Uttara-khaṇḍa · Chapter 29
Sourceमहादेव उवाच- अथान्यत्संप्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु देवर्षिसत्तम । गोपीचंदनमाहात्म्यं यथादृष्टं श्रुतं मया १। ब्राह्मणो वाथ वैश्यो वा शूद्रो वाप्यथवा द्विजः । गोपीचंदनलिप्तांगो मुच्यते ब्रह्महत्यया २। तिलकं कुरुते यस्तु गोपीचंदनसंभवम् । मद्यपानादिदोषैस्तु मुच्यते नात्र संशयः ३। गोपीचंदनलिप्तांगो वैष्णवो विष्णुतत्परः । सर्वदोषैः प्रमुच्येत यथा गंगांभसा पुनः ४। ब्रह्महा मद्यपानी च स्वर्णस्तेयी तथैव च । गुरुतल्पगमो वाथ शूद्रो वाप्यथ वै द्विजः ५। स सद्यो मुच्यते पापादाजन्मशतकारणात् । द्वादशतिलकं प्रोक्तं सर्वेषां वै विशेषतः ६। वैष्णवानां ब्राह्मणानां कर्तव्यं भूतिमिच्छताम् । दंडाकारं ललाटे स्यात्पद्माकारं तु वक्षसि ७। वेणुपत्रनिभं बाहुमूलेऽन्यद्दीपकाकृति । उच्चैश्चक्राणि चत्वारि बाहुमूले तु दक्षिणे ८। नाममुद्राद्वयं नीचैः शंखमेकं तयोरपि । मध्ये ततः पार्श्वयोस्तु द्वे द्वे पद्मे च धारयेत् ९। वामेऽपि चतुरः शंखान्नाममुद्रे च पूर्ववत् । चक्रमेकंगदे द्वे द्वे तयोरिति विभेदतः १०। ललाटे च गदामेकां नाममुद्रां तथा हृदि । त्रीणित्रीणि विचित्राणि मध्ये शाखावुभावुभौ ११। हृदि पार्श्वे स्तनादूर्ध्वं गदापद्मानि बाहुवत् । त्रीणि चत्वारि चक्राणि कर्णमूले द्वयोरधः १२। एकमेकं तदन्येषु तिलकेषु च धारयेत् । संप्रदायजमुद्रां तु धार्या शिष्टानुसारतः १३। यथारुच्यथवा धार्या न तत्र नियमा यतः । आचांडालाद्विशुद्ध्यंति तिलकस्यैव धारणात् १४। चांडालादधिकं मन्ये वैष्णवानां हि निंदकम् । स च विष्णुसमो ज्ञेयो नात्र कार्या विचारणा १५। वैष्णवो ब्राह्मणो यस्तु विष्णुध्यानेषु तत्परः । नांतरस्तस्य वै ज्ञेयः स वै विष्णुर्भवेदिह १६। शंखचक्रधरो विप्रो वेदाध्ययनतत्परः । स वै नारायण इति वेदे चैव तु पठ्यते १७। तप्तचक्रधरो विप्रः पंक्तिपावनपावनः । तस्य भक्तियुतो ब्रह्मन्महापापैः प्रमुच्यते १८। तुलसीपत्रमालां वा तुलसीकाष्ठसंभवाम् । धृत्वा वै ब्राह्मणो भूयान्मुक्तिभागी न संशयः १९। विष्णुरूपो यतो विप्रो वैष्णवः स इह स्मृतः । पंचत्वे यस्य तिलकं गोपीचंदनसंभवम् २०। विमानं स समारुह्य याति विष्णोः परं पदम् । कलौ नारद वक्ष्यामि तिलकं गोपिचंदनम् २१। ये कुर्वंति नरश्रेष्ठा न तेषां दुर्गतिः क्वचित् । शंखं चैव तथा चक्रं दक्षिणे चापि सव्यके २२। हस्ते धृत्वा विशेषेण महापापैः प्रमुच्यते । मद्यपानरता ये च ये च स्त्रीबालघातकाः २३। अगम्यागमका ये वै दृश्यंते भुवि वाडव । भक्तानां दर्शनादेव मुक्तिस्तेषां न संशयः २४। संसारे तुच्छसारेस्मिन्कुतो वै वैष्णवा जनाः । अहं हि वैष्णवो जातो विष्णोर्भक्तिप्रसादतः २५। काश्यां निवसतां ह्यत्र रामरामेति संजपन् । तेन पुण्यादियोगेन शिवो वै नात्र संशयः २६। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्सहस्रसंहितायां उत्तरखण्डे उमापतिनारदसंवादे गोपीचंदनमाहात्म्यं नामैकोनत्रिंशोऽध्यायः २९।
mahādeva uvāca- athānyatsaṃpravakṣyāmi śṛṇu devarṣisattama | gopīcaṃdanamāhātmyaṃ yathādṛṣṭaṃ śrutaṃ mayā 1| brāhmaṇo vātha vaiśyo vā śūdro vāpyathavā dvijaḥ | gopīcaṃdanaliptāṃgo mucyate brahmahatyayā 2| tilakaṃ kurute yastu gopīcaṃdanasaṃbhavam | madyapānādidoṣaistu mucyate nātra saṃśayaḥ 3| gopīcaṃdanaliptāṃgo vaiṣṇavo viṣṇutatparaḥ | sarvadoṣaiḥ pramucyeta yathā gaṃgāṃbhasā punaḥ 4| brahmahā madyapānī ca svarṇasteyī tathaiva ca | gurutalpagamo vātha śūdro vāpyatha vai dvijaḥ 5| sa sadyo mucyate pāpādājanmaśatakāraṇāt | dvādaśatilakaṃ proktaṃ sarveṣāṃ vai viśeṣataḥ 6| vaiṣṇavānāṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ kartavyaṃ bhūtimicchatām | daṃḍākāraṃ lalāṭe syātpadmākāraṃ tu vakṣasi 7| veṇupatranibhaṃ bāhumūle'nyaddīpakākṛti | uccaiścakrāṇi catvāri bāhumūle tu dakṣiṇe 8| nāmamudrādvayaṃ nīcaiḥ śaṃkhamekaṃ tayorapi | madhye tataḥ pārśvayostu dve dve padme ca dhārayet 9| vāme'pi caturaḥ śaṃkhānnāmamudre ca pūrvavat | cakramekaṃgade dve dve tayoriti vibhedataḥ 10| lalāṭe ca gadāmekāṃ nāmamudrāṃ tathā hṛdi | trīṇitrīṇi vicitrāṇi madhye śākhāvubhāvubhau 11| hṛdi pārśve stanādūrdhvaṃ gadāpadmāni bāhuvat | trīṇi catvāri cakrāṇi karṇamūle dvayoradhaḥ 12| ekamekaṃ tadanyeṣu tilakeṣu ca dhārayet | saṃpradāyajamudrāṃ tu dhāryā śiṣṭānusārataḥ 13| yathārucyathavā dhāryā na tatra niyamā yataḥ | ācāṃḍālādviśuddhyaṃti tilakasyaiva dhāraṇāt 14| cāṃḍālādadhikaṃ manye vaiṣṇavānāṃ hi niṃdakam | sa ca viṣṇusamo jñeyo nātra kāryā vicāraṇā 15| vaiṣṇavo brāhmaṇo yastu viṣṇudhyāneṣu tatparaḥ | nāṃtarastasya vai jñeyaḥ sa vai viṣṇurbhavediha 16| śaṃkhacakradharo vipro vedādhyayanatatparaḥ | sa vai nārāyaṇa iti vede caiva tu paṭhyate 17| taptacakradharo vipraḥ paṃktipāvanapāvanaḥ | tasya bhaktiyuto brahmanmahāpāpaiḥ pramucyate 18| tulasīpatramālāṃ vā tulasīkāṣṭhasaṃbhavām | dhṛtvā vai brāhmaṇo bhūyānmuktibhāgī na saṃśayaḥ 19| viṣṇurūpo yato vipro vaiṣṇavaḥ sa iha smṛtaḥ | paṃcatve yasya tilakaṃ gopīcaṃdanasaṃbhavam 20| vimānaṃ sa samāruhya yāti viṣṇoḥ paraṃ padam | kalau nārada vakṣyāmi tilakaṃ gopicaṃdanam 21| ye kurvaṃti naraśreṣṭhā na teṣāṃ durgatiḥ kvacit | śaṃkhaṃ caiva tathā cakraṃ dakṣiṇe cāpi savyake 22| haste dhṛtvā viśeṣeṇa mahāpāpaiḥ pramucyate | madyapānaratā ye ca ye ca strībālaghātakāḥ 23| agamyāgamakā ye vai dṛśyaṃte bhuvi vāḍava | bhaktānāṃ darśanādeva muktisteṣāṃ na saṃśayaḥ 24| saṃsāre tucchasāresminkuto vai vaiṣṇavā janāḥ | ahaṃ hi vaiṣṇavo jāto viṣṇorbhaktiprasādataḥ 25| kāśyāṃ nivasatāṃ hyatra rāmarāmeti saṃjapan | tena puṇyādiyogena śivo vai nātra saṃśayaḥ 26| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe paṃcapaṃcāśatsahasrasaṃhitāyāṃ uttarakhaṇḍe umāpatināradasaṃvāde gopīcaṃdanamāhātmyaṃ nāmaikonatriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ 29|
English translation
Mahādeva said :
1-13a. Now I shall tell you something else: the importance of (the sandal called) gopīcandana as I saw and heard about it, O best divine sage. A brāhmaṇa , or a vaiśya , or a śūdra , whose body is smeared with gopīcandana is free from the sin of killing a brāhmaṇa. There is no doubt that he who puts a mark of gopīcandana (on his body) is free from the sins like drinking etc. A Viṣṇu ’s devotee, exclusively devoted to Viṣṇu, with his body smeared with gopīcandana, is free from all sins; so also (he is free from sins) due to the water of Gaṅgā . A śūdra or a brāhmaṇa who has killed a brāhmaṇa, or who is a drunkard, so also (a brāhmaṇa) who has stolen gold, who has molested his preceptor’s wife, is instantly freed from sins committed during hundreds of existences. Twelve marks are prescribed for all devotees of Viṣṇu; they should be put especially by brāhmaṇas (who are Viṣṇu’s devotees) and who desire welfare. It should be of the form of a staff on the forehead; of the form of a lotus on the