दण्डवत्प्रणिपातैश् च जयशब्दैस् तथोत्तमैः एवं संपूज्य विधिवद् रात्रौ कृत्वा प्रजागरम्
With prostrations, and excellent cries of victory, thus having worshipped properly, keeping vigil through the night,
कथां वा गीतिकां विष्णोर् गायन् विष्णुपरायणः याति विष्णोः परं स्थानं नरो नास्त्य् अत्र संशयः
Singing stories or songs of Vishnu, devoted to Vishnu, a man attains Vishnu’s supreme abode; there is no doubt about this.
प्रजागरे गीतिकायाः फलं विष्णोर् महामुने ब्रूहि तच् छ्रोतुम् इच्छामः परं कौतूहलं हि नः
Tell us, O great sage, the fruit of singing songs during the vigil for Vishnu; we wish to hear it, for we are greatly curious.
शृणुध्वं मुनिशार्दूलाः प्रवक्ष्याम्य् अनुपूर्वशः गीतिकायाः फलं विष्णोर् जागरे यद् उदाहृतम्
Listen, O foremost among sages; I will declare in order the fruit of singing songs for Vishnu during the vigil, as it has been described.
अवन्ती नाम नगरी बभूव भुवि विश्रुता तत्रास्ते भगवान् विष्णुः शङ्खचक्रगदाधरः
There was a city named Avanti, renowned upon the earth; there dwells the Lord Vishnu, bearing the conch, discus, and mace.
तस्या नगर्याः पर्यन्ते चाण्डालो गीतिकोविदः सद्वृत्त्योत्पादितधनो भृत्यानां भरणे रतः
At the outskirts of that city lived a Chandala skilled in singing, who earned wealth through good conduct and was devoted to supporting his servants.
विष्णुभक्तः स चाण्डालो मासि मासि दृढव्रतः एकादश्यां समागम्य सोपवासो ऽथ गायति
That Chandala, devoted to Vishnu, steadfast in his vow each month, would assemble on the Ekadashi, observe fasting, and sing.
गीतिका विष्णुनामाङ्काः प्रादुर्भावसमाश्रिताः गान्धारषड्जनैषादस्वरपञ्चमधैवतैः
He sang songs bearing Vishnu’s names, based on their manifestation, using the Gandhara, Shadja, Nishada, Panchama, and Dhaivata notes.
रात्रिजागरणे विष्णुं गाथाभिर् उपगायति प्रभाते च प्रणम्येशं द्वादश्यां गृहम् एत्य च
During the night vigil, he sang to Vishnu with verses; at dawn, he would bow to the Lord, and on the twelfth day, return home.
जामातृभागिनेयांश् च भोजयित्वा सकन्यकाः ततः सपरिवारस् तु पश्चाद् भुङ्क्ते द्विजोत्तमाः
He would feed his sons-in-law, nephews, and daughters, and afterwards, together with his family, he himself would eat, O best of Brahmins.
एवं तस्यासतस् तत्र कुर्वतो विष्णुप्रीणनम् गीतिकाभिर् विचित्राभिर् वयः प्रतिगतं बहु
Thus, while he performed the pleasing of Vishnu there with various songs, many years passed for him.
एकदा चैत्रमासे तु कृष्णैकादशिगोचरे विष्णुशुश्रूषणार्थाय ययौ वनम् अनुत्तमम्
Once, during the month of Chaitra, on the dark Ekadashi, for the purpose of serving Vishnu, he went to a most excellent forest.
वनजातानि पुष्पाणि ग्रहीतुं भक्तितत्परः क्षिप्रातटे महारण्ये विभीतकतरोर् अधः
Intent on devotion, to gather flowers growing in the forest, he quickly went to the great wilderness, beneath a Vibhitaka tree.
दृष्टः स राक्षसेनाथ गृहीतश् चापि भक्षितुम् चाण्डालस् तम् अथोवाच नाद्य भक्ष्यस् त्वया ह्य् अहम्
There he was seen by a Rakshasa, who seized him to eat; the Chandala then said to him: 'Today I am not to be eaten by you.'
प्रातर् भोक्ष्यसि कल्याण सत्यम् एष्याम्य् अहं पुनः अद्य कार्यं मम महत् तस्मान् मुञ्चस्व राक्षस
'You shall eat me in the morning, O auspicious one; I will surely return. Today I have a great task, so release me, O Rakshasa.'
