Bhūmi-khaṇḍa · Chapter 41
Sourceएकचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः 2.41 वेन उवाच- पुत्रो भार्या कथं तीर्थं पितामाता कथं वद । गुरुश्चैव कथं तीर्थं तन्मे विस्तरतो वद १। श्रीविष्णुरुवाच- अस्ति वाराणसी रम्या गंगायुक्ता महापुरी । तस्यां वसति वैश्यैकः कृकलो नाम नामतः २। तस्य भार्या महासाध्वी पतिव्रतपरायणा । धर्माचारपरा नित्यं सा वै पतिपरायणा ३। सुकला नाम पुण्यांगी सुपुत्रा चारुमंगला । सत्यंवदा सदा शुद्धा प्रियाकारा प्रियप्रिया ४। एवंगुणैः समायुक्ता सुभगा चारुकारिणी । स वैश्य उत्तमो नाना धर्मज्ञो ज्ञानवान्गुणी ५। पुराणे श्रौतधर्मे च सदा श्रवणतत्परः । तीर्थयात्राप्रसंगेन बहुपुण्यप्रदायकम् ६। श्रद्धया निर्गतो यात्रां तीर्थानां पुण्यमंगलाम् । ब्राह्मणानां प्रसंगेन सार्थवाहेन तेन च ७। प्रस्थितो धर्ममार्गं तु तमुवाच पतिव्रता । पतिस्नेहेन संमुग्धा भर्तारं वाक्यमब्रवीत् ८। सुकलोवाच- अहं ते धर्मतः पत्नी सहपुण्यकरा प्रिय । पतिमार्गं प्रतीक्ष्याहं पतिदेवं यजाम्यहम् ९। कदा नैव मया त्याज्यं सामीप्यं ते द्विजोत्तम । तवच्छायां समाश्रित्य करिष्ये धर्ममुत्तमम् १०। पतिव्रताख्यं पापघ्नं नारीणां गतिदायकम् । पुण्यस्त्री कथ्यते लोके या स्यात्पतिपरायणा ११। युवतीनां पृथक्तीर्थं विना भर्तुर्न शोभते । सुखदं नास्ति वै लोके स्वर्गमोक्षप्रदायकम् १२। सव्यं पादं च भर्तुश्च प्रयागं विद्धि सत्तम । वामं च पुष्करं तस्य या नारी परिकल्पयेत् १३। तस्य पादोदकस्नानात्तत्पुण्यं परि जायते । प्रयागपुष्करसमं स्नानं स्त्रीणां न संशयः १४। सर्वतीर्थमयो भर्ता सर्वपुण्यमयः पतिः । मखानां यजनात्पुण्यं यद्वै भवति दीक्षिते १५। तत्फलं समवाप्नोति सेवया भर्तुरेव हि । गयादीनां सुतीर्थानां यात्रां कृत्वा हि यद्भवेत् १६। तत्फलं समवाप्नोति भर्तुः शुश्रूषणादपि । समासेन प्रवक्ष्यामि तन्मे निगदतः शृणु १७। नास्त्यासां हि पृथग्धर्मः पतिशुश्रूषणं विना । तस्मात्कांतसहायं ते कुर्वाणा सुखदायिनी १८। तवच्छायां समाश्रित्य आगमिष्यामि नान्यथा । विष्णुरुवाच- रूपं शीलं गुणं भक्तिं समालोक्य वयस्तथा १९। सौकुमार्यं विचार्यैवं कृकलः स पुनःपुनः । यद्येवं हि नयिष्यामि दुर्गमार्गं सुदुःखदम् २०। रूपनाशो भवेच्चास्याः शीतातपविलोडनात् । पद्मगर्भप्रतीकाशमस्याश्चांगं प्रवर्णकम् २१। झंझावातेन शीतेन कृष्णवर्णं भविष्यति । पंथाः कर्कश सुग्रावा पादौचास्याः सुकोमलौ २२। एष्यते वेदनां तीव्रामथो गंतुं न च क्षमा । क्षुत्तृष्णाभिपरीतांगी कीदृशीयं भविष्यति २३। वामांगी मम च स्थानं सुखस्थानं वरानना । मम प्राणप्रिया नित्यं नित्यं धर्मस्य चाश्रयः २४। नाशमेति यदा बाला मम नाशो भवेदिह । इयं मे जीविका नित्यमियं प्राणस्य चेश्वरी २५। न नयिष्ये वनं तीर्थमेकश्चैवाप्यहं व्रजे । चिंतयित्वा क्षणं नूनं कृकलेन महात्मना २६। तस्य चित्तानुगो भावस्तया ज्ञातो नृपोत्तम । पुनरूचे महाभागा भर्त्तारं प्रस्थितं तदा २७। अनघा नैव वै त्याज्या पुरुषैः शृणु सत्तम । मूलमेवं हि धर्मस्य पुरुषस्य महामते २८। एवं ज्ञात्वा महाभाग मामेवं नय सांप्रतम् । विष्णुरुवाच- श्रुत्वा सर्वं हि तेनापि प्रियाया भाषितं बहु २९। प्रहस्यैव वचो ब्रूते तामेवं कृकलः पुनः । नैव त्याज्या भवेद्भार्या प्राप्ता धर्मेण वै प्रिये ३०। येन भार्या परित्यक्ता सुनीता धर्मचारिणी । दशांगधर्मस्तेनापि परित्यक्तो वरानने ३१। तस्मात्त्वामेव भद्रं ते नैव