Brahma-khaṇḍa · Chapter 23
Sourceशौनक उवाच। कथयस्व मुने सूत माहात्म्यं कलुषक्षयम् । शेषपंचदिनस्यापि कार्त्तिकस्यानुकंपया १। सूत उवाच। शृणु शौनक यत्पृष्टं माहात्म्यं पापनाशनम् । वक्ष्याम्यहं वै चोर्जस्य शेषपंचदिनस्य च २। व्रतानां मुनिशार्दूल प्रवरं विष्णुपंचकम् । तस्मिन्यः पूजयेद्भक्त्या श्रीहरिं राधया सह ३। गंधपुष्पैर्धूपदीपैर्वस्त्रैर्नानाविधैः फलैः । स याति विष्णुसदनं सर्वपापविवर्जितः ४। ब्रह्मचारी गृहस्थो वा वानप्रस्थोऽथवा यतिः । न प्राप्नोति परं स्थानमकृत्वा विष्णुपंचकम् ५। सर्वपापहरं पुण्यं विख्यातं विष्णुपंचकम् । तत्र स्नानं तु यः कुर्यात्सर्वतीर्थफलं लभेत् ६। श्रीहरेः पुरतो विप्र तुलस्याश्च समीपतः । प्रदीपं सर्पिषा पूर्णं दद्याद्यो भक्तिभावतः ७। नभसि श्रीहरेः प्रीत्यै याति स विष्णुमंदिरम् । पापी याति हरेर्धाम सत्यमेतन्मयोदितम् ८। स्नापयेच्चाच्युतं भक्त्या मधुक्षीरघृतादिभिः । दद्यात्किं नो हरिः प्रीतस्तस्मै साधुजनाय वै ९। नैवेद्यं देवदेवेशं परमान्नं निवेदयेत् । तस्य पुण्यं प्रसंख्यातुं न शक्तो वै चतुर्मुखः १०। अर्चयित्वा हृषीकेशमेकादश्यां समाहितः । निष्प्राप्य गोमयं सम्यक्मंत्रवत्समुपासते ११। गोमूत्रं मंत्रवद्भूयो द्वादश्यां प्राशयेद्व्रती । क्षीरं तथा त्रयोदश्यां चतुर्दश्यां तथा दधि १२। संप्राप्य पापशुद्ध्यर्थं लंघयित्वा चतुर्दिनम् । पंचमे तु दिने स्नात्वा विधिवत्पूज्य केशवम् १३। भोजयेद्ब्राह्मणान्भक्त्या तेभ्यो दद्याच्च दक्षिणाम् । ततो नक्तं समश्नीयात्पंचगव्यं सुमंत्रितम् १४। एवं कर्तुमशक्तो यः फलमूलं च भोजनम् । कुर्याद्धविष्यं वा विप्र यथोक्तविधिना ह वै १५। श्रीहरेः पंचकं विप्र कुर्याद्यस्तुलसीदलैः । पूजयेत्तं स विज्ञेयः स्वयं नारायणः प्रभुः १६। पुरा त्रेतायुगे शूद्रो दस्युवृत्तिपरायणः । नाम्ना दंडकरो नित्यं धर्मनिंदां करोति यः १७। असत्यभाषी मित्रघ्नो वेश्याविभ्रम लोलुपः । ब्रह्मस्वहारी क्रूरश्च परस्त्रीगमने रतः १८। शरणागतहंता च पाखंडजनसंगभाक् । गोमांसाशी सुरापश्च परनिंदाकरः सदा १९। विश्वासघाती ज्ञातीनां वृत्तिच्छेदी द्विजोत्तम । दुष्टं सर्वे समालोक्य तादृशं तद्गृहे द्विजः २०। आगता ज्ञातयः क्रुद्धास्तस्य पापपरायणम् । ज्ञातय ऊचुः। रे रे मूढ दुराचार विनाशं प्रतिनीयते । या प्रतिष्ठार्जिता पूर्वैरस्माकं निर्मलेऽन्वये २१। इति क्रुद्धा द्विजश्रेष्ठ अपकीर्तिभयादपि । पापिनां प्रवरं सर्वे तत्यजुस्तं कुलादरम् २२। ततो गतो महारण्यं विनष्टाखिल वैभवः । कुर्यात्स दस्युभिः सार्द्धं दस्युकर्म निरंतरम् २३। पथि प्रगच्छतां तेषां भयाद्विप्र न खादितुम् । प्राप्तं किंचित्क्षुधार्त्तास्ते गताश्चान्य