शिवपूजाविहीनश्च ब्राह्मणो नरकं व्रजेत् । मत्पूजितं प्रियतमं शिवं निन्दन्ति ये नराः
A brāhmaṇa who neglects the worship of Śiva goes to hell. Those men who revile Śiva, who is most dear to me and worshipped by me—
पच्यन्ते निरये तावद्यावद्वै ब्रह्मणः शतम् । पूजिते शिवलिङ्गे च यदि स्यात्केशवालुका
—they are tormented in hell for as many years as a hundred of Brahmā. If, when worshipping the Śivaliṅga, there is hair or sand—
स महान्धो वालुकया केशेन यवनो भवेत् । क्षुद्रो दरिद्रः कृपणो व्याधिः स्यात्कुत्सिते यथा
—he becomes utterly blind, or, by the sand or hair, he becomes a barbarian; he becomes low, poor, miserable, diseased, and contemptible.
सर्वेभ्यो मानहानिः स्याज्जायते नीचयोनिषु । सर्वेषु प्रियपात्रेषु ब्रह्मणश्च मम प्रियः
He suffers loss of respect from all, and is born in lowly wombs. Among all beloved objects, and among those dear to Brahmā and to me—
ब्रह्मणाच्च प्रिया लक्ष्मीः सततं वक्षसि स्थिता । ततोऽधिका प्रिया राधा प्रिया भक्तास्ततोऽधिकाः
—Lakṣmī, who always dwells on the chest of Brahmā, is dearer; but Rādhā is dearer than her, and my devotees are dearer still.
ततोऽधिकः शंकरो मे नास्ति मे शंकरात्प्रियः । महादेव महादेव महादेवेति वादिरः
But there is none dearer to me than Śaṅkara; none is dearer to me than Śaṅkara. Whoever chants 'Mahādeva, Mahādeva, Mahādeva'—
पश्चाद्यामि च संतृप्तो नामश्रवणलोभतः । मनो मे भक्तमूले च प्राणा राधात्मका ध्रुवम्
Afterwards, I become satisfied, yet due to greed for hearing My name, My mind is rooted in devotion, and indeed, My very life is of the essence of Rādhā.
आत्मा मे शंकरस्थानं शिवः प्राणाधिकश्च यः । आद्या नारायणी शक्तिः सृष्टिस्थित्यन्तकानिणी
My self is the abode of Śaṃkara, who is dearer than life itself; the primordial power is Nārāyaṇī, who brings about creation, preservation, and dissolution.
कनोमि च यथा सृष्टिं यया ब्रह्मादिदेवताः । यया जयति विश्वं च यया सृष्टिःप्रजायते
By whom I create the universe, by whom the gods beginning with Brahmā exist, by whom the world is victorious, and by whom creation is born.
यया विना जगन्नाश्ति मया दत्ता शिवाय सा । दया निद्रा च क्षुत्तृप्तिस्तृष्ण श्रद्धा क्षमा धृतिः
Without whom the universe does not exist—she whom I have given to Śiva—she is compassion, sleep, satisfaction of hunger, thirst, faith, forgiveness, and fortitude.
तुष्टिः पुष्टिस्तथा शान्तिर्लज्जाधिदेवता हि सा । वैसुण्ठे सा महालक्ष्मीर्गोलोके राधिका सती
She is contentment, nourishment, peace, and the presiding deity of modesty; in Vaikuṇṭha she is Mahālakṣmī, in Goloka she is Rādhikā, the virtuous one.
मर्त्ये लक्ष्मीश्च क्षीरोदे दक्षकन्या सती य सा । सा दुर्गा मेनकाकन्या दैत्यदुर्गतिनाशिनी
On earth, she is Lakṣmī, in the Milk Ocean she is Dakṣa's daughter Satī; she is Durgā, daughter of Menakā, destroyer of the demons' misfortune.
स्वर्गलक्ष्मीश्च दुर्गा सा शक्रादीनां गृहे गृहे । सा वाणी सा च सावित्री विद्याधिष्ठातृदेवता
She is the Lakṣmī of heaven, she is Durgā in every house of Indra and the other gods; she is Vāṇī, she is Sāvitrī, the presiding goddess of knowledge.
वह्नौ स दाहिकाशक्तिः प्रभाशक्तिश्च भास्करे । शोभाशक्तिः पूर्णचन्द्रे जले शक्तिश्च शीतता
In fire, she is the power of burning; in the sun, the power of radiance; in the full moon, the power of beauty; in water, she is the power of coolness.
