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.
एष पुत्रस्य वै मोक्षस्तथा जन्मफलं शुभम् । एष पुत्रस्य वै यज्ञो दानमेव न संशयः
This is the son’s liberation, his auspicious fruit of birth, his sacrifice and his gift—of this there is no doubt.
पितरं पूजयेन्नित्यं भक्त्या भावेन तत्परः । तस्य जातं समस्तं तद्यदुक्तं पूर्वमेव हि
One should always honor the father with devotion and sincerity; all that has been said before is born from this.
दानस्यापि फलं तेन तीर्थस्यापि न संशयः । यज्ञस्यापि फलं प्राप्तं माता येनाप्युपासिता
By serving one's mother, one attains the fruit of giving gifts, of pilgrimage—without doubt—and even the fruit of sacrifice.
पिता येन सुभक्त्या च नित्यमेवाप्युपासितः । तस्य सर्वा सुसंसिद्धा यज्ञाद्याः पुण्यदाः क्रियाः
He who always serves his father with great devotion, all his acts—sacrifices and other meritorious deeds—are perfectly accomplished.
एतदर्थं समाज्ञातं धर्मशास्त्रं श्रुतं मया । पितृभक्तिपरो नित्यं भवेत्पुत्रो हि पिप्पल
For this reason, I have learned from the Dharmaśāstra that a son should always be devoted to his father, O Pippala.
तुष्टे पितरि संप्राप्तं यदुराज्ञा पुरा सुखम् । रुष्टे पितरि च प्राप्तं महत्पापं पुरा शृणु
When the father is pleased, happiness was obtained by King Yadu in ancient times; but when the father was angered, great sin was incurred—listen to this.
रुरुणा पौरवेणापि पित्रा शप्तेन भूतले । एवं ज्ञानं मया चाप्तं द्वावेतौ यदुपासितौ
Even Ruru of the Paurava line, having been cursed by his father on earth—thus I have come to know this, having served both of them.
एतयोश्च प्रसादेन प्राप्तं फलमनुत्तमम्
And by the grace of these two, the highest fruit was attained.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने मातापितृतीर्थ-माहात्म्ये त्रिषष्टितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the sixty-third chapter, on the greatness of the mother and father as holy places, in the story of Vena in the Bhūmikhaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
पिप्पलउवाच- पितुःप्रसादभावाद्वै यदुना सुखमुत्तमम् । कथं प्राप्तं सुभुक्तं च तन्मे विस्तरतो वद
Pippala said: By the favor of his father, how did Yadu obtain and enjoy the highest happiness? Tell me this in detail.