Sṛṣṭi-khaṇḍa · Chapter 56
Sourceश्रीभगवानुवाच- पुरा शर्वः स्त्रियो दृष्ट्वा युवती रूपशालिनीः। गंधर्वकिन्नराणां च मनुष्याणां च सर्वतः१। मंत्रेण ताः समाकृष्य त्वतिदूरे विहायसि। तपोव्याजपरो देवस्तासु संगतमानसः२। अतिरम्यां कुटीं कृत्वा ताभिः सह महेश्वरः। क्रीडां चकार सहसा मनोभव पराभवः३। एतस्मिन्नंतरे गौर्याश्चित्तमुद्भ्रांततां गतम्। अपश्यद्ध्यानयोगेन क्रीडंतं जगदीश्वरम्४। स्त्रीभिरंतर्गतं ज्ञात्वा रोषस्य वशगाभवत्। ततः क्षेमंकरी रूपा भूत्वा च प्रविवेश सा५। व्योमैकांतेतिदूरे च कामदेव समप्रभम्। वामातिमध्यगं शुभ्रं पुरुषं पुरुषोत्तमम्६। स्त्रीभिः सह समालिग्य प्रक्रीडंतं मुहुर्मुहुः। चुंबंतं निर्भरं देवं हरं रागप्रपीडितम्७। वृत्तं क्षेमंकरी दृष्ट्वा निपपाताग्रतस्तदा। तासां केशेषु चाकृष्य चकार चरणाहतिम्८। त्रपया पीडितश्शर्वः पराङ्मुखमवस्थितः। केशेष्वाकृष्य रोषात्ताः पातयामास भूतले९। स्त्रियः सर्वाधरां प्राप्य सहसा विकृताननाः। उमाशापप्रदग्धांगा म्लेच्छानां वशमागताः१०। ताश्चांडालस्त्रियः ख्याता अधवा धवसंयुताः। अद्याप्युमाकृतं शापं सर्वास्ताश्च समश्नुयुः११। अथोमा शतधा रूपं कृत्वेशं संगता तदा। एवं प्रभावं जानीहि कामस्य सततं द्विज१२। ततश्चिरात्तया सार्द्धं गतः कैलासमंदिरं। अतः क्षेमंकरीं दृष्ट्वा येभिनंदंति मानवाः१३। तेषां वित्तर्द्धि विभवा भवंतीह परत्र च। कुंकुमारक्तसर्वांगि कुंदेन्दुधवलानने१४। सर्वमंगलदे देवि क्षेमंकरि नमोस्तु ते। योगिनीसाम्यं तेनैव संमुखा विमुखापि वा१५। दृष्ट्वा तां नाभिवंदेद्यस्तस्य युद्धे पराजयः। राजगृहेषु विद्यायां नमस्काराज्जयो भवेत्१६। एवं कामस्य माहात्म्यं भवो मोहवशं गतः। अयं देवासुराणां च क्षमया प्रभुतां गतः१७। अस्यैव सदृशो लोके न भूतो न भविष्यति। रामामङ्कस्थितां रम्यां क्षमातल्पगतेन च१८। त्यक्त्वैव साधिता लोकास्सुरासुरसुदुर्लभाः। एवं वैष्णवमुख्यश्च सुरासुरगणार्चितः१९। यो नो ददाति भुक्त्यग्र्यं शेषं च स्वयमश्नुते। एवमभ्यासधैर्येण दीर्घकाले सुखंगते२०। प्राक्संगमात्स्वभार्यां च दृष्ट्वा मां प्रददौ मुदा। द्वादशाब्दं प्रसंकल्प्य प्राग्भोगो मयि वेशितः२१। तेन तस्य गृहे नित्यं तिष्ठामि गृहरक्षणात्। तथा धात्रीफलस्यापि सदा स्वर समीहते२२। तस्मादुक्तो मयान्येषां वैष्णवानां च वैष्णवः। पुरा ये विप्र मे भक्तास्सुरा मत्पथगामिनः२३। तैरेव न कृतं यच्च तदनेन कृतं परम्। तस्माद्वैष्णवसर्वस्वं नाम रम्यं मया कृतम्२४। अस्य वेश्मनि तिष्ठामि मुहूर्तं न चलाम्यहम्। अतो ये चैवमद्भक्तास्तेष्वहं सुलभो द्विज२५। अस्माकं पदवीं तेभ्यो ह्यद्य दद्मि स्वकारणम्। आवयोर्विप्रसौजन्यं स्वप्नभोज्यादिकं समम्२६। सायुज्यं च सखित्वं च पश्य भूदेवनांतरम्। ततो मूकादयः सर्वे स्वागता हरिमीश्वरम्२७। गंतुकामा दिवं पुण्यास्सदाराः सपरिच्छदाः। ये च तेषां गृहाभ्याशेप्यात्मनो गृहगोधिकाः२८। नाना कीटादयो ये च तेषामनुययुः सुराः। व्यास उवाच- एतस्मिन्नंतरे देवाः सिद्धाश्च परमर्षयः२९। प्रचक्रुः पुष्पवर्षाणि साधुसाध्वित्यनादयन्। देवदुंदुभयो