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Uttara-khaṇḍa · Chapter 211

Chapter 211

Unit 623 of 693Uttara-khaṇḍa · Chapter 211Uttara-khaṇḍa · Chapter 2111 source entries

Uttara-khaṇḍa · Chapter 211

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नारद उवाच- शिवे तवपुरः सर्वं मुकंदाख्यानमुत्तमम् । कथितं चंडकस्यापि नापितस्य शृणुष्व मे १। यस्मिन्दिने मुकुंदस्तु ब्राह्मणस्तेन घातितः । चंडकेन तदा राजंस्तद्वृत्तं नागरैः श्रुतम् २। श्रुत्वा तैस्तन्नृपस्याग्रे निवेदितमिति स्फुटम् । नागरा ऊचुः । चंडकेन हतो राजन्मुकुंदो ब्राह्मणोत्तमः ३। नीतं च तद्धनं भूरि यद्युक्तं तद्विधीयताम् । त्वमस्माकं प्रजानां हि रक्षकः शासकोऽसताम् ४। नारद उवाच- इत्याकर्ण्य स भूपालो मंत्रिणं पार्श्ववर्तिनम् । उवाच कोपरक्ताक्षः किमेभिः कथ्यते शृणु ५। शीघ्रमानयतं पापं नोचेत्त्वां घातयाम्यहम् । उत्तिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ पापिष्ठ साधूनां शं विधीयताम् ६। पीड्यंते विषये यस्य प्रजा दस्युभिरुल्बणैः । स नृपो नरकं याति तेभ्यस्ताश्चेन्न रक्षति ७। नारद उवाच- निशम्येति वचो राज्ञः सचिवः स शिवे नृपः । वेगेन हयमारुह्य पदातिशतसंयुतः ८। ययौ गृहे मुकुंदस्य तस्य बंधूनपृच्छत । मुकुंदः केन निहतः सत्यं ब्रूत ममाग्रतः ९। तं पापं निहनिष्यामि शासनाद्भूपतेरहम् । नारद उवाच- श्रुत्वेति मंत्रिणो वाक्यं प्रत्यूचुर्विप्रबांधवाः १०। विप्रबांधवा ऊचुः - चंडकेन हतो मंत्रिन्मुकुंदो नापितेन हि । इदं पलायमानस्य तस्योष्णीषं पपात वै ११। दृष्टः स्वचक्षुषा वध्वा मुकुंदस्यैव सोघकृत् । किं कुर्मस्तेन पापेन मज्जिताः शोकसागरे १२ । नारद उवाच - इत्याकर्ण्य वचस्तेषां बंधूनां ब्राह्मणस्य हि । स मंत्री तस्य पापस्य नापितस्य गृहं ययौ १३। अश्वादुत्तीर्य तरसा तद्गृहं स्वयमाविशत् । कतिभिः पत्तिभिः सार्द्धं शयानं च ददर्श ह १४। पत्तयस्तु तदाज्ञप्ताः केशेष्वाकृष्य तत्क्षणात् । तल्पादुत्थापयामासुस्तं पापं नापिताधमम् १५। किं किमित्येव संजल्पन्नेत्रे उन्मीलयत्यसौ । यावत्स नापितः पापस्तावत्तं ददृशे पुरः १६। संस्मरंतं निजं कर्म रात्रौ यत्कृतवानघम् । अधोमुखः क्षणं तस्थौ पश्यन्मूर्ध्नि स्थितं यमम् १७। ग्राहयित्वा च सचिवस्तं पापं च स्वपत्तिभिः । निनाय नृपतेः पार्श्वमिति चोवाच भूपतिम् १८। आनीतो ब्रह्महा राजन्नयं चंडक नापितः । यदाज्ञापयसि स्वामिंस्तरसा तत्करोम्यहम् १९। राजोवाच- धर्मज्ञ सचिवश्रेष्ठ शृणु त्वं वचनं मम । इयं सरिद्वरा युष्मंश्चंद्रभागात्र निर्मलाः २०। त्यजंति येऽत्र वै प्राणाल्लँभंते ते सुरास्पदम् । अत एष न हंतव्यः पापात्मा ह्यत्र नापितः २१। पंचकोशांतरे ह्यस्या मर्यादाया बहिर्यदि । नरकान्दारुणान्ह्येष ब्रह्महा यातु मा चिरम् २२। नारदोवाच- इत्युक्तस्तेन वै राज्ञा स राजन्मंत्रिसत्तमः । श्वपचान्प्रेरयामास हंतुं तं भूपशासनात् २३। श्वपचास्ते तमुन्नीय चंद्रभागापरे तटे । योजनद्वयभूभागं