यत्र कर्पूरकदली क्रोडव्याघ्रदरीतलः । चोली कपोलफलकान्चुबन्वाति समीरणः
Where camphor, banana, wild boar, and tiger tracks lie, and the breeze blows through the folds of cloth and the cheeks adorned with ornaments.
उद्भिन्न केतकीकोशरजोमुकुलितेक्षणः । विस्रब्धाहरणा यत्रच्छायां तां परितन्वतः
Where the eyes are tinged with the pollen of blossoming ketaki buds, and the shade is freely offered to those who seek it.
नारिकेलफलैर्यत्र स्वयं निपतितैरधः । अपि चूतफलैस्तृप्ताः पक्वैः शाखामृगा अपि
Where coconut fruits fall down by themselves, and even the branch-dwelling animals are satisfied by ripe mangoes.
अपि केसरिणो यत्र खेलंति कलभैः समम् । फणिनः केकिबर्हेषु निर्विशंकं विशंति च
Where lions play together with elephants, and serpents enter peacock nests without any fear.
यत्राश्रमांतरे विप्रो वत्सनामा जितेंद्रियः । शांतश्चतुर्दशाध्यायं जपन्नास्ते निरंतरम्
Within an ashram there, a Brahmin named Vatsa, self-controlled and peaceful, sits continuously reciting the fourteenth chapter.
तत्र तच्छिष्यपादाब्ज प्रक्षालनजलैः कृते । कर्दमे न्यपतद्गत्वा जीवशेषो मुहुः श्वसन्
There, after being washed with water from the feet of that disciple, the hare, barely alive and breathing repeatedly, fell into the mud.
ततः कर्दमसंस्पर्शमात्रनिस्तीर्ण संसृतिः । दिव्यं विमानमारुह्य निर्ययौ शशको दिवम्
Then, merely by contact with the mud, his cycle of rebirth ended; mounting a divine chariot, the hare departed for heaven.
ततः शुन्यपि लिप्तांगीस्तोकैः कर्दमबिंदुभिः । क्षुत्पिपासार्तिरहिता शुनीरूपं विहाय सा
Then, even the dog, her body smeared with drops of mud, free from hunger and thirst, abandoned her canine form.
ततो दिव्यांगनारम्यं गंधर्वैरुपशोभितम् । दिव्यं विमानमारुह्य शुन्यपि त्रिदिवं ययौ
Then, boarding a divine chariot, beautiful with celestial maidens and adorned by Gandharvas, the dog went to heaven.
ततो जहास मेधावी शिष्यो नाम्ना स्वकंधरः । विचार्य विस्मितः पूर्वजन्मवैरस्य कारणम्
Then the wise disciple named Sva-kandhara laughed, reflecting in amazement on the cause of enmity from previous births.
राजापि पर्यपृच्छत्तं विस्मयस्मेरलोचनः । प्रणम्य परया भक्त्या विनयैकपयोनिधिः
The king, his eyes smiling in wonder, respectfully asked him, bowing with utmost devotion and humility.
कथां कथय मे विप्र हीनयोनि निषेवितौ । अज्ञौयौ जग्मतुः स्वर्गे शुनी शशकशावकौ
Tell me, O Brahmin, the story: how did the dog and the hare, born in lowly forms and ignorant, attain heaven?
शिष्य उवाच। वत्सनामा द्विजन्मास्ते वनेऽमुष्मिन्जितेंद्रियः । चतुर्दशं तु ह्यध्यायं गीतानां सर्वदा जपन्
The disciple said: Vatsa, the twice-born, self-controlled, always recited the fourteenth chapter of the Gita in that forest.
शिष्योऽहं तस्य भूपाल ब्रह्मविद्याविशारदः । चतुर्दश तु अध्यायं जपामि प्रत्यहं नृप
I am his disciple, O king, skilled in Brahma-knowledge; I too recite the fourteenth chapter daily, O ruler.
मदीयचरणांभोजप्रक्षालनजले लुठन् । शशस्त्रिदिवमापन्नः शुनक्या सह भूपते
By rolling in the water used to wash my lotus feet, the hare attained heaven together with the dog, O king.