नेदुर्विमानेषु वनेषु च३०। समारुह्य रथं स्वं स्वं हरिवीथीपुरं ययुः। तदद्भुतं समालोक्य विप्रोऽवोचज्जनार्दनम्३१। उपदेशं च देवेश ब्रूहि मे मधुसूदन। श्रीभगवानुवाच- गच्छ स्वपितरौ तात शोकविक्लवमानसौ३२। समाराध्य प्रयत्नेन मद्गृहं प्राप्स्यसेऽचिरात्। पितृमातृसमा देवा न तिष्ठंति सुरालये३३। याभ्यां सुगर्हितं देहं शिशुत्वे पालितं सदा। अज्ञानदोषसहितं प्रपुष्टं चापि वर्धितम्३४। याभ्यां तयोस्समं नास्ति त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे। ततो देवगणास्सर्वे पंचभिस्तैर्मुदान्विताः३५। माधवं संस्तुवंतश्च गतास्ते हरिमंदिरम्। खचितां च पुरीं रम्यां विश्वकर्मविनिर्मिताम्३६। रत्नाढ्यामिष्टसंपूर्णां कल्पवृक्षादिभिर्युताम्। शातकुम्भमयैर्गेहैस्सर्वरत्नैस्सकर्बुराम्३७। वज्रवैडूर्यसोपानां स्वर्णदीतोयसंयुताम्। गीतवाद्यादिसंपूर्णां सर्वदुर्गसमाकुलाम्३८। कोकिलालापबहुलां सिद्धगंधर्वसेविताम्। रूपाढ्यैः सुजनैः पूर्णां प्रयांतीमिव खे पुरीम्३९। ततः स्थित्वाऽच्युताः सर्वे सर्वलोकोर्ध्वतो भृशम्। द्विजोपि पितरौ गत्वा समाराध्य प्रयत्नतः४०। अचिरेणैव कालेन सकुटुंबो हरिं ययौ। पंचाख्यानमिदं पुण्यं मया ते समुदाहृतम्४१। यः पठेच्छृणुयाद्वापि तस्य नास्तीह दुर्गतिः। ब्रह्महत्यादिभिः पापैर्न लिप्येत कदाचन४२। गवां कोटिप्रदानेन यत्फलं लभते नरः। तत्फलं समवाप्नोति पंचाख्यानावगाहनात्४३। स्नानेन पुष्करे नित्यं भागीरथ्यां च सर्वदा। यत्फलं तदवाप्नोति सकृच्छ्रवणगोचरात्४४। दुःस्वप्नं नाशयेत्क्षिप्रं तथारोग्यं प्रयच्छति। लक्ष्म्यारोग्यकरं चैव तस्माच्छ्रोतव्यमेव हि४५। इति श्रीपाद्मपुराणे प्रथमे सृष्टिखंडे पंचाख्यानंनाम षट्पंचाशत्तमोऽध्यायः५६।
śrībhagavānuvāca- purā śarvaḥ striyo dṛṣṭvā yuvatī rūpaśālinīḥ| gaṃdharvakinnarāṇāṃ ca manuṣyāṇāṃ ca sarvataḥ1| maṃtreṇa tāḥ samākṛṣya tvatidūre vihāyasi| tapovyājaparo devastāsu saṃgatamānasaḥ2| atiramyāṃ kuṭīṃ kṛtvā tābhiḥ saha maheśvaraḥ| krīḍāṃ cakāra sahasā manobhava parābhavaḥ3| etasminnaṃtare gauryāścittamudbhrāṃtatāṃ gatam| apaśyaddhyānayogena krīḍaṃtaṃ jagadīśvaram4| strībhiraṃtargataṃ jñātvā roṣasya vaśagābhavat| tataḥ kṣemaṃkarī rūpā bhūtvā ca praviveśa sā5| vyomaikāṃtetidūre ca kāmadeva samaprabham| vāmātimadhyagaṃ śubhraṃ puruṣaṃ puruṣottamam6| strībhiḥ saha samāligya prakrīḍaṃtaṃ muhurmuhuḥ| cuṃbaṃtaṃ nirbharaṃ devaṃ haraṃ rāgaprapīḍitam7| vṛttaṃ kṣemaṃkarī dṛṣṭvā nipapātāgratastadā| tāsāṃ keśeṣu cākṛṣya cakāra caraṇāhatim8| trapayā pīḍitaśśarvaḥ parāṅmukhamavasthitaḥ| keśeṣvākṛṣya roṣāttāḥ pātayāmāsa bhūtale9| striyaḥ sarvādharāṃ prāpya sahasā vikṛtānanāḥ| umāśāpapradagdhāṃgā mlecchānāṃ vaśamāgatāḥ10| tāścāṃḍālastriyaḥ khyātā adhavā dhavasaṃyutāḥ| adyāpyumākṛtaṃ śāpaṃ sarvāstāśca samaśnuyuḥ11| athomā śatadhā rūpaṃ kṛtveśaṃ saṃgatā tadā| evaṃ prabhāvaṃ jānīhi kāmasya satataṃ dvija12| tataścirāttayā