अन्यानि चाप्रसिद्धानि क्षुद्राणि सन्ति तत्र वै । सन्ति पातकिनस्तेषु स्वकर्मफलभोगिनः । भ्रमन्ति नानायोनिं च किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि
There are also other unknown, minor pits there; sinners dwell in them, experiencing the results of their actions, wandering through various wombs. What more do you wish to hear?
देवपूजनात् सर्वारिष्टनिवृत्तिवर्णनम् सावित्र्युवाच धर्मराज महाभाग वेदवेदाङ्गपारग । नानापुराणेतिहासे यत्सारं तत्प्रदर्शय
On the removal of all calamities by worship of the gods—
सर्वेषु सारभूतं यत्सर्वेष्टं सर्वसम्मतम् । कर्मच्छेदबीजरूपं प्रशस्तं सुखदं नृणाम्
O Dharmaraja, greatly fortunate, master of the Vedas and their branches, please show me the essence of what is found in the various Puranas and histories.
सर्वप्रदं च सर्वेषां सर्वमङ्गलकारणम् । भयं दुःखं न पश्यन्ति येन वै सर्वमानवाः
That which is the very essence among all, most desired by all, approved by all, which is praised, brings happiness to people, and destroys the seed of karma—
कुण्डानि ते न पश्यन्ति तेषु नैव पतन्ति च । न भवेद्येन जन्मादि तत्कर्म वद साम्प्रतम्
That which grants everything to all, is the cause of all auspiciousness, by which all people see neither fear nor suffering—
किमाकाराणि कुण्डानि तानि वा निर्मितानि च । के च केनैव रूपेण तत्र तिष्ठन्ति पापिनः
By which they do not see the pits, nor do they fall into them, nor is there birth and so on—tell me now of that action.
स्वदेहे भस्मसाद्भूते याति लोकान्तरं नरः । केन देहेन वा भोगं करोति च शुभाशुभम्
When his own body has become ashes, a man goes to another world; with what body then does he experience the results of good and bad actions?
सुचिरं क्लेशभोगेन कथं देहो न नश्यति । देहो वा किंविधो ब्रह्मंस्तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि
How does the body not perish, even after enduring long suffering and enjoyment? What kind of body is it, O Brahman? Please explain this to me.
श्रीनारायण उवाच सावित्रीवचनं श्रुत्वा धर्मराजो हरिं स्मरन् । कथां कथितुमारेभे कर्मबन्धनिकृन्तनीम्
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: Hearing Sāvitrī’s words, the Lord of Dharma, remembering Hari, began to narrate the story that cuts the bonds of karma.
धर्मराज उवाच वत्से चतुर्षु वेदेषु धर्मेषु संहितासु च । पुराणेष्वितिहासेषु पाञ्चरात्रादिकेषु च
The Lord of Dharma said: Child, in the four Vedas, in the dharma texts, in the Saṃhitās, in the Purāṇas, in the histories, and in the Pāñcarātra and similar scriptures,
अन्येषु धर्मशास्त्रेषु वेदाङ्गेषु च सुव्रते । सर्वेष्टं सारभूतं च पञ्चदेवानुसेवनम्
And in other dharma treatises, in the Vedāṅgas, O virtuous one, the essence of all is the worship of the five deities.
जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिशोकसन्तापनाशनम् । सर्वमङ्गलरूपं च परमानन्दकारणम्
It destroys birth, death, old age, disease, sorrow, and suffering; it is wholly auspicious and the cause of supreme bliss.
कारणं सर्वसिद्धीनां नरकार्णवतारणम् । भक्तिवृक्षाङ्कुरकरं कर्मवृक्षनिकृन्तनम्
It is the cause of all attainments, the ferry across the river of hell, the sprouting of the tree of devotion, and the cutting down of the tree of karma.
विमोक्षसोपानमिदमविनाशपदं स्मृतम् । सालोक्यसार्ष्टिसारूप्यसामीप्यादिप्रदं शुभम्
This is the stairway to liberation, remembered as the imperishable state; it bestows sālokya, sārṣṭi, sārūpya, sāmīpya, and other auspicious attainments.
कुण्डानि यमदूतैश्च रक्षितानि सदा शुभे । न हि पश्यन्ति स्वप्ने च पञ्चदेवार्चका नराः
The pits guarded by the messengers of Yama are always protected, O auspicious one; but men who worship the five deities do not see them, even in dreams.
