Uttara-khaṇḍa · Chapter 31
Sourceनारद उवाच- देवदेव जगन्नाथ भक्तानामभयप्रद । व्रतं ब्रूहि महादेव कृपां कृत्वा ममोपरि १। श्रीमहादेव उवाच- सार्वभौमः पुरा ह्यासीद्धरिश्चंद्रो महीपतिः । तस्यतुष्टोऽददद्ब्रह्मा पुरीं कामदुघां शुभाम् २। सर्वरत्नमयीं दिव्यां बालार्कसदृशप्रभाम् । तत्र स्थितो महीपालो सप्तद्वीपां वसुंधराम् ३। पालयामास धर्मेण पिता पुत्रमिवौरसम् । प्रभूतधनधान्यस्तु पुत्रदौहित्रवान्नृपः ४। स पालयन्शुभं राज्यं परं विस्मयमागतः । न तादृशमभूत्पूर्वं राज्यं कस्य हि कर्हिचित् ५। न चेदृशं नरैरन्यैर्विमानमधिरोहितम् । कस्येह कर्मणो व्यष्टिर्येनाहं सुरराडिव ६। इति चिंतापरो भूत्वा विमानवरमास्थितः । ददर्श पार्थिववरो मेरुं शिखरिणां वरम् ७। तत्रास्ते च महात्मासौ द्वितीय इव भास्करः । आसीनं पर्वतवरे शैलपट्टे हिरण्मये ८ । सनत्कुमारं ब्रह्मर्षिं ज्ञानयोगपरायणम् । दृष्ट्वा ह्यवातरद्राजा प्रष्टुकामोऽथ विस्मयम् ९। ववंदे चरणौ हृष्टस्तेनापि स च नंदितः । सुखोपविष्टस्तु नृपः पप्रच्छ मुनिपुंगवम् १०। भगवन्दुर्ल्लभा लोके संपच्चेयं यथा मम । कर्मणा केन लभ्येत कश्चाहं पूर्वजन्मनि ११। तत्त्वं कथय मे सर्वमनुग्राह्योऽस्मि ते यदि । सनत्कुमार उवाच-। शृणु राजन्प्रवक्ष्यामि पूर्ववृत्तस्य कारणम् १२। येन कृत्वा विशेषेण तव चानुग्रहोऽभवत् । त्वमासीः पूर्वजनुषि सुवैश्यः सत्यवाक्शुचिः १३। स्वं कर्म ते परित्यक्तं ततस्त्यक्तस्तु बांधवैः । सत्वं वृत्तिपरिक्षीणो भार्ययानुगतस्तथा १४। निर्गतः स्वजनांस्त्यक्त्वा परप्रेषणलिप्सया । न च प्रेषणदो ह्यासीत्काले दुर्भिक्षपीडितः १५। ततः कदाचिद्गहने सरश्चोत्फुल्लपंकजम् । दृष्ट्वा तत्र कृतो भावो गृह्णीवः पंकजानि वै १६। एतावदुक्त्वा पुष्पाणि तान्यादाय पदे पदे । आस्थितौ नगरीं पुण्यां नाम्ना वाराणसीं शुभाम् १७। ततो विक्रयतः कश्चिनैव गृह्णाति पंकजम् । तन्मठान्निर्गतः कश्चित्तत्रैव प्रांगणे स्थितः १८। तत्र स्थाने प्रविशता श्रुतो वादित्रनिस्वनः । कस्मिंश्च श्रूयते ह्येष वादित्रस्य च निस्वनः १९। इति पृष्टे तदा तूर्ये तेनोक्ते प्रस्थितोंतरम् । काशिराजस्तु विख्यात इंद्रद्युम्नस्तु पार्थिवः २०। तस्यास्ति दुहिता ख्याता नाम्ना चंद्रावती सती । उपोषिता महाभागा जयंतीमष्टमीं शुभाम् २१। तत्रागतोऽसौ वैश्यस्तु यत्र तिष्ठति सा शुभा । संतुष्टचित्तः स तदा हर्षस्तत्रागतो महान् २२। तत्र स्थाने त्वया दृष्टो देव वैतानिको विधिः । आदित्यसहितो यत्र पूज्यते भगवान्हरिः २३। तद्भक्त्या च त्वया पत्न्या सह पुष्पार्चनं कृतम् । शेषैस्तु प्रकरस्तत्र कृतः पुष्पमयस्तथा २४। तं दृष्ट्वा विस्मिता साह केनेहाभ्यर्चनं कृतम् । ज्ञात्वा तत्कर्मतत्सर्वं कृतं संरक्षणं तथा २५। ततस्तुष्टा तु सा तुभ्यं ददौ वित्तं बहुस्वयम् । त्वया वित्तं नो गृहीतं भोजनायानुमंत्रितः २६। न गृहीतं भोजनं च न च वित्तं त्वया तदा । आदित्यो विष्णुसंयुक्तः पूजितोऽसौ यथाविधि २७। ततः प्रभातसमये रक्षमाणस्तया सदा । विश्रंभयित्वा तान्सर्वान्निर्गतोऽसि यथेच्छया २८। तदेतदन्यजनुषि सुकृतं चार्जितं त्वया । पंचत्वं च त्वया प्राप्तं स्वीयकर्मानुयोगतः २९। तेन पुण्येन महता