सुखदं मोक्षदं स्तोत्रं जप्तव्यं च न संशयः । केशवस्य प्रसादेन सर्वसिद्धो भवेन्नरः
This hymn grants happiness and liberation, and should certainly be recited; by the grace of Kesava, a person attains all accomplishments.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने गुरुतीर्थवर्णने च्यवनचरित्रे सप्ताशीतितमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the glorious Padma Purana, in the section of the earth, in the story of Vena, in the description of the sacred Guru Tirtha, in the account of Cyavana, the eighty-seventh chapter.
कुंजल उवाच- व्रतं स्तोत्रं महाज्ञानं ध्यानं चैव सुपुत्रक । मयाख्यातं तवाग्रे वै विष्णोः पापप्रणाशनम्
Kuñjala said: O dear son, I have explained to you the vow, the hymn, the great knowledge, and the meditation, which destroy the sins of Viṣṇu.
एवं चतुष्टयं सा हि यदा पुण्यं समाचरेत् । प्रयाति वैष्णवं लोकं देवानामपि दुर्लभम्
Whoever performs these four holy acts attains the Vaiṣṇava world, which even the gods find difficult to reach.
इतो गत्वा व्रतं वत्स दिव्यां देवीं प्रबोधय । अशून्यशयनं नाम व्रतराजं वदस्व ताम्
Now go, my child, and awaken the divine lady with the vow called 'Aśūnyaśayana,' the king of vows; tell her about it.
समुद्धर महापापाद्राजकन्यां यशस्विनीम् । त्वया पृष्टं मया ख्यातं पुण्यदं पापनाशनम्
Rescue the illustrious princess from great sin; you have asked, and I have revealed to you this meritorious, sin-destroying practice.
गच्छ गच्छ महाभाग इत्युक्त्वा विरराम सः । श्रीविष्णुरुवाच- उज्ज्वलोप्येवमुक्तस्तु स पित्रा कुंजलेन हि
Saying, 'Go, go, O highly fortunate one,' he stopped speaking. Śrī Viṣṇu said: Thus addressed by his father Kuñjala, Ujjvala—
प्रणम्य पादौ धर्मात्मा मातापित्रोर्महामतिः । जगाम त्वरितो राजन्प्लक्षद्वीपं स उज्ज्वलः
That wise and righteous Ujjvala, after bowing to the feet of his parents, quickly set out, O King, for Plakṣa Island.
तं गिरिं सर्वतोभद्रं नानाधातुसमाकुलम् । नानारत्नमयैस्तुंगैः शिखरैरुपशोभितम्
He reached that auspicious mountain, filled with various minerals and adorned with lofty peaks made of many kinds of gems.
नानाप्रवाहसंपूर्णैरुदकैरुज्ज्वलैर्नृप । नद्यः संति स्वच्छनीरास्तस्मिन्गिरिवरोत्तमे
On that excellent mountain, O King, there are rivers with pure, shining waters, full of many streams.
किन्नरास्तत्र गायंति गंधर्वाः सुस्वरैर्नृप । अप्सरोभिः समाकीर्णं देववृंदैरुपावृतम्
There, Kinnaras sing, Gandharvas play sweet melodies, and the place is crowded with Apsarases and surrounded by hosts of gods.
सिद्धचारणसंघुष्टं मुनिवृंदैरलंकृतम् । नानापक्षिनिनादैश्च सर्वत्र परिनादितम्
It resounds with the gatherings of Siddhas and Cāraṇas, is adorned by groups of sages, and is filled everywhere with the calls of various birds.
एवं गिरिं समासाद्य उज्ज्वलो लघुविक्रमः । सुस्वरेणापि सा कन्या गिरौ तस्मिन्प्ररोदिति
Thus, when Ujjvala, swift of stride, reached the mountain, he heard a maiden there weeping in a melodious voice.
रोरूयमाणां स प्राज्ञो वचनं चेदमब्रवीत् । का त्वं भवसि कल्याणि कस्माद्रोदिषि सांप्रतम्
Seeing her crying aloud, that wise one spoke these words: 'Who are you, O blessed one, and why do you weep now?'
कमाश्रिता महाभागे केन ते विप्रियं कृतम् । समाचक्ष्व ममाद्यैव सर्वदुःखस्य कारणम्
'On whom do you depend, O highly fortunate one? Who has wronged you? Tell me today the cause of all your sorrow.'