sārddhaṃ gataḥ kailāsamaṃdiraṃ| ataḥ kṣemaṃkarīṃ dṛṣṭvā yebhinaṃdaṃti mānavāḥ13| teṣāṃ vittarddhi vibhavā bhavaṃtīha paratra ca| kuṃkumāraktasarvāṃgi kuṃdendudhavalānane14| sarvamaṃgalade devi kṣemaṃkari namostu te| yoginīsāmyaṃ tenaiva saṃmukhā vimukhāpi vā15| dṛṣṭvā tāṃ nābhivaṃdedyastasya yuddhe parājayaḥ| rājagṛheṣu vidyāyāṃ namaskārājjayo bhavet16| evaṃ kāmasya māhātmyaṃ bhavo mohavaśaṃ gataḥ| ayaṃ devāsurāṇāṃ ca kṣamayā prabhutāṃ gataḥ17| asyaiva sadṛśo loke na bhūto na bhaviṣyati| rāmāmaṅkasthitāṃ ramyāṃ kṣamātalpagatena ca18| tyaktvaiva sādhitā lokāssurāsurasudurlabhāḥ| evaṃ vaiṣṇavamukhyaśca surāsuragaṇārcitaḥ19| yo no dadāti bhuktyagryaṃ śeṣaṃ ca svayamaśnute| evamabhyāsadhairyeṇa dīrghakāle sukhaṃgate20| prāksaṃgamātsvabhāryāṃ ca dṛṣṭvā māṃ pradadau mudā| dvādaśābdaṃ prasaṃkalpya prāgbhogo mayi veśitaḥ21| tena tasya gṛhe nityaṃ tiṣṭhāmi gṛharakṣaṇāt| tathā dhātrīphalasyāpi sadā svara samīhate22| tasmādukto mayānyeṣāṃ vaiṣṇavānāṃ ca vaiṣṇavaḥ| purā ye vipra me bhaktāssurā matpathagāminaḥ23| taireva na kṛtaṃ yacca tadanena kṛtaṃ param| tasmādvaiṣṇavasarvasvaṃ nāma ramyaṃ mayā kṛtam24| asya veśmani tiṣṭhāmi muhūrtaṃ na calāmyaham| ato ye caivamadbhaktāsteṣvahaṃ sulabho dvija25| asmākaṃ padavīṃ tebhyo hyadya dadmi svakāraṇam| āvayorviprasaujanyaṃ svapnabhojyādikaṃ samam26| sāyujyaṃ ca sakhitvaṃ ca paśya bhūdevanāṃtaram| tato mūkādayaḥ sarve svāgatā harimīśvaram27| gaṃtukāmā divaṃ puṇyāssadārāḥ saparicchadāḥ| ye ca teṣāṃ gṛhābhyāśepyātmano gṛhagodhikāḥ28| nānā kīṭādayo ye ca teṣāmanuyayuḥ surāḥ| vyāsa uvāca- etasminnaṃtare devāḥ siddhāśca paramarṣayaḥ29| pracakruḥ puṣpavarṣāṇi sādhusādhvityanādayan| devaduṃdubhayo nedurvimāneṣu vaneṣu ca30| samāruhya rathaṃ svaṃ svaṃ harivīthīpuraṃ yayuḥ| tadadbhutaṃ samālokya vipro'vocajjanārdanam31| upadeśaṃ ca deveśa brūhi me madhusūdana| śrībhagavānuvāca- gaccha svapitarau tāta śokaviklavamānasau32| samārādhya prayatnena madgṛhaṃ prāpsyase'cirāt| pitṛmātṛsamā devā na tiṣṭhaṃti surālaye33| yābhyāṃ sugarhitaṃ dehaṃ śiśutve pālitaṃ sadā| ajñānadoṣasahitaṃ prapuṣṭaṃ cāpi vardhitam34| yābhyāṃ tayossamaṃ nāsti trailokye sacarācare| tato devagaṇāssarve paṃcabhistairmudānvitāḥ35| mādhavaṃ saṃstuvaṃtaśca gatāste harimaṃdiram| khacitāṃ ca purīṃ ramyāṃ viśvakarmavinirmitām36| ratnāḍhyāmiṣṭasaṃpūrṇāṃ kalpavṛkṣādibhiryutām| śātakumbhamayairgehaissarvaratnaissakarburām37| vajravaiḍūryasopānāṃ svarṇadītoyasaṃyutām| gītavādyādisaṃpūrṇāṃ sarvadurgasamākulām38| kokilālāpabahulāṃ siddhagaṃdharvasevitām| rūpāḍhyaiḥ sujanaiḥ pūrṇāṃ prayāṃtīmiva khe purīm39| tataḥ sthitvā'cyutāḥ sarve sarvalokordhvato bhṛśam| dvijopi pitarau gatvā samārādhya prayatnataḥ40| acireṇaiva kālena sakuṭuṃbo hariṃ yayau| paṃcākhyānamidaṃ puṇyaṃ mayā te samudāhṛtam41| yaḥ paṭhecchṛṇuyādvāpi tasya nāstīha durgatiḥ| brahmahatyādibhiḥ pāpairna lipyeta kadācana42| gavāṃ koṭipradānena yatphalaṃ labhate naraḥ| tatphalaṃ samavāpnoti paṃcākhyānāvagāhanāt43| snānena puṣkare nityaṃ bhāgīrathyāṃ ca sarvadā| yatphalaṃ tadavāpnoti sakṛcchravaṇagocarāt44| duḥsvapnaṃ nāśayetkṣipraṃ tathārogyaṃ prayacchati| lakṣmyārogyakaraṃ caiva tasmācchrotavyameva hi45| iti śrīpādmapurāṇe prathame sṛṣṭikhaṃḍe paṃcākhyānaṃnāma ṣaṭpaṃcāśattamo'dhyāyaḥ56|
English translation
The lord said :
1-2. Formerly, Śarva (i.e. Śaṅkara ), having seen youthful and beautiful women of Gandharvas , Kinnaras and human beings, and with his mind set on them, pretended to be intent on practising penance, and with a spell dragged them far away into the sky.
3. Then the great lord, the conqueror of the god of love, having fashioned a very delightful cottage, sported (there) with them.
4. In the meanwhile, Gaurī ’s mind became excited. By means of meditation she saw the lord of the world, sporting with women.
5-7. Knowing his intention she became angry. Then taking the form of Kṣemaṅkarī [1] , she entered (the sky), and saw, far away in a lonely region of the sky, Hara (i.e. Śiva ), whose lustre was like that of the god of love, who was in the midst of beautiful women, who, the best man, was bright, who, having again and again embraced the women, was sporting with them, who was kissing them excessively, and who was tormented by the passion of love.
8-10. Seeing this, Kṣemaṅkarī, came down there in front of them. Śarva (i.e. Śaṅkara), annoyed with shame, remained with his face turned away (from Umā). Dragging them (by seizing) their hair, she angrily kicked them by her foot. All the women reached (i.e. fell on) the ground, and suddenly their faces were disfigured. With their bodies scorched by Umā’s, curse they came under the sway of Mlecchas .
11. Those women, widows or with their husbands alive are known as Cāṇḍāla . Even now they would experience the curse given by Umā.
12. Then Umā, having divided her form into a hundred ways, got united with the lord. O brāhmaṇa , thus always know the power of the passion of love.
13-14a. Then after a long time he went with her to the temple on Kailāsa . Therefore, those men, who, on seeing Kṣemaṅkarī, greet her, have wealth, prosperity and grandeur here (i.e. in this world) and in the next world.
