Uttara-khaṇḍa · Chapter 109
Sourceगणावूचतुः । कदाचिद्विष्णुदासोऽथ कृत्वा नित्यविधिं द्विजः । पाककर्माकरोद्यावदहरत्कोप्यलक्षितः १। तमदृष्ट्वाप्यसौ पाकं पुनर्नैवाकरोत्तदा । सायंकालार्चनस्यासौ व्रतभंगभयाद्द्विजः २। द्वितीयेऽह्नि ततः पाकं कृत्वा यावत्स विष्णवे । उपहारार्पणं कर्तुं तावत्कोप्यहरत्पुनः ३। एवं सप्तदिनं तस्य पाकं कोप्यहरद्द्विज । जातः सविस्मयः सोऽथ मनस्येव व्यचारयत् ४। अहो नित्यं समभ्येत्य कः पाकं हरते मम । क्षेत्रसंन्यासिनां स्थानमत्याज्यं सर्वथा मया ५। पुनः पाकं विधायात्र भुज्यते यदि चेन्मया । सायंकालार्चनं चैतत्परित्याज्यं कथं मया ६। किंचित्पाकं विधायैतद्भोक्तव्यं तु मया नहि । अनिर्वेद्य हरौ सर्वं वैष्णवैर्नैव भुज्यते ७। उपोषितोऽहं च कथं तिष्ठाम्यत्र व्रतस्थितः । अद्य संरक्षणं सम्यक्पाकस्यात्र करोम्यहम् ८। इति पाकं विधायासौ तत्रैवालक्षितः स्थितः । तावद्ददर्श चांडालं पाकान्नहरणे स्थितम् ९। क्षुत्क्षामं दीनवदनमस्थिचर्मावशेषितम् । तमालोक्य द्विजाग्र्योभूत्कृपयापन्नमानसः १०। विलोक्यान्नहरं विप्रस्तिष्ठतिष्ठेत्यभाषत । कथमत्ति भवान्रूक्षं घृतमेतद्गृहाण भोः ११। इत्थं ब्रुवंतं विप्राग्र्यं आयांतं च विलोक्य सः । वेगादधावत्तद्भीत्या मूर्च्छितश्च पपात ह १२। भीतं तं मूर्च्छितं दृष्ट्वा चांडालं स द्विजोत्तमः । वेगादभ्येत्य कृपया स्ववस्त्रांतैरवीजयत् १३। अथोत्थितं तमेवासौ विष्णुदासो व्यलोकयत् । साक्षान्नारायणं देवं शंखचक्रगदाधरम् १४। पीतांबरं चतुर्बाहुं श्रीवत्सांकं किरीटिनम् । अतसीपुष्पसंकाशं कौस्तुभोरःस्थलं विभुम् १५। तं दृष्ट्वा सात्विकैर्भावैरावृतो द्विजसत्तमः । स्तोतुं चापि नमस्कर्तुं तदानालं बभूव सः १६। अथ शक्रादयो देवास्तत्रैवाभ्याययुस्तदा । गंधर्वाप्सरसश्चापि जगुश्च ननृतुर्मुदा १७। विमानशतसंकीर्णं देवर्षिगणसंकुलम् । गीतवादित्रनिर्घोषं स्थानं तदभवत्तदा १८। ततो विष्णुः समालिंग्य स्वभक्तं सात्विकं तथा । सायुज्यमात्मनो दत्त्वानयद्वैकुंठमंदिरम् १९। विमानवरसंस्थानमास्थितं विष्णुसन्निधौ । दीक्षितश्चोलनृपतिर्विष्णुदासं ददर्श ह २०। वैकुंठभवनं यांतं विष्णुदासं विलोक्य सः । स्वगुरुं मुद्गलं वेगादाह्वयेत्थं वचोऽब्रवीत् २१। चोल उवाच। यत्स्पर्धया मया चैतद्यज्ञदानादिकं कृतम् । स विष्णुरूपधृग्विप्रो याति वैकुंठमंदिरम् २२। दीक्षितेन मया सम्यक्सत्रेऽस्मिन्विष्णवे त्वया । हुतमग्नौ कृता विप्रा दानाद्यैः पूर्णमानसाः २३। नैवाद्यापि समे देवः प्रसन्नो जायते ध्रुवम् । भक्त्यैव तस्य विप्रस्य साक्षात्कारं ददौ हरिः २४। तस्माद्दानैश्च यज्ञैश्च नैव विष्णुः प्रसीदति । भक्तिरेव परं तस्य निदानं दर्शने विभोः २५। गणावूचतुः । इत्युक्त्वा भागिनेयं स्वमभिषिच्य नृपासने । आबाल्याद्दीक्षितो यज्ञे सा पुत्रत्वमगाद्यतः २६। तस्मादद्यापि तद्देशे सदा राज्यांशभागिनः । स्वस्रेया एव जायंते तत्कृताचारवर्तिनः २७। यज्ञवाटं ततोऽभ्येत्य वह्निकुंडाग्रतः स्थितः । त्रिरुच्चैर्व्याजहाराशु विष्णुं संबोधयंस्तदा २८। विष्णो भक्तिं स्थिरां देहि मनोवाक्कायकर्मभिः । इत्युक्त्वा सोऽपतद्वह्नौ सर्वेषामेव पश्यताम् २९। मुद्गलस्तु तदा क्रोधाच्छिखामुत्पाटयत्स्वकाम् । ततस्त्वद्यापि तद्गोत्रे मुद्गला विशिखाभवन् ३०। तावदाविरभूद्विष्णुः कुंडाग्नौ भक्तवत्सलः । तमालिंग्य विमानाग्र्यं समारोहयदच्युतः ३१। तमालिंग्यात्मसारूप्यं दत्त्वा वैकुंठमंदिरम् । तेनैव सह देवेशो जगाम त्रिदशैर्वृतः ३२। नारद उवाच। यो विष्णुदासः स तु पुण्यशीलो यश्चोलभूपः स सुशील नामा । एतावुभौ तत्समरूपभाजौ द्वाःस्थौ कृतौ तेन रमाप्रियेण ३३। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायां कार्तिकमाहात्म्ये श्रीकृष्णसत्यभामासंवादे कलहोपाख्यानंनाम नवाधिकशततमोऽध्यायः १०९।
