Brahma-khaṇḍa · Chapter 6
Sourceशौनक उवाच- केन पुण्येन भो सूत वैकुंठं समवाप्यते । तद्वदस्व शृण्वतो मे पोतो हि भवसागरे १। सूत उवाच- साधुसाधु मुनिश्रेष्ठ सर्वमंगलकारक । कथयामि समासेन शृण्वतां पापनाशनम् २। विष्णवे ब्राह्मणायैव मृदावेश्मविनिर्मितम् । यो वै दद्याद्द्विजश्रेष्ठ तस्य पुण्यं निशामय ३। विष्णुलोके च स विप्रः सर्वपापविवर्जितः । सौधवासी भवेन्नित्यं विष्णुलोके प्रपूज्यते ४। विष्णवे सौधगेहं यो दद्याद्वै ब्राह्मणाय च । हरेर्न्निकेतनं प्राप्य स्वर्गवासी भवेद्ध्रुवम् ५। अंते विष्णुपुरं गत्वा युक्तः कोटिकुलैर्द्विज । स्वर्णसौधे गृहे स्थित्वा कुर्याद्भोगं यथासुखम् ६। ब्राह्मणस्थापने पुण्यं यद्वै भवति भो मुने । संख्यां कर्तुमशक्तस्तु तद्वेधाः सर्वकारकः ७। गण्यंते रेणवश्चैव गण्यंते वृष्टिबिंदवः । न गण्यंते विधात्रापि ब्रह्मसंस्थापने फलम् ८। नारदेन पुरा ब्रह्मा पृष्टः संसारसंभवः । वेधास्तं कथयामास तच्छृणुष्व महामुने ९। पुरासीद्द्वापरे ब्रह्मन्वारनारी सुशोभना । सुकेशी हरिणीनेत्रा सुमध्या चारुहासिनी १०। नाम्ना सा चंचलापांगी ययौ देशांतरं कदा । सर्वपापसमायुक्ता नरके पातयंति च ११। संगेन सिंधुनाकांक्षी जनान्देवालयं गता । तत्र क्षणं सोपविष्टा तांबूलभक्षणं कृतम् १२। शेषं चूर्णं सौधभित्तौ दत्वा निम्ने कुतूहलात् । ततो गता जारकांक्षी धनार्थं नगरं प्रति १३। जारेण केनचित्सार्द्धं संकेतः सहसा कृतः । संकेतं तु गता वेश्या वनं रात्रौ विमोहिता १४। संकेतं नागतो वैश्यो व्यशंकिष्टविलोकिता । कथं कांतो नागतो मे सर्पव्याघ्रैश्च भक्षितः १५। संकेतनं कथं हित्वा गतः किं कामविह्वलः । अन्यया ज्ञातया सार्द्धमभिलाषी भवेत्किमु १६। परामृष्यैतद्हृद्यंतः कोटपालभयाद्द्विज । नगरं नागता सा हि रुद्धे लोकपथे तमैः १७। एतस्मिन्नंतरे व्याघ्रः कामरूपी बलात्क्षुधी । प्रेषितः कालदेवेनाग्रसदागत्य तां द्विज १८। ततस्तु यमुनाभ्रातुर्दूतास्ते भीमवर्षिणः । आगता गिरिकूटांगा नेतुं तां पापकर्मणा १९। वक्रपादा वक्रमुखा उन्नासा बहुदंष्ट्रिणः । चर्मरज्जूर्मुद्गरांश्च गृहीत्वा पांशुलां द्विज २०। बंधयामासुरुन्मत्ता गणिकां चर्म्मरज्जुभिः । शंखचक्रगदापद्मधारिणो वनमालिनः २१। प्रेषिता देवदेवेन तद्भक्तवत्सलेन च । कृष्णजीमूतसंकाशाः स्फुरद्वदनपंकजाः २२। श्रेणीधराश्चारुनासा दिव्यकुंडलभूषिताः । ददृशुः पथि गच्छंतो विष्णोर्दूतामहात्मनः २३। विष्णुदूता ऊचुः- के यूयं विकृताकारा लक्ष्यंते कर्बुरा इव । इमां विष्णोः प्रियतमां नीत्वा क्व व्रजथोत्तमाम् । इदं वचनमाकर्ण्य तेषां ते तु द्रुतं ययुः २४। अथ ते क्रोधसंपन्ना विष्णोर्दूता महाबलाः । जघ्नुस्ते संदेशहरान्यमस्य जगतः प्रभोः २५ । चक्रादिशस्त्रसंघैश्च सूर्यकोटिसमप्रभैः । कृतांतस्य भटाः सर्वे रुदंतस्ते पलायिताः २६। यमं प्रोचुः सभीताश्च वृत्तांतं सकलं द्विज । यमोऽपि तत्कथां श्रुत्वा चित्रगुप्तमुवाच ह २७। धर्म उवाच- केन पुण्येन भो मंत्रिन्वेश्या मुक्तिं समागता । एतन्मे पृच्छत सर्वं कथयस्व यथार्हतः २८। चित्रगुप्त उवाच- तया पापान्यर्जितानि जन्मतः सुबहून्यपि । किंत्वाकर्णय लोकेश यदि स्यात्पुण्यमस्ति तत् २९। गणिकैकदा धर्म्मराज सर्वालंकारभूषिता । कांचित्पुरीं जगामाशु जारकांक्षी धनार्थिनी ३०। तत्र देवालये तस्मिन्स्थित्वा तांबूलभक्षणं । कृत्वा तच्छेषचूर्णं तु ददौ भित्तौ तु कौतुकात् ३१। तेन पुण्यप्रभावेण गणिका गतपातका । वैकुंठं प्रति सा याति निर्गता तव दंडतः ३२। सूत उवाच- इति श्रुत्वा ततो दूता यमोऽपि वचनं द्विज । व्यापारे चान्यतश्चित्तं ददौ सा गणिकापि च ३३। आरूढा स्यंदने दिव्ये राजहंसयुते तथा । विष्णुलोकं ययौ सा च वेष्टिता विष्णुकिंकरैः ३४। श्रीविष्णोराज्ञया साथ कुलकोटियुतापि च । तस्थौ सौधगृहे विप्र नानाभोगं चकार ह ३५। भक्त्या यो वै हरेर्गेहे दद्याच्चूर्णं प्रयत्नतः । पुण्यं किं वा भवेत्तस्य न जाने द्विजपुंगव ३६। भक्त्याध्यायं पठेद्यो वै शृणोति सादरेण च । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तो यात्यसौ हरिमंदिरम् ३७। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे ब्रह्मखंडे ब्रह्मनारदसंवादे षष्ठोऽध्यायः ६।
śaunaka uvāca- kena puṇyena bho sūta vaikuṃṭhaṃ samavāpyate | tadvadasva śṛṇvato me poto hi bhavasāgare 1| sūta uvāca- sādhusādhu muniśreṣṭha sarvamaṃgalakāraka | kathayāmi samāsena śṛṇvatāṃ pāpanāśanam 2| viṣṇave brāhmaṇāyaiva mṛdāveśmavinirmitam | yo vai dadyāddvijaśreṣṭha tasya puṇyaṃ niśāmaya 3| viṣṇuloke ca sa vipraḥ sarvapāpavivarjitaḥ | saudhavāsī bhavennityaṃ viṣṇuloke prapūjyate 4| viṣṇave saudhagehaṃ yo dadyādvai brāhmaṇāya ca | harernniketanaṃ prāpya svargavāsī bhaveddhruvam 5| aṃte viṣṇupuraṃ gatvā yuktaḥ koṭikulairdvija | svarṇasaudhe gṛhe sthitvā kuryādbhogaṃ yathāsukham 6| brāhmaṇasthāpane puṇyaṃ yadvai bhavati bho mune | saṃkhyāṃ kartumaśaktastu tadvedhāḥ sarvakārakaḥ 7| gaṇyaṃte reṇavaścaiva gaṇyaṃte vṛṣṭibiṃdavaḥ | na gaṇyaṃte vidhātrāpi brahmasaṃsthāpane phalam 8| nāradena purā brahmā pṛṣṭaḥ saṃsārasaṃbhavaḥ | vedhāstaṃ kathayāmāsa tacchṛṇuṣva mahāmune 9| purāsīddvāpare brahmanvāranārī suśobhanā | sukeśī hariṇīnetrā sumadhyā cāruhāsinī 10| nāmnā sā caṃcalāpāṃgī yayau deśāṃtaraṃ kadā | sarvapāpasamāyuktā narake pātayaṃti ca 11| saṃgena siṃdhunākāṃkṣī janāndevālayaṃ gatā | tatra kṣaṇaṃ sopaviṣṭā tāṃbūlabhakṣaṇaṃ kṛtam 12| śeṣaṃ cūrṇaṃ saudhabhittau datvā nimne kutūhalāt | tato gatā jārakāṃkṣī dhanārthaṃ nagaraṃ prati 13| jāreṇa kenacitsārddhaṃ saṃketaḥ sahasā kṛtaḥ | saṃketaṃ tu gatā veśyā vanaṃ rātrau vimohitā 14| saṃketaṃ nāgato vaiśyo vyaśaṃkiṣṭavilokitā | kathaṃ kāṃto nāgato me sarpavyāghraiśca bhakṣitaḥ 15| saṃketanaṃ kathaṃ hitvā gataḥ kiṃ kāmavihvalaḥ | anyayā jñātayā sārddhamabhilāṣī bhavetkimu 16| parāmṛṣyaitadhṛdyaṃtaḥ koṭapālabhayāddvija | nagaraṃ nāgatā sā hi ruddhe lokapathe tamaiḥ 17| etasminnaṃtare vyāghraḥ kāmarūpī balātkṣudhī | preṣitaḥ kāladevenāgrasadāgatya tāṃ dvija 18| tatastu yamunābhrāturdūtāste bhīmavarṣiṇaḥ | āgatā girikūṭāṃgā netuṃ tāṃ pāpakarmaṇā 19| vakrapādā vakramukhā unnāsā bahudaṃṣṭriṇaḥ | carmarajjūrmudgarāṃśca gṛhītvā pāṃśulāṃ dvija 20| baṃdhayāmāsurunmattā gaṇikāṃ carmmarajjubhiḥ | śaṃkhacakragadāpadmadhāriṇo vanamālinaḥ 21| preṣitā devadevena tadbhaktavatsalena ca | kṛṣṇajīmūtasaṃkāśāḥ sphuradvadanapaṃkajāḥ 22| śreṇīdharāścārunāsā divyakuṃḍalabhūṣitāḥ | dadṛśuḥ pathi gacchaṃto viṣṇordūtāmahātmanaḥ 23| viṣṇudūtā ūcuḥ- ke yūyaṃ vikṛtākārā lakṣyaṃte karburā iva | imāṃ viṣṇoḥ priyatamāṃ nītvā kva vrajathottamām | idaṃ vacanamākarṇya teṣāṃ te tu drutaṃ yayuḥ 24| atha te krodhasaṃpannā viṣṇordūtā mahābalāḥ | jaghnuste saṃdeśaharānyamasya jagataḥ prabhoḥ 25 | cakrādiśastrasaṃghaiśca sūryakoṭisamaprabhaiḥ | kṛtāṃtasya bhaṭāḥ sarve rudaṃtaste palāyitāḥ 26| yamaṃ procuḥ sabhītāśca vṛttāṃtaṃ sakalaṃ dvija | yamo'pi tatkathāṃ śrutvā citraguptamuvāca ha 27| dharma uvāca- kena puṇyena bho maṃtrinveśyā muktiṃ samāgatā | etanme pṛcchata sarvaṃ kathayasva yathārhataḥ 28| citragupta uvāca- tayā pāpānyarjitāni janmataḥ subahūnyapi | kiṃtvākarṇaya lokeśa yadi syātpuṇyamasti tat 29| gaṇikaikadā dharmmarāja sarvālaṃkārabhūṣitā | kāṃcitpurīṃ jagāmāśu jārakāṃkṣī dhanārthinī 30| tatra devālaye tasminsthitvā tāṃbūlabhakṣaṇaṃ | kṛtvā taccheṣacūrṇaṃ tu dadau bhittau tu kautukāt 31| tena puṇyaprabhāveṇa gaṇikā gatapātakā | vaikuṃṭhaṃ prati sā yāti nirgatā tava daṃḍataḥ 32| sūta uvāca- iti śrutvā tato dūtā yamo'pi vacanaṃ dvija | vyāpāre cānyataścittaṃ dadau sā gaṇikāpi ca 33| ārūḍhā syaṃdane divye rājahaṃsayute tathā | viṣṇulokaṃ yayau sā ca veṣṭitā viṣṇukiṃkaraiḥ 34| śrīviṣṇorājñayā sātha kulakoṭiyutāpi ca | tasthau saudhagṛhe vipra nānābhogaṃ cakāra ha 35| bhaktyā yo vai harergehe dadyāccūrṇaṃ prayatnataḥ | puṇyaṃ kiṃ vā bhavettasya na jāne dvijapuṃgava 36| bhaktyādhyāyaṃ paṭhedyo vai śṛṇoti sādareṇa ca | sarvapāpavinirmukto yātyasau harimaṃdiram 37| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe brahmakhaṃḍe brahmanāradasaṃvāde ṣaṣṭho'dhyāyaḥ 6|
English translation
Saunaka said :
1. O Sūta , tell me who am listening, due to which (acts of) religious merit Vaikuṇṭha is obtained (by a man), for you are a boat in the ocean of the worldly existence.
