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Svarga-khaṇḍa · Chapter 31

Chapter 31

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Svarga-khaṇḍa · Chapter 31

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नारदउवाच- ततो हृष्टमनाः सोऽथ दूतं पप्रच्छ तं पथि । संदेहं हृदि कृत्वा तु विस्मयं परमं गतः । विचारयन्हृदि स्वर्गः कस्य हेतोः फलं मम १। विकुंडल उवाच- हे दूतवर पृच्छामि संशयं त्वामहं परम् । आवां जातौ कुले तुल्ये तुल्यं कर्म तथा कृतम् २। दुर्मृत्युरपि तुल्योभूत्तुल्यो दृष्टो यमस्तथा । कथं स नरके क्षिप्तस्तुल्यकर्म्मा ममाग्रजः ३। ममाभवत्कथं नाकमिति मे छिंधि संशयम् । देवदूत न पश्यामि मम स्वर्गस्य कारणम् ४। देवदूत उवाच- माता पिता सुतो जाया स्वसा भ्राता विकुंडल । जन्महेतोरियं संज्ञा जंतोः कर्म्मोपभुक्तये ५। एकस्मिन्पादपे यद्वच्छकुनानां समागमः । यद्यत्समीहितं कर्म कुरुते पूर्वभावितः ६। तस्य तस्य फलं भुंक्ते कर्म्मणः पुरुषः सदा । सत्यं वदामि ते प्रीत्या नरैः कर्म्म शुभाशुभम् ७। स्वकृतं भुज्यते वैश्य कालेकाले पुनःपुनः । एकः करोति कर्माणि एकस्तत्फलमश्नुते ८। अन्यो न लिप्यते वैश्य कर्मणान्यस्य कुत्रचित् । अपतन्नरके पापैस्तवभ्राता सुदारुणैः । त्वं च धर्मेण धर्मज्ञ स्वर्गं प्राप्नोषि शाश्वतम् ९। विकुंडल उवाच- आबाल्यान्मम पापेषु न पुण्येषु रतं मनः । अस्मिञ्जन्मनि हे दूत दुष्कृतं हि कृतं मया १०। देवदूत न जानामि सुकृतं कर्म चात्मनः । यदि जानासि मत्पुण्यं तन्मे त्वं कृपया वद ११। देवदूत उवाच- शृणु वैश्य प्रवक्ष्यामि यत्त्वया पुण्यमर्जितम् । जानामि तदहं सर्वं न त्वं वेत्सि सुनिश्चितम् १२। हरिमित्रसुतो विप्रः सुमित्रो वेदपारगः । आसीत्तस्याश्रमः पुण्यो यमुना दक्षिणेतटे १३। तेन सख्यं वने तस्मिंस्तव जातं विशांवर । तत्संगेन त्वया स्नातं माघमासद्वयं तथा १४। कालिंदी पुण्यपानीये सर्वपापहरे वरे । तत्तीर्थे लोकविख्याते नाम्ना पापप्रणाशने १५। एकेन सर्वपापेभ्यो विमुक्तस्त्वं विशांपते । द्वितीयमाघपुण्येन प्राप्तः स्वर्गस्त्वयानघ १६। त्वं तत्पुण्यप्रभावेण मोदस्व सततं दिवि । नरकेषु तव भ्राता महतीं पापयातनाम् १७। छिद्यमानोऽसिपत्रैश्च भिद्यमानस्तु मुद्गरैः । चूर्ण्यमानः शिलापृष्ठे तप्तांगारेषु भर्जितः १८। इति दूतवचः श्रुत्वा भ्रातृदुःखेन दुःखितः । पुलकांकित सर्वांगो दीनोऽसौ विनयान्वितः १९। उवाच तं देवदूतं मधुरं निपुणं वचः । मैत्री सप्तपदी साधो सतां भवति सत्फला २०। मित्रभावं विचिंत्य त्वं मामुपाकर्तुमर्हसि । ततो हि श्रोतुमिच्छामि सर्वज्ञस्त्वं मतो मम २१। यमलोकं न पश्यंति कर्मणा केन मानवाः । गच्छंति निरयं येन तन्मे त्वं कृपया वद २२। देवदूत उवाच- सम्यक्पृष्टं त्वया वैश्य नष्टपापोऽसि सांप्रतम् । विशुद्धे हृदये पुंसां बुद्धिः श्रेयसि जायते २३। यद्यप्यवसरोनास्ति मम सेवापरस्य वै । तथापि च तव स्नेहात्प्रवक्ष्यामि यथामति २४। कर्मणा मनसा वाचा सर्वावस्थासु सर्वदा । परपीडां न कुर्वंति न ते यांति यमालयम् २५। न वेदैर्न च दानैश्च न तपोभिर्न चाध्वरैः । कथंचित्स्वर्गतिं यांति पुरुषाः प्राणिहिंसकाः २६। अहिंसा परमो धर्मो ह्यहिंसैव परं तपः । अहिंसा परमं दानमित्याहुर्मुनयः सदा २७। मशकान्सरीसृपान्दंशान्यूकाद्यान्मानवांस्तथा । आत्मौपम्येन पश्यंति मानवा ये दयालवः २८। तप्तांगारमयस्कीलं मादंप्रेतरंगिणीम् । दुर्गतिं नैव गच्छंति कृतांतस्य च ते नराः २९। भूतानि येऽत्र हिंसंति जलस्थलचराणि च । जीवनार्थं च ते यांति कालसूत्रं च दुर्गतिम् ३०। श्वमांसभोजनास्तत्र पूयशोणितपायिनः । मज्जंतश्च वसापंके दष्टाः कीटैरधोमुखैः ३१। परस्परं च खादंतो ध्वांते चान्योन्य घातिनः । वसंति कल्पानेकांस्ते रुदंतो दारुणं रवम् ३२। कृमियोनि शतं गत्वा स्थावराः स्युश्चिरं तु ते । ततोच्छंति ते क्रूरास्तिर्यग्योनि शतेषु च ३३। पश्चाद्भवंति जातांधाः काणाः कुब्जाश्च पंगवः । दरिद्राश्चांगहीनाश्च मानुषाः प्राणिहिंसकाः ३४। तस्माद्वैश्य परत्रेह कर्मणा मनसा गिरा । लोकद्वयसुखप्रेप्सुर्धर्मज्ञो न तदाचरेत् ३५। लोकद्वयेन विंदंति सुखानि प्राणिहिंसकाः । येन हिंसन्ति भूतानि न ते बिभ्यति कुत्रचित् ३६। प्रविशंति यथा नद्यः समुद्रमृजुवक्रगाः । सर्वे धर्मा अहिंसायां प्रविशंति तथा दृढम् ३७। स स्नातः सर्वतीर्थेषु सर्वयज्ञेषु दीक्षितः । अभयं येन भूतेभ्यो दत्तमत्र विंशांवर ३८। ये नियोगांश्च शास्त्रोक्तान्धर्माधर्म विमिश्रितान् । पालयंतीह ये वैश्य न ते यांति यमालयम् ३९। ब्रह्मचारी गृहस्थश्च वानप्रस्थो यतिस्तथा । स्वधर्मनिरताः सर्वे नाकपृष्ठे वसंति ते ४०। यथोक्तचारिणः सर्वे वर्णाश्रमसमन्विताः । नरा जितेंद्रिया यांति ब्रह्मलोकं तु शाश्वतम् ४१। इष्टापूर्तरता ये च पंचयज्ञरताश्च ये । दयान्विताश्च ये नित्यं नेक्षंते ते यमालयम् ४२। इंद्रियार्थनिवृत्ता ये समर्था वेदवादिनः । अग्निपूजारता नित्यं ते विप्राः स्वर्गगामिनः ४३। अदीनवदनाः शूराः शत्रुभिः परिवेष्टिताः । आहवेषु विपन्ना ये तेषां मार्गो दिवाकरः ४४। अनाथ स्त्री द्विजार्थे च शरणागतपालने । प्राणांस्त्यजंति ये वैश्य न च्यवंति दिवस्तु ते ४५। पंग्वंधबालवृद्धांश्च रोग्यनाथदरिद्रितान् । ये पुष्णंति सदा वैश्य ते मोदंति सदा दिवि ४६। गां दृष्ट्वा पंकनिर्मग्नां रोगमग्नं द्विजं तथा । उद्धरंति नरा ये च तेषां लोकोऽश्वमेधिनाम् ४७। गोग्रासं ये प्रयच्छंति ये शुश्रूषंति गाः सदा । येनारोहंति गोपृष्ठे ते स्वर्लोकनिवासिनः ४८। गर्तमात्रं तु ये चक्रुर्यत्र गौरतृषा भवेत् । यमलोकमदृष्ट्वैव ते यांति स्वर्गतिं नराः ४९। अग्निपूजा देवपूजा गुरुपूजा रताश्च ये । द्विजपूजा रता नित्यं ते विप्राः स्वर्गगामिनः ५०। वापीकूपतडागादौ धर्मस्यांतो न विद्यते । पिबंति स्वेच्छया यत्र जलस्थल चरास्तदा ५१। नित्यं दानपरः सोऽत्र कथ्यते विबुधैरपि । यथायथा च पानीयं पिबंति प्राणिनो भृशम् ५२। तथातथाऽक्षयः स्वर्गो धर्मबुद्ध्या विशां वर । प्राणिनां जीवनं वारि प्राणा वारिणि संस्थिताः ५३। नित्यस्नानेन पूयंते येऽपि पातकिनो नराः । प्रातःस्नानं हरेद्वैश्य बाह्माभ्यंतरजं मलम् ५४। प्रातःस्नानेन निष्पापो नरो न निरयं व्रजेत् । स्नानं विना तु यो भुंक्ते मलाशी स सदा नरः ५५। अस्नायी यो नरस्तस्य विमुखा पितृदेवताः । स्नानहीनो नरः पापः स्नानहीनो नरोऽशुचिः ५६। अस्नायी नरकं भुंक्ते पुंस्कीटादिषु जायते । ये पुनः स्रोतसि स्नानमाचरंतीह पर्वणि ५७। ते नैव नरकं यांति न जायंते कुयोनिषु । दुःस्वप्ना दुष्टचिंताश्च वंध्या भवंति सर्वदा ५८। प्रातःस्नानेन शुद्धानां पुरुषाणां विशांवर । तिलांश्च तिलपात्रांश्च तिलप्रस्थं यथाविधि ५९। दत्त्वा प्रेतपतेर्भूमौ न व्रजंति नराः क्वचित् । पृथिवीं कांचनं गां च दत्वा दानानि षोडश ६०। गत्वा न विनिवर्तंते स्वर्गलोकाद्विकुंडल । पुण्यासु तिथिषु प्राज्ञो व्यतीपाते च संक्रमे ६१। स्नात्वा दत्त्वा च यत्किंचिन्नैव मज्जति दुर्गतौ । नैवाक्रामंति दातारो दारुणं रौरवं पथम् । इहलोके न जायंते कुले धनविवर्जिते ६२। सत्यवादी सदा मौनी प्रियवादी च यो नरः । अक्रोधनः समाचारो नातिवाद्यनसूयकः ६३। सदा दाक्षिण्यसंपन्नः सदा भूतदयान्वितः । गोप्ता च परमर्माणां वक्ता परगुणस्य च ६४। परस्वं तृणमात्रं च मनसापि न यो हरेत् । न पश्यंति विशांश्रेष्ठ ह्येते नरकयातनाम् ६५। परापवादी पाखंडः पापेभ्योऽपि मतोऽधिकः । पच्यते नरके तावद्यावदाभूतसंप्लवम् ६६। वक्ता परुषवाक्यानां मंतव्यो नरकागतः । संदेहो न विशांश्रेष्ठ पुनर्याति च दुर्गतिम् ६७। न तीर्थैर्न तपोभिश्च कृतघ्नस्यास्ति निष्कृतिः । सहते यातनां घोरां स नरो नरके चिरम् ६८। पृथिव्यां यानि तीर्थानि तेषु मज्जति यो नरः । जितेंद्रियो जिताहारो न स याति यमालयम् ६९। न तीर्थे पातकं कुर्यान्न च तीर्थोपजीवनम् । तीर्थे प्रतिग्रहस्त्याज्यस्त्याज्यो धर्मस्य विक्रयः ७०। दुर्जरं पातकं तीर्थे दुर्जरश्च प्रतिग्रहः । तीर्थे च दुर्जरं सर्वमेतत्किन्नरकं व्रजेत् ७१। सकृद्गंगांभसि स्नातः पूतो गांगेयवारिणा । न नरो नरकं याति अपि पातकराशिकृत् ७२। व्रतदानतपो यज्ञाः पवित्राणीतराणि च । गंगाबिंद्वभिषिक्तस्य न समा इति नः श्रुतम् ७३। अन्यतीर्थसमां गंगां यो ब्रवीति नराधमः । स याति नरकं वैश्य दारुणं रौरवं महत् ७४। धर्मद्रवं ह्यपां बीजं वैकुंठचरणच्युतम् । धृतं मूर्ध्नि महेशेन यद्गांगममलं जलम् ७५। तद्ब्रह्मैव न संदेहो निर्गुणं प्रकृतेः परम् । तेन किं समतां गच्छेदपि ब्रह्मांडगोचरे ७६। गंगागंगेति यो ब्रूयाद्योजनानां शतैरपि । नरो न नरकं याति किं तया सदृशं भवेत् । नान्येन दह्यते सद्यः क्रिया नरकदायिनी ७७। गंगांभसि प्रयत्नेन स्नातव्यं तेन मानवैः । प्रतिगृह निवृत्तो यः प्रतिग्रहक्षमोऽपि सन् । स द्विजो द्योतते वैश्य तारारूपश्चिरं दिवि ७८। गामुद्धरंति ये पंकाद्ये रक्षंति च रोगिणः । म्रियंते गोगृहे ये च तेषां नभसि तारकाः । यमलोकं न पश्यंति प्राणायामपरायणाः ७९। अपि दुष्कृतकर्माणस्तैरेव हतकिल्बिषाः । दिवसे दिवसे वैश्य प्राणायामास्तु षोडश । अपि ब्रह्महणं साक्षात्पुनंत्यहरहः कृताः ८०। तपांसि यानि तप्यंते व्रतानि नियमाश्च ये । गोसहस्रप्रदानं च प्राणायामस्तु तत्समः ८१। अब्बिंदुं यः कुशाग्रेण मासेमासे नरः पिबेत् । संवत्सरशतं साग्रं प्राणायामस्तु तत्समः ८२। पातकं तु महद्यच्च तथा क्षुद्रोपपातकम् । प्राणायामैः क्षणात्सर्वं भस्मसात्कुरुते नरः ८३। मातृवत्परदारान्ये मन्यंते वै नरोत्तमाः । न ते यांति नरश्रेष्ठ कदाचिद्यम यातनाम् ८४। मनसापि परेषां यः कलत्राणि न सेवते । सह लोकद्वये नास्ति तेन वैश्य धरा धृता ८५। तस्माद्धर्म्मान्वितैस्त्याज्यं परदारोपसेवनम् । नयंति परदारास्तु नरकानेकविंशतिम् ८६। लोभो न जायते येषां परदारेषु मानसे । ते यांति देवलोकं तु न यमं वैश्यसत्तम ८७। शश्वत्क्रोधनिदानेषु यः क्रोधेन न जीयते । जितस्वर्गः स मंतव्यः पुरुषोऽक्रोधनो भुवि ८८। मातरं पितरं पुत्र आराधयति देववत् । अप्राप्ते वार्द्धके काले न याति च यमालयम् ८९। पितुश्चाधिकभावेन येऽर्चयंति गुरुं नराः । भवंत्यतिथयो लोके ब्रह्मणस्ते विशांवर ९०। इह चैव स्त्रियो धन्याः शीलस्य परिरक्षणात् । शीलभंगे च नारीणां यमलोकः सुदारुणः ९१। शीलं रक्ष्यं सदा स्त्रीभिर्दुष्टसंगविवर्जनात् । शीलेन हि परः स्वर्गः स्त्रीणां वैश्य न संशयः ९२। शूद्रस्य पाकयज्ञेन निषिद्धाचरणेन च । दुर्गतिर्विहिता वैश्य तस्य सा नारकी गतिः ९३। विचारयंति ये शास्त्रं वेदाभ्यासरताश्च ये । पुराणं संहितां ये च श्रावयंति पठंति च ९४। व्याकुर्वंति स्मृतिर्ये च ये धर्मप्रतिबोधकाः । वेदांतेषु निषण्णा ये तैरियं जगती धृता ९५। तत्तदभ्यासमाहात्म्यैः सर्वे ते हतकिल्बिषाः । गच्छंति ब्रह्मणो लोकं यत्र मोहो न विद्यते ९६। ज्ञानमज्ञाय यो दद्याद्वेदशास्त्रसमुद्भवम् । अपि वेदास्तमर्चंति भवबंधविदारणम् ९७। श्रूयतामद्भुतं ह्येतद्रहस्यं वैश्यसत्तम । सम्मतं धर्मराजस्य सर्वलोकामृतप्रदम् ९८। न यमं यमलोकं च न भूतान्घोरदर्शनान् । पश्यंति वैष्णवा नूनं सत्यं सत्यं मयोदितम् ९९। प्राहास्मान्यमुना भ्राता सदैव हि पुनःपुनः । भवद्भिर्वैष्णवास्त्याज्या न ते स्युर्ममगोचराः १००। स्मरंति ये सकृद्भूताः प्रसंगेनापि केशवम् । ते विध्वस्ताखिलाघौघा यांति विष्णोः परं पदम् १०१। दुराचारो दुष्कृतोऽपि सदाचाररतोऽपि यः । भवद्भिः स सदा त्याज्यो विष्णुं च भजते नरः १०२। वैष्णवो यद्गृहे भुंक्ते येषां वैष्णवसंगतिः । तेऽपि वः परिवार्याः स्युस्तत्संगहतकिल्बिषाः १०३। इत्थं वैश्यानुशास्त्यस्मान्देवो दंडधरः सदा । अतो नो वैष्णवा यांति राजधानीं यमस्य तु १०४। विष्णुभक्तिं विना नॄणां पापिष्ठानां विशां वर । उपायो नास्ति नास्त्यन्यः संतर्तुं नरकांबुधिम् १०५। श्वपाकमपि नेक्षेत लोकेष्टं वैश्य वैष्णवम् । वैष्णवो वर्णबाह्योऽपि पुनाति भुवनत्रयम् १०६। एतावता लमघनिर्हरणाय पुंसां संकीर्तनं भगवतो गुणकर्मनाम्नाम् । विक्रुश्य पुत्र मघवान्यदजामिलोऽपि नारायणेति म्रियमाण इयाय मुक्तिम् १०७। नरके तु चिरं मग्नाः पूर्वे ये च कुलद्वये । तदैव यांति ते स्वर्गं यदार्चंति मुदा हरिम् १०८। विष्णुभक्तस्य ये दासा वैष्णवान्न भुजश्च ये । ते तु क्रतुभुजां वैश्य गतिं यांति निराकुलाः १०९। प्रार्थर्यद्वैष्णवस्यान्नं प्रयत्नेन विचक्षणः । सर्वपापविशुद्ध्यर्थं तदभावे जलं पिबेत् ११०। गोविंदेति जपन्मंत्रं कुत्रचिन्म्रियते यदि । स नरो न यमं पश्येत्तं च नेक्षामहे वयम् १११। सांगं समुद्रं सध्यानं सऋषिः छंददैवतम् । दीक्षयाविधिवन्मंत्रं जपेद्वै द्वादशाक्षरम् ११२। अष्टाक्षरं च मंत्रेशं ये जपंति नरोत्तमाः । तान्दृष्ट्वा ब्रह्महा शुद्ध्यद्भ्राजते विष्णुवत्स्वयम् ११३। शंखिनश्चक्रिणो भूत्वा ब्रह्माभ्यंतरगामिनः । वसंति वैष्णवे लोके विष्णुरूपेण ते नराः ११४। हृदि सूर्ये जले वाथ प्रतिमा स्थंडिलेपि च । समभ्यर्च्य हरिं यांति नरास्तद्वैष्णवं पदम् ११५। अथवा सर्वदा पूज्यो वासुदेवो मुमुक्षुभिः । शालग्रामे मणौ चक्रे वज्रकीटविनिर्मिते ११६। अधिष्ठानं हि तद्विष्णोः सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् । सर्वपुण्यप्रदं वैश्य सर्वेषामपि मुक्तिदम् ११७। यः पूजयेद्धरिं चक्रे शालग्रामशिलोद्भवे । राजसूयसहस्रेण तेनेष्टं प्रतिवासरे ११८। सदामनंति वेदांता ब्रह्मनिर्वाणमच्युतम् । तत्प्रसादो भवेन्नॄणां शालग्रामशिलार्चनात् ११९। महाकाष्ठस्थितो वह्निर्मखस्थाने प्रकाशते । यथा तथा हरिर्व्यापी शालग्रामे प्रकाशते १२०। अपि पापसमाचाराः कर्म्मण्यनधिकारिणः । शालग्रामार्चका वैश्य नैव यांति यमालयम् १२१। न तथा रमते लक्ष्म्यां न तथा स्वपुरे हरिः । शालग्रामशिलाचक्रे यथा स रमते सदा १२२। अग्निहोत्रं कृतं तेन दत्ता पृथ्वी ससागरा । येनार्चितो हरिश्चक्रे शालग्रामशिलोद्भवे १२३। शिला द्वादश भो वैश्य शालग्रामशिलोद्भवाः । विधिवत्पूजिता येन तस्य पुण्यं वदामि ते १२४। कोटिद्वादशलिंगैस्तु पूजितैः स्वर्णपंकजैः । यत्स्याद्द्वादशकालेषु दिनेनैकेन तद्भवेत् १२५। यः पुनः पूजयेद्भक्त्या शालग्रामशिला शतम् । उषित्वा स हरेर्लोके चक्रवर्त्तीह जायते १२६। कामैः क्रोधैः प्रलोभैश्च व्याप्तो यत्र नराधमः । सोऽपि याति हरेर्लोकं शालग्रामशिलार्चनात् १२७। यः पूजयेच्च गोविंदं शालग्रामे मुदा नरः । आभूतसंप्लवं यावन्न स प्रच्यवते दिवः १२८। विना तीर्थैर्विना दानैर्विना यज्ञैर्विना मतिम् । मुक्तिं यांति नरा वैश्य शालग्रामशिलार्चनात् १२९। नरकं गर्भवासं च तिर्यक्त्वं कृमियोनिताम् । न याति वैश्य पापोऽपि शालग्रामशिलार्चकः १३०। दीक्षाविधान मंत्रज्ञो यश्चक्रे बलिमाहरेत् । गंगा गोदावरी रेवा नद्यो मुक्तिप्रदाश्च याः १३१। निवसंति हिताः सर्वाः शालग्रामशिला जले । नैवेद्यैर्विविधैः पुष्पैर्धूपदीपैर्विलेपनैः १३२। गीतवादित्रस्तोत्राद्यैः शालग्रामशिलार्चनम् । कुरुते मानवो यस्तु कलौ भक्तिपरायणः १३३। कल्पकोटिसहस्राणि रमते सन्निधौ हरेः । लिंगैस्तु कोटिभिर्दृष्टैर्यत्फलं पूजितैस्तु तैः १३४। शालग्रामशिलायास्तु ह्येकेनाह्ना हि तत्फलम् । सकृदभ्यर्चिते लिंगे शालग्रामशिलोद्भवे १३५। मुक्तिं प्रयांति मनुजा नूनं सांख्येन वर्जिताः । शालग्रामशिलारूपी यत्र तिष्ठति केशवः १३६। तत्र देवाः सुरा यक्षा भुवनानि चतुर्दश । शालग्रामशिलायां तु यः श्राद्धं कुरुते नरः १३७। पितरस्तस्य तिष्ठंति तृप्ताः कल्पशतं दिवि । ये पिबंति नरा नित्यं शालग्रामशिलाजलम् १३८। पंचगव्यसहस्रैस्तु सेवितैः किं प्रयोजनम् । कोटितीर्थसहस्रैस्तु सेवितैः किं प्रयोजनम् १३९। तोयं यदि पिबेत्पुण्यं