Brahma-khaṇḍa · Chapter 20
Sourceशौनक उवाच। सुकृतं किं तथा प्राह कृत्वा संसारसागरात् । तरिष्यंति कलौ सूत तमोन्धकूपमंडुकाः १। सूत उवाच। राधाकृष्णप्रिये चौर्जे प्रातःस्नानं समाचरेत् । राधादामोदरं भक्त्या कुर्यात्पूजां समाहिता २। त्यक्त्वामिषादिकं ब्रह्मन्पतिसेवापरायणा । सा याति श्रीहरेः स्थानं गोलोकाख्यं सुदुर्ल्लभम् ३। राधादामोदराभ्यां या धूपदीपं तु कार्तिके । दद्यात्सा भवनं विष्णोर्याति वै त्यक्तपातकाः ४। योषिद्या कार्त्तिके विप्र दद्याद्वस्त्रं निकेतने । राधादामोदराभ्यां तु वसेत्सा श्रीहरेश्चिरम् ५। राधादामोदराभ्यां सा पुष्पं माल्यं सुवासितम् । कार्तिके मासि सा दद्याद्याति वैकुंठमंदिरम् ६। गंधं या चापि नैवेद्यं दद्याद्वै शर्करादिकम् । राधादामोदराभ्यां सा गच्छेद्वै विष्णुमंदिरम् ७। यत्किंचिद्यच्छति ब्रह्मन्कार्तिके च द्विजातये । राधादामोदरप्रीत्यै तस्याः पुण्याक्षयं भवेत् ८। या नारी कार्तिके भक्त्या राधादामोदरं द्विज । प्रातः सपर्यां सा याति न कुर्य्यान्निरयं चिरम् ९। कदाचिज्जन्मभूमौ सा विधवा प्रति जन्मनि । भवेच्चासाद्य पूर्व्वं वै चाप्रिया स्वामिनोऽपि च १०। पुरा त्रेतायुगे विप्र वृषलो नाम शंकरः । सौराष्ट्रदेशवासी च तस्य जाया कलिप्रिया ११। जाराकांक्षी सदा नाम्ना तृणवन्मन्यते पतिम् । असौ पतिर्न मे योग्यो मे स्वामी परपूरुषः १२। इति मत्वा सदा तस्मै चोच्छिष्टं तु ददाति वै । नीचसंगान्महामूढा मद्यमांसं चखाद ह १३। स्वामिनो भर्त्सनां नित्यं कुर्यात्कामं तु निष्ठुरा । पादरज्जुर्भवेच्चासौ कस्माद्वै न मृतोऽपि च १४। मृते तस्मिन्नहं भोगं करिष्यामि यदृच्छया । विचार्येति हृदा मूढा जारेणैकेन सा तदा १५। अन्यदेशं गमिष्यावः संकेतमकरोद्द्विज । सुप्तस्य स्वामिनो रात्रौ चासिना तद्गलं द्विज १६। छित्त्वा जारकृते सापि संकेतस्य स्थलं गता । आगतं जारपुरुषं द्वीपिना भक्षितं द्विज १७। दृष्ट्वा सा रोदनं कृत्वा मूर्च्छिता निपपात ह । चिरादाश्वस्य सा मूढा करुणं विललाप ह १८। कलिप्रियोवाच। स्वकीयं स्वामिनं हत्वा चागता परपूरुषम् । तं जारं स्वामिनं दैवात्शार्दूलो भक्षयन्मम । किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि विधात्रा वंचितास्म्यहम् १९। सूत उवाच। ततः कलिप्रिया ब्रह्मनागता स्वगृहं प्रति । लपने स्वामिनो दत्वा मुखं च विललाप सा २०। कलिप्रियोवाच। हा नाथ किं कृतं कर्म्म मया हंतातिदारुणम् । कं लोकं वा गमिष्यामि वद स्वामिन्मनाग्गिरम् २१। भर्त्सनां तु यथाकामं कुर्य्याच्चाहं सुनिंदिता । किंचिन्न वदसि स्वामिन्नेनो यन्मे न विद्यते २२। सूत उवाच। ननाम चरणे तस्य गतान्यनगरं प्रति । तत्र प्रविष्टा सा योषिद्दृष्ट्वा पुण्यजनान्बहून् २३। ऊर्जे स्नानपरान्प्रातर्नर्मदायां च वैष्णवान् । तत्र नद्यां स्त्रियश्चापि राधादामोदरं द्विज २४। सपर्यां च कृतां चैव शंखनादैर्महोत्सवैः । गंधपुष्पैर्धूपदीपैर्वस्त्रैर्नानाविधैः