Bhūmi-khaṇḍa · Chapter 59
Sourceविष्णुरुवाच- कृकलः सर्वतीर्थानि साधयित्वा गृहं प्रति । प्रस्थितः सार्थवाहेन महानंदसमन्वितः १। एवं चिंतयते नित्यं संसारः सफलो मम । तृप्ताः स्वर्गं प्रयास्यंति पितरो मम नान्यथा २। तावत्प्रत्यक्षरूपेण बद्ध्वा तस्य पितामहान् । पुरतस्तस्य संब्रूते नहि ते पुण्यमुत्तमम् ३। दिव्यरूपो महाकायः कृकलं वाक्यमब्रवीत् । तव तीर्थफलं नास्ति श्रममेव वृथा कृथाः ४। स्वयं संतोषमाप्नोषि नहि ते पुण्यमुत्तमम् । एवं श्रुत्वा ततो वैश्यः कृकलो दुःखपीडितः ५। भवान्कः संवदस्येवं कस्माद्बद्धाः पितामहाः । केन दोषप्रभावेण तन्मेत्वं कारणं वद ६। कस्मात्तीर्थफलं नास्ति मम यात्रा कथं नहि । सर्वमेव समाचक्ष्व यदि जानासि संस्फुटम् ७। धर्म उवाच- पूतां पुण्यतमां स्वीयां भार्यां त्यक्त्वा प्रयाति यः । तस्य पुण्यफलं सर्वं वृथा भवति नान्यथा ८। धर्माचारपरां पुण्यां साधुव्रतपरायणाम् । पतिव्रतरतां भार्यां सुगुणां पुण्यवत्सलाम् ९। तामेवापि परित्यज्य धर्मकार्यं प्रयाति यः । वृथा तस्य कृतः सर्वो धर्मो भवति नान्यथा १०। सर्वाचारपरा भव्या धर्मसाधनतत्परा । पतिव्रतरता नित्यं सर्वदा ज्ञानवत्सला ११। एवं गुणा भवेद्भार्या यस्य पुण्या महासती । तस्य गेहे सदा देवास्तिष्ठंति च महौजसः १२। पितरो गेहमध्यस्थाः श्रेयो वांछंति तस्य च । गंगाद्याः पुण्यनद्यश्च सागरास्तत्र नान्यथा १३। पुण्या सती यस्य गेहे वर्तते सत्यतत्परा । तत्र यज्ञाश्च गावश्च ऋषयस्तत्र नान्यथा १४। तत्र सर्वाणि तीर्थानि पुण्यानि विविधानि च । भार्यायोगेन तिष्ठंति सर्वाण्येतानि नान्यथा १५। पुण्यभार्याप्रयोगेण गार्हस्थ्यं संप्रजायते । गार्हस्थ्यात्परमो धर्मो द्वितीयो नास्ति भूतले १६। गृहस्थस्य गृहः पुण्यः सत्यपुण्यसमन्वितः । सर्वतीर्थमयो वैश्य सर्वदेवसमन्वितः १७। गार्हस्थ्यं च समाश्रित्य सर्वे जीवंति जंतवः । तादृशं नैव पश्यामि अन्यमाश्रममुत्तमम् १८। मंत्राग्निहोत्रं देवाश्च सर्वे धर्माः सनातनाः । दानाचाराः प्रवर्तंते यस्य पुंसश्च वै गृहे १९। एवं यो भार्यया हीनस्तस्यगेहं वनायते । यज्ञाश्च वै न सिध्यंति दानानि विविधानि च २०। भार्याहीनस्य पुंसोपि न सिध्यति महाव्रतम् । धर्मकर्माणि सर्वाणि पुण्यानि विविधानि च २१। नास्ति भार्यासमं तीर्थं धर्मसाधनहेतवे । शृणुष्व त्वं गृहस्थस्य नान्यो धर्मो जगत्त्रये २२। यत्र भार्या गृहं तत्र पुरुषस्यापि नान्यथा । ग्रामे वाप्यथवारण्ये सर्वधर्मस्य साधनम् २३। नास्ति भार्यासमं तीर्थं नास्ति भार्यासमं सुखम् । नास्ति भार्यासमं पुण्यं तारणाय हिताय च २४। धर्मयुक्तां सतीं भार्यां त्यक्त्वा यासि नराधम । गृहं धर्मं परित्यज्य क्वास्ते धर्मस्य ते फलम् २५। तया विना यदा तीर्थे