Uttara-khaṇḍa · Chapter 108
Sourceनारद उवाच। इत्थं तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा धर्मदत्तः सविस्मयः । प्रणम्य दंडवद्भूमौ वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह १। धर्मदत्त उवाच। आराधयंति सर्वेऽपि विष्णुं भक्तार्त्तिनाशिनम् । यज्ञैर्दानैर्व्रतैस्तीर्थैस्तपोभिश्च यथाविधि २। विष्णुप्रीतिकरं तेषां विष्णुसान्निध्यकारकम् । यत्कृत्वा तानि चीर्णानि सर्वाण्यपि भवंति हि ३। गणावूचतुः । साधु पृष्टं त्वया विप्र शृणुष्वैकाग्रमानसः । सेतिहासां कथां विप्र कथ्यमानां पुराभवाम् ४। कांतिपुर्यां पुरा चोल चक्रवर्त्ती नृपोऽभवत् । यस्य नाम्ना च ते देशाश्चोलाख्या अभवन्किल ५। यस्मिन्शासति भूचक्रं दरिद्रो नैव दुःखितः । पापबुद्धिः सरुग्वापि नैव कश्चिदभून्नरः ६। यस्याप्यत्यंतयज्ञस्य ताम्रपर्णी तटावुभौ । सुवर्णयूपैः शोभाढ्यावास्तां चैत्ररथोपमौ ७। स कदाचिदगाद्राजा ह्यनंतशयनं द्विज । यत्रासौ जगतां नाथो योगनिद्रामुपासते ८। तत्र श्रीरमणं देवं संपूज्य विधिवन्नृपः । मणिमुक्ताफलैर्दिव्यैः स्वर्णपुष्पैश्च शोभनैः ९। प्रणम्य दंडवद्यावदुपविष्टः स तत्र वै । तावद्ब्राह्मणमायां तमपश्यद्देवसन्निधौ १०। देवार्चनार्थमायांतं तुलस्युदकपाणिनम् । स्वपुरीवासिनं तत्र विष्णुदासाह्वयंविष्णुदासा वयं इति पाठः द्विजम् ११। तत्राभ्येत्य स विप्रर्षिर्देवदेवमपूजयत् । विष्णुसूक्तेन संस्नाप्य तुलसीमंजरीदलैः १२। तुलसीपूजया तस्य रत्नपूजां तथा कृताम् । आच्छादितां समालोक्य राजा क्रुद्धोऽब्रवीद्वचः १३। राजोवाच। माणिक्यस्वर्णपूजात्र शोभाढ्या या मया कृता । विष्णुदास कथं सेयमाच्छन्ना तुलसीदलैः १४। विष्णुभक्तिं न जानासि वराकोऽसि मतो मम । यस्त्विमामतिशोभाढ्यां पूजामाच्छादयस्यहो १५। इति तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा सक्रोधः स द्विजोत्तमः । राज्ञो गौरवमुल्लंघ्य जगाद वचनं तदा १६। विष्णुदास उवाच। राजन्मुक्तिं न जानासि गर्वितोऽसि नृपश्रिया । किंस्विद्विष्णुव्रतं पूर्वं त्वया चीर्णं वदस्व तत् १७। गणावूचतुः । तद्ब्राह्मणवचः श्रुत्वा प्रहस्य स नृपोत्तमः । विष्णुदासं तदा गर्वादुवाच वचनं द्विज १८। इत्थं चेत्कथ्यसे विप्र विष्णुभक्त्यातिगर्वितः । भक्तिस्ते कियतीविष्णोर्दरिद्रस्याधनस्य च १९। यज्ञदानादिकं चैव विष्णुतुष्टिकरं कृतम् । नापि देवालयं पूर्वं त्वया विप्र क्वचित्कृतम् २०। ईदृशस्यापि ते गर्व एष तिष्ठति भक्तितः । तच्छृण्वंतु वचो मेऽद्य सर्वेप्येते द्विजोत्तमाः २१। साक्षात्कारमहं विष्णोरेष वादो गमिष्यति । यथा तु सर्वेऽपि ततो भक्तिं ज्ञास्यथ चावयोः २२। गणावूचतुः । इत्युक्त्वा स नृपो गच्छन्निजं राजगृहं द्विजः । आरेभे वैष्णवं सत्रं कृत्वाचार्यं