धात्रीपत्रं कार्तिके च द्वादश्यां तुलसीदलम् । चिनोति यो नरो गच्छेन्निरयं यातनामयम्
If a person, during Kārtika on the twelfth day, offers a dhātrī leaf or a tulasī leaf, he does not go to the hell full of torments.
धात्रीछायासु यो विप्र चान्नं भुनक्ति कार्तिके । अन्नसंसर्गजं पापमावर्षं तस्य नश्यति
O Brahmin, whoever eats food in the shade of the dhātrī tree during Kārtika, all the sins arising from contact with food for a year are destroyed for him.
तुलसीवनमध्ये च धात्रीमूले च कार्तिके । कुर्याद्धर्यर्चनं विप्र वैकुण्ठं याति स ध्रुवम्
O Brahmin, one who worships Hari in the middle of a tulasī grove or at the root of a dhātrī tree during Kārtika surely attains Vaikuṇṭha.
तुलसीमूलदेशेऽपि स्थितं वारि द्विजोत्तम । गृह्णाति मस्तके भक्त्या पापी याति हरेर्गृहम्
O best of twice-born, even a sinner who devoutly takes water placed at the root of the tulasī plant upon his head attains the abode of Hari.
तुलसीपत्रगलितं यस्तोयं शिरसावहेत् । सर्वतीर्थेषु स स्नातश्चांते याति हरेर्गृहम्
Whoever pours water, fallen from a tulasī leaf, upon his head is considered to have bathed at all holy places and, at the end, goes to the house of Hari.
पुरा कश्चिद्द्विजश्रेष्ठो द्वापरेऽभून्महामुने । स्नात्वैकदा तुलस्यै स वनं दत्वा गृहं गतः
Long ago, O great sage, there was a foremost Brahmin in the Dvāpara age; once, after bathing, he offered a forest to Tulasī and went home.
आदित्यो वर्चसा नाम्ना मार्त्तंड इव पुण्यतः । तृषार्तो भक्षकः कश्चिदागतो बहुकल्मषः
A man named Āditya, radiant and virtuous like Mārtaṇḍa, who was tormented by thirst and burdened with many sins, came there seeking food.
तुलस्यामूलतस्तोयं पीत्वा चासौ हतांहसः । त्वरयाप्यागतो व्याधो नाम्ना यश्चासिमर्द्दनः
After drinking water from the root of the tulasī plant, his sins were destroyed; then, a hunter named Asimardana arrived there in haste.
उवाच भुक्तं चान्नं च भुक्त्वा भग्नं गतः किमु । कृत्वा मे पाकभांडस्थं चागतो हिंसकस्य ते
He said, 'The food has been eaten and, after eating, it is gone; what remains? You have come after preparing it in my cooking vessel, O cruel one.'
विव्याध तं गतप्राणं नेतुं वै शमनाज्ञया । आगताः किंकराः क्रुद्धाः पाशमुद्गरपाणयः
He struck him, and when his life had departed, the angry servants of Yama arrived, holding nooses and maces, to take him away by the order of Yama.
बद्ध्वा नेतुं मनश्चक्रुरागता विष्णुकिंकराः । तदा छित्त्वा चर्मपाशं स्यंदने तं मनोहरे
Having bound him to take him away, the servants of Viṣṇu arrived; then, cutting the leather noose, they placed him on a beautiful chariot.
तूर्णमारोहयामासुः पप्रच्छुर्विनयान्विताः । तेऽपि पुण्येन भोः संतः केन वै नीयतेऽप्यसौ
Swiftly they made him ascend and, with humility, asked, 'O virtuous ones, by what merit is this person being taken away?'
ऊचुस्तेऽसौ पुरा राजा पुण्यं बहुतरं कृतम् । अकरोद्धरणं कांचित्सुंदरीं चांगनामयम्
They replied, 'He was formerly a king who performed much merit; he rescued a beautiful woman from distress.'
अनेन चांहसा राजा गतो वै शमनक्षयम् । तत्रक्लेशं तु युष्माभिर्दत्तं वै शमनाज्ञया
Because of this sin, the king went to the abode of Yama; there, by Yama's command, you inflicted suffering upon him.
ताम्रमय्यास्त्रियासार्द्धं क्रीडां सुप्त्वा चकार सः । तप्तायां लोहशय्यायां वैक्लव्यं कर्मणा नृप
With a copper-bodied woman, he engaged in play and slept; on a burning iron bed, the king suffered the consequences of his actions.
