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Uttara-khaṇḍa · Chapter 116

Chapter 116

Unit 528 of 693Uttara-khaṇḍa · Chapter 116Uttara-khaṇḍa · Chapter 1161 source entries

Uttara-khaṇḍa · Chapter 116

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ऋषय ऊचुः। अस्पृश्यत्वे कथं जातः सूत बोधितरुस्त्वयम् । स्पृश्यत्वं च कथं प्राप्तस्तथा च शनिवासरे । एतद्विस्तरतः सर्वं वक्तुमर्हति नो भवान् १। सूत उवाच। समुद्रमथनाद्यानि रत्नान्यापुः सुरेश्वराः । श्रियं च कौस्तुभं तेषां विष्णवे प्रददुः सुराः २। यावदंगीचकारासौ लक्ष्मीं भार्यार्थमात्मनः । तावद्विज्ञापयामास लक्ष्मीस्तं चक्रपाणिनम् ३। लक्ष्मीरुवाच। असंस्कृत्य कथं ज्येष्ठां त्वं कनिष्ठां प्रणीयसे । तस्मान्ममाग्रजामेतामलक्ष्मीं मधुसूदन ४। विवाह्य नय मां पश्चादेष धर्मः सनातनः ५। सूत उवाच। इति तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा स विष्णुर्लोकभावनः । उद्दालकाय मुनये सुदीर्घतपसे तदा ६। आत्मवाक्यानुरोधेन तामलक्ष्मीं ददौ किल । स्थूलास्यां शुभ्रदशनां राजतीं बिभ्रतीं तनुम् ७। विततां रक्तनयनां रूक्षपिंगशिरोरुहाम् । समुनिर्विष्णुवाक्यात्तामंगीकृत्य स्वमाश्रमम् ८। वेदध्वनिसमायुक्तमानयामास धर्मवित् । होमधूमसुगंधाढ्यं विद्याघोषविनादितम् ९। आश्रमं तं समालोक्य व्यथिता साब्रवीदिदम् । ज्येष्ठोवाच। न हि वासोऽनुरूपोऽयं वेदध्वनियुतो मम । नात्रागमिष्ये भो ब्रह्मन्नयस्वान्यत्र मा चिरम् १०। उद्दालक उवाच। कथं नायासि किंवात्र वर्त्तते संमतं तव । तव योग्या च वसतिः का भवेच्च वदस्व तत् ११। ज्येष्ठोवाच। वेदध्वनिर्भवेद्यस्मिन्नतिथीनां च पूजनम् । यज्ञदानादिकं वापि नैव तत्र वसाम्यहम् १२। परस्परानुरागेण दांपत्यं यत्र वर्तते । पितृदेवार्चनं यत्र नैव तत्र वसाम्यहम् १३। दुरोदररता यत्र परद्रव्यापहारिणः । परदाररताश्चापि तत्र स्थाने रतिर्मम १४। गोवधो मद्यपानं च यत्र संजायतेनिशम् । ब्रह्महत्यादिपापानि