Brahma-khaṇḍa · Chapter 16
Sourceशौनक उवाच । कर्मणा केन भोः सूत चैनसां संक्षयो भवेत् । श्रीहरेश्च कृपा भूयात्तद्वदस्वानुकंपया १। सूत उवाच । शृणु शौनक वक्ष्यामि शृण्वतां पापनाशनम् । येन विष्णोः कृपा स्याद्वै वृजिनक्षयकारिणी २। पौर्णमास्यां तु यो विप्र भक्तिभावसमन्वितः । कुर्य्यान्नानाविधानेन सपर्य्यां श्रीजगद्विभोः ३। कलुषं तस्य नश्येत कोटिजन्मार्जितं मुने । तस्मिन्श्रीरमणस्यास्य कृपा जाता भवेद्ध्रुवम् ४। द्वादश्यामन्नदानं यो भक्त्या कुर्याद्द्विजातये । तस्य नश्यंति पापानि तमांसी वारुणोदये ५। यो नरः श्रीहरिं कुर्यात्स्नपनं पयसा द्विज । तत्प्रीतिः श्रीहरेः सद्यो द्वादश्यां शर्करादिभिः ६। मंत्रं विना तु यो विप्र दद्याच्छ्रीहरये किल । पाषाणसदृशं पुष्पं दाता याति अधोगतिम् ७। क्ष्मासुराय च मूर्खाय पाषाणसदृशं तु यत् । दद्याद्दानं नरो यो वै तस्य पुण्यं न विद्यते ८। विद्याहीनो द्विजो मोहाद्दानं गृह्णाति मूढधीः । कालानलं यथा जीर्णं तेन स निरयं व्रजेत् ९। यथा दारुमयो हस्ती मृगश्चित्रमयो यथा । विद्याहीनो द्विजो विप्र त्रयस्ते नामधारकाः १०। यथाध्वनिस्थितं वारि पवनार्केण शुद्ध्यति । भक्त्या तु पार्षदं दृष्ट्वा तस्य नश्यति कल्मषम् ११। यो नरश्चाश्विने मासि सघृतान्पूर्णिमा दिने । दद्याच्छ्रीहरये लाजान्क्रीडार्थं तु वराटिकाम् १२। भक्त्या याति हरेः स्थानं पुनरावृत्तिवर्जितः । न दद्याद्यो नरो मोहात्तस्मिन्न तुष्टिदो हरिः १३। वराटिकां यावतीं यो हरये पौर्णिमादिने । तावद्दिनं हरेः स्थानं चाश्विने संवसेद्ध्रुवम् १४। करवीरपुरे ह्यासीत्पुरा शूद्रोऽपि निर्द्दयः । कालद्विजो द्विजश्रेष्ठ नाम्ना पापी भयंकरः १५। स्वकार्यनिरतः सोऽपि स्वामिकार्यप्रणाशकः । एकदा पंचतां यातो यमदूता भयंकराः १६। आगतास्तं समानेतुं यमस्यतु निकेतनम् । बद्ध्वा निन्युश्च तं दृष्ट्वा पृष्टवान्सचिवं यमः १७। यम उवाच । अस्य किं विद्यतेऽमात्य कर्मापि च शुभाशुभम् । कथयस्व समूलं तु चित्रगुप्त विचक्षण १८। चित्रगुप्त उवाच। असौ पापी दुराचारः स्वामिकार्यप्रणाशकः । नास्ति पुण्यं चाणुमात्रं नरके परिपच्यताम् १९। शतमन्वन्तरं राजन्नागयोनौ च निष्ठुरः । पाषाणे जन्म चासाद्य गृहे स्थातुं निरंतरम् २०। सूत उवाच । तावत्कालं ततो विप्र निरये स पपात ह । ततोऽप्यश्मगृहे नागयोनौ जातः सुदुःखितः २१। एकदा चाश्विने मासि पौर्णमासीदिने द्विज । लाजान्वराटिका नागो बिलात्प्राक्षेपयद्बहिः २२। पतिता सा हरेरग्रे पापमस्य स्वयं हरिः । तूर्णं तु नाशयामास दयालुर्दुःखनाशकः २३। कदाचित्प्राप्तकालस्तु पंचत्वं स जगाम ह । यमदूतास्तमानेतुं चागता बहुशो द्विज २४। बद्ध्वा नेतुं यदा चक्रुर्यमस्य सदनं प्रति । तदागता विष्णुदूताः शंखचक्रगदाधराः २५। पाशं छित्त्वा रथे दिव्ये तमाशुगतकिल्बिषम् । तत्र चारोपयामासुः यमदूताः पलायिताः २६। ततो निकेतनं विष्णोर्नागस्तैर्वेष्टितो ययौ । तत्र तस्थौ हरेरग्रे पुनरावर्त्तिवर्जितः २७। भक्त्या यो हरये दद्याल्लाजांश्च सघृतान्द्विज । वराटिकां तस्य पुण्यं न जाने किं भवेद्ध्रुवम् २८। य इमं शृणुयाद्विप्र चाध्यायं पापनाशनम् । तस्य नश्यंति पापानि श्रीहरेः कृपयापि च २९। इति श्रीपाद्मेमहापुराणे ब्रह्मखंडे सूतशौनकसंवादे षोडशोऽध्यायः १६।
