विष्णोश्चैव महामायां पूर्वदृष्टां स दानवः । सस्मार दानवः पापः कामबाणैः प्रपीडितः
That demon, afflicted by the arrows of desire, remembered Viṣṇu’s great māyā, seen before.
तस्याः स्मरणमात्रेण कंदर्पेण बलीयसा । विरहाकुलदुःखार्तो रोदते हि मुहुर्मुहुः
At the mere remembrance of her, by the powerful god of love, distressed by the pain of separation, he wept again and again.
कालाकृष्टः स दुष्टात्मा शोकजातानि तानि सः । परिगृह्य समायातः पूजनार्थी महेश्वरम्
Drawn by time, that wicked-souled one, embracing those sorrows born of grief, came seeking to worship Maheśvara.
देव्या कृतां हि पूजां च सुपुष्पैः पारिजातजैः । तां निर्णाश्य सुलोभेन शोकजैः परिपूजयेत्
The worship performed by the goddess with excellent pārijāta flowers, he destroyed, and out of greed, worshipped with tears born of sorrow.
नेत्राभ्यां तस्य दुष्टस्य बिंदवस्तेऽश्रुसंभवाः । अविरलास्ततो वत्स पतंति लिंगमस्तके
From the eyes of that wicked one, uninterrupted drops arising from tears fell, O child, upon the head of the liṅga.
देवी ब्राह्मणरूपेण तमुवाच महामते । को भवान्पूजयेद्देवं शोकाकुलमनाः सदा
The goddess, in the form of a brāhmaṇa, spoke to him, O wise one: ‘Who are you, who worships the god, your mind always overwhelmed by sorrow?’
पतंत्यश्रूणि देवस्य मस्तके शोकजानि ते । अपवित्राणि मे ब्रूहि एतमर्थं ममाग्रतः
Tears born of sorrow fall from your eyes onto the head of the god; tell me, in my presence, what is the meaning of this impurity.
विहुंड उवाच- पूर्वं दृष्टा मया नारी सर्वसौभाग्यसंपदा । सर्वलक्षणसंपन्ना कामस्यायतनं महत्
Vihuṇḍa said: Formerly I saw a woman endowed with all auspicious fortune, possessing every mark, a great abode of desire.
तस्या मोहेन संदग्धः कामेनाकुलतां गतः । तया प्रोक्तं हि संभोगे देहि मे दायमुत्तमम्
Burned by delusion for her, overcome by desire, she said to me in union, ‘Give me the highest share.’
कामोदसंभवैः पुष्पैः पूजयस्व महेश्वरम् । तेषां पुष्पकृतां मालां मम कंठे परिक्षिप
‘Worship Maheśvara with flowers born of the joy of desire; place a garland made of those flowers around my neck.’
कोटिभिः सप्तसंख्यातैः पूजयस्व महेश्वरम् । तदर्थं पूजयाम्येव ईश्वरं फलदायकम्
‘Worship Maheśvara with seven crores of such flowers; for that purpose, I worship the Lord, the bestower of fruits.’
कामोदसंभवैः पुष्पैर्दुर्लभैर्देवदानवैः । श्रीदेव्युवाच- क्व ते भावः क्व ते ध्यानं क्व ते ज्ञानं दुरात्मनः
‘With flowers born of the joy of desire, difficult for gods and demons to obtain—’ Śrīdevī said: ‘Where is your devotion, where is your meditation, where is your knowledge, O wicked one?’
ईश्वरस्यापि संबंधो नास्ति किंचित्त्वयैव हि । कामोदाया वरं रूपं कीदृशं वद सांप्रतम्
‘You have no connection at all with the Lord; tell me now, what is the form of the boon of desire?’
क्व लब्धानि सुपुष्पाणि तस्या हास्योद्भवानि च । विहुंड उवाच- भावं ध्यानं न जानामि न दृष्टा सा मया कदा
‘Where did you obtain those excellent flowers, and the laughter-born ones of hers?’ Vihuṇḍa said: ‘I do not know devotion or meditation; I have never seen her.’
गंगातोयगतान्येव परिगृह्णामि नित्यशः । तैरहं पूजयाम्येकं शंकरं प्रवदाम्यहम्
I always take only those flowers that have touched the waters of the Ganges; with them, I worship the one Śaṅkara and recite his praises.