gaṇāvūcatuḥ | kadācidviṣṇudāso'tha kṛtvā nityavidhiṃ dvijaḥ | pākakarmākarodyāvadaharatkopyalakṣitaḥ 1| tamadṛṣṭvāpyasau pākaṃ punarnaivākarottadā | sāyaṃkālārcanasyāsau vratabhaṃgabhayāddvijaḥ 2| dvitīye'hni tataḥ pākaṃ kṛtvā yāvatsa viṣṇave | upahārārpaṇaṃ kartuṃ tāvatkopyaharatpunaḥ 3| evaṃ saptadinaṃ tasya pākaṃ kopyaharaddvija | jātaḥ savismayaḥ so'tha manasyeva vyacārayat 4| aho nityaṃ samabhyetya kaḥ pākaṃ harate mama | kṣetrasaṃnyāsināṃ sthānamatyājyaṃ sarvathā mayā 5| punaḥ pākaṃ vidhāyātra bhujyate yadi cenmayā | sāyaṃkālārcanaṃ caitatparityājyaṃ kathaṃ mayā 6| kiṃcitpākaṃ vidhāyaitadbhoktavyaṃ tu mayā nahi | anirvedya harau sarvaṃ vaiṣṇavairnaiva bhujyate 7| upoṣito'haṃ ca kathaṃ tiṣṭhāmyatra vratasthitaḥ | adya saṃrakṣaṇaṃ samyakpākasyātra karomyaham 8| iti pākaṃ vidhāyāsau tatraivālakṣitaḥ sthitaḥ | tāvaddadarśa cāṃḍālaṃ pākānnaharaṇe sthitam 9| kṣutkṣāmaṃ dīnavadanamasthicarmāvaśeṣitam | tamālokya dvijāgryobhūtkṛpayāpannamānasaḥ 10| vilokyānnaharaṃ viprastiṣṭhatiṣṭhetyabhāṣata | kathamatti bhavānrūkṣaṃ ghṛtametadgṛhāṇa bhoḥ 11| itthaṃ bruvaṃtaṃ viprāgryaṃ āyāṃtaṃ ca vilokya saḥ | vegādadhāvattadbhītyā mūrcchitaśca papāta ha 12| bhītaṃ taṃ mūrcchitaṃ dṛṣṭvā cāṃḍālaṃ sa dvijottamaḥ | vegādabhyetya kṛpayā svavastrāṃtairavījayat 13| athotthitaṃ tamevāsau viṣṇudāso vyalokayat | sākṣānnārāyaṇaṃ devaṃ śaṃkhacakragadādharam 14| pītāṃbaraṃ caturbāhuṃ śrīvatsāṃkaṃ kirīṭinam | atasīpuṣpasaṃkāśaṃ kaustubhoraḥsthalaṃ vibhum 15| taṃ dṛṣṭvā sātvikairbhāvairāvṛto dvijasattamaḥ | stotuṃ cāpi namaskartuṃ tadānālaṃ babhūva saḥ 16| atha śakrādayo devāstatraivābhyāyayustadā | gaṃdharvāpsarasaścāpi jaguśca nanṛturmudā 17| vimānaśatasaṃkīrṇaṃ devarṣigaṇasaṃkulam | gītavāditranirghoṣaṃ sthānaṃ tadabhavattadā 18| tato viṣṇuḥ samāliṃgya svabhaktaṃ sātvikaṃ tathā | sāyujyamātmano dattvānayadvaikuṃṭhamaṃdiram 19| vimānavarasaṃsthānamāsthitaṃ viṣṇusannidhau | dīkṣitaścolanṛpatirviṣṇudāsaṃ dadarśa ha 20| vaikuṃṭhabhavanaṃ yāṃtaṃ viṣṇudāsaṃ vilokya saḥ | svaguruṃ mudgalaṃ vegādāhvayetthaṃ vaco'bravīt 21| cola uvāca| yatspardhayā mayā caitadyajñadānādikaṃ kṛtam | sa viṣṇurūpadhṛgvipro yāti vaikuṃṭhamaṃdiram 22| dīkṣitena mayā samyaksatre'sminviṣṇave tvayā | hutamagnau kṛtā viprā dānādyaiḥ pūrṇamānasāḥ 23| naivādyāpi same devaḥ prasanno jāyate dhruvam | bhaktyaiva tasya viprasya sākṣātkāraṃ dadau hariḥ 24| tasmāddānaiśca yajñaiśca naiva viṣṇuḥ prasīdati | bhaktireva paraṃ tasya nidānaṃ darśane vibhoḥ 25| gaṇāvūcatuḥ | ityuktvā bhāgineyaṃ svamabhiṣicya nṛpāsane | ābālyāddīkṣito yajñe sā putratvamagādyataḥ 