इत्युक्त्वांतर्दधे धीमान्पुरतस्तस्य पश्यतः । विस्मितस्तस्य चादेशात्सोऽन्वतिष्ठदनारतम्
Having spoken thus, the wise one vanished before him; astonished, he followed the instruction constantly.
ततः कालेन महता भावितात्मा प्रसन्नधीः । यत्रयत्र चचारासौ शांतं तत्तत्तपोवनम्
Then, after a long time, his mind purified and serene, wherever he wandered, each hermitage was peaceful.
न द्वंद्वबाधा नैव क्षुत्पिपासा न च वा भयम् । तपसा तस्य जानीहि द्वितीयाध्यायजापिनः
There was no suffering from opposites, no hunger or thirst, nor any fear; know this from the ascetic who recited the second chapter.
मित्रवानुवाच। एवमुक्तश्च तेनाऽहं ख्यापयित्वा परां कथाम् । अनुज्ञातप्रसंनेन च्छागीव्याघ्रयुतोगमम्
Mitravan said: 'Thus addressed by him, I revealed the supreme story; with his gracious permission, I departed accompanied by the goat and the tiger.'
गत्वा शिलातले पश्यमध्यायं लिखितं पठेत् । तस्यैवावर्त्तनादाप्तं तपसः पारमुत्तमम्
Going to the stone slab, let him read the written chapter; by repeating it, he attains the highest limit of austerity.
तेन त्वमपि कल्याण नित्यमाहर्तुमर्हसि । अध्यायं तेन ते मुक्तिरदूरस्था भविष्यति
Therefore, O auspicious one, you too should always recite that chapter; by that, liberation will not be far from you.
देवशर्मा समादिष्टस्तेन मित्रवता स्वयम् । अभ्यर्च्य प्रणतो भूत्वा पुरंदरपुरं ययौ
Thus instructed by that friend himself, Devaśarman, having worshipped and bowed, went to the city of Indra.
तत्रात्मविदमासाद्य देवतायतने क्वचित् । वृत्तमेतन्निवेद्यादावध्यायमपठत्ततः
There, meeting a knower of the self at a certain temple, he first reported this event and then recited the chapter.
शिक्षितस्तेन पूतात्मा पठन्नध्यायमादरात् । द्वितीयमाससादोच्चैर्निरवद्यं परं पदम्
Taught by him, pure in heart, he recited the chapter with devotion, and at the end of the second month, attained the flawless supreme state.
द्वितीयस्येदमाख्यानं कथितं शृणु सांप्रतम् । तृतीयस्याथ वक्ष्यामि माहात्म्यमपि चेंदिरे
The story of the second has been told; now listen as I will describe the greatness of the third, O Indira.
इति श्रीपाद्मेमहापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे गीता। माहात्म्ये सतीश्वरसंवादे षट्सप्तत्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa, in the Uttarakhaṇḍa, in the section on the greatness of the Gītā, in the dialogue between Satī and Īśvara, this is the one hundred and seventy-sixth chapter of the fifty-five-thousand-verse collection.
श्रीभगवानुवाच। पंचमस्याधुना देवि माहात्म्यं लोकपूजितम् । कथयामि समासेन सावधाना शृणु प्रिये
The Blessed Lord said: Now, O goddess, I will briefly tell you the greatness of the fifth, which is honored in the world; listen attentively, dear one.
पिंगलो नाम भद्रेषु पुरुकुत्सपुरे द्विजः । अवदाते कुले जातो विश्रुते वेदवादिनाम्
There was a brāhmaṇa named Piṅgala in the city of Purukutsa, born in a pure family, renowned among those learned in the Vedas.
कुलोचितानि शास्त्राणि तथा वेदान्विसृज्य सः । तौर्यत्रिके मतिं चक्रे वादयन्मुरजादिकम्
Abandoning the scriptures and Vedas proper to his lineage, he set his mind on music, playing instruments like the drum and others.
कृतश्रमस्ततस्तत्र गीते नृत्ये च वादने । परां प्रसिद्धिमासाद्य नृपसद्म विवेश सः
Having become skilled there in singing, dancing, and playing, he attained great fame and entered the king’s palace.