ममाग्रे कथितं विप्र शुक्रेणापि महात्मना । वचनात्तस्य देवेशमर्चयामि दिनदिने
O brāhmaṇa, even the great soul Śukra told me before, in my presence, and by his words I worship the Lord of gods every day.
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यच्च पृष्टोस्मि सांप्रतम् । श्रीदेव्युवाच- कामोदारोदनाज्जातैः पुष्पैस्तैर्दुःखसंभवैः
All this I have told you, as you have just now asked me. Śrī Devī said: With those flowers born from the Kāmodāra tree, which arise from suffering—
लिंगमर्चयसे दुष्ट प्रभाते नित्यमेव च । यादृशेनापि भावेन पुष्पैश्च यादृशैस्त्वया
You worship the liṅga, O wicked one, every morning, and always with whatever feeling and with whatever flowers you have.
अर्चितो देवदेवेशस्तादृशं फलमाप्नुहि । दिव्यपूजां विनाश्यैवं शोकपुष्पैः प्रपूजसि
As you have worshipped the Lord of gods, so shall you obtain the corresponding result. Thus, neglecting divine worship, you honor him with flowers of sorrow.
असौ दोषस्तवैवाद्य समुत्पन्नः सुदारुणः । तस्माद्दण्डं प्रदास्यामि भुंक्ष्व स्वकर्मजं फलम्
This terrible fault has arisen in you today; therefore, I shall give you punishment—enjoy the fruit born of your own actions.
तस्या वाक्यं समाकर्ण्य कालकृष्टो बभाष ताम् । रे रे दुष्ट दुराचार मम कर्मप्रदूषक
Hearing her words, Kālakṛṣṭa spoke to her: 'Hey, you wicked, evil-doer, corrupter of my deeds—'
हन्मि त्वामिह खड्गेन अनेनापि न संशयः । इत्युक्त्वा ब्राह्मणं तं स निशितं खड्गमाददे
'I will kill you here with this sword—there is no doubt.' Saying this, he took up the sharp sword to slay that brāhmaṇa.
हंतुकामः स दुष्टात्मा अभ्यधावत दानवः । सा देवी विप्ररूपेण संक्रुद्धा परमेश्वरी
Desiring to kill, that evil-minded Dānava rushed forward; but that goddess, Parameśvarī, enraged and in the form of a brāhmaṇa—
हन्मि त्वामिह खड्गेन अनेनापि न संशयः । स्वस्थानमागतं दृष्ट्वा हुंकारं विससर्ज ह । तेन हुंकारनादेन पतितो दानवाधमः
'I will kill you here with this sword—there is no doubt.' Seeing him come to his own place, she uttered a roar; by the sound of that roar, the vile Dānava fell.
निश्चेष्टः कामरूपेण वज्राहत इवाचलः । पतिते दानवे तस्मिन्सर्वलोकविनाशके
Motionless in his desired form, like a mountain struck by a thunderbolt, he lay fallen—the Dānava who threatened all the worlds.
लोकाः स्वास्थ्यं गताः सर्वे दुःखतापविवर्जिताः । एतस्मात्कारणाद्वत्स सा स्त्री वै परिदेवति
With the fall of that Dānava, destroyer of all worlds, all beings became peaceful, free from sorrow and pain. For this reason, dear one, that woman laments—
गंगातीरे वरारोहा दुःखव्याकुलमानसा । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यत्त्वया परिपृच्छितम्
On the bank of the Ganges, that beautiful woman, her mind overwhelmed by grief. All this I have told you, as you have asked.
विष्णुरुवाच- एवमुक्त्वा सुपुत्रं तं कुंजलो अंडजेश्वरः । विरराम महाप्राज्ञः किञ्चिन्नोवाच भूपते
Viṣṇu said: Having thus spoken, Kuñjala, lord of birds, wise and learned, ceased and said nothing more, O king.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने गुरुतीर्थमाहात्म्ये च्यवनचरित्रे कामोदाख्याने एकविंशत्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the one hundred and twenty-first chapter, called the story of Kāmoda, in the account of Cyavana, in the greatness of Gurutīrtha, in the tale of Vena, in the Bhūmikhaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
विष्णुरुवाच- कुंजलो धर्मपक्षी स इत्युक्त्वा तान्सुतान्प्रति । विरराम महाप्राज्ञः किंचिन्नोवाच तान्प्रति
Viṣṇu said: Having said thus, Kuñjala, who is on the side of dharma, ceased speaking to his sons, the wise one said nothing more to them.