तु मुद्गलम् २३। ऋषिसंघसमाजुष्टं बभूव बहुदक्षिणम् । यद्वद्ब्रह्मकृतं पूर्वं गयाक्षेत्रे समृद्धिमत् २४। विष्णुदासोऽपि तत्रैव तस्थौ देवालये व्रती । पंचैतान्नियमान्कृत्वा विष्णुतुष्टिकरान्सदा २५। माघोर्जयोर्व्रतं सम्यक्तुलसीवनपालनम् । एकादशीव्रतं जाप्यं द्वादशाक्षरविद्यया २६। उपचारैः षोडशभिर्गीतनृत्यादिमंगलैः । नित्यं विष्णोस्तथा पूजां व्रतान्येतानि सोऽकरोत् २७। नित्यं संस्मरणं विष्णोर्गच्छन्भुंजन्स्वपन्नपि । सर्वभूतस्थितं विष्णुमपश्यत्समदर्शनः २८। माघकार्तिकयोर्नित्यं विशेषनियमानपि । अकरोद्विष्णुतुष्ट्यर्थं सोद्यापनविधिं तथा २९। एवं समाराधयतोः श्रियः पतिं तयोस्तु चोलेश्वरविष्णुदासयोः । अगादनेहा बहु तद्व्रतस्थयोस्तन्निष्ठकर्मेन्द्रियकर्मणोस्तयोः ३०। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे कार्तिकमाहात्म्ये श्रीकृष्णसत्यभामासंवादे कलहोपाख्याने अष्टाधिकशततमोऽध्यायः १०८।
nārada uvāca| itthaṃ tadvacanaṃ śrutvā dharmadattaḥ savismayaḥ | praṇamya daṃḍavadbhūmau vākyametaduvāca ha 1| dharmadatta uvāca| ārādhayaṃti sarve'pi viṣṇuṃ bhaktārttināśinam | yajñairdānairvrataistīrthaistapobhiśca yathāvidhi 2| viṣṇuprītikaraṃ teṣāṃ viṣṇusānnidhyakārakam | yatkṛtvā tāni cīrṇāni sarvāṇyapi bhavaṃti hi 3| gaṇāvūcatuḥ | sādhu pṛṣṭaṃ tvayā vipra śṛṇuṣvaikāgramānasaḥ | setihāsāṃ kathāṃ vipra kathyamānāṃ purābhavām 4| kāṃtipuryāṃ purā cola cakravarttī nṛpo'bhavat | yasya nāmnā ca te deśāścolākhyā abhavankila 5| yasminśāsati bhūcakraṃ daridro naiva duḥkhitaḥ | pāpabuddhiḥ sarugvāpi naiva kaścidabhūnnaraḥ 6| yasyāpyatyaṃtayajñasya tāmraparṇī taṭāvubhau | suvarṇayūpaiḥ śobhāḍhyāvāstāṃ caitrarathopamau 7| sa kadācidagādrājā hyanaṃtaśayanaṃ dvija | yatrāsau jagatāṃ nātho yoganidrāmupāsate 8| tatra śrīramaṇaṃ devaṃ saṃpūjya vidhivannṛpaḥ | maṇimuktāphalairdivyaiḥ svarṇapuṣpaiśca śobhanaiḥ 9| praṇamya daṃḍavadyāvadupaviṣṭaḥ sa tatra vai | tāvadbrāhmaṇamāyāṃ tamapaśyaddevasannidhau 10| devārcanārthamāyāṃtaṃ tulasyudakapāṇinam | svapurīvāsinaṃ tatra viṣṇudāsāhvayaṃviṣṇudāsā vayaṃ iti pāṭhaḥ dvijam 11| tatrābhyetya sa viprarṣirdevadevamapūjayat | viṣṇusūktena saṃsnāpya tulasīmaṃjarīdalaiḥ 12| tulasīpūjayā tasya ratnapūjāṃ tathā kṛtām | ācchāditāṃ samālokya rājā kruddho'bravīdvacaḥ 13| rājovāca| māṇikyasvarṇapūjātra śobhāḍhyā yā mayā kṛtā | viṣṇudāsa kathaṃ seyamācchannā tulasīdalaiḥ 14| viṣṇubhaktiṃ na jānāsi varāko'si mato mama | yastvimāmatiśobhāḍhyāṃ pūjāmācchādayasyaho 15| iti tadvacanaṃ śrutvā sakrodhaḥ sa dvijottamaḥ | rājño gauravamullaṃghya jagāda vacanaṃ tadā 16| viṣṇudāsa uvāca| rājanmuktiṃ na jānāsi garvito'si nṛpaśriyā | kiṃsvidviṣṇuvrataṃ pūrvaṃ tvayā cīrṇaṃ vadasva tat 17| gaṇāvūcatuḥ | tadbrāhmaṇavacaḥ śrutvā prahasya sa nṛpottamaḥ | viṣṇudāsaṃ tadā garvāduvāca vacanaṃ dvija 18| itthaṃ cetkathyase vipra viṣṇubhaktyātigarvitaḥ | bhaktiste kiyatīviṣṇordaridrasyādhanasya ca 19| yajñadānādikaṃ caiva viṣṇutuṣṭikaraṃ kṛtam | nāpi devālayaṃ pūrvaṃ tvayā vipra kvacitkṛtam 20| īdṛśasyāpi te garva eṣa tiṣṭhati bhaktitaḥ | tacchṛṇvaṃtu vaco me'dya sarvepyete dvijottamāḥ 21| sākṣātkāramahaṃ viṣṇoreṣa vādo gamiṣyati | yathā tu sarve'pi tato bhaktiṃ jñāsyatha cāvayoḥ 22| gaṇāvūcatuḥ | ityuktvā sa nṛpo gacchannijaṃ rājagṛhaṃ dvijaḥ | ārebhe vaiṣṇavaṃ satraṃ kṛtvācāryaṃ tu mudgalam 23| ṛṣisaṃghasamājuṣṭaṃ babhūva bahudakṣiṇam | yadvadbrahmakṛtaṃ pūrvaṃ gayākṣetre samṛddhimat 24| viṣṇudāso'pi tatraiva tasthau devālaye vratī | paṃcaitānniyamānkṛtvā viṣṇutuṣṭikarānsadā 25| māghorjayorvrataṃ samyaktulasīvanapālanam | ekādaśīvrataṃ jāpyaṃ dvādaśākṣaravidyayā 26| upacāraiḥ ṣoḍaśabhirgītanṛtyādimaṃgalaiḥ | nityaṃ viṣṇostathā pūjāṃ vratānyetāni so'karot 27| nityaṃ saṃsmaraṇaṃ viṣṇorgacchanbhuṃjansvapannapi | sarvabhūtasthitaṃ viṣṇumapaśyatsamadarśanaḥ 28| māghakārtikayornityaṃ viśeṣaniyamānapi | akarodviṣṇutuṣṭyarthaṃ sodyāpanavidhiṃ tathā 29| evaṃ samārādhayatoḥ śriyaḥ patiṃ tayostu coleśvaraviṣṇudāsayoḥ | agādanehā bahu tadvratasthayostanniṣṭhakarmendriyakarmaṇostayoḥ 30| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe paṃcapaṃcāśatsāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāmuttarakhaṃḍe kārtikamāhātmye śrīkṛṣṇasatyabhāmāsaṃvāde kalahopākhyāne aṣṭādhikaśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ 108|
English translation
Nārada said :
1. Hearing her words like this, Dharmadatta , being amazed, bowed on the ground (i.e. prostrated himself) like a staff and said these words:
Dharmadatta said :
2-3. By means of sacrifices, gifts, vows, (visits to) holy places, austerities, all devotees properly propitiate Viṣṇu who removes affliction. (Tell me) that which pleases Viṣṇu and which brings about proximity of Viṣṇu and having done which all those are done.