सस्यप्रसूता शक्तिश्च धारणा च धरासु सा । ब्राह्मण्यशक्तिर्विप्रेषु देवशक्तिःसुरेषु सा
She is the power that brings forth crops, and the sustaining force within the earth; among brāhmaṇas, she is the power of priesthood, among gods, she is divine power.
तपस्विनां तपस्या का गृहिणां गृहदेवता । मुक्तिशक्तिश्च मुक्तानामाशा सांसारिकस्य सा
She is the austerity of ascetics, the household deity of householders; she is the power of liberation for the liberated, and hope for those bound in the world.
मद्भक्तानां भक्तिशक्तिर्मयि भक्तिप्रदा सदा । नृपाणां राज्यलक्ष्मीश्च वणिजां लभ्यरूपिणी
Among My devotees, she is the power of devotion, always bestowing devotion to Me; she is the royal fortune of kings, and the form of gain for merchants.
परि संसारसिन्धूनां त्रयीतत्त्वा तु तारिणी । सत्सु सद्बुद्धिरूपा सा मेधाशक्तिस्वरूपिणी
She is the one who ferries across the ocean of worldly existence by means of the three Vedas; among the virtuous, she is discernment, and she is the very form of intelligence.
व्याख्याशक्तिः श्रुतौ शास्त्रे दातृशक्तिश्च दातृषु । क्षत्त्रादीनां विप्रभक्तिः पतिभक्तिः सतीसु च
She is the power of explanation in the Vedas and scriptures, the power of giving among donors; among warriors and others, she is devotion to brāhmaṇas, and among chaste women, devotion to their husbands.
एवं रूपा च या शक्तिर्मया दत्ता शिवाय सा । एवं ते कथितं सर्वं किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि
Such is the form of the power that I have given to Śiva; thus, I have told you everything—what more do you wish to hear?
अथ षट्सप्ततितमोऽध्यायः नन्द उवाच येषां च दर्शने पुण्यं पापं यस्य च दर्शने । तत्सर्व वद सर्वेश श्रोतुं कौतूहरं मम
Chapter Seventy-Six Nanda said: O Lord of all, tell me of those whose sight brings merit, and of whom the sight brings sin; I wish to hear all this out of curiosity.
श्रीभगवानुवाच सुब्राह्मणानां तीर्थानां वैष्णवानां च दर्शने । देवताप्रतिमादर्शी तीर्थस्नायी भवेन्नरः
The Blessed Lord said: By seeing excellent brāhmaṇas, holy places, and Vaiṣṇavas, and by seeing the images of deities, a person becomes as if they have bathed at a sacred place.
सूर्यस्य दर्शने भक्त्या मतीनां दर्शने तथाः । संन्यासिनां यतीनां च तथैव ब्रह्मचारिणाम्
By seeing the sun with devotion, and likewise by seeing the wise, by seeing renunciants, ascetics, and those who practice celibacy.
भक्त्या गवां च वह्नीनां गुरूणां च विशेषतः । गजेन्द्राणां च सिंहानां श्वेताश्वानां तथैव च
By seeing with devotion cows, fires, and especially teachers; also elephants, lions, and white horses.
शुकानां च पिकानां च खञ्जनानां तथैव च । हंसानां च मयूराणां चाषाणां शङ्खपक्षिणाम्
And likewise, the sight of parrots, cuckoos, wagtails, swans, peacocks, crows, and conch-shell birds.
वत्सप्रयुक्तधेनूनासश्वत्थानां तथैव च । पतिपुत्रवतीनां च नराणां तीन्थयायिनाम्
Also, cows led by calves, horses, and women possessing husbands and sons, as well as men who travel to sacred places.
प्रदीपानां सुवर्णानां मणीनां च विशेषतः । णुक्तानां हीरकाणां च माणिक्यानां महाशय
Especially, the sight of lamps, gold, jewels, pearls, diamonds, and rubies, O noble one.
तुलसीशुक्लपुष्पाणां दर्शनं पापनाशम् । फलानि शुक्लधान्यानि घृतं दधि मधूनि च
The sight of white flowers of the tulasi plant destroys sin; fruits, white grains, ghee, curd, and honey.
पूर्णकुम्भं च लाजांश्च राजेन्द्रं दर्पणं जलम् । मालां च शुक्लपुष्पाणां दृष्ट्वा पुण्यं लभेन्नरः
A full water pot, roasted rice, a mirror, water, and a garland of white flowers—upon seeing these, a person attains merit.
गोरोचनं च कर्पूरं रजतं च सरोवरम् । पुष्पोद्यानं पुष्पितां च दृष्ट्वा पुण्यं लभेन्नरः
Gorocana, camphor, silver, a lake, a flower garden in bloom—upon seeing these, a person attains merit.