Svarga-khaṇḍa · Chapter 11
Sourceवसिष्ठ उवाच- अनेन तव धर्मज्ञ प्रश्रयेण दमेन च । सत्येन च महाभाग तुष्टोस्मि तव सर्वशः १। यस्येदृशस्ते धर्मोयं पितरस्तारितास्त्वया । तेन पश्यसि मां पुत्र याज्यश्चासि ममानघ २। प्रीतिर्मे वर्द्धते तेऽद्य ब्रूहि किं करवाणि ते । यद्वक्ष्यसि नरश्रेष्ठ तस्य दातास्मि तेनघ ३। दिलीप उवाच-। वेदवेदांगतत्त्वज्ञ सर्वलोकाभिपूजित । कृतमित्येव मन्ये हि यदहं दृष्टवान्प्रभुम् ४। यदि त्वहमनुग्राह्यस्तव धर्म्मभृतां वर । प्रक्ष्यामि हृत्स्थं संदेहं तन्मे त्वं वक्तुमर्हसि ५। अस्ति मे भगवन्कश्चित्तीर्थे यो धर्मसंशयः । तदहं श्रोतुमिच्छामि पृथक्संकीर्तनं त्वया ६। प्रदक्षिणां यः पृथिवीं करोति द्विजसत्तम । किं फलं तस्य विप्रर्षे तन्मे ब्रूहि तपोधन ७। वसिष्ठ उवाच-। कथयिष्यामि तदहमृषीणां मत्परायणम् । तदेकाग्रमनास्तात शृणु तीर्थेषु यत्फलम् ८। यस्य हस्तौ च पादौ च मनश्चैव सुसंयतम् । विद्या तपश्च कीर्तिश्च स तीर्थफलमश्नुते ९। प्रतिग्रहादुपावृत्तः संतुष्टो नियतः शुचिः । अहंकारनिवृत्तश्च स तीर्थफलमश्नुते १०। अकल्किको निराहारोऽलब्धाहारो जितेंद्रियः । विमुक्तः सर्वदोषैर्यः स तीर्थफलमश्नुते ११। अक्रोधनश्च राजेंद्र सत्यशीलो दृढव्रतः । आत्मोपमश्च भूतेषु स तीर्थफलमश्नुते १२। ऋषिभिः क्रतवः प्रोक्ता देवेष्वपि यथाक्रमम् । फलं चैव यथातत्त्वं प्रेत्य चेह च सर्वशः १३। न ते शक्या दरिद्रेण यज्ञाः प्राप्तुं महीपते । बहूपकरणा यज्ञा नानासंभारविस्तराः १४। प्राप्यंते पार्थिवैरेते समृद्धैर्वा नरैः क्वचित् । न निर्धनैर्नरगणैरेकात्मभिरसाधनैः १५। यो दरिद्रैरपि विधिः शक्यः प्राप्तुं जनेश्वर । तुल्यो यज्ञफलैः पुण्यैस्तं निबोध महीपते १६। ऋषीणां परमं गुह्यमिदं धर्म्मभृतां वर । तीर्थाभिगमनं पुण्यं यज्ञैरपि विशिष्यते १७। अनुपोष्य त्रिरात्राणि तीर्थाभिगमनेन च । अदत्वा कांचनं गाश्च दरिद्रो नाम जायते १८। अग्निष्टोमादिभिर्यज्ञैरिष्ट्वा विपुलदक्षिणैः । न तत्फलमवाप्नोति तीर्थाभिगमनेन यत् १९। नृलोके देवलोकस्य तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम् । पुष्करं तीर्थमासाद्य देवदेवसमो भवेत् २०। दशकोटिसहस्राणि तीर्थानां वै महीपते । सान्निध्यं पुष्करे येषां त्रिसंध्यं सूर्यवंशज २१। आदित्या वसवो रुद्रा साध्याश्च समरुद्गणाः । गंधर्वाप्सरसश्चैव तत्र सन्निहिताः प्रभो २२। यत्र देवास्तपस्तप्त्वा दैत्या ब्रह्मर्षयस्तथा । दिव्ययोगा महाराज पुण्येन महता द्विजाः २३। मनसाप्यभिकामस्य पुष्कराणि मनीषिणः । पूयंते सर्वपापानि नाकपृष्ठे च पूज्यते २४। अस्मिंस्तीर्थे महाभाग नित्यमेव पितामहः । उवास परमप्रीतो देवदानवसंमतः २५। पुष्करेषु महाभाग देवाः सर्षिपुरोगमाः । सिद्धिं परमिकां प्राप्ताः पुण्येन महतान्विताः २६। तत्राभिषेकं यः कुर्यात्पितृदेवार्चने रतः । अश्वमेधाद्दशगुणं प्रवदंति मनीषिणः २७। अप्येकं भोजयेद्विप्रं पुष्करारण्यमाश्रितः । तेनैति पूजिताँल्लोकान्ब्रह्मणः