शालग्रामशिलांगजम् । शालग्राम शिला यत्र तत्तीर्थं योजनत्रयम् १४०। तत्र दानं च होमं च सर्वं कोटिगुणं भवेत् । शालग्रामशिला तोयं यः पिबेद्बिंदुना समम् १४१। मातृस्तन्यं पुनर्नैव स पिबेद्विष्णुभाङ्नरः । शालग्राम समीपे तु क्रोशमात्रं समंततः १४२। कीटकोपि मृतो याति वैकुंठं भवनं परम् । शालग्रामशिलाचक्रं यो दद्याद्दानमुत्तमम् १४३। भूचक्रं तेन दत्तं स्यात्सशैलवनकाननम् । शालग्रामशिलाया यो मूल्यमुत्पादयेन्नरः १४४। विक्रेता चानुमंता यः परीक्षासु च मोदते । ते सर्वे नरकं यांति यावदाभूतसंप्लवम् १४५। ततः संवर्जयेद्वैश्य चक्रस्य क्रयविक्रयम् । बहुनोक्तेन किं वैश्य कर्तव्यं पापभीरुणा १४६। स्मरणं वासुदेवस्य सर्वपापहरं हरेः । तपस्तप्त्वा नरो घोरमरण्ये नियतेंद्रियः १४७। यत्फलं समवाप्नोति तन्नत्वा गरुडध्वजम् । कृत्वापि बहुशः पापं नरो मोहसमन्वितः १४८। न याति नरकं गत्वा सर्वपापहरं हरिम् । पृथिव्यां यानि तीर्थानि पुण्यान्यायतनानि च १४९। तानि सर्वाण्यवाप्नोति विष्णोर्नामानुकीर्तनात् । देवं शार्ङ्गधरं विष्णुं ये प्रपन्नाः परायणाः १५०। न तेषां यमसालोक्यं न ते स्युर्नरकौकसः । वैष्णवः पुरुषो वैश्य शिवनिंदां करोति यः १५१। न विंदेद्वैष्णवं लोकं स याति नरकं महत् । उपोष्यैकादशीमेकां प्रसंगेनापि मानवः १५२। न याति यातनां यामीमिति लोमशतः श्रुतम् । नेदृशं पावनं किंचित्त्रिषु लोकेषु विद्यते १५३। उभयं पद्मनाभस्य दिनं पातकनाशनम् । तावत्पापानि देहेऽस्मिन्वसंतीह विशांवर १५४। यावन्नोपवसेज्जंतुः पद्मनाभदिनं शुभम् । अश्वमेधसहस्राणि राजसूयशतानि च १५५। एकादश्युपवासस्य कलां नार्हंति षोडशीम् । एकादशेंद्रियैः पापं यत्कृतं वैश्य मानवैः १५६। एकादश्युपवासेन तत्सर्वं विलयं व्रजेत् । एकादशीसमं किंचित्पुण्यं लोके न विद्यते १५७। व्याजेनापि कृता यैस्तु वशं यांति न भास्करेः । स्वर्गमोक्षप्रदा ह्येषा शरीरारोग्यदायिनी १५८। सुकलत्रप्रदा ह्येषा जीवत्पुत्रप्रदायिनी । न गंगा न गया वैश्य न काशी न च पुष्करम् १५९। न चापि वैष्णवं क्षेत्रं तुल्यं हरिदिनेन तु । यमुना चन्द्रभागा न तुल्या हरिदिनेन तु १६०। अनायासेन येनात्र प्राप्यते वैष्णवं पदम् । रात्रौ जागरणं कृत्वा समुपोष्य हरेर्दिने १६१। दश वै पैतृके पक्षे मातृके दश पूर्वजाः । प्रियाया दश ये वैश्य तानुद्धरति निश्चितम् १६२। द्वंद्वसंग परित्यक्ता नागारि कृतकेतनाः । स्रग्विणः पीतवसनाः प्रयांति हरिमंदिरम् १६३। बालत्वे यौवने वापि वार्द्धके वा विशांवर । उपोष्यैकादशीं नूनं नैति पापोऽतिदुर्गतिम् १६४। उपोष्येह त्रिरात्राणि कृत्वा वा तीर्थमज्जनम् । दत्वा हेमतिलान्गाश्च स्वर्गं यांतीह मानवाः १६५। तीर्थे स्नांति न ये वैश्य न दत्तं कांचनं च यैः । नैव तप्तं तपः किंचित्ते स्युः सर्वत्र दुःखिताः १६६। संक्षिप्य कथितं धर्म्मं नरकस्य निरूपणम् । अद्रोहः सर्वभूतेषु वाङ्मनः काय कर्मभिः १६७। इंद्रियाणां निरोधश्च दानं च हरिसेवनम् । वर्णाश्रमक्रियाणां च पालनं विधितः सदा १६८। स्वर्गार्थी सर्वदा वैश्य तपोदानं न कीर्तयेत् । यथाशक्ति तथा दद्यादात्मनो हितकाम्यया १६९। उपानद्वस्त्रमन्नानि पत्रं मूलं फलं जलम् । अवंध्यं दिवसं कार्य्यं दरिद्रेणापि वैश्यक १७०। इहलोके परे चैव न दत्तं नोपतिष्ठते । दातारो नैव पश्यंति तां तां वै यमयातनाम् १७१। दीर्घायुषो धनाढ्याश्च भवंतीह पुनःपुनः । किमत्र बहुनोक्तेन यांत्यधर्मेण दुर्गतिम् १७२। आरोहंति दिवं धर्म्मे नराः सर्वत्र सर्वदा १७३। तेन बालत्वमारभ्य कर्तव्यो धर्मसंग्रहः । इति ते कथितं सर्वं किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छसि १७४। विकुंडल उवाच- श्रुत्वा त्वद्वचनं सौम्य प्रसन्नं चित्तमेव मे । गंगोदं पापहं सद्यः पापहारि सतां वचः १७५। उपकर्तुं प्रियं वक्तुं गुणो नैसर्गिकः सताम् । शीतांशुः क्रियते केन शीतलोऽमृतमंडलः १७६। देवदूत ततो ब्रूहि कारुण्यान्मम पृच्छतः । नरकान्निष्कृतिः सद्यो भ्रातुर्मे जायते कथम् १७७। इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा देवदूतो जगाद ह । ध्यानं दृष्ट्वा क्षणं ध्यात्वा तन्मैत्री रज्जुबन्धनः १७८। यत्ते वैश्याष्टमे पुण्यं त्वया जन्मनि संचितम् । तद्भ्रात्रे दीयतां सर्वं स्वर्गं तस्य यदीच्छसि १७९। विकुंडल उवाच- किं तत्पुण्यं कथं जातं किं जन्म च पुरातनम् । तत्सर्वं कथ्यतां दूत ततो दास्यामि सत्वरम् १८०। देवदूत उवाच- शृणु वैश्य प्रवक्ष्यामि तत्पुण्यं च सहेतुकम् । पुरा मधुवने पुण्ये ऋषिरासीच्च शाकुनिः १८१। तपोऽध्ययन संपन्नस्तेजसां ब्रह्मणा समः । जज्ञिरे तस्य रेवत्यां नव पुत्रा ग्रहा इव १८२। ध्रुवः शीलो बुधस्तारो ज्योतिष्मानुत पंचमः । अग्निहोत्ररता ह्येते गृहधर्मेषु रेमिरे १८३। निर्मोहो जितकामश्च ध्यानकोशो गुणाधिकः । एते गृहविरक्ताश्च चत्वारो द्विजसूनवः १८४। चतुर्थाश्रममापन्नाः सर्वकामविनिस्पृहाः । ग्रामैकवासिनः सर्वे निःसंगा निष्परिग्रहाः १८५। निराशा निष्प्रयत्नाश्च सम लोष्टाश्मकांचनाः । येनकेनचिदाच्छन्ना येनकेनचिदाशिताः १८६। सायंग्रहास्तथा नित्यं विष्णुध्यानपरायणाः । जितनिद्रा जिताहारा वातशीतसहिष्णवः १८७। पश्यंतो विष्णुरूपेण जगत्सर्वं चराचरम् । चरंति लीलया पृथ्वद्यंतेऽन्योन्यं मौनमास्थिताः १८८। न कुर्वंति क्रियां कांचिदर्थमात्रं हि योगिनः । दृष्टज्ञाना असंदेहाश्चिद्विकार विशारदाः १८९। एवं ते तव विप्रस्य पूर्वमष्टमजन्मनि । तिष्ठतो मध्यदेशेषु पुत्रदारकुटुंबिनः १९०। गेहं तावकमाजग्मुर्मध्याह्ने क्षुत्पिपासिताः । वैश्वदेवांतरे काले त्वया दृष्टा गृहांगणे १९१। सगद्गदं साश्रुनेत्रं सहर्षं च ससंभ्रमम् । दंडवत्प्रणिपातेन बहुमानपुरःसरम् १९२। प्रणम्य चरणौ मूर्ध्ना कृत्वा पाणियुगाञ्जलिम् । तदाभिनन्दिताः सर्वे तया सूनृतया गिरा १९३। अद्य मे सफलं जन्म जीवितं सफलं तथा । अद्य विष्णुः प्रसन्नो मे सनाथोऽद्यास्मि पावनः १९४। धन्योऽस्म्यद्य गृहं धन्यं धन्या अद्य कुटुंबिनः । ममाद्य पितरो धन्या धन्या गावः श्रुतं धनम् १९५। यद्दृष्टौ भवतां पादौ तापत्रयहरौ मया । भवतां दर्शनं यस्माद्धन्यस्यैव हरेरिव १९६। एवं संपूज्य कृत्वा तु पादप्रक्षालनं तथा । धृतं मूर्ध्नि विशांश्रेष्ठ श्रद्धया परया तदा १९७। यत्र पादोदकं वैश्य श्रद्धया शिरसा धृतम् । गंधपुष्पाक्षतैर्धूपैर्दीपैर्भावपुरःसरम् १९८। संपूज्य सुंदरान्नेन भोजिता यतयस्तथा । तृप्ताः परमहंसास्ते विश्रांता मंदिरे निशि १९९। ध्यायंतश्च परं ब्रह्म यज्ज्योतिर्ज्योतिषां मतम् । तेषामातिथ्यजं पुण्यं जातं यत्ते विशांवर २००। न तद्वक्त्रसहस्रेण वक्तुं शक्नोम्यहं खलु । भूतानां प्राणिनः श्रेष्ठाः प्राणिनां मतिजीविनः २०१। मतिमत्सु सुराः श्रेष्ठा नरेषु ब्रह्मजातयः । ब्राह्मणेषु च विद्वांसो विद्वत्सु कृतबुद्धयः २०२। कृतबुद्धिषु कर्तारः कर्तृषु ब्रह्मवेदिनः । अतएव सुपूज्यास्ते तस्माच्छ्रेष्ठा जगत्त्रये २०३। तत्संगतिर्विशांश्रेष्ठ महापातकनाशिनी । विश्रांता गृहिणो गेहे संतुष्टा ब्रह्मवेदिनः २०४। आजन्मसंचितं पापं नाशयंतीक्षणेन वै । संचितं यद्गृहस्थस्य पापमामरणांतिकम् २०५। विनिर्दहति तत्सर्वमेकरात्रोषितो यतिः । स्वभ्रात्रे देहि तत्पुण्यं नरकाद्येन मुच्यते २०६। इति दूतवचः श्रुत्वा ददौ पुण्यं स सत्वरम् । हृष्टेन चेतसा भ्राता निरयात्सोऽपि निर्गतः २०७। देवैस्तु पुष्पवर्षेण पूजितौ च दिवंगतौ । ताभ्यां संपूजितः सम्यग्गतो दूतो यथागतः २०८। अखिलभुवनबोधं देवदूतस्यवाक्यं निगमवचनतुल्यं वैश्यपुत्रो निशम्य । स्वकृतसुकृतदानाद्भ्रातरं तारयित्वा सुरपतिवरलोकं तेन सार्द्धं जगाम २०९। इतिहासमिमं राजन्यः पठेच्छृणुयादपि । स गोसहस्रदानस्य विशोको लभते फलम् २१०। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे स्वर्गखंडे एकत्रिंशोऽध्यायः ३१।

nāradauvāca- tato hṛṣṭamanāḥ so'tha dūtaṃ papraccha taṃ pathi | saṃdehaṃ hṛdi kṛtvā tu vismayaṃ paramaṃ gataḥ | vicārayanhṛdi svargaḥ kasya hetoḥ phalaṃ mama 1| vikuṃḍala uvāca- he dūtavara pṛcchāmi saṃśayaṃ tvāmahaṃ param | āvāṃ jātau kule tulye tulyaṃ karma tathā kṛtam 2| durmṛtyurapi tulyobhūttulyo dṛṣṭo yamastathā | kathaṃ sa narake kṣiptastulyakarmmā mamāgrajaḥ 3| mamābhavatkathaṃ nākamiti me chiṃdhi saṃśayam | devadūta na paśyāmi mama svargasya kāraṇam 4| devadūta uvāca- mātā pitā suto jāyā svasā bhrātā vikuṃḍala | janmahetoriyaṃ saṃjñā jaṃtoḥ karmmopabhuktaye 5| ekasminpādape yadvacchakunānāṃ samāgamaḥ | yadyatsamīhitaṃ karma kurute pūrvabhāvitaḥ 6| tasya tasya phalaṃ bhuṃkte karmmaṇaḥ puruṣaḥ sadā | satyaṃ vadāmi te prītyā naraiḥ karmma śubhāśubham 7| svakṛtaṃ bhujyate vaiśya kālekāle punaḥpunaḥ | ekaḥ karoti karmāṇi ekastatphalamaśnute 8| anyo na lipyate vaiśya karmaṇānyasya kutracit | apatannarake pāpaistavabhrātā sudāruṇaiḥ | tvaṃ ca dharmeṇa dharmajña svargaṃ prāpnoṣi śāśvatam 9| vikuṃḍala uvāca- ābālyānmama pāpeṣu na puṇyeṣu rataṃ manaḥ | asmiñjanmani he dūta duṣkṛtaṃ hi kṛtaṃ mayā 10| devadūta na jānāmi sukṛtaṃ karma cātmanaḥ | yadi jānāsi matpuṇyaṃ tanme tvaṃ kṛpayā vada 11| devadūta uvāca- śṛṇu vaiśya pravakṣyāmi yattvayā puṇyamarjitam | jānāmi tadahaṃ sarvaṃ na tvaṃ vetsi suniścitam 12| harimitrasuto vipraḥ sumitro vedapāragaḥ | āsīttasyāśramaḥ puṇyo yamunā dakṣiṇetaṭe 13| tena sakhyaṃ vane tasmiṃstava jātaṃ viśāṃvara | tatsaṃgena tvayā snātaṃ māghamāsadvayaṃ tathā 14| kāliṃdī puṇyapānīye sarvapāpahare vare | tattīrthe lokavikhyāte nāmnā pāpapraṇāśane 15| ekena sarvapāpebhyo vimuktastvaṃ viśāṃpate | dvitīyamāghapuṇyena prāptaḥ svargastvayānagha 16| tvaṃ tatpuṇyaprabhāveṇa modasva satataṃ divi | narakeṣu tava bhrātā mahatīṃ pāpayātanām 17| chidyamāno'sipatraiśca bhidyamānastu mudgaraiḥ | cūrṇyamānaḥ śilāpṛṣṭhe taptāṃgāreṣu bharjitaḥ 18| iti dūtavacaḥ śrutvā bhrātṛduḥkhena duḥkhitaḥ | pulakāṃkita sarvāṃgo dīno'sau vinayānvitaḥ 19| uvāca taṃ devadūtaṃ madhuraṃ nipuṇaṃ vacaḥ | maitrī saptapadī sādho satāṃ bhavati satphalā 20| mitrabhāvaṃ viciṃtya tvaṃ māmupākartumarhasi | tato hi śrotumicchāmi sarvajñastvaṃ mato mama 21| yamalokaṃ na paśyaṃti karmaṇā kena mānavāḥ | gacchaṃti nirayaṃ yena tanme tvaṃ kṛpayā vada 22| devadūta uvāca- samyakpṛṣṭaṃ tvayā vaiśya naṣṭapāpo'si sāṃpratam | viśuddhe hṛdaye puṃsāṃ buddhiḥ śreyasi jāyate 23| yadyapyavasaronāsti mama sevāparasya vai | tathāpi ca tava snehātpravakṣyāmi yathāmati 24| karmaṇā manasā vācā sarvāvasthāsu sarvadā | parapīḍāṃ na kurvaṃti na te yāṃti yamālayam 25| na vedairna ca dānaiśca na tapobhirna cādhvaraiḥ | kathaṃcitsvargatiṃ yāṃti puruṣāḥ prāṇihiṃsakāḥ 26| ahiṃsā paramo dharmo hyahiṃsaiva paraṃ tapaḥ | ahiṃsā paramaṃ dānamityāhurmunayaḥ sadā 27| maśakānsarīsṛpāndaṃśānyūkādyānmānavāṃstathā | ātmaupamyena paśyaṃti mānavā ye dayālavaḥ 28| taptāṃgāramayaskīlaṃ mādaṃpretaraṃgiṇīm | durgatiṃ naiva gacchaṃti kṛtāṃtasya ca te narāḥ 29| bhūtāni ye'tra hiṃsaṃti jalasthalacarāṇi ca | jīvanārthaṃ ca te yāṃti kālasūtraṃ ca durgatim 30| śvamāṃsabhojanāstatra pūyaśoṇitapāyinaḥ | majjaṃtaśca vasāpaṃke daṣṭāḥ kīṭairadhomukhaiḥ 31| parasparaṃ ca khādaṃto dhvāṃte cānyonya ghātinaḥ | vasaṃti kalpānekāṃste rudaṃto dāruṇaṃ ravam 32| kṛmiyoni śataṃ gatvā sthāvarāḥ syuściraṃ tu te | tatocchaṃti te krūrāstiryagyoni śateṣu ca 33| paścādbhavaṃti jātāṃdhāḥ kāṇāḥ kubjāśca paṃgavaḥ | daridrāścāṃgahīnāśca mānuṣāḥ prāṇihiṃsakāḥ 34| tasmādvaiśya paratreha karmaṇā manasā girā | lokadvayasukhaprepsurdharmajño na tadācaret 35| lokadvayena viṃdaṃti sukhāni prāṇihiṃsakāḥ | yena hiṃsanti bhūtāni na te bibhyati kutracit 36| praviśaṃti yathā nadyaḥ samudramṛjuvakragāḥ | sarve dharmā ahiṃsāyāṃ praviśaṃti tathā dṛḍham 37| sa snātaḥ sarvatīrtheṣu sarvayajñeṣu dīkṣitaḥ | abhayaṃ yena bhūtebhyo dattamatra viṃśāṃvara 38| ye niyogāṃśca śāstroktāndharmādharma vimiśritān | pālayaṃtīha ye vaiśya na te yāṃti yamālayam 39| brahmacārī gṛhasthaśca vānaprastho yatistathā | svadharmaniratāḥ sarve nākapṛṣṭhe vasaṃti te 40| yathoktacāriṇaḥ sarve varṇāśramasamanvitāḥ | narā jiteṃdriyā yāṃti brahmalokaṃ tu śāśvatam 41| iṣṭāpūrtaratā ye ca paṃcayajñaratāśca ye | dayānvitāśca ye nityaṃ nekṣaṃte te yamālayam 42| iṃdriyārthanivṛttā ye samarthā vedavādinaḥ | agnipūjāratā nityaṃ te viprāḥ svargagāminaḥ 43| adīnavadanāḥ śūrāḥ śatrubhiḥ pariveṣṭitāḥ | āhaveṣu vipannā ye teṣāṃ mārgo divākaraḥ 44| anātha strī dvijārthe ca śaraṇāgatapālane | prāṇāṃstyajaṃti ye vaiśya na cyavaṃti divastu te 45| paṃgvaṃdhabālavṛddhāṃśca rogyanāthadaridritān | ye puṣṇaṃti sadā vaiśya te modaṃti sadā divi 46| gāṃ dṛṣṭvā paṃkanirmagnāṃ rogamagnaṃ dvijaṃ tathā | uddharaṃti narā ye ca teṣāṃ loko'śvamedhinām 47| gogrāsaṃ ye prayacchaṃti ye śuśrūṣaṃti gāḥ sadā | yenārohaṃti gopṛṣṭhe te svarlokanivāsinaḥ 48| gartamātraṃ tu ye cakruryatra gauratṛṣā bhavet | yamalokamadṛṣṭvaiva te yāṃti svargatiṃ narāḥ 49| agnipūjā devapūjā gurupūjā ratāśca ye | dvijapūjā ratā nityaṃ te viprāḥ svargagāminaḥ 50| vāpīkūpataḍāgādau dharmasyāṃto na vidyate | pibaṃti svecchayā yatra jalasthala carāstadā 51| nityaṃ dānaparaḥ so'tra kathyate vibudhairapi | yathāyathā ca pānīyaṃ pibaṃti prāṇino bhṛśam 52| tathātathā'kṣayaḥ svargo dharmabuddhyā viśāṃ vara | prāṇināṃ jīvanaṃ vāri prāṇā vāriṇi saṃsthitāḥ 53| nityasnānena pūyaṃte ye'pi pātakino narāḥ | prātaḥsnānaṃ haredvaiśya bāhmābhyaṃtarajaṃ malam 54| prātaḥsnānena niṣpāpo naro na nirayaṃ vrajet | snānaṃ vinā tu yo bhuṃkte malāśī sa sadā naraḥ 55| asnāyī yo narastasya vimukhā pitṛdevatāḥ | snānahīno naraḥ pāpaḥ snānahīno naro'śuciḥ 56| asnāyī narakaṃ bhuṃkte puṃskīṭādiṣu jāyate | ye punaḥ srotasi snānamācaraṃtīha parvaṇi 57| te naiva narakaṃ yāṃti na jāyaṃte kuyoniṣu | duḥsvapnā duṣṭaciṃtāśca vaṃdhyā bhavaṃti sarvadā 58| prātaḥsnānena śuddhānāṃ puruṣāṇāṃ viśāṃvara | tilāṃśca tilapātrāṃśca tilaprasthaṃ yathāvidhi 59| dattvā pretapaterbhūmau na vrajaṃti narāḥ kvacit | pṛthivīṃ kāṃcanaṃ gāṃ ca datvā dānāni ṣoḍaśa 60| gatvā na vinivartaṃte svargalokādvikuṃḍala | puṇyāsu tithiṣu prājño vyatīpāte ca saṃkrame 61| snātvā dattvā ca yatkiṃcinnaiva majjati durgatau | naivākrāmaṃti dātāro dāruṇaṃ rauravaṃ patham | ihaloke na jāyaṃte kule dhanavivarjite 62| satyavādī sadā maunī priyavādī ca yo naraḥ | akrodhanaḥ samācāro nātivādyanasūyakaḥ 63| sadā dākṣiṇyasaṃpannaḥ sadā bhūtadayānvitaḥ | goptā ca paramarmāṇāṃ vaktā paraguṇasya ca 64| parasvaṃ tṛṇamātraṃ ca manasāpi na yo haret | na paśyaṃti viśāṃśreṣṭha hyete narakayātanām 65| parāpavādī pākhaṃḍaḥ pāpebhyo'pi mato'dhikaḥ | pacyate narake tāvadyāvadābhūtasaṃplavam 66| vaktā paruṣavākyānāṃ maṃtavyo narakāgataḥ | saṃdeho na viśāṃśreṣṭha punaryāti ca durgatim 67| na tīrthairna tapobhiśca kṛtaghnasyāsti niṣkṛtiḥ | sahate yātanāṃ ghorāṃ sa naro narake ciram 68| pṛthivyāṃ yāni tīrthāni teṣu majjati yo naraḥ | jiteṃdriyo jitāhāro na sa yāti yamālayam 69| na tīrthe pātakaṃ kuryānna ca tīrthopajīvanam | tīrthe pratigrahastyājyastyājyo dharmasya vikrayaḥ 70| durjaraṃ pātakaṃ tīrthe durjaraśca pratigrahaḥ | tīrthe ca durjaraṃ sarvametatkinnarakaṃ vrajet 71| sakṛdgaṃgāṃbhasi snātaḥ pūto gāṃgeyavāriṇā | na naro narakaṃ yāti api pātakarāśikṛt 72| vratadānatapo yajñāḥ pavitrāṇītarāṇi ca | gaṃgābiṃdvabhiṣiktasya na samā iti naḥ śrutam 73| anyatīrthasamāṃ gaṃgāṃ yo bravīti narādhamaḥ | sa yāti narakaṃ vaiśya dāruṇaṃ rauravaṃ mahat 74| dharmadravaṃ hyapāṃ bījaṃ vaikuṃṭhacaraṇacyutam | dhṛtaṃ mūrdhni maheśena yadgāṃgamamalaṃ jalam 75| tadbrahmaiva na saṃdeho nirguṇaṃ prakṛteḥ param | tena kiṃ samatāṃ gacchedapi brahmāṃḍagocare 76| gaṃgāgaṃgeti yo brūyādyojanānāṃ śatairapi | naro na narakaṃ yāti kiṃ tayā sadṛśaṃ bhavet | nānyena dahyate sadyaḥ kriyā narakadāyinī 77| gaṃgāṃbhasi prayatnena snātavyaṃ tena mānavaiḥ | pratigṛha nivṛtto yaḥ pratigrahakṣamo'pi san | sa dvijo dyotate vaiśya tārārūpaściraṃ divi 78| gāmuddharaṃti ye paṃkādye rakṣaṃti ca rogiṇaḥ | mriyaṃte gogṛhe ye ca teṣāṃ nabhasi tārakāḥ | yamalokaṃ na paśyaṃti prāṇāyāmaparāyaṇāḥ 79| api duṣkṛtakarmāṇastaireva hatakilbiṣāḥ | divase divase vaiśya prāṇāyāmāstu ṣoḍaśa | api brahmahaṇaṃ sākṣātpunaṃtyaharahaḥ kṛtāḥ 80| tapāṃsi yāni tapyaṃte vratāni niyamāśca ye | gosahasrapradānaṃ ca prāṇāyāmastu tatsamaḥ 81| abbiṃduṃ yaḥ kuśāgreṇa māsemāse naraḥ pibet | saṃvatsaraśataṃ sāgraṃ prāṇāyāmastu tatsamaḥ 82| pātakaṃ tu mahadyacca tathā kṣudropapātakam | prāṇāyāmaiḥ kṣaṇātsarvaṃ bhasmasātkurute naraḥ 83| mātṛvatparadārānye manyaṃte vai narottamāḥ | na te yāṃti naraśreṣṭha kadācidyama yātanām 84| manasāpi pareṣāṃ yaḥ kalatrāṇi na sevate | saha lokadvaye nāsti tena vaiśya dharā dhṛtā 85| tasmāddharmmānvitaistyājyaṃ paradāropasevanam | nayaṃti paradārāstu narakānekaviṃśatim 86| lobho na jāyate yeṣāṃ paradāreṣu mānase | te yāṃti devalokaṃ tu na yamaṃ vaiśyasattama 87| śaśvatkrodhanidāneṣu yaḥ krodhena na jīyate | jitasvargaḥ sa maṃtavyaḥ puruṣo'krodhano bhuvi 88| mātaraṃ pitaraṃ putra ārādhayati devavat | aprāpte vārddhake kāle na yāti ca yamālayam 89| pituścādhikabhāvena ye'rcayaṃti guruṃ narāḥ | bhavaṃtyatithayo loke brahmaṇaste viśāṃvara 90| iha caiva striyo dhanyāḥ śīlasya parirakṣaṇāt | śīlabhaṃge ca nārīṇāṃ yamalokaḥ sudāruṇaḥ 91| śīlaṃ rakṣyaṃ sadā strībhirduṣṭasaṃgavivarjanāt | śīlena hi paraḥ svargaḥ strīṇāṃ vaiśya na saṃśayaḥ 92| śūdrasya pākayajñena niṣiddhācaraṇena ca | durgatirvihitā vaiśya tasya sā nārakī gatiḥ 93| vicārayaṃti ye śāstraṃ vedābhyāsaratāśca ye | purāṇaṃ saṃhitāṃ ye ca śrāvayaṃti paṭhaṃti ca 94| vyākurvaṃti smṛtirye ca ye dharmapratibodhakāḥ | vedāṃteṣu niṣaṇṇā ye tairiyaṃ jagatī dhṛtā 95| tattadabhyāsamāhātmyaiḥ sarve te hatakilbiṣāḥ | gacchaṃti brahmaṇo lokaṃ yatra moho na vidyate 96| jñānamajñāya yo dadyādvedaśāstrasamudbhavam | api vedāstamarcaṃti bhavabaṃdhavidāraṇam 97| śrūyatāmadbhutaṃ hyetadrahasyaṃ vaiśyasattama | sammataṃ dharmarājasya sarvalokāmṛtapradam 98| na yamaṃ yamalokaṃ ca na bhūtānghoradarśanān | paśyaṃti vaiṣṇavā nūnaṃ satyaṃ satyaṃ mayoditam 99| prāhāsmānyamunā bhrātā sadaiva hi punaḥpunaḥ | bhavadbhirvaiṣṇavāstyājyā na te syurmamagocarāḥ 100| smaraṃti ye sakṛdbhūtāḥ prasaṃgenāpi keśavam | te vidhvastākhilāghaughā yāṃti viṣṇoḥ paraṃ padam 101| durācāro duṣkṛto'pi sadācārarato'pi yaḥ | bhavadbhiḥ sa sadā tyājyo viṣṇuṃ ca bhajate naraḥ 102| vaiṣṇavo yadgṛhe bhuṃkte yeṣāṃ vaiṣṇavasaṃgatiḥ | te'pi vaḥ parivāryāḥ syustatsaṃgahatakilbiṣāḥ 103| itthaṃ vaiśyānuśāstyasmāndevo daṃḍadharaḥ sadā | ato no vaiṣṇavā yāṃti rājadhānīṃ yamasya tu 104| viṣṇubhaktiṃ vinā nṝṇāṃ pāpiṣṭhānāṃ viśāṃ vara | upāyo nāsti