भीष्म उवाच-। यत्पुण्यमधिकं लोके सर्वदा सर्वसंमतम्। तद्वदस्वेच्छया विप्र यत्कृतं पूर्वपूर्वकैः
Bhīṣma said: Tell me what is the greatest merit in the world, always esteemed by all, and what was performed by the ancients according to their own will, O brāhmaṇa.
पुलस्त्य उवाच-। एकदा तु द्विजाः सर्वे व्यासशिष्यास्सहादरात्। व्यासं प्रणम्य पप्रच्छु धर्मं मां च यथा भवान्
Pulastya said: Once, all the twice-born, disciples of Vyāsa, with reverence, bowed to Vyāsa and asked him about dharma, and also questioned me as you do.
द्विजा ऊचुः-। पुण्यात्पुण्यतमं लोके सर्वधर्मेषु चोत्तमम्। किं कृत्वा मानवा स्वर्गं भुंजते चाक्षयं वद
The twice-born said: Among all virtues, what is the most excellent and supremely meritorious in the world? Tell us what, when performed, enables humans to enjoy heaven and inexhaustible rewards.
लभ्यं चाकष्टकं शुद्धं वर्णानां मर्त्यवासिनाम्। गुरूणां च लघूनां च साध्यमेकं क्रतुं वद
Tell us of one pure and attainable rite for all castes dwelling among mortals, for both elders and juniors, which can be accomplished.
यद्यत्कृत्वा च देवानां पूज्यो नाके भवेन्नरः। तत्तद्वद च नो ब्रह्मन्प्रसादी भव धर्मतः
Whatever, when performed, makes a man worthy of worship among the gods in heaven, tell us each of those, O brāhmaṇa, and kindly instruct us in righteousness.
व्यास उवाच-। पंचाख्यानं वदिष्यामि शृणुध्वं तत्र पूर्वतः। पंचानामेककं कृत्वा विंदेन्मोक्षं दिवं यशः
Vyāsa said: I will declare the fivefold account; listen to it from the beginning. By performing any one of these five, one attains liberation, heaven, and fame.
पित्रोरर्चाऽथ पत्युश्च साम्यं सर्वजनेषु च। मित्राद्रोहो विष्णुभक्तिरेते पंच महामखाः
Worship of parents, worship of one's husband, equality towards all people, refraining from betrayal of friends, and devotion to Viṣṇu—these are the five great sacrifices.
प्राक्पित्रोरर्चया विप्रा यद्धर्मं साधयेन्नरः। न तत्क्रतुशतैरेव तीर्थयात्रादिभिर्भुवि
By fulfilling the dharma through worship of parents, a person achieves what cannot be attained even by hundreds of sacrifices or pilgrimages and the like on earth.
पिता धर्मः पिता स्वर्गः पिता हि परमं तपः। पितरि प्रीतिमापन्ने प्रीयंते सर्वदेवताः
The father is righteousness, the father is heaven, the father is the highest austerity; when the father is pleased, all the deities are pleased.
पितरो यस्य तृप्यंति सेवया च गुणेन च। तस्य भागीरथी स्नानमहन्यहनि वर्तते
For one whose parents are satisfied by service and virtue, bathing in the Ganges occurs for him every day.
सर्वतीर्थमयी माता सर्वदेवमयः पिता। मातरं पितरं चैव यस्तु कुर्यात्प्रदक्षिणम्
The mother embodies all sacred places, the father embodies all deities; whoever circumambulates mother and father.
प्रदक्षिणीकृता तेन सप्तद्वीपा वसुंधरा। जानुनी च करौ यस्य पित्रोः प्रणमतः शिरः
By that act, the earth with its seven continents is circumambulated; for one who bows with knees and hands to his parents, his head touches the ground.
निपतंति पृथिव्यां च सोक्षयं लभते दिवं। तयोश्चरणयोर्यावद्रजश्चिह्नानि मस्तके
He falls to the earth and attains heaven without decay; as long as the marks of dust from their feet remain on his head.
प्रतीके च विलग्नानि तावत्पूतः सुतस्तयोः। पादारविंदसलिलं यः पित्रोः पिबते सुतः
As long as those marks remain attached to his body, the son is purified; whoever drinks the water from his parents’ lotus feet.