त्यक्ष्ये कदा प्रिये । विष्णुरुवाच- एवमाभाष्य तां भार्यां संबोध्य च पुनःपुनः ३२। तस्या अज्ञातमात्रेण ससार्थेन समं गतः । गते तस्मिन्महाभागे कृकले पुण्यकर्मणि ३३। देवकर्मसुवेलायां काले पुण्ये शुभानना । नैव पश्यति भर्तारं कृकलं निजमंदिरे ३४। समुत्थाय त्वरायुक्ता रुदमाना सुदुःखिता । वयस्यान्पृच्छते भर्तुर्दुःखशोकाधिपीडिता ३५। युष्माभिर्वा महाभागा दृष्टोऽसौ कृकलो मम । प्राणेश्वरो गतः क्वापि भवंतो मम बांधवाः ३६। यदि दृष्टो महाभागाः कृकलो मम सांप्रतम् । भर्तारं पुण्यकर्तारं सर्वज्ञं सत्यपंडितम् ३७। कथयंतु महात्मानं यदि दृष्टो महामतिः । तस्यास्तद्भाषितं श्रुत्वा तामूचुस्ते महामतिम् ३८। धर्मयात्राप्रसंगेन नाथस्ते कृकलः शुभे । तीर्थयात्रां चकारासौ कस्माच्छोचसि सुव्रते ३९। साधयित्वा महातीर्थं पुनरेष्यति शोभने । एवमाश्वासिता सा च पुरुषैराप्तकारिभिः ४०। पुनर्गेहं गता राजन्सुकला चारुभाषिणी । रुरोद करुणं दुःखं सुकलापि परायणा ४१। यावदायाति मे भर्त्ता भूमौ स्वप्स्यामि संस्तरे । घृतं तैलं न भोक्ष्येऽहं दधिक्षीरं तथैव च ४२। लवणं च परित्यक्तं तथा तांबूलमेव च । मधुरं च तथा राजंस्त्यक्तं गुडादिकं तथा ४३। एकाहारा निराहारा तावत्स्थास्ये न संशयः । यावच्चागमनं भर्तुः पुनरेव भविष्यति ४४। एवं दुःखान्विता भूत्वा एकवेणीधरा पुनः । एककंचुकसंवीता मलिना च बभूव सा ४५। मलिनेनापि वस्त्रेण एकेनैव स्थिता पुनः । हाहाकारं प्रमुंचंती निःश्वसंती सुदुःखिता ४६। वियोगानलसंदग्धा कृष्णांगी मलधारिणी । एवं दुःखसमाचारा सुकृशा विह्वला तदा ४७। रोदमाना दिवारात्रौ निद्रा लेभे न वै निशि । क्षुधां न विंदते राजन्दुःखेन विदलीकृता ४८। अथ सख्यः समायाताः पप्रच्छुः सुकलां तदा । सुकले चारुसर्वांगि कस्माद्रोदिषि संप्रति ४९। ततस्त्वं कारणं ब्रूहि दुःखस्यास्य वरानने । सुकलोवाच- स मां त्यक्त्वा गतो भर्ता धर्मार्थं धर्मतत्परः ५०। तीर्थयात्राप्रसंगेन अटते मेदिनीं ततः । मां त्यक्त्वा स गतः स्वामी निर्दोषां पापवर्जिताम् ५१। अहं साध्वी समाचारा सदा पुण्या पतिव्रता । मां त्यक्त्वा स गतो भर्ता तीर्थ साधनतत्परः ५२। तेनाहं दुःखिता सख्यो वियोगेनाति पीडिता । जीवनाशो वरं श्रेष्ठो वरं वै विषभक्षणम् ५३। वरमग्निप्रवेशश्च वरं कायविनाशनम् । नारीं प्रियां परित्यज्य भर्ता याति सुनिष्ठुरः ५४। भर्तृत्यागो वरं नैव प्राणत्यागो वरं सखि । वियोगं न समर्थाहं सहितुं नित्यदारुणम् ५५। तेनाहं दुःखिता सख्यो वियोगेनापि नित्यशः । सख्य ऊचुः- तीर्थयात्रां गतो भर्ता पुनरेष्यति ते पतिः ५६। वृथा शोषयसे कायं वृथाशोकं करोषि वै । वृथा त्वं तप्यसे बाले वृथा भोगान्परित्यजेः ५७। पिबस्व पानं भुंक्ष्व त्वं स्वप्रदत्तं हि पूर्वकम् । कस्य भर्ता सुताः कस्य कस्य स्वजनबांधवाः ५८। कः कस्य नास्ति संसारे संबंधः केन चैव हि । भक्ष्यते भुज्यते बाले संसारस्य हि तत्फलम् ५९। मृते प्राणिनि कोऽश्नाति को हि पश्यति तत्फलम् । पीयते भुज्यते बाले एतत्संसारतः फलम् ६०। सुकलोवाच- भवतीभिः प्रयुक्तं यत्तन्न स्याद्वेदसंमतम् । यातु भर्तुः पृथग्भूता तिष्ठत्येका सदैव हि ६१। पापभूता भवेन्नारी तां न मन्यंति सज्जनाः । भर्तुः सार्धं सदा सख्यो दृष्टो वेदेषु सर्वदा ६२। संबंधः पुण्यसंसर्गाज्जायते नात्र संशयः । नारीणां च सदा तीर्थं भर्ता शास्त्रेषु पठ्यते ६३। तमेवावाहयेन्नित्यं वाचा कायेन कर्मभिः । मनसा पूजयेन्नित्यं भावसत्येन तत्परा ६४। भर्तुः