Bhūmi-khaṇḍa · Chapter 38
Sourceसूत उवाच- एवं संबोधितो वेनः पापभावं गतः किल । पुरुषेण तेन जैनेन महापापेन मोहितः १। नमस्कृत्य ततः पादौ तस्यैव च दुरात्मनः । वेदधर्मं परित्यज्य सत्यधर्मादिकां क्रियाम् २। सुयज्ञानां निवृत्तिः स्याद्वेदानां हितथैव च । पुण्यशास्त्रमयो धर्मस्तदा नैव प्रवर्तितः ३। सर्वपापमयो लोकः संजातस्तस्य शासनात् । नैव यागाश्च वेदाश्च धर्मशास्त्रार्थमुत्तमम् ४। न दानाध्ययनं विप्रास्तस्मिञ्छासति पार्थिवे । एवं धर्मप्रलोपोभून्महत्पापं प्रवर्तितम् ५। अंगेन वार्यमाणस्तु अन्यथा कुरुते भृशम् । न ननाम पितुः पादौ मातुश्चैव दुरात्मवान् ६। सनकस्यापि विप्रस्य अहमेकः प्रतापवान् । पित्रा निवार्यमाणश्च मात्रा चैव दुरात्मवान् ७। न करोति शुभं पुण्यं तीर्थदानादिकं कदा । आत्मभावानुरूपं च बहुकालं महायशाः ८। पुनः सर्वैर्विचार्यैवं कस्मात्पापी व्यजायत । अंगप्रजापतेः पुत्रो वंशलाञ्छनमागतः ९। पुनः पप्रच्छ धर्मात्मा सुतां मृत्योर्महात्मनः । कस्य दोषात्समुत्पन्नो वद सत्यं मम प्रिये १०। सुनीथोवाच- पूर्वमेव स्ववृत्तांतमात्मपुण्यं च नंदिनी । समाचष्ट च अंगाय मम दोषान्महामते ११। बाल्ये कृतं मया पापं सुशंखस्य महात्मनः । तपसि संस्थितस्यापि नान्यत्किंचित्कृतं मया १२। शप्ताहं कुप्यता तेन दुष्टा ते संततिर्भवेत् । इति जाने महाभाग तेनायं दुष्टतां गतः १३। समाकर्ण्य महातेजास्तया सह वनं ययौ । गते तस्मिन्महाभागे सभार्ये च वने तदा १४। सप्तैते ऋषयस्तत्र वेनपार्श्वं गतास्तथा । समाहूय ततः प्रोचुरंगस्य तनयं प्रति १५। ऋषय ऊचुः- मा वेन साहसं कार्षीःप्रजापालो भवानिह । त्वया सर्वमिदं लोकं त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम् १६। धर्मे चैव महाभाग सकलं हि प्रतिष्ठितम् । पापकर्मपरित्यज्य पुण्यं कर्म समाचर १७। एवमुक्तेषु तेष्वेव प्रहसन्वाक्यमब्रवीत् । वेन उवाच- अहमेव परो धर्मोऽहमेवार्हः सनातनः १८। अहं धाता अहं गोप्ता अहं वेदार्थ एव च । अहं धर्मो महापुण्यो जैनधर्मः सनातनः १९। मामेव कर्मणा विप्रा भजध्वं धर्मरूपिणम् । ऋषय उचुः- ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्त्रिया वैश्यास्त्रयोवर्णा द्विजातयः २०। सर्वेषामेव वर्णानां श्रुतिरेषा सनातनी । वेदाचारेण वर्तंते तेन जीवंति जंतवः २१। ब्रह्मवंशात्समुद्भूतो भवान्ब्राह्मण एव च । पश्चाद्राजा पृथिव्याश्च संजातः कृतविक्रमः २२। राजपुण्येन राजेंद्र सुखं जीवंति वै द्विजाः । राज्ञः पापेन नश्यंति तस्मात्पुण्यं समाचर २३। समादृतस्त्वया धर्मः कृतश्चापि नराधिप । त्रेतायुगस्य कर्मापि द्वापरस्य तथा नहि २४। कलेश्चैव प्रवेशं तु वर्त्तयिष्यंति मानवाः । जैनधर्मं समाश्रित्य सर्वे पापप्रमोहिताः २५। वेदाचारं परित्यज्य पापं यास्यंति मानवाः । पापस्य मूलमेवं वै जैनधर्मं न संशयः २६। अनेन मुग्धा राजेंद्र महामोहेन पातिताः । मानवाः पापसंघातास्तेषां नाशाय नान्यथा २७। भविष्यत्येव गोविंदः सर्वपापापहारकः । स्वेच्छारूपं समासाद्य संहरिष्यति पातकात् २८। पापेषु संगतेष्वेवं म्लेच्छनाशाय वै पुनः । कल्किरेव स्वयं देवो भविष्यति न संशयः २९। व्यवहारं कलेश्चैव त्यज पुण्यं समाश्रय । वर्तयस्व हि सत्येन प्रजापालो भवस्व हि ३०। वेन उवाच- अहं ज्ञानवतां श्रेष्ठः सर्वं ज्ञातं मया इह । योऽन्यथा वर्तते चैव स दंड्यो भवति ध्रुवम् ३१। अत्यर्थं भाषमाणं तं राजानं पापचेतनम् । कुपितास्ते महात्मानः सर्वे वै ब्रह्मणः सुताः ३२। कुपितेष्वेव विप्रेषु वेनो राजा महात्मसु । ब्रह्मशापभयात्तेषां वल्मीकं प्रविवेश ह ३३। अथ ते मुनयः क्रुद्धा वेनं पश्यंति सर्वतः । ज्ञात्वा प्रनष्टं भूपं तं वल्मीकस्थं सुसांप्रतम् ३४। बलादानिन्युस्तं विप्राः क्रूरं तं पापचेतनम् । दृष्ट्वा च पापकर्माणं मुनयः सुसमाहिताः ३५। सव्यं पाणिं ममंथुस्ते भूपस्य जातमन्यवः । तस्माज्जातो महाह्रस्वो नीलवर्णो भयंकरः ३६। बर्बरो रक्तनेत्रस्तु बाणपाणिर्धनुर्द्धरः । सर्वेषामेव पापानां निषादानां बभूव ह ३७। धाता पालयिता राजा म्लेच्छानां तु विशेषतः । तं दृष्ट्वा पापकर्माणमृषयस्तु महामते ३८। ममंथुर्दक्षिणं पाणिं वेनस्यापि महात्मनः । तस्माज्जातो महात्मा स येन दुग्धा वसुंधरा ३९। पृथुर्नाम महाप्राज्ञो राजराजो महाबलः । तस्य पुण्यप्रसादाच्च वेनो धर्मार्थकोविदः ४०। चक्रवर्तिपदं भुक्त्वा प्रसादात्तस्य चक्रिणः । जगाम वैष्णवं लोकं तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् ४१। इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्यानेऽष्टत्रिंशोऽध्यायः ३८।
sūta uvāca- evaṃ saṃbodhito venaḥ pāpabhāvaṃ gataḥ kila | puruṣeṇa tena jainena mahāpāpena mohitaḥ 1| namaskṛtya tataḥ pādau tasyaiva ca durātmanaḥ | vedadharmaṃ parityajya satyadharmādikāṃ kriyām 2| suyajñānāṃ nivṛttiḥ syādvedānāṃ hitathaiva ca | puṇyaśāstramayo dharmastadā naiva pravartitaḥ 3| sarvapāpamayo lokaḥ saṃjātastasya śāsanāt | naiva yāgāśca vedāśca dharmaśāstrārthamuttamam 4| na dānādhyayanaṃ viprāstasmiñchāsati pārthive | evaṃ dharmapralopobhūnmahatpāpaṃ pravartitam 5| aṃgena vāryamāṇastu anyathā kurute bhṛśam | na nanāma pituḥ pādau mātuścaiva durātmavān 6| sanakasyāpi viprasya ahamekaḥ pratāpavān | pitrā nivāryamāṇaśca mātrā caiva durātmavān 7| na karoti śubhaṃ puṇyaṃ tīrthadānādikaṃ kadā | ātmabhāvānurūpaṃ ca bahukālaṃ mahāyaśāḥ 8| punaḥ sarvairvicāryaivaṃ kasmātpāpī vyajāyata | aṃgaprajāpateḥ putro vaṃśalāñchanamāgataḥ 9| punaḥ papraccha dharmātmā sutāṃ mṛtyormahātmanaḥ | kasya doṣātsamutpanno vada satyaṃ mama priye 10| sunīthovāca- pūrvameva svavṛttāṃtamātmapuṇyaṃ ca naṃdinī | samācaṣṭa ca aṃgāya mama doṣānmahāmate 11| bālye kṛtaṃ mayā pāpaṃ suśaṃkhasya mahātmanaḥ | tapasi saṃsthitasyāpi nānyatkiṃcitkṛtaṃ mayā 