śaunaka uvāca | karmaṇā kena bhoḥ sūta cainasāṃ saṃkṣayo bhavet | śrīhareśca kṛpā bhūyāttadvadasvānukaṃpayā 1| sūta uvāca | śṛṇu śaunaka vakṣyāmi śṛṇvatāṃ pāpanāśanam | yena viṣṇoḥ kṛpā syādvai vṛjinakṣayakāriṇī 2| paurṇamāsyāṃ tu yo vipra bhaktibhāvasamanvitaḥ | kuryyānnānāvidhānena saparyyāṃ śrījagadvibhoḥ 3| kaluṣaṃ tasya naśyeta koṭijanmārjitaṃ mune | tasminśrīramaṇasyāsya kṛpā jātā bhaveddhruvam 4| dvādaśyāmannadānaṃ yo bhaktyā kuryāddvijātaye | tasya naśyaṃti pāpāni tamāṃsī vāruṇodaye 5| yo naraḥ śrīhariṃ kuryātsnapanaṃ payasā dvija | tatprītiḥ śrīhareḥ sadyo dvādaśyāṃ śarkarādibhiḥ 6| maṃtraṃ vinā tu yo vipra dadyācchrīharaye kila | pāṣāṇasadṛśaṃ puṣpaṃ dātā yāti adhogatim 7| kṣmāsurāya ca mūrkhāya pāṣāṇasadṛśaṃ tu yat | dadyāddānaṃ naro yo vai tasya puṇyaṃ na vidyate 8| vidyāhīno dvijo mohāddānaṃ gṛhṇāti mūḍhadhīḥ | kālānalaṃ yathā jīrṇaṃ tena sa nirayaṃ vrajet 9| yathā dārumayo hastī mṛgaścitramayo yathā | vidyāhīno dvijo vipra trayaste nāmadhārakāḥ 10| yathādhvanisthitaṃ vāri pavanārkeṇa śuddhyati | bhaktyā tu pārṣadaṃ dṛṣṭvā tasya naśyati kalmaṣam 11| yo naraścāśvine māsi saghṛtānpūrṇimā dine | dadyācchrīharaye lājānkrīḍārthaṃ tu varāṭikām 12| bhaktyā yāti hareḥ sthānaṃ punarāvṛttivarjitaḥ | na dadyādyo naro mohāttasminna tuṣṭido hariḥ 13| varāṭikāṃ yāvatīṃ yo haraye paurṇimādine | tāvaddinaṃ hareḥ sthānaṃ cāśvine saṃvaseddhruvam 14| karavīrapure hyāsītpurā śūdro'pi nirddayaḥ | kāladvijo dvijaśreṣṭha nāmnā pāpī bhayaṃkaraḥ 15| svakāryanirataḥ so'pi svāmikāryapraṇāśakaḥ | ekadā paṃcatāṃ yāto yamadūtā bhayaṃkarāḥ 16| āgatāstaṃ samānetuṃ yamasyatu niketanam | baddhvā ninyuśca taṃ dṛṣṭvā pṛṣṭavānsacivaṃ yamaḥ 17| yama uvāca | asya kiṃ vidyate'mātya karmāpi ca śubhāśubham | kathayasva samūlaṃ tu citragupta vicakṣaṇa 18| citragupta uvāca| asau pāpī durācāraḥ svāmikāryapraṇāśakaḥ | nāsti puṇyaṃ cāṇumātraṃ narake paripacyatām 19| śatamanvantaraṃ rājannāgayonau ca niṣṭhuraḥ | pāṣāṇe janma cāsādya gṛhe sthātuṃ niraṃtaram 20| sūta uvāca | tāvatkālaṃ tato vipra niraye sa papāta ha | tato'pyaśmagṛhe nāgayonau jātaḥ suduḥkhitaḥ 21| ekadā cāśvine māsi paurṇamāsīdine dvija | lājānvarāṭikā nāgo bilātprākṣepayadbahiḥ 22| patitā sā hareragre pāpamasya svayaṃ hariḥ | tūrṇaṃ tu nāśayāmāsa dayālurduḥkhanāśakaḥ 23| kadācitprāptakālastu paṃcatvaṃ sa jagāma ha | yamadūtāstamānetuṃ cāgatā bahuśo dvija 24| baddhvā netuṃ yadā cakruryamasya sadanaṃ prati | tadāgatā viṣṇudūtāḥ śaṃkhacakragadādharāḥ 25| pāśaṃ chittvā rathe divye tamāśugatakilbiṣam | tatra cāropayāmāsuḥ yamadūtāḥ palāyitāḥ 26| tato niketanaṃ viṣṇornāgastairveṣṭito yayau | tatra tasthau hareragre punarāvarttivarjitaḥ 27| bhaktyā yo haraye dadyāllājāṃśca saghṛtāndvija | varāṭikāṃ tasya puṇyaṃ na jāne kiṃ bhaveddhruvam 28| ya imaṃ śṛṇuyādvipra cādhyāyaṃ pāpanāśanam | tasya naśyaṃti pāpāni śrīhareḥ kṛpayāpi ca 29| iti śrīpādmemahāpurāṇe brahmakhaṃḍe sūtaśaunakasaṃvāde ṣoḍaśo'dhyāyaḥ 16|
English translation
Śaunaka said :