14b-15a. (They should pray to her as:) “O you, whose body is reddish with saffron, O you, whose face is fair like the kunda -flower and the moon, O you goddess, who give all auspicious things, O you who bestow happiness, my salutation to you.”
15b. She has similarity with a female meditating sage even though she faces (the devotee) or has her face turned away (from him).
16. He who, on seeing her, does not salute her is defeated in war. One becomes successful in palaces and in (acquiring) knowledge by saluting her.
17. Such is the greatness of the passion of love, that even Bhava (i.e. Śiva) was deluded. Due to his forbearance he became the lord of the gods and the demons.
18-21. In the world there was none and will be none like him. By him, remaining on the bed in the form of the ground after having abandoned a charming woman seated on his lap, are obtained the worlds difficult to be obtained by gods and demons. Thus is the chief among the followers of Viṣṇu , who is worshipped by the hosts of gods and demons, and who gives us before he eats, and himself eats what remains (after being given). When thus a long time passed happily due to his steadiness in practice, he gladly offered his wife (even) before union with her, when he saw me. Having made a twelve-year resolution he assigned the first enjoyment to me.
22. Therefore, to protect his house, I always remain in his house. In the same way he always longs for the natural taste of the fruits of the earth.
23-24. Therefore I described him as the (best) devotee of the other (i.e. all) devotees of Viṣṇu. O brāhmaṇa, he has very much done that which formerly my devotees and gods following my path had not done. Therefore I have given (him) the name ‘All-in-all of the Vaiṣṇavas ’.
25. I remain in his house; (even) for a short while I do not go away (from it). Therefore, O brāhmaṇa, I am easily accessible to those who are my devotees.
26-27a. Today (only) I give them my position, the natural cause. O brāhmaṇa, therefore, gentility, sleep, food etc. of us two are the same. So also, O brāhmaṇa, see our unity and intimacy. (There is) no difference (between us).
27b-29a. Then Mūka and others, who desired to go to heaven and who were meritorious, reached well, with their wives and paraphernalia, lord Hari . Even the house-lizards in the vicinity of his house, and also various insects and gods followed them.
Vyāsa said :
29b-32a. In the meanwhile, gods, Siddhas and great sages showered flowers and cried: ‘Well (done), well (done).’ Divine trumpets were sounded in the aeroplanes and forests; and (gods) getting into their respective chariots went to Hari’s city along the path. Seeing that wonder, the brāhmaṇa said to Janārdana (i.e. Viṣṇu): “O killer of Madhu , O lord of gods, advise me.”
The lord said :
32b-34. O child, go to your parents, whose minds are distressed with grief. After having carefully propitiated them, you will soon come to my residence. (Even) in the abode of gods (i.e. heaven), deities like the father and the mother, who always protected their child’s censurable body, along with its fault of ignorance and who always nourished and helped its growth, are not (to be found).
35-36a. Like them none else is there in the three worlds along with the mobile and the immobile. Then all the hosts of gods, full of joy, praising Viṣṇu, went along with the five to the abode of Viṣṇu.
36b-39. (They went to his) charming city, which was (well-)set, which was fashioned by Viśvakarman , which was rich with gems and full of all desired things, which was endowed with the desire-yielding trees etc., which was having golden houses, which was variegated with all (kinds of) gems, which had staircases of diamonds and cat’s-eye gems, and which was endowed with gold etc., [2] which was full of songs and sounds of musical instruments, and of all inaccessible places, which was full of the notes of the cuckoo, which was resorted to by Siddhas and Gandharvas, which was full of good men endowed with fine forms, and which was at it were moving in the sky.
40-41. Remaining there (for some time) all went from there, from the place above all the worlds. The brāhmaṇa too went to his parents; having carefully propitiated, he soon went to Viṣṇu along with (the members of) his family. I have narrated this meritorious account of the five to you.
42-45. He who recites or listens to it does not meet with misfortune in this world. He is never tainted with the sin of the murder of a brāhmaṇa etc. By being absorbed in (this) account of the five, a man gets the same fruit as he would get by the gift of a crore of cows. He gets the same fruit by listening to it which one gets by everyday bathing at Puṣkara or in the Ganges . It would quickly destroy bad dreams and would give sound health. It gives good health along with wealth; therefore it should be listened to.
[1]: [1] : Kṣemaṅkarī—the epithet is self-explanatory: ‘One who brings about well-being.’
[2]: [2] : Svarṇadītoya etc. is not very clear.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 36889, revision 334568 (2022-04-06T03:19:20Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc364179.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.