वश्यावश्यमिदं कर्म अर्वाचीनं प्रशस्यते । पराचीनं न जानासि पिप्पल त्वं हि मूढधीः
The ability to control is praised only in what is near at hand; you do not know what is distant, O Pippala, for your understanding is deluded.
वर्षाणां तु सहस्राणि यावत्त्रीणि त्वया तपः । समाचीर्णं ततो गर्वं कुरुषे किं मुधा द्विज
For three thousand years you have performed austerities; after that, why do you take pride in vain, O twice-born one?
कुंडलस्य सुतो धीरः सुकर्मानाम यः सुधीः । वश्यावश्यं जगत्सर्वं तस्यासीच्छृणु सांप्रतम्
Hear now of the son of Kuṇḍala, steadfast and wise in good deeds; for him, the whole world was under his control.
अर्वाचीनं पराचीनं स वै जानाति बुद्धिमान् । लोके नास्ति महाज्ञानी तत्समः शृणु पिप्पल
He, intelligent, knows both what is near and what is far; there is no great knower in the world equal to him—listen, O Pippala.
न कुंडलस्य पुत्रेण सदृशस्त्वं सुकर्मणा । न दत्तं तेन वै दानं न ज्ञानं परिचिंतितम्
You are not equal in good deeds to the son of Kuṇḍala; he has not given gifts, nor has he reflected on knowledge.
हुतयज्ञादिकं कर्म न कृतं तेन वै कदा । न गतस्तीर्थयात्रायां न च वह्नेरुपासनम्
He has never performed acts like sacrifices or fire-offerings; he has not gone on pilgrimages, nor worshipped the fire.
स कदा कृतवान्विप्र धर्मसेवार्थमुत्तमम् । स्वच्छंदचारी ज्ञानात्मा पितृमातृसुहृत्सदा
O brāhmaṇa, when did he ever perform the highest service to dharma? He acts as he wishes, is wise, and always devoted to his parents and friends.
वेदाध्ययनसंपन्नः सर्वशास्त्रार्थकोविदः । यादृशं तस्य वै ज्ञानं बालस्यापि सुकर्मणः
He is accomplished in Vedic study, and knows the meaning of all scriptures; such is the knowledge of that virtuous boy.
तादृशं नास्ति ते ज्ञानं वृथा त्वं गर्वमुद्वहेः । पिप्पल उवाच- को भवान्पक्षिरूपेण मामेवं परिकुत्सयेत्
You do not possess such knowledge; your pride is in vain.' Pippala said: 'Who are you, in the form of a bird, to reproach me thus?'
कस्मान्निंदसि मे ज्ञानं पराचीनं तु कीदृशम् । तन्मे विस्तरतो ब्रूहि त्वयि ज्ञानं कथं भवेत्
Why do you disparage my knowledge, and what is this distant knowledge? Tell me that in detail—how is knowledge found in you?
अर्वाचीनगतिं सर्वां पराचीनस्य सांप्रतम् । वद त्वमंडजश्रेष्ठ ज्ञानपूर्वं सुविस्तरम्
O best of birds, tell me in detail, with knowledge, the entire course of what is near and what is far for that one.
किं वा ब्रह्मा च विष्णुश्च किं वा रुद्रो भविष्यसि । सारस उवाच- नास्ति ते तपसो भावः फलं नास्ति च तस्य तु
Will you become Brahmā, or Viṣṇu, or perhaps Rudra? Sārasa said: 'You have no true spirit of austerity, nor does it bear fruit.'
त्वया न परितप्तस्य तपसः सांप्रतं शृणु । कुंडलस्यापि पुत्रस्य बालस्यापि यथा गुणः
You have not properly performed austerity; now listen to the merit of Kuṇḍala's son, even as a boy.
तथा ते नास्ति वै ज्ञानं परिज्ञातं न तत्पदम् । इतो गत्वापि पृच्छ त्वं मम रूपं द्विजोत्तम
You do not have such knowledge, nor have you realized that state; go from here and ask, O best of twice-born, about my form.
