द्राक्षेक्षुवाटिकापूगनागकेसरचंपकम् । खेलत्करभसारंगं नृत्यत्केकिकुलं नृपः
There were vineyards, sugarcane groves, betel, nāga, kesara, and campaka trees, with playful young elephants and deer, and peacocks dancing in flocks.
प्रणिपत्य द्विजन्मानमुटजाभ्यंतरस्थितम् । पप्रच्छ परया भक्त्या मुक्तसंसारवासनात्
Bowing to the twice-born sage who dwelled within the hut, the king, freed from worldly desires, asked him with deep devotion.
तुरगो निरगात्स्वर्गं हेतुना केन मे वद । इत्याकर्ण्य वचो राज्ञो द्विजन्मा वाचमूचिवान्
"Tell me, by what cause did my horse ascend to heaven?" Hearing the king's words, the twice-born sage replied.
कालेन बहुना प्रेत्य तत्पापात्तुरगोऽभवत् । अथ पंचदशाध्यायश्लोकार्द्धं लिखितं क्वचित्
After a long time, due to a past sin, the horse was born as such; but somewhere, a half-verse from the fifteenth chapter had been written.
ततो वाचयतः श्रुत्वा निरगात्तुरगो दिवम् । ततः समागतैस्तत्र परिवारजनैर्वृतः
Then, as you read and heard it, the horse ascended to heaven; afterward, he was surrounded there by his attendants.
प्रणिपत्य द्विजन्मानं हृष्टरोमा विनिर्गतः । पत्रं तदेव लिखितं गीतापंचदशाक्षरम्
Bowing to the twice-born sage, his hair standing on end, the king departed, taking that very leaf inscribed with the fifteenth chapter of the Gītā.
वाचयन्स महीपालो हर्षसंफुल्ललोचनः । अभिषिच्य निजं पुत्रं मंत्रविन्मंत्रिभिः समम्
The king, his eyes blossoming with joy, recited it; then, together with his ministers and priests, he anointed his own son as king.
सिंहासने सिंहबलं मुक्तिमाप विशुद्धधीः
Having placed his lion-like son on the throne, the pure-minded king attained liberation.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्सहस्रसंहितायामुत्तरखंडे गीतामाहात्म्ये एकोननवत्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa, in the Uttarakhaṇḍa, in the section on the greatness of the Gītā, ends the one hundred and eighty-ninth chapter of the compendium of fifty-five thousand verses.
शिवशर्मोवाच- विष्णुशर्मंस्ततो वैश्यः शरभः सह भार्यया । नीत्वा पूजोपकरणं ययौ श्रीचंडिकालयम्
Śivaśarman said: Then Viṣṇuśarman, the merchant, together with his wife Śarabha, having taken the materials for worship, went to the shrine of Śrī Caṇḍikā.
तत्र तौविधिवत्स्नात्वा सुमनो धूपदीपकैः । आनर्चतुर्भक्तियुक्तौ चंडिकां पुत्रकाम्यया
There, according to the prescribed rites, they bathed and worshipped Candika with flowers, incense, and lamps, motivated by the desire for a son, and with devotion.
श्रद्धया पूजिता ताभ्यां दिनैः सप्तभिरंबिका । उवाच वाचा प्रत्यक्षं भूत्वा विशदमानसा
Ambika, worshipped by them with faith for seven days, spoke directly to them, her mind clear.
पार्वत्युवाच- भो भो वैश्य प्रसन्नास्मि भक्त्या सुदृढया तव । ददामि पुत्रं ते साधो यदर्थे यत्नवानसि
Parvati said: 'O merchant, I am pleased by your firm devotion. I will grant you a son, for which you have made such effort.'
गच्छ त्वं मा विलंबस्व वनमैद्रं च खांडवम् । तत्र तीर्थं महापुण्यमिंद्रप्रस्थाख्यमुत्तमम्
Go, do not delay, to the forest of Indra and Khāṇḍava; there is the supreme holy place called Indraprastha.
निगमोद्बोधकं तत्र तीर्थं निखिलकामदम् । बृहस्पतिकृतं तत्र स्नाहि त्वं सुतवांछया
There is the holy place that awakens the Vedas, granting all desires; created by Bṛhaspati, bathe there with the wish for a son.
