संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
तत्tatthat; this
येyethose who; they who
इहihahere; in this world
रमणीयचरणाःramaṇīyacaraṇāḥwhose conduct is lovely (ramaṇīya-caraṇa — 'of delightful behaviour'); fair in conduct; of good behaviour
अभ्याशःabhyāśaḥthere is a likelihood (abhyāśa — 'probability, expectation'); it may be expected; probably
हhaindeed; surely
यत्yatwhich; that which
तेteto you; for you
रमणीयाम्ramaṇīyāma fair; a blessed
योनिम्yonima womb (yoni — 'matrix, birth'); the matrix; birth
आपद्येरन्āpadyeranthey may enter (optative of ā + √pad); they would reach; they would obtain
ब्राह्मणयोनिम्brāhmaṇayonimbirth as a brāhmaṇa; a brāhmaṇa womb
वाvāverily; surely
क्षत्रिययोनिम्kṣatriyayonimbirth as a kṣatriya; a kṣatriya womb
वाvāverily; surely
वैश्ययोनिम्vaiśyayonimbirth as a vaiśya; a vaiśya womb
वाvāverily; surely
अथathathereupon; then
येyethose who; they who
इहihahere; in this world
कपूयचरणाःkapūyacaraṇāḥwhose conduct stinks (kapūya-caraṇa — 'of foul behaviour'); foul in conduct; of evil behaviour
अभ्याशःabhyāśaḥthere is a likelihood (abhyāśa — 'probability, expectation'); it may be expected; probably
हhaindeed; surely
यत्yatwhich; that which
तेteto you; for you
कपूयाम्kapūyāman evil; a low
योनिम्yonima womb (yoni — 'matrix, birth'); the matrix; birth
आपद्येरन्āpadyeranthey may enter (optative of ā + √pad); they would reach; they would obtain
श्वयोनिम्śvayonimthe womb of a dog (śva-yoni); a dog's womb; birth as a dog
वाvāverily; surely
सूकरयोनिम्sūkarayonimthe womb of a pig (sūkara-yoni); a swine's womb; birth as a pig
वाvāverily; surely
चण्डालयोनिम्caṇḍālayonimthe womb of a caṇḍāla (caṇḍāla-yoni — of the outcaste); a caṇḍāla womb; birth as a caṇḍāla
वाvāverily; surely
As what sort of man does the returning one return? The answer: according to his "conduct" (caraṇa). Ramaṇīya-caraṇāḥ — "those whose conduct is lovely" — receive a good womb; kapūya-caraṇāḥ — "whose conduct is fetid" — the womb of a bitch, a pig, a caṇḍāla. Merit (which was burned up on the moon) and character (which has eaten into the soul) are different things: merit is spent, but the cast of the soul comes home with it and chooses its house.
The phrase abhyāśo ha yat — "there is a likelihood, one may expect" — is an honest qualification: this is a probability, not the verdict of a machine; the whole complexity of a life is taken into account. But the direction of the law is firm, and the Gītā will repeat it: birth "among the deluded" or "in a house of the pure and illustrious", according to the character formed (BG 16.19–20; 6.41). That is why the tradition so prizes a sāttvic environment, holy company, pure food: they mould the caraṇa — the one thing the soul carries away and brings back.