अथ सप्तपञ्चाशत्तमोऽध्यायः नारायण उवाच देवानां स्तवनं श्रुत्वा त्यक्तवा च रोदनं सती । उवाच सुप्रसन्ना तांस्तेषां स्तोत्रेण नारद
Then, in the fifty-seventh chapter, Narayana said: Hearing the praise of the gods, Sati abandoned her weeping and, being very pleased, spoke to them through that hymn, O Narada.
महालक्ष्मीरुवाच त्यजामि देहं न क्रोधान्न वैराग्योण सांप्रतम् । इदं हृदि समालोच्य देवास्तच्छ्ूयतामिति
Mahalakshmi said: I do not abandon the body out of anger, nor from detachment at this time; having considered this in my heart, O gods, listen to it.
यस्मिन्सदीशे महति सर्वसाम्यो च निर्गुणे । सर्वात्मनि सदानन्दे समता तृणशैलयोः
In that great, equal, and qualityless being, who is the Self of all and ever-blissful, there is equality between a blade of grass and a mountain.
भ्रूभङ्गलीलया लक्ष्मीर्लक्षं स्रष्टुमलं च यः । भृत्ये स्त्रियां यत्समता किं कार्य तस्च सेवया
Lakshmi, by a mere playful movement of her eyebrow, is able to create hundreds of thousands; what need is there for service from a servant or a woman, when there is such equality?
तत्पत्नीनां प्रधानाऽहं नीरस्ता द्वारिणाऽधुना । तद्भृत्यभृत्यभृत्येन परिपूर्णेन नेप्सिता
Among his wives, I am foremost, but now I have been rejected at the door; he does not desire even the most devoted of his servants’ servants.
त्यक्ष्यामि जीवनमहमसौभाग्या च स्वामिनि । वह्नौ च कामनां कृत्वा यथा भद्रं भवेत्पुरा
I will give up my life, being unfortunate with my lord; having made my wish in the fire, as was auspicious before.
या स्त्री भर्तुरसौभाग्या साऽसौभाग्या च सर्वतः । शयनेऽभोजने तस्या न सुखं जीवनं वृथा
A woman who is unfortunate with her husband is altogether inauspicious; whether in bed or at meals, for her there is no happiness—her life is in vain.
यस्या नास्ति प्रियप्रेम तस्या जन्म निरर्थकम् । तर्त्कि पुत्रे धने रुपे संपत्तौ यौवनेऽथवा
For a woman who lacks the love of her beloved, her birth is meaningless, even if she has sons, wealth, beauty, prosperity, or youth.
यद्भक्तिर्नास्ति कान्ते च सर्वप्रियतमे परे । साऽशुचिर्धर्महीना च सर्वकर्मविवर्जिता
She who has no devotion to her beloved, who is the dearest and supreme, is impure, devoid of righteousness, and bereft of all duties.
पतिर्बन्धुर्गतिर्भर्ता दैवतं गुरुरेव च । सर्वक्माच्च परः स्वामी न गुरुः स्वामिनः परः
The husband is a woman's relative, refuge, lord, deity, and teacher; above all, the master is supreme—no teacher is greater than the master.
पितामाता सुतो भ्राता क्लिष्टो दातुमिदं धनम् । सर्वस्वदाता स्वामी च मूढानं योषितां सुराः
Father, mother, son, and brother are reluctant to give wealth; but the master is the giver of all for women who are deluded, O gods.
काचिदेव हि जानाति महासाध्वी च स्वामिनम् । अतिसद्वंशजाता च सुशीला कुलपालिका
Only a rare and truly virtuous woman knows her master; one born in a noble lineage, of good conduct, and protector of her family.
आसद्वंशप्रसूता या दुःशीला धर्मवर्जिता । मुखदुष्टा योनिदुष्टा पतिं निन्दति कोपतः
A woman born in a noble family, but of bad conduct and devoid of righteousness, with a wicked mouth and impure womb, reviles her husband in anger.
या स्त्री सर्वपरं द्वेष्टि पतिं विष्णुसमं गुरुम् । कुम्भीपाके पचति सा यावदिन्द्राश्चतुर्दश
A woman who hates everyone, and her husband who is like Vishnu and her teacher, is cooked in the hell called Kumbhipaka as long as the fourteen Indras exist.
व्रतं चानशनं दानं सत्यं पुष्यं तपश्चिरम् । पतिभक्तिविहीनाया भस्मीभूतं निरर्थकम्
Austerity, fasting, charity, truthfulness, purity, and long penance—without devotion to one's husband, all these are reduced to ashes and rendered meaningless for a woman.
