श्रद्धया शृणुते नारी सुकलाख्यानमुत्तमम् । सौभाग्येन तु सत्येन पुत्रपौत्रैर्न मुच्यते
A woman who listens with faith to this excellent tale of Sukalā, by good fortune and truth, is not deprived of sons and grandsons.
मोदते धनधान्येन सहभर्त्रा सुखी भवेत् । पतिव्रता भवेत्सा च जन्मजन्मनि नान्यथा
She enjoys wealth and grain, and is happy with her husband; she becomes devoted to her husband in every birth, never otherwise.
ब्राह्मणो वेदविद्वांश्च क्षत्रियो विजयी भवेत् । धनधान्यं भवेच्चैव वैश्यगेहे न संशयः
A Brahmin becomes learned in the Vedas, a Kshatriya becomes victorious; there is certainly wealth and grain in the house of a Vaishya, without doubt.
धर्मज्ञो जायते राजन्सदाचारः सुखी भवेत् । शूद्र सुःखमवाप्नोति पुत्रपौत्रैः प्रवर्धते
A king is born knowledgeable in righteousness, of good conduct, and happy; a Shudra attains happiness and prospers with sons and grandsons.
विपुला जायते लक्ष्मीर्धनधान्यैरलंकृता
Great prosperity arises, adorned with wealth and grain.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने सुकलाचरित्रे षष्टितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the sixtieth chapter, the story of Sukalā, in the Bhūmikhaṇḍa, Vena narrative, of the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
वेन उवाच- भार्यातीर्थं समाख्यातं सर्वतीर्थोत्तमोत्तमम् । पितृतीर्थं समाख्याहि पुत्राणां तारणं परम्
Vena said: The sacred place for wives has been described, the foremost among all holy places; describe the sacred place for ancestors, the supreme deliverance for sons.
विष्णुरुवाच- कुरुक्षेत्रे महाक्षेत्रे कुंडलो नाम ब्राह्मणः । सुकर्मा नाम सत्पुत्रः कुंडलस्य महात्मनः
Viṣṇu said: In Kurukṣetra, the great field, there was a Brahmin named Kuṇḍala; his virtuous son was named Sukarmā, son of the great-souled Kuṇḍala.
गुरू तस्य महावृद्धौ धर्मज्ञौ शास्त्रकोविदौ । द्वावेतौ तु महात्मानौ जरया परिपीडितौ
His teachers were very aged, knowledgeable in righteousness and skilled in scriptures; these two great souls were afflicted by old age.
तयोः शुश्रूषणं चक्रे भक्त्या च परया ततः । धर्मज्ञो भावसंयुक्तो अहर्निशमनारतम्
He served them with utmost devotion; knowledgeable in righteousness, endowed with feeling, he attended to them day and night without ceasing.
तस्माद्वेदानधीते स पितुः शास्त्राण्यनेकशः । सर्वाचारपरो दक्षो धर्मज्ञो ज्ञानवत्सलः
Therefore, he studied the Vedas and many treatises from his father, excelling in all conduct, skilled, knowledgeable in dharma, and devoted to wisdom.
अंगसंवाहनं चक्रे गुर्वोश्च स्वयमेव सः । पादप्रक्षालनं चैव स्नानभोजनकीं क्रियाम्
He himself performed the massaging of his teacher's limbs, as well as the washing of feet and the duties of bathing and serving food.
भक्त्या चैव स्वभावेन तद्ध्याने तन्मयो भवेत् । मातापित्रोश्च राजेंद्र उपचर्यां प्रकारयेत्
With devotion and by his very nature, absorbed in meditation on that, he would serve his mother and father, O king.
सूत उवाच- तद्वर्तमानकाले तु बभूव नृपसत्तम । पिप्पलो नाम वै विप्रः कश्यपस्य महात्मनः
Sūta said: At that time, O best of kings, there was a brāhmaṇa named Pippala, of great soul, descended from Kaśyapa.
तपस्तेपे निराहारो जितात्मा जितमत्सरः । दयादानदमोपेतः कामं क्रोधं विजित्य सः
He practiced austerities, fasting, self-controlled, free from envy, endowed with compassion, charity, and restraint, having conquered desire and anger.
