दृष्टं मे महती चिंता तदा जाता न संशयः । अनेन पयसा चैव पक्वमन्नं यदा भवेत्
'I saw this, and great anxiety arose in me—there is no doubt; when food is cooked with this milk—'
तदात्र सर्वे विप्राश्च म्रियंते भोजनात्ततः । एवं विचार्य तत्स्वामिन्दुग्धं पीतं तदा मया
'Then all the Brahmins here will die from eating that food. Thinking thus, I, the mistress, drank the milk myself.'
तदा दृष्टं तु वध्वा वै तया मे ताडनं कृतम् । चरामि तेन संभग्ना किं करोमि सुदुःखिता
'Then, when the wife saw this, she beat me; injured by her, I wander—what can I do, so greatly afflicted?'
तस्या दुःखं तु संस्मृत्य वृषः प्राह शुनीं प्रति । शृणु शुनि प्रवक्ष्यामि मम दुःखस्य कारणम्
Remembering her suffering, the bull spoke to the female dog: 'Listen, dog, I will tell you the cause of my suffering.'
अस्याहं तु पिता साक्षात्पूर्वजन्मनि वै शुनि । अद्य वै भोजिता विप्रा दत्तमन्नं तु भूरिशः
'In a previous birth, O dog, I was indeed her father; today the Brahmins have been fed, and abundant food has been given.'
न तृणं नोदकं चैव ममाग्रे संनिवेदितम् । तेन दुःखेन मे दुःखं जातं बहुतरं तदा
'But neither grass nor water was ever offered to me; because of that sorrow, my suffering became even greater.'
एतत्कथानकं श्रुत्वा रात्रौ निद्रामवाप न । मम चिंता तु तत्रैव जाता वै ऋषिसत्तम
After hearing this story, I could not sleep at night; my mind was troubled, O best of sages.
वेदाध्ययनशीलोऽहं कुशलो वेदकर्मणि । अनयोश्च महद्दुःखं किं करोमीति चिंतयन् । आगतस्त्वत्समीपे तु ममकष्टं निवारय
I am devoted to Vedic study and skilled in Vedic rituals; yet, thinking of the great suffering of these two, I wondered what I should do. I have come to you—please relieve my distress.
ऋषिरुवाच- उग्रजन्मन्शृणुष्व त्वं पूर्वजन्मनि यत्कृतम् । अयं वै तु द्विजश्रेष्ठो कुंडने नगरे शुभे
The sage said: O Ugrajanman, listen to what was done in a previous birth. This excellent Brahmin lived in the auspicious city of Kundana.
मासे भाद्रपदे चैव पंचमी या समागता । तद्व्रतं तेन नाज्ञातं पितुः श्राद्धादिकारणात्
When the fifth day arrived in the month of Bhādrapada, he did not observe that vow because of performing his father's śrāddha and related rites.
स्त्रीधर्मेण तु संप्राप्ता क्षयहेतु तदानघ । तया चैव कृतं सर्वं ब्राह्मणानां च भोजनम्
His wife, following her duty as a woman, undertook the vow, and she prepared food for all the Brahmins.
न ज्ञातं च कृतं तेन पापिष्ठेन दुरात्मना । प्रथमेऽहनि चांडाली द्वितीये ब्रह्मघातिनी
Unaware, that sinful and wicked man performed the rites. On the first day, she became a cāṇḍālī; on the second, a slayer of a Brahmin.
तृतीये रजकी प्रोक्ता चतुर्थेऽहनि शुध्यति । तेन पापेन सा जाता शुनी स्वगृहचारिणी । बलीवर्दस्त्वयं जातः कर्मणानेन सुव्रत
On the third day, she was called a washerwoman; on the fourth day, she was purified. Because of that sin, she was born as a female dog, roaming her own house. And this one became an ox, O virtuous one, due to that action.
उग्रजन्मोवाच- व्रतं दानं तथा यज्ञं तीर्थं वाममसुव्रत । ब्रूहि येन विशेषेण मुक्तिः पित्रोर्भवेन्मम
Ugrajanman said: Tell me, O virtuous one, what vow, charity, sacrifice, or pilgrimage especially grants liberation to my parents.
ऋषिरुवाच- मासे भाद्रपदे शुक्ले जायते ऋषिपंचमी । रजसा विकृतं पापं नश्यते करणाद्यतः
The sage said: In the bright fortnight of Bhādrapada, the ṛṣipaṃcamī is observed. By performing it, sin caused by impurity is destroyed.