देवीभक्तिविहीना ये ते पश्यन्ति ममालयम् । यान्ति ये हरितीर्थं वा श्रयन्ति हरिवासरम्
Those who lack devotion to the Goddess see my abode; but those who go to Hari’s holy places or observe Hari’s sacred days,
प्रणमन्ति हरिं नित्यं हर्यर्चां कल्पयन्ति च । न यान्ति तेऽपि घोरां च मम संयमिनीं पुरीम्
Those who bow to Hari daily and arrange worship for Hari, they too do not go to my dreadful city of restraint.
त्रिसन्धिपूता विप्राश्च शुद्धाचारसमन्विताः । निवृत्तिं नैव लप्स्यन्ति देवीसेवां विना नराः
Even purified brāhmaṇas, cleansed at the three junctions of the day and endowed with pure conduct, do not attain cessation without service to the Goddess.
स्वधर्मनिरताचाराः स्वधर्मनिरतास्तथा । गच्छन्तो मृत्युलोकं च दुर्दृशा मम किङ्कराः
Those who are devoted to their own dharma and those who act according to their own dharma, going to the world of death, are seen by my fierce attendants.
भीताः शिवोपासकेभ्यो वैनतेयादिवोरगाः । स्वदूतं पाशहस्तं च गच्छन्तं वारयाम्यहम्
The serpents, like Garuḍa and others, are afraid of the worshippers of Śiva; I restrain my own messenger, holding a noose, from approaching them.
यास्यन्ति ते च सर्वत्र हरिदासाश्रमं विना । कृष्णमन्त्रोपासकाच्च वैनतेयादिवोरगाः
They will go everywhere except to the āśrama of Hari’s servants; and the worshippers of Kṛṣṇa’s mantra, like Garuḍa and others, are also avoided by the serpents.
देवीमन्त्रोपासकानां नाम्नाञ्चैव निकृन्तनम् । करोति नखलेखन्या चित्रगुप्तश्च भीतवत्
For those who worship the Goddess’s mantra, even their names are erased by Citragupta, trembling, with the scratch of his nail.
मधुपर्कादिकं तेषां कुरुते च पुनः पुनः । विलङ्घ्य ब्रह्मलोकं च लोकं गच्छन्ति ते सति
For them, madhuparka and other offerings are made again and again; surpassing Brahmaloka, they go to that world when they depart.
दुरितानि च नश्यन्ति येषां संस्पर्शमात्रतः । ते महाभाग्यवन्तो हि सहस्रकुलपावनाः
Their sins are destroyed merely by contact; they are indeed greatly fortunate, purifying a thousand families.
यथा च प्रज्वलद्वह्नौ शुष्कानि च तृणानि च । प्राप्नोति मोहः सम्मोहं तांश्च दृष्ट्वा च भीतवत्
Just as, upon seeing dry grass and sticks in a blazing fire, one is struck with confusion and great bewilderment, and becomes fearful.
कामश्च कामिनं याति लोभक्रोधौ ततः सति । मृत्युः प्रलीयते रोगो जरा शोको भयं तथा
Desire goes to the one who desires, then greed and anger follow; death is dissolved, as are disease, old age, sorrow, and fear.
कालः शुभाशुभं कर्म हर्षो भोगस्तथैव च । ये ये न यान्ति तां पीडां कथितास्ते मया सति
Time, good and bad actions, joy, and enjoyment—whatever does not reach that suffering, all these I have described to you.
शृणु देहविवरणं कथयामि यथागमम् । पृथिवी वायुराकाशस्तेजस्तोयमिति स्फुटम्
Listen, I will explain the nature of the body according to scripture: earth, air, space, fire, and water—these five, clearly.
देहिनां देहबीजं च स्रष्टृसृष्टिविधौ परम् । पृथिव्यादिपञ्जभूतैर्यो देहो निर्मितो भवेत्
The seed of the body for embodied beings, in the supreme process of creation by the Creator, is formed from the five elements beginning with earth.
स कृत्रिमो नश्वरश्च भस्मसाच्च भवेदिह । बद्धोऽङ्गुष्ठप्रमाणश्च यो जीवः पुरुषः कृतः
That body is artificial and perishable, and here becomes ashes; the bound soul, the size of a thumb, is called the person.