दिव्यादेव्युवाच- विपाको हि महाभाग कर्मणां मम सांप्रतम् । इह तिष्ठामि दुःखेन वैधव्येन समन्विता
The divine lady said: 'O highly fortunate one, the result of my actions has now come upon me; I remain here in sorrow, afflicted by widowhood.'
भवान्को हि महाभाग कृपया मम पीडितः । पक्षिरूपधरो वत्स सोत्सवं परिभाषते
'Who are you, O highly fortunate one, who are moved by compassion for my suffering? You speak joyfully, though you appear in the form of a bird, O child.'
एवमाकर्ण्य तत्सर्वं भाषितं राजकन्यया । अहं पक्षी महाभागे कृपया तव पीडितः
Hearing all that was spoken by the princess, he replied: 'O highly fortunate one, I am a bird, moved by compassion for your suffering.'
पक्षिरूपधरो भद्रे नाहं सिद्धो न ज्ञानवान् । रुदमानां महालापैर्भवतीं दृष्टवानिह
'O gentle one, though I have taken the form of a bird, I am neither a Siddha nor a knower of wisdom; I saw you here, weeping with great lamentation.'
ततः पृच्छाम्यहं देवि वद मे कारणं त्विह । पितुर्गेहे यथावृत्तमात्मवृत्तांतमेव हि
'Therefore, O goddess, I ask you—tell me the reason for this. Tell me all that happened in your father's house, your own story.'
तया निवेदितं सर्वं यथासंख्येन दुःखदम् । समासेन समाकर्ण्य उज्ज्वलस्तु महमनाः
Having heard from her, in brief, all the countless sorrows she had endured, Ujjvala, with a great mind, listened attentively.
तामुवाच महापक्षी दिव्यादेवीं सुदुःखिताम् । यथा विवाहकाले ते भर्तारो मरणं गताः
That great-winged one spoke to the divine lady, who was deeply distressed: 'At the time of your wedding, your husbands met their death.'
स्वयंवरनिमित्तं ते क्षयं याताश्च क्षत्रियाः । एतत्ते चेष्टितं सर्वं मया पितरि भाषितम्
'For the sake of your svayaṃvara, the Kshatriyas perished; all this that you have done, I have spoken about to my father.'
अन्यजन्मकृतंकर्मतव पापं सुलोचने । मम पित्रा ममाग्रे तु कृपया परिभाषितम्
'O beautiful-eyed one, the sinful deed you committed in a previous birth—my father, out of compassion, spoke of it before me.'
तेन दोषेण संपुष्टा लिप्ता जाता वरानने । एतावत्कारणं सर्वं तातेन परिभाषितम्
'Because of that fault, you have become enveloped and afflicted, O lovely-faced one; my father explained all these reasons.'
पूर्वकर्मविपाकं तु भुंक्ष्व त्वं च समाश्वस । एवं सा भाषितं तस्य श्रुत्वा कन्योज्ज्वलस्य तत्
'Endure the result of your past actions, and take comfort.' Thus, when she heard these words spoken by Ujjvala,
प्रत्युवाच महात्मानं ब्रुवंतं पक्षिणं पुनः । प्रणता दीनया वाचा कुरु पक्षिन्कृपां मम
She replied again to the great-souled bird as he spoke, bowing and with a sorrowful voice: 'O bird, show me your compassion.'
कथयस्व प्रसादेन तस्य पापस्य निष्कृतिम् । प्रायश्चित्तं सुपुण्यं च मम पातकशोधनम्
'Out of your grace, tell me the expiation for that sin—a most virtuous atonement that will cleanse my wrongdoing.'
येन व्रजाम्यहं पुण्यं विशुद्धाधौतकल्मषा । प्रायश्चित्तं महाभाग वद मे त्वं प्रसादतः
'By which I may attain merit, purified and cleansed of all stain—O greatly fortunate one, kindly tell me the atonement.'
उज्ज्वल उवाच- तवार्थं तु महाभागे पितरं पृष्टवानहम् । समाख्यातमतः पित्रा प्रायश्चित्तमनुत्तमम्
Ujjvala said: 'For your sake, O greatly fortunate one, I questioned my father; from him I have learned the supreme atonement.'