पित्रोक्तं रक्षसो वृत्तं वाहानां पथिकस्य च । श्रुत्वाऽहं तीर्थराजस्य स्तुतिमस्य चकार वै
Hearing from my father about the rākṣasa's story and that of the traveler and his steeds, I then composed a hymn of praise to the lord of the holy place.
पिता मे रोगनिर्मुक्तो भविष्यति यदा तदा । यास्यामि गृहमित्यत्र दशोषितमहानि मे
My father will be freed from disease; when that happens, I will return home. Here, I have stayed for ten days.
दशाहाभ्यंतरे तात तातस्य मरणं मम । अभूदर्धजले ह्यस्य तीर्थराजस्य पश्यतः
Within those ten days, O father, my father's death occurred, as he stood in the half-submerged waters of this lordly holy place.
अथो गरुडमारुह्य वक्षसो धारयन्श्रियम् । आजगाम स्वयं विष्णुर्नवीन घनविग्रहः
Then, mounting Garuḍa and bearing splendor upon his chest, Viṣṇu himself arrived, his form like a fresh rain cloud.
पीतवासा चतुर्बाहुः पंकजारुणलोचनः । ब्रह्मेंद्रादिभिरादिव्यैः सनाथैरंधकारिणा
Clad in yellow garments, with four arms and lotus-reddened eyes, accompanied by Brahmā, Indra, and other ancient deities, all with their attendants.
सेव्यमानो गुणग्रामान्गायद्भिः किन्नरैः सह । हाहाहूहूप्रभृतिभिः स्तूयमानश्च सर्वतः
He was served by hosts of virtues, sung by Kinnaras, and praised everywhere by Hāhā, Hūhū, and others.
दत्त्वा स्वकीय सारूप्यमारोप्य गरुडं तदा । पितरं मम ब्रह्माद्यैर्वृतो वैकुंठमारुहत्
Having granted his own likeness and placed my father upon Garuḍa, surrounded by Brahmā and others, he ascended to Vaikuṇṭha.
पितुः सारूप्यमालोक्य विष्णोरहमचिंतयम् । इति चित्ते तदालोक्य जाततत्वोदये तदा
Seeing my father attain the likeness of Viṣṇu, I reflected deeply; witnessing this, realization arose within me.
न हि वर्णयितुं शक्यो ह्यस्य तीर्थशिरोमणेः । महिमा यज्जलार्द्धे स्यान्मृतो जंतुश्चतुर्भुजः
Indeed, the greatness of this supreme holy place cannot be described; one who dies in its waters becomes four-armed.
न मया सर्वथा त्याज्यं तीर्थराजमिदं ननु । अंजसा दृढमाहात्म्यं धनरोगादितृष्ण्या
I must never abandon this lord of holy places; its greatness is firm and direct, dispelling desires for wealth, disease, and other cravings.
पितुरत्रोटजे तावत्स्थातव्यं हि मया मम । यावत्तु कर्मणां भुक्तः प्रारब्धानां महीतले
Here, at my father's shrine, I must remain until the fruits of my actions, begun on earth, are exhausted.
एवं विचिंतयित्वा च पितुः कृत्वा तु सत्क्रियाम् । रक्षसा तेन सहितः स्थितोऽहं मोक्षवांछया
Having thus considered, and having performed proper rites for my father, I remained here with the rākṣasa, desiring liberation.
इति श्रीपाद्मेमहापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे कालिंदीमाहात्म्ये चतुरधिकद्विशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the two hundred and fourth chapter, concerning the glory of the Kālindī, in the Uttarakhaṇḍa of the great Padma Purāṇa, comprising fifty-five thousand verses.
सौभरिरुवाच- धर्मराजशिबिः श्रीमानाकर्ण्य तद्वचो मुनेः । नारदस्याब्रवीत्प्रीतमना इति तमुत्तमम्
Saubhari said: The illustrious king Śibi, having heard the sage Nārada's words, addressed him with a delighted mind, thus speaking to that noble one.
शिबिरुवाच- मुने तीर्थवरस्यास्य निगमोद्बोध कस्य ते । माहात्म्यं वर्णितं सम्यक्श्रुतं पापहरं मया
Śibi said: O sage, I have listened to you describe in detail the greatness of this foremost tīrtha, as revealed in the scriptures, and its power to remove sin.