राजोवाच। हेतुना केन कथय हसितं च द्विजोत्तम । अतः किमपि साकूतं मन्यमानेन सादरम्
The king said: Tell me, O best of Brahmins, the reason for your laughter, and why you seemed to consider something with a hint of secrecy and respect.
शिष्य उवाच। महाराष्ट्रेति नगरं नाम्ना प्रत्युदकं महत् । तत्रासीद्ब्राह्मणो नाम्ना केशवः कितवाग्रणीः
The disciple said: There is a great city by name Mahārāṣṭra, situated on the banks of a river; there lived a brāhmaṇa named Keśava, foremost among gamblers.
विलोभनाभवत्तस्य जाया स्वैरविहारिणी । तेन सा हन्यते क्रोधाद्वैरं संचिंत्य जन्मनः
His wife, given to wanton conduct, became infatuated; in anger, he killed her, harboring enmity from a previous birth.
ततः स्त्रीवधपापेन शशको जायते द्विजः । किल्बिषाच्छुनकी सापि जाता वंचनजन्मनः
Then, because of the sin of killing a woman, the brāhmaṇa was born as a hare; and she, due to her own misdeeds, was born as a female dog, both as a result of deceitful actions in their previous lives.
पूर्वेण जन्मनाभ्यस्तं वैरं विस्मरतो नहि । आसेदिवद्भ्यां बहुधा योन्यंतरमपि क्वचित्
Enmity practiced in a previous birth is never forgotten, even when passing through many different wombs and forms.
इत्याकलय्य सकलं भूपालः श्रद्धयान्वितः । गीतामभ्यस्य सकलामवाप परमां गतिम्
Thus, understanding all this, the king, endowed with faith, studied the entire Gītā and attained the highest state.
इति श्रीपाद्मेमहापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्सहस्रसंहितायामुत्तरखंडे गीतामाहात्म्ये अष्टाशीत्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the one hundred and eighty-eighth chapter in the section on the greatness of the Gītā, in the Uttara-khaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Purāṇa, comprising fifty-five thousand verses.
ईश्वर उवाच। प्रवक्ष्यामि विशालाक्षि तुहिनाचलकन्यके । गीता पंचदशाध्यायमाहात्म्यमवधारय
Īśvara said: O wide-eyed daughter of the snowy mountain, I will now tell you the greatness of the fifteenth chapter of the Gītā—listen attentively.
कृपालुर्नरसिंहोऽभून्नाम्ना गौडेषु भूपतिः । यस्यासिधारया संख्ये देवासंघा वधीकृताः
There was a king among the Gauḍas named Kṛpālu, who was like Narasiṃha; in battle, hosts of gods were slain by the edge of his sword.
यदीय मत्तमातंग दानधाराजलैरिला । निदाघेपि च सेहेतां रविसंतापवेदनाम्
The streams of gifts from his intoxicated elephants could withstand the burning heat of the sun, even in the height of summer.
संक्रंदनपरित्रस्ता यदीय शरणं गताः । रेजिरे करिणो मत्ताश्चलंतः पर्वता इव
The maddened elephants, terrified by the onrush of battle, sought his refuge and shone forth, moving like mountains.
मत्तमातंगचीत्कारप्रतिस्वनमिवादरात् । यस्य गोपायतः शैला व्याहरंति कृपावतः
The mountains, protected by the compassionate king, would resound as if echoing the cries of his intoxicated elephants.
यदीय धावत्तुरगक्षुरसंघातजर्जरम् । नाभूच्चित्रं कथंकारं गतखंडं धरातलम्
It was not surprising that the earth, shattered by the pounding hooves of his galloping horses, became broken and uneven.
पुनरुज्वलयांचक्रे महाभाष्यं फणीश्वरः
Once again, the lord of serpents composed a brilliant commentary.
तस्यासीत्सैनिको धीमाञ्छस्त्रशास्त्रकलानिधिः । नाम्ना सरभभेरुंडः प्रचंडभुजमंडलः
He had a wise soldier, skilled in both weapons and scriptures, named Sarabhabheruṇḍa, whose arms were exceedingly powerful.