1. O Sūta , kindly tell (me) that due to which act the sins would perish and grace of Viṣṇu would follow.
Sūta said :
2-4. O Śaunaka , I shall tell you what destroys the sins of the listeners, by which Viṣṇus grace, destroying sins, would take place. O sage, the sin of him, earned during crores of existences disappears, who, with devotion and in many ways, offers on a full moon day worship to the lord of the world, O sage. Certainly the favour of the lord of Śrī would come to him.
5. The sins of him who would devoutly give food to a brāhmaṇa on Dvādaśī, would perish like darkness at day-break.
6-14. Śrī Viṣṇu instantly loves the man who would bathe (the image of) Viṣṇu with milk, sugar etc. on a Dvādaśī day, O brāhmaṇa. The giver who would offer a stone-like flower to Viṣṇu without any hymn, has a downfall. That man who would give a stone-like gift, a foolish brāhmaṇa, does not have religious merit. The foolish brāhmaṇa who, having no knowledge, accepts a gift like wasted fire at the time of deluge, through delusion, would, due to that, go to hell. O brāhmaṇa, the three, viz. a wooden elephant, or a deer drawn in a picture, or a brāhmaṇa having no knowledge, (simply) bear their names. As the water remaining on a path is purified by means of wind or the sun, in the same way the sin of him who devoutly sees the retinue (of a god), perishes. He who would devoutly offer on the full-moon day of the month of Āśvina parched grain with ghee and cowrie for playing to Viṣṇu goes, free from rebirth, to Viṣṇu’s place. A man who through folly would not give to Viṣṇu, Viṣṇu is not pleased with him. He who would offer cowries to Viṣṇu on the full-moon day will certainly live in Hari ’s abode for as many days as the number of cowries (offered).
15-17. O best of brāhmaṇas , formerly in the city of Karavīra lived a cruel and fearful śūdra whose name was Kāladvija . Engaged in his own duty, he destroyed the business of his master. Once (when) he died, the fearful messengers of Yama came to take him to Yama’s abode. Having tied him, they took him (to Yama’s abode). Seeing him, Yama asked his minister ( Citragupta ):
Yama said :
18. O wise minister Citragupta, tell me from the beginning the good or bad deeds of (i.e. done by) him.
Citragupta said :
19-20. This sinner is of a wicked conduct; he has destroyed the business of his master. He does not have religious merit even of the size of an atom. Let him be roasted in hell for a hundred ages of Manu , O king. Then let the cruel one be born in the species of serpents and let him continuously live in a cave.
Sūta said :
21-28. O brāhmaṇa, for that much period he fell into (and lived in) hell, and then, being very unhappy he was born in the species of serpents in a cave. Once, O brāhmaṇa, on the full moon day in the month of Āśvina he threw out from the hole fried grain and cowries. That fell before Viṣṇu. Kind Viṣṇu who removes unhappiness, himself quickly destroyed his sin. When the time for his death arrived, he died. O brāhmaṇa, many messengers of Yama came to take him (to Yama’s abode). When after binding him they started taking him to Yama’s abode, messengers of Viṣṇu, holding conches, discs and maces came (there). They cut off his nooses and quickly put him whose sins had perished, into a divine chariot. The messengers of Yama ran (away). Surrounded by them the serpent went to Viṣṇu’s house. Being free from rebirth he remained before (i.e. near) Viṣṇu. O brāhmaṇa, I certainly do not know what the religious merit of him who devoutly offers fried grain with ghee and cowries to Viṣṇu, would be.
29. O brāhmaṇa, the sins of him who devoutly listens to this chapter destroying sins, perish due to the grace of Viṣṇu.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 14837, revision 335804 (2022-04-15T08:52:18Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365300.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.