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.
तस्माद्भार्यां विना धर्मः पुरुषस्य न सिध्यति । नास्ति भार्यासमं तीर्थं पुंसां सुगतिदायकम्
Therefore, without a wife, a man’s dharma does not succeed; there is no holy place like a wife for granting good destiny to men.
भार्यां विना च यो धर्मः स एव विफलो भवेत्
And any dharma performed without a wife becomes fruitless.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने सुकलाचरित्रे एकोनषष्टितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the fifty-ninth chapter, the story of Sukalā, in the narrative of Vena, in the Bhūmikhaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
कृकल उवाच- कथं मे जायते सिद्धिः कथं पितृविमोचनम् । एतन्मे विस्तरेणापि धर्मराज वदाधुना
Kṛkala said: How can I attain success? How can I free my ancestors? O Lord of Dharma, tell me this in detail now.
धर्म उवाच- गच्छ गेहं महाभाग त्वां विना दुःखमाचरत् । संबोधय त्वं सुकलां स्वपत्नीं धर्मचारिणीम्
Dharma said: Go home, O highly fortunate one; without you, she lives in sorrow. Awaken your virtuous wife, Sukalā, who walks the path of righteousness.
श्राद्धदानं गृहं गत्वा तस्या हस्तेन वै कुरु । स्मृत्वा पुण्यानि तीर्थानि यजस्व त्वं सुरोत्तमान्
Having gone home, perform the śrāddha offering with her own hand. Remembering the holy places, worship the excellent gods.
तीर्थयात्राकृता सिद्धिस्तव चैव भविष्यति । भार्यां विना तु यो लोके धर्मं साधितुमिच्छति
By undertaking a pilgrimage, you will surely attain success. But in this world, one who seeks to practice dharma without his wife—
स गार्हस्थ्यं विलोप्यैव एकाकी विचरेद्वनम् । विफलो जायते लोके तं न मन्यंति देवताः
—should abandon household life and wander alone in the forest. Such a one becomes fruitless in the world; the gods do not regard him.
यज्ञाः सिद्धिं तदायांति यदा स्याद्गृहिणी गृहे । एकाकी स समर्थो न धर्मार्थसाधनाय च
Sacrifices attain success when the wife is present at home. Alone, a man is not capable of accomplishing the aims of dharma and wealth.
विष्णुरुवाच- एवमुक्त्वा च तं वैश्यं गतो धर्मो यथागतम् । कृकलोपि स धर्मात्मा स्वगृहं प्रतिप्रस्थितः
Viṣṇu said: Having thus spoken to the Vaiśya, Dharma departed as he had come. Then Kṛkala, devoted to righteousness, set out for his own home.