समातस्थे स तेनासौ पुरा भूमिभुजा सह । परदारानुपाहृत्य बुभुजे ता अनन्यधीः
There he remained with that king, and, having seduced others’ wives, he enjoyed them with undivided attention.
तत उत्सिक्तगर्वोऽयं सूचमानो निरंकुशः । परच्छिद्राणि चामुष्मै विविक्ते स निरंतरम्
Then, filled with excessive pride, unrestrained and always pointing out others’ faults, he did so continually in private.
तस्यासीदरुणा नाम भार्या हीनकुलोद्भवा
He had a wife named Aruṇā, born in a low family.
भ्रमत्यन्वेषयंती सा कामुकेन विहारिणी । तमंतरायं मन्वाना निशीथिन्यां निजालये
She, wandering about with her lover, seeking him, and considering obstacles, met him in her own house at midnight.
निजघान शिरश्छित्त्वा निचखान महीतले । वियोजितस्तः प्राणैरुपेत्य यमसादनम्
She killed him by cutting off his head and buried him in the ground; thus deprived of life, he went to the abode of Yama.
दुर्जयान्नरकान्भुंक्त्वा गृध्रोऽभूद्विजने वने । भगंदरेण रोगेण सापि हित्वा वरां तनुम्
After suffering the unconquerable hells, he became a vulture in a deserted forest; she too, afflicted with a disease of the anus, abandoned her beautiful body.
उपेत्य नरकान्घोरान्जज्ञे तत्र वने शुकी । कणानादातुकामां तां संचरंतीमितस्ततः
Having reached terrible hells, she was then born as a parrot in that forest, wandering here and there, desiring to pick up grains.
विददार नखैस्तीक्ष्णैर्गृध्रो वैरमनुस्मरन् । नृकपाले पयः पूर्णे निपतंतीं ततः शुकीम्
The vulture, recalling his enmity, tore with his sharp claws the parrot as she fell into the skull filled with water.
अभिदुद्राव गृध्रोऽपि निजघ्ने स च जालिकैः । पत्नीवियोजिता प्राणैर्नृकपालजले ततः
The vulture also rushed forward and struck her with his talons; separated from his mate, he too lost his life in the water of the human skull.
तत्रैव निममज्जा सा वेत्यक्रूरतरः खगः । पितृलोकं प्रपेदाते नीतौ तौ यमकिंकरैः । प्राक्कृतं दुष्कृतं कर्म स्मरंतौ भयभागिनौ
There she sank, and that exceedingly cruel bird as well; both were taken by the servants of Yama to the world of the ancestors, remembering their former evil deeds, filled with fear.
ततो यमः समालोक्य तयोः कर्म जुगुप्सितम् । अकस्मादेवतत्स्नानान्मरणे सुकृतं महत्
Then Yama, seeing the repugnant deeds of both, suddenly perceived that by that very bath at death, a great merit had arisen.
अनुजज्ञे ततो लोकमीप्सितं गंतुमेतयोः । महापातकसंघातैरपि दुर्द्धर्षमानसौ
Thereupon, he permitted both to go to the desired world, though their minds were oppressed by the multitude of great sins.
ततोविस्मयमापन्नौ स्मृत्वा तौ दुष्कृतं निजम् । उपेत्य प्रणतौ भूत्वा वैवस्वतमपृच्छताम्
Then, amazed, recalling their own evil deeds, they approached and, bowing, questioned Vaivasvata.
संचितं दुष्कृतं पूर्वमावाभ्यामपि गर्हितम् । लोकानामीप्सितानां तु को हेतुस्तद्वदस्व नौ
The evil previously accumulated by us is indeed blameworthy; tell us, what is the reason that we have attained the worlds desired by all?
एवमुक्तस्ततस्ताभ्यामाह वैवस्वतो वचः । आसीद्गंगातटे नाम्ना बटुर्ब्रह्मविदुत्तमः
Thus addressed by them, Vaivasvata spoke these words: There was a certain ascetic, foremost knower of Brahman, on the bank of the Ganges.