इंद्रप्रस्थेत्र शतशः संति तीर्थानि वै मुने । अन्यस्यापि समाचक्ष्व माहात्म्यं यदि विद्यते
O sage, in Indraprastha there are indeed hundreds of tīrthas; if there is any other whose greatness is known to you, please tell me about it as well.
नारद उवाच- इंद्रप्रस्थांतरावर्तिन्येषा या द्वारका नृप । अस्यां पुरा हि यद्वृत्तं तत्ते वच्मि शृणुष्व मे
Nārada said: O king, within Indraprastha there is a place called Dvārakā; I shall tell you what happened there in ancient times—listen to me.
काम्पिल्येऽथ द्विजः कश्चित् पुष्पेषुर्मूर्तिमानिव । सर्वासां योषितां चित्तहारी स्यादग्रविभ्रमैः
In Kāmpilya, there was a certain brāhmaṇa named Puṣpeṣur, who seemed to be the very embodiment of beauty, captivating the hearts of all women with his exceptional charm.
संगीतविद्याकुशलः कोकिलामधुरध्वनिः । एकदा स करे वीणां धारयन्वादयन्मुहुः
Skilled in the art of music, with a voice as sweet as a cuckoo’s, he would often take up his vīṇā and play it repeatedly.
कंठेन कोकिलालाप मधुरेण नराधिप । गायन्बभ्राम नगरे प्रतिरथ्यं महामतिः
With a melodious voice like a cuckoo’s, that wise man wandered through the city, singing in every street.
तस्य गीतिध्वनिं श्रुत्वा मूर्छनातानसंयुतम् । त्वक्त्वा स्वगृहकार्याणि तमीयुः पौरयोषितः
Hearing the sound of his singing, adorned with notes and melodies, the city’s women abandoned their household duties and came to him.
मोहितास्तस्य रूपेण कामवेगं न सेहिरे । जाता स्खलितवीर्यास्ता गीतं श्रुत्वा समक्षतः
Enchanted by his appearance, they could not withstand the surge of desire; upon hearing his song in person, they lost control of themselves.
ब्रह्मणो मानसं येन लोभितं भारतीं प्रति । शिवस्यार्द्धशरीरं च पार्वत्यै येन दापितम्
He was the one who tempted Brahmā’s mind toward Sarasvatī, and who caused Śiva to give half his body to Pārvatī.
ताभ्यामन्यो जनो लोके वशी वा ज्ञानवानपि । यः स्मरं तं क्षमो जेतुं स्त्रियः प्रकृतिचंचलाः
Except for those two, no one else in the world—no matter how self-controlled or wise—can conquer Kāmadeva; women by nature are fickle.
ताः स्मरावेशमासोढुं न साध्योपि विषेहिरे । वक्तव्यमिति किं राजन्लोके कामो हि दुर्जयः
Even those women could not endure the onslaught of desire, though they tried; what more can be said, O king? For in this world, Kāmadeva is truly hard to overcome.
अथ तास्तत्र तत्रेयुर्यत्र यत्र व्रजत्यसौ । प्रगायन्कंठवीणाभ्यां प्रगायन्स्वरमोहितः
Then, wherever he went, singing and playing the vīṇā with his enchanting voice, they followed him there.
तासां पतिसुतभ्रातृपितरोऽथ नराधिप । आगत्य भर्त्सयित्वा ता निन्युः स्वान्स्वान्गृहान्प्रति
Their husbands, sons, brothers, and fathers, O king, came and rebuked them, then led each woman back to her own home.
तमन्विष्य पुनस्तास्तु जग्मुः सर्वास्तदंतिके । यदा तदा पौरजना वृत्तं तत्प्राहुरीश्वरे
But after searching for him, all those women again went to him; whenever this happened, the townspeople reported it to the king.
राजापि तं समाहूय पप्रच्छ रहसि द्विजम् । केन मंत्रेण भो विप्र मोहितास्ताः पुरस्त्रियः
The king summoned that brāhmaṇa in private and asked: 'O brāhmaṇa, by what mantra have you enchanted the women of the city?'
तन्ममाचक्ष्व विप्रेंद्र दास्यामि बहु ते धनम् । नोचेन्निष्कासयामि त्वां निजराज्यान्न संशयः
'Tell me this, best of brāhmaṇas, and I will give you much wealth; otherwise, without doubt, I will expel you from my kingdom.'