चिच्छिदुस्तस्य मस्तकम् २४। स पापो मारवे देशे सर्पोऽभूत्कालविग्रहः । धवकोटरमध्यस्थो विषज्वालाकराननः २५। स शुष्को धववृक्षस्तु तस्य फूत्कारवह्निना । तथा तपनतापेन सरसोऽपि यथा ह्रदः २६। गमनात्तस्य पापस्य सर्वतो वृक्षमूषरम् । उच्छिद्य तृणजातादि जातं पश्वहितं तदा २७। तत्र जातु समायातः सार्थो दक्षिणदेशतः । नारायणाश्रमं गच्छन्बदर्याख्यं शिवे नृप २८। तत्रैको ब्राह्मणः कश्चित्सार्थेसंमीलितः पथि । निश्छिद्रां काष्ठमंजूषां पितृमात्रस्थिसंयुताम् २९। स्कंधेन धारयन्याति तानि पातयितुं नृप । गंगांभसि महाभाग पापिनामपि कामदे ३०। सोऽप्यागतस्तत्र वने यत्रास्ति स भुजंगमः । विविक्ते क्षिप्य मंजूषां शलाकालोहनिर्मिताम् ३१। अथागत्य भुजंगोऽसौ शलाकां फणयाघटत् । किंचिदुद्धाटितायां स मंजूषायां समाविशत् ३२। पुनः शलाका स्वंस्थानमागताथ स कुंडली । तत्रैव तस्थौ निश्चेष्टो मंजूषायां विषोल्बणः ३३। अथ प्रभाते सर्वे ते चेलुः स्थानात्ततो नृप । ब्राह्मणः सोऽपि मंजूषां कंबलेन समावृताम् ३४। कृत्वा शिरसि राजेंद्र चचाल प्रति जाह्नवीम् । कतिभिर्वासरैः सार्थः संप्राप्तस्तीर्थगामिनाम् ३५। इहैव कोशलायां वै पुनीतायां महीपते । अथ शीतातुरो विप्रः कंबलं चोदघाटयत् ३६। मंजूषावरणं राजन्तत्रायोध्यातटे शुभे । सोऽपि सर्पो निराहारो लब्ध्वा मारुतभोजनम् ३७। निश्चक्राम बहिस्तस्मादुत्क्षेप्य सुशलाकिकाम् । तं निःसृतं समालोक्य सर्प्प सर्प इति क्रुधा३८। व्याहरंतो जनाः सर्वे लोष्टहस्ताः समभ्ययुः । यावत्पलायते सर्पस्तावदेकेन घातितः ३९। तत्याज स तदा प्राणान्पश्यतां तीर्थगामिनाम् । त्यक्त्वा भुजंगदेहं स देवत्वं प्राप दुर्लभम् ४०। दिव्यं विमानमारुह्य प्रोवाचेदं जनानि ह । सर्प उवाच- भो दाक्षिणात्याः शृणुत ब्राह्मणा वचनं मम ४१। पुरा चंडकनामाहं नापितो ब्रह्महाधमः । ब्रह्महत्याप्रदोषेण सर्पआसं मरुस्थले ४२। भुक्त्वा नरकदुःखानि वर्षाणां लक्षपंचकम् । अतीतं सर्पयोनौ मे वर्षाणामयुतद्वयम् ४३। तीर्थस्यास्य प्रसादेन प्राप्तं देवत्वमुत्तमम् । तस्मादिदं न वै त्याज्यं तीर्थं वै कोशलाभिधम् । सर्वार्थदं यतो नाकः प्राप्तः पापीयसा मया ४४। नारद उवाच- एवं स नापितः पापो योनिं प्राप्य विनिंदिताम् । जगाम द्यां विमानस्थस्तीर्थस्यास्य प्रसादतः ४५। ते दाक्षिणात्या यतयो भूत्वा तत्रैव तीर्थके । ऊषुर्गोविंदपादाब्ज मानसा दृष्टवैभवे ४६। माहात्म्यमस्य तीर्थस्य दृष्ट्वा स ब्राह्मणोत्तमः । तीर्थेऽत्रजातविश्रद्धः पित्रोरस्थीनि सोऽक्षिपत् ४७। पतितेष्वस्थिखंडेषु पितरौ तस्य तत्क्षणात् । विमानवरमारूढौ दिव्यौ तत्र समागतौ ४८। ऊचतुश्च स्वतनयं शृण्वानेषु जनेषु वै । वत्स जीव चिरं लोके धनधान्यसुखी भव ४९। आवयोर्मुक्तिदानाच्च मुक्तिं यास्यसि नो मृषा । गंगायां पिंडदानेन यत्फलं स्यात्सुतस्य वै । पितॄणां या गतिश्चात्र द्वयं स्यादस्थिपाततः ५०। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे। कालिंदीमाहात्म्ये मुकुंदोपाख्यानं नामैकादशाधिकद्विशतमोध्यायः २११।