nāstyanyaḥ saṃtartuṃ narakāṃbudhim 105| śvapākamapi nekṣeta lokeṣṭaṃ vaiśya vaiṣṇavam | vaiṣṇavo varṇabāhyo'pi punāti bhuvanatrayam 106| etāvatā lamaghanirharaṇāya puṃsāṃ saṃkīrtanaṃ bhagavato guṇakarmanāmnām | vikruśya putra maghavānyadajāmilo'pi nārāyaṇeti mriyamāṇa iyāya muktim 107| narake tu ciraṃ magnāḥ pūrve ye ca kuladvaye | tadaiva yāṃti te svargaṃ yadārcaṃti mudā harim 108| viṣṇubhaktasya ye dāsā vaiṣṇavānna bhujaśca ye | te tu kratubhujāṃ vaiśya gatiṃ yāṃti nirākulāḥ 109| prārtharyadvaiṣṇavasyānnaṃ prayatnena vicakṣaṇaḥ | sarvapāpaviśuddhyarthaṃ tadabhāve jalaṃ pibet 110| goviṃdeti japanmaṃtraṃ kutracinmriyate yadi | sa naro na yamaṃ paśyettaṃ ca nekṣāmahe vayam 111| sāṃgaṃ samudraṃ sadhyānaṃ saṛṣiḥ chaṃdadaivatam | dīkṣayāvidhivanmaṃtraṃ japedvai dvādaśākṣaram 112| aṣṭākṣaraṃ ca maṃtreśaṃ ye japaṃti narottamāḥ | tāndṛṣṭvā brahmahā śuddhyadbhrājate viṣṇuvatsvayam 113| śaṃkhinaścakriṇo bhūtvā brahmābhyaṃtaragāminaḥ | vasaṃti vaiṣṇave loke viṣṇurūpeṇa te narāḥ 114| hṛdi sūrye jale vātha pratimā sthaṃḍilepi ca | samabhyarcya hariṃ yāṃti narāstadvaiṣṇavaṃ padam 115| athavā sarvadā pūjyo vāsudevo mumukṣubhiḥ | śālagrāme maṇau cakre vajrakīṭavinirmite 116| adhiṣṭhānaṃ hi tadviṣṇoḥ sarvapāpapraṇāśanam | sarvapuṇyapradaṃ vaiśya sarveṣāmapi muktidam 117| yaḥ pūjayeddhariṃ cakre śālagrāmaśilodbhave | rājasūyasahasreṇa teneṣṭaṃ prativāsare 118| sadāmanaṃti vedāṃtā brahmanirvāṇamacyutam | tatprasādo bhavennṝṇāṃ śālagrāmaśilārcanāt 119| mahākāṣṭhasthito vahnirmakhasthāne prakāśate | yathā tathā harirvyāpī śālagrāme prakāśate 120| api pāpasamācārāḥ karmmaṇyanadhikāriṇaḥ | śālagrāmārcakā vaiśya naiva yāṃti yamālayam 121| na tathā ramate lakṣmyāṃ na tathā svapure hariḥ | śālagrāmaśilācakre yathā sa ramate sadā 122| agnihotraṃ kṛtaṃ tena dattā pṛthvī sasāgarā | yenārcito hariścakre śālagrāmaśilodbhave 123| śilā dvādaśa bho vaiśya śālagrāmaśilodbhavāḥ | vidhivatpūjitā yena tasya puṇyaṃ vadāmi te 124| koṭidvādaśaliṃgaistu pūjitaiḥ svarṇapaṃkajaiḥ | yatsyāddvādaśakāleṣu dinenaikena tadbhavet 125| yaḥ punaḥ pūjayedbhaktyā śālagrāmaśilā śatam | uṣitvā sa harerloke cakravarttīha jāyate 126| kāmaiḥ krodhaiḥ pralobhaiśca vyāpto yatra narādhamaḥ | so'pi yāti harerlokaṃ śālagrāmaśilārcanāt 127| yaḥ pūjayecca goviṃdaṃ śālagrāme mudā naraḥ | ābhūtasaṃplavaṃ yāvanna sa pracyavate divaḥ 128| vinā tīrthairvinā dānairvinā yajñairvinā matim | muktiṃ yāṃti narā vaiśya śālagrāmaśilārcanāt 129| narakaṃ garbhavāsaṃ ca tiryaktvaṃ kṛmiyonitām | na yāti vaiśya pāpo'pi śālagrāmaśilārcakaḥ 130| dīkṣāvidhāna maṃtrajño yaścakre balimāharet | gaṃgā godāvarī revā nadyo muktipradāśca yāḥ 131| nivasaṃti hitāḥ sarvāḥ śālagrāmaśilā jale | naivedyairvividhaiḥ puṣpairdhūpadīpairvilepanaiḥ 132| gītavāditrastotrādyaiḥ śālagrāmaśilārcanam | kurute mānavo yastu kalau bhaktiparāyaṇaḥ 133| kalpakoṭisahasrāṇi ramate sannidhau hareḥ | liṃgaistu koṭibhirdṛṣṭairyatphalaṃ pūjitaistu taiḥ 134| śālagrāmaśilāyāstu hyekenāhnā hi tatphalam | sakṛdabhyarcite liṃge śālagrāmaśilodbhave 135| muktiṃ prayāṃti manujā nūnaṃ sāṃkhyena varjitāḥ | śālagrāmaśilārūpī yatra tiṣṭhati keśavaḥ 136| tatra devāḥ surā yakṣā bhuvanāni caturdaśa | śālagrāmaśilāyāṃ tu yaḥ śrāddhaṃ kurute naraḥ 137| pitarastasya tiṣṭhaṃti tṛptāḥ kalpaśataṃ divi | ye pibaṃti narā nityaṃ śālagrāmaśilājalam 138| paṃcagavyasahasraistu sevitaiḥ kiṃ prayojanam | koṭitīrthasahasraistu sevitaiḥ kiṃ prayojanam 139| toyaṃ yadi pibetpuṇyaṃ śālagrāmaśilāṃgajam | śālagrāma śilā yatra tattīrthaṃ yojanatrayam 140| tatra dānaṃ ca homaṃ ca sarvaṃ koṭiguṇaṃ bhavet | śālagrāmaśilā toyaṃ yaḥ pibedbiṃdunā samam 141| mātṛstanyaṃ punarnaiva sa pibedviṣṇubhāṅnaraḥ | śālagrāma samīpe tu krośamātraṃ samaṃtataḥ 142| kīṭakopi mṛto yāti vaikuṃṭhaṃ bhavanaṃ param | śālagrāmaśilācakraṃ yo dadyāddānamuttamam 143| bhūcakraṃ tena dattaṃ syātsaśailavanakānanam | śālagrāmaśilāyā yo mūlyamutpādayennaraḥ 144| vikretā cānumaṃtā yaḥ parīkṣāsu ca modate | te sarve narakaṃ yāṃti yāvadābhūtasaṃplavam 145| tataḥ saṃvarjayedvaiśya cakrasya krayavikrayam | bahunoktena kiṃ vaiśya kartavyaṃ pāpabhīruṇā 146| smaraṇaṃ vāsudevasya sarvapāpaharaṃ hareḥ | tapastaptvā naro ghoramaraṇye niyateṃdriyaḥ 147| yatphalaṃ samavāpnoti tannatvā garuḍadhvajam | kṛtvāpi bahuśaḥ pāpaṃ naro mohasamanvitaḥ 148| na yāti narakaṃ gatvā sarvapāpaharaṃ harim | pṛthivyāṃ yāni tīrthāni puṇyānyāyatanāni ca 149| tāni sarvāṇyavāpnoti viṣṇornāmānukīrtanāt | devaṃ śārṅgadharaṃ viṣṇuṃ ye prapannāḥ parāyaṇāḥ 150| na teṣāṃ yamasālokyaṃ na te syurnarakaukasaḥ | vaiṣṇavaḥ puruṣo vaiśya śivaniṃdāṃ karoti yaḥ 151| na viṃdedvaiṣṇavaṃ lokaṃ sa yāti narakaṃ mahat | upoṣyaikādaśīmekāṃ prasaṃgenāpi mānavaḥ 152| na yāti yātanāṃ yāmīmiti lomaśataḥ śrutam | nedṛśaṃ pāvanaṃ kiṃcittriṣu lokeṣu vidyate 153| ubhayaṃ padmanābhasya dinaṃ pātakanāśanam | tāvatpāpāni dehe'sminvasaṃtīha viśāṃvara 154| yāvannopavasejjaṃtuḥ padmanābhadinaṃ śubham | aśvamedhasahasrāṇi rājasūyaśatāni ca 155| ekādaśyupavāsasya kalāṃ nārhaṃti ṣoḍaśīm | ekādaśeṃdriyaiḥ pāpaṃ yatkṛtaṃ vaiśya mānavaiḥ 156| ekādaśyupavāsena tatsarvaṃ vilayaṃ vrajet | ekādaśīsamaṃ kiṃcitpuṇyaṃ loke na vidyate 157| vyājenāpi kṛtā yaistu vaśaṃ yāṃti na bhāskareḥ | svargamokṣapradā hyeṣā śarīrārogyadāyinī 158| sukalatrapradā hyeṣā jīvatputrapradāyinī | na gaṃgā na gayā vaiśya na kāśī na ca puṣkaram 159| na cāpi vaiṣṇavaṃ kṣetraṃ tulyaṃ haridinena tu | yamunā candrabhāgā na tulyā haridinena tu 160| anāyāsena yenātra prāpyate vaiṣṇavaṃ padam | rātrau jāgaraṇaṃ kṛtvā samupoṣya harerdine 161| daśa vai paitṛke pakṣe mātṛke daśa pūrvajāḥ | priyāyā daśa ye vaiśya tānuddharati niścitam 162| dvaṃdvasaṃga parityaktā nāgāri kṛtaketanāḥ | sragviṇaḥ pītavasanāḥ prayāṃti harimaṃdiram 163| bālatve yauvane vāpi vārddhake vā viśāṃvara | upoṣyaikādaśīṃ nūnaṃ naiti pāpo'tidurgatim 164| upoṣyeha trirātrāṇi kṛtvā vā tīrthamajjanam | datvā hematilāngāśca svargaṃ yāṃtīha mānavāḥ 165| tīrthe snāṃti na ye vaiśya na dattaṃ kāṃcanaṃ ca yaiḥ | naiva taptaṃ tapaḥ kiṃcitte syuḥ sarvatra duḥkhitāḥ 166| saṃkṣipya kathitaṃ dharmmaṃ narakasya nirūpaṇam | adrohaḥ sarvabhūteṣu vāṅmanaḥ kāya karmabhiḥ 167| iṃdriyāṇāṃ nirodhaśca dānaṃ ca harisevanam | varṇāśramakriyāṇāṃ ca pālanaṃ vidhitaḥ sadā 168| svargārthī sarvadā vaiśya tapodānaṃ na kīrtayet | yathāśakti tathā dadyādātmano hitakāmyayā 169| upānadvastramannāni patraṃ mūlaṃ phalaṃ jalam | avaṃdhyaṃ divasaṃ kāryyaṃ daridreṇāpi vaiśyaka 170| ihaloke pare caiva na dattaṃ nopatiṣṭhate | dātāro naiva paśyaṃti tāṃ tāṃ vai yamayātanām 171| dīrghāyuṣo dhanāḍhyāśca bhavaṃtīha punaḥpunaḥ | kimatra bahunoktena yāṃtyadharmeṇa durgatim 172| ārohaṃti divaṃ dharmme narāḥ sarvatra sarvadā 173| tena bālatvamārabhya kartavyo dharmasaṃgrahaḥ | iti te kathitaṃ sarvaṃ kimanyacchrotumicchasi 174| vikuṃḍala uvāca- śrutvā tvadvacanaṃ saumya prasannaṃ cittameva me | gaṃgodaṃ pāpahaṃ sadyaḥ pāpahāri satāṃ vacaḥ 175| upakartuṃ priyaṃ vaktuṃ guṇo naisargikaḥ satām | śītāṃśuḥ kriyate kena śītalo'mṛtamaṃḍalaḥ 176| devadūta tato brūhi kāruṇyānmama pṛcchataḥ | narakānniṣkṛtiḥ sadyo bhrāturme jāyate katham 177| iti tasya vacaḥ śrutvā devadūto jagāda ha | dhyānaṃ dṛṣṭvā kṣaṇaṃ dhyātvā tanmaitrī rajjubandhanaḥ 178| yatte vaiśyāṣṭame puṇyaṃ tvayā janmani saṃcitam | tadbhrātre dīyatāṃ sarvaṃ svargaṃ tasya yadīcchasi 179| vikuṃḍala uvāca- kiṃ tatpuṇyaṃ kathaṃ jātaṃ kiṃ janma ca purātanam | tatsarvaṃ kathyatāṃ dūta tato dāsyāmi satvaram 180| devadūta uvāca- śṛṇu vaiśya pravakṣyāmi tatpuṇyaṃ ca sahetukam | purā madhuvane puṇye ṛṣirāsīcca śākuniḥ 181| tapo'dhyayana saṃpannastejasāṃ brahmaṇā samaḥ | jajñire tasya revatyāṃ nava putrā grahā iva 182| dhruvaḥ śīlo budhastāro jyotiṣmānuta paṃcamaḥ | agnihotraratā hyete gṛhadharmeṣu remire 183| nirmoho jitakāmaśca dhyānakośo guṇādhikaḥ | ete gṛhaviraktāśca catvāro dvijasūnavaḥ 184| caturthāśramamāpannāḥ sarvakāmavinispṛhāḥ | grāmaikavāsinaḥ sarve niḥsaṃgā niṣparigrahāḥ 185| nirāśā niṣprayatnāśca sama loṣṭāśmakāṃcanāḥ | yenakenacidācchannā yenakenacidāśitāḥ 186| sāyaṃgrahāstathā nityaṃ viṣṇudhyānaparāyaṇāḥ | jitanidrā jitāhārā vātaśītasahiṣṇavaḥ 187| paśyaṃto viṣṇurūpeṇa jagatsarvaṃ carācaram | caraṃti līlayā pṛthvadyaṃte'nyonyaṃ maunamāsthitāḥ 188| na kurvaṃti kriyāṃ kāṃcidarthamātraṃ hi yoginaḥ | dṛṣṭajñānā asaṃdehāścidvikāra viśāradāḥ 189| evaṃ te tava viprasya pūrvamaṣṭamajanmani | tiṣṭhato madhyadeśeṣu putradārakuṭuṃbinaḥ 190| gehaṃ tāvakamājagmurmadhyāhne kṣutpipāsitāḥ | vaiśvadevāṃtare kāle tvayā dṛṣṭā gṛhāṃgaṇe 191| sagadgadaṃ sāśrunetraṃ saharṣaṃ ca sasaṃbhramam | daṃḍavatpraṇipātena bahumānapuraḥsaram 192| praṇamya caraṇau mūrdhnā kṛtvā pāṇiyugāñjalim | tadābhinanditāḥ sarve tayā sūnṛtayā girā 193| adya me saphalaṃ janma jīvitaṃ saphalaṃ tathā | adya viṣṇuḥ prasanno me sanātho'dyāsmi pāvanaḥ 194| dhanyo'smyadya gṛhaṃ dhanyaṃ dhanyā adya kuṭuṃbinaḥ | mamādya pitaro dhanyā dhanyā gāvaḥ śrutaṃ dhanam 195| yaddṛṣṭau bhavatāṃ pādau tāpatrayaharau mayā | bhavatāṃ darśanaṃ yasmāddhanyasyaiva hareriva 196| evaṃ saṃpūjya kṛtvā tu pādaprakṣālanaṃ tathā | dhṛtaṃ mūrdhni viśāṃśreṣṭha śraddhayā parayā tadā 197| yatra pādodakaṃ vaiśya śraddhayā śirasā dhṛtam | gaṃdhapuṣpākṣatairdhūpairdīpairbhāvapuraḥsaram 198| saṃpūjya suṃdarānnena bhojitā yatayastathā | tṛptāḥ paramahaṃsāste viśrāṃtā maṃdire niśi 199| dhyāyaṃtaśca paraṃ brahma yajjyotirjyotiṣāṃ matam | teṣāmātithyajaṃ puṇyaṃ jātaṃ yatte viśāṃvara 200| na tadvaktrasahasreṇa vaktuṃ śaknomyahaṃ khalu | bhūtānāṃ prāṇinaḥ śreṣṭhāḥ prāṇināṃ matijīvinaḥ 201| matimatsu surāḥ śreṣṭhā nareṣu brahmajātayaḥ | brāhmaṇeṣu ca vidvāṃso vidvatsu kṛtabuddhayaḥ 202| kṛtabuddhiṣu kartāraḥ kartṛṣu brahmavedinaḥ | ataeva supūjyāste tasmācchreṣṭhā jagattraye 203| tatsaṃgatirviśāṃśreṣṭha mahāpātakanāśinī | viśrāṃtā gṛhiṇo gehe saṃtuṣṭā brahmavedinaḥ 204| ājanmasaṃcitaṃ pāpaṃ nāśayaṃtīkṣaṇena vai | saṃcitaṃ yadgṛhasthasya pāpamāmaraṇāṃtikam 205| vinirdahati tatsarvamekarātroṣito yatiḥ | svabhrātre dehi tatpuṇyaṃ narakādyena mucyate 206| iti dūtavacaḥ śrutvā dadau puṇyaṃ sa satvaram | hṛṣṭena cetasā bhrātā nirayātso'pi nirgataḥ 207| devaistu puṣpavarṣeṇa pūjitau ca divaṃgatau | tābhyāṃ saṃpūjitaḥ samyaggato dūto yathāgataḥ 208| akhilabhuvanabodhaṃ devadūtasyavākyaṃ nigamavacanatulyaṃ vaiśyaputro niśamya | svakṛtasukṛtadānādbhrātaraṃ tārayitvā surapativaralokaṃ tena sārddhaṃ jagāma 209| itihāsamimaṃ rājanyaḥ paṭhecchṛṇuyādapi | sa gosahasradānasya viśoko labhate phalam 210| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe svargakhaṃḍe ekatriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ 31|