तप्तायोभीषणं तप्तं लोहस्तंभं यमाज्ञया । ततः स्थितः समालिंग्य भुक्त्वा दुःखं चिरं नृपः
By Yama's command, he embraced a dreadful, burning iron pillar and remained there, enduring great suffering for a long time.
सिक्तः क्षारांबुधाराभिरन्यैर्वै शमनालये । ततो नरकशेषे च पापयोनौ मुहुर्मुहुः
Sprinkled with streams of alkaline water by others in the house of Yama, then again and again he enters the remaining hells, born of sin.
जन्मासाद्य चिरं दुःखमनुभूतं स्वकर्मणा । तुलसीमूलकं वारि पीत्वा याति हरेर्गृहम्
After obtaining birth, he experiences long-lasting suffering due to his own actions; but by drinking water from the root of the tulasi plant, he goes to the abode of Hari.
इदानीं तद्वचः श्रुत्वा गतादूता यथागताः । तेन सार्द्धं विष्णुदूता गता वैकुंठमंदिरम्
Now, having heard those words, the messengers of Yama departed as they had come; together with him, the messengers of Vishnu went to the mansion of Vaikuntha.
माहात्म्यं कथितं ब्रह्मन्तुलस्याः पापनाशनम् । कुर्वंति सेवां ये भक्त्या न जाने किं भवेन्मुने
O Brahman, the greatness of tulasi, destroyer of sins, has been described; those who serve her with devotion—I do not know what they might not attain, O sage.
शौनक उवाच। कथयस्व मुने सूत माहात्म्यं कलुषक्षयम् । शेषपंचदिनस्यापि कार्त्तिकस्यानुकंपया
Shaunaka said: O sage Suta, please tell the greatness that removes impurity, even of the last five days of Kartika, out of compassion.
सूत उवाच। शृणु शौनक यत्पृष्टं माहात्म्यं पापनाशनम् । वक्ष्याम्यहं वै चोर्जस्य शेषपंचदिनस्य च
Suta said: Hear, O Shaunaka, the greatness you have asked about, the destroyer of sins; I shall indeed speak of the merit of the last five days.
व्रतानां मुनिशार्दूल प्रवरं विष्णुपंचकम् । तस्मिन्यः पूजयेद्भक्त्या श्रीहरिं राधया सह
O best of sages, among vows, the foremost is the Vishnu-panchaka; during it, one should worship Sri Hari together with Radha, with devotion.
गंधपुष्पैर्धूपदीपैर्वस्त्रैर्नानाविधैः फलैः । स याति विष्णुसदनं सर्वपापविवर्जितः
With fragrances, flowers, incense, lamps, garments, and various kinds of fruits, he goes to the abode of Vishnu, freed from all sins.
ब्रह्मचारी गृहस्थो वा वानप्रस्थोऽथवा यतिः । न प्राप्नोति परं स्थानमकृत्वा विष्णुपंचकम्
Whether a celibate, householder, forest-dweller, or renunciant—none attains the supreme state without performing the Vishnu-panchaka.
सर्वपापहरं पुण्यं विख्यातं विष्णुपंचकम् । तत्र स्नानं तु यः कुर्यात्सर्वतीर्थफलं लभेत्
The Vishnu-panchaka is renowned as holy and remover of all sins; whoever bathes there obtains the fruit of all sacred waters.
श्रीहरेः पुरतो विप्र तुलस्याश्च समीपतः । प्रदीपं सर्पिषा पूर्णं दद्याद्यो भक्तिभावतः
In front of Sri Hari and near the tulasi plant, whoever offers a lamp filled with ghee with devotion—
नभसि श्रीहरेः प्रीत्यै याति स विष्णुमंदिरम् । पापी याति हरेर्धाम सत्यमेतन्मयोदितम्
For the pleasure of Sri Hari in the heavens, he goes to the mansion of Vishnu; even a sinner goes to the abode of Hari—this I truly declare.
स्नापयेच्चाच्युतं भक्त्या मधुक्षीरघृतादिभिः । दद्यात्किं नो हरिः प्रीतस्तस्मै साधुजनाय वै
If one bathes Achyuta with devotion using honey, milk, ghee, and so on, what would Hari, pleased, not give to such a virtuous person?
नैवेद्यं देवदेवेशं परमान्नं निवेदयेत् । तस्य पुण्यं प्रसंख्यातुं न शक्तो वै चतुर्मुखः
One should offer the best food as an offering to the Lord of gods; even Brahma with four faces is unable to count the merit of that act.