nārada uvāca- śive tavapuraḥ sarvaṃ mukaṃdākhyānamuttamam | kathitaṃ caṃḍakasyāpi nāpitasya śṛṇuṣva me 1| yasmindine mukuṃdastu brāhmaṇastena ghātitaḥ | caṃḍakena tadā rājaṃstadvṛttaṃ nāgaraiḥ śrutam 2| śrutvā taistannṛpasyāgre niveditamiti sphuṭam | nāgarā ūcuḥ | caṃḍakena hato rājanmukuṃdo brāhmaṇottamaḥ 3| nītaṃ ca taddhanaṃ bhūri yadyuktaṃ tadvidhīyatām | tvamasmākaṃ prajānāṃ hi rakṣakaḥ śāsako'satām 4| nārada uvāca- ityākarṇya sa bhūpālo maṃtriṇaṃ pārśvavartinam | uvāca koparaktākṣaḥ kimebhiḥ kathyate śṛṇu 5| śīghramānayataṃ pāpaṃ nocettvāṃ ghātayāmyaham | uttiṣṭhottiṣṭha pāpiṣṭha sādhūnāṃ śaṃ vidhīyatām 6| pīḍyaṃte viṣaye yasya prajā dasyubhirulbaṇaiḥ | sa nṛpo narakaṃ yāti tebhyastāścenna rakṣati 7| nārada uvāca- niśamyeti vaco rājñaḥ sacivaḥ sa śive nṛpaḥ | vegena hayamāruhya padātiśatasaṃyutaḥ 8| yayau gṛhe mukuṃdasya tasya baṃdhūnapṛcchata | mukuṃdaḥ kena nihataḥ satyaṃ brūta mamāgrataḥ 9| taṃ pāpaṃ nihaniṣyāmi śāsanādbhūpateraham | nārada uvāca- śrutveti maṃtriṇo vākyaṃ pratyūcurviprabāṃdhavāḥ 10| viprabāṃdhavā ūcuḥ - caṃḍakena hato maṃtrinmukuṃdo nāpitena hi | idaṃ palāyamānasya tasyoṣṇīṣaṃ papāta vai 11| dṛṣṭaḥ svacakṣuṣā vadhvā mukuṃdasyaiva soghakṛt | kiṃ kurmastena pāpena majjitāḥ śokasāgare 12 | nārada uvāca - ityākarṇya vacasteṣāṃ baṃdhūnāṃ brāhmaṇasya hi | sa maṃtrī tasya pāpasya nāpitasya gṛhaṃ yayau 13| aśvāduttīrya tarasā tadgṛhaṃ svayamāviśat | katibhiḥ pattibhiḥ sārddhaṃ śayānaṃ ca dadarśa ha 14| pattayastu tadājñaptāḥ keśeṣvākṛṣya tatkṣaṇāt | talpādutthāpayāmāsustaṃ pāpaṃ nāpitādhamam 15| kiṃ kimityeva saṃjalpannetre unmīlayatyasau | yāvatsa nāpitaḥ pāpastāvattaṃ dadṛśe puraḥ 16| saṃsmaraṃtaṃ nijaṃ karma rātrau yatkṛtavānagham | adhomukhaḥ kṣaṇaṃ tasthau paśyanmūrdhni sthitaṃ yamam 17| grāhayitvā ca sacivastaṃ pāpaṃ ca svapattibhiḥ | nināya nṛpateḥ pārśvamiti covāca bhūpatim 18| ānīto brahmahā rājannayaṃ caṃḍaka nāpitaḥ | yadājñāpayasi svāmiṃstarasā tatkaromyaham 19| rājovāca- dharmajña sacivaśreṣṭha śṛṇu tvaṃ vacanaṃ mama | iyaṃ saridvarā yuṣmaṃścaṃdrabhāgātra nirmalāḥ 20| tyajaṃti ye'tra vai prāṇālla~bhaṃte te surāspadam | ata eṣa na haṃtavyaḥ pāpātmā hyatra nāpitaḥ 21| paṃcakośāṃtare hyasyā maryādāyā bahiryadi | narakāndāruṇānhyeṣa brahmahā yātu mā ciram 22| nāradovāca- ityuktastena vai rājñā sa rājanmaṃtrisattamaḥ | śvapacānprerayāmāsa haṃtuṃ taṃ bhūpaśāsanāt 23| śvapacāste tamunnīya caṃdrabhāgāpare taṭe | yojanadvayabhūbhāgaṃ cicchidustasya mastakam 24| sa pāpo mārave deśe sarpo'bhūtkālavigrahaḥ | dhavakoṭaramadhyastho viṣajvālākarānanaḥ 25| sa śuṣko dhavavṛkṣastu tasya phūtkāravahninā | tathā tapanatāpena saraso'pi yathā hradaḥ 