26| tasmādadyāpi taddeśe sadā rājyāṃśabhāginaḥ | svasreyā eva jāyaṃte tatkṛtācāravartinaḥ 27| yajñavāṭaṃ tato'bhyetya vahnikuṃḍāgrataḥ sthitaḥ | triruccairvyājahārāśu viṣṇuṃ saṃbodhayaṃstadā 28| viṣṇo bhaktiṃ sthirāṃ dehi manovākkāyakarmabhiḥ | ityuktvā so'patadvahnau sarveṣāmeva paśyatām 29| mudgalastu tadā krodhācchikhāmutpāṭayatsvakām | tatastvadyāpi tadgotre mudgalā viśikhābhavan 30| tāvadāvirabhūdviṣṇuḥ kuṃḍāgnau bhaktavatsalaḥ | tamāliṃgya vimānāgryaṃ samārohayadacyutaḥ 31| tamāliṃgyātmasārūpyaṃ dattvā vaikuṃṭhamaṃdiram | tenaiva saha deveśo jagāma tridaśairvṛtaḥ 32| nārada uvāca| yo viṣṇudāsaḥ sa tu puṇyaśīlo yaścolabhūpaḥ sa suśīla nāmā | etāvubhau tatsamarūpabhājau dvāḥsthau kṛtau tena ramāpriyeṇa 33| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe paṃcapaṃcāśatsāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ kārtikamāhātmye śrīkṛṣṇasatyabhāmāsaṃvāde kalahopākhyānaṃnāma navādhikaśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ 109|
English translation
The two attendants said :
1-13. When once the brāhmaṇa Viṣṇudāsa cooked (food) after having duly performed his daily rite, someone unnoticed took away (the food). The brāhmaṇa, not (being able to) see him, did not at all cook again through fear of violating the vow of his evening worship. On the next day, when he, after having cooked, was about to offer it to Viṣṇu , somebody again took it away. In this way, for seven days somebody (daily) took away the food, O brāhmaṇa. He was amazed and thought in his mind thus: ‘Oh, who comes daily and takes away my food? This place of the holy ascetics is not at all to be abandoned by me. If, having cooked again, I eat (the food), then how can I give up the evening worship (of the deity)? I shall not eat after cooking some food. A devotee of Viṣṇu does not eat without offering everything to Viṣṇu. How can I again remain in (i.e. observe) this vow by fasting? Today I shall properly guard the food.’ Thinking thus he cooked the food and remained there unnoticed. Just then he saw a cāṇḍāla ready to take away the cooked food. He was emaciated with hunger, his face was melancholy, and only bones and skin were left (in his body). Seeing him, the best brāhmaṇa had his mind distressed with pity. Seeing the (cāṇḍāla) stealing the food, the brāhmaṇa said, “Wait, wait. How do you eat the dry food? Have this ghee .” Seeing the best brāhmaṇa speaking like this and coming (near him), he, through fear, ran fast, and dropped down unconscious. That best brāhmaṇa, seeing the cāṇḍāla frightened and unconscious, speedily approached him and fanned him with the ends of his garment through compassion (for him).