English translation

Nārada said :

1. Then he (i.e., Vikuṇḍala ) pleased in his mind, entertaining a doubt in his heart, and very much amazed and thinking in his mind (i.e., to himself), asked the messenger on the way (to heaven): “For what reason am I having (this) fruit?”

Vikuṇḍala said :

2. O best messenger, I am asking you (to clarify) an important doubt. We two were born in the same family. Also we have done similar deeds.

3-4. We equally met with a miserable death, and also saw Yama in the same way. How is it that my elder brother who did the same deeds as I, was thrown in hell? And how did I obtain heaven? (Please) remove (this) doubt of mine. O divine messenger, I see no reason why I should be in heaven.

The divine messenger said :

5-9. Mother, father, son, wife, sister, brother are relative to one’s birth and for the enjoyment (of the fruit) of his deeds. They are like a gathering of birds on the same tree. A man always attains the fruit of that act which he wilfully did. I am telling you the truth through affection (for you). Men get the good or bad (fruit of) the acts they have done at different times, O vaiśya . One performs acts and he (alone) obtains its fruit. O vaiśya, someone does not enjoy or suffer for the acts of someone else. Your brother fell into the hell due to his very fierce sins. O pious one, because of your piety you will obtain heaven eternally.

Vikuṇḍala said :

10-11. O messenger, from my childhood, my mind was interested in sinful deeds and not in pious deeds. I have committed wicked deeds in this existence. O divine messenger, I do not know my (i.e., if I have done) good deed. If you know the pious acts that I have done, then be kind and tell them to me.

The divine messenger said :

12-20a. O vaiśya, listen to the religious merit that you have earned. I know it all. You do not know it quite positively. There was a brāhmaṇa (named) Sumitra who was Harimitra ’s son and who had mastered the Vedas . His auspicious hermitage was on the right bank of Yamunā . O best of vaiśyas , in the forest you formed friendship with him; and due to his contact, you bathed for two Māgha months in the auspicious water of Yamunā which removes all sins. O lord of vaiśyas, by bathing for one month at that holy place named Pāpapraṇāśana which is well-known in the world, you were freed from all your sins. Due to the merit (collected by bathing) during the second month of Māgha you obtained heaven, O sinless one. Due to the efficacy of that religious merit always rejoice in the heaven. In the hells your brother (will suffer from) great tortures. He would be cut off with blades of swords; he would be rent with hammers; he would be pounded on slabs, and roasted in burning charcoals.

Hearing the words of the messenger and being afflicted by his brother’s distress, he with his whole body covered with bristling hair and being miserable and endowed with modesty said sweet and clever words to the divine messenger:

20b-22. “O good one, friendship with the good even (over the distance) of seven steps gives good fruit. Realising (our) friendship, please oblige me. I, therefore, desire to hear (everything from you). I look upon you as omniscient. Be pleased and tell me by (doing) which deed men do not see Yama’s world, and by (doing) which they go to hell.”

The divine messenger said :

23-24. O vaiśya, you have asked well. Now your sins have perished. In pure hearts of men a thought for (obtaining) bliss, for final emancipation is produced. Though, due to my being in the service of someone else I have no time (to explain these things), yet through my affection for you I shall explain them according to my intellectual capacity.