पार्श्वं महातीर्थं दक्षिणांगं सदैव हि । तमाश्रित्य यदा नारी गृहस्था परिवर्त्तयेत् ६५। यजते दानपुण्यैश्च तस्य दानस्य यत्फलम् । वाराणस्यां च गंगायां यत्फलं न च पुष्करे ६६। द्वारकायां न चावन्त्यां केदारे शशिभूषणे । लभते नैव सा नारी यजमाना सदा किल ६७। तादृशं फलमेवं सा न प्राप्नोति कदा सखि । सुमुखं पुत्रसौभाग्यं स्नानं दानं च भूषणम् ६८। वस्त्रालंकारसौभाग्यं रूपं तेजः फलं सदा । यशः कीर्तिमवाप्नोति गुणं च वरवर्णिनी ६९। भर्तुः प्रसादात्सर्वं च लभते नात्र संशयः । विद्यमाने यदा कांते अन्यं धर्मं करोति या ७०। निष्फलं जायते तस्याः पुंश्चली परिकथ्यते । नारीणां यौवनं रूपमवतारं स्मृतं ध्रुवम् ७१। एकस्यापि हि भर्तुश्च तस्यार्थे भूमिमंडले । सुपुत्रा सुयशा नारी परिकथ्येत वै सदा ७२। तुष्टे भर्तरि संसारे दृश्या नारी न संशयः । पतिहीना भवेन्नारी भवेत्सा भूमिमंडले ७३। कुतस्तस्याः सुखं रूपं यशः कीर्तिः सुता भुवि । सुदौर्भाग्यं महद्दुःखं संसारे परिभुज्यते ७४। पापभागा भवेत्सा च दुःखाचारा सदैव हि । तुष्टे भर्तरि तस्यास्तु तुष्टाः सर्वाश्च देवताः ७५। तुष्टे भर्तरि तुष्यंति ऋषयो देवमानवाः । भर्ता नाथो गुरुर्भर्ता देवता दैवतैः सह ७६। भर्ता तीर्थश्च पुण्यश्च नारीणां नृपनंदन । शृंगारं भूषणं रूपं वर्णं सौगंधमेव च ७७। कृत्वा सा तिष्ठते नित्यं वर्जयित्वा सुपर्वसु । शृंगारैर्भूषणैः सा तु शुशुभे सा यदा पतिः ७८। पत्याविना भवत्येवं क्षीरं सर्पमुखे यथा । भर्तुरर्थे महाभागा सुव्रता चारुमंगला ७९। गते भर्तरि या नारी शृंगारं कुरुते यदि । रूपं वर्णं च तत्सर्वं शवरूपेण जायते ८०। वदंति भूतले लोकाः पुंश्चलीयं न संशयः । तस्माद्भर्तुर्वियुक्ता या नार्याः शृणुत भूतले ८१। इच्छंत्या वै महासौख्यं भवितव्यं कदाचन । सुजायायाः परो धर्मो भर्ता शास्त्रेषु गीयते ८२। तस्माद्वै शाश्वतो धर्मो न त्याज्यो भार्यया किल । एवं धर्मं विजानामि कथं भर्ता परित्यजेत् ८३। इत्यर्थे श्रूयते सख्य इतिहासः पुरातनः । सुदेवायाश्च चरितं सुपुण्यं पापनाशनम् ८४। इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने सुकलाचरित एकचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः ४१।
ekacatvāriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ 2.41 vena uvāca- putro bhāryā kathaṃ tīrthaṃ pitāmātā kathaṃ vada | guruścaiva kathaṃ tīrthaṃ tanme vistarato vada 1| śrīviṣṇuruvāca- asti vārāṇasī ramyā gaṃgāyuktā mahāpurī | tasyāṃ vasati vaiśyaikaḥ kṛkalo nāma nāmataḥ 2| tasya bhāryā mahāsādhvī pativrataparāyaṇā | dharmācāraparā nityaṃ sā vai patiparāyaṇā 3| sukalā nāma puṇyāṃgī suputrā cārumaṃgalā | satyaṃvadā sadā śuddhā priyākārā priyapriyā 4| evaṃguṇaiḥ samāyuktā subhagā cārukāriṇī | sa vaiśya uttamo nānā dharmajño jñānavānguṇī 5| purāṇe śrautadharme ca sadā śravaṇatatparaḥ | tīrthayātrāprasaṃgena bahupuṇyapradāyakam 6| śraddhayā nirgato yātrāṃ tīrthānāṃ puṇyamaṃgalām | brāhmaṇānāṃ prasaṃgena sārthavāhena tena ca 7| prasthito dharmamārgaṃ tu tamuvāca pativratā | patisnehena saṃmugdhā bhartāraṃ vākyamabravīt 8| sukalovāca- ahaṃ te dharmataḥ patnī sahapuṇyakarā priya | patimārgaṃ pratīkṣyāhaṃ patidevaṃ yajāmyaham 9| kadā naiva mayā tyājyaṃ sāmīpyaṃ te dvijottama | tavacchāyāṃ samāśritya kariṣye dharmamuttamam 10| pativratākhyaṃ pāpaghnaṃ nārīṇāṃ gatidāyakam | puṇyastrī kathyate loke yā syātpatiparāyaṇā 11| yuvatīnāṃ pṛthaktīrthaṃ vinā bharturna śobhate | sukhadaṃ nāsti vai loke svargamokṣapradāyakam 12| savyaṃ pādaṃ ca bhartuśca prayāgaṃ viddhi sattama | vāmaṃ ca puṣkaraṃ tasya yā nārī parikalpayet 13| tasya pādodakasnānāttatpuṇyaṃ pari jāyate | prayāgapuṣkarasamaṃ snānaṃ strīṇāṃ na saṃśayaḥ 14| sarvatīrthamayo bhartā sarvapuṇyamayaḥ patiḥ | makhānāṃ yajanātpuṇyaṃ yadvai bhavati dīkṣite 15| tatphalaṃ samavāpnoti sevayā bhartureva hi | gayādīnāṃ sutīrthānāṃ yātrāṃ kṛtvā hi yadbhavet 16| tatphalaṃ samavāpnoti bhartuḥ śuśrūṣaṇādapi | samāsena pravakṣyāmi tanme nigadataḥ śṛṇu 17| nāstyāsāṃ hi pṛthagdharmaḥ patiśuśrūṣaṇaṃ vinā | tasmātkāṃtasahāyaṃ te kurvāṇā sukhadāyinī 18| tavacchāyāṃ samāśritya āgamiṣyāmi nānyathā | viṣṇuruvāca- rūpaṃ śīlaṃ guṇaṃ bhaktiṃ samālokya vayastathā 19| saukumāryaṃ vicāryaivaṃ kṛkalaḥ sa punaḥpunaḥ | yadyevaṃ hi nayiṣyāmi durgamārgaṃ suduḥkhadam 20| rūpanāśo bhaveccāsyāḥ śītātapaviloḍanāt | padmagarbhapratīkāśamasyāścāṃgaṃ pravarṇakam 21| jhaṃjhāvātena śītena kṛṣṇavarṇaṃ bhaviṣyati | paṃthāḥ karkaśa sugrāvā pādaucāsyāḥ sukomalau 22| eṣyate vedanāṃ tīvrāmatho gaṃtuṃ na ca kṣamā | kṣuttṛṣṇābhiparītāṃgī kīdṛśīyaṃ bhaviṣyati 23| vāmāṃgī mama ca sthānaṃ sukhasthānaṃ varānanā | mama prāṇapriyā nityaṃ nityaṃ dharmasya cāśrayaḥ 24| nāśameti yadā bālā mama nāśo bhavediha | iyaṃ me jīvikā nityamiyaṃ prāṇasya ceśvarī 25| na nayiṣye vanaṃ tīrthamekaścaivāpyahaṃ vraje | ciṃtayitvā kṣaṇaṃ nūnaṃ kṛkalena mahātmanā 26| tasya cittānugo bhāvastayā jñāto nṛpottama | punarūce mahābhāgā bharttāraṃ prasthitaṃ tadā 27| anaghā naiva vai tyājyā puruṣaiḥ śṛṇu sattama | mūlamevaṃ hi dharmasya puruṣasya mahāmate 28| evaṃ jñātvā mahābhāga māmevaṃ naya sāṃpratam | viṣṇuruvāca- śrutvā sarvaṃ hi tenāpi priyāyā bhāṣitaṃ bahu 29| prahasyaiva vaco brūte tāmevaṃ kṛkalaḥ punaḥ | naiva tyājyā bhavedbhāryā prāptā dharmeṇa vai priye 30| yena bhāryā parityaktā sunītā dharmacāriṇī | daśāṃgadharmastenāpi parityakto varānane 31| tasmāttvāmeva bhadraṃ te naiva tyakṣye kadā priye | viṣṇuruvāca- evamābhāṣya tāṃ bhāryāṃ saṃbodhya ca punaḥpunaḥ 32| tasyā ajñātamātreṇa sasārthena samaṃ gataḥ | gate tasminmahābhāge kṛkale puṇyakarmaṇi 33| devakarmasuvelāyāṃ kāle puṇye śubhānanā | naiva paśyati bhartāraṃ kṛkalaṃ nijamaṃdire 34| samutthāya tvarāyuktā rudamānā suduḥkhitā | vayasyānpṛcchate bharturduḥkhaśokādhipīḍitā 35| yuṣmābhirvā mahābhāgā dṛṣṭo'sau kṛkalo mama | prāṇeśvaro gataḥ kvāpi bhavaṃto mama bāṃdhavāḥ 36| yadi dṛṣṭo mahābhāgāḥ kṛkalo mama sāṃpratam | bhartāraṃ puṇyakartāraṃ sarvajñaṃ satyapaṃḍitam 37| kathayaṃtu mahātmānaṃ yadi dṛṣṭo mahāmatiḥ | tasyāstadbhāṣitaṃ śrutvā tāmūcuste mahāmatim 38| dharmayātrāprasaṃgena nāthaste kṛkalaḥ śubhe | tīrthayātrāṃ cakārāsau kasmācchocasi suvrate 