तस्य पापक्षयं याति जन्मकोटिशतार्जितं। धन्योसौ मानवो लोके पूतोसौ सर्वकल्मषात्
His sins, accumulated over hundreds of millions of births, are destroyed; that man is blessed in the world and purified from all faults.
विनायकत्वमाप्नोति जन्मनैकेन मानवः। पितरौ लंघयेद्यस्तु वचोभिः पुरुषाधमः
A man attains the state of Vināyaka in a single birth; but the lowest of men who transgresses his parents with words.
निरये च वसेत्तावद्यावदाभूतसंप्लवं। पित्रोरनर्चनं कृत्वा भुंक्ते यस्तु सुताधमः
He dwells in hell until the dissolution of the world, who, being a wicked son, fails to honor his parents.
क्रिमिकूपेथ नरके कल्पांतमुपतिष्ठति। रोगिणं चापि वृद्धं च पितरं वृत्तिकर्शितम्
He remains in the pit of worms in hell for a kalpa, who causes his father to suffer from illness, old age, or deprivation.
विकलं नेत्रकर्णाभ्यां त्यक्त्वा गच्छेच्च रौरवम्। अंत्यजातिषु म्लेच्छेषु चांडालेष्वपि जायते
Abandoning his father who is impaired in eyes or ears, he goes to the Raurava hell, and is born among outcastes, foreigners, and even among the lowest.
पित्रोरपोषणं कृत्वा सर्वपुण्यक्षयो भवेत्। नाराध्य पितरौ पुत्रस्तीर्थदेवान्भजन्नपि
By neglecting the care of his parents, all merit is destroyed; even if the son worships holy places and gods, without honoring his parents, it is fruitless.
तयोर्न फलमाप्नोति कीटवद्रमते महीम्। कथयामि पुरावृत्तं विप्राः शृणुत यत्नतः
He does not obtain the fruit of those acts, and wanders the earth like an insect; I shall recount an ancient event, O Brahmins, listen attentively.
यं श्रुत्वा न पुनर्मोहं प्रयास्यथ पुनर्भुवि। पुरासीच्च द्विजः कश्चिन्नरोत्तम इति स्मृतः
Hearing this, you will not again fall into delusion in future births; formerly, there was a certain Brahmin, remembered as the best among men.
स्वपितरावनादृत्य गतोसौ तीर्थसेवया। ततः सर्वाणि तीर्थानि गच्छतो ब्राह्मणस्य च
Disregarding his parents, he went to serve holy places; then, as he visited all the sacred sites, the Brahmin’s
आकाशे स्नानचेलानि प्रशुष्यंति दिने दिने। अहंकारोऽविशत्तस्य मानसे ब्राह्मणस्य च
His bathing garments dried in the sky day by day; pride entered the mind of that Brahmin.
मत्समो नास्ति वै कश्चित्पुण्यकर्मा महायशाः। इत्युक्ते चानने तस्य अहदच्च बकस्तदा
He said, 'There is none equal to me in virtuous deeds and great fame'; when he spoke thus, a crane replied to him.
क्रोधाच्चैवेरितस्तस्य स शशाप द्विजो बकम्। पपात च बकः पृथ्व्यां स भस्मीभूतविग्रहः
Angered by the crane, the Brahmin cursed it; the crane fell to the earth, its body reduced to ashes.
भीर्द्विजेंद्रं महामोहः प्राविशच्चांतकर्मणि। ततः पापाच्च विप्रस्य चेलं खं च न गच्छति
Fear and great delusion seized the Brahmin at the moment of death; then, because of his sin, his garment and self did not ascend to the sky.
विषादमगमत्सद्यस्ततः खं तमुवाच ह। गच्छ बाडव चांडालं मूकं परमधार्मिकम्
He immediately fell into despair; then the sky spoke to him: 'Go, O Brahmin, to the mute outcaste, the most unrighteous.'
तत्र धर्मं च जानीषे क्षेमं ते तद्वचो भवेत्। खाच्च तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा गतोसौ मूकमंदिरम्
'There you will learn righteousness; your welfare will come from his words.' Hearing this, the Brahmin went to the abode of the mute.
शुश्रूषंतं च पितरौ सर्वारंभान्ददर्श सः। ददतं शीतकाले च सम्यगुष्णं जलं तयोः
He saw the mute serving his parents in every undertaking, giving them properly heated water in the cold season.