The two attendants said :
4-13. O brāhmaṇa , you have asked well. Listen with a concentrated mind to a story, with its history, which took place in olden times and which is being told (by us). Formerly in Kāntipura there lived an emperor Cola after whom, it is said, the country was called Cola. While he was ruling over the globe, no man was poor, unhappy, of a sinful design or diseased. Of him, performing many sacrifices (i.e. while he was performing many sacrifices), both the banks of the Tāmraparṇī (river) were full of beauty with golden sacrificial posts resembling Caitraratha ( Kubera ’s garden). Once, O brāhmaṇa, that king went to Anantaśayana where this lord of the three worlds resorts to sleep. There the king having duly worshipped god Viṣṇu with divine gems, pearls, and beautiful golden flowers, saluted him (prostrating before him) like a staff and sat (there). When he was seated he saw a brāhmaṇa called Viṣṇudāsa , who had come with Tulasī -water in his hand for worshipping the god and living in his own city. Having come there, the brāhmaṇa-sage worshipped the god of gods after having bathed him with Tulasī blossoms and leaves and with (the recital of) the Viṣṇu-hymn. Seeing that the worship done (by him) with jewels (etc.), was covered with Tulasī (-leaves) etc. the got angry and spoke (these) words:
The king said :
14-16. O Viṣṇudāsa, how is it that the beautiful worship done by me with rubies and gold is covered with Tulasī-leaves by you? Since you cover this very beautiful worship offered by me, I think you do not know devotion to Viṣṇu and you are wretched.
Hearing these words, the best brāhmaṇa got angry, and transgressing (i.e. not caring for) the greatness of the king, said (these) words then:
Viṣṇudāsa said :
17. O king, you do not know salvation; you are proud of your wealth. Tell me which Viṣṇu-vow you have observed before.
The two attendants said :
18-22. O brāhmaṇa, hearing those words of the brāhmaṇa the best king laughed and proudly said these words to Viṣṇudāsa: “O brāhmaṇa, if, being very proud, you are telling like this, (tell me) how much devotion to Viṣṇu you poor and indigent one have. O brāhmaṇa, you have not offered sacrifices or gifts. Nor anywhere have you put up a temple before. If the pride of you who are like this persists due to your devotion, then may these best brāhmaṇas today hear my words. This dispute will go (i.e. cease). I shall have actual perception of Viṣṇu so that all these and you will realise our devotion.”
The two attendants said :
23-30. Speaking like this, O brāhmaṇa, the king went to his palace; and making Mudgala the preceptor he commenced a sacrificial session (in honour) of Viṣṇu, at which hosts of sages had come and many presents were given, which was rich like the one offered formerly by Brahmā at Prayāga . Viṣṇudāsa, observing the vow, remained just there in the temple, always observing these five restraints pleasing Viṣṇu: observing properly the vow in Māgha and Kārtika , maintaining a Tulasī-grove, observing the Ekādaśī -vow, and muttering the twelve-syllabled hymn. So also everyday he worshipped ‘Viṣṇu in the sixteen ways with auspicious (acts) like dancing and singing. (Thus) he observed these vows. He, viewing all equally, always remembered Viṣṇu while walking, eating and even while sleeping, and saw Viṣṇu remaining (i.e. as present) in every being. He daily observed the special restraints in Māgha and Kārtika for pleasing Viṣṇu, so also their proper conclusion. When king Cola and Viṣṇudāsa, who were observing that vow, who had devoted their senses and acts to deeds for him (i.e. Viṣṇu), were thus propitiating (Viṣṇu) the lord of Lakṣmī , much time passed.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 44678, revision 352032 (2022-09-23T22:56:56Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365687.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.