निरर्थकास्तस्य बाणा भविष्यंति न संशयः । त्वामेवं हि हनिष्यंति धर्मादयो महाभटाः
His arrows will become useless, without doubt; these great warriors—righteousness and the rest—will destroy you thus.
दूरं गच्छ पलायत्वमत्र मा तिष्ठ सांप्रतम् । वार्यमाणो यदा तिष्ठेर्भस्मीभूतो भविष्यसि
Go far away, flee from here, do not remain now; if you stay when restrained, you will be reduced to ashes.
भर्त्रा विना निरीक्षेत मम रूपं यदा भवान् । यथा दारु दहेदग्निस्तथा धक्ष्यामि नान्यथा
If you look upon my form without my husband, just as fire burns wood, so I will burn you—there is no other way.
एवं श्रुत्वा सहस्राक्षो मन्मथस्यापि सम्मुखम् । पश्य पौरुषमेतस्या युध्यस्व निजपौरुषैः
Hearing this, the thousand-eyed one stood face to face even with Kāmadeva; see his manliness—fight with your own strength.
यथागतास्तथा सर्वे महाशापभयातुराः । स्वंस्वं स्थानं महाराज इंद्राद्याः प्रययुस्तदा
Just as they had come, so all the gods, led by Indra, departed each to their own place, afflicted by the fear of a great curse.
गतेषु तेषु सर्वेषु सुकला सा पतिव्रता । स्वगृहं पुण्यसंयुक्ता पतिध्यानेन चागता
When all of them had gone, Sukalā, devoted to her husband, endowed with merit, returned to her own house, absorbed in meditation on her husband.
स्वगृहं पुण्यसंयुक्तं सर्वतीर्थमयं तदा । सर्वयज्ञमयं राजन्संप्राप्ता पतिदेवता
She reached her own house, endowed with merit, which was like all the sacred bathing places and all sacrifices, O king, the goddess devoted to her husband.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने सुकलाचरित्रेष्टपंचाशत्तमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the fifty-eighth chapter, the story of Sukalā, in the Vena narrative, in the Bhūmikhaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
विष्णुरुवाच- कृकलः सर्वतीर्थानि साधयित्वा गृहं प्रति । प्रस्थितः सार्थवाहेन महानंदसमन्वितः
Viṣṇu said: Kṛkala, having completed the pilgrimage to all the sacred places, set out for home together with the caravan leader, filled with great joy.
एवं चिंतयते नित्यं संसारः सफलो मम । तृप्ताः स्वर्गं प्रयास्यंति पितरो मम नान्यथा
Thus he constantly thought: 'My worldly life has become fruitful; my ancestors, being satisfied, will surely go to heaven—there is no doubt.'
तावत्प्रत्यक्षरूपेण बद्ध्वा तस्य पितामहान् । पुरतस्तस्य संब्रूते नहि ते पुण्यमुत्तमम्
At that moment, his grandfathers appeared before him in visible form, restrained, and addressed him directly: 'You have not attained the highest merit.'
दिव्यरूपो महाकायः कृकलं वाक्यमब्रवीत् । तव तीर्थफलं नास्ति श्रममेव वृथा कृथाः
A radiant, large-bodied figure, his ancestor, spoke to Kṛkala: 'You have not gained the fruit of the pilgrimage; your effort has been in vain.'
स्वयं संतोषमाप्नोषि नहि ते पुण्यमुत्तमम् । एवं श्रुत्वा ततो वैश्यः कृकलो दुःखपीडितः
'You yourself have found satisfaction, but you have not attained the highest merit.' Hearing this, the merchant Kṛkala was overcome with sorrow.
भवान्कः संवदस्येवं कस्माद्बद्धाः पितामहाः । केन दोषप्रभावेण तन्मेत्वं कारणं वद
He said: 'Who are you, speaking with me in this way? Why are the grandfathers bound? By the influence of what fault? Tell me the reason for this.'
कस्मात्तीर्थफलं नास्ति मम यात्रा कथं नहि । सर्वमेव समाचक्ष्व यदि जानासि संस्फुटम्
'Why do I not have the fruit of the pilgrimage? Why has my journey not succeeded? Tell me everything clearly, if you know it.'