Sūta said :
2-7. O best sage doing auspicious (things) for all, (you have asked) well. I shall tell you in brief (the rite) destroying all sins. Listen, O best brāhmaṇa , bear about the merit of him who would give a house made of clay to a brāhmaṇa devoted to Viṣṇu . That brāhmaṇa, free from all sins, would always live in a palatial building in Viṣṇu’s heaven. He is honoured in Viṣṇu’s heaven. He who would present a palatial building to a brāhmaṇa devotee of Viṣṇu, would, on reaching Viṣṇu’s abode, certainly be a resident of heaven. O brahmaṇa , he, with a crore of (members of) his family ultimately goes to Viṣṇu’s city, and staying in a palatial golden building, he would enjoy pleasures as he pleases. (Even) the Creator, the cause of all, is unable to measure the religious merit that one would get by causing a brāhmaṇa to settle well (in his life), O sage.
8. Dust particles are (i.e. can be) counted; drops of rains are (i.e. can be) counted; (but) the fruit (obtained) by settling well a brāhmaṇa (in his life) cannot be guaged even by the Creator.
9-23. O great sage, listen to what Brahmā , the Creator, the origin of the mundane existence, told Nārada , when he was formerly asked by him. O brāhmaṇa, formerly in Dvāpara age, there was a woman by name Cañcalāpāṅgī; she was very beautiful, her hair was excellent, her eyes were like that of a female deer, her waist was charming, and her smile was lovely. Once she went to another country. Full of all sins, and causing people to fall into hell due to her contact (like that) of liquor, she went to a temple. For a moment she sat there and ate a tāmbūla . Through curiosity she threw the remaining powder on the lowly part of a wall. Then desiring (to secure) a paramour, and to secure wealth (from him) she went to the city. The prostitute rashly made an appointment with some paramour. Being fascinated she went to the appointed place (in) the forest at night. The merchant (her paramour) did not come to the rendezvous. She expected (him) and thought to herself: ‘How (is it) that my lover has not come? Has he been eaten up by serpents or tigers? How has he, beside himself due to passion, gone (elsewhere) leaving the place of appointment? Is he hankering after some other unknown woman?’ O brāhmaṇa, thinking (like) this in her mind she through the fear of the fort-guard did not arrive into the city as the public road was covered with darkness. O brāhmaṇa, in the meanwhile a hungry tiger that took up any form that he liked, that was sent by the god of death, came there and forcibly ate her up. Then the messengers of Yamunā ’s brother (i e. Yama ), whose forms were fearful, whose bodies resembled mountain-peaks, came there to take her (to Yama’s abode) due to her sinful deed. Their feet were crooked, their faces were crooked, their noses were projecting, and they had many jaws. O brāhmaṇa, taking leather straps and hammers the very frantic messengers tied up that licentious harlot with leather straps. The messengers of the magnanimous Viṣṇu who holds a conch, a disc, a mace and a lotus, that were going along the path saw her. They resembled black clouds, their lotus-like faces were throbbing, they formed a group, their noses were charming, and they were adorned with divine ear-rings.
The messengers of Viṣṇu said :
24-27. Who are you of deformed forms, who appear like demons? Where are you going carrying this excellent (lady), the most beloved of Viṣṇu?
Hearing these words of them, they (i.e. Yama’s messengers) went (away) quickly. Then those very powerful messengers of Viṣṇu, who were full of anger, struck the messengers of Yama, the lord of the world, with multitudes of weapons like the disc, having the brilliance of that of a crore of suns. All the warriors of Yama ran away, crying; and O brāhmaṇa, they who were frightened, narrated the entire account to Yama. Yama too, having heard that account, said to Citragupta :
Dharma (i.e. Yama) said :
28. O minister, due to which (act of) religious merit has the prostitute gone to (i.e. obtained) salvation? Tell all this according to its merit, to me who am asking (you).
Citragupta said :
29-32. From her birth she had earned very many sins; but, O lord of the world, hear if she might have some merit (to her credit). O lord of Dharma , once (this) prostitute, adorned with all ornaments, seeking wealth and looking for a paramour, went to a certain city. There (i.e. in that city) having remained in the temple, and having eaten a tāmbūla, she threw, out of curiosity, the remaining powder on a wall, By the power of that merit the harlot with her sins gone (away), and free from your punishment, goes to Vaikuṇṭha.
Sūta said :
33-37. Hearing these words the messengers and Yama also set their mind on other work, O brāhmaṇa. That harlot also, mounted in a divine chariot yoked with royal swans and surrounded by Viṣṇu’s servants, went to Viṣṇu’s world. O brāhmaṇa, she by the order of Viṣṇu stayed along with a crore (members of) her family in a palatial building and enjoyed many pleasures. O best brāhmaṇa, I do not know (i.e. cannot judge) the merit of him who devoutly and carefully puts powder into Viṣṇu’s temple (to beautify it). He who would devoutly recite (this) chapter or listen to it with respect, is freed from all sins and goes to Viṣṇu’s abode.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 43522, revision 335789 (2022-04-15T03:18:29Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365290.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.