Brahma-khaṇḍa · Chapter 5
Sourceशौनक उवाच- कथयस्व महाप्राज्ञ पुत्रहीनो जनो भवेत् । कर्मणा केन वै सूत पुत्रो भवति केन च १। सूत उवाच- एतत्पृष्टः पुरा ब्रह्मा नारदेन महात्मना । स यदाह तदा तं च शृणुष्व मुनिपुंगव २। नारद उवाच- पितामह महाप्राज्ञ सर्वतत्त्वार्थपारग । अपुत्रो वै भवेन्मर्त्यः कर्मणा केन पद्मज ३। वंध्या स्त्री वा भवेत्केन वृजिनेन ममाग्रतः । कथय शृण्वतो वै मे सर्वप्राणिहिते रत ४। दुहिता जायते केन कर्मणा वा नपुंसकः । मृतवत्सो भवेत्केन मृतवत्सातिदुःखिता । केन पुण्येन भो ब्रह्मन्पुनः पुत्रो भवेद्वद ५। ब्रह्मोवाच- कथयामि समासेन सावधानेन तच्छ्रणु । वृत्तांतं पृच्छसि त्वं वै शृण्वतां विस्मयप्रदम् ६। पूर्वजन्मनि यो मर्त्यो वर्तनं ब्राह्मणस्य च । हरेद्वा हारयेदत्र पुत्रहीनो भवेत्किल ७। इह जन्मनि यो मर्त्यः पुराणश्रवणं हि च । ससस्या भूमेर्दानं च कुर्याद्वै श्रद्धयान्वितः ८। धेनुं बहुगुणां हैमीं बहुदुग्धां सदक्षिणाम् । सुवर्णप्रतिमां चैव तस्य पुत्रो भवेद्ध्रुवम् ९। पूर्वजन्मनि या नारी परबालकघातनम् । करोति कपटेनैव बालहीना भवेद्ध्रुवम् १०। सौवर्णप्रतिमादानं या नारी श्रद्धयान्विता । कुर्यात्पानं ब्राह्मणस्य भक्त्या वै चरणोदकम् ११। पुराणश्रवणं चैव दद्याद्वै बहुदक्षिणाम् । बह्वपत्या जीववत्सा भवेन्नास्त्यत्र संशयः १२। जले निमग्नं बालं यो दृष्ट्वा या न समुद्धरेत् । इह जन्मन्यपुत्रो वै साऽपुत्री च भवेद्ध्रुवम् १३। वृषभं चैव कूष्मांडं ससुवर्णं सवस्त्रकम् । दद्याद्दानं ब्राह्मणस्य कुर्याद्बालव्रतं शुभम् १४। गौरीं कन्यां तथा कुर्यात्पुराणश्रवणं हि यः । पुत्रो वै जायते तस्य सर्वपातकनाशनम् १५। पूर्वजन्मनि यो मर्त्यो निराशं चातिथिं द्विज । कुर्यात्क्रोधेन दंडं च पुत्रहीनो भवेद्ध्रुवम् १६। ब्राह्मणं चातिथिं चैव कुर्याद्भक्त्या प्रपूजनम् । अन्नदानं जलं चैव तथा देवालयं शुभम् १७। पूर्वजन्मनि या नारी भ्रूणहत्यां च यो नरः । कुर्यात्सा मृतवत्सा च मृतवत्सो भवेद्ध्रुवम् १८। या नारी स्वामिसहिता कुर्याच्च हरिवासरम् । सुपुत्रा भर्तृसुभगा भवेत्सा प्रतिजन्मनि १९। यो नरो गोधनं कुर्याच्छूद्रः कुर्याद्विमोहितः । ब्राह्मणीहरणं वापि कर्मणा स नपुंसकः २०। इदं तु वृजिनं कृत्वा पश्चात्पुण्यं करोति यः । इह पुण्यप्रभावेण दुहिता जायते द्विज २१। आसीत्त्रेतायुगे राजा श्रीधरो नामतो द्विज । अपुत्रो धनवांस्तस्य जाया हेमप्रभावती २२। व्यासं सकलशास्त्रज्ञं सर्वलोकहितैषिणम् । आगतं चैव पप्रच्छ चापुत्रोऽहं कथं द्विज २३। उवाच नृपतेः श्रुत्वा वचनं विनयान्वितम् । राज्ञा दत्ते च पीठे च निर्मिते कनकादिभिः २४। राजाराज्ञी तस्य पादौ धौतं कृत्वा च हर्षितौ । पीत्वा पादोदकं द्वौ च सर्वपातकनाशनम् २५। व्यास उवाच- राजन्शृणुष्व यत्पृष्टमपुत्रो येन कर्मणा । तवेयं राज्ञी चापुत्री चैकपत्नीव्रतस्तथा २६। पूर्वजन्मनि चंद्रस्त्वं नाम्ना वरतनु स्मृतः । भार्या तवापि शुभ्रांगी नाम्ना वै शंकरी स्मृता २७। एकदा पथियातौ च नीचपुत्रं जलेपि च । मग्नं दृष्ट्वा हेलया च गतौ स पंचतां गतः २८। बहुपुण्यप्रभावेण राज्ञीराजा गतौ युवाम् । तेन कर्मविपाकेन युवायोर्न भवेत्सुतः २९। राजोवाच- इदानीं केन पुण्येन सुतो वै जायते प्रभो । अपुत्रस्य मनुष्याणां जीवनं हि निरर्थकम् ३०। व्यास उवाच- सवस्त्रं चैव कूष्मांडं वृषभं ससुवर्णकम् । देहि दानं ब्राह्मणस्य कुरु बालव्रतं तथा ३१। गौरीं कन्यां तथा देहि पुराणश्रवणं कुरु । पुत्रो वै जायते तत्र सर्वपातकनाशनम् ३२। ब्रह्मोवाच- इति श्रुत्वा ततो राजा व्यासोक्तं दानमुत्तमम् । पुराणश्रवणं चैव चकार गतकिल्बिषः ३३। ततः पुत्रो वर्षमध्ये बभूव सर्वपूजितः । अभूद्राजा सार्वभौमः सुंदरः कुलनायकः ३४। सूत उवाच- य इदं शृणुयाद्भक्त्या करोति दानमुत्तमम् । अपुत्रो लभते पुत्रं संक्षेपात्कथितं मया ३५। भक्त्या श्रुत्वा तु या नारी कुर्याद्ब्राह्मणपूजनम् । सुपुत्रा सा भवेन्नित्यं शास्त्रोक्तविधिना द्विज ३६। सुवर्णं रजतं वस्त्रं पुष्पमाल्यं च चंदनम् । यो दद्यात्पुस्तके भक्त्या सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् ३७। पूर्वजन्मनि यो मूढो ब्रह्मबालकघातकः । तस्य क्रूरो भवेत्पुत्रः सप्तजन्मांतरैर्द्विजः ३८। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे ब्रह्मखंडे ब्रह्मनारदसंवादे कर्मविपाककथनंनाम पंचमोऽध्यायः ५।
śaunaka uvāca- kathayasva mahāprājña putrahīno jano bhavet | karmaṇā kena vai sūta putro bhavati kena ca 1| sūta uvāca- etatpṛṣṭaḥ purā brahmā nāradena mahātmanā | sa yadāha tadā taṃ ca śṛṇuṣva munipuṃgava 2| nārada uvāca- pitāmaha mahāprājña sarvatattvārthapāraga | aputro vai bhavenmartyaḥ karmaṇā kena padmaja 3| vaṃdhyā strī vā bhavetkena vṛjinena mamāgrataḥ | kathaya śṛṇvato vai me sarvaprāṇihite rata 4| duhitā jāyate kena karmaṇā vā napuṃsakaḥ | mṛtavatso bhavetkena mṛtavatsātiduḥkhitā | kena puṇyena bho brahmanpunaḥ putro bhavedvada 5| brahmovāca- kathayāmi samāsena sāvadhānena tacchraṇu | vṛttāṃtaṃ pṛcchasi tvaṃ vai śṛṇvatāṃ vismayapradam 6| pūrvajanmani yo martyo vartanaṃ brāhmaṇasya ca | haredvā hārayedatra putrahīno bhavetkila 7| iha janmani yo martyaḥ purāṇaśravaṇaṃ hi ca | sasasyā bhūmerdānaṃ ca kuryādvai śraddhayānvitaḥ 8| dhenuṃ bahuguṇāṃ haimīṃ bahudugdhāṃ sadakṣiṇām | suvarṇapratimāṃ caiva tasya putro bhaveddhruvam 9| pūrvajanmani yā nārī parabālakaghātanam | karoti kapaṭenaiva bālahīnā bhaveddhruvam 10| sauvarṇapratimādānaṃ yā nārī śraddhayānvitā | kuryātpānaṃ brāhmaṇasya bhaktyā vai caraṇodakam 11| purāṇaśravaṇaṃ caiva dadyādvai bahudakṣiṇām | bahvapatyā jīvavatsā bhavennāstyatra saṃśayaḥ 12| jale nimagnaṃ bālaṃ yo dṛṣṭvā yā na samuddharet | iha janmanyaputro vai sā'putrī ca bhaveddhruvam 13| vṛṣabhaṃ caiva kūṣmāṃḍaṃ sasuvarṇaṃ savastrakam | dadyāddānaṃ brāhmaṇasya kuryādbālavrataṃ śubham 14| gaurīṃ kanyāṃ tathā kuryātpurāṇaśravaṇaṃ hi yaḥ | putro vai jāyate tasya sarvapātakanāśanam 15| pūrvajanmani yo