विदुरेणोक्तमात्रस्तु चंद्रशर्मा द्विजाधमः । आचष्टे सर्वमेवापि यथापूर्वकृतं स्वकम्
When thus addressed by Vidura, Candrasharma, the lowest of Brahmins, recounted everything he had previously done.
पातकं च महाघोरं वसता च गुरोर्गृहे । महामोहगतेनापि क्रोधेनाकुलितेन च
He told of the terrible sin committed while living in his guru's house, driven by great delusion and agitated by anger.
गुरोर्घातः कृतः पूर्वं तेन दग्धोस्मि सांप्रतम् । चंद्रशर्मा च वृत्तांतमुक्त्वा सर्वमपृच्छत
'Formerly, I killed my guru; because of that, I am now consumed.' Having told everything, Candrasharma then asked him in turn.
भवान्को हि सुदुःखात्मा वृक्षच्छायां समाश्रितः । विदुरेण समासेन आत्मपापं निवेदितम्
'Who are you, so afflicted, taking shelter under the shade of a tree?' Vidura briefly revealed his own sin.
अथ कश्चिद्द्विजः प्राप्तस्तृतीयः श्रमकर्षितः । वेदशर्मेति वै नाम बहुपातकसंचयः
Then a certain Brahmin arrived, a third, exhausted from toil, named Vedasharma, who had accumulated many sins.
द्वाभ्यामपि सुसंपृष्टः को भवान्दुःखिताकृतिः । कस्माद्भ्रमसि वै पृथ्वीं वद भावं त्वमात्मनः
Questioned thoroughly by the two, 'Who are you, appearing so miserable? Why do you wander the earth? Tell us your condition.'
वेदशर्मा ततः सर्वमात्मचेष्टितमेव च । कथयामास ताभ्यां वै ह्यगम्यागमनं कृतम्
Then Vedasharma told them everything about his own actions, saying that he had gone to forbidden places.
धिक्कृतः सर्वलोकैश्च अन्यैः स्वजनबांधवैः । तेन पापेन संलिप्तो भ्रमाम्येवं महीमिमाम्
'Condemned by all people and by my own kin and relatives, tainted by that sin, I wander this earth in this way.'
वंजुलो नाम वैश्योथ सुरापायी समागतः । स गोघ्नश्च विशेषेण तैश्च पृष्टो यथा पुरा
Then a merchant named Vanjula, a drinker of liquor, arrived; he was especially a killer of cows, and was questioned by them as before.
तेन आवेदितं सर्वं पातकं यत्पुराकृतम् । तैराकर्णितमन्यैश्च सर्वं तस्यप्रभाषितम्
He revealed all the sins he had previously committed; all that he spoke was heard by them and by the others.
एवं चत्वारःपापिष्ठा एकस्थानं समागताः । कः कस्यापि न संपर्कं भोजनाच्छादनेन च
Thus, these four most sinful ones gathered together in one place; none of them associated with or shared food or clothing with any other.
करोति च महाभाग वार्तां चक्रुः परस्परम् । न विशंत्यासने चैके न स्वपंत्येकसंस्तरे
O highly fortunate one, they conversed among themselves, but some would not sit together on the same seat, nor would they sleep on the same bedding.
एवं दुःखसमाविष्टा नानातीर्थेषु वै गताः । तेषां तु पापका घोरा न नश्यंति च नंदन
Thus, overwhelmed by suffering, they went to various sacred places; but their terrible sins, O Nandana, did not perish.
सामर्थ्यं नास्ति तीर्थानां महापातकनाशने । विदुराद्यास्ततस्ते तु गताः कालंजरं गिरिम्
The sacred places have no power to destroy great sins; therefore, Vidura and the others went to the Kālañjara mountain.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने गुरुतीर्थे च्यवनचरित्रे एकनवतितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the ninety-first chapter in the narrative of Cyavana at the holy place of Guru, in the story of Vena, within the Bhūmikhaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
कुंजल उवाच- कालंजरं समासाद्य निवसंति सुदुःखिताः । महापापैस्तु संदग्धा हाहाभूता विचेतनाः
Kuñjala said: Having reached Kālañjara, they dwelled there in great distress, scorched by great sins, bewildered and distraught.