विमानमागमत्तदा । तत्फलं भुज्यते भूप पूर्वजन्मकृतं च यत् ३०। हरिश्चंद्र उवाच- केनैव च विधानेन कस्मिन्मासे च सा तिथिः । कर्त्तव्या तन्ममाचक्ष्व अनुग्राह्योऽस्मि ते यदि ३१। सनत्कुमार उवाच- शृणुष्वावहितो राजन्कथ्यमानं मया तव । श्रावणस्य तु मासस्य कृष्णाष्टम्यां नराधिप ३२। रोहिणी यदि लभ्येत जयंती नाम सा तिथिः । भूयोभूयो महाराज भवेज्जन्मनि कारणम् ३३। विधानमस्या वक्ष्यामि यथोक्तं ब्रह्मणा मम । यत्कृत्वा मुक्तपापस्तु विष्णुलोकं प्रगच्छति ३४। उपोषितस्ततः कृत्वा स्नानं कृष्णतिलैः सह । स्थापयेदव्रणं कुंभं पंचरत्नसमन्वितम् ३५। वज्रमौक्तिकवैडूर्य पुष्परागेंद्रनीलकम् । पंचरत्नं प्रशस्तं तु इति कात्यायनोऽब्रवीत् ३६। तस्योपरि न्यसेत्पात्रं सौवर्णं लक्षणान्वितम् । सौवर्णां विन्यसेत्तत्र यशोदां नंदगेहिनीम् ३७। ददमानां तु पुत्रस्य स्तनं वै विस्मिताननाम् । पिबमानं स्तनं मातुरपरं पाणिना स्पृशत् ३८। आलोक्य मातरं प्रेम्णा सुखयंतं मुहुर्मुहुः । सौवर्णं कारयेद्देवं यावच्छक्तिश्च विद्यते ३९। द्वि निष्कमात्रं कर्तव्यं यदि शक्तिश्च विद्यते । त्रिलोहेनैव कर्तव्यं सौवर्णेनाथवा पुनः ४०। तद्वच्च रोहिणीं कुर्यात्सौवर्णी राजतः शशी । अंगुष्ठमात्रस्तु शशी रोहिणी चतुरंगुला ४१। कर्णयोः कुंडले दद्यात्कंठाभरणकं गले । एवं कृत्वा तु गोविंदं मात्रासार्द्धं जगत्पतिम् ४२। क्षीरादिस्नपनं कृत्वा चंदनेनानुलेपयेत् । श्वेतवस्त्रयुगच्छत्रं पुष्पमालोपशोभितम् ४३। नैवेद्यैर्विविधैर्भक्षैः फलैर्नानाविधैरपि । दीपं च कारयेत्तत्र पुष्पमंडपशोभितम् ४४। गीतं नृत्यं च वाद्यं च कारयेद्भक्तिमान्बुधैः । एवं कृत्वा विधानं तु यथाविभवसारतः । गुरुं संपूजयेत् पश्चात्पूजां तत्र समापयेत् ४५। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्सहस्रसंहितायां उत्तरखण्डे उमापतिनारदसंवादे जन्माष्टमीव्रतंनाम एकत्रिंशोऽध्यायः ३१।
nārada uvāca- devadeva jagannātha bhaktānāmabhayaprada | vrataṃ brūhi mahādeva kṛpāṃ kṛtvā mamopari 1| śrīmahādeva uvāca- sārvabhaumaḥ purā hyāsīddhariścaṃdro mahīpatiḥ | tasyatuṣṭo'dadadbrahmā purīṃ kāmadughāṃ śubhām 2| sarvaratnamayīṃ divyāṃ bālārkasadṛśaprabhām | tatra sthito mahīpālo saptadvīpāṃ vasuṃdharām 3| pālayāmāsa dharmeṇa pitā putramivaurasam | prabhūtadhanadhānyastu putradauhitravānnṛpaḥ 4| sa pālayanśubhaṃ rājyaṃ paraṃ vismayamāgataḥ | na tādṛśamabhūtpūrvaṃ rājyaṃ kasya hi karhicit 5| na cedṛśaṃ narairanyairvimānamadhirohitam | kasyeha karmaṇo vyaṣṭiryenāhaṃ surarāḍiva 6| iti ciṃtāparo bhūtvā vimānavaramāsthitaḥ | dadarśa pārthivavaro meruṃ śikhariṇāṃ varam 7| tatrāste ca mahātmāsau dvitīya iva bhāskaraḥ | āsīnaṃ parvatavare śailapaṭṭe hiraṇmaye 8 | sanatkumāraṃ brahmarṣiṃ jñānayogaparāyaṇam | dṛṣṭvā hyavātaradrājā praṣṭukāmo'tha vismayam 9| vavaṃde caraṇau hṛṣṭastenāpi sa ca naṃditaḥ | sukhopaviṣṭastu nṛpaḥ papraccha munipuṃgavam 10| bhagavandurllabhā loke saṃpacceyaṃ yathā mama | karmaṇā kena labhyeta kaścāhaṃ pūrvajanmani 11| tattvaṃ kathaya me sarvamanugrāhyo'smi te yadi | sanatkumāra uvāca-| śṛṇu rājanpravakṣyāmi pūrvavṛttasya kāraṇam 12| yena kṛtvā viśeṣeṇa tava cānugraho'bhavat | tvamāsīḥ pūrvajanuṣi suvaiśyaḥ satyavākśuciḥ 13| svaṃ karma te parityaktaṃ tatastyaktastu bāṃdhavaiḥ | satvaṃ vṛttiparikṣīṇo bhāryayānugatastathā 14| nirgataḥ svajanāṃstyaktvā parapreṣaṇalipsayā | na ca preṣaṇado hyāsītkāle durbhikṣapīḍitaḥ 15| tataḥ kadācidgahane saraścotphullapaṃkajam | dṛṣṭvā tatra kṛto bhāvo gṛhṇīvaḥ paṃkajāni vai 16| etāvaduktvā puṣpāṇi tānyādāya pade pade | āsthitau nagarīṃ puṇyāṃ nāmnā vārāṇasīṃ śubhām 17| tato vikrayataḥ kaścinaiva gṛhṇāti paṃkajam | tanmaṭhānnirgataḥ kaścittatraiva prāṃgaṇe sthitaḥ 18| tatra sthāne praviśatā śruto vāditranisvanaḥ | kasmiṃśca śrūyate hyeṣa vāditrasya ca nisvanaḥ 19| iti pṛṣṭe tadā tūrye tenokte prasthitoṃtaram | kāśirājastu vikhyāta iṃdradyumnastu pārthivaḥ 20| tasyāsti duhitā khyātā nāmnā caṃdrāvatī satī | upoṣitā mahābhāgā jayaṃtīmaṣṭamīṃ śubhām 21| tatrāgato'sau vaiśyastu yatra tiṣṭhati sā śubhā | saṃtuṣṭacittaḥ sa tadā harṣastatrāgato mahān 22| tatra sthāne tvayā dṛṣṭo deva vaitāniko vidhiḥ | ādityasahito yatra pūjyate bhagavānhariḥ 23| tadbhaktyā ca tvayā patnyā saha puṣpārcanaṃ kṛtam | śeṣaistu prakarastatra kṛtaḥ puṣpamayastathā 24| taṃ dṛṣṭvā vismitā sāha kenehābhyarcanaṃ kṛtam | jñātvā tatkarmatatsarvaṃ kṛtaṃ saṃrakṣaṇaṃ tathā 25| tatastuṣṭā tu sā tubhyaṃ dadau vittaṃ bahusvayam | tvayā vittaṃ no gṛhītaṃ bhojanāyānumaṃtritaḥ 26| na gṛhītaṃ bhojanaṃ ca na ca vittaṃ tvayā tadā | ādityo viṣṇusaṃyuktaḥ pūjito'sau yathāvidhi 27| tataḥ prabhātasamaye rakṣamāṇastayā sadā | viśraṃbhayitvā tānsarvānnirgato'si yathecchayā 28| tadetadanyajanuṣi sukṛtaṃ cārjitaṃ tvayā | paṃcatvaṃ ca tvayā prāptaṃ svīyakarmānuyogataḥ 29| tena puṇyena mahatā vimānamāgamattadā | tatphalaṃ bhujyate bhūpa pūrvajanmakṛtaṃ ca yat 30| hariścaṃdra uvāca- kenaiva ca vidhānena kasminmāse ca sā tithiḥ | karttavyā tanmamācakṣva anugrāhyo'smi te yadi 31| sanatkumāra uvāca- śṛṇuṣvāvahito rājankathyamānaṃ mayā tava | śrāvaṇasya tu māsasya kṛṣṇāṣṭamyāṃ narādhipa 32| rohiṇī yadi labhyeta jayaṃtī nāma sā tithiḥ | bhūyobhūyo mahārāja bhavejjanmani kāraṇam 33| vidhānamasyā vakṣyāmi yathoktaṃ brahmaṇā mama | yatkṛtvā muktapāpastu viṣṇulokaṃ pragacchati 34| upoṣitastataḥ kṛtvā snānaṃ kṛṣṇatilaiḥ saha | sthāpayedavraṇaṃ kuṃbhaṃ paṃcaratnasamanvitam 35| vajramauktikavaiḍūrya puṣparāgeṃdranīlakam | paṃcaratnaṃ praśastaṃ tu iti kātyāyano'bravīt 36| tasyopari nyasetpātraṃ sauvarṇaṃ lakṣaṇānvitam | sauvarṇāṃ vinyasettatra yaśodāṃ naṃdagehinīm 37| dadamānāṃ tu putrasya stanaṃ vai vismitānanām | pibamānaṃ stanaṃ māturaparaṃ pāṇinā spṛśat 38| ālokya mātaraṃ premṇā sukhayaṃtaṃ muhurmuhuḥ | sauvarṇaṃ kārayeddevaṃ yāvacchaktiśca vidyate 39| dvi niṣkamātraṃ kartavyaṃ yadi śaktiśca vidyate | trilohenaiva kartavyaṃ sauvarṇenāthavā punaḥ 40| tadvacca rohiṇīṃ kuryātsauvarṇī rājataḥ śaśī | aṃguṣṭhamātrastu śaśī rohiṇī caturaṃgulā 41| karṇayoḥ kuṃḍale dadyātkaṃṭhābharaṇakaṃ gale | evaṃ kṛtvā tu goviṃdaṃ mātrāsārddhaṃ jagatpatim 42| kṣīrādisnapanaṃ kṛtvā caṃdanenānulepayet | śvetavastrayugacchatraṃ puṣpamālopaśobhitam 43| naivedyairvividhairbhakṣaiḥ phalairnānāvidhairapi | dīpaṃ ca kārayettatra puṣpamaṃḍapaśobhitam 44| gītaṃ nṛtyaṃ ca vādyaṃ ca kārayedbhaktimānbudhaiḥ | evaṃ kṛtvā vidhānaṃ tu yathāvibhavasārataḥ | guruṃ saṃpūjayet paścātpūjāṃ tatra samāpayet 45| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe paṃcapaṃcāśatsahasrasaṃhitāyāṃ uttarakhaṇḍe umāpatināradasaṃvāde janmāṣṭamīvrataṃnāma ekatriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ 31|
English translation
Nārada Said :
1. O god of gods, O lord of the world, O you who grant fearlessness to your devotees, having favoured me tell me about the vow (of Janmāṣṭamī ), O Mahādeva .
Śrī Mahādeva said :
2-12a. Formerly there was king Hariścandra who was a sovereign emperor. Brahmā pleased with him gave him an auspicious city which satisfied all desires, which was full of all gems, which was divine and lustrous like the young sun. Having stayed in it, the king righteously protected the earth with seven islands, as a father protects his legitimate son. The king having great wealth and corn, and having sons and daughters, and being very proud protected that auspicious kingdom. Nobody before (him) had such a kingdom anywhere (in the world). No other men also ever got into such an aeroplane (as he did). ‘Of which act (of mine) is this the fruit that I am (enjoying) like the lord of gods?’ Being engrossed in thinking like this, the excellent king seated in an excellent aeroplane saw the Meru , the best of mountains. The magnanimous one, as it were the other sun, was there. The king, having seen on the excellent mountain, on the golden strip of the mountain, Sanatkumāra , the brāhmaṇic sage, exclusively devoted to abstract meditation, got down with a desire to ask him about the wonder. Being delighted, he saluted his feet. He too greeted him. The king, who was seated comfortably, asked the best sage: “O lord, the wealth like the one that I possess, is difcult to obtain in the world. Due to which deed would it be obtained? Who was I in the former existence? If I deserve favour from you then tell me the truth.”
