तत्रापश्यन्महावृक्षं फलितं पुष्पितं तथा तद्ब्रूहि सोप्युवाचेदं नानंतं वेद्म्यहं द्विज
There he saw a great tree, bearing fruit and flowers; he said, 'Tell me,' and the tree replied, 'I do not know the infinite, O twice-born.'
एवं निरीक्षितस्तेन गां ददर्श सवत्सकाम्
Thus observed by him, he saw a cow with her calf.
सोब्रवीद्धेनुके ब्रूहि यद्यनंतस्त्वयेक्षितः
He spoke to the cow, 'Tell me if you have seen the infinite.'
ततो जगामाथ वने गोवृषं शाद्वले स्थितम्
Then he went into the forest and saw a bull standing on the green grass.
गोवृषस्तमुवाचाथ नानन्तो वीक्षितो मया
The bull spoke to him, 'I have not seen the infinite.'
अन्योन्यजलकल्लोलवीचिभिः परिशोभितम्
Adorned with waves and ripples of mutual water-play.
सेवितं भ्रमरैर्हंसैश्चक्रैः कारंडवैर्बकैः
Attended by bees, swans, chakras, karandavas, and cranes.
ऊचतुः पुष्करिण्यौ तं नानंतं विद्वहे द्विज
The two lotus ponds said to him, 'We do not know the infinite, O twice-born.'
तावप्युक्तौ सुमंतेन तस्यापि विनिवेदितम्
Those two also spoke to Sumanta, and he too reported it.
तस्मिन्क्षणे मुनिवरे कौंडिन्ये ब्राह्मणोत्तमे
At that moment, the eminent sage Kaundinya, the foremost among Brahmins,
वृद्धब्राह्मणरूपेण इत एहीत्युवाच तम्
In the form of an aged Brahmin, said to him, 'Come here.'
तां पुरीं दर्शयामास दिव्यनारीनरैर्युताम्
He showed him that city, filled with divine women and men.
पार्श्वस्थशंखचक्रासिगदागरुडशोभितम्
Adorned at the side with conch, discus, sword, mace, and Garuda.
विभूतिभेदैश्चानन्तमनन्तं परमेश्वरम्
With various manifestations, the infinite, the endless, the supreme Lord.
पापोहं पापकर्माहं पापात्मा पापसम्भवः
I am sinful, my actions are sinful, my soul is sinful, and I am born of sin.
अद्य मे सफलं जन्म जीवितं च सुजीवितम् गर्दभं कुञ्जरं चैव देव मे ब्रूहि तत्त्वतः
Today my birth is fruitful, and my life has been well-lived; O god, tell me truly about the donkey and the elephant.
विद्यादानं नोपकुर्वञ्छिष्येभ्यस्तरुतां गतः
Having not given the gift of knowledge to my students, I have attained the state of a tree.
सा गौर्वसुन्धरा दृष्टा निष्फला या त्वयेक्षिता
That cow or earth which you have seen is fruitless, having been looked upon by you.
धर्माधर्मव्यवस्थानं तच्च पुष्करिणीद्वयम् ब्राह्मणोसावनंतोहं गुहासंसारगह्वरे
The arrangement of righteousness and unrighteousness, and those two sacred ponds, and I am that endless Brahmin in the cave-like abyss of worldly existence.
इत्युक्तं ते मया सर्वं विप्र गच्छ पुनर्गृहम्
Thus everything has been told to you by me; O Brahmin, return again to your home.
चरानंतव्रतं तत्त्वं नव वर्षाणि पंच च
Observe the endless vow in truth for fifteen years.
भुक्त्वा च विपुलान्भोगान्सर्वान्कामान्यथेप्सितान्
Having enjoyed abundant pleasures and all desired objects,
इति दत्त्वा वरं देवस्तत्रैवांतर्हितोऽभवत्
Thus, having granted the boon, the god thereupon disappeared.
शीलया सह धर्मात्मा भुक्त्वा भोगान्मनोरमान् कल्पस्थानी च संभूतो दृश्यतेद्यापि स ज्वलन्
With his wife Śīlā, the righteous one enjoyed delightful pleasures, and having become established for an aeon, he is still seen shining even today.
एतत्ते कथितं पार्थ व्रतानामुत्तमं व्रतम्
Thus, O Pārtha, the supreme vow among vows has been described to you.
ये च शृण्वंति सततं वाच्यमानं नरोत्तम
And those best of men who always listen as it is being spoken,
संसारसागरगुहां सुसुखं विहर्तुं वांछंति ये कुरुकुलोद्भव शुद्धसत्त्वाः
Those pure-hearted ones of the Kuru lineage who wish to happily roam the cave of the ocean of worldly existence,
इति श्रीभविष्ये महाऽपुराण उत्तरपर्वणि श्रीकृष्णयुधिष्ठिरसंवादेऽअनंतचतुर्दशीव्रतवर्णनं नाम चतुर्नवतितमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the glorious Bhaviṣya Mahāpurāṇa, in the Uttara Parva, in the dialogue between Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Yudhiṣṭhira, this is the ninety-fourth chapter named 'The Description of the Anantacaturdaśī Vow.'
अनन्त उवाच । तुष्टोऽहं ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठ भक्त्या तव विशेषतः । वरं गृहाण विप्रेन्द्र तुष्टोऽस्मि त्यज विस्मयं ।। । कौण्डिन्य उवाच । स्वकर्म्मफलभोगेन यां यां योनिं व्रजाम्यहं । तस्यां तस्यां हृषीकेश हरिभक्तिर्दृढास्तु मे ।। अतिप्रमादान्मोहाद्वा यन्मया दुष्कृतं कृतं । तदागः क्षम्यतां नाथ प्रणमामि पुनः पुनः ।। श्रुत्वानन्तस्तु तद्वाक्यं ददौ तस्मै वरत्रयं । दारिद्रनाशनं धर्म्मं विष्णुलोकं तथाक्षयं
Ananta said: 'I am pleased, O best of Brahmins, especially by your devotion. Choose a boon, O foremost of Brahmins, I am pleased; let go of your astonishment.' Kauṇḍinya said: 'By the enjoyment of the fruits of my own actions, whichever womb I enter, in each of them, O Hṛṣīkeśa, may my devotion to Hari be firm. Through great negligence or delusion, whatever wrong I have done, may that sin be forgiven, O Lord; I bow again and again.' Having heard those words, Ananta granted him three boons: the removal of poverty, righteousness, and the eternal world of Viṣṇu.
श्रवणिकाव्रतम् एताः काः किं च कुर्वंति धर्मं चासां ब्रवीहि मे
The vow of Śravaṇikā—who are they, what do they do, and what is their duty? Tell me about them.