तत्र कश्चित्समायातःसिद्धश्चैव महायशाः । तेन पृष्टाः सुदुःखार्ता भवंतः केन दुःखिताः
There, a certain accomplished sage of great renown arrived; seeing their deep suffering, he asked, 'Why are you so afflicted?'
स तैः प्रोक्तो महाप्राज्ञः सर्वज्ञानविशारदः । तेषां ज्ञात्वा महापापं कृपां चक्रे सुपुण्यभाक्
That wise sage, thoroughly versed in all knowledge, was told by them; understanding their great sin, he, endowed with great merit, showed them compassion.
सिद्ध उवाच- अमासोमसमायोगे प्रयागः पुष्करश्च यः । अर्घतीर्थं तृतीयं तु वाराणसी चतुर्थका
The accomplished sage said: 'At the conjunction of the new moon and full moon, Prayāga, Puṣkara, Arghatīrtha as the third, and Vārāṇasī as the fourth—'
गच्छंतु तत्र वै यूयं चत्वारः पातकाविलाः । गंगांभसि यदा स्नातास्तदा मुक्ता भविष्यथ
'You four, stained by sin, should go there; when you have bathed in the waters of the Gaṅgā, you will be liberated.'
पातकेभ्यो न संदेहो निर्मलत्वं गमिष्यथ । आदिष्टास्तेन वै सर्वे प्रणेमुस्तं प्रयत्नतः
'There is no doubt that you will attain purity from your sins.' Thus instructed by him, they all bowed to him with great reverence.
कालंजरात्ततो जग्मुः सत्वरं पापपीडिताः । वाराणसीं समासाद्य स्नात्वा चै वद्विजोत्तमाः
Then, afflicted by sin, they quickly departed from Kālañjara; reaching Vārāṇasī, they bathed, O best of the twice-born.
प्रयागं पुष्करं चैव अर्घतीर्थं तु सत्तम । अमासोमं सुसंप्राप्य जग्मुस्ते च महापुरीम्
O noble one, they also reached Prayāga, Puṣkara, and Arghatīrtha at the proper time, and then went to the great city.
विदुरश्चंद्रशर्मा च वेदशर्मा तृतीयकः । वैश्यो वंजुलकश्चैव सुरापः पापचेतनः
Vidura, Candraśarmā, Vedaśarmā as the third, and the merchant Vaṃjulaka, a sinful-minded drinker of liquor—
तस्मिन्पर्वणि संप्राप्ते स्नाता गंगांभसि द्विज । स्नानमात्रेण मुक्तास्तु गोवधाद्यैश्च किल्बिषैः
When that sacred occasion arrived, they bathed in the waters of the Gaṅgā, O twice-born; by that very bath, they were freed from sins such as cow-slaughter.
ब्रह्महत्या गुरुहत्या सुरापानादि पातकैः । लिप्तानि तानि तीर्थानि परिभ्रमंति मेदिनीम्
The sacred places, tainted by sins like the slaying of a Brāhmaṇa, the killing of a guru, and drinking of liquor, wander about the earth.
पुष्करो अर्धतीर्थस्तु प्रयागः पापनाशनः । वाराणसी चतुर्थी तु लिप्ता पापैर्द्विजोत्तम
Puṣkara is half a sacred place, Prayāga is the destroyer of sins, Vārāṇasī is the fourth, O best of the twice-born, but it is tainted by sins.
कृष्णत्वं पेदिरे सर्वे हंसरूपेण बभ्रमुः । सर्वेष्वेव सुतीर्थेषु स्नानं चक्रुर्द्विजोत्तमाः
They all became dark in color, and wandered in the form of swans; at all the sacred places, O best of the twice-born, they performed bathing rites.
कृष्णत्वं नैव गच्छेत तेषां पापेन चागतम् । सुतीर्थेषु महाराज स्नाताः सर्वेषु वै पुनः
They do not attain blackness, nor does the sin that has come to them remain, O great king, when they have bathed again in all the holy places.
यं यं तीर्थं प्रयांत्येते सर्वे तीर्था द्विजोत्तम । हंसरूपेण वै यांति तैः सार्द्धं तु सुदुःखिताः
Whichever sacred place these best of twice-born visit, all the holy places go there as swans, accompanying them in their great distress.