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.
पार्वत्युवाच- गंगायाश्चैव माहात्म्यं पुनर्वद महामते । यच्छ्रुत्वा मुनयः सर्वे वीतरागाः पुनः पुनः
Pārvatī said: O wise one, speak again of the greatness of the Gaṅgā, hearing which all the sages repeatedly become free from passion.
माहात्म्यं कीदृशं चैव तस्याः सर्वेश्वर प्रभो । उत्पत्तिश्च श्रुता पूर्वं महिमा न श्रुतो मया । त्वमाद्यः सर्वभूतानां त्वं देवश्च सनातनः
O Lord of all, O master, what is the nature of her greatness? Her origin has been heard before, but her glory I have not heard. You are the first among all beings, you are the eternal deity.
महादेव उवाच- बृहस्पतिसमं बुद्ध्या शक्रतुल्यपराक्रमम् । शरतल्पगतं भीष्मं ऋषयो द्रष्टुमाययुः
Mahādeva said: The sages, equal to Bṛhaspati in wisdom and to Indra in prowess, came to see Bhīṣma, who lay upon a bed of arrows.
अत्रिर्वसिष्ठश्च भृगुः पुलस्त्यः पुलहः क्रतुः । अंगिरावगौतमोऽगस्त्यः सुमतिस्त्वापुरात्मवान्
Atri, Vasiṣṭha, Bhṛgu, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Aṅgirā, Gautama, Agastya, Sumati, and the self-controlled one arrived.
विश्वामित्रः स्थूलशिराः सर्वज्ञः प्रमथाधिपः । रैभ्यो बृहस्पतिर्व्यासः पावनः कश्यपो ध्रुवः
Viśvāmitra, Sthūlaśirā, the all-knowing, the lord of the Pramathas, Raibhya, Bṛhaspati, Vyāsa, Pāvana, Kaśyapa, and Dhruva.
दुर्वासा जमदग्निश्च मार्कंडेयोऽथ गालवः । उशनाथ भरद्वाजः क्रतुरास्तीक एव च
Durvāsā, Jamadagni, Mārkaṇḍeya, Gālava, Uśanas, Bharadvāja, Kratu, and Āstīka also.
स्थूलाक्षः सर्वलोकाक्षः कण्वो मेधातिथिः कुशः । नारदः पर्वतश्चैव सुधन्वा च्यवनो द्विजः
Sthūlākṣa, Sarvalokākṣa, Kaṇva, Medhātithi, Kuśa, Nārada, Parvata, Sudhanvā, and Cyavana the twice-born.
मतिभूर्भुवनो धौम्यः शतानंदोकृतव्रणः । जामदग्न्योऽथ रामश्च ऋचीकश्चैवमादयः
Matibhū, Bhuvana, Dhaumya, Śatānanda, Kṛtavraṇa, Jāmadagnya, Rāma, Ṛcīka, and others likewise.
तान्प्रणम्य यथान्यायं धर्मपुत्रः सहानुजः । पूजयामास विधिवज्जगत्पूज्यांस्तु तेजसः
Having properly saluted them, Dharmaputra, together with his brothers, worshipped those worthy of veneration in the world, according to the prescribed rites.
ते पूजिता महात्मानः सुखासीनास्तपोधनाः । भीष्माश्रिताः कथाश्चक्रुर्दिव्यधर्माश्रितास्तथा
Those great-souled ascetics, having been worshipped, sat comfortably, rich in austerity; they, along with Bhīṣma, engaged in discussions rooted in divine dharma.
कथांते तु ततस्तेषां ऋषीणां भावितात्मनाम् । प्रणम्य शिरसा भीष्मं पप्रच्छेदं युधिष्ठिरः
At the end of the discourse, those sages of purified mind, having bowed their heads to Bhīṣma, Yudhiṣṭhira questioned him.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- के देशास्तु महापुण्याः के शैलाः केऽपिचाश्रमाः । सेव्या धर्मार्थिभिर्नित्यं तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह
Yudhiṣṭhira said: Which regions are most holy, which mountains, and which hermitages? Which should always be served by those seeking dharma? Tell me this, O grandfather.
भीष्म उवाच- अत्रैवोदाहरंतीममितिहासं नरोत्तम । शिलोंछवृत्तेः संवादं सिद्धस्य च युधिष्ठिर
Bhishma said: Here, O best of men, they cite an ancient tale — the conversation between a sage who lived by gleaning and a perfected being, O Yudhishthira.
कश्चित्सिद्धः परिक्रम्य समस्तां पृथिवीमिमाम् । उंछवृत्तेः शिबेराजन्गृहं प्राप्तो महात्मनः
A certain siddha, having wandered over the whole earth, came to the house of the great-souled Shibi, who lived by gleaning.
आत्मविद्यासु तत्वज्ञः सर्वदा स जितेंद्रियः । रागद्वेषपरित्यक्तः कुशली ज्ञानकर्मसु
He was always self-controlled, a knower of the truth of the self, skilled in the knowledge and practice of the self, free from attachment and aversion, and adept in knowledge and action.
वैष्णवेषु सदा श्रेष्ठो विष्णुधर्मपरायणः । अनिंदको वैष्णवानां सदा धर्मपरायणः
He was always foremost among Vaishnavas, devoted to the duties of Vishnu, never speaking ill of Vaishnavas, and ever dedicated to righteousness.
योगाभ्यासरतो नित्यं शंखचक्रविधारकः । त्रिकालपूजा तत्वज्ञः श्रीकंठेऽनुरतः सदा
Constantly engaged in the practice of yoga, bearing the conch and discus, he was a knower of the truth, always devoted to Shri Kanta, and performed worship three times a day.
वेदविद्यासु विदुषो धर्माधर्मविचारकः । वेदपाठव्रतो नित्यं नित्यं चातिथिपूजकः
Learned in the Vedas and their branches, he discerned righteousness and unrighteousness, was devoted to reciting the Vedas daily, and always honored guests.
सतीर्थमतियुक्तस्तु शिलोंछेषु स्थितः सदा । चतुर्वेदेषु यद्ध्यानं गीतं यद्यत्स्वयंभुवा
Firmly established among those who lived by gleaning, endowed with a mind set on holy places, he meditated on whatever was sung by the self-born in the four Vedas.
तत्सर्वं स च जानाति द्विजो विष्णुस्वरूपधृक् । नानाधर्मार्थविशदो ह्यव्ययेष्टमतिः सदा
That twice-born, who embodied the form of Vishnu, knew all of this — whatever meditation and songs were in the four Vedas — and was always clear in various matters of righteousness and wealth, with a mind fixed on the imperishable.