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.
यत्र भार्या गृहं तत्र पुरुषस्यापि नान्यथा । ग्रामे वाप्यथवारण्ये सर्वधर्मस्य साधनम्
Where there is a wife, there is a home for a man; whether in village or forest, she is the means for all dharma.
नास्ति भार्यासमं तीर्थं नास्ति भार्यासमं सुखम् । नास्ति भार्यासमं पुण्यं तारणाय हिताय च
There is no holy place like a wife, no happiness like a wife, no merit like a wife for crossing over and for welfare.
धर्मयुक्तां सतीं भार्यां त्यक्त्वा यासि नराधम । गृहं धर्मं परित्यज्य क्वास्ते धर्मस्य ते फलम्
O lowest of men, abandoning a virtuous and faithful wife joined to dharma, you forsake home and righteousness—where then is the fruit of your dharma?
तया विना यदा तीर्थे श्राद्धदानं कृतं त्वया । तेन दोषेण वै बद्धास्तव पूर्वपितामहाः
If you perform śrāddha and gifts at holy places without her, by that fault your forefathers are bound.
भवांश्चौरो ह्यमी चौरा यैस्तु भुक्तं सुलोलुपैः । त्वया दत्तस्य श्राद्धस्य अन्नमेवं तया विना
You are a thief, and so are those greedy ones who consume the food offered by you at śrāddha without her.
सुपुत्रः श्रद्धया युक्तः श्राद्धदानं ददाति यः । भार्या दत्तेन पिंडेन तस्य पुण्यं वदाम्यहम्
A good son, endowed with faith, who gives śrāddha and gifts with food given by his wife—I declare his merit.
यथाऽमृतस्य पानेन नृणां तृप्तिर्हि जायते । तथा पितॄणां श्राद्धेन सत्यंसत्यं वदाम्यहम्
Just as satisfaction arises for men from drinking nectar, so too for the ancestors from śrāddha—this I declare truly, truly.
गार्हस्थ्यस्य च धर्मस्य भार्या भवति स्वामिनी । त्वयैषा वंचिता मूढ चौरकर्मकृतं वृथा
In the dharma of householders, the wife is the mistress; you, deluded, have deceived her, and your act is in vain, like a thief’s.
अमी पितामहाश्चौरा यैर्भुक्तं तु तया विना । भार्या पचति चेदन्नं स्वहस्तेनामृतोपमम्
Those forefathers are thieves who eat food offered without her; but if the wife herself cooks the food with her own hand, it is like nectar.
तदन्नमेवभुंजंति पितरो हृष्टमानसाः । तेनैव तृप्तिमायांति संतुष्टाश्च भवंति ते
The ancestors eat that very food, their minds delighted; by it they become satisfied and content.