄ - or; puruá¹£am - a man; yoá¹£it - a woman; abhigacchati - approaches for sexual intercourse; tau - both of them; amutra - in the next life; kaÅ›ayÄ - by whips; tÄá¸ayantaḥ - beating; tigmayÄ - very hot; sÅ«rmyÄ - by an image; loha-mayyÄ - made of iron; puruá¹£am - the man; Äliá¹…gayanti - they embrace; striyam - the woman; ca - also; puruá¹£a-rÅ«payÄ - in the form of a man; sÅ«rmyÄ - by an image.
A man or woman who indulges in sexual intercourse with an unworthy member of the opposite sex is punished after death by the assistants of YamarÄja in the hell known as TaptasÅ«rmi. There such men and women are beaten with whips. The man is forced to embrace a red-hot iron form of a woman, and the woman is forced to embrace a similar form of a man. Such is the punishment for illicit sex.
Generally a man should not have sexual relations with any woman other than his wife. According to Vedic principles, the wife of another man is considered one’s mother, and sexual relations are strictly forbidden with one’s mother, sister and daughter. If one indulges in illicit sexual relations with another man’s wife, that activity is considered identical with having sex with one’s mother. This act is most sinful. The same principle holds for a woman also; if she enjoys sex with a man other than her husband, the act is tantamount to having sexual relations with her father or son. Illicit sex life is always forbidden, and any man or woman who indulges in it is punished in the manner described in this verse.
