Uttara-khaṇḍa · Chapter 113
Sourceश्रीकृष्ण उवाच। पुरावंतीपुरे वासी विप्र आसीद्धनेश्वरः । ब्रह्मकर्मपरिभ्रष्टः पापनिष्ठः सुदुर्मतिः १। रसकंबलचर्मादि विक्रयानृतवर्त्तनः । स्तेयवेश्यासुरापानद्यूतसंसक्तमानसः २। देशाद्देशांतरं गच्छन्क्रयविक्रयकारणात् । माहिष्मतीं पुरीं यातः कदाचित्स धनेश्वरः ३। महिषेण कृता पूर्वं तस्मान्माहिष्मतीभवत् । यस्यां वप्रतटाभाति नर्मदा पापनाशिनी ४। कार्तिकव्रतिनस्तत्र नानाग्रामागतान्नरान् । स दृष्ट्वा विक्रयं कुर्वन्मासमेकमुवास ह ५। स नित्यं नर्मदातीरे भ्रमन्विक्रयकारणात् । ददर्श ब्राह्मणान्स्नातान्जपदेवार्चनेरतान् ६। कांश्चित्पुराणं पठतः कांश्चित्तच्छ्रवणे रतान् । नृत्यगायनवादित्रविष्णुस्तवनतत्परान् ७। विष्णुमुद्रांकितान्कांश्चिन्मालातुलसिधारिणः । ददर्श कौतुकाविष्टस्तत्र तत्र धनेश्वरः ८। नित्यं परिभ्रमंस्तत्र दर्शनस्पर्शभाषणात् । वैष्णवानां तथा विष्णोर्नामश्रावादि सोऽलभत् ९। एवं मासं स्थितःसोऽथ कार्तिकोद्यापने विधौ । क्रियमाणे ददर्शासौ भक्तैर्जागरणं हरेः १०। पौर्णमास्यां ततोऽपश्यद्विविधं पूजनादिकम् । दक्षिणा भोजनाद्यं च दीपदानं व्रतस्थितैः ११। ततोऽर्कास्तमये चैवं दीपोत्सवविधिं तदा । क्रियमाणं ददर्शासौ प्रीत्यर्थं त्रिपुरद्विषः १२। त्रिपुराणां कृतो दाहो यतस्तस्यां शिवेन तु । अतस्तु क्रियते तस्यां तिथौ भक्तैर्महोत्सवः । मम रुद्रस्य यः कश्चिदंतरं परिकल्पयेत् १३। तस्य पुण्यक्रियाः सर्वा निष्फलाः स्युर्न संशयः । तत्र नृत्यादिकं पश्यन्बभ्राम स धनेश्वरः । तावत्कृष्णाहिना दष्टो विकलः स पपात ह । जनास्तंपति तं वीक्ष्य परिवव्रुः कृपान्विताः १४। तुलसीमिश्रितैस्तोयैस्तन्मुखं सिषिचुस्तदा । अथ देहे परित्यक्ते तं बद्ध्वा यमकिंकराः १५। बाध्यमानं कशाघातैर्निन्युः संयमिनीं रुषा । चित्रगुप्तस्तु तं दृष्ट्वा निर्भर्त्स्यावेदयत्तदा १६। यमायतेन बाल्यात्तु कर्म यद्दुष्कृतं कृतम् । चित्रगुप्त उवाच। नैवास्य दृश्यते किंचिदाबाल्यात्सुकृतं क्वचित् १७। दुष्कृतं शक्यते वक्तुं शतवर्षैर्न भास्करे । पापमूर्तिरयं दुष्टः केवलं दृश्यते विभो १८। तस्मादाकल्पमर्यादं निरये परिपाच्यताम् । श्रीकृष्ण उवाच। निशम्येत्थं वचः क्रोधाद्यमः प्राह स्वकिंकरान् १९। दर्शयन्नात्मनोरूपं कालाग्निसदृशप्रभम् । यम उवाच। भो प्रेतापनयस्वैनं बध्यमानं स्वमुद्गरैः २०। कुंभीपाके क्षिपस्वाशु तैलक्वथनशब्दिते । यावत्क्षिप्तस्तु तत्रासौ तावच्छीतलतां ययौ २१। कुंभीपाको यथा वह्निः प्रह्लादक्षेपणात्पुरा । तद्दृष्ट्वा महदादश्चर्यं प्रेतपो विस्मयान्वितः २२। वेगादागत्य तत्सर्वं यमायाकथयत्तदा । यमस्तु कौतुकं श्रुत्वा प्रेतपेन निवेदितम् २३। आः किमेतदिति प्रोच्य सम्यगेतद्विचारयत् । तावदभ्यागतस्तत्र नारदः प्रहसंस्त्वरन् २४। यमेन पूजितः सम्यक्तं दृष्ट्वा वाक्यमब्रवीत् । नारद उवाच। नैवायं निरयान्भोक्तुं क्षमः सवितृनंदन २५। यस्मादेतस्य संजातं कर्म यन्निरयापहम् । यः पुण्यकर्मणां कुर्याद्दर्शनस्पर्शभाषणम् २६। तत्षडंशमवाप्नोति पुण्यस्य नियतं नरः । असंख्यातैस्तुसंसर्गैः कृतवानेष यद्धरेः २७। कार्तिकव्रतिभिर्मासं तस्मात्पुण्यांशभागयम् । परिचर्याकरस्तेषां संपूर्णव्रतपुण्यभाक् २८। अतोऽस्योर्जव्रतोद्भूतपुण्यसंख्या न विद्यते । कार्त्तिकव्रतिनां पुंसां पातकानि महांत्यपि २९। नाशयत्येव सर्वाणि विष्णुः सद्भक्तवत्सलः । अंते तन्नामभिस्तोयैस्तुलसीमिश्रितैस्त्वयम् ३०। वैष्णवानुग्रही यस्मान्नरके नैव पच्यते । तस्मान्निहतपापोऽयं सद्गतिं यातुमर्हति ३१। आर्द्रैः शुष्कैर्यथापापैर्निरये भोगसंनिधिः । प्राप्यते सुकृतैस्तद्वत्स्वर्गभोगस्य संनिधिः ३२। तस्मादकामपुण्यो हि यक्षयोनिस्थितस्त्वसौ । विलोक्य नरकान्सर्वान्पापभोगमवाप्नुयात् ३३। श्रीकृष्ण उवाच। इत्युक्त्वा गतवति नारदेऽथ सौरिस्तद्वाक्यश्रवणविबुद्ध तत्सुकर्मा । विप्रं तं पुनरनयत्स्वकिंकरेण तान्सर्वान्निरयगणान्प्रदर्शयिष्यन् ३४। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्त्रसंहितायामुत्तरखंडे कार्तिकमाहात्म्ये श्रीकृष्णसत्यभामासंवादे धनेश्वरोपाख्याने त्रयोदशाधिकशततमोऽध्यायः ११३। ।
śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca| purāvaṃtīpure vāsī vipra āsīddhaneśvaraḥ | brahmakarmaparibhraṣṭaḥ pāpaniṣṭhaḥ sudurmatiḥ 1| rasakaṃbalacarmādi vikrayānṛtavarttanaḥ | steyaveśyāsurāpānadyūtasaṃsaktamānasaḥ 2| deśāddeśāṃtaraṃ gacchankrayavikrayakāraṇāt | māhiṣmatīṃ purīṃ yātaḥ kadācitsa dhaneśvaraḥ 3| mahiṣeṇa kṛtā pūrvaṃ tasmānmāhiṣmatībhavat | yasyāṃ vaprataṭābhāti narmadā pāpanāśinī 4| kārtikavratinastatra nānāgrāmāgatānnarān | sa dṛṣṭvā vikrayaṃ kurvanmāsamekamuvāsa ha 5| sa nityaṃ narmadātīre bhramanvikrayakāraṇāt | dadarśa brāhmaṇānsnātānjapadevārcaneratān 6| kāṃścitpurāṇaṃ paṭhataḥ kāṃścittacchravaṇe ratān | nṛtyagāyanavāditraviṣṇustavanatatparān 7| viṣṇumudrāṃkitānkāṃścinmālātulasidhāriṇaḥ | dadarśa kautukāviṣṭastatra tatra dhaneśvaraḥ 8| nityaṃ paribhramaṃstatra darśanasparśabhāṣaṇāt | vaiṣṇavānāṃ tathā viṣṇornāmaśrāvādi so'labhat 9| evaṃ māsaṃ sthitaḥso'tha kārtikodyāpane vidhau | kriyamāṇe dadarśāsau bhaktairjāgaraṇaṃ hareḥ 10| paurṇamāsyāṃ tato'paśyadvividhaṃ pūjanādikam | dakṣiṇā bhojanādyaṃ ca dīpadānaṃ vratasthitaiḥ 11| tato'rkāstamaye caivaṃ dīpotsavavidhiṃ tadā | kriyamāṇaṃ dadarśāsau prītyarthaṃ tripuradviṣaḥ 12| tripurāṇāṃ kṛto dāho yatastasyāṃ śivena tu | atastu kriyate tasyāṃ tithau bhaktairmahotsavaḥ | mama rudrasya yaḥ kaścidaṃtaraṃ parikalpayet 13| tasya puṇyakriyāḥ sarvā niṣphalāḥ syurna saṃśayaḥ | tatra nṛtyādikaṃ paśyanbabhrāma sa dhaneśvaraḥ | tāvatkṛṣṇāhinā daṣṭo vikalaḥ sa papāta ha | janāstaṃpati taṃ vīkṣya parivavruḥ kṛpānvitāḥ 14| tulasīmiśritaistoyaistanmukhaṃ siṣicustadā | atha dehe parityakte taṃ baddhvā yamakiṃkarāḥ 15| bādhyamānaṃ kaśāghātairninyuḥ saṃyaminīṃ ruṣā | citraguptastu taṃ dṛṣṭvā nirbhartsyāvedayattadā 16| yamāyatena bālyāttu karma yadduṣkṛtaṃ kṛtam | citragupta uvāca| naivāsya dṛśyate kiṃcidābālyātsukṛtaṃ kvacit 17| duṣkṛtaṃ śakyate vaktuṃ śatavarṣairna bhāskare | pāpamūrtirayaṃ duṣṭaḥ kevalaṃ dṛśyate vibho 18| tasmādākalpamaryādaṃ niraye paripācyatām | śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca| niśamyetthaṃ vacaḥ krodhādyamaḥ prāha svakiṃkarān 19| darśayannātmanorūpaṃ kālāgnisadṛśaprabham | yama uvāca| bho pretāpanayasvainaṃ badhyamānaṃ svamudgaraiḥ 20| kuṃbhīpāke kṣipasvāśu tailakvathanaśabdite | yāvatkṣiptastu tatrāsau tāvacchītalatāṃ yayau 21| kuṃbhīpāko yathā vahniḥ prahlādakṣepaṇātpurā | taddṛṣṭvā mahadādaścaryaṃ pretapo vismayānvitaḥ 22| vegādāgatya tatsarvaṃ yamāyākathayattadā | yamastu kautukaṃ śrutvā pretapena niveditam 23| āḥ kimetaditi procya samyagetadvicārayat | tāvadabhyāgatastatra nāradaḥ prahasaṃstvaran 24| yamena pūjitaḥ samyaktaṃ dṛṣṭvā vākyamabravīt | nārada uvāca| naivāyaṃ nirayānbhoktuṃ kṣamaḥ savitṛnaṃdana 25| yasmādetasya saṃjātaṃ karma yannirayāpaham | yaḥ puṇyakarmaṇāṃ kuryāddarśanasparśabhāṣaṇam 26| tatṣaḍaṃśamavāpnoti puṇyasya niyataṃ naraḥ | asaṃkhyātaistusaṃsargaiḥ kṛtavāneṣa yaddhareḥ 27| kārtikavratibhirmāsaṃ tasmātpuṇyāṃśabhāgayam | paricaryākarasteṣāṃ saṃpūrṇavratapuṇyabhāk 28| ato'syorjavratodbhūtapuṇyasaṃkhyā na vidyate | kārttikavratināṃ puṃsāṃ pātakāni mahāṃtyapi 29| nāśayatyeva sarvāṇi viṣṇuḥ sadbhaktavatsalaḥ | aṃte tannāmabhistoyaistulasīmiśritaistvayam 30| vaiṣṇavānugrahī yasmānnarake naiva pacyate | tasmānnihatapāpo'yaṃ sadgatiṃ yātumarhati 31| ārdraiḥ śuṣkairyathāpāpairniraye bhogasaṃnidhiḥ | prāpyate sukṛtaistadvatsvargabhogasya saṃnidhiḥ 32| tasmādakāmapuṇyo hi yakṣayonisthitastvasau | vilokya narakānsarvānpāpabhogamavāpnuyāt 33| śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca| ityuktvā gatavati nārade'tha sauristadvākyaśravaṇavibuddha tatsukarmā | vipraṃ taṃ punaranayatsvakiṃkareṇa tānsarvānnirayagaṇānpradarśayiṣyan 34| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe paṃcapaṃcāśatsāhastrasaṃhitāyāmuttarakhaṃḍe kārtikamāhātmye śrīkṛṣṇasatyabhāmāsaṃvāde dhaneśvaropākhyāne trayodaśādhikaśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ 113| |
English translation
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said :
1-12. Formerly there was a brāhmaṇa named Dhaneśvara who lived in the city of Avantī . He had fallen from the status of a brāhmaṇa, was addicted to sins, and was very wicked. He sold liquor, blankets, hide, and behaved falsely. His mind was addicted to stealing, prostitutes, drinking and gambling. That Dhaneśvara, going from one region to another for selling (these articles), sometime went to Māhiṣmatī city. It was fashioned formerly by Mahiṣa . By its rampart shone Narmadā that destroyed sins. Seeing there men observing Kārtika -vow and coming from different directions, he, selling (his articles) stayed there for a month. He, everyday wandering on the bank of Narmadā for selling (his articles), saw brāhmaṇas who bathed (in the river) and were engaged in muttering hymns and worshipping deities. Everywhere Dhaneśvara, full of curiosity saw some men reciting a Purāṇa , some engaged in listening to it, some engaged in eulogising Viṣṇu with dancing, singing and musical instruments, some having marks (like a conch etc. in honour) of Viṣṇu, and some having on their persons garlands and Tulasī . He, wandering there everyday, due to seeing and coming in contact with Viṣṇu’s devotees, heard the name of Viṣṇu etc. On his way he who resided there for a month, saw (people) keeping awake (in honour) of Viṣṇu at the time of the concluding rite of Kārtika-vow. On the full-moon day he saw the worship of two kinds, so also presents and meals and offering of lights done by the observers of the vow. Then at the time of the sunset he saw the ceremony of illumination done for pleasing the enemy of Tripura (i.e. Śiva ).
13-17a. Since on that day Śiva burnt the three cities (of Tripura), therefore, a great festival is celebrated by the devotees on that day. All the religious rites of him who would discriminate between me and Śiva, would undoubtedly be fruitless. That Dhaneśvara, seeing dance etc. there, wandered. Just then he was bitten by a black serpent and deprived of strength he dropped. Men seeing him fallen, and full of pity, surrounded him. Then they sprinkled his face with water mixed with Tulasī. Then, when his body dropped (i.e. he died), Yama ’s servants bound him, and angrily tormented him with strokes of whips, and took him to Saṃyaminī (Yama’s city). Seeing him Citragupta chided him and told Yama the bad deeds done by him from his childhood.