सदने स्थितान् २८। सायंप्रातः स्मरेद्यस्तु पुष्कराणि कृतांजलि । उपस्पृष्टं भवेत्तेन सर्वतीर्थेषु पार्थिव २९। जन्मप्रभृति यत्पापं स्त्रियो वा पुरुषस्य वा । पुष्करे गतमात्रस्य सर्वमेव प्रणश्यति ३०। यथा सुराणां सर्वेषामादिस्तु मधुसूदनः । तथैव पुष्करो राजन्तीर्थानामादिरुच्यते ३१। उष्ट्वा द्वादशवर्षाणि पुष्करे नियतः शुचिः । क्रतून्सर्वानवाप्नोति ब्रह्मलोकं च गच्छति ३२। यस्तु वर्षशतं पूर्णमग्निहोत्रमुपाश्नुते । कार्तिकीं वा वसेदेकां पुष्करे सममेव तत् ३३। दुष्करं पुष्करे गंतुं दुष्करं पुष्करे तपः । दुष्करं पुष्करे दानं वस्तुं चैव सुदुष्करम् ३४। त्रीणि शृंगाणि शुभ्राणि त्रीणि प्रस्रवणानि च । पुष्कराण्यादि तीर्थानि न विद्मस्तत्र कारणम् ३५। उष्ट्वा द्वादशवर्षाणि नियतो नियताशनः । स मुक्तः सर्वपापेभ्यो सर्वक्रतुफलं लभेत् ३६। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे स्वर्गखंडे पुष्करतीर्थमाहात्म्य-। वर्णनंनाम एकादशोऽध्यायः ११
vasiṣṭha uvāca- anena tava dharmajña praśrayeṇa damena ca | satyena ca mahābhāga tuṣṭosmi tava sarvaśaḥ 1| yasyedṛśaste dharmoyaṃ pitarastāritāstvayā | tena paśyasi māṃ putra yājyaścāsi mamānagha 2| prītirme varddhate te'dya brūhi kiṃ karavāṇi te | yadvakṣyasi naraśreṣṭha tasya dātāsmi tenagha 3| dilīpa uvāca-| vedavedāṃgatattvajña sarvalokābhipūjita | kṛtamityeva manye hi yadahaṃ dṛṣṭavānprabhum 4| yadi tvahamanugrāhyastava dharmmabhṛtāṃ vara | prakṣyāmi hṛtsthaṃ saṃdehaṃ tanme tvaṃ vaktumarhasi 5| asti me bhagavankaścittīrthe yo dharmasaṃśayaḥ | tadahaṃ śrotumicchāmi pṛthaksaṃkīrtanaṃ tvayā 6| pradakṣiṇāṃ yaḥ pṛthivīṃ karoti dvijasattama | kiṃ phalaṃ tasya viprarṣe tanme brūhi tapodhana 7| vasiṣṭha uvāca-| kathayiṣyāmi tadahamṛṣīṇāṃ matparāyaṇam | tadekāgramanāstāta śṛṇu tīrtheṣu yatphalam 8| yasya hastau ca pādau ca manaścaiva susaṃyatam | vidyā tapaśca kīrtiśca sa tīrthaphalamaśnute 9| pratigrahādupāvṛttaḥ saṃtuṣṭo niyataḥ śuciḥ | ahaṃkāranivṛttaśca sa tīrthaphalamaśnute 10| akalkiko nirāhāro'labdhāhāro jiteṃdriyaḥ | vimuktaḥ sarvadoṣairyaḥ sa tīrthaphalamaśnute 11| akrodhanaśca rājeṃdra satyaśīlo dṛḍhavrataḥ | ātmopamaśca bhūteṣu sa tīrthaphalamaśnute 12| ṛṣibhiḥ kratavaḥ proktā deveṣvapi yathākramam | phalaṃ caiva yathātattvaṃ pretya ceha ca sarvaśaḥ 13| na te śakyā daridreṇa yajñāḥ prāptuṃ mahīpate | bahūpakaraṇā yajñā nānāsaṃbhāravistarāḥ 14| prāpyaṃte pārthivairete samṛddhairvā naraiḥ kvacit | na nirdhanairnaragaṇairekātmabhirasādhanaiḥ 15| yo daridrairapi vidhiḥ śakyaḥ prāptuṃ janeśvara | tulyo yajñaphalaiḥ puṇyaistaṃ nibodha mahīpate 16| ṛṣīṇāṃ paramaṃ guhyamidaṃ dharmmabhṛtāṃ vara | tīrthābhigamanaṃ puṇyaṃ yajñairapi viśiṣyate 17| anupoṣya trirātrāṇi tīrthābhigamanena ca | adatvā kāṃcanaṃ gāśca daridro nāma jāyate 18| agniṣṭomādibhiryajñairiṣṭvā vipuladakṣiṇaiḥ | na tatphalamavāpnoti tīrthābhigamanena yat 19| nṛloke devalokasya tīrthaṃ trailokyaviśrutam | puṣkaraṃ tīrthamāsādya devadevasamo bhavet 20| daśakoṭisahasrāṇi tīrthānāṃ vai mahīpate | sānnidhyaṃ puṣkare yeṣāṃ trisaṃdhyaṃ sūryavaṃśaja 21| ādityā vasavo rudrā sādhyāśca samarudgaṇāḥ | gaṃdharvāpsarasaścaiva tatra sannihitāḥ prabho 22| yatra devāstapastaptvā daityā brahmarṣayastathā | divyayogā mahārāja puṇyena mahatā dvijāḥ 23| manasāpyabhikāmasya puṣkarāṇi manīṣiṇaḥ | pūyaṃte sarvapāpāni nākapṛṣṭhe ca pūjyate 24| asmiṃstīrthe mahābhāga nityameva pitāmahaḥ | uvāsa paramaprīto devadānavasaṃmataḥ 25| puṣkareṣu mahābhāga devāḥ sarṣipurogamāḥ | siddhiṃ paramikāṃ prāptāḥ puṇyena mahatānvitāḥ 26| tatrābhiṣekaṃ yaḥ kuryātpitṛdevārcane rataḥ | aśvamedhāddaśaguṇaṃ pravadaṃti manīṣiṇaḥ 27| apyekaṃ bhojayedvipraṃ puṣkarāraṇyamāśritaḥ | tenaiti pūjitā~llokānbrahmaṇaḥ sadane sthitān 28| sāyaṃprātaḥ smaredyastu puṣkarāṇi kṛtāṃjali | upaspṛṣṭaṃ bhavettena sarvatīrtheṣu pārthiva 29| janmaprabhṛti yatpāpaṃ striyo vā puruṣasya vā | puṣkare gatamātrasya sarvameva praṇaśyati 30| yathā surāṇāṃ sarveṣāmādistu madhusūdanaḥ | tathaiva puṣkaro rājantīrthānāmādirucyate 31| uṣṭvā dvādaśavarṣāṇi puṣkare niyataḥ śuciḥ | kratūnsarvānavāpnoti brahmalokaṃ ca gacchati 32| yastu varṣaśataṃ pūrṇamagnihotramupāśnute | kārtikīṃ vā vasedekāṃ puṣkare samameva tat 33| duṣkaraṃ puṣkare gaṃtuṃ duṣkaraṃ puṣkare tapaḥ | duṣkaraṃ puṣkare dānaṃ vastuṃ caiva suduṣkaram 34| trīṇi śṛṃgāṇi śubhrāṇi trīṇi prasravaṇāni ca | puṣkarāṇyādi tīrthāni na vidmastatra kāraṇam 35| uṣṭvā dvādaśavarṣāṇi niyato niyatāśanaḥ | sa muktaḥ sarvapāpebhyo sarvakratuphalaṃ labhet 36| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe svargakhaṃḍe puṣkaratīrthamāhātmya-| varṇanaṃnāma ekādaśo'dhyāyaḥ 11
English translation
Vasiṣṭha said :
1. O you knowing what is right, O you illustrious one, I am fully pleased with you due to this your civility, restraint and truthfulness.
2. You who have such piety have emancipated your forefathers. Therefore, O son, you (are able to) see me; and O descendant of Manu , you are fit to be a sacrificer.
3. My affection for you increases; tell me today what I should do for you. O you sinless and best among men, I shall give you what you will ask for.
