सत्पुत्रस्य भवेद्विप्र अन्य धर्मः श्रमायते । पितुः शुश्रूषणात्पुण्यं पुत्रः प्राप्नोत्यनुत्तमम्
For a virtuous son, the fruit is obtained; other duties become burdensome. By serving the father, the son attains supreme merit.
स्वकर्मणस्तु सर्वस्वमिहैव च परत्र च । जीवमानौ गुरूत्वेतौ स्वमातापितरौ तथा
Indeed, in this world and the next, all of one's actions and possessions—while the parents are alive—should be offered to them as to teachers.
शुश्रूषते सुतो भूत्वा तस्य पुण्यफलं शृणु । देवास्तस्यापि तुष्यंति ऋषयः पुण्यवत्सलाः
A son, having become devoted, serves them; hear now the fruit of such merit: even the gods and the sages who love virtue are pleased with him.
त्रयोलोकास्तु तुष्यंति पितुः शुश्रूषणादिह । मातापित्रोस्तु यः पादौ नित्यमेव हि क्षालयेत्
The three worlds are pleased here by serving the father; and whoever always washes the feet of mother and father—
तस्य भागीरथीस्नानमहन्यहनि जायते । पुण्यैर्मिष्टान्नपानैर्यः पितरं मातरं तथा
For him, bathing in the Bhagirathi (Ganga) is gained every day; whoever feeds father and mother with pure food and drink—
भक्त्या भोजयते नित्यं तस्य पुण्यं वदाम्यहम् । अश्वमेधस्य यज्ञस्य फलं पुत्रस्य जायते
With devotion, if he feeds them daily, I declare his merit: the fruit of the Ashvamedha sacrifice is born for that son.
तांबूलैश्छादनैश्चैव पानैश्चाशनकैस्तथा । भक्त्या चान्नेन पुण्येन गुरू येनाभिपूजितौ
With betel, clothing, drinks, and food, and by honoring his teachers with pure and devoted offerings—
सर्वज्ञानी भवेत्सोपि यशःकीर्तिमवाप्नुयात् । मातरं पितरं दृष्ट्वा हर्षात्संभाषयेत्सुतः
Even he becomes all-knowing and attains fame and renown; seeing his mother and father, the son should speak to them with joy.
निधयस्तस्य संतुष्टास्तस्य गेहे वसंति ते । गावः सौहृद्यमायांति पुत्रस्य सुखदाः सदा
For him, treasures are satisfied and dwell in his house; cows, always bringing happiness, come to the son in friendship.
सुकर्मोवाच- तयोश्चापि द्विजश्रेष्ठ मातापित्रोश्च स्नातयोः । पुत्रस्यापि हि सर्वांगे पतंत्यंबुकणा यदा
Sukarma said: O best of twice-born, when the mother and father have bathed, if water drops fall on the son's whole body—
सर्वतीर्थसमं स्नानं पुत्रस्यापि सुजायते । पतितं विकलं वृद्धमशक्तं सर्वकर्मसु
For the son, that bath becomes equal to all sacred bathing places; if the parents are fallen, disabled, old, and unable to perform any duty—
व्याधितं कुष्ठिनं तातं मातरं च तथाविधाम् । उपाचरति यः पुत्रस्तस्य पुण्यं वदाम्यहम्
If the father is sick, afflicted with leprosy, and the mother is likewise, the son who attends to them—of his merit I now speak.
विष्णुस्तस्य प्रसन्नात्मा जायते नात्र संशयः । प्रयाति वैष्णवं लोकं यदप्राप्यं हि योगिभिः
Vishnu himself becomes pleased in his heart with such a one—of this there is no doubt; he attains the Vaishnava world, which even yogis cannot reach.
पितरौ विकलौ दीनौ वृद्धावेतौ गुरू सुतः । महागदेन संप्राप्तौ परित्यजति पापधीः
If the parents are helpless, distressed, and aged, and the son, even when they are afflicted with great disease, abandons them, he is of sinful mind.