25-29. Those (who) never harm others by (physical) deeds, by thought and speech, in whatever condition they may be, do not go to Yama’s abode. Men who harm (other) creatures do not go to heaven even by (i.e., in spite of) their (reciting) Vedas, (giving) gifts, (practising) austerities or (performing) sacrifices. Harmlessness is (a) great (form of) piety. Harmlessness alone is a great penance. Harmlessness is a great gift. This is what the sages always say. Those men who are kind look upon mosquitoes, creeping animals, gad-flies, lice and men as on themselves. These men do not (get roasted) in heated charcoals, are not (fixed) on iron-stakes, are not stupefied, are not (thrown into) the river of corpses, do not meet with misery (imposed) by Yama.

30-34. Those who kill beings moving in water or on the ground here (i.e., on the earth) for their livelihood, get bound by Yama’s cord and come to a miserable state. There they eat dog’s flesh, drink pus and blood, and bitten by insects with their mouths (turned) down sink in the mud of marrow. Eating one another they live there for many kalpas . Having gone to (i.e., been born in) the species of insects, they for a long time become immobile. Then the cruel ones go to (i.e., are born in) hundreds of species of birds. Then they are born blind, or squint-eyed, deformed or lame. They are born poor, or bereft of a limb and such men kill (other) creatures.

35-41. Therefore, O vaiśya, a pious man longing for happiness in both the worlds—this one and the other one—should not do it (i.e., harm others) by means of physical (deeds) or thoughts or by words. Those who harm creatures do not obtain happiness in both the worlds. Those who do not harm creatures are afraid of nothing. As rivers flowing in a crooked way or straight enter the ocean, similarly all pious acts thoroughly enter harmlessness. O best of vaiśyas, he who has granted fearlessness to beings, has bathed at all holy places and is prepared for a sacrifice. O vaiśya, those who in this world follow the injunctions of the sacred texts, mixing up what is pious and what is impious, do not go to Yama’s abode. A celibate, a householder, a hermit and an ascetic engaged in their own duties—all they live in heaven. All men of all castes and stages of life, with their senses controlled and behaving as (already) told, go eternally to heaven.

42-52a. Those who are engaged in performing sacrifices, digging wells and performing other acts of charity, those who are engaged in (performing) the five sacrifices, and those who are always full of compassion, never see Yama’s abode. Those brāhmaṇas who have turned away from objects of sense, who are competent and are teachers of the Vedas, who are always engaged in worshipping fire, go to heaven. The Sun is the path (destination) of those whose faces are not sad, who are brave (though) surrounded by enemies, who die in battles. O vaiśya, thosewho cast their life while protecting a helpless woman, a brāhmaṇa who has sought their refuge, do not fall from heaven. O vaiśya, those who always protect the lame, the blind, the young, the old, the sick, the helpless and the poor, always rejoice in heaven. Those who, on seeing a cow plunged in mud or a brāhmaṇa sinking in disease, emancipate them, get the world of those who perform the horse sacrifice. Those (men) who give a morsel (of grass) to a cow, who always nurse cows, who do not mount upon a cow’s back, live in heaven. Those men who have just made (i.e., dug) a ditch where (from) a cow (having drunk water) is free from thirst, go (straight) to heaven without even seeing Yama’s world. Those brāhmaṇas who are always engaged in worshipping fire, deities, preceptors and brāhmaṇas, go to heaven. There is no end to piety (when) wells, tanks , lakes etc. (are constructed and) where animals living on land or in water drink (water) as they like. And even the wise describe him as one who is always intent upon giving gifts.

52b-59a. O best among vaiśyas, as the creatures drink profuse water, he (gets) eternal heaven (i.e., secures an eternal place in heaven) due to his belief in piety. Water is the (very) life of beings, and vitality depends upon water. Even those men who are sinners, are purified by taking a bath everyday. O vaiśya, a bath in the morning would remove external and internal impurity. A man, with his sins removed by bathing in the morning, would not go to hell. That man who eats without bathing is always an eater of filth. The manes and deities turn away from the man who does not bathe. A man without a bath is a sinner; a man without a bath is impure. A man who does not bathe suffers in hell and is born among male insects etc. Those again who bathe in a stream on a parvan day, never go to hell, nor are they born in mean species. Bad dreams and vicious thoughts always become fruitless in the case of men who purify themselves by taking a bath in the morning, O best among the vaiśyas.

59b-62. Men, by offering sesamum seeds or vessels full of sesamum seeds or sesamum seeds (of the measure) of a prastha , never go to the land of the lord of the dead (i.e., Yama). O Vikuṇḍala, having given land, gold, a cow and the sixteen (types of) gifts and having (as a result of these gifts) gone (to heaven), men do not return from heaven. A wise man, having bathed on auspicious days and on Vyatīpāta and Saṃkrama (days), and having given something (on these) days never sinks in disaster. Donors never tread on the fearful hellish path. In this world they are not born in a poor family.

63-68. A man who is truthful, who always observes a vow of silence, who speaks agreeably, who is not given to anger, who is of a good conduct, who does not talk much, who is free from jealousy, who is always full of generosity, who is always full of pity for beings, who always preserves (i.e., keeps to himself) the weak points of others, who talks (only) about the virtues of others, who even mentally does not snatch the wealth, even of the measure of a blade of grass, of others—all these, O best of vaiśyas, do not experience the agony of hell. A man who blames others and who is heretical, is worse than even sinners. He is cooked in the hell till the destruction of the beings (i.e., till the deluge). A man who speaks harsh words, should be looked upon as having come from hell. There is no doubt, O best among the vaiśyas, that such a man meets with misery. An ungrateful man does not have expiation by (visiting) holy places or (practising) austerities. The man suffers from a terrible agony in hell for a long time.

69-71. That man who having controlled his senses and diet bathes at the holy places which are there on the earth, does not go to Yama’s abode. A man should not commit a sin at a holy place and should not earn his livelihood at a holy place. Acceptance of gifts at a holy place should be renounced (i.e., gifts should not be accepted at a holy place). So also giving up one’s religion for the sake of material gain should be avoided at a holy place. A sin committed at a holy place, also gifts received at a holy place do not give enjoyment. All this does not give enjoyment at a holy place. Why should one go to hell (by doing these things at a holy place)?

72-77. A man who has once (only) bathed in Gaṅgā , and is purified by the water of Gaṅgā, does not go to hell, even though he has committed a heap of sins. We have heard that vows, gifts, penance, sacrifices and other pious acts are not equal to the bath with the drops of the water of Gaṅgā. O vaiśya, that mean man who says that Gaṅgā is like other holy places, goes to a great, terrible hell. The element of the water (of Gaṅgā) oozes piety; it has dropped from the feet of Viṣṇu . That water of Gaṅgā which is held by Śiva on his head, is Brahman itself which is qualityless and which is beyond Prakṛti . There is no doubt about this. What would equal it within the range of the universe? A man who would say ‘Gaṅgā, Gaṅgā’ even at a distance of hundreds of yojanas , does not go to hell. What can be equal to her? The act giving (i.e., taking one to) hell cannot be instantly burnt by any other (means than the water of Gaṅgā).

78. O vaiśya, that man who though fit to accept gift does not accept it, shines in the form of a star in the sky.

79ab. Those who take out a cow from mud, who take care of the sick, and who die in a cattleshed, (become) stars in the sky.

79c-83. Those who are wholly devoted to prāṇāyāma (i.e., restraining their breath) during the mental recitation of the names of a deity, get their sins destroyed, even though they are sinners, by them (i.e., prāṇāyāmas ) only, and do not see Yama’s world. O vaiśya, the sixteen prāṇāyāmas evidently purify even the killer of a brāhmaṇa when practised day after day. Prāṇāyāma is equal to austerities that are practised or vows and restraints that are observed or to a thousand cows given as a gift. Prāṇāyāma is equal to (the fruit of) a drop of water taken on the tip of a Kuśa , which a man would drink month after month for a full hundred years. A man reduces to ashes within a moment all the sin which is great or small by means of prāṇāyāma.

84-86. O best of men, those excellent men who look upon another’s wife as their mother, never go to (i.e., experience) agony of (i.e., given by) Yama. O vaiśya, he who does not enjoy another’s wife even mentally, is with the two worlds (i.e., enjoys both of them). He has supported the earth. Therefore, those who are endowed with piety, should give up enjoying another’s wife. (Enjoying) another’s wife leads to twenty-one hells. [1]

87. O best of the vaiśyas, those in whose minds desire for (enjoying) other’s wives does not arise go to the world of gods, and not to Yama.

88. He who is not conquered by anger, (even though) causes of anger are present, must be looked upon as one who has conquered heaven and as a wrathless man on the earth.

89-90. A son who adores his mother and father like deities (even) before they have reached old age does not go to Yama. O best of vaiśyas, men who adore their preceptor with greater devotion than their father, become guests (i.e., are honoured as guests) in Brahmā ’s world.

91-92. And here women are blessed who guard their character. By spoiling their character women go to the very terrible world of Yama. By avoiding the company of the wicked women should always preserve their character; for, O vaiśya, there is no doubt that by means of (the preservation of) their character women get (i.e., reach) the best heaven.

93. Misery is enjoined for him who performs a śūdra ’s domestic sacrifice and does what is prohibited; and he obtains a position in hell.

94-97. Those, who ponder over sacred texts, who are engrossed in Vedic studies, who narrate and recite Purāṇas , who expound the smṛtis (i.e., codes of law), who propound the laws of good conduct, who are adept in the Vedāntas (i.e., the Upaniṣads ), have sustained this world. With their sins destroyed by the virtue of that particular study, all of them go to Brahmā’s world where there is no delusion. Even Vedas adore him who gives knowledge arising out of the sacred Vedic texts to an ignorant person, and (who therefore) cuts off the bond of mundane existence.

98-119. O best vaiśya, listen to this wonderful secret which is approved by Dharmarāja and which gives nectar to all the worlds. The devotees of Viṣṇu do not see Yama or Yama’s world or beings of a horrible appearance. I have told the truth, (and) the truth (only). The brother of Yamunā (i.e., Yama) has always and repeatedly told us: “You have to spare the devotees of Viṣṇu; they should not come within my power. Those beings who (even) once (or) occasionally remember Viṣṇu with all the heaps of their sins destroyed, go to the highest position of Viṣṇu. You should also always spare a man who adores Viṣṇu, even though he is of a bad conduct or a sinner who is devoted to good practices. You should also spare the man at whose house a devotee of Viṣṇu eats or those (men) who are in the company of a devotee of Viṣṇu, (since) their sins are destroyed due to his company.” O vaiśya, the god holding the (chastising) rod, always instructs us like this. Therefore, the devotees of Viṣṇu never go to the capital city of Yama. O best among the vaiśyas, for crossing the ocean of hell there is no other means than devotion to Viṣṇu for the most sinful persons. O vaiśya, a man should not investigate an outcast who is a devotee of Viṣṇu. A devotee of Viṣṇu, even if he is an outcast, purifies the three worlds. Thus, for fully removing the dirt of sins men should repeat the virtues, acts and names of the lord, since, even the sinner Ajāmila crying ‘O son Nārāyaṇa ’ while dying, obtained salvation. When men gladly worship Viṣṇu, all those (ancestors of them) who have sunk in hell for a long time and the two families (i.e., of the father and of the mother) go to heaven. O vaiśya, those who are servants of a Viṣṇu’s devotee and who eat food from a Viṣṇu’s devotee, go without being perplexed to the position of (the followers of Viṣṇu), the enjoyers of sacrifices. A man should with effort desire food from a Viṣṇu’s devotee for purification from all sins. In its absence he should drink water. (Even) if a man muttering the hymn (‘ Govinda ...’) dies anywhere, he does not see Yama, nor do we see him. He should fully recite the hymn consisting of twelve syllables with the mudrās (i.e., particular positions of the fingers) with meditation, with (the name of) the sage, metre and deity, with (i.e., after) initiation and in the proper manner. On seeing the best men who mutter the best hymn consisting of eight syllables, a killer of a brāhmaṇa would be purified and himself shines like Viṣṇu. Those men, being the possessors of conches and discs (i.e., resembling Viṣṇu), entering Brahma , live in the form of Viṣṇu in the heaven of Viṣṇu. Men having properly worshipped Viṣṇu (residing) in the heart, in the sun, in water or on the altar of the idol, reach Viṣṇu’s position. Or, those who desire salvation, should always worship Viṣṇu in a śālagrāma (stone), a gem, or a disc made of steel particles; for, O vaiśya, it is the abode ofViṣṇu, which destroys all sins, which gives all religious merit and which gives salvation to all. He who would worship Viṣṇu on a disc made of the śālagrāma stone, has everyday performed a thousand Rājasūya sacrifices. The Vedāntas (i.e., the Upaniṣads) always look upon Viṣṇu, as Brahman, the Supreme Spirit. By worshipping the śālagrāma stone men would obtain his favour.