स्थलं प्रति २४। तत्र प्रविष्टास्ते सर्वे दृष्ट्वा पुण्यजनान्बहून् । धात्रीमूले स्थितान्ब्रह्मन्वैष्णवान्द्विजसत्तमान् २५। सर्वे ते दस्यवो विप्र गता दंडकरोऽपि सः । तेषां परिसरं गत्वा प्रणामं वै चकार ह २६। दंडकर उवाच। क्षुधार्तोऽहं द्विजश्रेष्ठाः प्राणा यास्यंति मे ध्रुवम् । ददध्वं खादितुं किंचिद्युष्माकं शरणं गतः २७। आकर्ण्य वचनं तस्य चोचुस्ते धर्मतत्पराः । सर्वपापहरे त्वं च विख्याते विष्णुपंचके २८। कथमन्नं खादितुं ते वांछा त्वद्य हरेर्दिने । विशेषं ते ब्रूहि संज्ञा काते भवति सांप्रतम् २९। स उवाच मुदा विप्रा नाम्ना दंडकरोप्यहम् । सर्वपापसमायुक्तश्चोद्धारो मे कथं भवेत् ३०। ऊचुस्ते वै व्रतं श्रेष्ठं कुरुष्व विष्णुपंचकम् । विप्राणामाज्ञया विप्र चकार विष्णुपंचकम् ३१। स प्रेत्य च हरेः स्थानमारुह्य स्यंदने वरे । आसाद्य श्रीहरेरूपं तस्थौ जन्मविवर्जितः ३२। य इदं शृणुयाद्भक्त्या चाख्यानं पापनाशनम् । कोटिजन्मार्जितं पापं तस्य नश्यति तत्क्षणात् ३३। इति श्रीपाद्मेमहापुराणे ब्रह्मखण्डे सूतशौनकसंवादे विष्णुपंचकमाहात्म्यंनाम त्रयोविंशोऽध्यायः २३।
śaunaka uvāca| kathayasva mune sūta māhātmyaṃ kaluṣakṣayam | śeṣapaṃcadinasyāpi kārttikasyānukaṃpayā 1| sūta uvāca| śṛṇu śaunaka yatpṛṣṭaṃ māhātmyaṃ pāpanāśanam | vakṣyāmyahaṃ vai corjasya śeṣapaṃcadinasya ca 2| vratānāṃ muniśārdūla pravaraṃ viṣṇupaṃcakam | tasminyaḥ pūjayedbhaktyā śrīhariṃ rādhayā saha 3| gaṃdhapuṣpairdhūpadīpairvastrairnānāvidhaiḥ phalaiḥ | sa yāti viṣṇusadanaṃ sarvapāpavivarjitaḥ 4| brahmacārī gṛhastho vā vānaprastho'thavā yatiḥ | na prāpnoti paraṃ sthānamakṛtvā viṣṇupaṃcakam 5| sarvapāpaharaṃ puṇyaṃ vikhyātaṃ viṣṇupaṃcakam | tatra snānaṃ tu yaḥ kuryātsarvatīrthaphalaṃ labhet 6| śrīhareḥ purato vipra tulasyāśca samīpataḥ | pradīpaṃ sarpiṣā pūrṇaṃ dadyādyo bhaktibhāvataḥ 7| nabhasi śrīhareḥ prītyai yāti sa viṣṇumaṃdiram | pāpī yāti harerdhāma satyametanmayoditam 8| snāpayeccācyutaṃ bhaktyā madhukṣīraghṛtādibhiḥ | dadyātkiṃ no hariḥ prītastasmai sādhujanāya vai 9| naivedyaṃ devadeveśaṃ paramānnaṃ nivedayet | tasya puṇyaṃ prasaṃkhyātuṃ na śakto vai caturmukhaḥ 10| arcayitvā hṛṣīkeśamekādaśyāṃ samāhitaḥ | niṣprāpya gomayaṃ samyakmaṃtravatsamupāsate 11| gomūtraṃ maṃtravadbhūyo dvādaśyāṃ prāśayedvratī | kṣīraṃ tathā trayodaśyāṃ caturdaśyāṃ tathā dadhi 12| saṃprāpya pāpaśuddhyarthaṃ laṃghayitvā caturdinam | paṃcame tu dine snātvā vidhivatpūjya keśavam 13| bhojayedbrāhmaṇānbhaktyā tebhyo dadyācca dakṣiṇām | tato naktaṃ samaśnīyātpaṃcagavyaṃ sumaṃtritam 14| evaṃ kartumaśakto yaḥ phalamūlaṃ ca bhojanam | kuryāddhaviṣyaṃ vā vipra yathoktavidhinā ha vai 15| śrīhareḥ paṃcakaṃ vipra kuryādyastulasīdalaiḥ | pūjayettaṃ sa vijñeyaḥ svayaṃ nārāyaṇaḥ prabhuḥ 16| purā tretāyuge śūdro dasyuvṛttiparāyaṇaḥ | nāmnā daṃḍakaro nityaṃ dharmaniṃdāṃ karoti yaḥ 17| asatyabhāṣī mitraghno veśyāvibhrama lolupaḥ | brahmasvahārī krūraśca parastrīgamane rataḥ 18| śaraṇāgatahaṃtā ca pākhaṃḍajanasaṃgabhāk | gomāṃsāśī surāpaśca paraniṃdākaraḥ sadā 19| viśvāsaghātī jñātīnāṃ vṛtticchedī dvijottama | duṣṭaṃ sarve samālokya tādṛśaṃ tadgṛhe dvijaḥ 20| āgatā jñātayaḥ kruddhāstasya pāpaparāyaṇam | jñātaya ūcuḥ| re re mūḍha durācāra vināśaṃ pratinīyate | yā pratiṣṭhārjitā pūrvairasmākaṃ nirmale'nvaye 21| iti kruddhā dvijaśreṣṭha apakīrtibhayādapi | pāpināṃ pravaraṃ sarve tatyajustaṃ kulādaram 22| tato gato mahāraṇyaṃ vinaṣṭākhila vaibhavaḥ | kuryātsa dasyubhiḥ sārddhaṃ dasyukarma niraṃtaram 23| pathi pragacchatāṃ teṣāṃ bhayādvipra na khāditum | prāptaṃ kiṃcitkṣudhārttāste gatāścānya sthalaṃ prati 24| tatra praviṣṭāste sarve dṛṣṭvā puṇyajanānbahūn | dhātrīmūle sthitānbrahmanvaiṣṇavāndvijasattamān 25| sarve te dasyavo vipra gatā daṃḍakaro'pi saḥ | teṣāṃ parisaraṃ gatvā praṇāmaṃ vai cakāra ha 26| daṃḍakara uvāca| kṣudhārto'haṃ dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ prāṇā yāsyaṃti me dhruvam | dadadhvaṃ khādituṃ kiṃcidyuṣmākaṃ śaraṇaṃ gataḥ 27| ākarṇya vacanaṃ tasya cocuste dharmatatparāḥ | sarvapāpahare tvaṃ ca vikhyāte viṣṇupaṃcake 28| kathamannaṃ khādituṃ te vāṃchā tvadya harerdine | viśeṣaṃ te brūhi saṃjñā kāte bhavati sāṃpratam 29| sa uvāca mudā viprā nāmnā daṃḍakaropyaham | sarvapāpasamāyuktaścoddhāro me kathaṃ bhavet 30| ūcuste vai vrataṃ śreṣṭhaṃ kuruṣva viṣṇupaṃcakam | viprāṇāmājñayā vipra cakāra viṣṇupaṃcakam 31| sa pretya ca hareḥ sthānamāruhya syaṃdane vare | āsādya śrīharerūpaṃ tasthau janmavivarjitaḥ 32| ya idaṃ śṛṇuyādbhaktyā cākhyānaṃ pāpanāśanam | koṭijanmārjitaṃ pāpaṃ tasya naśyati tatkṣaṇāt 33| iti śrīpādmemahāpurāṇe brahmakhaṇḍe sūtaśaunakasaṃvāde viṣṇupaṃcakamāhātmyaṃnāma trayoviṃśo'dhyāyaḥ 23|
English translation
Śaunaka said :