martyo nirāśaṃ cātithiṃ dvija | kuryātkrodhena daṃḍaṃ ca putrahīno bhaveddhruvam 16| brāhmaṇaṃ cātithiṃ caiva kuryādbhaktyā prapūjanam | annadānaṃ jalaṃ caiva tathā devālayaṃ śubham 17| pūrvajanmani yā nārī bhrūṇahatyāṃ ca yo naraḥ | kuryātsā mṛtavatsā ca mṛtavatso bhaveddhruvam 18| yā nārī svāmisahitā kuryācca harivāsaram | suputrā bhartṛsubhagā bhavetsā pratijanmani 19| yo naro godhanaṃ kuryācchūdraḥ kuryādvimohitaḥ | brāhmaṇīharaṇaṃ vāpi karmaṇā sa napuṃsakaḥ 20| idaṃ tu vṛjinaṃ kṛtvā paścātpuṇyaṃ karoti yaḥ | iha puṇyaprabhāveṇa duhitā jāyate dvija 21| āsīttretāyuge rājā śrīdharo nāmato dvija | aputro dhanavāṃstasya jāyā hemaprabhāvatī 22| vyāsaṃ sakalaśāstrajñaṃ sarvalokahitaiṣiṇam | āgataṃ caiva papraccha cāputro'haṃ kathaṃ dvija 23| uvāca nṛpateḥ śrutvā vacanaṃ vinayānvitam | rājñā datte ca pīṭhe ca nirmite kanakādibhiḥ 24| rājārājñī tasya pādau dhautaṃ kṛtvā ca harṣitau | pītvā pādodakaṃ dvau ca sarvapātakanāśanam 25| vyāsa uvāca- rājanśṛṇuṣva yatpṛṣṭamaputro yena karmaṇā | taveyaṃ rājñī cāputrī caikapatnīvratastathā 26| pūrvajanmani caṃdrastvaṃ nāmnā varatanu smṛtaḥ | bhāryā tavāpi śubhrāṃgī nāmnā vai śaṃkarī smṛtā 27| ekadā pathiyātau ca nīcaputraṃ jalepi ca | magnaṃ dṛṣṭvā helayā ca gatau sa paṃcatāṃ gataḥ 28| bahupuṇyaprabhāveṇa rājñīrājā gatau yuvām | tena karmavipākena yuvāyorna bhavetsutaḥ 29| rājovāca- idānīṃ kena puṇyena suto vai jāyate prabho | aputrasya manuṣyāṇāṃ jīvanaṃ hi nirarthakam 30| vyāsa uvāca- savastraṃ caiva kūṣmāṃḍaṃ vṛṣabhaṃ sasuvarṇakam | dehi dānaṃ brāhmaṇasya kuru bālavrataṃ tathā 31| gaurīṃ kanyāṃ tathā dehi purāṇaśravaṇaṃ kuru | putro vai jāyate tatra sarvapātakanāśanam 32| brahmovāca- iti śrutvā tato rājā vyāsoktaṃ dānamuttamam | purāṇaśravaṇaṃ caiva cakāra gatakilbiṣaḥ 33| tataḥ putro varṣamadhye babhūva sarvapūjitaḥ | abhūdrājā sārvabhaumaḥ suṃdaraḥ kulanāyakaḥ 34| sūta uvāca- ya idaṃ śṛṇuyādbhaktyā karoti dānamuttamam | aputro labhate putraṃ saṃkṣepātkathitaṃ mayā 35| bhaktyā śrutvā tu yā nārī kuryādbrāhmaṇapūjanam | suputrā sā bhavennityaṃ śāstroktavidhinā dvija 36| suvarṇaṃ rajataṃ vastraṃ puṣpamālyaṃ ca caṃdanam | yo dadyātpustake bhaktyā sarvapāpapraṇāśanam 37| pūrvajanmani yo mūḍho brahmabālakaghātakaḥ | tasya krūro bhavetputraḥ saptajanmāṃtarairdvijaḥ 38| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe brahmakhaṃḍe brahmanāradasaṃvāde karmavipākakathanaṃnāma paṃcamo'dhyāyaḥ 5|
English translation
Saunaka said :
1. O you very intelligent one, tell me, due to which act (of a man) he becomes sonless (i.e. does not have a son), and due to (i.e. by doing) which (act) he would have a son.