12| śaptāhaṃ kupyatā tena duṣṭā te saṃtatirbhavet | iti jāne mahābhāga tenāyaṃ duṣṭatāṃ gataḥ 13| samākarṇya mahātejāstayā saha vanaṃ yayau | gate tasminmahābhāge sabhārye ca vane tadā 14| saptaite ṛṣayastatra venapārśvaṃ gatāstathā | samāhūya tataḥ procuraṃgasya tanayaṃ prati 15| ṛṣaya ūcuḥ- mā vena sāhasaṃ kārṣīḥprajāpālo bhavāniha | tvayā sarvamidaṃ lokaṃ trailokyaṃ sacarācaram 16| dharme caiva mahābhāga sakalaṃ hi pratiṣṭhitam | pāpakarmaparityajya puṇyaṃ karma samācara 17| evamukteṣu teṣveva prahasanvākyamabravīt | vena uvāca- ahameva paro dharmo'hamevārhaḥ sanātanaḥ 18| ahaṃ dhātā ahaṃ goptā ahaṃ vedārtha eva ca | ahaṃ dharmo mahāpuṇyo jainadharmaḥ sanātanaḥ 19| māmeva karmaṇā viprā bhajadhvaṃ dharmarūpiṇam | ṛṣaya ucuḥ- brāhmaṇāḥ kṣattriyā vaiśyāstrayovarṇā dvijātayaḥ 20| sarveṣāmeva varṇānāṃ śrutireṣā sanātanī | vedācāreṇa vartaṃte tena jīvaṃti jaṃtavaḥ 21| brahmavaṃśātsamudbhūto bhavānbrāhmaṇa eva ca | paścādrājā pṛthivyāśca saṃjātaḥ kṛtavikramaḥ 22| rājapuṇyena rājeṃdra sukhaṃ jīvaṃti vai dvijāḥ | rājñaḥ pāpena naśyaṃti tasmātpuṇyaṃ samācara 23| samādṛtastvayā dharmaḥ kṛtaścāpi narādhipa | tretāyugasya karmāpi dvāparasya tathā nahi 24| kaleścaiva praveśaṃ tu varttayiṣyaṃti mānavāḥ | jainadharmaṃ samāśritya sarve pāpapramohitāḥ 25| vedācāraṃ parityajya pāpaṃ yāsyaṃti mānavāḥ | pāpasya mūlamevaṃ vai jainadharmaṃ na saṃśayaḥ 26| anena mugdhā rājeṃdra mahāmohena pātitāḥ | mānavāḥ pāpasaṃghātāsteṣāṃ nāśāya nānyathā 27| bhaviṣyatyeva goviṃdaḥ sarvapāpāpahārakaḥ | svecchārūpaṃ samāsādya saṃhariṣyati pātakāt 28| pāpeṣu saṃgateṣvevaṃ mlecchanāśāya vai punaḥ | kalkireva svayaṃ devo bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ 29| vyavahāraṃ kaleścaiva tyaja puṇyaṃ samāśraya | vartayasva hi satyena prajāpālo bhavasva hi 30| vena uvāca- ahaṃ jñānavatāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ sarvaṃ jñātaṃ mayā iha | yo'nyathā vartate caiva sa daṃḍyo bhavati dhruvam 31| atyarthaṃ bhāṣamāṇaṃ taṃ rājānaṃ pāpacetanam | kupitāste mahātmānaḥ sarve vai brahmaṇaḥ sutāḥ 32| kupiteṣveva vipreṣu veno rājā mahātmasu | brahmaśāpabhayātteṣāṃ valmīkaṃ praviveśa ha 33| atha te munayaḥ kruddhā venaṃ paśyaṃti sarvataḥ | jñātvā pranaṣṭaṃ bhūpaṃ taṃ valmīkasthaṃ susāṃpratam 34| balādāninyustaṃ viprāḥ krūraṃ taṃ pāpacetanam | dṛṣṭvā ca pāpakarmāṇaṃ munayaḥ susamāhitāḥ 35| savyaṃ pāṇiṃ mamaṃthuste bhūpasya jātamanyavaḥ | tasmājjāto mahāhrasvo nīlavarṇo bhayaṃkaraḥ 36| barbaro raktanetrastu bāṇapāṇirdhanurddharaḥ | sarveṣāmeva pāpānāṃ niṣādānāṃ babhūva ha 37| dhātā pālayitā rājā mlecchānāṃ tu viśeṣataḥ | taṃ dṛṣṭvā pāpakarmāṇamṛṣayastu mahāmate 38| mamaṃthurdakṣiṇaṃ pāṇiṃ venasyāpi mahātmanaḥ | tasmājjāto mahātmā sa yena dugdhā vasuṃdharā 39| pṛthurnāma mahāprājño rājarājo mahābalaḥ | tasya puṇyaprasādācca veno dharmārthakovidaḥ 40| cakravartipadaṃ bhuktvā prasādāttasya cakriṇaḥ | jagāma vaiṣṇavaṃ lokaṃ tadviṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padam 41| iti śrīpadmapurāṇe bhūmikhaṃḍe venopākhyāne'ṣṭatriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ 38|
English translation
Sūta said :
1-2. Vena , thus advised by that very sinful Jina , and deluded by him, attained to a sinful attitude. Abandoning the Vedic faith and rites of a truthful conduct, he saluted the feet of that very wicked one.
3-5a. There was cessation of good sacrifices, and also of the Vedas . Religious practices full of holy scriptures (i.e. as told in the holy scriptures) did not proceed at that time. As a result of his (bad) rule, the world became full of all sins. When that king ruled, there were no sacrifices, no (recitations of) the Vedas, no excellent purport of the holy texts, no charity and no study, O brāhmaṇas .
5b-9. Thus there was the cessation of religious conduct, and great sin proceeded uninterruptedly. Though warded off by Aṅga , he very much acted otherwise. The wicked-minded one saluted neither the feet of his father nor of his mother. (He did) not (salute) the feet of any brāhmaṇa also. (He thought:) ‘I alone am valorous.’ Though warded off by his father and by his mother, the wicked-minded one did not perform auspicious, meritorious (acts) like giving gifts at a holy place. The very glorious one (lived) for a long time according to his own ideas. They all thought: ‘For what reason has he become a sinner? The son of Aṅga Prajāpati is a bane to his family.’
10. The religious-minded (Aṅga) again asked the daughter of magnanimous Mṛtyu : “O dear one, tell me the truth: Due to whose fault is he born (like this)?”
Sunīthā said :
11-13. O you highly intelligent one, [the daughter (of Yama ) formerly only told Aṅga her own account and her merit and faults: (She said:)] in my childhood I committed a sin towards the magnanimous Suśaṅkha. I have not done anything else. The angry one cursed me: “Your progeny would be wicked.” Thus, I think, O glorious one, this (Vena) has become wicked due to that (curse of Suśaṅkha).