अतः रिंचिन्न वक्ष्यामि निष्ठुरं पतिमीश्वरम् । भृत्यापराधैर्देवस्य प्राणांस्तयक्ष्यामि निश्चितम्
Therefore, I will not speak harshly of my husband, even if he is severe; I am resolved to give up my life for the offenses of his servants, rather than blame him.
पतिदोषे महासाध्वी पतिं न निष्ठुरं वदेत् । यदि सोढुमशक्ता च प्राणांस्त्यजति धर्मतः
A truly virtuous wife does not call her husband cruel because of his faults; if she is unable to endure, she righteously gives up her own life.
पतिसेवा व्रतं स्त्रीणां पतिसेवा परं तपः । पतिसेवा परो धर्मः पतिसेवा सुरार्चनम्
For women, service to the husband is the highest vow; service to the husband is the greatest penance; service to the husband is the supreme duty; service to the husband is worship of the gods.
पतिसेवा परं सत्यं दानतौर्थानुकीर्तनम् । सर्वदेवमयः स्वामी सर्वदेवमयः शुचिः
Service to the husband is the highest truth, greater than charity or reciting sacred pilgrimages; the husband embodies all the gods, the husband is pure as all the gods.
सर्वपुण्यस्वरुपश्च पतिरुपी जनार्दनः । या सतीभर्तुरुच्छिष्टं भुङ्क्तै पादोदकं सदा
The husband is the very form of all merit, and Janardana appears as the husband; the chaste wife who always eats her husband's leftovers and drinks his foot-water—
तस्या दर्शमुपस्पर्श नित्यं वाञ्छन्ति देवताः । ततः सर्वाणि तीर्यानि पुनन्ति पापिनो ह्यघात्
The gods constantly desire to see and touch her; therefore, all sacred waters are purified by her, and even sinners are cleansed of sin.
इत्युक्त्वा च महासाध्वी रुरोद च सुहुर्मुहुः । उवाच ब्रह्मा भीतश्च भक्तिनम्रात्मकंधरः
Having spoken thus, the great and virtuous lady wept again and again; Brahma, fearful and with a heart bowed in devotion, spoke to her.
ब्रह्मोवाच भविष्यति न भद्रं च जयस्य विजयस्य च । त्वया न शप्तौ तौ मूढौ प्रियापराधभौतया
Brahma said: 'There will be no good for Jaya and Vijaya; you have not cursed those two fools, though they offended your beloved.'
सापराधं च धर्मिष्ठः क्षमया न शपेद्यदी । सर्वनाशो भवेत्तस्य निश्चितं मा चिरं सति
If a righteous person does not curse one who has committed an offense, out of forgiveness, then surely all will be lost for that person—do not delay, O chaste one.
यदि शप्तुं न शक्तश्च न द्ण्डं कर्तुमीश्वरः । सापराधे च पुरुषे धर्मो दण्डं करोति च
If one is unable to curse or punish, yet is the lord, then when a man commits an offense, righteousness itself delivers punishment.
सर्वं क्षमस्व हे मार्तगच्छ प्रियान्तिकम् । मां च त्वत्स्वामिनोभक्तं नियोज्य कृष्टिकर्मणि
Forgive everything, O gentle one, go to your beloved; and appoint me, your devoted servant, to the work of tilling the earth.
इत्युक्त्वा तां पुरस्कृत्वा सार्ध देवैर्मुनीन्द्रकैः । शीघ्रं जगाम वैकुण्ठं वैकुण्ठं स्तोतुमीश्वरः
Having said this, and placing her at the forefront, together with the gods and the chief sages, he quickly went to Vaikuntha to praise the Lord of Vaikuntha.
तत्र गत्वा जगत्रायं तुष्टाव कमलासनः । चतुर्वक्त्रैश्चतुर्वक्त्रश्चतुर्वेदविदां गुरुम्
There, having arrived, the protector of the world, seated on a lotus, praised the Lord with four faces, the guru of those who know the four Vedas.
ब्रह्मणः क्तवनं श्रुत्वा दृषट्वा लक्ष्मीं पुरः सराम् । रुदतीं नम्रवदनामुवाच कमलापतिः
Hearing Brahma's praise and seeing Lakshmi standing before him, weeping with her face bowed, the Lord of the Lotus addressed her.
श्रीभगवानुवाच सर्वं जानामि सर्वज्ञः सर्वात्मा सर्वपालकः । सर्वशास्ता च सर्वादिकारणं कमलोद्भव
The Blessed Lord said: 'I know everything, for I am all-knowing, the soul of all, the protector of all; I am the teacher of all, the original cause of everything, O Lotus-born.'