पुत्रो नरकमाप्नोति दारुणं कृमिसंकुलम् । वृद्धाभ्यां च समाहूतो गुरूभ्यामिह सांप्रतम्
A son attains a dreadful hell, swarming with worms, when, though called by his aged parents and teachers, he does not come at once.
न प्रयाति सुतो भूत्वा तस्य पापं वदाम्यहम् । विष्ठाशी जायते मूढो ग्रामघ्रोणी न संशयः
He does not act as a son; I declare his sin: he is born as a fool who eats filth, with the nose of a village outcaste—of this there is no doubt.
यावज्जन्मसहस्रं तु पुनः श्वा चाभिजायते । पुत्रगेहेस्थितौ वृद्धौ माता च जनकस्तथा
For a thousand births, he is again born as a dog, while his aged mother and father remain in the house of their son.
अभोजयित्वा तावन्नं स्वयमत्ति च यः सुतः । मूत्रं विष्ठां स भुंजीत यावज्जन्मसहस्रकम्
The son who does not feed them but eats himself must consume urine and excrement for a thousand births.
कृष्णसर्पो भवेत्पापी यावज्जन्मशतद्वयम् । मातरंपितरं वृद्धमवज्ञाय प्रवर्त्तते
The sinner who disregards his aged mother and father becomes a black serpent for two hundred births.
ग्राहोपि जायते दुष्टो जन्मकोटिशतैरपि । तावेतौ कुत्सते पुत्रः कटुकैर्वचनैरपि
Even after a hundred million births, the wicked one is born as a village outcaste, if he insults his parents with harsh words.
स च पापी भवेद्व्याघ्रः पश्चादृक्षः प्रजायते । मातरंपितरं पुत्रो यो न मन्येत दुष्टधीः
Such a sinner becomes a tiger, and then is born as a bear, if, with evil mind, a son does not honor his mother and father.
कुंभीपाके वसेत्तावद्यावद्युगसहस्रकम् । नास्ति मातृसमं तीर्थं पुत्राणां च पितुः समम्
He dwells in the hell Kumbhīpāka for a thousand ages; there is no holy place for sons equal to the mother, nor any equal to the father.
तारणाय हितायैव इहैव च परत्र च । तस्मादहं महाप्राज्ञ पितृदेवं प्रपूजये
For deliverance and welfare, both here and hereafter, therefore, O wise one, I honor the father as divine.
मातृदेवं सर्वदेव योगयोगी तथाभवम् । मातृपितृप्रसादेन संजातं ज्ञानमुत्तमम्
I became a yogi of all the gods by regarding the mother as divine; through the grace of mother and father, supreme knowledge arose in me.
त्रिलोकीयं समस्ता तु संयाता मम वश्यताम् । अर्वाचीनगतिं जाने देवस्यास्य महात्मनः
All the three worlds have come under my control; I know the direct path to this great-souled god.
वासुदेवस्य तस्यैव पराचीनां महामते । सर्वं ज्ञानं समुद्भूतं पितृमातृप्रसादतः
O wise one, all knowledge has arisen in me concerning Vāsudeva, both the direct and the indirect, through the grace of father and mother.
को न पूजयते विद्वान्पितरं मातरं तथा । सांगोपांगैरधीतैस्तैः श्रुतिशास्त्रसमन्वितैः
Who, being learned, does not honor father and mother, along with all the limbs and branches of the Vedas and scriptures studied?
वेदैरपि च किं विप्रा पिता येन न पूजितः । माता न पूजिता येन तस्य वेदा निरर्थकाः
What use are the Vedas, O brāhmaṇa, if one does not honor his father? If one does not honor his mother, his Vedas are fruitless.
यज्ञैश्च तपसा विप्र किं दानैः किं च पूजनैः । प्रयाति तस्य वैफल्यं न माता येन पूजिता
What use are sacrifices, austerities, gifts, or worship, O brāhmaṇa, if one does not honor his mother? All these become fruitless for him.
न पिता पूजितो येन जीवमानो गृहे स्थितः । एष पुत्रस्य वै धर्मस्तथा तीर्थं नरेष्विह
If one does not honor his father, who is alive and dwelling in the house, this is the son’s true dharma and the highest holy place among men.