Sanatkumāra said :
12b-20. O king, listen. I shall tell you the cause of your former behaviour, having practised which you were specially favoured. In your previous existence you were a good, pure vaiśya who spoke the truth. You gave up your duty; therefore you were abandoned by your kinsmen. That you (i.e. you reduced to that condition), weak (i.e. unable) to maintain yourself, abandoned your relatives and went out, followed by your wife, to serve someone. But at that time (every man) was oppressed by famine, (so) nobody gave you a job. Then in a forest you saw a lake with the lotuses blooming. Then you had a thought: ‘Let us take the lotuses.’ Saying so, and taking them at every step they resorted to in the auspicious, meritorious city named Vārāṇasī . Then nobody purchased the lotuses. Somebody went out from the temple and stood in the courtyard. Entering that place he heard the sound of musical instruments. ‘In which place (i.e. from which place) is the sound of the musical instruments being heard?’ When he asked like this and was told that it was the sound from a musical instrument, he went ahead a (little) distance. There was king Indradyumna , the well-known king of Kāśī .
21-30. His well-known daughter was Candrāvatī by name, who was virtuous. The noble one had fasted on the auspicious day—the eighth day (of the month)—the day of the birth anniversary (of Kṛṣṇa ). That vaiśya came there where she, the one, remained. His mind was pleased, and great joy came there. At that place you saw the sacred rite in honour of the deity, where lord Viṣṇu is worshipped along with the Sun. You and your wife worshipped him devoutly with flowers. The other made a heap of flowers there. Seeing that she, who was amazed, said: “Oh, who has made this worship?” Knowing all her act you also had protected all that. Then, she, being pleased, gave you much wealth. You did not accept the wealth. You were invited to a meal. You did not take the wealth or the meal at that time. The Sun, along with Viṣṇu, was duly worshipped. Then in the morning, you, always being looked after by her, having produced familiarity with them all, went out as you liked. This (then) is the good deed done by you in the previous existence. According to (the fruit of) your deeds, you died. Due to that great religious merit, an aeroplane came at that time. O king, you are enjoying the fruit of the deed which you did in the former existence.
Hariścandra said :
31. If I deserve to be favoured by you then tell me in what manner and in which month that day (of Aṣṭamī ) is to be celebrated.
Sanatkumāra said :
32-40. Listen attentively, O king, to what is being told to you by me. If in the month of Śrāvaṇa on the eighth of the dark half Rohiṇī is seen (in the sky) then that day is named Jayantī (day). O great king, it would be the cause for existence again and again. I shall narrate to you the manner of (observing) it as I was told by Brahmā, doing (i.e. observing) which a man being free from sins, goes to Viṣṇu’s world. Then having fasted and then bathed with (water) with black sesamum-seeds, he should install a scratchless pitcher with five jewels. Kātyāyana said that these five jewels, viz. diamonds, pearls, lapis lazuli, topaz and sapphires are recommended. On it he should place a golden pot with (auspicious) marks. In it he should place the golden (image of) Yaśodā , Nanda ’s wife, giving a suck to her son and with a smile on her face. As his capacity is (i.e. permits), he should get fashioned a golden (image of the) god, sucking one breast of the mother, and touching the other with his band, and looking at the mother with love and pleasing her again and again. If he has the capacity he should have the image (weighing) just two niṣkas , or of iron (weighing) three (niṣkas) or of gold also.
41-45. In the same way, he should fashion a golden (image of) Rohiṇī and a silver one of the Moon. The (image of the) Moon should be of the size of a thumb only, and (that of) Rohiṇī (should be of the size of) four fingers. He should place ear-rings on the ears and a neck ornament round the neck (of the image). Having done so, he should bathe (the image of) Viṣṇu (i.e. Kṛṣṇa) along with (that of) his mother with milk etc. and smear them with sandal. He should cover (the image) with a white garment, and decorate it with garlands of flowers. Along with offerings of eatables and various varieties of fruits, he should put a lamp there decorated with an arbour of flowers. The devoted one should make the wise ones sing, dance and play on musical instruments. Having done the rite according to his wealth, he should worship his teacher and should then bring the worship to an end.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 44612, revision 364503 (2023-01-06T06:58:55Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365608.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.