स वदिष्यति धर्मात्मा सर्वं ज्ञानं तवैव हि । विष्णुरुवाच- एवमाकर्ण्य तत्सर्वं सारसेन प्रभाषितम्
He, righteous in nature, will speak all knowledge to you alone. Vishnu said: Thus, having heard all that spoken by Sarasena—
निर्जगाम स वेगेन दशारण्यं महाश्रमम्
He departed swiftly to the great hermitage in the ten forests.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने एकषष्टितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the sixty-first chapter, the story of Vena, in the Bhumi section of the glorious Padma Purana.
विष्णुरुवाच- कुंडलस्याश्रमं गत्वा सत्यधर्म समाकुलम् । सुकर्माणं ततो दृष्ट्वा पितृमातृपरायणम्
Vishnu said: Having gone to the hermitage of Kundala, filled with truth and righteousness, he saw Sukarma, devoted to his father and mother.
शुश्रूषंतं महात्मानं गुरूसत्यपराक्रमम् । महारूपं महातेजं महाज्ञानसमाकुलम्
He saw him serving the great souls, heroic in truth, of great form, great brilliance, and filled with vast knowledge.
मातापित्रोः पदांते तमुपविष्टं ददर्श सः । महाभक्त्यान्वितं शांतं सर्वज्ञानमहानिधिम्
He saw him seated at the feet of his parents, endowed with great devotion, peaceful, and a vast repository of all knowledge.
कुंडलस्यापि पुत्रेण सुकर्मणा महात्मना । आगतं पिप्पलं दृष्ट्वा द्वारदेशे महामतिम्
When the great-souled Sukarma, son of Kundala, saw Pippala, the wise one, arriving at the doorway—
आसनात्तूर्णमुत्थाय अभ्युत्थानं कृतं पुनः । आगच्छ त्वं महाभाग विद्याधर महामते
He quickly rose from his seat, performed the proper greeting again, and said: 'Come, O greatly fortunate, O wise Vidyadhara.'
आसनं पाद्यमर्घं च ददौ तस्मै महामतिः । निर्विघ्नोऽसि महाप्राज्ञ कुशलेन प्रवर्त्तसे
The wise one gave him a seat, water for the feet, and an offering; 'You are unobstructed, O great sage, you act skillfully.'
निरामयं च पप्रच्छ पिप्पलं तं समागतम् । यस्मादागमनं तेद्य तत्सर्वं प्रवदाम्यहम्
He asked Pippala, who had arrived, about his well-being; 'For whatever reason you have come today, I will tell you all.'
वर्षाणां च सहस्राणि त्रीणि यावत्त्वया तपः । तप्तमेव महाभाग सुरेभ्यः प्राप्तवान्वरम्
For three thousand years you have performed austerity, O greatly fortunate one, and have obtained a boon from the gods.
वश्यत्वं च त्वया प्राप्तं कामचारस्तथैव च । तेन मत्तो न जानासि गर्वमुद्वहसे वृथा
You have attained mastery and freedom of movement at will; because of this, you do not know me and bear pride in vain.
दृष्ट्वा ते चेष्टितं सर्वं सारसेन महात्मना । ममाभिधानं कथितं मम ज्ञानमनुत्तमम्
Having seen all your actions, O great-souled Sarasena, my name was spoken, and my supreme knowledge imparted.
पिप्पल उवाच- योसौ मां सारसो विप्र सरित्तीरे प्रयुक्तवान् । सर्वं ज्ञानं वदेन्मां हि स तु कः प्रभुरीश्वरः
Pippala said: That Sarasena, the Brahmin, who engaged me at the riverbank, said he would impart all knowledge to me—who is that lord, that master?
सुकर्मोवाच- भवंतमुक्तवान्यो वै सरित्तीरे तु सारसः । ब्रह्माणं त्वं महाज्ञानं तं विद्धि परमेश्वरम्
Sukarma said: That Sarasena who spoke to you at the riverbank is Brahma; know him as the supreme lord, the possessor of great knowledge.
अन्यत्किं पृच्छसे ब्रूहि तमेवं प्रवदाम्यहम् । विष्णुरुवाच- एवमुक्तः स धर्मात्मा सुकर्मा नृपनंदन
If you wish to ask anything else, speak; I will answer you thus. Vishnu said: Thus addressed, the righteous Sukarma, delight of kings—