श्राद्धदानं कृतं त्वया । तेन दोषेण वै बद्धास्तव पूर्वपितामहाः २६। भवांश्चौरो ह्यमी चौरा यैस्तु भुक्तं सुलोलुपैः । त्वया दत्तस्य श्राद्धस्य अन्नमेवं तया विना २७। सुपुत्रः श्रद्धया युक्तः श्राद्धदानं ददाति यः । भार्या दत्तेन पिंडेन तस्य पुण्यं वदाम्यहम् २८। यथाऽमृतस्य पानेन नृणां तृप्तिर्हि जायते । तथा पितॄणां श्राद्धेन सत्यंसत्यं वदाम्यहम् २९। गार्हस्थ्यस्य च धर्मस्य भार्या भवति स्वामिनी । त्वयैषा वंचिता मूढ चौरकर्मकृतं वृथा ३०। अमी पितामहाश्चौरा यैर्भुक्तं तु तया विना । भार्या पचति चेदन्नं स्वहस्तेनामृतोपमम् ३१। तदन्नमेवभुंजंति पितरो हृष्टमानसाः । तेनैव तृप्तिमायांति संतुष्टाश्च भवंति ते ३२। तस्माद्भार्यां विना धर्मः पुरुषस्य न सिध्यति । नास्ति भार्यासमं तीर्थं पुंसां सुगतिदायकम् ३३। भार्यां विना च यो धर्मः स एव विफलो भवेत् ३४। इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने सुकलाचरित्रे एकोनषष्टितमोऽध्यायः ५९ ।
viṣṇuruvāca- kṛkalaḥ sarvatīrthāni sādhayitvā gṛhaṃ prati | prasthitaḥ sārthavāhena mahānaṃdasamanvitaḥ 1| evaṃ ciṃtayate nityaṃ saṃsāraḥ saphalo mama | tṛptāḥ svargaṃ prayāsyaṃti pitaro mama nānyathā 2| tāvatpratyakṣarūpeṇa baddhvā tasya pitāmahān | puratastasya saṃbrūte nahi te puṇyamuttamam 3| divyarūpo mahākāyaḥ kṛkalaṃ vākyamabravīt | tava tīrthaphalaṃ nāsti śramameva vṛthā kṛthāḥ 4| svayaṃ saṃtoṣamāpnoṣi nahi te puṇyamuttamam | evaṃ śrutvā tato vaiśyaḥ kṛkalo duḥkhapīḍitaḥ 5| bhavānkaḥ saṃvadasyevaṃ kasmādbaddhāḥ pitāmahāḥ | kena doṣaprabhāveṇa tanmetvaṃ kāraṇaṃ vada 6| kasmāttīrthaphalaṃ nāsti mama yātrā kathaṃ nahi | sarvameva samācakṣva yadi jānāsi saṃsphuṭam 7| dharma uvāca- pūtāṃ puṇyatamāṃ svīyāṃ bhāryāṃ tyaktvā prayāti yaḥ | tasya puṇyaphalaṃ sarvaṃ vṛthā bhavati nānyathā 8| dharmācāraparāṃ puṇyāṃ sādhuvrataparāyaṇām | pativrataratāṃ bhāryāṃ suguṇāṃ puṇyavatsalām 9| tāmevāpi parityajya dharmakāryaṃ prayāti yaḥ | vṛthā tasya kṛtaḥ sarvo dharmo bhavati nānyathā 10| sarvācāraparā bhavyā dharmasādhanatatparā | pativrataratā nityaṃ sarvadā jñānavatsalā 11| evaṃ guṇā bhavedbhāryā yasya puṇyā mahāsatī | tasya gehe sadā devāstiṣṭhaṃti ca mahaujasaḥ 12| pitaro gehamadhyasthāḥ śreyo vāṃchaṃti tasya ca | gaṃgādyāḥ puṇyanadyaśca sāgarāstatra nānyathā 13| puṇyā satī yasya gehe vartate satyatatparā | tatra yajñāśca gāvaśca ṛṣayastatra nānyathā 14| tatra sarvāṇi tīrthāni puṇyāni vividhāni ca | bhāryāyogena