यो नरः पुस्तकं दद्याद्भक्तिश्रद्धासमन्वितः । प्रतिवर्णं लभेत्पुण्यं कपिलाकोटिदानजम्
Whoever gives a book, endowed with devotion and faith, receives merit for every syllable equal to the merit of giving ten million cows.
मधुदो गुडदश्चैव मर्त्यो यातीक्षुसागरम् । लवणप्रदो नरो याति वारुणं लोकमेव च
A mortal who gives honey or jaggery will go to the ocean of sugarcane; a giver of salt will indeed go to the world of Varuna.
सर्वेषामेव दानानामन्नं वारि द्विजोत्तम । तत्त्वज्ञैर्मुनिभिः सर्वैः प्रवरं वै प्रकीर्त्तितम्
Of all gifts, O best of twice-born, food and water have been declared by all wise sages as the highest.
अन्नं वारि द्विजश्रेष्ठ येन दत्तं महीतले । तेन दत्तानि दानानि सर्वाणि च द्विजर्षभ
O foremost of Brahmins, by whomsoever food and water are given on earth, by that act all gifts are considered to have been given, O best of twice-born.
अन्नदो यो नरो विप्र प्राणदश्च प्रकीर्त्तितः । तस्मात्समस्तदानानामन्नदो लभते फलम्
O Brahmin, the giver of food is also called the giver of life; therefore, among all gifts, the giver of food obtains the fruit of all.
यथाचान्नं तथा वारि द्वे तुल्ये च प्रकीर्त्तिते । वारिणा च विना चान्नं सिद्धं न स्याद्द्विजोत्तम
Just as with food, so with water—both are declared to be equal; but, O best of twice-born, without water, food cannot be perfected.
क्षुधा तृषा द्विज व्याघ्र द्वे च तुल्ये प्रकीर्त्तिते । अतश्चान्नं च तोयं च श्रेष्ठं प्रोक्तं बुधैरपि
Hunger and thirst, O Brahmin, are both said to be equal; therefore, food and water are declared by the wise to be the best.
अन्नदानं क्षितौ ब्रह्मन्ये कुर्वंति नरोत्तमाः । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्ता गच्छंति हरिमंदिरम्
The best of men who give food on earth to the worthy, being freed from all sins, go to the abode of Hari.
यावंत्यन्नानि भो विप्र यच्छति क्षितिमंडले । ब्रह्महत्याश्च तावंत्यो नश्यंत्येव तपोधन
O Brahmin, as many meals as one gives on earth, just so many acts of Brahmin-slaying are destroyed, O possessor of austerity.
यच्छतां चान्नदानानि शरीराणि च पातकम् । गात्राणि गृह्णतां त्यक्त्वा सहसा यांति शौनक
For those who give gifts of food, the sins attached to their bodies depart at once as they receive new bodies, O Shaunaka.
अतः पापिष्ठ चान्नानि न गृह्णंति मनीषिणः । गृह्णंति मोहाद्ये मूढा भवंति पापभागिनः
Therefore, O most sinful, the wise do not accept food from the wicked; those who accept it out of delusion, being fools, become sharers in sin.
कुर्याद्भूमिष्ठमुदकं चैकं भो द्विजसत्तम । सर्वपापैर्विनिर्मुक्तो व्रजेत्स हरिमंदिरम्
O best of twice-born, whoever gives even a single offering of water on earth, being freed from all sins, goes to the abode of Hari.
प्रयत्नेन द्विजश्रेष्ठ कर्त्तव्यो धनसंचयः । संचितं च धनं ब्रह्मन्दानकर्मणि विक्षिपेत्
O best of Brahmins, one should diligently accumulate wealth, and the wealth thus gathered should be used for the act of giving to Brahmins.
रणंति ये च कार्पण्याद्धनं ते चातिदुःखिनः । अंते सर्वधनं त्यक्वा निःस्वा गच्छंति भो मुने
Those who, out of miserliness, hoard wealth are extremely unhappy; in the end, abandoning all their wealth, they depart from this world destitute, O sage.
मानवा ये सदा दानं दत्त्वा दत्त्वा दरिद्रति । दरिद्रास्तेन विज्ञेया नरलोके महेश्वराः
Those people who, having given and given in charity, always become poor—know them to be poor in the world of men, O great lords.
परलोके द्विजव्याघ्र साधुसंयमवर्जिते । निर्दये बंधुहीने च न दत्तं नोपतिष्ठते
O tiger among twice-born, in the other world, where there is no good conduct or self-restraint, where there is no compassion and no relatives, what is not given does not follow one.
स्थिते धने नरो यो वै नाश्नाति न ददाति सः । दरिद्र इव विज्ञेयः प्रेत्य निश्वासमुत्सृजेत्
A man who, though possessing wealth, neither enjoys it nor gives it away, should be regarded as poor, and, after death, he departs with a sigh.
तपसोऽपि वरं दानं प्रोक्तं च तत्त्वदर्शिभिः । अतो यत्नाद्द्विजश्रेष्ठ दानकर्म समाचरेत्
Donation is said by those who know the truth to be superior even to austerity; therefore, O best of twice-born, one should diligently perform acts of giving.
दाता दानं न दद्याद्वै समुत्सृज्य द्विजातये । स याति निरयं घोरं सर्वजंतुभयावहम्
If a donor, having resolved to give, does not give a gift to a Brahmin, he goes to a dreadful hell, terrifying to all beings.
दानं दाता प्रतिग्राही न स्मरेच्च न याचते । निरये चोभयोर्वासो यावच्चंद्र दिवाकरौ
Neither the donor nor the recipient should recall or request a gift; otherwise, both dwell in hell as long as the moon and sun endure.
ब्रह्महत्यादि पापानि यानि वै द्विजसत्तम । तानि दानेन हन्यंते तस्माद्दानं समाचरेत्
O best of the twice-born, sins such as killing a Brahmin and others are destroyed by giving; therefore, one should practice charity.
अथ श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे चुतर्थं ब्रह्मखण्डं प्रारभ्यते श्रीवेदव्यासाय नमः शौनक उवाच- कलौ समागते सूत प्राणिनां केन कर्मणा । उद्धारो वै भवेत्तस्मात्कथयस्व ममाग्रतः
Now, in the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa, the section called Brahmakhaṇḍa, concerning the mango tree, is begun.
सूत उवाच- साधुसाधु मुनिश्रेष्ठ पुण्यात्मनां वरो भवान् । सर्वेषां च जनानां च शुभवाञ्छो निरंतरम्
Obeisance to the venerable Vyāsa. