Bhūmi-khaṇḍa · Chapter 33
Sourceऋषय ऊचुः- शप्ता गंधर्वपुत्रेण सुशंखेन महात्मना । तस्य शापात्कथं जाता किं किं कर्म कृतं तया १। सा लेभे कीदृशं पुत्रं तस्य शापाद्द्विजोत्तम । सुनीथायाश्च चरितं त्वं नो विस्तरतो वद २। सूत उवाच- सुशंखेनापि तेनैव सा शप्ता तनुमध्यमा । पितुः स्थानं गता सा तु सुनीथा दुःखपीडिता ३। पितरं चात्मनश्चैव चरितं च प्रकाशितम् । श्रुतवान्सोपि धर्मात्मा मृत्युः सत्यवतां वर ४। तामुवाच सुनीथां तु सुतां शप्तां महात्मना । भवत्या दुष्कृतं पापं धर्म तेजः प्रणाशनम् ५। कस्मात्कृतं महाभागे सुशांतस्य हि ताडनम् । विरुद्धं सर्वलोकस्य भवत्या परिकल्पितम् ६। कामक्रोधविहीनं तं सुशांतं धर्मवत्सलम् । तपोमार्गे विलीनं च परब्रह्मणि संस्थितम् ७। तमेवघातयेद्यो वै तस्य पापं शृणुष्व हि । पापात्मा जायते पुत्रः किल्बिषं लभते बहु ८। ताडंतं ताडयेद्यो वै क्रोशंतं क्रोशयेत्पुनः । तस्य पापं स वै भुंक्ते ताडितस्य न संशयः ९। स वै शांतः स जितात्मा ताडयंतं न ताडयेत् । निर्दोषं प्रति येनापि ताडनं च कृतं सुते १०। पश्चान्मोहेन पापेन निर्दोषेऽपि च ताडयेत् । निर्दोषं प्रति येनापि हृद्रोगः क्रियते वृथा ११। निर्दोषं ताडयेत्पश्चान्मोहात्पापेन केनचित् । स पापी पापमाप्नोति निर्दोषस्य शरीरजम् १२। निर्दोषो घातयेत्तं वै ताडंतं पापचेतसम् । पुनरुत्थाय वेगेन साहसात्पापचेतनम् १३। पापकर्तुश्च यत्पापं निर्दोषं प्रति गच्छति । ताडनं नैव तस्माद्वै कार्यं दोषवतोऽपि च १४। दुष्कृतं च महत्पुत्रि त्वयैव परिपालितम् । शप्ता तेनापि याद्यैव तस्मात्पुण्यं समाचर १५। सतां संगं समासाद्य सदैव परिवर्तय । योगध्यानेन ज्ञानेन परिवर्तय नंदिनि १६। सतां संगो महापुण्यो बहुश्रेयो विधायकः । बाले पश्य सुदृष्टांतं सतां संगस्य यद्गुणम् १७। अपां संस्पर्शनात्पानात्स्नानात्तत्र महाधियः । मुनयः सिद्धिमायांति बाह्याभ्यंतरक्षालिताः १८। शुचिष्मंतो भवंत्येते लोकाः सर्वे चराचराः । आपः शांताः सुशीताश्च मृदुगात्राः प्रियंकराः १९। निर्मला रसवत्यश्च पुण्यवीर्या मलापहाः । तथा संतस्त्वया ज्ञेया निषेव्याश्च प्रयत्नतः २०। यथा वह्निप्रसंगाच्च मलं त्यजति कांचनम् । तथा सतां हि संसर्गात्पापं त्यजति मानवः २१। सत्यवह्निः प्रदीप्तश्च प्रज्वलेत्पुण्यतेजसा । सत्येन दीप्ततेजास्तु ज्ञानेनापि सुनिर्मलः २२। अत्युष्णो ध्यानभावेन अस्पृश्यः पापजैर्नरैः । सत्यवह्नेः प्रसंगाच्च पापं सर्वं विनश्यति २३। तस्मात्सत्यस्य संसर्गः कर्तव्यः सर्वथा त्वया । पापभारं परित्यज्य पुण्यमेवं समाश्रय २४। सूत उवाच- एवं पित्रा सुनीथा सा दुःखिता प्रतिबोधिता । नमस्कृत्य पितुः पादौ गता सा निर्जनं वनम् २५। कामं क्रोधं परित्यज्य बाल्यभावं तपस्विनी । मोहद्रोहौ च मायां च त्यक्त्वा एकांतमास्थिता २६। तस्याः सख्यः समाजग्मुः क्रीडार्थं लीलयान्विताः । तां ददृशुर्विशालाक्ष्यः