तावत्यस्ताः स्त्रियः कृष्णा मृतास्तत्स्नानमात्रतः । क्रंदमाना विचेष्टंत्यो हाहाकार विकंपिताः
So many black women died merely from that bathing; wailing and agitated, they moved about, uttering cries of distress.
यमलोकं गतास्तास्तु तात दृष्टा मया तदा । उड्डीनास्तु ततो हंसाः स्वस्थानं प्रतिजग्मिरे
Those women went to the realm of Yama; I saw them then. The swans, having flown up, returned to their own place.
एवं तात मया दृष्टं प्रत्यक्षं कथितं तव । कृष्णपक्षा महाकाया धार्तराष्ट्रास्तु ताः स्त्रियः
Thus, O father, what I saw directly has been told to you; those black-bodied, great-bodied women were the Dhārtarāṣṭras.
कथयस्व प्रसादेन के भविष्यंति वै पितः । निर्गतान्मानसान्मध्याद्धार्तराष्ट्रान्वदस्व मे
Tell me, by your grace, who will become, O father; speak to me of the Dhārtarāṣṭras who departed from the midst of the Mānasa.
के भविष्यंति ते तात कथय त्वं तु सांप्रतम् । कस्मात्सुकृष्णतां प्राप्ता हंसाः शुद्धाश्च ते पुनः
Who will become, O father, tell me now; why did the swans attain purity and brightness again?
संजातास्तत्क्षणात्तात कस्मान्मृतास्तु ताः स्त्रियः । एवं मे संशयस्तात संजातो दारुणो हृदि
Why did they arise at that moment, O father, and why did those women die? Thus, O father, a harsh doubt has arisen in my heart.
छेत्तुमर्हसि अद्यैव भवाञ्ज्ञानविचक्षणः । प्रसादसुमुखो भूत्वा प्रणतस्य सदैव मे
You should resolve it today, you who are wise in knowledge; being gracious and always kindly disposed toward me, your devoted one.
एवं संभाष्य पितरं विरराम समुज्ज्वलः । ततः प्रवक्तुमारेभे स शुकः कुंजलाभिधः
Having thus spoken to his father, the radiant one ceased; then the parrot named Kuṃjala began to speak.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने गुरुतीर्थवर्णने च्यवनचरित्रे एकोननवतितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the eighty-ninth chapter in the story of Cyavana, describing the Guru Tīrtha, in the Vena narrative of the Bhūmikhaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
सूतउवाच- एवमाकर्ण्य तत्सर्वं समुज्ज्वलस्य भाषितम् । कुंजलः स हि धर्मात्मा प्रत्युवाच सुतं प्रति
Sūta said: Having heard all this, the words of the radiant one, Kuṃjala, who was righteous, replied to his son.
कुंजल उवाच- संप्रवक्ष्याम्यहं तात श्रूयतां स्थिरमानसः । सर्वसंदेहविध्वंसं चरित्रं पापनाशनम्
Kuñjala said: I shall now speak, dear one; listen with a steady mind. The account destroys all doubts and removes sin.
इंद्रलोके प्रववृते संवादो देव कौतुकः । सभायां तस्य देवस्य इंद्रस्यापि महात्मनः
In Indra's realm, a wondrous conversation arose among the gods, within the assembly of that great-souled Indra.
देवं द्रष्टुं सहस्राक्षं नारदस्त्वरितं ययौ । समागतं सहस्राक्षः सूर्यतेजःसमप्रभम्
To see the thousand-eyed god, Narada quickly went; the thousand-eyed one arrived, shining with the brilliance of the sun.
तं दृष्ट्वा हर्षमायातः समुत्थाय महामतिः । ददावर्घं च पाद्यं च भक्त्या प्रणतमानसः
Seeing him, the wise one became joyful, rose up, and offered arghya and water for the feet, with devotion and a humble mind.
बद्धांजलिपुटोभूत्वा प्रणाममकरोत्तदा । आसने कोमले पुण्ये विनिवेश्य द्विजोत्तमम्
With hands joined in reverence, he made obeisance; then, seating the foremost of twice-born on a pure, soft seat.