120-123. As the fire residing in a large wood shines at the place of sacrifice, in the same way the all-pervading Viṣṇu shines in the śālagrāma. O vaiśya, worshippers of śālagrāma, even though they are of a sinful conduct or are not entitled to (religious) rites, do not certainly go to Yama’s abode. Viṣṇu does not as much rejoice with Lakṣmī or in his own city, as he always rejoices in the disc on the śālagrāma stone. He, who has worshipped Viṣṇu on the disc made of the śālagrāma stone, has performed agnihotra or given the earth with the ocean (as a gift).

124-146a. I shall tell you of the religious merit of him who has duly worshipped the twelve stones produced from śālagrāma rock. That (merit) which would be (obtained) by worshipping with golden lotuses twelve crores of Phalluses twelve times would be (obtained) in a day only (by worshipping a śālagrāma). He who would devoutly worship a hundred śālagrāma stones, would, after living with Viṣṇu, be born as a sovereign emperor here (i.e., on the earth). A mean man pervaded by passions, anger or greed also goes to Viṣṇu’s heaven by worshipping a śālagrāma stone. The man who with joy would worship Viṣṇu in a śālagrāma stone, does not fall from heaven till deluge. O vaiśya, men obtain salvation (merely) by worshipping a śālagrāma stone without (visiting) holy places, without (giving) gifts, and without (performing) sacrifices or without (having any) thought (about it). O vaiśya, the worshipper of a śālagrāma stone, even though he is a sinner, does not go to hell, is (not conceived) in a womb, is not born in a species of birds, or insects, and also he who, conversant with the rite of initiation, its procedure and hymn, would offer an oblation to the disc (does not go to hell). All rivers—Gaṅgā, Godāvarī and Revā which give salvation, abide in the water of śālagrāma. A man who being highly devoted worships in Kaliyuga a śālagrāma by means of various offerings of eatables, flowers, incense, lights, smearings, songs, musical instruments, hymns, rejoices in the company of Viṣṇu for a thousand crores of kalpas. That fruit which is seen (to be obtained) by worshipping and extolling crores of phalluses, is had (by the worship) of a śālagrāma (just) for a day. Men devoid of reasoning on worshipping a phallus made of śālagrāma stone (even) once, go to (i.e., obtain) salvation. Gods, deities, yakṣas and the fourteen worlds live there where Viṣṇu in the form of the śālagrāma stone lives. The manes of the man who has faith in the śālagrāma stone remain pleased in heaven for a hundred kalpas. What is the use of drinking thousand (times) the five products of cow for the men who everyday drink the water from a śālagrāma stone? So also what is the use of visiting thousands of crores of holy places, if a man would drink the auspicious water from the śālagrāma stone? Where there is a śālagrāma stone, there (within a distance of) three yojanas all gifts (given) and sacrifices (performed) would be a crorefold effective. A man devoted to Viṣṇu, who would drink water equal to (i.e., of the measure of) a dropfrom the śālagrāma stone, would never again drink mother’s milk (i.e., would not be born). Even an insect which dies within the distance of a krośa in the vinicity [vicinity?] of a śālagrāma goes to the excellent world ofViṣṇu. He who gives the excellent gift, viz. a disc of the śālagrāma stone, has given the globe along with mountains, groves and forests. A man who would beget money (by trading in) the śālagrāma stone, a seller (of the stone) and one who approves of (such sale), and he who takes delight in testing (the stone)—all these go to hell (and live there) till deluge. Therefore, O vaiśya, a man should avoid the purchase or sale of the disc.

146b-151a. O vaiśya, what is the use of prolixity? A man who is afraid of sins, should always do the mental recitation of the name of Vāsudeva , i.e., Viṣṇu, which removes all sins. A man obtains that fruit by saluting Garuḍa -bannered (Viṣṇu), which he, with his senses controlled, obtains by practising severe penance in a forest. A man, even after having committed, (due to) being full of delusion, many sins, goes to Viṣṇu who removes all sins, (and) not to hell. By reciting the names of Viṣṇu a man obtains (the fruit of having visited) all those holy places and sacred abodes. Those devoted ones who resort to god Viṣṇu, the holder of the Śārṅga (bow), do not reside in the same world as Yama, and would not have a hell as their abode.

15lb-152a. O vaiśya, one who is a devotee of Viṣṇu and who censures Śiva would not obtain (i.e., go to) Viṣṇu’s heaven; he goes to a great hell.

152b-164. It is heard from Lomaśa that if a man by chance observes fast on the eleventh day of a month, he does not undergo agony (caused) by Yama. There is nothing else that is as purifying as this in the three worlds. Both the days (i.e., the two ekādaśī days) of Viṣṇu destroy sins. O best among vaiśyas, as long as a creature does not observe a fast on the day sacred to Viṣṇu, sins live in his body. Thousands of horse sacrifices and hundreds of Rājasūya (sacrifices) are not equal (even) to a sixteenth part of (the merit due to) a fast on the eleventh day. All that sin which men have committed with the eleven organs (of cognition and action), O vaiśya, perishes by (observing) the fast on the eleventh day. There is no other (vow bringing) merit like the (fast on) the ekādaśī (day). Even those who have observed (the ekādaśī-fast) under some pretext, do not go under the sway of the son of the Sun (i.e., Yama). It grants heaven and salvation; it gives good health. It gives a good wife; it gives sons that live (i.e., that do not die before the parents). O vaiśya, Gaṅgā, Gayā , Kāśī , Puṣkara or even any place sacred to Viṣṇu cannot be equated to the day of Viṣṇu (i.e., ekādaśī). Yamunā and Candrabhāgā are not equal to Viṣṇu’s day (i.e., ekādaśī) by which the position of Viṣṇu is obtained without any effort. O vaiśya, by keeping awake during the night and observing a fast on Viṣṇu’s day a man certainly emancipates ten ancestors of the father’s family, ten of the mother’s family and ten of the wife’s (family). Those, who have given up attachment to the pairs (of opposites), who have made him (i.e., Viṣṇu) having the enemy of serpents (i.e., Garuḍa) as his banner as their abode, who wear garlands, who have put on yellow garments, go to Viṣṇu’s abode. A sinner who observes a fast in his childhood, youth or old age on the ekādaśī day, does not meet with a great misery, O best among vaiśyas.

I65-167a. Men go to heaven by having observed a fast for three nights or having bathed at holy places or by having donated gold, sesamum seeds and cows. O vaiśya, those who do not bathe at the sacred places or who have not given (a gift of) gold or who have not practised penance are unhappy everywhere. I have told you in brief what piety is. I have defined hell (also).

167b-170. (A man should have) no malice towards any being by words, thoughts or physical acts. (He should) control (his) senses; (he should give) gifts; (he should) worship Viṣṇu; and should always properly follow the duties pertaining to the caste and stage of life. O vaiśya, a man who desires (to go to) heaven should never tell (anyone) about his penance and gifts. He should thus give according to his capacity and with a desire for his own well-being sandals, garments, food, leaves, roots, fruits and water. O vaiśya, even a poor man should make his day productive.

171-174. In this world and in the next one what is not given does not come (to help a man). The donors do not meet with the agonies (inflicted) by Yama. They have a long life and repeatedly become wealthy. What is the use of talking much in this matter? People meet with misery by wicked deeds. Men (engaged) in pious works everywhere and at all times go up to heaven. Therefore, (right) from childhood one should collect religious merit. Thus I have told you everything. What else do you desire to hear?

Vikuṇḍala said :

175-179 O gentle sir, having heard your words my mind is pleased. The water of Gaṅgā instantly removes sins. (So also) the words of the good remove sins instantly. To oblige (others), to talk agreeably is the natural virtue of the good. Who makes the moon, the orb of (i.e., containing) nectar, cold? O you divine messenger, then tell me through pity towards me who am asking you, how can my brother have instant acquital from hell?

Hearing these words of (i.e., uttered by) him, the divine messenger, observing meditation for a moment, and being tied by the bond of friendship (with Vikuṇḍala) said: “O vaiśya, if you desire heaven for your brother, then give him all the religious merit that you have collected in your eighth existence.”

Vikuṇḍala said :

180. What is that religious merit? How was it produced? Which was my former existence? O messenger, tell all that to me so that I shall quickly give (my religious merit to my brother.)

The dive messenger said :

181-189. O vaiśya, listen, I shall explain to you that merit with its cause. Formerly in the holy Madhuvana lived a sage named Śākuni . He was endowed with penance and learning, and was equal to Brahman in lustre. He begot nine sons like planets on (his wife) Revatī : Dhruva , Śīla , Budha , Tārā , and Jyotiṣmat , as the fifth. These maintained sacred fire and took delight in household duties. Nirmoha , Jitakāma, Dhyānakośa and Guṇādhika—these four sons of the brāhmaṇa were detached from the householder’s life. Being free from all desires they took to the fourth stage of life. They lived in the same village. They all were detached and had no possessions. They were devoid of hopes, did not exert themselves, and looked equally upon a clod, a stone and gold. They covered themselves with anything; they ate whatever (they got). They received (food etc. only) in the evening; and they were greatly intent on meditating on Viṣṇu, They had overcome sleep; they had controlled their diet; they endured wind and cold. Looking upon the entire mobile and immobile world as Viṣṇu’s form, they easily roamed over the earth. They remained quiet with (i.e., did not talk to) one another. The meditating saints did not perform any act for (personal) gain. They had achieved knowledge, had no doubt and were conversant with the modifications of thought ( cidvikāra ).

190-200a. Thus, these, oppressed by hunger and thirst came in the noon to the house of you, a brāhmaṇa, who were in your eighth existence staying with the members of your family like the son and the wife in Madhyadeśa . You saw them in the courtyard of your house when offerings were being made to all deities (before meals). With faltering words, with tears in your eyes, with joy and confusion, you greeted them all by prostrating before them respectfully, by saluting their feet by (keeping your) head (on their feet) and joining (the palms of) your hands in obeisance and with sweet and agreeable words: “Today my existence is fruitful, so also my life is fruitful. Today Viṣṇu is pleased with me. Today I have secured a protector, and am purified. Today I am blessed, my house is blessed, members of my family are blessed today, my parents are blessed today, my cows, my learning, my wealth are blessed today, since I have seen your feet removing the three (kinds of) miseries, for seeing you is as fortunate as seeing Viṣṇu himself”. Having thus adored them and having washed their feet (with water) you held that (water) on your head with great devotion, O best among the vaiśyas. O vaiśya,you held the water (used) for (washing their) feet on your head. Having worshipped them with sandal (-paste), flowers, sacred rice-grains, incense and lamps with devotion, you fed them with excellent food. The great ascetics were pleased and rested in your house at night meditating upon the highest Brahman which is regarded as the light of lights.

200b-206. O best vaiśya, I cannot describe (even) with a thousand mouths the religious merit which you secured by (your showing) hospitality to them. Among the beings creatures are superior; among creatures the intellectuals are superior. Among the intellectuals gods are superior. Among men brāhmaṇas are superior. Among brāhmaṇas the learned are superior; among the learned those of firm determination are superior. Among those superior are those who carry out their determinations into action. Among them superior are those who know Brahman. Therefore, they are to be very much adored, and so they are best in the three worlds. O best among the vaiśyas, their company destroys great sins. The knowers of Brahman taking rest in the house of a householder and pleased thereby destroy in a moment the sins collected from one’s birth. A sage staying (in a householder’s home) for a night completely burns the householder’s sins accumulated upto his death. Give that religious merit to your brother, by which he will be liberated.

207-209. Hearing these words of the messenger, he quickly gave his merit (to his brother). The brother too came out of hell with his mind pleased. Being honoured with a shower of flowers by gods they went to heaven. Well honoured by the two (brothers) the messenger went as he had come. The son of a vaiśya, having heard the messenger’s words which enlightened the entire world, which were like the words of the Veda , having emancipated his brother by giving him the merit of his deeds, went with him to the excellent world of the lord of gods.

210. O king, he who would recite or hear this account, would, being free from grief, obtain the fruit of (presenting) a thousand cows.

[1]: [1] : Narakān Ekaviṃśati—The twenty-one hells according to the Manusmṛti (IV. 88-90) are as follows: Tāmisra, Andhatāmisra, Mahāraurava, Raurava, Kālasūtra, Mahānaraka, Saṃjīvana, Mahāvīci, Tapana, Sampratāpana, Saṃhāta, Sakākola, Kuḍmala, Pratimūrtika, Lohaśaṅku, Ṛjīṣa, Panthāna, Śālmalī, Vaitaraṇī, Asipatravana, Lohadāraka.

Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 14279, revision 333726 (2022-03-15T17:11:33Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365250.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.