14-15. The very lustrous one, having heard this, went to a forest with her. When the glorious one went to a forest along with his wife, the Seven Sages then approached Vena. Calling him they thus spoke to (him) the son of Aṅga:
The Sages said :
16-17. O Vena, do not act rashly; you are the guardian of the subjects. You yourself have put all this world and the three worlds along with the mobile and the immobile on the righteous path, O glorious one. Give up evil deeds, and perform auspicious deeds.
18a. When they had spoken like this, Vena laughed and said:
Vena said :
18b-20a. I alone am the highest (form of) religion; I alone deserve to be worshipped; I am eternal; I am the supporter; I am the protector; I alone am the import of the Veda ; I am religious; I am the ancient, very holy, Jaina religion. O brāhmaṇas, by means of your actions, resort to me, who am of the form of religion.
The Sages said :
20b-24. The three castes viz. brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas are twice-born. [1] This (i.e. the Veda) is an ancient sacred text meant for all the castes. The beings behave according to the Vedic practices; therefore they (continue to) live. You are born in the family of Brahman . (So) you are a brāhmaṇa only. Then you, who had performed valorous deeds, were made the king of the earth. O best king, brāhmaṇas live happily due to the religious merit of the king. They perish due to his sin. Therefore practise righteous deeds. O king, you honoured and practised righteous deeds; but (did) not (do) the deeds of (i.e. proper for) Tretā and Dvāpara-yuga .
25-30. When Kali (- yuga ) sets in, all men, deluded by sins, will act after having resorted to the Jaina faith. Men will abandon Vedic practices, and will commit sins. There is no doubt that the Jaina faith is the root of sin. O best king, the fall of those men, who are heaps of sins, is brought about by this great delusion. Govinda (i.e. Viṣṇu ), the destroyer of all sins, will be (appearing) for their destruction and for nothing else. Taking the form of his liking he will restrain (them) from sins. When sins wil have thus accumulated, he, the god will be (appearing) as Kalki [2] for the destruction of the Mlecchas ; there is no doubt about it. Give up the behaviour of (i.e. proper for) Kali (-yuga) and resort to merit. Behave truthfully; become the guardian of your subjects.
Vena said :
31. I am the best among the wise; I have known everything here. He who behaves in a different way will certainly be punished.
32-37a. All the magnanimous sons of Brahman got angry with that wicked-hearted king who was talking too much. When the high-souled brāhmaṇas were angry, king Vena, through the fear of a curse from the brāhmaṇas, entered an ant-hill. Then the angry sages looked for Vena everywhere. Knowing that the king who had fled, was well-settled in an ant-hill, the brāhmaṇas, forcibly brought (out) the cruel and wicked (king). Seeing the sinner the sages were well-composed. Getting angry, they churned the left hand of the king. From it sprang up a very short, terrible barbarian, whose complexion was dark-blue, whose eyes were red, who had arrows in his hand, and held a bow (in his hands).
37b-4l. He became the king, supporter and the protector of all sinful Niṣādas , especially of the Mlecchas. O highly intelligent one, seeing that sinful one, the sages also churned the right hand of that noble Vena. From it sprang up very intelligent and very powerful and noble king of kings, viz. Pṛthu , who milked the earth. By the power of his merit, and by the favour of that disc-holder (i.e. Viṣṇu), Vena, having enjoyed the position of a sovereign emperor, went to Viṣṇu’s heaven. That is the highest position of Viṣṇu.
[1]: [1] : Dvijātayaḥ—Men of any of the first three castes of the Hindus.
[2]: [2] : Kalki—The tenth and last incarnation of Viṣṇu in his capacity of the destroyer of the wicked and liberator of the world from its enemies.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 37679, revision 362549 (2022-12-01T00:02:07Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc364245.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.