तस्मिन्स्थाने रतिर्मम । वृद्धसज्जनविप्राणां यत्र स्यादपमाननम् । निष्ठुरं भाषणं यत्र तत्र नित्यं वसाम्यहम् १५। सूत उवाच। इति तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा विषण्णवदनोऽभवत् । उद्दालकमुनिर्विष्णोर्वाक्यं स्मृत्वा न चोचिवान् १६। सोऽगच्छद्यत्र तत्रास्य पूजामालोक्य साब्रवीत् । नायामीति ततः सोऽपि भ्रमादत्यातुरोऽभवत् । उद्दालकस्ततो वाक्यं तामलक्ष्मीमुवाच ह १७। उद्दालक उवाच। अश्वत्थवृक्षमूलेऽस्मिन्नलक्ष्मि स्थीयतां क्षणम् । आवासस्थानमालोक्य यावदायाम्यहं पुनः १८। सूत उवाच। इति तत्र स संस्थाप्य जगामोद्दालकस्तदा । प्रतीक्षंती चिरं तत्र यदा तन्न ददर्श सा १९। तदा रुरोद करुणं भर्तृत्यागेन दुःखिता । तत्रस्थां रुदतीलक्ष्मीर्वैकुंठभुवनेऽशृणोत् २०। तदा विज्ञापयामास विष्णुमुद्विग्नमानसा २१। लक्ष्मीरुवाच। स्वामिन्मद्भगिनी ज्येष्ठा भर्तृत्यागेन दुःखिता । तामाश्वासयितुं याहि कृपालो यद्यहं प्रिया २२। सूत उवाच। लक्ष्म्या सह ततो विष्णुस्तत्रागच्छत्कृपान्वितः । आश्वासयदलक्ष्मीं तामिदं वचनमब्रवीत् २३। श्रीविष्णुरुवाच। अश्वत्थवृक्षमासाद्य सदाऽलक्ष्मि स्थिरा भव । ममांशसंभवो ह्येष आवासस्ते मया कृतः २४। प्रत्यहं येऽर्चयिष्यंति त्वां ज्येष्ठां गृहधर्मिणः । तेष्वियं श्रीः कनिष्ठा ते भगिनी निश्चलास्तु वै २५। सूत उवाच। इत्यूर्जस्य च माहात्म्यं ये शृण्वंति पठंति च । तेषां विष्णुपुरे वासो भवेदाभूतसंप्लवम् २६। रोगापहं पातकनाशकृत्परं सुबुद्धिदं पुत्रधनादिसाधनम् । मुक्तेर्निदानं न हि कार्तिकाद्वै विष्णुप्रियादन्यदिहास्ति भूतले २७। विष्णुप्रियं सकलकल्मषनाशनं च सत्पुत्रपौत्रधनधान्यसमृद्धिकारि । ऊर्जव्रतं सनियमं कुरुते मनुष्यः किं तस्य तीर्थपरिशीलनसेवया च २८। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्सहस्रसंहितायामुत्तरखंडे कार्तिकमाहात्म्ये श्रीकृष्णसत्यभामासंवादे अलक्ष्म्युपाख्यानंनाम षोडशाधिकशततमोऽध्यायः११६। ।