Sūta said :
2. Formerly this was asked by the magnanimous Nārada from Brahmā . O best sage, listen to what he said (then).
Nārada said :
3-5. O grandsire, O very wise one, O you who have mastered all the truth, O you lotus-born, tell me by (i.e. doing) which deed a mortal would become sonless; due to what sin a woman would be barren. O you who are intent on the well-being of all creatures, tell me, who am listening. Due to which deed a daugther is born, or an import ant son is born; due to what a child is stillborn. A woman bringing forth a stillborn child is extremely unhappy. O Brahman , tell me due to which religious merit a son would be born.
Brahmā said :
6-7. I shall tell you in brief. Listen to it attentively. You arc asking about an amazing account. Listen (to it). It is said that a brāhmaṇa who would snatch away or would cause to snatch away (i.e. who has snatched away or has caused to snatch away) the means of subsistence of a brāhmaṇa, would be sonless.
8-9. That man who in this existence would devoutly listen to a Purāṇa , or would make a p resent of a land with a crop on it, or who would give a golden cow of many qualities and giving profuse milk along with a present, so also one who would give a golden image (of a deity to a brāhmaṇa), would certainly get a son.
10. That woman who would in her former birth deceitfully kill (i.e. who has deceitfully killed) the child of someone else, would certainly be sonless.
11-12. That woman who, endowed with devotion, would make a present of a golden image (of a deity), and would devoutly drink the water (flowing) from the feet of a brāhmaṇa, would listen to a Purāṇa, or would offer a large present (to a brāhmaṇa), would have many children, and would have her children alive. There is no doubt about this.
13-15. A man or a woman who would not take out a child drowning in water, would certainly be sonless in this world. He who would give a bull, a pumpkin gourd with gold and cloth or would observe the auspicious vow for having a child, or would offer (the image of) a fair virgin, or would listen to a Purāṇa destroying all sins, would have a son.
16-17. That man who in his previous existence would disappoint a guest or would angrily punish him (i.e. who has disappointed or angrily punished a guest), would certainly be sonless. A man should devoutly honour a brāhmaṇa and a guest. He should give food, water, and (should construct) an auspicious temple.
18. That woman or that man who would cause (i.e. who has caused) abortion in her or his previous existence would certainly have a stillborn child.
19. That woman who along with her husband, would observe (a fast on) the day of (i.e. sacred to) Viṣṇu , would have good sons and would be a favourite wife of her husband in every existence.
20-21. A man who would make wealth with cows, or a śūdra who, being infatuated, would kidnap a brāhmaṇa-woman, would be born impotent due to (that) act. O brāhmaṇa, a daughter is born due to (that) act. O brāhmaṇa, a daughter is born by the power of the religious merit (to him) who, having committed this sin, later performs (acts of) religious merit.
22-25. O brāhmaṇa, in Tretāyuga there was a kin g by name Śrīdhara . He was sonless (but) wealthy. His wife was Hemaprabhāvatī . He asked Vyāsa who knew all sacred texts, who desired the well-being of all people, and who had come to him: “O brāhmaṇa, how (is it that) I am sonless?” (Seated) on a seat made of gold etc. and offered by the king, he, having heard the polite words of the king, answered thus: The king and the queen, being delighted washed his feet, and drank the water (with which) his feet (were washed), and which destroyed all sins.
Vyāsa said :
26-29. O king, hear (about) what you have asked me, (also about) the deed due to which you are sonless. This your queen also is sonless and you observe the vow of having one wife (only). In your former existence, you, the moon, were known by the name Varatanu . Your wife of a fair body was known by the name Śaṅkarī . Once you were going along a path. Though you saw the son of a low (-caste person) drowning in water, you contemptuously went ahead. The son died. By the power of your great religious merit, you became king and queen. (But) as a result of that deed, you would (i.e. did) not have a son.
The king said :
30. O lord, due to which (act of) religious merit, would a son be born (to us)? For, the life of persons having no son is fruitless.
Vyāsa said :
31-32. Give a gift of a pumpkin gourd with gold, cloth and a bull. Observe vow for obtaining a child, give (the image) of a fair virgin, and also listen to a Purāṇa. Then a son, destroying all sins, will be born.
Brahmā said :
33-34. Hearing this, the king gave an excellent gift as told by Vyāsa, and with his sins destroyed listened to a Purāṇa. Then within a year a son honoured by all was born (to them). The king became a sovereign emperor, handsome and the chief of his family.
Sūta said :
35-38. He who having no son, would devoutly listen to this, and make excellent presents, gets a son. I have told (this to you) in brief. O brāhmaṇa, that woman who would devoutly honour a brāhmaṇa according to the rules laid down in the sacred texts, would always have good sons. (So also the man) who would devoutly put on the book (of the Purāṇa) gold, silver, cloth, garland of flowers and sandal—which destroy all sins (would get good sons). A cruel son would be born to the fool who in his former existence has killed a brāhmaṇa or a child, and would be a brāhmaṇa after seven existences.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 43521, revision 335788 (2022-04-15T03:17:00Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365289.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.