फलैः २५। मुखवासैर्भक्तियुक्ता दृष्ट्वा सा विनयान्विता । पप्रच्छ ब्रूत यूयं मे किमेतत्क्रियते स्त्रियः २६। स्त्रिय ऊचुः - सर्वमासोत्तमे चोर्जे राधादामोदरौ शुभौ । पूजां कृत्वा वयं मातः सर्वपापहरां शुभाम् २७। कोटिजन्मार्जितं पापं नष्टं प्राप्तं निकेतनम् । सपर्य्यामामिषं त्यक्त्वा कृत्वा सा च हरेर्द्दिने २८। निधनत्वं पौर्णमास्यां गता सा निर्मला द्विज । किंकराश्चागतास्तूर्णं यमस्य निलयं प्रति २९। नेतुं तां क्रोधसंयुक्ता बबंधुश्चर्मरज्जुभिः । तदागता विष्णुदूता विमानं स्वर्णनिर्मितम् ३०। शंखचक्रगदापद्मधारिणो वनमालिनः । निजघ्नुश्चक्रधाराभिर्यमदूताः पलायिताः ३१। राजहंसयुते विप्र विमाने स्वर्णनिर्मिते । आरूढा सा गता तैस्तु वेष्टिता विष्णुमंदिरम् ३२। तत्र तस्थौ चिरं भोगं कृत्वा सा वै यथेप्सितम् । या कुर्यात्कार्त्तिके विप्र राधादामोदरार्चनम् ३३। याति पूजा त्यक्तपापाद्गोलोकाख्यं मनोहरम् । य इदं शृणुयाद्भक्त्या या च नारी समाहिता । कोटिजन्मार्जितं पापं तस्य तस्या विनश्यति ३४। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे ब्रह्मखंडे सूतशौनकसंवादे राधादामोदरपूजामाहात्म्यकथनंनाम विंशतितमोऽध्यायः २०।
śaunaka uvāca| sukṛtaṃ kiṃ tathā prāha kṛtvā saṃsārasāgarāt | tariṣyaṃti kalau sūta tamondhakūpamaṃḍukāḥ 1| sūta uvāca| rādhākṛṣṇapriye caurje prātaḥsnānaṃ samācaret | rādhādāmodaraṃ bhaktyā kuryātpūjāṃ samāhitā 2| tyaktvāmiṣādikaṃ brahmanpatisevāparāyaṇā | sā yāti śrīhareḥ sthānaṃ golokākhyaṃ sudurllabham 3| rādhādāmodarābhyāṃ yā dhūpadīpaṃ tu kārtike | dadyātsā bhavanaṃ viṣṇoryāti vai tyaktapātakāḥ 4| yoṣidyā kārttike vipra dadyādvastraṃ niketane | rādhādāmodarābhyāṃ tu vasetsā śrīhareściram 5| rādhādāmodarābhyāṃ sā puṣpaṃ mālyaṃ suvāsitam | kārtike māsi sā dadyādyāti vaikuṃṭhamaṃdiram 6| gaṃdhaṃ yā cāpi naivedyaṃ dadyādvai śarkarādikam | rādhādāmodarābhyāṃ sā gacchedvai viṣṇumaṃdiram 7| yatkiṃcidyacchati brahmankārtike ca dvijātaye | rādhādāmodaraprītyai tasyāḥ puṇyākṣayaṃ bhavet 8| yā nārī kārtike bhaktyā rādhādāmodaraṃ dvija | prātaḥ saparyāṃ sā yāti na kuryyānnirayaṃ ciram 9| kadācijjanmabhūmau sā vidhavā prati janmani | bhaveccāsādya pūrvvaṃ vai cāpriyā svāmino'pi ca 10| purā tretāyuge vipra vṛṣalo nāma śaṃkaraḥ | saurāṣṭradeśavāsī ca tasya jāyā kalipriyā 11| jārākāṃkṣī sadā nāmnā tṛṇavanmanyate patim | asau patirna me yogyo me svāmī parapūruṣaḥ 12| iti matvā sadā tasmai cocchiṣṭaṃ tu dadāti vai | nīcasaṃgānmahāmūḍhā madyamāṃsaṃ cakhāda ha 13| svāmino bhartsanāṃ nityaṃ kuryātkāmaṃ tu niṣṭhurā | pādarajjurbhaveccāsau kasmādvai na mṛto'pi ca 14| mṛte tasminnahaṃ bhogaṃ kariṣyāmi yadṛcchayā | vicāryeti hṛdā mūḍhā jāreṇaikena sā tadā 15| anyadeśaṃ gamiṣyāvaḥ saṃketamakaroddvija | suptasya svāmino rātrau cāsinā tadgalaṃ dvija 16| chittvā jārakṛte sāpi saṃketasya sthalaṃ gatā | āgataṃ jārapuruṣaṃ dvīpinā bhakṣitaṃ dvija 17| dṛṣṭvā sā rodanaṃ kṛtvā mūrcchitā nipapāta ha | cirādāśvasya sā mūḍhā karuṇaṃ vilalāpa ha 18| kalipriyovāca| svakīyaṃ svāminaṃ hatvā cāgatā parapūruṣam | taṃ jāraṃ svāminaṃ daivātśārdūlo bhakṣayanmama | kiṃ karomi kva gacchāmi vidhātrā vaṃcitāsmyaham 19| sūta uvāca| tataḥ kalipriyā brahmanāgatā svagṛhaṃ prati | lapane svāmino datvā mukhaṃ ca vilalāpa sā 20| kalipriyovāca| hā nātha kiṃ kṛtaṃ karmma mayā haṃtātidāruṇam | kaṃ lokaṃ vā gamiṣyāmi vada svāminmanāggiram 21| bhartsanāṃ tu yathākāmaṃ kuryyāccāhaṃ suniṃditā | kiṃcinna vadasi svāminneno yanme na vidyate 22| sūta uvāca| nanāma caraṇe tasya gatānyanagaraṃ prati | tatra praviṣṭā sā yoṣiddṛṣṭvā puṇyajanānbahūn 23| ūrje snānaparānprātarnarmadāyāṃ ca vaiṣṇavān | tatra nadyāṃ striyaścāpi rādhādāmodaraṃ dvija 24| saparyāṃ ca kṛtāṃ caiva śaṃkhanādairmahotsavaiḥ | gaṃdhapuṣpairdhūpadīpairvastrairnānāvidhaiḥ phalaiḥ 25| mukhavāsairbhaktiyuktā dṛṣṭvā sā vinayānvitā | papraccha brūta yūyaṃ me kimetatkriyate striyaḥ 26| striya ūcuḥ - sarvamāsottame corje rādhādāmodarau śubhau | pūjāṃ kṛtvā vayaṃ mātaḥ sarvapāpaharāṃ śubhām 27| koṭijanmārjitaṃ pāpaṃ naṣṭaṃ prāptaṃ niketanam | saparyyāmāmiṣaṃ tyaktvā kṛtvā sā ca harerddine 28| nidhanatvaṃ paurṇamāsyāṃ gatā sā nirmalā dvija | kiṃkarāścāgatāstūrṇaṃ yamasya nilayaṃ prati 29| netuṃ tāṃ krodhasaṃyuktā babaṃdhuścarmarajjubhiḥ | tadāgatā viṣṇudūtā vimānaṃ svarṇanirmitam 30| śaṃkhacakragadāpadmadhāriṇo vanamālinaḥ | nijaghnuścakradhārābhiryamadūtāḥ palāyitāḥ 31| rājahaṃsayute vipra vimāne svarṇanirmite | ārūḍhā sā gatā taistu veṣṭitā viṣṇumaṃdiram 32| tatra tasthau ciraṃ bhogaṃ kṛtvā sā vai yathepsitam | yā kuryātkārttike vipra rādhādāmodarārcanam 33| yāti pūjā tyaktapāpādgolokākhyaṃ manoharam | ya idaṃ śṛṇuyādbhaktyā yā ca nārī samāhitā | koṭijanmārjitaṃ pāpaṃ tasya tasyā vinaśyati 34| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe brahmakhaṃḍe sūtaśaunakasaṃvāde rādhādāmodarapūjāmāhātmyakathanaṃnāma viṃśatitamo'dhyāyaḥ 20|
English translation
Śaunaka said :
1. O Sūta , (tell me which) you said to be the (deeds of) merit, doing which, the frogs (men) in the blinding well due to darkness, will cross the ocean of mundane existence.