सुनीथां दुःखभागिनीम् २७। ध्यायंतीं चिंतयानां तामूचुश्चिंतापरायणाः । कस्माच्चिंतसि भद्रे त्वमनया चिंतयान्विता २८। तन्नो वै कारणं ब्रूहि चिंतादुःखप्रदायिनी । एकैव सार्थकी चिंता धर्मस्यार्थे विचिंत्यते २९। द्वितीया सार्थका चिंता योगिनां धर्मनंदिनी । अन्या निरर्थिका चिंता तां नैव परिकल्पयेत् ३०। कायनाशकरी चिंता बल तेजः प्रणाशिनी । नाशयेत्सर्वसौख्यं तु रूपहानिं निदर्शयेत् ३१। तृष्णां मोहं तथा लोभमेतांश्चिंता हि प्रापयेत् । पापमुत्पादयेच्चिंता चिंतिता च दिने दिने ३२। चिंताव्याधिप्रकाशाय नरकाय प्रकल्पयेत् । तस्माच्चिंतां परित्यज्य चानुवर्तस्व शोभने ३३। अर्जितं कर्मणा पूर्वं स्वयमेव नरेण तु । तदेव भुंक्तेऽसौ जंतुर्ज्ञानवान्न विचिंतयेत् ३४। तस्माच्चिंतां परित्यज्य सुखदुःखादिकं वद । तासां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा सुनीथा वाक्यमब्रवीत् ३५। इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे पंचपंचाशत्सहस्रसंहितायां भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने सुनीथाचरितं नाम त्रयस्त्रिंशोऽध्यायः ३३।
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ- śaptā gaṃdharvaputreṇa suśaṃkhena mahātmanā | tasya śāpātkathaṃ jātā kiṃ kiṃ karma kṛtaṃ tayā 1| sā lebhe kīdṛśaṃ putraṃ tasya śāpāddvijottama | sunīthāyāśca caritaṃ tvaṃ no vistarato vada 2| sūta uvāca- suśaṃkhenāpi tenaiva sā śaptā tanumadhyamā | pituḥ sthānaṃ gatā sā tu sunīthā duḥkhapīḍitā 3| pitaraṃ cātmanaścaiva caritaṃ ca prakāśitam | śrutavānsopi dharmātmā mṛtyuḥ satyavatāṃ vara 4| tāmuvāca sunīthāṃ tu sutāṃ śaptāṃ mahātmanā | bhavatyā duṣkṛtaṃ pāpaṃ dharma tejaḥ praṇāśanam 5| kasmātkṛtaṃ mahābhāge suśāṃtasya hi tāḍanam | viruddhaṃ sarvalokasya bhavatyā parikalpitam 6| kāmakrodhavihīnaṃ taṃ suśāṃtaṃ dharmavatsalam | tapomārge vilīnaṃ ca parabrahmaṇi saṃsthitam 7| tamevaghātayedyo vai tasya pāpaṃ śṛṇuṣva hi | pāpātmā jāyate putraḥ kilbiṣaṃ labhate bahu 8| tāḍaṃtaṃ tāḍayedyo vai krośaṃtaṃ krośayetpunaḥ | tasya pāpaṃ sa vai bhuṃkte tāḍitasya na saṃśayaḥ 9| sa vai śāṃtaḥ sa jitātmā tāḍayaṃtaṃ na tāḍayet | nirdoṣaṃ prati yenāpi tāḍanaṃ ca kṛtaṃ sute 10| paścānmohena pāpena nirdoṣe'pi ca tāḍayet | nirdoṣaṃ prati yenāpi hṛdrogaḥ kriyate vṛthā 11| nirdoṣaṃ tāḍayetpaścānmohātpāpena kenacit | sa pāpī pāpamāpnoti nirdoṣasya śarīrajam 12| nirdoṣo ghātayettaṃ vai tāḍaṃtaṃ pāpacetasam | punarutthāya vegena sāhasātpāpacetanam 13| pāpakartuśca yatpāpaṃ nirdoṣaṃ prati gacchati | tāḍanaṃ naiva tasmādvai kāryaṃ doṣavato'pi ca 14| duṣkṛtaṃ ca mahatputri