Citragupta said :
17b-19a. No good deed of (i.e. done by) him since his childhood is noticed. O Sun’s son, his bad deeds cannot be described even in many years. O lord, this one appears to be just sin incarnate. Therefore, till the time of the final deluge he should be roasted in hell.
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said :
19b-20a. Hearing these words, Yama showing his form resembling the fatal fire, angrily said to his servants:
Yama said :
20b-21a. O you who look after ths dead, take him tormenting him with your iron clubs. Quickly put him into Kumbhīpāka (hell) having the sound of the boiling of oil.
21b-25a. When he was thrown there, Kumbhīpāka became cool, as when in olden times Prahlāda was thrown into it. Seeing that great wonder, the official looking after the dead was amazed. He speedily came and told it to Yama. Yama heard the curious thing told by the official looking after the dead. Saying, “Oh, what is it?” he thought (over it) properly. Just then Nārada , smiling, came there quickly. He was properly honoured by Yama after seeing him. He said these words:
Nārada said :
25b-34. O Sun’s son, he is not fit to suffer in hells, since his acts are those that keep away hell. That man who would see, touch or talk to those who do meritorious acts, obtains one-sixth of the merit of those doing meritorious deeds. Since he had innumerable contacts with the observers of the Viṣṇu vow in Kārtika for a month, therefore he shares a portion of their religious merit. Since he served them, he enjoys the entire religious merit of the vow. Therefore, his religious merit due to the Kārtika-vow cannot be measured, (since) Viṣṇu, to whom good devotees are dear, does destroy even the major sins of those who observe the Kārtika-vow. Since in the end (i.e. at the time of his death) he was favoured by Viṣṇu’s devotees by repeating the names (of Viṣṇu) and by sprinkling water mixed with Tulasī (-leaves), therefore he is not be roasted in a hell. Therefore, with his sins destroyed, he deserves to get a good position. due to deliberate or non-deliberate sins one has to suffer from torment in hell, in the same way one has to enjoy pleasures in heaven. Therefore, he who unintentionally got the religious merit, would, living in the stock of yakṣa , see all hells and would undergo the fruit of his sins.
When Nārada, after speaking like this left, Yama, realising his religious merit on hearing his (i.e. Nārada’s) words, again took the brāhmaṇa through his servant showing him all groups of hell.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 44682, revision 333958 (2022-03-21T11:18:29Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365692.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.