Sūta said :
2-10. That woman who, bathing (every) morning in Kārtika , being dear to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa , being composed and devoutly worshipping Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, gives up eating meat etc. and is engaged in serving her husband, goes to Viṣṇu ’s place called Goloka which is very difficult to obtain (i.e. to reach). She who would offer incense and lamp to Rādhā and Dāmodara (i.e. Kṛṣṇa) in Kārtika, goes, with her sin abandoned (i.e. removed), to Viṣṇu’s abode. O brāhmaṇa , that woman who would offer a garment to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa would, for a long time, live in the abode to Sri Viṣṇu. She who offers to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa fragrant flowers and garlands in the month of Kārtika, goes to Viṣṇu’s abode. Also she who would offer sandal and make an offering like sugar to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, would go to Viṣṇu’s abode. O brāhmaṇa, the merit of that woman who gives something to a brāhmaṇa in the month of Kārtika to please Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, becomes inexhaustible. O brāhmaṇa, that woman who devoutly worships Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in the month of Kārtika goes (to Viṣṇu’s abode); she would not live in hell for long, even if she was a widow in a previous existence or was not dear to her husband.
11-18. O brāhmaṇa, in olden days in the Tretāyuga there lived a śūdra named Śaṅkara in the Saurāṣṭra country. His wife was Kalipriyā by name. She always longed for a paramour, and looked upon her husband like (a blade of) grass (i.e. treated him disgracefully). ‘This husband is not proper for me, my lord is some other man.’ Thinking like this she always gave him food that was left over. The very foolish woman (drank) liquor and ate meat due to the company of mean people. The cruel one always reproached her husband at her will. ‘He is a rope (tied to my) feet; why did he not die? When he dies I shall enjoy at will.’ O brāhmaṇa, thinking like this to her mind, she made an agreement with a paramour as: “We shall go to another country”. O brāhmaṇa, at night she cut off the thro at of her husband with a sword for the sake of her paramour, and went to the rendezvous. O brāhmaṇa, the paramour that had come there was eaten up by a tiger. Seeing it she wept and fell down in a swoon. Being composed after a long time the foolish woman wept piteously.
Kalipriyā said :
19. Having killed my own husband, I approached a stranger. Due to my (ill luck) a tiger has eaten up that lord of mine (also). What shall I do? Where shall I go?I am deceived by the Creator.
Sūta said :
20. O brāhmaṇa, then Kalipriyā came to her own house. Putting her mouth into that of her husband she wept.
Kalipriyā said :
21-22. O lord, what a very terrible deed have I done? Which world shall I go to? O lord, speak (at least) a few words. I, who am very much condmened [condemned], reproached you at will. O lord, you are not at all speaking. There is not a single sin that I have not committed.
Sūta said :
23-26. She saluted his feet, and went to another city. Having entered it, that woman saw many meritorious people, devotees of Viṣṇu, engaged in bathing in the Narmadā (river) in the morning in the month in Kārtika. Seeing there even women devoutly worshipping Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa with the sounds of conches with great festivity, with sandal and flowers, incense and lamps, pieces of cloth and fruits of various kinds, with perfumes used to scent the breath, asked them modestly: “O ladies, (please) tell me, what is this that you are doing.”
The ladies said :
27-33. O mother, in the morning in Kārtika, the best of all months, we offer the auspicious worship to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, which removes all sins. (Due to that worship) sin earned in a crore of existences is destroyed, and Viṣṇu’s abode is reached.
Giving up (eating) flesh, she performed the worship on the day of (i.e. sacred to) Viṣṇu. O brāhmaṇa, being free from blemish, she died on the full-moon-day. Yama ’s servants, full of anger, quickly came there to take her to Yama’s abode and tied her (body) with leather straps. Then there came in an aeroplane made of gold Viṣṇu’s messengers holding conches, discs, maces, lotuses and struck them with the edges of the discs (i.e. with sharp discs); the messengers of Yama ran away. She got into an aeroplane which was made of gold and to which royal swans were yoked. Surrounded by them, she went to Viṣṇu’s abode. There she lived for a long time enjoying pleasures as she liked. O brāhmaṇa, she who would worship Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, goes, due to her sins having perished, to the charming world called Goloka .
34. The sin earned during a crore of existences of him who listens to this or the sin earned during a crore of existences of a woman who, being purified, listens to this, perishes.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 43550, revision 335808 (2022-04-15T08:57:40Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365304.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.