Bhagavata Purana

धुन्धुकारी गृहेऽतिष्ठत् पंचपण्यवधूवृतः । अत्युग्रकर्मकर्ता च तत् पोषणविमूढधीः

Dhundhukārī remained at home, surrounded by five courtesans, performing extremely cruel deeds, his mind deluded by their maintenance.

एकदा कुलटास्तास्तु भूषणान्यभिलिप्सवः । तदर्थं निर्गतो गेहात् कामान्धो मृत्युमस्मरन्

One day, those courtesans, desiring ornaments, he, blinded by lust and forgetting death, left the house to obtain them.

यतस्ततश्च संहृत्य वित्तं वेश्म पुनर्गतः । ताभ्योऽयच्छत् सुवस्त्राणि भूषणानि कियन्ति च

Gathering wealth from here and there, he returned home and gave those women fine clothes, ornaments, and various things.

बहुवित्तचयं दृष्ट्वा रात्रौ नार्यो व्यचारयन् । चौर्यं करोत्यसौ नित्यं अतो राजा ग्रहीष्यति

Seeing the accumulation of much wealth, the women said at night: 'He steals daily; because of this, the king will arrest him.'

वित्तं हृत्वा पुनश्चैनं मारयिष्यति निश्चितम् । अतोऽर्थगुप्तये गूढं अस्माभिः किं न हन्यते

'After taking the wealth, the king will certainly kill him; therefore, to protect our interests, why should we not secretly kill him ourselves?'

निहत्यैनं गृहीत्वार्थं यास्यामो यत्र कुत्रचित् । इति ता निश्चयं कृत्वा सुप्तं सम्बद्ध्य रश्मिभिः

Having resolved thus, they bound him with ropes while he slept, killed him, took the wealth, and left for somewhere else.

पाशं कण्ठे निधायास्य तन्मृत्युं उपचक्रमुः । त्वरितं न ममारासौ चिन्तायुक्ताः तदाभवन्

Placing a noose around his neck, they began to kill him; though they acted quickly, he did not die, and they became anxious.

तप्तांगारसमूहांश्च तन्मुखे हि विचिक्षिपुः । अग्निज्वालातिदुःखेन व्याकुलो निधनं गतः

They threw heaps of burning coals into his mouth; tormented by the extreme pain of the flames, he perished.

तं देहं मुमुचुर्गर्ते प्रायः साहसिकाः स्त्रियः । न ज्ञातं तद्‌रहस्यं तु केनापीदं तथैव च

Those reckless women abandoned his body in a pit; the secret of this was not known to anyone.

लोकैः पृष्ट्वा वदन्ति स्म दूरं यातः प्रियो हि नः । आगमिष्यति वर्षेऽस्मिन् वित्तलोभविकर्षितः

When questioned by the people, they would say: 'He has gone far away, for he is dear to us; he will return this year, drawn away by greed for wealth.'

स्त्रीणां नैव तु विश्वासं दुष्टानां कारयेत् बुधः । विश्वासे यः स्थितो मूढः स दुःखैः परिभूयते

A wise person should never place trust in wicked women; the fool who relies on them is overwhelmed by suffering.

सुधामयं वचो यासां कामिनां रसवर्धनम् । हृदयं क्षुरधाराभं प्रियः को नाम योषिताम्

The words of lustful women are like nectar, enhancing pleasure; but their hearts are as sharp as a razor—who, among men, is truly dear to them?

संहृत्य वित्तं ता याताः कुलटा बहुभर्तृकाः । धुम्धुकारी बभूवाथ महान् प्रेतः कुकर्मतः

Having seized his wealth, those promiscuous women, with many husbands, departed; then Dhundhukari became a great ghost, tormented by evil deeds.

वात्यारूपधरो नित्यं धावन् दशदिशो‍न्तरम् । शीतातप परिक्लिष्टो निराहारः पिपासितः

Assuming the form of a whirlwind, he constantly ran in all ten directions, afflicted by cold and heat, without food, and thirsty.

न लेभे शरणं क्वापि हा दैवेति मुहुर्वदन् । कियत्कालेन गोकर्णो मृतं लोकादबुध्यत

He found no shelter anywhere, repeatedly crying out, 'Alas, fate!' After some time, Gokarna learned of his death from the world.