39| sādhayitvā mahātīrthaṃ punareṣyati śobhane | evamāśvāsitā sā ca puruṣairāptakāribhiḥ 40| punargehaṃ gatā rājansukalā cārubhāṣiṇī | ruroda karuṇaṃ duḥkhaṃ sukalāpi parāyaṇā 41| yāvadāyāti me bharttā bhūmau svapsyāmi saṃstare | ghṛtaṃ tailaṃ na bhokṣye'haṃ dadhikṣīraṃ tathaiva ca 42| lavaṇaṃ ca parityaktaṃ tathā tāṃbūlameva ca | madhuraṃ ca tathā rājaṃstyaktaṃ guḍādikaṃ tathā 43| ekāhārā nirāhārā tāvatsthāsye na saṃśayaḥ | yāvaccāgamanaṃ bhartuḥ punareva bhaviṣyati 44| evaṃ duḥkhānvitā bhūtvā ekaveṇīdharā punaḥ | ekakaṃcukasaṃvītā malinā ca babhūva sā 45| malinenāpi vastreṇa ekenaiva sthitā punaḥ | hāhākāraṃ pramuṃcaṃtī niḥśvasaṃtī suduḥkhitā 46| viyogānalasaṃdagdhā kṛṣṇāṃgī maladhāriṇī | evaṃ duḥkhasamācārā sukṛśā vihvalā tadā 47| rodamānā divārātrau nidrā lebhe na vai niśi | kṣudhāṃ na viṃdate rājanduḥkhena vidalīkṛtā 48| atha sakhyaḥ samāyātāḥ papracchuḥ sukalāṃ tadā | sukale cārusarvāṃgi kasmādrodiṣi saṃprati 49| tatastvaṃ kāraṇaṃ brūhi duḥkhasyāsya varānane | sukalovāca- sa māṃ tyaktvā gato bhartā dharmārthaṃ dharmatatparaḥ 50| tīrthayātrāprasaṃgena aṭate medinīṃ tataḥ | māṃ tyaktvā sa gataḥ svāmī nirdoṣāṃ pāpavarjitām 51| ahaṃ sādhvī samācārā sadā puṇyā pativratā | māṃ tyaktvā sa gato bhartā tīrtha sādhanatatparaḥ 52| tenāhaṃ duḥkhitā sakhyo viyogenāti pīḍitā | jīvanāśo varaṃ śreṣṭho varaṃ vai viṣabhakṣaṇam 53| varamagnipraveśaśca varaṃ kāyavināśanam | nārīṃ priyāṃ parityajya bhartā yāti suniṣṭhuraḥ 54| bhartṛtyāgo varaṃ naiva prāṇatyāgo varaṃ sakhi | viyogaṃ na samarthāhaṃ sahituṃ nityadāruṇam 55| tenāhaṃ duḥkhitā sakhyo viyogenāpi nityaśaḥ | sakhya ūcuḥ- tīrthayātrāṃ gato bhartā punareṣyati te patiḥ 56| vṛthā śoṣayase kāyaṃ vṛthāśokaṃ karoṣi vai | vṛthā tvaṃ tapyase bāle vṛthā bhogānparityajeḥ 57| pibasva pānaṃ bhuṃkṣva tvaṃ svapradattaṃ hi pūrvakam | kasya bhartā sutāḥ kasya kasya svajanabāṃdhavāḥ 58| kaḥ kasya nāsti saṃsāre saṃbaṃdhaḥ kena caiva hi | bhakṣyate bhujyate bāle saṃsārasya hi tatphalam 59| mṛte prāṇini ko'śnāti ko hi paśyati tatphalam | pīyate bhujyate bāle etatsaṃsārataḥ phalam 60| sukalovāca- bhavatībhiḥ prayuktaṃ yattanna syādvedasaṃmatam | yātu bhartuḥ pṛthagbhūtā tiṣṭhatyekā sadaiva hi 61| pāpabhūtā bhavennārī tāṃ na manyaṃti sajjanāḥ | bhartuḥ sārdhaṃ sadā sakhyo dṛṣṭo vedeṣu sarvadā 62| saṃbaṃdhaḥ puṇyasaṃsargājjāyate nātra saṃśayaḥ | nārīṇāṃ ca sadā tīrthaṃ bhartā śāstreṣu paṭhyate 63| tamevāvāhayennityaṃ vācā kāyena karmabhiḥ | manasā pūjayennityaṃ bhāvasatyena tatparā 64| bhartuḥ pārśvaṃ mahātīrthaṃ dakṣiṇāṃgaṃ sadaiva hi | tamāśritya yadā nārī gṛhasthā parivarttayet 65| yajate dānapuṇyaiśca tasya dānasya yatphalam | vārāṇasyāṃ ca gaṃgāyāṃ yatphalaṃ na ca puṣkare 66| dvārakāyāṃ na cāvantyāṃ kedāre śaśibhūṣaṇe | labhate naiva sā nārī yajamānā sadā kila 67| tādṛśaṃ phalamevaṃ sā na prāpnoti kadā sakhi | sumukhaṃ putrasaubhāgyaṃ snānaṃ dānaṃ ca bhūṣaṇam 68| vastrālaṃkārasaubhāgyaṃ rūpaṃ tejaḥ phalaṃ sadā | yaśaḥ kīrtimavāpnoti guṇaṃ ca varavarṇinī 69| bhartuḥ prasādātsarvaṃ ca labhate nātra saṃśayaḥ | vidyamāne yadā kāṃte anyaṃ dharmaṃ karoti yā 70| niṣphalaṃ jāyate tasyāḥ puṃścalī parikathyate | nārīṇāṃ yauvanaṃ rūpamavatāraṃ smṛtaṃ dhruvam 71| ekasyāpi hi bhartuśca tasyārthe bhūmimaṃḍale | suputrā suyaśā nārī parikathyeta vai sadā 72| tuṣṭe bhartari saṃsāre dṛśyā nārī na saṃśayaḥ | patihīnā bhavennārī bhavetsā bhūmimaṃḍale 73| kutastasyāḥ sukhaṃ rūpaṃ yaśaḥ kīrtiḥ sutā bhuvi | sudaurbhāgyaṃ mahadduḥkhaṃ saṃsāre paribhujyate 74| pāpabhāgā bhavetsā ca duḥkhācārā sadaiva hi | tuṣṭe bhartari tasyāstu tuṣṭāḥ sarvāśca devatāḥ 75| tuṣṭe bhartari tuṣyaṃti ṛṣayo devamānavāḥ | bhartā nātho gururbhartā devatā daivataiḥ saha 76| bhartā tīrthaśca puṇyaśca nārīṇāṃ nṛpanaṃdana | śṛṃgāraṃ bhūṣaṇaṃ rūpaṃ varṇaṃ saugaṃdhameva ca 77| kṛtvā sā tiṣṭhate nityaṃ varjayitvā suparvasu | śṛṃgārairbhūṣaṇaiḥ sā tu śuśubhe sā yadā patiḥ 78| patyāvinā bhavatyevaṃ kṣīraṃ sarpamukhe yathā | bharturarthe mahābhāgā suvratā cārumaṃgalā 79| gate bhartari yā nārī śṛṃgāraṃ kurute yadi | rūpaṃ varṇaṃ ca tatsarvaṃ śavarūpeṇa jāyate 80| vadaṃti bhūtale lokāḥ puṃścalīyaṃ na saṃśayaḥ | tasmādbharturviyuktā yā nāryāḥ śṛṇuta bhūtale 81| icchaṃtyā vai mahāsaukhyaṃ bhavitavyaṃ kadācana | sujāyāyāḥ paro dharmo bhartā śāstreṣu gīyate 82| tasmādvai śāśvato dharmo na tyājyo bhāryayā kila | evaṃ dharmaṃ vijānāmi kathaṃ bhartā parityajet 83| ityarthe śrūyate sakhya itihāsaḥ purātanaḥ | sudevāyāśca caritaṃ supuṇyaṃ pāpanāśanam 84| iti śrīpadmapurāṇe bhūmikhaṃḍe venopākhyāne sukalācarita ekacatvāriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ 41|
English translation
Vena said :
1. Tell me how the son (or) the wife (or) the father (or) the mother is a holy place. Tell me also in detail how one’s preceptor is a holy place.
Śrī Viṣṇu said :
2-8. There was a great city (named) Vārāṇasī along with (i.e. on the bank of) Gaṅgā . In it lived a vaiśya by name Kṛkala. His wife, named Sukalā , was very chaste, devoted to her husband, always engaged in religious practices, and loyal to her husband. Her limbs were auspicious. She had a good son and she was charming and auspicious. She spoke the truth, she was always pure, she had a lovable form, and was dear to her husband. She, endowed with these qualities, was fortunate, and performed good deeds. The vaiśya (i.e. Kṛkala) was an excellent man; he knew various religious practices, was wise and virtuous. He was always intent upon listening to the Purāṇas and religious practices as told by the scriptures. With faith he set out, with the caravan of brāhmaṇas on a pilgrimage, meritorious and auspicious. He proceeded on the religious path (of the pilgrimage). The chaste wife (i.e. Sukalā), being stupefied by her love for her husband, said (these) words to her husband.