दशारण्यगतो धीमाञ्ज्ञानशांतिपरायणः । सर्वेंद्रियाणि संयम्य तपस्तेपे महामनाः
Going to the Daśārṇya forest, wise and devoted to knowledge and peace, he restrained all his senses and performed great austerities with a steadfast mind.
तपःप्रभावतस्तस्य जंतवो गतविग्रहाः । वसंति सुयुगे तत्र एकोदरगता इव
By the power of his austerity, the creatures there, free from enmity, lived together in that blessed age as if within a single womb.
तत्तपस्तस्य मुनयो दृष्ट्वा विस्मयमाययुः । नेदृशं केनचित्तप्तं यथासौ तप्यते मुनिः
Seeing his austerity, the sages were amazed; no one had ever performed such penance as that sage did.
देवाश्च इंद्रप्रमुखाः परं विस्मयमाययुः । अहो अस्य तपस्तीव्रं शमश्चेंद्रियसंयमः
Even the gods, led by Indra, were greatly astonished: 'Ah! How intense is his austerity, and how great his tranquility and control of the senses!'
निर्विकारो निरुद्वेगः कामक्रोधविवर्जितः । शीतवातातपसहो धराधर इवस्थितः
Unchanging, undisturbed, free from desire and anger, able to endure cold, wind, and heat, he stood firm like a mountain.
विषये विमुखो धीरो मनसोतीतसंग्रहम् । न शृणोति यथा शब्दं कस्यचिद्द्विजसत्तमः
Indifferent to sense objects, steadfast, his mind beyond grasp, that best of twice-born did not hear any sound at all.
संस्थानं तादृशं गत्वा स्थित्वा एकाग्रमानसः । ब्रह्मध्यानमयो भूत्वा सानंदमुखपंकजः
Having attained such a state and remaining with one-pointed mind, he became absorbed in meditation on Brahman, his face radiant with bliss.
अश्मकाष्ठमयो भूत्वा निश्चेष्टो गिरिवत्स्थितः । स्थाणुवद्दृश्यते चासौ सुस्थिरो धर्मवत्सलः
Becoming like stone or wood, motionless, he stood like a mountain; he appeared as a pillar, firm and devoted to righteousness.
तपःक्लिष्टशरीरोति श्रद्धावाननसूयकः । एवं वर्षसहस्रैकं संजातं तस्य धीमतः
His body afflicted by austerity, full of faith and free from malice, thus a thousand years passed for that wise one.
पिपीलिकाभिर्बह्वीभिः कृतं मृद्भारसंचयम् । तस्योपरि महाकायं वल्मीकं निजमंदिरम्
By many ants, a great mound of earth was piled up over him, and upon it a large anthill became his own dwelling.
वल्मीकोदरमध्यस्थो जडीभूत इवस्थितः । स एवं पिप्पलो विप्रस्तपते सुमहत्तपः
Situated in the middle of the anthill, he remained as if inert; thus did the brāhmaṇa Pippala perform his great austerity.
कृष्णसर्पैस्तु सर्वत्र वेष्टितो द्विजसत्तमः । तमुग्रतेजसं विप्रं प्रदशंति विषोल्बणाः
Surrounded everywhere by black serpents, that best of twice-born was bitten by venomous snakes, though possessed of fierce energy.
संप्राप्य गात्रमर्माणि विषं तस्य न भेदयेत् । तेजसा तस्य विप्रस्य नागाः शांतिमथागमन्
Though their poison reached his body and vital points, it did not harm him; by the brāhmaṇa's radiance, the serpents became peaceful and departed.
तस्य कायात्समुद्भूता अर्चिषो दीप्ततेजसः । नानारूपाः सुबहुशो दृश्यंते च पृथक्पृथक्
From his body arose flames of radiant brilliance, appearing in many forms and in great number, each distinct from the other.
यथा वह्नेः खरतरास्तथाविधा नरोत्तम । यथामेघोदरे सूर्यः प्रविष्टो भाति रश्मिभिः
Just as the flames of fire are fierce, so were they, O best of men; and as the sun shines with its rays within the womb of a cloud.