14-21. Viṣṇudāsa saw him who got up, to be actually god Viṣṇu holding a conch, a disc, and a mace, (and) wearing a yellow garment, having four arms, having the mark of Śrīvatsa , wearing a crown, and having his chest marked with Kaustubha resembling atasī flower. Seeing him, the best brāhmaṇa was full of good thoughts. At that time he was unable to praise and salute him. Then gods like Indra came there at that time; and gandharvas and celestial nymphs gladly sang and danced. At that time the place was crowded with hundreds of aeroplanes and it resounded with the sounds of songs and musical instruments. Then Viṣṇu, having embraced his virtuous devotee, gave him absorption into himself and took him to Vaikuṇṭha . King Cola who was initiated (for a sacrifice) saw Viṣṇudāsa seated in the excellent aeroplane in the vicinity of Viṣṇu. Seeing Viṣṇudāsa going to Viṣṇu’s abode, he quickly called his preceptor Mudgala and thus spoke to him:
Cola said :
22-25. That brāhmaṇa vying with whom I performed that sacrifice etc., is, after taking up Viṣṇu’s form, going to Viṣṇu’s abode. I who was initiated for this sacrificial session, offered oblations into fire through you and made the brāhmaṇas completely (happy) in their minds through gifts etc. That god yet does not certainly become pleased. (But) that Viṣṇu actually presented himself (before the brāhmaṇa) by his devotion. Therefore, Viṣṇu is not at all pleased by means of gifts and sacrifices. Devotion alone is the means of seeing that lord.
The two attendants said :
26-32. Saying so he consecrated his sister’s son on the throne. Since from his childhood he was initiated for the sacrifice, he was sonless. Therefore, even now in his kingdom sisters’ sons only, continuing the convention followed (previously) become heir to the kingdom. Then going to the place of the sacrifice, and standing before the hole made for receiving the sacrificial fire, addressing Viṣṇu, he loudly spoke (these words) three times: “O Viṣṇu, give me a stable devotion through acts of mind, speech and body.” Saying like this he fell into the fire, when all were watching. Then Mudgala angrily extracted the tuft of hair on the crown of his head. Since then, even up to this day the Mudgalas are without the tuft of hair on the crowns on their heads. Just then Viṣṇu, loving his devotees, appeared in the fire in the hole made for receiving the sacrificial fire. Viṣṇu embraced him and put him into an excellent aeroplane. Having embraced him and assimilated him into himself, the lord of gods, surrounded by gods, went to his abode in Vaikuṇṭha with him.
Nārada said :
33. That Viṣṇu dear to Lakṣmī , made the two having similar forms, his doorkeepers. He who was Viṣṇudāsa became Puṇyaśīla (by name), and he who was king Cola became Suśīla by name.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 44679, revision 336560 (2022-04-24T08:34:34Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365688.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.