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.
भार्याः पातकरूपाश्च भ्रमंति परितस्तथा । अष्टषष्टिसु तीर्थानि हंसरूपेण बभ्रमुः
Their wives, taking the form of sin, wander about in the same way; in the sixty-eight holy places, they too roamed in the form of swans.
तैः सार्द्धं सु महाराज महातीर्थैः समं पुनः । मानसं चागतास्ते च पातकाकुलमानसाः
Together with them, O great king, along with the great holy places, they again reached Mānasa, their minds filled with accumulated sin.
तत्र स्नाता महाराज न जहाति च पातकः । लज्जयाविष्टमनसा मानसो हंसरूपधृक्
There, having bathed, O great king, the sin does not leave; with a mind overcome by shame, the swan-formed one at Mānasa remains.
संजातः कृष्णकायस्तु यं त्वं वै दृष्टवान्पुरा । रेवातीरं ततो जग्मुरुत्तरं पापनाशनम्
He who had become black-bodied, whom you saw before, then went to the northern bank of the Revā, the destroyer of sin.
कुब्जायाः संगमे ते तु सुरसिद्धनिषेविते । स्नानमात्रेण मुक्तास्ते पापेभ्यो द्विजसत्तम
At the confluence of Kubjā, frequented by gods and perfected beings, by merely bathing, they were freed from sins, O best of twice-born.
विहाय वर्णमेवैतं सुकृतं प्रतिजग्मिरे । यं यं तीर्थं प्रयांत्येते हंसाः स्नानं प्रचक्रमुः
Abandoning that very color, they returned to merit; wherever these swans went, they performed bathing at the holy places.
जहसुस्ताः स्त्रियो दृष्ट्वा पातकं नैव गच्छति । तोयानलेन कुब्जायाः पातकं वरमेव च
Those women laughed when they saw that sin did not depart; by the water and fire of Kubjā, the sin was truly destroyed.
भस्मावशेषं संजातं तदा मृतास्तु ताः स्त्रियः । ब्रह्महत्या गुरोर्हत्या सुरापानागमागमाः
Then, what remained was only ashes, and those women died; the sins of killing a Brahmin, killing a guru, and drinking liquor were destroyed.
भस्मीभूतास्तु संजाता रेवायाः कुब्जया हताः । तास्तु हता महाभाग या मृतास्तु सरित्तटे
They became reduced to ashes, destroyed at Kubjā of the Revā; those who died on the riverbank, O highly fortunate one, were thus destroyed.
अष्टषष्टि सुतीर्थानां हंसरूपेण तानि तु । सार्द्धं हंसः समायातो विद्धि तं त्वं तु मानसम्
Of the sixty-eight holy places, those in the form of swans, together with the swan, came; know that swan as Mānasa.