यत्त्वया पृच्छितं विप्र तत्ते सर्वं प्रकाशितम् । स्थलजाच्चोदकात्सर्वं बाह्यं मलं प्रणश्यति
Whatever you have asked, O Brahmin, has all been revealed to you; all external impurity is destroyed by earth and water.
जन्मांतरकृतान्पापान्गुरुतीर्थं प्रणाशयेत् । संसारतारणायैव जंगमं तीर्थमुत्तमम्
The holy teacher destroys sins committed in previous births; the supreme moving holy place is indeed for crossing saṃsāra.
विष्णुरुवाच- शुक एवं महाप्राज्ञश्च्यवनाय महात्मने । तत्त्वं प्रकाशयित्वा तु विरराम नृपोत्तम
Viṣṇu said: Thus, the wise Śuka revealed the truth to the great-souled Cyavana, and then ceased, O best of kings.
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं जंगमं तीर्थमुत्तमम् । वरं वरय भद्रं ते यत्ते मनसि वर्त्तते
All this, the supreme moving pilgrimage, has been told to you; choose a boon, may auspiciousness be yours, whatever is in your mind.
वेन उवाच- नाहं राज्यस्य कामार्थी नान्यत्किंचित्प्रकामये । सदेहो गंतुमिच्छामि तव कायं जनार्दन
Vena said: I do not desire the kingdom, nor do I wish for anything else; I wish to go to your body, O Janārdana, while still in this body.
एवं वरमहं मन्ये यदि दातुमिहेच्छसि । विष्णुरुवाच- यज त्वमश्वमेधेन राजसूयेन भूपते
If you wish to grant such a boon, then I accept it; Viṣṇu said: Perform the Aśvamedha and Rājasūya sacrifices, O king.
गो भू स्वर्णाम्बुधान्यानां कुरु दानं महामते । दानान्नश्यति वै पापं ब्रह्मवध्यादिघोरकम्
Give gifts of cows, land, gold, and water, O wise one; by giving, even the terrible sin of killing a Brahmin and others is destroyed.
चतुर्वर्गस्तु दानेन सिद्ध्यत्येव न संशयः । तस्माद्दानं प्रकर्तव्यं मामुद्दिश्य च भूपते
The four aims of life are surely attained through giving, without doubt; therefore, gifts should be made, addressed to me, O king.
यादृशेनापि भावेन मामुद्दिश्य ददाति यः । तादृशं तस्य वै भावं सत्यमेवं करोम्यहम्
Whatever feeling one has when giving to me, in that very manner I make it true for him.
ऋषीणां दर्शनात्स्पर्शाद्भ्रष्टस्ते पापसंचयः । आगमिष्यसि यज्ञांते मम देहं न संशयः
By seeing and touching the sages, your accumulation of sin is destroyed; after the sacrifice, you will come to my body, without doubt.
एवमाभाष्य तं वेनमंतर्द्धानं गतो हरिः
Having spoken thus to Vena, Hari disappeared.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने गुरुतीर्थमाहात्म्यसंपूर्तिवर्णने। च्यवनचरित्रसमाप्तौ च त्रयोविंशत्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the Bhūmikhaṇḍa of the Padma Purāṇa, in the story of Vena, in the description of the completion of the greatness of Guru Tīrtha, and at the end of the account of Cyavana, this is the one hundred twenty-third chapter.
सूत उवाच- अंतर्द्धानं गते विष्णौ वेनो राजा महामतिः । क्व गतो देवदेवेश इति चिंतापरोऽभवत्
Sūta said: When Viṣṇu had disappeared, King Vena, of great intelligence, became absorbed in thought, wondering where the Lord of gods had gone.
हर्षेण महताविष्टश्चिंतयित्वा नृपोत्तमः । समाहूय नृपश्रेष्ठं तं पृथुं मधुराक्षरैः
Filled with great joy, the best of kings, after reflecting, summoned Prithu, the foremost among kings, with sweet words.
तमुवाच महात्मानं हर्षेण महता तदा । त्वया पुत्रेण भूर्लोके तारितोस्मि सुपातकात्
Then, with great joy, he spoke to that great-souled one: Through you, my son, I have been delivered from great sin in the world.