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ| aspṛśyatve kathaṃ jātaḥ sūta bodhitarustvayam | spṛśyatvaṃ ca kathaṃ prāptastathā ca śanivāsare | etadvistarataḥ sarvaṃ vaktumarhati no bhavān 1| sūta uvāca| samudramathanādyāni ratnānyāpuḥ sureśvarāḥ | śriyaṃ ca kaustubhaṃ teṣāṃ viṣṇave pradaduḥ surāḥ 2| yāvadaṃgīcakārāsau lakṣmīṃ bhāryārthamātmanaḥ | tāvadvijñāpayāmāsa lakṣmīstaṃ cakrapāṇinam 3| lakṣmīruvāca| asaṃskṛtya kathaṃ jyeṣṭhāṃ tvaṃ kaniṣṭhāṃ praṇīyase | tasmānmamāgrajāmetāmalakṣmīṃ madhusūdana 4| vivāhya naya māṃ paścādeṣa dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ 5| sūta uvāca| iti tadvacanaṃ śrutvā sa viṣṇurlokabhāvanaḥ | uddālakāya munaye sudīrghatapase tadā 6| ātmavākyānurodhena tāmalakṣmīṃ dadau kila | sthūlāsyāṃ śubhradaśanāṃ rājatīṃ bibhratīṃ tanum 7| vitatāṃ raktanayanāṃ rūkṣapiṃgaśiroruhām | samunirviṣṇuvākyāttāmaṃgīkṛtya svamāśramam 8| vedadhvanisamāyuktamānayāmāsa dharmavit | homadhūmasugaṃdhāḍhyaṃ vidyāghoṣavināditam 9| āśramaṃ taṃ samālokya vyathitā sābravīdidam | jyeṣṭhovāca| na hi vāso'nurūpo'yaṃ vedadhvaniyuto mama | nātrāgamiṣye bho brahmannayasvānyatra mā ciram 10| uddālaka uvāca| kathaṃ nāyāsi kiṃvātra varttate saṃmataṃ tava | tava yogyā ca vasatiḥ kā bhavecca vadasva tat 11| jyeṣṭhovāca| vedadhvanirbhavedyasminnatithīnāṃ ca pūjanam | yajñadānādikaṃ vāpi naiva tatra vasāmyaham 12| parasparānurāgeṇa dāṃpatyaṃ yatra vartate | pitṛdevārcanaṃ yatra naiva tatra vasāmyaham 13| durodararatā yatra paradravyāpahāriṇaḥ | paradāraratāścāpi tatra sthāne ratirmama 14| govadho madyapānaṃ ca yatra saṃjāyateniśam | brahmahatyādipāpāni tasminsthāne ratirmama | vṛddhasajjanaviprāṇāṃ yatra syādapamānanam | niṣṭhuraṃ bhāṣaṇaṃ yatra tatra nityaṃ vasāmyaham 15| sūta uvāca| iti tadvacanaṃ śrutvā viṣaṇṇavadano'bhavat | uddālakamunirviṣṇorvākyaṃ smṛtvā na cocivān 16| so'gacchadyatra tatrāsya pūjāmālokya sābravīt | nāyāmīti tataḥ so'pi bhramādatyāturo'bhavat | uddālakastato vākyaṃ tāmalakṣmīmuvāca ha 17| uddālaka uvāca| aśvatthavṛkṣamūle'sminnalakṣmi sthīyatāṃ kṣaṇam | āvāsasthānamālokya yāvadāyāmyahaṃ punaḥ 18| sūta uvāca| iti tatra sa saṃsthāpya jagāmoddālakastadā | pratīkṣaṃtī ciraṃ tatra yadā tanna dadarśa sā 19| tadā ruroda karuṇaṃ bhartṛtyāgena duḥkhitā | tatrasthāṃ rudatīlakṣmīrvaikuṃṭhabhuvane'śṛṇot 20| tadā vijñāpayāmāsa viṣṇumudvignamānasā 21| lakṣmīruvāca| svāminmadbhaginī jyeṣṭhā bhartṛtyāgena duḥkhitā | tāmāśvāsayituṃ yāhi kṛpālo yadyahaṃ priyā 22| sūta uvāca| lakṣmyā saha tato viṣṇustatrāgacchatkṛpānvitaḥ | āśvāsayadalakṣmīṃ tāmidaṃ vacanamabravīt 23| śrīviṣṇuruvāca| aśvatthavṛkṣamāsādya sadā'lakṣmi sthirā bhava | mamāṃśasaṃbhavo hyeṣa āvāsaste mayā kṛtaḥ 24| pratyahaṃ ye'rcayiṣyaṃti tvāṃ jyeṣṭhāṃ gṛhadharmiṇaḥ | teṣviyaṃ śrīḥ kaniṣṭhā te bhaginī niścalāstu vai 25| sūta uvāca| ityūrjasya ca māhātmyaṃ ye śṛṇvaṃti paṭhaṃti ca | teṣāṃ viṣṇupure vāso bhavedābhūtasaṃplavam 26| rogāpahaṃ pātakanāśakṛtparaṃ subuddhidaṃ putradhanādisādhanam | mukternidānaṃ na hi kārtikādvai viṣṇupriyādanyadihāsti bhūtale 27| viṣṇupriyaṃ sakalakalmaṣanāśanaṃ ca satputrapautradhanadhānyasamṛddhikāri | ūrjavrataṃ saniyamaṃ kurute manuṣyaḥ kiṃ tasya tīrthapariśīlanasevayā ca 28| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe paṃcapaṃcāśatsahasrasaṃhitāyāmuttarakhaṃḍe kārtikamāhātmye śrīkṛṣṇasatyabhāmāsaṃvāde alakṣmyupākhyānaṃnāma ṣoḍaśādhikaśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ116| |