धर्म उवाच- पूतां पुण्यतमां स्वीयां भार्यां त्यक्त्वा प्रयाति यः । तस्य पुण्यफलं सर्वं वृथा भवति नान्यथा
Dharma said: 'Whoever abandons his own pure and most virtuous wife and departs, for him all the fruit of merit is lost; it cannot be otherwise.'
धर्माचारपरां पुण्यां साधुव्रतपरायणाम् । पतिव्रतरतां भार्यां सुगुणां पुण्यवत्सलाम्
'A wife devoted to righteous conduct, virtuous, steadfast in good vows, faithful to her husband, endowed with good qualities, and devoted to merit—'
तामेवापि परित्यज्य धर्मकार्यं प्रयाति यः । वृथा तस्य कृतः सर्वो धर्मो भवति नान्यथा
'Even if one abandons such a wife and departs for a religious purpose, all his religious acts become fruitless; it cannot be otherwise.'
सर्वाचारपरा भव्या धर्मसाधनतत्परा । पतिव्रतरता नित्यं सर्वदा ज्ञानवत्सला
'A wife devoted to all proper conduct, noble, intent on the pursuit of dharma, always faithful to her husband, and ever devoted to knowledge—'
एवं गुणा भवेद्भार्या यस्य पुण्या महासती । तस्य गेहे सदा देवास्तिष्ठंति च महौजसः
'If a man has such a virtuous, supremely chaste wife, the gods of great power always dwell in his house.'
पितरो गेहमध्यस्थाः श्रेयो वांछंति तस्य च । गंगाद्याः पुण्यनद्यश्च सागरास्तत्र नान्यथा
'The ancestors, dwelling in the center of the house, wish for his welfare; and the holy rivers beginning with Gaṅgā and the oceans are present there as well.'
पुण्या सती यस्य गेहे वर्तते सत्यतत्परा । तत्र यज्ञाश्च गावश्च ऋषयस्तत्र नान्यथा
'Where a virtuous, truthful, and devoted wife resides in the house, there are sacrifices, cows, and sages—there is no doubt.'
तत्र सर्वाणि तीर्थानि पुण्यानि विविधानि च । भार्यायोगेन तिष्ठंति सर्वाण्येतानि नान्यथा
'All the sacred places and various holy sites exist there through the presence of the wife; all these are present only because of her.'
पुण्यभार्याप्रयोगेण गार्हस्थ्यं संप्रजायते । गार्हस्थ्यात्परमो धर्मो द्वितीयो नास्ति भूतले
'Through the union with a virtuous wife, household life is established; and on earth there is no dharma higher than that of the householder.'
गृहस्थस्य गृहः पुण्यः सत्यपुण्यसमन्वितः । सर्वतीर्थमयो वैश्य सर्वदेवसमन्वितः
'The house of a householder is virtuous, endowed with true merit; the merchant is the embodiment of all sacred places and is accompanied by all the gods.'
गार्हस्थ्यं च समाश्रित्य सर्वे जीवंति जंतवः । तादृशं नैव पश्यामि अन्यमाश्रममुत्तमम्
'All living beings exist by depending on household life; I do not see any other āśrama superior to this.'
मंत्राग्निहोत्रं देवाश्च सर्वे धर्माः सनातनाः । दानाचाराः प्रवर्तंते यस्य पुंसश्च वै गृहे
In the house of a man where gifts and right conduct are practiced, all the ancient rites—mantras, fire-offerings, the gods, and dharmas—are set in motion.
एवं यो भार्यया हीनस्तस्यगेहं वनायते । यज्ञाश्च वै न सिध्यंति दानानि विविधानि च
But for one who is without a wife, his home becomes like a forest; sacrifices and all manner of gifts do not succeed there.
भार्याहीनस्य पुंसोपि न सिध्यति महाव्रतम् । धर्मकर्माणि सर्वाणि पुण्यानि विविधानि च
Even for a man without a wife, great vows and all righteous and meritorious deeds do not come to fruition.
नास्ति भार्यासमं तीर्थं धर्मसाधनहेतवे । शृणुष्व त्वं गृहस्थस्य नान्यो धर्मो जगत्त्रये
There is no holy place equal to a wife for the attainment of dharma; listen, for the householder, there is no other dharma in all the three worlds.