tvayaiva paripālitam | śaptā tenāpi yādyaiva tasmātpuṇyaṃ samācara 15| satāṃ saṃgaṃ samāsādya sadaiva parivartaya | yogadhyānena jñānena parivartaya naṃdini 16| satāṃ saṃgo mahāpuṇyo bahuśreyo vidhāyakaḥ | bāle paśya sudṛṣṭāṃtaṃ satāṃ saṃgasya yadguṇam 17| apāṃ saṃsparśanātpānātsnānāttatra mahādhiyaḥ | munayaḥ siddhimāyāṃti bāhyābhyaṃtarakṣālitāḥ 18| śuciṣmaṃto bhavaṃtyete lokāḥ sarve carācarāḥ | āpaḥ śāṃtāḥ suśītāśca mṛdugātrāḥ priyaṃkarāḥ 19| nirmalā rasavatyaśca puṇyavīryā malāpahāḥ | tathā saṃtastvayā jñeyā niṣevyāśca prayatnataḥ 20| yathā vahniprasaṃgācca malaṃ tyajati kāṃcanam | tathā satāṃ hi saṃsargātpāpaṃ tyajati mānavaḥ 21| satyavahniḥ pradīptaśca prajvaletpuṇyatejasā | satyena dīptatejāstu jñānenāpi sunirmalaḥ 22| atyuṣṇo dhyānabhāvena aspṛśyaḥ pāpajairnaraiḥ | satyavahneḥ prasaṃgācca pāpaṃ sarvaṃ vinaśyati 23| tasmātsatyasya saṃsargaḥ kartavyaḥ sarvathā tvayā | pāpabhāraṃ parityajya puṇyamevaṃ samāśraya 24| sūta uvāca- evaṃ pitrā sunīthā sā duḥkhitā pratibodhitā | namaskṛtya pituḥ pādau gatā sā nirjanaṃ vanam 25| kāmaṃ krodhaṃ parityajya bālyabhāvaṃ tapasvinī | mohadrohau ca māyāṃ ca tyaktvā ekāṃtamāsthitā 26| tasyāḥ sakhyaḥ samājagmuḥ krīḍārthaṃ līlayānvitāḥ | tāṃ dadṛśurviśālākṣyaḥ sunīthāṃ duḥkhabhāginīm 27| dhyāyaṃtīṃ ciṃtayānāṃ tāmūcuściṃtāparāyaṇāḥ | kasmācciṃtasi bhadre tvamanayā ciṃtayānvitā 28| tanno vai kāraṇaṃ brūhi ciṃtāduḥkhapradāyinī | ekaiva sārthakī ciṃtā dharmasyārthe viciṃtyate 29| dvitīyā sārthakā ciṃtā yogināṃ dharmanaṃdinī | anyā nirarthikā ciṃtā tāṃ naiva parikalpayet 30| kāyanāśakarī ciṃtā bala tejaḥ praṇāśinī | nāśayetsarvasaukhyaṃ tu rūpahāniṃ nidarśayet 31| tṛṣṇāṃ mohaṃ tathā lobhametāṃściṃtā hi prāpayet | pāpamutpādayecciṃtā ciṃtitā ca dine dine 32| ciṃtāvyādhiprakāśāya narakāya prakalpayet | tasmācciṃtāṃ parityajya cānuvartasva śobhane 33| arjitaṃ karmaṇā pūrvaṃ svayameva nareṇa tu | tadeva bhuṃkte'sau jaṃturjñānavānna viciṃtayet 34| tasmācciṃtāṃ parityajya sukhaduḥkhādikaṃ vada | tāsāṃ tadvacanaṃ śrutvā sunīthā vākyamabravīt 35| iti śrīpadmapurāṇe paṃcapaṃcāśatsahasrasaṃhitāyāṃ bhūmikhaṃḍe venopākhyāne sunīthācaritaṃ nāma trayastriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ 33|
English translation
The sages said :
1. She (i.e. Sunīthā ) was cursed by that Suśaṅkha, the noble son of a Gandharva . Due to his curse how did she become (i.e. what happened to her)? What deeds did she do?