अनाथं तं विदित्वैव गयाश्राद्धं अचीकरत् । यस्मिन् तीर्थे तु संयाति तत्र श्राद्धं अवर्तयत्

Recognizing him as helpless, Gokarna performed the Gaya funeral rites; wherever he traveled to a holy place, he conducted the rites there.

एवं भ्रमन् स गोकर्णः स्वपुरं समुपेयिवान् । रात्रौ गृहांगणे स्वप्तुं आगतोऽलक्षितः परैः

Thus wandering, Gokarna returned to his own city; at night, he came to sleep in the courtyard of his house, unnoticed by others.

तत्र सुप्तं स विज्ञाय धुन्धुकारी स्वबान्धवम् । निशीथे दर्शयामास महारौद्रतरं वपुः

There, perceiving Gokarna asleep, Dhundhukari revealed himself to his relative in the dead of night, displaying a most terrifying form.

सकृन्मेषः सकृद्धस्ती सकृच्च महिषोऽभवत् । सकृदिन्द्र सकृच्चाग्निः पुनश्च पुरुषोऽभवत्

He became, in turn, a sheep, an elephant, a buffalo, Indra, Agni, and again a man—each form only once.

वैपरीत्यं इदं दृष्ट्वा गोकर्णो धैर्यसंयुतः । अयं दुर्गतिकं कोऽपि निश्चित्याथ तमब्रवीत्

Seeing this reversal, Gokarna, composed and resolute, determined that this was someone in a miserable state, and then spoke to him.

गोकर्ण उवाच - कस्त्वं उग्रतरो रात्रौ कुतो यातो दशां इमाम् । किंवा प्रेतः पिशाचो वा राक्षसोऽसीति शंस नः

Gokarna said: 'Who are you, so fierce at night? From where have you come to this condition? Are you a ghost, a goblin, or a demon? Tell us.'

सूत उवाच - एवं पृष्टस्तदा तेन रुरोदोच्चैः पुनः पुनः । अशक्तो वचनोच्चारे संज्ञामात्रं चकार ह

Suta said: Thus questioned by him, he cried out loudly again and again, unable to utter words, making only gestures of consciousness.

ततोऽञ्जलौ जलं कृत्वा गोकर्णस्तमुदैरयत् । तत्सेकहतपापोऽसौ प्रवक्तुं उपचक्रमे

Then Gokarna, taking water in his hands, raised him up; freed by that single act, the sinner began to speak.

प्रेत उवाच - अहं भ्राता त्वदीयोऽस्मि धुन्धुकारीरि नामतः । स्वकीयेनैव दोषेण ब्रह्मत्वं नाशितं मया

The ghost said: 'I am your brother, named Dhundhukari; by my own fault, I have destroyed my human birth.'

कर्मणो नास्ति संख्या मे महाज्ञाने विवर्तिनः । लोकानां हिंसकः सोऽहं स्त्रीभिर्दुःखेन मारितः

There is no count of my deeds, transformed by great ignorance; I am one who harmed the worlds, killed by women through suffering.

अतः प्रेतत्वं आपन्नो दुर्दशां च वहाम्यहम् । वाताहारेण जीवामि दैवाधीनफलोदयात्

Therefore, I have become a ghost and bear this wretched state; I live on air, receiving results only as fate allows.

अहो बन्धो कृपासिन्धो भ्रातर्मामाशु मोचय । गोकर्णो वचनं श्रुत्वा तस्मै वाक्यं अथाब्रवीत्

Oh friend, ocean of compassion, brother, quickly release me! Hearing these words, Gokarṇa then spoke to him as follows.

गोकर्ण उवाच - त्वदर्थं तु गयापिण्डो मया दत्तो विधानतः । तत्कथं नैव मुक्तोऽसि ममाश्चर्यं इदं महत्

Gokarṇa said: For your sake, I have duly offered the ancestral oblation at Gayā. How is it that you have not been liberated? This is truly astonishing to me.

गयाश्राद्धान्न मुक्तिश्चेत् उपायो नापरस्त्विह । किं विधेयं मया प्रेत तत्त्वं वद सविस्तरम्

If liberation does not come even from the Gayā śrāddha, then there is no other means here. What should I do for you, O departed one? Tell me the truth in detail.