26| gamanāttasya pāpasya sarvato vṛkṣamūṣaram | ucchidya tṛṇajātādi jātaṃ paśvahitaṃ tadā 27| tatra jātu samāyātaḥ sārtho dakṣiṇadeśataḥ | nārāyaṇāśramaṃ gacchanbadaryākhyaṃ śive nṛpa 28| tatraiko brāhmaṇaḥ kaścitsārthesaṃmīlitaḥ pathi | niśchidrāṃ kāṣṭhamaṃjūṣāṃ pitṛmātrasthisaṃyutām 29| skaṃdhena dhārayanyāti tāni pātayituṃ nṛpa | gaṃgāṃbhasi mahābhāga pāpināmapi kāmade 30| so'pyāgatastatra vane yatrāsti sa bhujaṃgamaḥ | vivikte kṣipya maṃjūṣāṃ śalākālohanirmitām 31| athāgatya bhujaṃgo'sau śalākāṃ phaṇayāghaṭat | kiṃciduddhāṭitāyāṃ sa maṃjūṣāyāṃ samāviśat 32| punaḥ śalākā svaṃsthānamāgatātha sa kuṃḍalī | tatraiva tasthau niśceṣṭo maṃjūṣāyāṃ viṣolbaṇaḥ 33| atha prabhāte sarve te celuḥ sthānāttato nṛpa | brāhmaṇaḥ so'pi maṃjūṣāṃ kaṃbalena samāvṛtām 34| kṛtvā śirasi rājeṃdra cacāla prati jāhnavīm | katibhirvāsaraiḥ sārthaḥ saṃprāptastīrthagāminām 35| ihaiva kośalāyāṃ vai punītāyāṃ mahīpate | atha śītāturo vipraḥ kaṃbalaṃ codaghāṭayat 36| maṃjūṣāvaraṇaṃ rājantatrāyodhyātaṭe śubhe | so'pi sarpo nirāhāro labdhvā mārutabhojanam 37| niścakrāma bahistasmādutkṣepya suśalākikām | taṃ niḥsṛtaṃ samālokya sarppa sarpa iti krudhā38| vyāharaṃto janāḥ sarve loṣṭahastāḥ samabhyayuḥ | yāvatpalāyate sarpastāvadekena ghātitaḥ 39| tatyāja sa tadā prāṇānpaśyatāṃ tīrthagāminām | tyaktvā bhujaṃgadehaṃ sa devatvaṃ prāpa durlabham 40| divyaṃ vimānamāruhya provācedaṃ janāni ha | sarpa uvāca- bho dākṣiṇātyāḥ śṛṇuta brāhmaṇā vacanaṃ mama 41| purā caṃḍakanāmāhaṃ nāpito brahmahādhamaḥ | brahmahatyāpradoṣeṇa sarpaāsaṃ marusthale 42| bhuktvā narakaduḥkhāni varṣāṇāṃ lakṣapaṃcakam | atītaṃ sarpayonau me varṣāṇāmayutadvayam 43| tīrthasyāsya prasādena prāptaṃ devatvamuttamam | tasmādidaṃ na vai tyājyaṃ tīrthaṃ vai kośalābhidham | sarvārthadaṃ yato nākaḥ prāptaḥ pāpīyasā mayā 44| nārada uvāca- evaṃ sa nāpitaḥ pāpo yoniṃ prāpya viniṃditām | jagāma dyāṃ vimānasthastīrthasyāsya prasādataḥ 45| te dākṣiṇātyā yatayo bhūtvā tatraiva tīrthake | ūṣurgoviṃdapādābja mānasā dṛṣṭavaibhave 46| māhātmyamasya tīrthasya dṛṣṭvā sa brāhmaṇottamaḥ | tīrthe'trajātaviśraddhaḥ pitrorasthīni so'kṣipat 47| patiteṣvasthikhaṃḍeṣu pitarau tasya tatkṣaṇāt | vimānavaramārūḍhau divyau tatra samāgatau 48| ūcatuśca svatanayaṃ śṛṇvāneṣu janeṣu vai | vatsa jīva ciraṃ loke dhanadhānyasukhī bhava 49| āvayormuktidānācca muktiṃ yāsyasi no mṛṣā | gaṃgāyāṃ piṃḍadānena yatphalaṃ syātsutasya vai | pitṝṇāṃ yā gatiścātra dvayaṃ syādasthipātataḥ 50| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe paṃcapaṃcāśatsāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāmuttarakhaṃḍe| kāliṃdīmāhātmye mukuṃdopākhyānaṃ nāmaikādaśādhikadviśatamodhyāyaḥ 211|