Sukalā said :
9-19a. O dear, I am your religiously wedded wife, and practise merit with you. Waiting (i.e. looking) for the path of (i.e. followed by) my husband, I propitiate the god i.e. my husband. O best brāhmaṇa , I shall never give up your proximity. Resorting to your shadow, I shall practise the excellent mode of behaviour called loyalty to my husband, which destroys the sins of women and gives them a good position. The woman, who would be solely devoted to her husband, is called meritorious. Except the husband, no other holy place befits young women, and no other holy place gives them heaven or salvation. O best one, a woman should look upon the right foot of her husband as Prayāga , and the left one as Puṣkara . Merit is produced by taking bath with the water (falling) from his feet. It is like taking a bath at Prayāga or Puṣkara. There is no doubt about it. The husband is full of all holy places. The husband is full of all religious merit. All that fruit—the religious merit, which an initiated man gets after the performance of sacrifices, is obtained by a wife through serving her husband. She obtains, through serving her husband that fruit which would accrue to one by having had pilgrimage to excellent holy places like Gayā . I am telling it in brief. Listen to me who am telling it. For them (i.e. for women) there is no other duty than serving the husband. Therefore, O dear one, I, helping you and giving you pleasure, shall, by resorting to your shadow (i.e. by following you), come (with you). This will not be otherwise.
Viṣṇu said :
19b-29a. Kṛkala, having considered her beauty, character, virtue and devotion and having again and again given a thought to her delicacy (thought): ‘If like this (i.e. as she says) I shall take her (with me) along the difficult path causing great grief, her beauty will wither due to being shaken by cold and heat. Her body, of an excellent complexion, is like the interior of a lotus. It will be dark due to the cold stormy gale. The path is rough and has (i.e. is full of) stones. Her feet are very delicate. She will meet with severe pain; therefore she is unable to go (i.e. I cannot take her). What will be her plight, when her body would be encompassed by hunger and thirst? This woman of a beautiful body is my support. (This) woman of a beautiful face is the abode of my pleasure. She is always dear to my life. She is always the abode of religious merit. When this young woman will perish, I shall (also certainly) perish in this world. This one is always my livelihood. She is the ruler of my life. I shall not take her to the forest (and) to the holy place. I shall (just) go all alone.’ The glorious Kṛkala thought (like this) for a moment. O best king, she knew (i.e. read) the thought in his mind. The glorious one again said to her husband who had started: “O best one, listen, men should not leave (back) their innocent wives. O you highly intelligent one, this is the root of Dharma (duty, righteousness) of a man. Realising this, O illustrious one, now take me (with you)”.
Viṣṇu said :
29b-32a. Having heard all those many words uttered by his beloved (wife), Kṛkala laughed and again said to her: “O dear one, the wife who is religiously obtained is not to be abandoned. O you of a beautiful face, he, who has abandoned his well-behaved and religious wife, has even given up the Dharma of ten constituents. [1] Therefore, well-being to you, O dear one, I shall never abandon you”.
Viṣṇu said :
32b-50a. Having thus spoken to her, and having repeatedly advised his wife, he went with the caravan without her knowledge. When thus that glorious Kṛkala had left, the lady of an auspicious face did not at all see her husband Kṛkala, of meritorious deeds, at the auspicious time of the worship of deities and at (other) auspicious time. Weeping, and very much afflicted, oppressed by grief and sorrow for her husband, she quickly got up and asked her friends. (She said to them:) “O you illustrious ones, have you seen that Kṛkala, the lord of my life? He has gone somewhere. You are my relatives. O you glorious ones, if you have seen that magnanimous, very intelligent, meritorious, omniscient, truthful and wise Kṛkala of me (i.e. my husband), (then) tell me.” Hearing those words of (i.e. uttered by) her, they said to the very intelligent one: “O you auspicious one of a good vow, your husband Kṛkala has, on the occasion of a pilgrimage, visited a sacred place. Why do you weep? Having visited a great sacred place, he will come (back), O you beautiful one.” That Sukalā of a charming speech, thus addressed by the intimate persons, again went home, O king. That devout Sukalā wept piteously in agony. (She said:) “Till my husband comes, I shall sleep on a bed on the ground. I shall not eat ghee , oil, curd and milk.” She gave up (eating) salt, and also (chewing) tāmbūla . O king, she also gave up (eating) sweet (things) like jaggery etc. (She said:) “Till my husband returns I shall eat once a day or will not eat anything at all. There is no doubt about this.” Thus she was full of grief; she wore a single braid of hair; she put on one bodice (only), and was unclean. She also remained with only one garment (on her person). She gave out sounds like ‘hā hā’, sighed, and was extremely afflicted. She was parched up by the fire of separation; her body (had become) black; and she became unclean. Thus being unhappy, very much emaciated, and perturbed, and weeping day and night, she did not get sleep at night. O king, broken (down) by grief, she (even) did not feel hungry. Then (her) friends came there, and asked Sukalā. (They said:) “O Sukalā, beautiful in all limbs, why are you weeping now? O you of a beautiful face, tell (us) the cause of your grief.”