भविष्यति सुतस्तात तव स्नानेन तत्र हि । तत्र स्नात्वा मयाप्यंग लब्धः स्कंदः सुरारिहा
There, by bathing, you will indeed have a son; after bathing there, even I obtained Skanda, the destroyer of the gods' enemies.
शिवशर्मोवाच- इत्याकर्ण्य वचो देव्याः पिता मम सहस्त्रिया । अत्राजगाम सत्तीर्थे सस्नौ च सुतवांछया
Śivaśarma said: Hearing the goddess's words, my father, together with his wife, came to that holy place and bathed there, desiring a son.
उपस्करवतीर्धेनूर्द्विजेभ्यः प्रददौ शतम् । देवान्पितॄंश्च संतर्प्य यथाविध्यत्र बुद्धिमान्
He gave a hundred cows, equipped with utensils, to the twice-born; and, wise, he satisfied the gods and ancestors there according to the proper rites.
सप्तरात्रमुषित्वा तु दंपती यतमानसौ । जग्मतुः स्वगृहानिष्टलाभोत्फुल्लमुखांबुजौ
After staying for seven nights, the devoted couple returned to their home, their faces blooming with joy from the fulfillment of their wish.
तस्मिन्नेवाभवद्गर्भो मासि मातुर्ममान्वहम् । व्यतीते नवमे मासि जातोऽहं दशमे शुभे
In that very year, my mother conceived; after nine months had passed, I was born in the auspicious tenth month.
विष्णुशर्मन्यदुक्तं ते पुरावृत्तमिदं मया । दशाब्दद्वयमेवैतच्छ्रुतं सर्वं पितुर्मुखात्
What Viṣṇuśarman has told you, I have recounted as it happened before; I heard all this from my father's mouth twenty years ago.
एकदा क्षममालोक्य गृहकर्मणि मां पिता । गृहं मामर्पयामास विश्वाद्वैराग्यमाप्नुवन्
Once, seeing me capable in household duties, my father entrusted me with the house, having attained detachment from the world.
मां चोवाच स धर्मात्मा गोविंदासक्तमानसः । विनिंदन्विषयासक्तिं विष्णुभक्तिं स्तुवन्मुहुः
He, righteous and devoted to Govinda, spoke to me, condemning attachment to sense objects and repeatedly praising devotion to Viṣṇu.
पितोवाच- सुमते वार्द्धकं प्राप्तं पलिताश्चिकुरा मम । गोविंदचरणांभोजं सेविष्ये साधुसेवितम्
Father said: 'O wise one, I have reached old age; my hair is gray. I will serve the lotus feet of Govinda, which are served by the virtuous.'
तत्सैवया भवेत्स्वच्छं मनो यस्य च सुस्थिरम् । स पुमानात्मसंतुष्टो न किंचिदभिवांछति
By that service, one's mind becomes pure and steady; such a man, content in himself, desires nothing.
निष्कामः सुखदुःखाभ्यां भुंजन्सुकृतदुष्कृते । प्राकृते तत्समाप्तौ च त्यजन्देहं भवत्यजः
Without desire, experiencing happiness and sorrow, enjoying good and bad deeds, and at their end, abandoning the body, he becomes unborn.
तां वद्द्रव्यं गुणसुखं यावत्प्राप्तं न चित्सुखम् । तत्प्राप्तौ तद्भवेत्तुच्छं सुधाया इव तक्रकम्
As long as one attains material wealth and pleasure, not the bliss of consciousness, when that is attained, all else becomes insignificant, like buttermilk compared to nectar.
हरेर्मायाबलवतीयं मोहयति देहिनम् । हितानि तं न जानाति स यथा मदिरामदः
This power of Hari's māyā deludes the embodied; he does not recognize what is beneficial, just as a drunkard does not.
प्रवृत्तिं च निवृत्तिं च विद्ययाविद्यया च सः । करोति स्वेच्छया काले बाललीलो हि स प्रभुः
He enacts engagement and withdrawal, knowledge and ignorance, at will and in due time; for that Lord plays as a child does.
वेदोदितं यदा कर्म क्रियते फलमिच्छता । प्रवृत्तिं सा परा तात तेषामर्पणमीश्वरे
When one performs the action prescribed by the Veda, desiring its fruit, that is called supreme engagement, O dear one, and its offering is to the Lord.