Uttara-khaṇḍa · Chapter 107
Sourceधर्मदत्त उवाच। विलयं यांति पापानि तीर्थदानव्रतादिभिः । प्रेतदेहस्थितायास्ते तेषु नैवाधिकारिता १। त्वद्ग्लानिदर्शनादस्मात्खिन्नं च मम मानसम् । नैव निर्वृतिमायाति त्वामनुद्धृत्य दुःखिताम् २। पातकं च तवात्युग्रं योनित्रयविपाकदम् । नैवान्यैः क्षीयते पुण्यैः प्रेतत्वं चातिगर्हितम् ३। तस्मादाजन्मजनितं यन्मया कार्तिकव्रतम् । तत्पुण्यस्यार्द्धभागेन सद्गतिं त्वमवाप्नुहि ४। कार्तिकव्रतपुण्येन न साम्यं यांति सर्वथा । यज्ञदानानि तीर्थानि व्रतान्यपि यतो ध्रुवम् ५। नारद उवाच। इत्युक्त्वा धर्मदत्तोऽसौ यावत्तामभ्यषेचयत् । तुलसीमिश्रतोयेन श्रावयन्द्वादशाक्षरम् ६। तावत्प्रेतत्वनिर्मुक्ता ज्वलदग्निशिखोपमा । दिव्यवपुर्धरा जाता लावण्याद्भासिता दिशः ७। ततः सा दंडवद्भूमौ प्रणनामाथ तं द्विजम् । उवाच च तदा वाक्यं हर्षगद्गदभाषिणी ८। कलहोवाच। त्वत्प्रसादाद्दिवजश्रेष्ठ विमुक्ता निरयादहम् । पापाब्धौ मञ्जमानायास्त्वं नो भूतोऽसि मे ध्रुवम् ९। नारद उवाच। इत्थं सा वदती विप्रं ददर्शायातमंबरात् । विमानं भास्वरं युक्तं विष्णुरूपधरैर्गणैः १०। अथ सा तद्विमानाग्र्यद्वास्थाभ्यामधिरोहिता । पुण्यशीलसुशीलाभ्यामप्सरोगणसेवितम् ११। तद्विमानं तदापश्यद्धर्मदत्तः सविस्मयः । पपात दंडवद्भूमौ दृष्ट्वा तौ पुण्यरूपिणौ १२। पुण्यशीलसुशीलौ तमुत्थाप्य प्रणतं द्विजम् । अभ्यनंदयतां वाक्यमूचतुर्द्धर्मशालिनौ १३। गणा ऊचतुः । साधुसाधु द्विजश्रेष्ठ यस्त्वं विष्णुरतः सदा । दीनानुकंपी धर्मज्ञो विष्णुव्रतपरायणः १४। आजन्मसच्छुभं ह्येतद्यत्त्वया कार्त्तिकव्रतम् । कृतं तस्यार्द्धदानेन यदस्याः पूर्वसंचितम् १५। जन्मांतरशतोद्भूतं पापं तद्विलयं गतम् । हरिजागरणाद्यैश्च विमानमिदमागमत् १६। वैकुण्ठभवनं विष्णोः सान्निध्यं च स्वरूपता । ते धन्याः कृतकृत्यास्ते तेषां च सफलो भवः १७। यैर्भक्त्याराधितो विष्णुर्धर्मदत्तत्वया यथा । सम्यगाराधितो विष्णुः किं न यच्छति देहिनाम् १८। औत्तानचरणिर्येन ध्रुवत्वे स्थापितः पुरा । यन्नामस्मरणादेव देहिनो यांति सद्गतिम् १९। ग्राहगृहीतो नागेंद्रो यन्नामस्मरणात्पुरा । विमुक्तः सन्निधिं प्राप्तो जातो यो जयसंज्ञकः २०। अतस्त्वयार्चितो विष्णुः स्वसान्निध्यं प्रदास्यति । बहून्यब्दसहस्राणि भार्याद्वययुतस्य ते २१। ततः पुण्यक्षये जाते यदा यास्यसि भूतले । सूर्यवंशोद्भवो राजा विख्यातस्त्वं भविष्यसि २२। नाम्ना दशरथस्तत्र भार्याद्वययुतः पुनः । तृतीयं यानया चापि याते पुण्यार्द्धभागिनी २३। तत्रापि तव सान्निध्यं विष्णुर्यास्यति भूतले । आत्मानं तव पुत्रत्वे प्रकल्प्यामरकार्यकृत् २४। तवाजन्मव्रतादस्माद्विष्णुसंतुष्टिकारकात् । न यज्ञा न च दानानि न तीर्थान्यधिकानि ते २५। धन्योऽसि विप्रप्रयतस्त्वयैतद्व्रतं कृतं तुष्टिकरं जगद्गुरोः । यदर्धभागाच्च फलान्मुरारेः प्रणीयतेस्माभिरियं सलोकताम् २६। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे कार्तिकमाहात्म्ये श्रीकृष्णसत्यभामासंवादे कलहोपाख्यानोनाम सप्ताधिकशततमोऽध्यायः १०७।
dharmadatta uvāca| vilayaṃ yāṃti pāpāni tīrthadānavratādibhiḥ | pretadehasthitāyāste teṣu naivādhikāritā 1| tvadglānidarśanādasmātkhinnaṃ ca mama mānasam | naiva nirvṛtimāyāti tvāmanuddhṛtya duḥkhitām 2| pātakaṃ ca tavātyugraṃ yonitrayavipākadam | naivānyaiḥ kṣīyate puṇyaiḥ pretatvaṃ cātigarhitam 3| tasmādājanmajanitaṃ yanmayā kārtikavratam | tatpuṇyasyārddhabhāgena sadgatiṃ tvamavāpnuhi 4| kārtikavratapuṇyena na sāmyaṃ yāṃti sarvathā | yajñadānāni tīrthāni vratānyapi yato dhruvam 5| nārada uvāca| ityuktvā dharmadatto'sau yāvattāmabhyaṣecayat | tulasīmiśratoyena śrāvayandvādaśākṣaram 6| tāvatpretatvanirmuktā jvaladagniśikhopamā | divyavapurdharā jātā lāvaṇyādbhāsitā diśaḥ 7| tataḥ sā daṃḍavadbhūmau praṇanāmātha taṃ dvijam | uvāca ca tadā vākyaṃ harṣagadgadabhāṣiṇī 8| kalahovāca| tvatprasādāddivajaśreṣṭha vimuktā nirayādaham | pāpābdhau mañjamānāyāstvaṃ no bhūto'si me dhruvam 9| nārada uvāca| itthaṃ sā vadatī vipraṃ dadarśāyātamaṃbarāt | vimānaṃ bhāsvaraṃ yuktaṃ viṣṇurūpadharairgaṇaiḥ 10| atha sā tadvimānāgryadvāsthābhyāmadhirohitā | puṇyaśīlasuśīlābhyāmapsarogaṇasevitam 11| tadvimānaṃ tadāpaśyaddharmadattaḥ savismayaḥ | papāta daṃḍavadbhūmau dṛṣṭvā tau puṇyarūpiṇau 12| puṇyaśīlasuśīlau tamutthāpya praṇataṃ dvijam | abhyanaṃdayatāṃ vākyamūcaturddharmaśālinau 13| gaṇā ūcatuḥ | sādhusādhu dvijaśreṣṭha yastvaṃ viṣṇurataḥ sadā | dīnānukaṃpī dharmajño viṣṇuvrataparāyaṇaḥ 14| ājanmasacchubhaṃ hyetadyattvayā kārttikavratam | kṛtaṃ tasyārddhadānena yadasyāḥ pūrvasaṃcitam 15| janmāṃtaraśatodbhūtaṃ pāpaṃ tadvilayaṃ gatam | harijāgaraṇādyaiśca vimānamidamāgamat 16| vaikuṇṭhabhavanaṃ viṣṇoḥ sānnidhyaṃ ca svarūpatā | te dhanyāḥ kṛtakṛtyāste teṣāṃ ca saphalo bhavaḥ 17| yairbhaktyārādhito viṣṇurdharmadattatvayā yathā | samyagārādhito viṣṇuḥ kiṃ na yacchati dehinām 18| auttānacaraṇiryena dhruvatve sthāpitaḥ purā | yannāmasmaraṇādeva dehino yāṃti sadgatim 19| grāhagṛhīto nāgeṃdro yannāmasmaraṇātpurā | vimuktaḥ sannidhiṃ prāpto jāto yo jayasaṃjñakaḥ 20| atastvayārcito viṣṇuḥ svasānnidhyaṃ pradāsyati | bahūnyabdasahasrāṇi bhāryādvayayutasya te 21| tataḥ puṇyakṣaye jāte yadā yāsyasi bhūtale | sūryavaṃśodbhavo rājā vikhyātastvaṃ bhaviṣyasi 22| nāmnā daśarathastatra bhāryādvayayutaḥ punaḥ | tṛtīyaṃ yānayā cāpi yāte puṇyārddhabhāginī 23| tatrāpi tava sānnidhyaṃ viṣṇuryāsyati bhūtale | ātmānaṃ tava putratve prakalpyāmarakāryakṛt 24| tavājanmavratādasmādviṣṇusaṃtuṣṭikārakāt | na yajñā na ca dānāni na tīrthānyadhikāni te 25| dhanyo'si vipraprayatastvayaitadvrataṃ kṛtaṃ tuṣṭikaraṃ jagadguroḥ | yadardhabhāgācca phalānmurāreḥ praṇīyatesmābhiriyaṃ salokatām 26| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe paṃcapaṃcāśatsāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāmuttarakhaṃḍe kārtikamāhātmye śrīkṛṣṇasatyabhāmāsaṃvāde kalahopākhyānonāma saptādhikaśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ 107|
English translation
Dharmadatta said :
1-5. By means of (visits to) holy places, gifts and vows etc. sins perish. But you, remaining in an imp’s body are not entitled to them. My mind dejected at seeing this misery of you will not be pleased without emancipating you who are unhappy. Your sin, giving you the three existences as a result of its maturity, is very grave. It cannot be exhausted by other meritorious acts. The state of an imp is very censurable. Therefore, obtain a good condition by means of half the merit of the Kārtika vow observed by me from my birth. Sacrifices, gifts, (visits to) holy places and vows certainly do not at all have the equivalence to the merit due to the Kārtika vow.
Nārada said :