2. O best brāhmaṇa , what kind of son did she obtain due to his curse? (Please) narrate to us in detail the account of Sunīthā also.
Sūta said :
3-14a. That Sunithā, of a slender waist, who was cursed by him, being tormented by grief, went to her father’s place. She disclosed her deeds to her father, Mṛtyu , the best among the truthful and the righteous ones. He spoke to Sunīthā, his daughter, who was cursed by that magnanimous one: “You committed a sin that destroys merit and lustre. O you noble one, why did you beat him, who was very tranquil? You did that which is contrary to (the ways of) all the world. Listen, what sin is committed by him who would kill him who is free from desire and wrath, who is very tranquil, who loves piety, who is fully engrossed in the path of penance, and is settled in the highest Brahman . His son is born wicked, and gets (i.e. accumulates) much sin. There is no doubt that he who beats a person who beats him and makes him cry who is crying, suffers for his sin (i.e. of the other person). He (alone) is tranquil, he (alone) is one who has conquered (i.e. controlled) his mind, who does not beat him (i.e. the person) who beats him. O you (my) daughter, he who has beaten an innocent person, would (thus) later beat, through delusion and in sin, even an innocent man(?). He, the sinner, who, without any reason, causes anxiety to an innocent man or would later beat an innocent man through delusion or some sin, obtains the sin produced in the body of the innocent one. If the innocent person would beat the wicked-hearted person that beats him rashly after suddenly getting up, the sin of the sinner goes to the innocent person.
l4b-19a. Therefore, one should not beat even a sinner. O (my) daughter, you have done, a very wicked deed. As you are today cursed by him, therefore practise meritorious deeds. Secure the company of the good, and behave (properly). O you (my) daughter, behave taking to profound abstract meditation and knowledge. The company of the good is greatly meritorious, and causes great bliss. O (my) daughter, note that merit, well-observed, of the company of the good. Highly intelligent sages, cleansed from within and without by touching, drinking and bathing in the water, obtain perfection. All these worlds—mobile and immobile—become pure (due to the company of the good).
19b-20. Water is calm, very cold, soft for the body, causing pleasure, clear, tasty, of a meritorious power, removing dirt; you should know that the saints are like that, and should wait upon them carefully.
21. As gold gives up its impurity by its contact with fire, similarly a man casts off his sin by the contact of the good.
22-24. The fire of truth would burn brightly only with the lustre of merit. A man whose lustre blazes with truth, who is very spotless due to knowledge and very hot due to meditation, cannot be touched by men born of sin. By the contact of the fire of truth, all (one’s) sin perishes. Therefore, you should, by all means, have contact with truth. Giving up your burden of sin, resort to merit in this way.”
Sūta said :
25-26. In this way that Sunīthā, who was distressed, was advised by her father. Having saluted her father’s feet, she went to a lonely forest. The devout one, giving up desire and anger and her childishness, and also abandoning tricks, malice and deceit, resorted to a secluded place.
27-28a. Her friends, endowed with grace, came there to sport. The large-eyed ones saw Sunīthā afflicted and meditating. Seeing her reflecting, they, full of anxiety, said to her:
28b-30. “O good one, full of anxiety why are you brooding? You, are causing anxiety and worry to us; tell us the cause (of your anxiety). Only one anxiety, entertained for piety (alone), is significant. The other kind of anxiety, viz. giving delight to the meditating sages in matters of piety is important. (I.e. the other kind of anxiety that is important is one which gives delight to the meditating sages in matters of piety.) (Any) other anxiety is worthless. One should not at all entertain it.
31-33. Anxiety withers the body; it destroys strength and lustre; it would destroy all happiness, and would show (i.e. bring about) loss of beauty. Anxiety would bring these, viz. thirst (i.e. desire), delusion and greed (to a person). Anxiety, when entertained, would produce sin day by day. Anxiety would show (i.e. bring about) bodily diseases, and would lead (one) to hell. Therefore, O beautiful one, behave by giving up anxiety.
34-35a. A man enjoys (or suffers) only what he has earned by means of his former deeds. A wise person should not mind them. Therefore give up your anxiety, and talk about happiness, unhappiness etc.”
35b. Hearing those words of them, Sunīthā spoke these words.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 37675, revision 362544 (2022-11-30T23:56:51Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc364240.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.