English translation

Nārada said :

1-3a. O Śibi , I have told you the entire excellent account of Mukunda . Listen also to the account of the barber Caṇḍaka from me. O king, on the day when Caṇḍaka killed the brāhmaṇa Mukunda, the citizens heard that news. Hearing that they clearly reported like this to the king:

The citizens said :

3b-4. O king, Caṇḍaka has killed Mukunda, the best brāhmaṇa, and has taken (away) his ample wealth. Do what is proper. You are the protector of us (your) subjects, and the chastiser of the bad.

Nārada said :

5-7. Hearing this, the king with his eyes red with anger, said to the minister who was by his side: “Listen to what these (citizens) say. Quickly bring that sinner. Otherwise I shall kill you. O most sinful one, get up, get up, (and) do (what leads to) the happiness of the good. A king in whose country his subjects are harassed by thieves and who does not protect them from them (i.e. the thieves), goes to hell.”

Nārada said :

8-10a. O Śibi, having heard these words of the king, the minister quickly mounted his horse, and with a hundred foot-soldiers went to Mukunda’s house, and asked his relatives: “Who killed Mukunda? Tell me the truth. By the order of the king I shall kill the sinner.”

Nārada said :

10b. Hearing these words of the minister, the relatives of the brāhmaṇa said:

The relatives of the brāhmaṇa said :

11-12. O minister, Mukunda was killed by Caṇḍaka, the barber. This is his turban that had fallen when he was running away. The young wife of Mukunda herself has seen the sinner. What shall we do? We have plunged in the ocean of grief.