6-8. Speaking like this, when Dharmadatta sprinkled her with water mixed with Tulasī , repeating the twelve-syllabled (hymn), (just) then she was free from imphood, resembled the flame of a blazing fire, had a divine form, and brightened up the directions with her beauty. Then she saluted the brāhmaṇa (by prostrating herself) like a staff on the ground, and in a voice stammering with joy, said (these) words:
Kalahā said :
9. O you best brāhmaṇa, due to your favour I have been free from hell. Certainly you have been (the emancipator) of me who was drowning in the ocean of sin.
Nārada said :
10-13. She who was talking like this to the brāhmaṇa saw a bright aeroplane with attendants having Viṣṇu ’s form coming from the sky. Then two righteous door-keepers of good conduct put her into that excellent aeroplane attended upon by a band of celestial nymphs. Dharmadatta saw that aeroplane and was amazed. Seeing the two meritorious ones he fell on the ground like a staff. The two righteous ones of good conduct, raised the brāhmaṇa who had bowed down, and praising him spoke (these) words:
The two attendants said :
14-26. It’s good, O best brāhmaṇa, that you are always devoted to Viṣṇu, you are kind to the helpless, you know Dharma and are very much engrossed in Viṣṇu’s vow. From your birth you observed this Kārtika vow. By giving half of (the religious merit due to) it her sins collected formerly in hundreds of existences, have perished. Due to your keeping awake in honour of Viṣṇu etc. this aeroplane has come; so also (have come) the residence in Vaikuṇṭha , proximity of Viṣṇu, and absorption into him. Those who have devoutly propitiated Viṣṇu as you have done, O Dharmadatta, are lucky and contented. Their existence is fruitful. What will Viṣṇu who formerly put Uttāna’s son ( Dhruva ) at a fixed place, and by merely remembering whose name human beings get good position, not give to human beings, when he is properly propitiated? Formerly the lordly elephant seized by a crocodile became free by (merely) remembering his name, obtained his proximity and became one called ‘ Jaya ’ (i.e. came to be called Jaya). Therefore, Viṣṇu worshipped by you will give you with your two wives his proximity for many thousand years. Then, after your religious merit is exhausted, when you will go to the earth, you will be a famous king born in the solar dynasty named Daśaratha with your two wives and with this one as the third (wife) sharing half of your religious merit. There on the earth also Viṣṇu doing the work of the gods, will give you his proximity after having made himself (i.e. born as) your son. For you sacrifices, gifts, visits to holy places are not superior to this your vow (taken) from your birth and pleasing Viṣṇu. O brāhmaṇa, you are lucky that you have observed this vow pleasing the lord of the world, due to the fruit of the half portion of which this one is being taken by us to the same world as of Viṣṇu.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 44677, revision 336558 (2022-04-24T08:32:46Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365686.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.