उपजीव्या हता कन्या स्वार्थे पाकक्रिया हता । शूद्र भक्षो हतो योगः कृपणस्य हतं धनम्
A girl who is exploited is ruined, cooking for selfish gain is ruined; yoga is ruined by eating food from a Shudra, and wealth is ruined for a miser.
अनभ्यासहता विद्या हतो बोधो विरोधकृत् । जीवितार्थं हतं तीर्थं जीवनार्थं हतं व्रतम्
Knowledge is ruined by lack of practice, understanding is ruined by opposition, a sacred place is ruined when sought for livelihood, and a vow is ruined when undertaken for the sake of life.
असत्या च हता वाणी तथा पैशुन्यवादिनी । षट्कर्णगो हतो मंत्रो व्यग्रचित्तो हतो जपः
Speech that is false is destroyed, as is slanderous speech; a secret spoken to six ears is ruined, and recitation with a distracted mind is lost.
हतमश्रोत्रिये दानं हतो लोकश्च नास्तिकः । अश्रद्धया हतं सर्वं यत्कृतं पारलौकिकम्
A gift to one unworthy is wasted, and a world without faith is lost; all acts for the next world are destroyed if performed without faith.
इह लोको हतो नॄणां दरिद्राणां यथा नृप । मनुष्याणां हतं जन्म कालिदीमज्जनं विना
In this world, the lives of the poor are ruined, O king, and human birth is wasted without bathing in the Yamunā.
उपपातक सर्वाणि पातकानि महांति च । भस्मी भवंति सर्वाणि यमुनामज्जनान्नृप
All minor and major sins, O king, are reduced to ashes—every one—by bathing in the Yamunā.
वेपंते सर्वपापानि यमुनायां गते नरे । नाशके सर्वपापानां यदि स्नास्यति वारिणि
All sins tremble when a person enters the Yamunā; if one bathes in her waters, all sins are destroyed.
पावका इव दीप्यंते यमुनायां नरोत्तमाः । विमुक्ताः सर्वपापेभ्यो मेघेभ्य इव चंद्रमाः
The best of men shine like fire in the Yamunā, freed from all sins, like the moon freed from clouds.
आर्द्र शुष्कलघुस्थूलं वाङ्मनः कर्मभिः कृतम् । तत्र स्नानं दहेत्पापं पावकः समिधो यथा
Whatever is done, whether wet or dry, light or heavy, by word, mind, or deed—bathing there burns away sin as fire consumes fuel.
प्रामादिकं च यत्पापं ज्ञानाज्ञानकृतं च यत् । स्नानमात्रेण नश्येत यमुनायां नृपोत्तम
Any sin committed by carelessness, knowingly or unknowingly, is destroyed merely by bathing in the Yamunā, O best of kings.
निष्पापास्त्रिदिवं यांति पापिष्ठा यांति शुद्धताम् । संदेहो नात्र कर्तव्यः स्नाने वै यमुनाजले
The sinful become pure and the pure attain heaven; there should be no doubt at all about the power of bathing in the waters of the Yamunā.
सर्वेऽधिकारिणो ह्यत्र विष्णुभक्तौ तथा नृप । सर्वेषां सर्वदा देवी यमुना पापनाशिका
All are eligible here, O king, for devotion to Viṣṇu; at all times, the goddess Yamunā destroys the sins of everyone.
एष एव परो मंत्र एतच्च परमं तपः । प्रायश्चित्तं परं चैव यमुनास्नानमुत्तमम्
This alone is the supreme mantra, this is the highest austerity, and the greatest atonement is indeed bathing in the Yamunā.
नृणां जन्मांतराभ्यासात्कालिंदी मज्जने मतिः । अध्यात्मज्ञानकौशल्यं जन्माभ्यासाद्यथा नृप
From repeated births, people develop the resolve to bathe in the Kālindī, just as skill in spiritual knowledge comes from repeated births, O king.
संसारकर्दमालेप प्रक्षालन विशारदम् । पावनं पावनानां च यमुनास्नानमुत्तमम्
Bathing in the Yamunā is the best of purifiers, skilled in washing away the filth of worldly existence.
