इंद्रियाणां निरोधश्च दानं च हरिसेवनम् । वर्णाश्रमक्रियाणां च पालनं विधितः सदा
Restraint of the senses, giving, service to Hari, and always following the prescribed duties of varna and ashrama.
स्वर्गार्थी सर्वदा वैश्य तपोदानं न कीर्तयेत् । यथाशक्ति तथा दद्यादात्मनो हितकाम्यया
One who seeks heaven should not boast of their austerity or charity; one should give according to one's ability, desiring one's own welfare.
उपानद्वस्त्रमन्नानि पत्रं मूलं फलं जलम् । अवंध्यं दिवसं कार्य्यं दरिद्रेणापि वैश्यक
Footwear, clothing, food, leaves, roots, fruits, water—one should make the day fruitful by giving, even if poor, O merchant.
इहलोके परे चैव न दत्तं नोपतिष्ठते । दातारो नैव पश्यंति तां तां वै यमयातनाम्
What is not given here does not accompany one to the next world; givers do not see the various torments of Yama.
दीर्घायुषो धनाढ्याश्च भवंतीह पुनःपुनः । किमत्र बहुनोक्तेन यांत्यधर्मेण दुर्गतिम्
Those who are long-lived and wealthy are so again and again here; what need is there to say more? By unrighteousness, they go to misery.
आरोहंति दिवं धर्म्मे नराः सर्वत्र सर्वदा
By righteousness, people always ascend to heaven everywhere.
तेन बालत्वमारभ्य कर्तव्यो धर्मसंग्रहः । इति ते कथितं सर्वं किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छसि
Therefore, from childhood onward, one should undertake the collection of dharma. Thus, I have told you everything; what else do you wish to hear?
विकुंडल उवाच- श्रुत्वा त्वद्वचनं सौम्य प्रसन्नं चित्तमेव मे । गंगोदं पापहं सद्यः पापहारि सतां वचः
Vikuṃḍala said: Hearing your words, gentle one, my mind has become clear; the Ganges water destroys sin instantly, and the words of the virtuous remove sin.
उपकर्तुं प्रियं वक्तुं गुणो नैसर्गिकः सताम् । शीतांशुः क्रियते केन शीतलोऽमृतमंडलः
To help others and to speak kindly are natural qualities of the virtuous; who makes the moon cool, whose nectar-circle is soothing?
देवदूत ततो ब्रूहि कारुण्यान्मम पृच्छतः । नरकान्निष्कृतिः सद्यो भ्रातुर्मे जायते कथम्
O messenger of the gods, therefore speak out of compassion to me who asks: How does atonement for my brother arise instantly from hell?
इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा देवदूतो जगाद ह । ध्यानं दृष्ट्वा क्षणं ध्यात्वा तन्मैत्री रज्जुबन्धनः
Hearing his words, the divine messenger spoke: Having seen meditation, and after meditating for a moment, that friendship is like a rope binding.
यत्ते वैश्याष्टमे पुण्यं त्वया जन्मनि संचितम् । तद्भ्रात्रे दीयतां सर्वं स्वर्गं तस्य यदीच्छसि
The merit you accumulated in your eighth birth as a Vaiśya—let all of it be given to your brother, if you desire heaven for him.
विकुंडल उवाच- किं तत्पुण्यं कथं जातं किं जन्म च पुरातनम् । तत्सर्वं कथ्यतां दूत ततो दास्यामि सत्वरम्
Vikuṃḍala said: What is that merit, how was it produced, and what was the former birth? Tell me all of that, messenger, then I will give it at once.
देवदूत उवाच- शृणु वैश्य प्रवक्ष्यामि तत्पुण्यं च सहेतुकम् । पुरा मधुवने पुण्ये ऋषिरासीच्च शाकुनिः
The divine messenger said: Listen, Vaiśya, I will tell you that merit and its cause. Long ago, in the sacred Madhu forest, there was a sage named Śākuni.
तपोऽध्ययन संपन्नस्तेजसां ब्रह्मणा समः । जज्ञिरे तस्य रेवत्यां नव पुत्रा ग्रहा इव
Endowed with austerity and study, equal to Brahma in brilliance, nine sons were born to him from Revati, like planets.