Dilīpa said :
4-7. O you who know the essence of the Vedas and the Vedāṅgas , O you who are adored by all the worlds, I (think my desire) is satisfied in that I have seen you the lord. O best among the pious ones, if I deserve to be favoured by you then I shall ask you about a doubt (lurking) in my mind. Please remove it. I desire, O revered sir, to hear (your explanation) about the doubt that I have about the piety of each of the holy places. You should tell me separately (about each holy place). O best brāhmaṇa , O brāhmaṇic sage, O you abode of penance, tell me what fruit he, who goes round the earth, obtains.
Vasiṣṭha said :
8-12. I shall tell you who are devoted to me among the sages. O dear one, listen with a concentrated mind, the fruit (that one) gets by (visiting) holy places. He whose hands, feet and mind are well-restrained, and has learning, penance, and glory gets the fruit of (visiting) a sacred place. He who keeps himself away from accepting (things from others), is contented, controlled and pure, and free from pride, obtains the fruit of (a visit to) a sacred place. He who is sinless, who goes without food, does not accept food, has his senses controlled, and who is free from all blemishes obtains the fruit of (a visit to) a sacred place. O lord of kings, he, who never gets angry, who is given to truthfulness, who is of a firm vow, who looks upon (other) beings like himself, obtains the fruit of (a visit to) a holy place.
13-15. The sages have prescribed (certain) sacrifices even among (i.e. for) gods in due order. They have correctly and fully told about their fruit. O king, those sacrifices are not within the reach of the poor; (since) sacrifices require many implements and extensive preparations. They are within the reach of kings, or sometimes of rich people. They cannot (be performed) by groups of poor people independently (since they have) no means.
16-19. O king, listen to the rite which is within the reach even of poor people and which resembles (i.e. gives) the pious fruits of sacrifices. O best among the righteous, this, i.e. visiting the holy places, is pious and is the great secret of the sages, and is superior even to (performing) sacrifices. A man, who visits a holy place without fasting for three nights, without giving gold and cows (to a brāhmaṇa) is born poor. A man does not obtain that fruit by performing sacrifices like Agniṣṭoma , where large gifts are given, which he obtains by a visit to a holy place.
20-35. A man would become like a god by reaching Puṣkara tīrtha which is a well-known holy place of the heaven, that (has come) to the earth and that is well-known. O king, there are ten thousand crores of holy places, which live by Puṣkara at all the three times of the day, O you descendant of the solar dynasty. O lord, Ādityas , Vasus , Rudras , Sādhyas with hosts of Maruts , also gandharvas and celestial nymphs are present there. There, O great king, gods, demons and brāhmaṇic sages have practised penance and have secured divine contact due to great religious merit, O brāhmaṇas , and got what they desired. O wise ones, the Puṣkaras purify all the sins. They are valued in heaven. O glorious one, the grandsire, very much pleased and liked by gods and demons always lived at this holy place. O illustrious one, gods with sages going before them, have attained great accomplishment, and become endowed with great religious merit. The wise say that he who, engaged in honouring his forefathers and gods, bathes there, gets merit which is tenfold of (i.e. got by performing) a horse-sacrifice. If, while resorting to the Puṣkara forest he feeds just one brāhmaṇa, he thereby goes to honoured people living in Brahmā ’s abode. O king, he who, with the palms of his hands joined, remembers Puṣkaras in the morning and evening, has bathed (i.e. has acquired the merit of having bathed) in all the holy places. All that sin of a woman or a man, (committed) from birth perishes by just going to Puṣkara. O king, as Madhusūdana (i.e. Viṣṇu ) is said to be the first among all the gods, similarly Puṣkara is said to be the first of the holy places. He, who, being restrained and pure, has lived at Puṣkara for twelve years, obtains (the fruit of) all sacrifices and goes to Brahmā’s heaven. One who would practise (the vow of performing) Agnihotra for a hundred years, or would just live on one full moon day of Kārtika at Puṣkara, would have the same (merit). It is difficult to go to Puṣkara; it is difficult (to practise) penance at Puṣkara; it is difficult to give gifts at Puṣkara; it is difficult to stay at Puṣkara. The three peaks are bright, and also the three streams, and the holy places like Puṣkara; we do not know the reason for that. One, being restrained, and controlled in food, having lived (i.e. who lives) for twelve years at Puṣkara, becomes free from all sins and would get the fruit of all sacrifices.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 41555, revision 401298 (2024-03-27T04:28:27Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365230.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.