स्नातास्तत्र च ये राजन्सर्वकामफलप्रदे । शुभांश्च भुंजते भोगांश्चंद्र सूर्यग्रहोपमान्
Those who bathe there, O king, receive the fruits of all desires and enjoy auspicious pleasures, like the moon, sun, and planets.
यमुना मोक्षदा प्रोक्ता मथुरासंगता यदि । मथुरायां च कालिंदी पुण्याधिकविवर्द्धिनी
The Yamunā is said to grant liberation, especially when joined with Mathurā; in Mathurā, the Kālindī increases merit even more.
अन्यत्र यमुना पुण्या महापातकहारिणी । विष्णुभक्तिप्रदा देवी मथुरा संगता भवेत्
Elsewhere, the Yamunā is holy and removes great sins; when united with Mathurā, the goddess grants devotion to Viṣṇu.
भक्तिभावेन संयुक्ता कालिंद्यां यदि मज्जयेत् । कल्पकोटिसहस्राणि वसते सन्निधौ हरेः
If one immerses in the Kālindī with devotion, one dwells in the presence of Hari for thousands of millions of aeons.
मुक्तिं प्रयांति मनुजाः नूनं सांख्येन वर्जिताः । पितरस्तस्य तृप्यंति तृप्ताः कल्पशतैर्दिवि
People certainly attain liberation, even without Sāṃkhya knowledge; their ancestors are satisfied in heaven for hundreds of aeons.
ये पिबंति नरा राजन्यमुनासलिलं शुभम् । पंचगव्यसहस्रैस्तु सेवितैः किं प्रयोजनम्
What need is there for thousands of offerings of the five products of the cow for those men who drink the pure water of the royal Yamuna?
कोटितीर्थसहस्रैस्तु सेवितैः किं प्रयोजनम् । तत्र दानं च होमश्च सर्वं कोटिगुणं भवेत्
What need is there for thousands of visits to millions of sacred fords? There, every gift and sacrifice becomes a million times more fruitful.
नारद उवाच-। अत्र ते वर्णयिष्यामि इतिहासं पुरातनम् । पुरा कृतयुगे राजन्निषधे नगरे वरे
Narada said: Here I will recount to you an ancient legend. Long ago, in the Krita age, O King, in the excellent city of Nishadha—
आसीद्वैश्यः कुबेराभो नामतो हेमकुंडलः । कुलीनः सत्क्रियो देवद्विजपावकपूजकः
There was a merchant named Hemakundala, who was like Kubera in wealth; noble by birth, devoted to good deeds, and a worshipper of gods, brahmins, and fire.
कृषिवाणिज्यकर्त्तासौ विविधक्रयविक्रयी । गोघोटकमहिष्यादि पशुपोषणतत्परः
He engaged in agriculture and trade, buying and selling various goods, and was devoted to the care of cows, horses, buffaloes, and other animals.
पयो दधीनि तक्राणि गोमयानि तृणानि च । काष्ठानि फलमूलानि लवणाद्रा र्!दिपिप्पली
He always sold milk, curds, buttermilk, cow dung, grass, wood, fruits, roots, salt, ginger, and long pepper.
धान्यानि शाकतैलानि वस्त्राणि विविधानि च । धातूनिक्षुविकारांश्च विक्रीणीते स सर्वदा
He constantly sold grains, vegetables, oils, various kinds of cloth, metals, sugarcane products, and their derivatives.
इत्थं नानाविधैर्वैश्य उपायैरपरैस्तथा । उपार्जयामास सदा अष्टौ हाटककोटयः
Thus, by these and other various means of a merchant, he always amassed eight crores of gold.
एवं महाधनः सोथ हाकर्णपलितोभवत् । पश्चाद्विचार्य संसारक्षणिकत्वं स्वचेतसि
Thus, having become very wealthy, he grew old and gray-haired; then, reflecting in his mind on the transience of worldly life—
तद्धनस्य षडंशेन धर्मकार्यं चकार सः । विष्णोरायतनं चक्रे गृहं चक्रे शिवस्य च
He used one-sixth of that wealth for acts of righteousness; he built a temple for Vishnu and a house for Shiva.