English translation

The sages said :

1. O Sūta , how has this Aśvattha tree become untouchable, and similarly how has it become fit to be touched on a Saturday? Please tell us all this in detail.

Sūta said :

2-3. Out of the gems that the lordly gods obtained after churning the ocean, the gods gave Lakṣmī and Kaustubha to Viṣṇu . When he accepted Lakṣmī as his wife, she respectfully said to him having the disc in his hand.

Lakṣmī said :

4-5. How will you marry me, the younger one, without getting this elder one married? Therefore, O Viṣṇu, having first married this Alakṣmī , my elder sister, take me. This is an old practice.

Sūta said :

6-10a. Hearing these words of her, Viṣṇu, the creator of the world, gave according to his own words, to sage Uddālaka who had practised penance for a very long time, that Alakṣmī, of a big face, white teeth, having a bright body, tall, having red eyes, and having rough and tawny hair. That sage, in accordance with Viṣṇu’s words, accepted her and he, knowing Dharma , brought her to his hermitage full of sounds of (the recital of) the Vedas , rich with the fragrance of sacrificial fire, and resounding with the sounds of (the recitals of) lores. Seeing that hermitage, she who was afflicted, said these words:

Jyeṣṭhā said :

10b. This abode full of Vedic sounds is not proper for me. O brāhmaṇa , I shall not come here. Take me somewhere else. Do not delay.

Uddālaka said :

11. Why do you not come? What is here that you don’t like? Tell me at which place an abode proper for you would be (found).

Jyeṣṭhā said :

12-15. I shall not stay there where the sound of (the recital of) the Vedas is heard, guests are honoured, and sacrifices etc. are (performed). So also I shall not stay there where a pair of lovers live, and where the dead ancestors are honoured. I love a place where there are men engaged in gambling and taking away others’ wealth, and where there live adulterers. I am interested in that place where cow slaughter takes place, drinking is indulged in, so also where sins like the killing of a brāhmaṇa take place.

Sūta said :

16-17. Hearing these words of her, sage Uddālaka’s face was dejected; and recollecting Viṣṇu’s words, he did not say (anything). He went here and there. Seeing his worship she said, “I will not come”. Then through confusion, he too became very much afflicted. Then Uddālaka spoke these words to that Alakṣmī:

Uddālaka said :

18. O Alakṣmī, stay for a moment at the root of this Aśvattha tree till I return after finding a place for (our) stay.

Sūta said :

19-21. Thus keeping her there, Uddālaka went (away). When she who was waiting for him for a long time did not see him, she, afflicted due to being forsaken by her husband, wept piteously. Lakṣmī, in her abode in Vaikuṇṭha heard her weeping there. Then with her mind dejected, she respectfully said to Viṣṇu:

Lakṣmī said :

22. O lord, O kind one, my elder sister is afflicted due to being forsaken by her husband. If I am dear to you, then go to console her.

Sūta said :

23. Then Viṣṇu, full of compassion, came there with Lakṣmī, consoled that Alakṣmī, and said these words to her:

Śrī Viṣṇu said :

24-25. O Alakṣmī, being in possession of this Aśvattha tree, be stable. I have made from my portion this abode for you. May this younger sister of you be stable with those householders who everyday worship you, the elder one.

Sūta said :

26-28. Those who listen to and recite this (account of) the greatness of Kārtika , would live in Viṣṇu’s city till the final deluge. There is on the earth no other (vow) than that of Kārtika, dear to Viṣṇu, which removes diseases, which destroys sins, which is a great giver of intelligence, which is a means of getting sons, wealth etc., which is the cause of salvation. What is the use (the need) for going to and resorting to holy places for the man who, with restraints, observes the Kārtika vow which is dear to Viṣṇu, which destroys all sins, which brings about prosperity in the form of good sons and grandsons, wealth and grains?

Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 44685, revision 333955 (2022-03-21T11:14:32Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365695.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.