chest. (It should be) like (the form of) a reed-leaf on the shoulder-blade. The other one should be like the form of a lamp. On the right shoulder-blade there should be four marks like those of wheel above and two ring-like marks below. One of the two (should be of the form of) a conch. He should have two (marks) in the middle, so also on the sides. On the left (shoulder-blade there should also be) a mark of a disc and (marks of) two maces (drawn) separately. On the forehead (there should be the mark of) a mace, so also of a seal-ring on the chest. There should be three beautiful marks and two (marks of) conches in the middle. On the chest, on the side above the breast, (there should be the marks of) a mace and lotuses as on the arms. At the root of the ear there should be three or four (marks of discs) and two below (it). He should put one (mark) out of other marks.
13b-2la. Following the wise he should put on the mark of his sect. He should put it as he likes, since there is no rule about it. By means of just putting a mark (all) upto a cāṇḍāla are purified. I look upon the reviler of the devotees of Viṣṇu as a greater (sinner) than a cāṇḍāla. He (i.e. a cāṇḍāla) should be looked upon like Viṣṇu. No doubt should be raised in this matter. None (else) should be known to be similar to a brāhmaṇa who is Viṣṇu’s devotee and who is devoted to the meditation on Viṣṇu. He would (himself) be Viṣṇu in the world. A brāhmaṇa having (the marks of) a conch and a disc (on his body), and devoted to the study of the Vedas , is (alone) said to be Viṣṇu in the Veda . A brāhmaṇa who has the mark of (i.e. made with) a disc, purifies those brāhmaṇas who purify by their presence the persons who sit in the same row to dine with them. He who is devoted to him is freed from great sins, O brāhmaṇa. There is no doubt that a brāhmaṇa, after having worn the garland of Tulasī -wood, would enjoy salvation. Since a brāhmaṇa is of the form of Viṣṇu, he is said to be Viṣṇu’s devotee in this world. He who has a mark of gopīcandana (on his body) at the time of his death gets into an aeroplane and goes to the highest position of Viṣṇu.
21b-26. O Nārada , I shall tell you that those best men who put on the mark of gopīcandana never meet with a calamity. A man who puts (the mark of) a conch and (that of) a disc on his right hand and particularly on the left hand also is freed from great sins. There is no doubt that those who are seen to have indulged in drinking, to have killed women and children, to have practised illicit intercourse, get freed just on seeing the devotees (of Viṣṇu), O brāhmaṇa. How can (one find) devotees of Viṣṇu in this mundane existence of little worth? I have surely become a devotee of Viṣṇu through the favour of Viṣṇu’s devotion. There is no doubt that dwelling here in Kāśī and muttering ‘ Rāma , Rama ’, he becomes Śiva due to the contact with that religious merit.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 44611, revision 336297 (2022-04-21T04:56:47Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365460.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.