Sukalā said :
50b-56a. That my righteous husband has gone for (obtaining) religious merit. He is roaming over the earth for pilgrimage. That my lord has gone after leaving me who am faultless and sinless. I am a chaste woman of good behaviour, always meritorious and loyal to my husband. That (my) husband intent on getting (i.e. visiting) a sacred place, has left me and gone. Therefore, O friends, being extremely afflicted by separation (from him) I am grieving. When a very cruel husband (like mine) leaves his dear wife and goes (away), it is better (for the wife like me) to destroy my life (i.e. to commit suicide); it is better to eat poison; it is better to enter fire; it is better to destroy (my) body. O friends, It is better to end my life; but forsaking the husband is not better. I am unable to put up with the ever-terrible separation from him. O friends, I am always afflicted by that separation.
The friends said :
56b-60. Your lord, your husband, who has gone on a pilgrimage, will come (back). You are unnecessarily drying up your body, you are grieving in vain. O young lady, you are tormenting yourself to no purpose; you are uselessly giving up pleasures. Drink drinks, enjoy (the fruit of) what you yourself have given before. Whose is the husband? (i.e. to whom does the husband belong?) To whom do the sons, relatives and kinsmen belong? In this mundane existence nobody belongs to anybody else. One has connection with none else. (People) eat, enjoy. O young lady, that is (just) the fruit of the worldly existence. When a being is dead, who would enjoy or see its fruit? O young lady, what (people) drink, enjoy is the fruit (that is got) from the worldly existence.
Sukalā said :
61-83. Whatever you have said is not approved by the Vedas ; but that woman, who, separated from her husband, always lives all alone, would be a sinful one. Good people do not honour her. In the Vedas she is always said to be with her husband. A relation is produced due to the power of religious merit. In the scriptures the husband is always described as the sacred place for women. She should always invoke him by means of speech, body and deeds. Intent upon truthful thoughts, she should always mentally worship him. The side of the husband—(especially) his right side—is always a great holy place. When a woman, having resorted to him, lives in the house, she gets the fruit of the gifts which he gives and the merit (he collects) when he performs a sacrifice, and the fruit that he gets (by bathing) at Vārāṇasi in Gaṅgā, or at Puṣkara, or at Dvārakā or at Avanti , or Kedāra at (the temple of) Śiva ; (and) not that woman who always performs sacrifices. O friends, such a fruit she never obtains. (By resorting to her husband) the woman of an excellent complexion always obtains a beautiful face, good fortune in the form of a son, bath, gifts, decorations, garments, ornaments, good fortune (in the form of her husband being alive), form, lustre, glory, fame and merit. There is no doubt that she gets all (this) through the grace of her husband. When a woman, when her husband is alive, practises another mode of life (than the one that is prescribed), (all that) becomes fruitless, and she is called an unchaste woman. On the globe (i.e. the earth) the youth, beauty and form of women is certainly said to be for the husband alone. A wife is said to be one who has good sons and good reputation. There is no doubt that when the husband is pleased in the existence, the wife is pleasing to the sight. If on the globe there would be a wife without (i.e. segregated from) her husband, how can she have happiness, beauty, glory, fame and sons on the earth? She experiences great misfortune and unhappiness in the worldly existence. She would always be sinful and would behave unpleasantly. When her husband is pleased with her, all the deities are pleased. When her husband is pleased, sages, gods and men are pleased (with her). The husband is the lord, the husband is the preceptor, the husband is the deity along with other deities. O prince, the husband is a holy place, and (is) sacred for the wives (i.e. the wife). He is also her sentiment of love, ornament, form, complexion and fragrance. She puts on an elegant dress, ornaments (etc.) except on the auspicious parvan days; she shines with elegant dresses and ornaments when her husband is (with her). Without the husband she is like milk in the mouth of a serpent. The glorious, charming and auspicious wife practises good vow for her husband (only). If a woman puts on an elegant dress (etc.) when her husband is dead, all her beauty, complexion (etc.) is reduced to the form of a dead body. People call her a prostitute on the earth. Therefore, listen, that woman who desires great happiness on the earth, should never remain without her husband. The husband is described in the scriptures to be the highest Dharma of the wife. Therefore, a wife should not abandon that eternal Dharma. This, I know, to be the Dharma. How would (my) husband forsake (me)? In this connection, O friends, an ancient account is heard. It is the meritorious account of Sudevā , that (i.e. listening to which) destroys sins.
[1]: [1] : Daśāṅga Dharma—The ten constituents of Dharma as mentioned in the Vāmana Purāṇa (14.1-2) are: harmlessness, truthfulness, non-stealing, charity, forbearance, restraint, quiescence, not demeaning oneself, purity and penance.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 20397, revision 335467 (2022-04-08T23:52:54Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc364248.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.