1. O Sūta , O sage, kindly tell me the importance of the remaining five days of Kārtika , which destroys sins.
Sūta said :
2-16. O Śaunaka , listen. I shall narrate (to you) the importance, which destroys sins, of the remaining five days of Kārtika. O best sage, of the five vows Viṣṇupañcaka (i.e. the vow observed for the remaining five days of Kārtika), is the best. He who, during that (period) worships Śrī Hari (i.e. Kṛṣṇa ) with Rādhā , by means of sandal, flowers, incense, clothes and various kinds of fruits, goes, freed from all sins, to Viṣṇu ’s abode. Without doing the vow of Viṣṇupañcaka, a religious student, (or) a householder, (or) an anchorite, (or) an ascetic does not obtain the highest position. Viṣṇupañcaka removes all sins, is meritorious and well-known. He who would bathe during that (period), would obtain the fruit of (having bathed at) all holy places. He who, to propitiate Viṣṇu, devoutly offers a lamp full of ghee in front of (the image of) Viṣṇu, or near Tulasī , in water, goes to Viṣṇu’s abode. A sinner goes to Viṣṇu’s abode. I have told the truth. A man should bathe with devotion (the image of) Viṣṇu with honey, milk, ghee etc. What would Viṣṇu being pleased not give to that good man? He should present excellent cooked food to the god of gods. (Even Brahmā ) having four faces is not able to measure his religious merit. Being pure, he worships Viṣṇu on Ekādaśī day. Having secured cow-dung he duly waits upon (the god) with the sacred hymns. He who observes the vow, should similarly again diink cow urine (reciting) the sacred hymns on the twelfth day. Similarly he should drink milk on the fourteenth day. Having got (these) for the purification of his sins, and having passed the four days, he should, on the fifth day, having bathed and duly worshipped Viṣṇu, devoutly feed brāhmaṇas and should give them presents. Then at night he should eat the mixture of the five products of a cow, which is well consecrated with sacred hymns. He who is unable to do this, should eat fruits, roots and food; O brāhmaṇa , he should offer an oblation according to the rite that is laid down. Lord Viṣṇu who is fit to be known, would himself honour him who would observe (the vow of) Pañcaka with Tulasī-leaves.
17-20. In olden days, in the Tretāyuga , there lived a śūdra , intent on leading the life of a villain, named Daṇḍakara , who always censured religious practices, who told lies, who hurt his friends, who had an ardent longing for anormous gestures of prostitutes, who snatched the wealth of brāhmaṇas, who was cruel, who was interested in another’s wife, who killed those who sought his refuge, who kept the company of heretics, who ate cow’s flesh, who drank liquor, who always defamed others, who was a traitor, who deprived his kinsmen of their means of livelihood, O brāhmaṇa. Observing him—the cruel one, intent on (committing) sins like that—the kinsmen, being angry, came to his house, O brāhmaṇa.
The kinsmen said :
21-26. O fool, O you of wicked conduct, you are destroying the glory in (i.e. of) our pure family, which was earned by (our) ancestors.
O brāhmaṇa, they who were thus angry, abandoned, out of respect for their family and through fear of bad name, that greatest (i.e. the worst) among sinners. Then, with all his glory lost, he went to a great forest. He would continuously practise the deeds of the villains along with them. O brāhmaṇa, when they were going along the path, they did not get anything to eat through fear. Being oppressed with hunger, they went to another place. Having entered (i.e. gone to) that place, seeing many excellent and meritorious brāhmaṇas who were seated at the root of a Dhātrī (tree) and who were the devotees of Viṣṇu, all the dasyus went (near him). That, Daṇḍakara also went near them, and saluted them.
Daṇḍakara said :
27. O best brāhmaṇas, I am oppressed with hunger. Surely my life will depart (now). Give me something to eat. I have sought your shelter.
28-33. Having heard his words, those (brāhmaṇas), who had a high regard for religious practices said: “How do you have a desire to eat (food) on the day of (i.e. sacred to) Viṣṇu, during the Viṣṇupañcaka, well-known as the remover of sins? Tell (us) your particulars. (Tell us) now what your name is.” He joyfully said: “O brāhmaṇas, I am (a śūdra) by name Daṇḍakara. I am full of all sins. How can I be emancipated?” They said (to him): “Observe the best vow (called) Viṣṇupañcaka.” O brāhmaṇa, by the order of the brāhmaṇas he observed the (vow of) Viṣṇupañcaka. After death, he got into an excellent chariot, and having reached Viṣṇu’s place and his form, he remained (there) free from birth. The sin earned during a crore of existences of him who would devoutly listen to this account destroying sins, perishes at that moment (only).
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 14928, revision 335811 (2022-04-15T09:01:27Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365307.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.