दिनभेदे कोटिगुणमसंख्यं वा ततोऽधिकम् । समे देशे च वस्तूनां दाने पुण्यं समं सुर
On different days, the merit may be a crore-fold or countless times greater; but in the same place, the merit of giving objects is equal, O god.
देशभेदे कोटिगुणमसंख्यं वा ततोऽधिकम् । समे पात्रे समं पुण्यं वस्तूनां कर्तुरेव च
With difference of place, the merit may be a crore-fold or countless times greater; with the same recipient, the merit for the giver is equal.
पात्रभेदे शतगुणमसंख्यं वा ततोऽधिकम् । यथा फलन्ति सस्यानि न्यूनान्यप्यधिकानि च
With difference of recipient, the merit may be a hundredfold or countless times greater; just as crops yield more or less for farmers, depending on the field and the recipient.
कर्षकाणां क्षेत्रभेदे पात्रभेदे फलं तथा । सामान्यदिवसे विप्रदानं समफलं भवेत्
So too, with difference of field and recipient, the result varies; on an ordinary day, giving to a Brahmin yields equal fruit.
अमायां रविसंक्रान्त्यां फलं शतगुणं भवेत् । चातुर्मास्यां पौर्णमास्यामनन्तं फलमेव च
On the new moon or at the sun's transit, the fruit becomes a hundredfold; at the four-monthly sacrifice or on the full moon, the fruit is infinite.
ग्रहणे शशिनः कोटिगुणं च फलमेव च । सूर्यस्य ग्रहणे वापि ततो दशगुणं भवेत्
At a lunar eclipse, the fruit is a crore-fold; at a solar eclipse, the fruit is ten times greater than that.
अक्षयायामक्षयं तदसंख्यं फलमुच्यते । एवमन्यत्र पुण्याहे फलाधिक्यं भवेदिति
For that which is imperishable, the fruit is said to be inexhaustible and countless; likewise, on other auspicious days, the merit is even greater.
यथा दाने तथा स्नाने जपेऽन्यपुण्यकर्मसु । एवं सर्वत्र बोद्धव्यं नराणां कर्मणां फलम्
Just as with giving, so too with bathing, recitation, and other virtuous acts; thus, everywhere, one should understand the results of human actions.
यथा दण्डेन चक्रेण शरावेण भ्रमेण च । कुम्भं निर्माति निर्माता कुम्भकारो मृदा भुवि
Just as a potter fashions a pot from clay on the earth, using a stick, a wheel, a bowl, and rotation—
तथैव कर्मसूत्रेण फलं धाता ददाति च । यस्याज्ञया सृष्टमिदं तं च नारायणं भज
In the same way, the Giver bestows the fruit through the thread of action; worship that Nārāyaṇa by whose command this world was created.
स विधाता विधातुश्च पातुः पाता जगत्त्रये । स्रष्टुः स्रष्टा च संहर्तुः संहर्ता कालकालकः
He is the creator of the creator, the protector of the protector, the preserver of the three worlds; the origin of the originator, the destroyer of the destroyer, the time of time itself.
महाविपत्तौ संसारे यः स्मरेन्मधुसूदनम् । विपत्तौ तस्य सम्पत्तिर्भवेदित्याह शङ्करः
In the great calamity of worldly existence, whoever remembers Madhusūdana, for him, in misfortune, prosperity arises—so declares Śaṅkara.
इत्येवमुक्त्वा तत्त्वज्ञः समालिङ्ग्य सुरेश्वरम् । दत्त्वा शुभाशिषं चेष्टं बोधयामास नारद
Having thus spoken, the knower of truth embraced the lord of the gods, and, giving him auspicious blessings, Nārada began to instruct him.
श्रीलक्ष्म्युपाख्यानवर्णनम् श्रीनारायण उवाच हरिं ध्यात्वा हरिर्ब्रह्मन् जगाम ब्रह्मणः सभाम् । बृहस्पतिं पुरस्कृत्य सर्वैः सुरगणैः सह
Description of the Story of Śrī Lakṣmī. Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: Meditating on Hari, Hari, O Brāhmaṇa, went to the assembly of Brahmā, accompanied by Bṛhaspati and all the hosts of gods.
शीघ्रं गत्वा ब्रह्मलोकं दृष्ट्वा च कमलोद्भवम् । प्रणेमुर्देवताः सर्वाः सहेन्द्रा गुरुणा सह
Quickly reaching Brahmā's world and seeing the lotus-born one, all the deities, along with Indra and their teacher, bowed down.