ध्रुवः शीलो बुधस्तारो ज्योतिष्मानुत पंचमः । अग्निहोत्ररता ह्येते गृहधर्मेषु रेमिरे
Dhruva, Śīla, Budha, Tāra, Jyotiṣmān, and the fifth; these were devoted to Agnihotra, delighting in household duties.
निर्मोहो जितकामश्च ध्यानकोशो गुणाधिकः । एते गृहविरक्ताश्च चत्वारो द्विजसूनवः
Nirmoha, Jitakāma, Dhyānakośa, and Guṇādhika—these four sons of the twice-born were detached from household life.
चतुर्थाश्रममापन्नाः सर्वकामविनिस्पृहाः । ग्रामैकवासिनः सर्वे निःसंगा निष्परिग्रहाः
Having entered the fourth stage of life, free from all desires, all lived in a single village, without attachments or possessions.
निराशा निष्प्रयत्नाश्च सम लोष्टाश्मकांचनाः । येनकेनचिदाच्छन्ना येनकेनचिदाशिताः
Without hope, without effort, regarding earth, stones, and gold as equal, covered and fed by whatever means came to them.
सायंग्रहास्तथा नित्यं विष्णुध्यानपरायणाः । जितनिद्रा जिताहारा वातशीतसहिष्णवः
Always performing evening rites, devoted to meditation on Viṣṇu, victorious over sleep and food, enduring wind and cold.
पश्यंतो विष्णुरूपेण जगत्सर्वं चराचरम् । चरंति लीलया पृथ्वद्यंतेऽन्योन्यं मौनमास्थिताः
Seeing the entire world, moving and unmoving, as the form of Viṣṇu, they wandered playfully on earth, maintaining mutual silence.
न कुर्वंति क्रियां कांचिदर्थमात्रं हि योगिनः । दृष्टज्ञाना असंदेहाश्चिद्विकार विशारदाः
These yogis performed no action for material gain; possessing direct knowledge, free from doubt, skilled in the transformation of consciousness.
एवं ते तव विप्रस्य पूर्वमष्टमजन्मनि । तिष्ठतो मध्यदेशेषु पुत्रदारकुटुंबिनः
Thus, in your previous eighth birth as a Brāhmaṇa, living in the central regions, you had sons, wife, and household.
गेहं तावकमाजग्मुर्मध्याह्ने क्षुत्पिपासिताः । वैश्वदेवांतरे काले त्वया दृष्टा गृहांगणे
Your house was entered by them at midday, hungry and thirsty; during the interval of the Vaiśvadeva rite, you saw them in the courtyard.
सगद्गदं साश्रुनेत्रं सहर्षं च ससंभ्रमम् । दंडवत्प्रणिपातेन बहुमानपुरःसरम्
With a trembling voice, tearful eyes, joy, and excitement, she made a respectful prostration, full of deep reverence.
प्रणम्य चरणौ मूर्ध्ना कृत्वा पाणियुगाञ्जलिम् । तदाभिनन्दिताः सर्वे तया सूनृतया गिरा
Bowing to their feet with her head, joining her hands in salutation, she was then greeted by all with kind words.
अद्य मे सफलं जन्म जीवितं सफलं तथा । अद्य विष्णुः प्रसन्नो मे सनाथोऽद्यास्मि पावनः
Today my birth is fruitful, my life is fulfilled; today Viṣṇu is pleased with me, today I am protected and purified.
धन्योऽस्म्यद्य गृहं धन्यं धन्या अद्य कुटुंबिनः । ममाद्य पितरो धन्या धन्या गावः श्रुतं धनम्
Today I am blessed, my house is blessed, my family is blessed; today my ancestors are blessed, blessed are my cows, learning, and wealth.
यद्दृष्टौ भवतां पादौ तापत्रयहरौ मया । भवतां दर्शनं यस्माद्धन्यस्यैव हरेरिव
Because I have seen your feet, which remove the threefold suffering, and because I have seen you, I am blessed, just as one is blessed by seeing Hari.
एवं संपूज्य कृत्वा तु पादप्रक्षालनं तथा । धृतं मूर्ध्नि विशांश्रेष्ठ श्रद्धया परया तदा
Having thus honored them and washed their feet, the foremost among men then placed the water upon his head with utmost faith.