Bhagavata Purana

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.

प्रेत उवाच - गयाश्राद्धशतेनापि मुक्तिर्मे न भविष्यति । उपायं अपरं कंचित् त्वं विचारय साम्प्रतम्

The departed one said: Even with a hundred Gayā śrāddhas, I will not attain liberation. Consider now some other means for my release.

इति तद्‌वाक्यमाकर्ण्य गोकर्णो विस्मयं गतः । शतश्राद्धैर्न मुक्तिश्चेत् असाध्यं मोचनं तव

Hearing these words, Gokarṇa was amazed: If liberation is not gained even by a hundred śrāddhas, then your release is indeed difficult.

इदानीं तु निजं स्थानं आतिष्ठ प्रेत निर्भयः । त्वन्मुक्तिसाधकं किंचित् आचरिष्ये विचार्य च

Now, remain in your own place, O departed one, without fear. I will consider and perform some act that will bring about your liberation.

धुन्धुकारी निजस्थानं तेनादिष्टस्ततो गतः । गोकर्णश्चिन्तयामास तां रात्रिं न तदध्यगात्

Thus instructed by him, Dhundhukārī went to his own place. Gokarṇa spent that night in thought and did not sleep.

प्रातस्तं आगतं दृष्ट्वा लोकाः प्रीत्याः समागताः । तत्सर्वं कथितं तेन यत् जातं च यथा निशि

In the morning, seeing him arrive, the people gathered together with joy. He told them everything that had happened during the night.

विद्वांसो योगनिष्ठाश्च ज्ञानिनो ब्रह्मवादिनः । तन्मुक्तिं नैव तेऽपश्यन् पश्यन्तः शास्त्रसंचयान्

The learned, those steadfast in yoga, the wise, and the speakers of Brahman—all of them, though examining the collections of scriptures, did not see any means for his liberation.

ततः सर्वैः सूर्यवाक्यं तन्मुक्तौ स्थापितं परम् । गोकर्णः स्तम्भनं चक्रे सूर्यवेगस्य वै तदा

Then, by all, the words of the Sun were established as supreme regarding his liberation. At that time, Gokarṇa restrained the speed of the Sun.

तुभ्यं नमो जगत् साक्षिन् ब्रूहि मे मुक्तिहेतुकम् । तत् श्रुत्वा दूरतः सूर्यः स्फुटमित्यभ्यभाषत

To you, O witness of the world, I offer my respects. Tell me the cause of liberation. Hearing this from afar, the Sun spoke clearly.

श्रीमद्‌भागवतान् मुक्तिः सप्ताहं वाचनं कुरु । इति सूर्यवचः सर्वैः धर्मरूपं तु विश्रुतम्

Recite the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam for seven days—this brings liberation. Thus spoke the Sun, and all recognized this as the true form of dharma.

सर्वेऽब्रुवन् प्रयत्‍नेन कर्तव्यं सुकरं त्विदम् । गोकर्णो निश्चयं कृत्वा वाचनार्थं प्रवर्तितः

All said: This must be done with effort, for it is indeed easy. Gokarṇa, having resolved, began the recitation.

तत्र संश्रवणार्थाय देशग्रामाज्जना ययुः । पङ्‌ग्वन्ध वृद्धमन्दाश्च तेऽपि पापक्षयाय वै

For the sake of hearing it, people came from villages and regions—the lame, the blind, the old, and the slow, all came for the destruction of their sins.

समाजस्तु महाञ्जातो देवविस्मयकारकः । यदैवासनमास्थाय गोकर्णोऽकथयत्कथाम्

A great assembly was formed, causing wonder even among the gods, when Gokarṇa, having taken his seat, began to narrate the story.

स प्रेतोऽपि तदाऽऽयातः स्थानं पश्यन् इतस्ततः । सप्तग्रन्थियुतं तत्र अपश्यत् कीचकमुछ्रितम्

At that time, the departed one also arrived, looking here and there for a place. There he saw a bamboo with seven knots, standing upright.

तन्मूलच्छिद्रमाविश्य श्रवणार्थं स्थितौ ह्यसौ । वातरूपी स्थितिं कर्तुं अशक्तो वंशमाविशत्

Entering a hole at its base to listen, he stood there. Unable to remain in the form of wind, he entered the bamboo.

वैष्णवं ब्राह्मणं मुख्यं श्रोतारं परिकल्प्य सः । प्रथमस्कन्धतः स्पष्टं आख्यानं धेनुजोऽकरत्

Considering the chief Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇa as the foremost listener, the son of Dhenu began the clear narration from the first book.

दिनान्ते रक्षिता गाथा तदा चित्रं बभूव ह । वंशैकग्रन्थिभेदोऽभूत् सशब्दं पश्यतां सताम्

At the end of the day, when the verse was recited, a wondrous event occurred: the knot in the bamboo split with a sound, witnessed by the virtuous.

द्वितीयेऽह्नि तथा सायं द्वितीयग्रन्थिभेदनम् । तृतीयेऽह्नि तथा सायं तृतीयग्रन्थिभेदनम्

On the second day, in the evening, the second knot was broken; on the third day, likewise in the evening, the third knot was broken.

एवं सप्तदिनैश्चैव सप्तग्रन्थिविभेदनम् । कृत्वा स द्वादशस्कन्ध श्रवणात् प्रेततां जहौ

In this way, over seven days, the seven knots were broken; having listened to the twelve cantos, he abandoned the state of a departed soul.

दिव्यरूपधरो जातः तुलसीदाममंडितः । पीतवासा घनश्यमो मुकुटी कुण्डलान्वितः

He assumed a divine form, adorned with a garland of tulasi, clad in yellow garments, dark as a rain cloud, crowned and wearing earrings.

ननाम भ्रातरं सद्यो गोकर्णं इति चाब्रवीत् । त्वयाहं मोचितो बन्धो कृपया प्रेतकश्मलात्

He immediately bowed to his brother Gokarna and said: 'By your compassion, I have been freed from bondage and the impurity of being a departed soul.'