नीत उज्ज्वलतां वत्स वंशो मे सांप्रतं पृथो । मया विनाशितो दोषैस्त्वया गुणैः प्रकाशितः
My lineage, O Prithu, has now become illustrious; by my faults it was ruined, but by your virtues it has been made manifest.
यजेहमश्वमेधेन दास्ये दानान्यनेकशः । विष्णुलोकं व्रजाम्यद्य सकायस्ते प्रसादतः
I will perform the Aśvamedha sacrifice and give many gifts; today, by your favor, I will go to Viṣṇu's realm with my body.
संभरस्व महाभाग संभारांस्त्वं नृपोत्तम । आमंत्रय महाभाग ब्राह्मणान्वेदपारगान्
Prepare the offerings, O greatly fortunate one, O best of kings; invite the greatly fortunate Brahmins who are versed in the Vedas.
एवं पृथुः समादिष्टो वेनेनापि महात्मना । प्रत्युवाच महात्मा स वेनं पितरमादरात्
Thus Prithu, instructed by the great-souled Vena, respectfully replied to his father, the great-souled Vena.
कुरु राज्यं महाराज भुंक्ष्व भोगान्मनोनुगान् । दिव्यान्वा मानुषान्पुण्यान्यज्ञैर्यज जनार्दनम्
Rule the kingdom, O great king, enjoy pleasures as you desire; worship Janārdana with divine and human auspicious sacrifices.
एवमुक्त्वा प्रणम्यैव पितरं ज्ञानतत्परम् । धनुरादाय पृथ्वीशः सबाणं यत्नपूर्वकम्
Having spoken thus, he bowed to his father, who was devoted to knowledge, and the lord of the earth took up his bow with arrows, with great effort.
आदिदेश भटान्सर्वान्घोषध्वं भूतले मम । पापमेव न कर्तव्यं कर्मणा त्रिविधेन वै
He commanded all the soldiers: 'Announce my proclamation on the earth—no one should commit sin in any of the three ways.'
करिष्यंति च यत्पापं आज्ञां वेनस्य भूपतेः । उल्लंघ्य वध्यतां सो हि यास्यते नात्र संशयः
Whoever commits sin, disobeying the order of King Vena, shall be executed—of this there is no doubt.
दानमेव प्रदातव्यं यज्ञैश्चैव जनार्दनम् । यजध्वं मानवाः सर्वे तन्मनस्का विमत्सराः
Only charity should be given, and Janardana should be worshipped through sacrifices; all people should perform sacrifices, with minds intent and free from envy.
एवं शिक्षां प्रदत्वासौ राज्यं भृत्येषु वेनजः । निःक्षिप्य च गतो विप्रास्तपसोर्थे तपोवनम्
Having thus given these instructions, Vena’s son entrusted the kingdom to his ministers and went, O Brahmins, to the forest for the sake of asceticism.
सर्वान्दोषान्परित्यज्य संयम्य विषयेन्द्रियान् । शतवर्षप्रमाणं वै निराहारो बभूव ह
Renouncing all faults and restraining the senses from their objects, he remained without food for a hundred years.
तपसा तस्य वै तुष्टो ब्रह्मा पृथुमुवाच ह । तपस्तपसि कस्मात्त्वं तन्मे त्वं कारणं वद
Pleased by his austerity, Brahma spoke to Prithu: 'Why are you practicing austerity upon austerity? Tell me the reason for this.'
पृथुरुवाच- वेन एष महाप्राज्ञः पिता मे कीर्तिवर्द्धनः । समाचरति यः पापमस्य राज्ये नराधमः
Prithu said: 'This Vena, my father, wise and renowned, if anyone commits sin in his kingdom, that person is the lowest of men.'
शिरश्छेत्ता भवत्वेष तस्य देवो जनार्दनः । अदृष्टैश्च महाचक्रैर्हरिः शास्ता भवेत्स्वयम्
'Let Janardana himself be the one to cut off his head, and let Hari, with his unseen great discus, be the punisher himself.'
मनसा कर्मणा वाचा कर्तुं वांछति पातकम् । तेषां शिरांसि त्रुट्यंतु फलं पक्वं यथा द्रुमात्
'Those who wish to commit sin in thought, word, or deed—may their heads fall like ripe fruit from a tree.'