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.'
भक्ते कलत्रे बन्धौ च सर्वत्र समता मम । विशेषतोऽतिमद्भक्तः कलत्रात्पर एव च
To me, all are equal—devotee, wife, or relative; but especially, one who is a supreme devotee is even dearer than a wife.
मद्भक्तौ तव पुतौ च द्वारपालौ दुरन्तकौ । क्षम मामपराथं च तयोश्च भक्तिपूर्णयोः
Your sons, the two gatekeepers, are fierce but full of devotion to me; forgive my offense and theirs, for both are filled with devotion.
मद्भक्तिपूर्णो बलवान्दैत्यैभ्यो न बिभेति च । रक्षितो मम चक्रेण भक्तिमाध्वीकदुर्मदः
He who is filled with devotion to me, who is strong, does not fear the demons; protected by my discus, he is a devotee, free from the intoxication of honeyed pride.
इत्युक्त्वा जगतां नायो लक्ष्मीं कृत्वा स्ववक्षसि । समानीय द्वारणकं तमुवाचेदमेव च
Having spoken thus, the Lord of the worlds placed Lakshmi upon his own chest, brought Dvaranaka near, and spoke these very words to him.
मा भैर्वत्स सुखं तिष्ठ भयं कि ते मयि स्थिते । मद्भक्तानां च कः शास्ता गच्छ वत्साऽऽत्मनः पदम्
Do not fear, child; remain at ease—what danger can there be for you while I am present? Who is the ruler over my devotees? Go, child, to your own place.
इत्युक्तवा भगवांस्तत्र विरराम महामुने । ययुर्देवाश्च स्वस्थातं प्रणम्य जगदीश्वरम्
Having spoken thus, the Blessed Lord there ceased, O great sage; and the gods, having bowed to the Lord of the universe, returned to their own abodes.
नारायणवचः श्रुत्वा द्वारापाल उवाच तम् । पुलकाञ्चितसर्वाङ्गो भक्तिनम्रात्मकंधरः
Hearing the words of Narayana, the gatekeeper replied to him, his whole body bristling with joy, his head bowed in devotion.
जय उवाच नाहं बिभेमि देवंश्च लक्ष्मीं सुनिगणांस्तथा । त्वदीयचरणाम्भोजध्यानैकतानमानसः
Jaya said: I do not fear the gods, nor even Lakshmi with her retinue; my mind is fixed solely on meditation upon your lotus feet.
इति श्रीब्लह्मo महाo श्रीकृष्णजन्मखo नारदनाo उत्तo लक्षमी- वैराग्यमोचनं नाम सप्तपञ्चाशत्तमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the fifty-seventh chapter, called 'The Liberation of Lakshmi from Dispassion,' in the great Brahmavaivarta Purana, in the section concerning the birth of Krishna, as narrated by Narada.
अथाष्टपञ्चाशात्तमोऽध्यायः नारायण उवाच बभूव दर्पः पृथ्व्याश्च सर्पाधाराऽहमेव च । पृथृद्वारा च तद्दर्पं जघान चैव तत्प्रभुः
Now, the fifty-eighth chapter. Narayana said: Pride arose in the earth, and I am the support of serpents; through Prithu, that lord destroyed her pride.