Nārada said :

13-19. Hearing these words of the relatives of the brāhmaṇa, the minister went to the house of that sinful barber. Quickly he got down from the horse and with some foot-soldiers went into his house and saw him asleep. Ordered by him the foot-soldiers seized him by his hair that moment (only) and they raised that sinful, mean barber from (his) bed. When the sinful barber saying, “What is this? what is this?” opened his eyes, he saw him (i.e. the minister). Recollecting his act—the sin that he had committed at night—he, for a moment, remained with his face hung down and realising (that) Yama had stood over his head. Getting him arrested by his foot-soldiers, the minister took him to the king, and thus spoke to the king: “O king, this barber Caṇḍaka, the killer of the brāhmaṇa, has been brought. I shall quickly do what you order.”

The king said :

20-22. O best minister, O you who know religious practices, O long-lived one, listen to my words. Here there is this clean, best river, Candrabhāgā . Those who cast their lives here go to the place of gods. Therefore, this wicked barber should not be killed here. If (he would be killed) outside the boundary of five krośas of this (place), he would go to fearful hells. Make no delay.

Nārada said :

23-30. Thus addressed by the king, the best minister prompted cāṇḍālas to kill him at the king’s order, O king. The cāṇḍālas taking him up on the other bank of Candrabhāgā to a place at a distance of two yojanas , cut off his head. The sinner became a serpent having a deadly body, living in the hollow of a dhava tree, and with his mouth producing flames of poison. The dhava tree dried due to the fire from his hissing as a pool full of water dries due to the heat of the sun. Due to the sinner’s going there the dhava tree and the land around it, with the grass etc. cut off, became a barren land. O Śibi, once there came a caravan from the southern region. It especially was going to Nārāyaṇa ’s hermitage, called Badara . On the way a brāhmaṇa had joined the caravan. O king, carrying on his shoulder a holeless wooden box containing the bones of his father and mother, he was going to drop them into the water of Gaṅgāgiving the desired objects even to sinners.

31-4la. He too came there to the forest where the serpent was and kept the box made of red rods at a secluded place. Coming there the serpent raised a rod with his hood. When the box was partially opened, he entered the box. The rod returned to its original position. The serpent, dreadful due to poison, remained motionless there in the box only. Then in the morning all of them moved from that place, O king. The brāhmaṇa also taking the box covered with a blanket on his head, proceeded to Gaṅgā . O king, the caravan of the pilgrims reached this pure Kośalā after some days. Then the brāhmaṇa, sick due to cold opened the blanket which covered the box there on the auspicious slope of Ayodhyā . The serpent too who had no food (for a long time) got his food, i.e. air, and throwing up a strong rod, moved out of it. Seeing the serpent to have moved out, all men, saying ‘A serpent, a serpent’, and with clods in their hands, went there. While the serpent was running (away) he was hit by one of them. While the pilgrims were watching he cast his life. Giving up his serpent-body, he obtained godhead, difficult to be obtained. Getting into a divine aeroplane, he spoke these (words) to the people:

The serpent said :

41b-44. O brāhmaṇas from the south, hear my words. Formerly I was a mean barber named Caṇḍaka who killed a brāhmaṇa. Due to the great sin of the murder of a brāhmaṇa, I became a serpent in (this) desert. Having experienced the miseries in the hell for five lakhs of years, I have passed two myriads of years in this existence as a serpent. Due to the favour of this holy place, I have obtained excellent godhead. Therefore, this sacred place giving all (desired) objects should not be abandoned; from it, I, a sinner, have reached heaven.

Nārada said :

45-50. Thus that sinful barber, having reached a censurable existence, went seated in an aeroplane to heaven. The southerners, becoming ascetics, lived at that sacred place—whose grandeur they had seen—only, with their minds (fixed) on the lotuslike feet of Viṣṇu . That best brāhmaṇa, noticing the greatness of this holy place and having developed faith in it, dropped his parents’ bones there. When the pieces of the bones fell there, his parents, seated in a divine aeroplane, came there at that moment only. And, while (other) people were listening, they said to their son: “O son, live long; be happy in the world with wealth and grains. Due to your having caused the liberation of both of us, you will obtain salvation. This is not false.” Due to the dropping of the bones, both—the fruit that the son would have by offering piṇḍas into Gaṅga and the parents’ going to heaven—took place.

Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 14535, revision 336624 (2022-04-25T13:49:36Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365795.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.