वृत्तान्तं कथयामास सुराचार्यो विधिं प्रति । प्रहस्योवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा महेन्द्रं कमलासनः
The preceptor of the gods narrated the events to Brahmā; hearing this, the lotus-seated one smiled and spoke to Mahendra.
ब्रह्मोवाच वत्स मद्वंशजातोऽसि प्रपौत्रो मे विचक्षणः । बृहस्पतेश्च शिष्यस्त्वं सुराणामधिपः स्वयम्
Brahmā said: Dear one, you are born of my lineage, my wise great-grandson; you are the disciple of Bṛhaspati and yourself the lord of the gods.
मातामहश्च दक्षस्ते विष्णुभक्तः प्रतापवान् । कुलत्रयं यस्य शुद्धं कथं सोऽहङ्कृतो भवेत्
Your maternal grandfather is Dakṣa, a devotee of Viṣṇu, powerful; whose threefold lineage is pure—how could such a one become proud?
माता पतिव्रता यस्य पिता शुद्धो जितेन्द्रियः । मातामहो मातुलश्च कथं सोऽहङ्कृतो भवेत्
Whose mother is devoted to her husband, whose father is pure and self-controlled, whose maternal grandfather and uncle are likewise—how could such a one become proud?
जनः पैतृकदोषेण दोषान्मातामहस्य च । गुरुदोषात्त्रिभिर्दोषैर्हरिदोषी भवेद् ध्रुवम्
A person, through the faults of the paternal line, the maternal grandfather, and the teacher—by these three faults, certainly becomes faulty, even if devoted to Hari.
सर्वान्तरात्मा भगवान् सर्वदेहेष्ववस्थितः । यस्य देहात्स प्रयाति स शवस्तत्क्षणं भवेत्
The Lord, the inner soul of all, abides in every body; when He departs from a body, that one becomes a corpse at that very moment.
मनोऽहमिन्द्रियेशं च ज्ञानरूपो हि शङ्करः । विष्णुप्राणा च प्रकृतिर्बुद्धिर्भगवती सती
Mind, ego, and the lord of the senses—these are the form of Śaṅkara; Viṣṇu is the vital breath, Prakṛti is intellect, and Bhagavatī Satī.
निद्रादयः शक्तयश्च ताः सर्वाः प्रकृतेः कलाः । आत्मनः प्रतिबिम्बश्च जीवो भोगशरीरभृत्
Sleep and other powers are all aspects of Prakṛti; the individual soul, the enjoyer, is the reflection of the Self.
आत्मनीशे गते देहात्सर्वे यान्ति ससम्भ्रमाः । यथा वर्त्मनि गच्छन्तं नरदेवमिवानुगाः
When the Lord departs from the body, all these depart in confusion, just as attendants follow a king proceeding on the road.
अहं शिवश्च शेषश्च विष्णुर्धर्मो महाविराट् । यूयं यदंशा भक्ताश्च तत्पुष्पं न्यक्कृतं त्वया
I, Shiva, Shesha, Vishnu, Dharma, and the great Virat, and you, who are fragments and devotees, that flower was rejected by you.
शिवेन पूजितं पादपद्मं पुष्पेण येन च । तत्र दुर्वाससा दत्तं दैवेन न्यक्कृतं त्वया
The lotus feet were worshipped by Shiva with a flower; and there, Durvasa gave it, but you rejected it by divine will.
तत्पुण्यं मस्तके यस्य कृष्णपादाब्जप्रच्युतम् । सर्वेषां च सुराणां च तत्पूजापुरतो भवेत्
The merit of that flower, fallen from Krishna's lotus feet onto someone's head, becomes foremost among all gods and their worship.
दैवेन वञ्चितस्त्वं हि दैवं च बलवत्तरम् । भाग्यहीनं जनं मूढं को वा रक्षितुमीश्वरः
You have been deceived by fate, and fate is more powerful; who can protect a person deprived of fortune and deluded, O Lord?
सा श्रीर्गताधुना कोपात्कृष्णनिर्माल्यवर्जनात् । अधुना गच्छ वैकुण्ठं मया च गुरुणा सह
Now, Sri has departed in anger because Krishna's remnants were rejected; now go to Vaikuntha together with your teacher and me.
निषेव्य तत्र श्रीनाथं श्रियं प्राप्स्यति मद्वरात् । एवमुक्त्वा च स ब्रह्मा सर्वैः सुरगणैः सह
Serving the Lord of Sri there, you will obtain prosperity by my boon; having spoken thus, Brahma, along with all the hosts of gods,