तयोस्तु तिष्ठतोर्गेहे नास्ति यद्भुज्यते तदा । स्वजनैर्बांधवैस्सर्वैः सेवकैरुपजीविभिः
As they remained in their house, there was nothing to eat, and all their relatives, friends, servants, and dependents abandoned them.
द्रव्याभावे परित्यक्तौ चिंत्यमानौ ततः पुरे । पश्चाच्चौर्य्यं समारब्धं ताभ्यां च नगरे नृप
Lacking wealth, they were forsaken and became the subject of gossip in the city; afterwards, the two began to steal in the town, O King.
राजतो लोकतो भीतौ स्वपुरान्निःसृतौ तदा । चक्रतुर्वनवासं तौ सर्वेषामुपपीडितौ
Fearing the king and the people, they left their own city and dwelt in the forest, oppressed by all.
जघ्नतुः सततं मूढौ शितैर्बाणैर्विषार्पितैः । नानापक्षिवराहांश्च हरिणान्रोहितांस्तथा
The two fools constantly killed, with sharp, poisoned arrows, various birds, boars, deer, and red antelopes.
शशकाञ्छल्लकान्गोधान्श्वापदांश्चेतरान्बहून् । महाबलौ भिल्लसंगावाखेटकभुजौ सदा
They slew hares, partridges, monitor lizards, wild beasts, and many others; mighty as they were, always in the company of hunters, wielding bows.
एवं मांसमयाहारौ पापाहारौ परंतप । कदाचिद्भूधरं प्राप्तो ह्येकोऽन्यश्च वनं गतः
Thus, subsisting on sinful food—meat, O scorcher of foes—once, one of them reached a mountain, while the other went into the forest.
शार्दूलेन हतो ज्येष्ठः कनिष्ठः सर्पदंशितः । एकस्मिन्दिवसे राजन्पापिष्ठौ निधनं गतौ
The elder was slain by a tiger, the younger bitten by a serpent; on a single day, O King, the most sinful both met their end.
यमदूतैस्ततोबद्ध्वा पापैर्नीतौ यमालयम् । गत्वाभिजगदुःसर्वे ते दूताः पापिनावुभौ
Then, bound by the messengers of Yama, they were led away by their sins to the abode of Yama; having arrived, all those messengers declared that both were sinners.
धर्मराज नरावेतावानीतौ तव शासनात् । आज्ञां देहि स्वभृत्येषु प्रसीद करवाम किम्
O King of Dharma, these two men have been brought here by your command; grant an order to your servants, be gracious—what shall we do?
आलोच्य चित्रगुप्तेन तदा दूताञ्जगौ यमः । एकस्तु नीयतां वीर निरयं तीव्रवेदनम्
Having consulted with Citragupta, Yama then spoke to the messengers: 'Let one be led, O hero, to hell, where intense suffering prevails.'
अपरः स्थाप्यतां स्वर्गेयत्र भोगा ह्यनुत्तमाः । कृतांताज्ञां ततः श्रुत्वा दूतैश्च क्षिप्रकारिभिः
'Let the other be established in heaven, where enjoyments are truly unsurpassed.' Hearing the command of Death, the swift messengers acted accordingly.
निक्षिप्तो रौरवे घोरे यो ज्येष्ठो हि नराधिप । तेषां दूतवरः कश्चिदुवाच मधुरं वचः
The elder, O lord of men, was cast into the dreadful Raurava hell; then one among their chief messengers spoke sweet words.
विकुंडल मया सार्द्धमेहि स्वर्गं ददामि ते । भुंक्ष्व भोगान्सुदिव्यांस्त्वमर्जितान्स्वेन कर्मणा
'Vikuṇḍala, come with me; I grant you heaven. Enjoy the most divine pleasures, earned by your own actions.'
नारदउवाच- ततो हृष्टमनाः सोऽथ दूतं पप्रच्छ तं पथि । संदेहं हृदि कृत्वा तु विस्मयं परमं गतः । विचारयन्हृदि स्वर्गः कस्य हेतोः फलं मम
Nārada said: Then, his mind delighted, he questioned that messenger on the path, having formed a doubt in his heart and reached great astonishment, pondering within, 'For what reason is heaven the fruit for me?'
विकुंडल उवाच- हे दूतवर पृच्छामि संशयं त्वामहं परम् । आवां जातौ कुले तुल्ये तुल्यं कर्म तथा कृतम्
Vikuṇḍala said: O chief messenger, I ask you my highest doubt. We two were born in the same family, performed the same deeds likewise.