tiṣṭhaṃti sarvāṇyetāni nānyathā 15| puṇyabhāryāprayogeṇa gārhasthyaṃ saṃprajāyate | gārhasthyātparamo dharmo dvitīyo nāsti bhūtale 16| gṛhasthasya gṛhaḥ puṇyaḥ satyapuṇyasamanvitaḥ | sarvatīrthamayo vaiśya sarvadevasamanvitaḥ 17| gārhasthyaṃ ca samāśritya sarve jīvaṃti jaṃtavaḥ | tādṛśaṃ naiva paśyāmi anyamāśramamuttamam 18| maṃtrāgnihotraṃ devāśca sarve dharmāḥ sanātanāḥ | dānācārāḥ pravartaṃte yasya puṃsaśca vai gṛhe 19| evaṃ yo bhāryayā hīnastasyagehaṃ vanāyate | yajñāśca vai na sidhyaṃti dānāni vividhāni ca 20| bhāryāhīnasya puṃsopi na sidhyati mahāvratam | dharmakarmāṇi sarvāṇi puṇyāni vividhāni ca 21| nāsti bhāryāsamaṃ tīrthaṃ dharmasādhanahetave | śṛṇuṣva tvaṃ gṛhasthasya nānyo dharmo jagattraye 22| yatra bhāryā gṛhaṃ tatra puruṣasyāpi nānyathā | grāme vāpyathavāraṇye sarvadharmasya sādhanam 23| nāsti bhāryāsamaṃ tīrthaṃ nāsti bhāryāsamaṃ sukham | nāsti bhāryāsamaṃ puṇyaṃ tāraṇāya hitāya ca 24| dharmayuktāṃ satīṃ bhāryāṃ tyaktvā yāsi narādhama | gṛhaṃ dharmaṃ parityajya kvāste dharmasya te phalam 25| tayā vinā yadā tīrthe śrāddhadānaṃ kṛtaṃ tvayā | tena doṣeṇa vai baddhāstava pūrvapitāmahāḥ 26| bhavāṃścauro hyamī caurā yaistu bhuktaṃ sulolupaiḥ | tvayā dattasya śrāddhasya annamevaṃ tayā vinā 27| suputraḥ śraddhayā yuktaḥ śrāddhadānaṃ dadāti yaḥ | bhāryā dattena piṃḍena tasya puṇyaṃ vadāmyaham 28| yathā'mṛtasya pānena nṛṇāṃ tṛptirhi jāyate | tathā pitṝṇāṃ śrāddhena satyaṃsatyaṃ vadāmyaham 29| gārhasthyasya ca dharmasya bhāryā bhavati svāminī | tvayaiṣā vaṃcitā mūḍha caurakarmakṛtaṃ vṛthā 30| amī pitāmahāścaurā yairbhuktaṃ tu tayā vinā | bhāryā pacati cedannaṃ svahastenāmṛtopamam 31| tadannamevabhuṃjaṃti pitaro hṛṣṭamānasāḥ | tenaiva tṛptimāyāṃti saṃtuṣṭāśca bhavaṃti te 32| tasmādbhāryāṃ vinā dharmaḥ puruṣasya na sidhyati | nāsti bhāryāsamaṃ tīrthaṃ puṃsāṃ sugatidāyakam 33| bhāryāṃ vinā ca yo dharmaḥ sa eva viphalo bhavet 34| iti śrīpadmapurāṇe bhūmikhaṃḍe venopākhyāne sukalācaritre ekonaṣaṣṭitamo'dhyāyaḥ 59 |
English translation
Viṣṇu said :
1-2. Having finished (i.e. having visited) all sacred places, Kṛkala, full of great joy, started for his house along with the leader of the caravan. He always thought like this: ‘My worldly existence is fruitful. My dead ancestors, when gratified will go to heaven; not otherwise.’
3-5a. Just then having bound his grandsires ( Dharma ) spoke to him: “You do not have excellent religious merit.” (Dharma) of a divine form and of a huge body said (these) words to Kṛkala: “You do not have the fruit of (your visits to) holy places. In vain have you exerted. You alone are happy (i.e. you have not gratified your dead ancestors etc.); (therefore) you do not have excellent religious merit.”
5b-7. Hearing like this, the vaiśya , viz. Kṛkala, was afflicted with pain. (He said to Dharma:) “Who are you that are talking like this? Why are my grandsires bound? Due to the effect of what fault (of mine are they bound)? (Please) tell me the reason of it. Why do I not have the fruit of (my visits to) the holy places? How is my pilgrimage not (fruitful)? If you know, then tell me everything clearly.”
Dharma said :
8-19. The entire fruit of the religious merit of him, who, leaving (behind) his pure and most meritorious wife, goes (on a pilgrimage), becomes worthless, not otherwise. All the religious deeds of him, who, leaving (behind) even his wife who is devoted to a pious conduct, who is meritorious, who is engrossed in the vow of loyalty to her husband, who is virtuous, who loves merit, goes to (holy places to) perform religious rites, are done in vain. Not otherwise. In the house of him, whose meritorious and very chaste wife has qualities like being devoted to all (good) practices, being worthy, being intent upon accomplishing moral merit, being devoted to her husband, always loving knowledge gods of great prowess always stay; and his dead ancestors, living in his house, desire bliss. There (i.e. in his house) are present auspicious rivers like the Ganges and Seas; (and) not at any other place. He, in whose house lives his chaste wife, entirely devoted to truth, has (the credit of having performed) sacrifices; cows and sages (live there), and at no other place. Due to the conduct of his wife all these sacred places and various religious merits (stay) there, and at no other place. The stage of householder is produced (i.e. is possible) due to the contact of a meritorious wife. Highest moral merit is (obtained) from the stage of a householder. There is no such stage on the earth. O vaiśya, the house of a householder is meritorious, is endowed with truth and religious merit, is full of all holy places and is attended by all gods. All beings live (only) after resorting to the stage of a householder. I do not see any other excellent stage (of life) like that. The man in whose house the sacred fire is maintained to the accompaniment of sacred hymns, all gods live, all old practices are followed, gifts are given (is blessed).
20-34. Similarly the house of him who is without a wife, becomes a forest. (In his house) sacrifices are not accomplished (i.e. performed) and various gifts (are not given). Any great vow of a man without a wife is not fruitful. So also no religious rites and no meritorious deeds (are fruitful). To accomplish religious merit there is no holy place like a wife. Listen to the way of the life of a householder. There is no other Dharma in the three worlds (like that of a householder). A man has a house where his wife lives, whether in villages or in a forest. She is the means of all moral merit. There is no holy place like a wife; there is no happiness like a wife. There is no religious merit for the emancipation and well-being (of the husband) like a wife. O you mean man, you go (i.e. you had gone) leaving (behind) your righteous and chaste wife. Leaving (i.e. when you leave) your house and proper course of conduct, where does the fruit of your moral merit remain? When (i.e. since), without her (i.e. in her absence), you offered a śrāddha , therefore, due to that fault only your grandsires are bound. You are a thief; these (grandsires) also are thieves who, being very greedy, enjoyed the food offered by you without her (i.e. in her absence). I shall tell you about the religious merit of a good son, who, full of faith, offers a śrāddha, with (i.e. in which) a piṇḍa (is) offered by his wife. As men are satisfied with drinking nectar, in the same way the dead ancestors are satisfied with a śrāddha. I am telling you the truth and truth only. A wife is the owner of the stage of a householder. O fool, you have deceived her. You have committed a theft. These your manes, who ate without her (i.e. in her absence) are great thieves. The dead ancestors eat with a pleased mind the food resembling nectar which the (son’s) wife prepares with her own hands. With that only they are gratified and become pleased. Therefore, the religious practices of a man do not succeed without his wife. There is no holy place like a wife giving men a good position (i.e. leading them to salvation). The religious practices carried on without (i.e. in the absence of) the wife would become fruitless.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 42664, revision 335498 (2022-04-09T18:55:57Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc364266.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.