पप्रच्छ प्रणतो भूत्वा श्रद्धया परया युतः । कस्माच्चागमनं तेऽद्य कारणं वद सांप्रतम्
Having bowed with utmost faith, he asked: What is the reason for your coming today? Tell me the cause at this moment.
इत्युक्तो देवराजेन प्रत्युवाच महामुनिः । भवंतं द्रष्टुमायातः पृथिव्यास्तु पुरंदरः
Thus addressed by the king of gods, the great sage replied: I have come to see you, Purandara, from the earth.
स्नात्वा पुण्यप्रदेशेषु तीर्थेषु च सुश्रद्धया । देवान्पितॄन्समभ्यर्च्य दृष्ट्वा तीर्थान्यनेकशः
Having bathed with devotion in holy places and sacred waters, worshipped the gods and ancestors, and seen many tirthas.
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यत्त्वया पृच्छितं पुरा । देवेंद्र उवाच- दृष्टानि पुण्यतीर्थानि सुक्षेत्राणि त्वया मुने
All that you previously asked has now been told to you. Indra said: You have seen holy tirthas and auspicious fields, O sage.
किं तीर्थं प्राप्य मुच्येत ब्रह्मघ्नो ब्रह्महत्यया । सुरापोमुच्यतेपापाद्गोघ्नोहेमापहारकः
Which tirtha, upon reaching, frees a slayer of Brahmins from the sin of Brahminicide? Which frees a drinker of liquor, a slayer of cows, or a thief of gold from sin?
स्वामिद्रोहान्महाभाग नारीहंता कथं सुखी । नारद उवाच- यानि कानि च तीर्थानि गयादीनि सुरेश्वर
How, O most fortunate one, can a betrayer of his master or a killer of women find happiness? Narada said: Whatever tirthas there are, including Gaya and others, O lord of gods.
तेषां नैव प्रजानामि विशेषं पापनाशनम् । सुपुण्यानि सुदिव्यानि पापघ्नानि समानि च
I do not know their particular power to destroy sin; they are supremely holy, divine, sin-destroying, and equal.
सर्वाण्येव सुतीर्थानि जानाम्यहं पुरंदर । अविशेषं विशेषं वै नैव जानामि सांप्रतम्
I know all the excellent tirthas, Purandara; I do not know any distinction or particularity at this moment.
प्रत्ययं क्रियतां देव तीर्थानां गतिदायकम् । एवमाकर्ण्य तद्वाक्यं नारदस्य महात्मनः
Let certainty be established, O god, regarding which tirthas grant liberation. Hearing these words of the great-souled Narada,
समाहूतानि चेंद्रेण तीर्थानि भूगतानि च । मूर्तिवर्तीनि दिव्यानि समायातानि शासनात्
Indra summoned the tirthas, both earthly and divine; they arrived, manifest in form, by his command.
बद्धांजलीनि दिव्यानि भूषितानि सुभूषणैः । दिव्यांबराणि स्निग्धानि तेजोवंति च सुव्रत
With hands joined in reverence, adorned with splendid ornaments, wearing divine garments, radiant and virtuous.
स्त्रीपुंसोश्च स्वरूपाणि कृतानि च विशेषतः । हेमचंदनकाशानि दिव्यरूपधराणि च
Their forms were made as both female and male, especially; resembling gold and sandalwood, bearing divine appearances.
मुक्ताफलस्यवर्णेन प्रभासंति नरेश्वर । तप्तकांचनवर्णानि सारुण्यानि च तत्र वै
They shone with the color of pearls, O king; some had the hue of molten gold, and some were tinged with red.
कति शुक्ल सुपीतानि प्रभावंति सभांतरे । कानि पद्मनिभान्येव मूर्तिवर्तीनि तानि तु
How many pure yellow ones shine within the assembly, and which ones, resembling lotuses, are present in form there?
सूर्यतेजः प्रकाशानि तडित्तेजः समानि च । पावकाभानि चान्यानि प्रभासंति सभांतरे
Some radiate the brilliance of the sun, others resemble the glow of lightning, and still others shine with the luster of fire within the assembly.