दुर्मृत्युरपि तुल्योभूत्तुल्यो दृष्टो यमस्तथा । कथं स नरके क्षिप्तस्तुल्यकर्म्मा ममाग्रजः
Even our deaths were alike, and Yama was seen similarly; how is it that my elder brother, with equal actions, was cast into hell?
ममाभवत्कथं नाकमिति मे छिंधि संशयम् । देवदूत न पश्यामि मम स्वर्गस्य कारणम्
How did heaven come to me? Resolve this doubt of mine. O divine messenger, I do not see the cause for my attainment of heaven.
देवदूत उवाच- माता पिता सुतो जाया स्वसा भ्राता विकुंडल । जन्महेतोरियं संज्ञा जंतोः कर्म्मोपभुक्तये
The divine messenger said: Mother, father, son, wife, sister, brother, O Vikuṇḍala—these are names arising from birth, for the experience of deeds by the living being.
एकस्मिन्पादपे यद्वच्छकुनानां समागमः । यद्यत्समीहितं कर्म कुरुते पूर्वभावितः
Just as birds gather on a single tree, so each performs the actions desired, shaped by previous causes.
तस्य तस्य फलं भुंक्ते कर्म्मणः पुरुषः सदा । सत्यं वदामि ते प्रीत्या नरैः कर्म्म शुभाशुभम्
Each person always enjoys the fruit of their own actions. I speak the truth to you with affection: among men, actions—good or bad—bring their results.
स्वकृतं भुज्यते वैश्य कालेकाले पुनःपुनः । एकः करोति कर्माणि एकस्तत्फलमश्नुते
One enjoys what one has done, merchant, again and again in due time; one performs actions, and one alone receives their fruit.
अन्यो न लिप्यते वैश्य कर्मणान्यस्य कुत्रचित् । अपतन्नरके पापैस्तवभ्राता सुदारुणैः । त्वं च धर्मेण धर्मज्ञ स्वर्गं प्राप्नोषि शाश्वतम्
Another is not affected, merchant, by the actions of someone else anywhere; your brother fell into hell through his terrible sins, while you, knowledgeable in dharma, attain eternal heaven through righteousness.
विकुंडल उवाच- आबाल्यान्मम पापेषु न पुण्येषु रतं मनः । अस्मिञ्जन्मनि हे दूत दुष्कृतं हि कृतं मया
Vikuṇḍala said: From childhood, my mind was not inclined to virtue, but to sin; in this life, O messenger, I have indeed committed evil.
देवदूत न जानामि सुकृतं कर्म चात्मनः । यदि जानासि मत्पुण्यं तन्मे त्वं कृपया वद
O divine messenger, I do not know any virtuous deed of mine; if you know my merit, please tell me out of compassion.
देवदूत उवाच- शृणु वैश्य प्रवक्ष्यामि यत्त्वया पुण्यमर्जितम् । जानामि तदहं सर्वं न त्वं वेत्सि सुनिश्चितम्
The divine messenger said: Hear, O merchant, I will tell you of the merit you have acquired; I know all of it, but you certainly do not.
हरिमित्रसुतो विप्रः सुमित्रो वेदपारगः । आसीत्तस्याश्रमः पुण्यो यमुना दक्षिणेतटे
There was a brahmin named Sumitra, son of Harimitra, learned in the Vedas; his holy hermitage was on the southern bank of the Yamuna.
तेन सख्यं वने तस्मिंस्तव जातं विशांवर । तत्संगेन त्वया स्नातं माघमासद्वयं तथा
In that forest, O best of men, your friendship with him arose; through his association, you bathed for two months of Māgha.
कालिंदी पुण्यपानीये सर्वपापहरे वरे । तत्तीर्थे लोकविख्याते नाम्ना पापप्रणाशने
In the holy waters of the Kālindī, the best remover of all sins; at that famous ford, known as the destroyer of sins.
एकेन सर्वपापेभ्यो विमुक्तस्त्वं विशांपते । द्वितीयमाघपुण्येन प्राप्तः स्वर्गस्त्वयानघ
By one such bath you were freed from all sins, O king of men; by the merit of the second Māgha, you attained heaven, O sinless one.
त्वं तत्पुण्यप्रभावेण मोदस्व सततं दिवि । नरकेषु तव भ्राता महतीं पापयातनाम्
By the power of that merit, may you always rejoice in heaven; but your brother suffers great torment in the hells.