पुत्रपौत्रप्रदात्री च पितॄणां मुक्तिदायिनी । नद्या कूपे तडागे वा ब्राह्मणस्य गृहे तथा
It grants sons and grandsons, and gives liberation to ancestors. Whether at a river, well, pond, or in a Brahmin's house,
गोमयं मंडलं कुर्यात्कुंभं तत्रैव विन्यसेत् । तस्योपरि न्यसेत्पात्रमृषिधान्येन पूरितम् 6.77.
One should make a circle of cow dung and place a pot there. Upon it, set a vessel filled with grains sacred to the sages.
यज्ञोपवीतसूत्रं च सहिरण्यं फलं तथा । स्थाप्याश्च ऋषयः सप्त सुखसौभाग्यदायकाः
Place the sacred thread, gold, and fruit there. The seven sages, bestowers of happiness and prosperity, should be installed.
आवाहयित्वा ते सर्वे पूजनीया व्रतस्थितैः । नैवेद्यमृषिधान्यं च ऋषिधान्यं तु भोजनम्
After invoking them, all should be worshipped by those observing the vow. Offer sacred grains as food for the sages.
एकभक्तेन कर्तव्यमृषीणामर्चनं तदा । पूजयेत्परया भक्त्या मंत्रेण विधिपूर्वकम्
Worship of the sages should be done with a single meal, with utmost devotion, using the prescribed mantra and proper procedure.
निर्वापं सघृतं देयं दक्षिणासंयुतं तदा । देयं विप्राय विधिवदृषीणां प्रीयतां प्रति
Offer oblations with ghee, accompanied by gifts. Give them to a Brahmin according to the rules, for the satisfaction of the sages.
कथां श्रुत्वा विधानेन कृत्वा चैव प्रदक्षिणाम् । धूपं दीपं च नैवेद्यमर्घ्यं दद्यात्पृथक्पृथक्
After hearing the story and circumambulating according to the rite, one should separately offer incense, lamp, food, and water for washing the hands.
ऋषयः संतु मे नित्यं व्रतसंपूर्णकारिणः । पूजां गृह्णंतु मद्दत्तां ऋषिभ्योऽस्तु नमोनमः
May the sages always be fulfilled by my observance of the vow. May they accept the worship I offer; salutations to the sages.
पुलस्त्यः पुलहश्चैव क्रतुः प्राचेतसस्तथा । वसिष्ठमरिचात्रेया अर्घं गृह्णंतु वो नमः
Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Prācetasa, Vasiṣṭha, Marīci, and Atri—may you accept the offerings; salutations to you.
एवं पूजा प्रकर्त्तव्या धूपैर्दीपैर्मनोरमैः । पितॄणां जायते मुक्तिः कृतस्यास्य प्रभावतः
Thus, this worship should be performed with delightful incense and lamps; by the power of this act, liberation arises for the ancestors.
पूर्वकर्मविपाकेन रजसा दोषभावतः । कृतं ह्येवं तु भो वत्स मुक्तिस्तस्य न संशयः
Due to the result of previous actions and the influence of passion, faults arise; but, O child, when this is done, liberation is certain for him, without doubt.
तद्व्रतं च कृतं तेन मुक्त्यर्थं पितृहेतवे । ते गता मुक्तिमार्गेण आशीर्वादपरायणाः
He performed that vow for the sake of liberation and for the benefit of the ancestors; they departed upon the path of liberation, devoted to blessings.
ऋषिपंचमीव्रतं पुण्यं विप्राय परिकीर्तितम् । ये कुर्वंति नरश्रेष्ठास्ते ज्ञेयाः पुण्यभागिनः
The virtuous ṛṣipaṃcamī vow has been extolled for the Brahmin; those best among men who perform it are to be regarded as fortunate.
ये कुर्वंति नरश्रेष्ठ ऋषिव्रतमनुत्तमम् । भुक्त्वात्र भोगान्विपुलान्यांति विष्णोः पदं तु ते
Those best among men who perform the excellent ṛṣivratam, after enjoying abundant pleasures here, they attain the abode of Viṣṇu.
इतिश्रीपाद्मेमहापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे उमापतिनारद। संवादे ऋषिपंचमीव्रतंनाम सप्तसप्ततितमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa, in the Uttarakhaṇḍa, in the discourse between Umāpati and Nārada, the seventy-seventh chapter named 'The ṛṣipaṃcamī Vow' is concluded in the collection of fifty-five thousand verses.