श्वः सत्येन समेष्यामि ततः खादसि माम् इति विष्णुशुश्रूषणार्थाय रात्रिजागरणं मया कार्यं न व्रतविघ्नं मे कर्तुम् अर्हसि राक्षस
'Tomorrow I will return truthfully; then you may devour me. For the sake of serving Vishnu, I must keep vigil tonight. Do not hinder my vow, O Rakshasa.'
तं राक्षसः प्रत्युवाच दशरात्रम् अभोजनम् ममाभूद् अद्य च भवान् मया लब्धो मतङ्गज
The rākṣasa said to him: For ten nights I have gone without food, and today, O elephant, you have been obtained by me.
न मोक्ष्ये भक्षयिष्यामि क्षुधया पीडितो भृशम् निशाचरवचः श्रुत्वा मातङ्गस् तम् उवाच ह सान्त्वयञ् श्लक्ष्णया वाचा स सत्यवचनैर् दृढैः
I will not release you; tormented by hunger, I will devour you. Hearing the words of the night-wanderer, the elephant spoke to him, soothing with gentle speech and firm words of truth.
सत्यमूलं जगत् सर्वं ब्रह्मराक्षस तच् छृणु सत्येनाहं शपिष्यामि पुनरागमनाय च
All the world is founded upon truth, O brahmarākṣasa; listen to this: I will swear to you by truth, and return again.
आदित्यश् चन्द्रमा वह्निर् वायुर् भूर् द्यौर् जलं मनः अहोरात्रं यमः संध्ये द्वे विदुर् नरचेष्टितम्
The sun, the moon, fire, wind, earth, sky, water, mind, day and night, Yama, the two twilights, and the actions of men—all know.
परदारेषु यत् पापं यत् परद्रव्यहारिषु यच् च ब्रह्महनः पापं सुरापे गुरुतल्पगे
The sin incurred by approaching another's wife, by stealing another's wealth, the sin of killing a brāhmaṇa, of drinking liquor, or lying with the teacher's wife,
वन्ध्यापतेश् च यत् पापं यत् पापं वृषलीपतेः यच् च देवलके पापं मत्स्यमांसाशिनश् च यत्
The sin of the husband of a barren woman, the sin of the husband of a low-caste woman, the sin committed in a temple, and the sin of eating fish or meat,
क्रोडमांसाशिनो यच् च कूर्ममांसाशिनश् च यत् वृथा मांसाशिनो यच् च पृष्ठमांसाशिनश् च यत्
The sin of eating boar's flesh, the sin of eating turtle's flesh, the sin of eating flesh needlessly, and the sin of eating the flesh from the back,
कृतघ्ने मित्रघातके यत् पापं दिधिषूपतौ सूतकस्य च यत् पापं यत् पापं क्रूरकर्मणः
The sin of ingratitude, of killing a friend, of desiring another's wealth, the sin of impurity, and the sin of cruel deeds,
कृपणस्य च यत् पापं यच् च वन्ध्यातिथेर् अपि अमावास्याष्टमी षष्ठी कृष्णशुक्लचतुर्दशी
The sin of miserliness, the sin of refusing a barren guest, and on the new moon, eighth, sixth, and the dark and bright fourteenth days,
तासु यद् गमनात् पापं यद् विप्रो व्रजति स्त्रियम् रजस्वलां तथा पश्चाच् छ्राद्धं कृत्वा स्त्रियं व्रजेत्
The sin incurred by intercourse on those days, the sin when a brāhmaṇa approaches a woman in her menses, and after performing śrāddha, then goes to a woman,
सर्वस्वस्नातभोज्यानां यत् पापं मलभोजने मित्रभार्यां गच्छतां च यत् पापं पिशुनस्य च
The sin of eating food from one who has not bathed, the sin of eating impure food, the sin of going to a friend's wife, and the sin of slander,
दम्भमायानुरक्ते च यत् पापं मधुघातिनः ब्राह्मणस्य प्रतिश्रुत्य यत् पापं तदयच्छतः
The sin of hypocrisy and deceit, the sin of killing a honey-gatherer, the sin of promising a brāhmaṇa and not giving,
यच् च कन्यानृते पापं यच् च गोश्वतरानृते स्त्रीबालहन्तुर् यत् पापं यच् च मिथ्याभिभाषिणः
The sin of lying about a maiden, the sin of lying about a cow or mule, the sin of killing a woman or child, and the sin of speaking falsehood,
देववेदद्विजनृपपुत्रमित्रसतीस्त्रियः यच् च निन्दयतां पापं गुरुमिथ्यापचारतः
The sin of reviling the gods, the Vedas, twice-born, kings, friends, chaste women, and the sin of falsely offending a teacher,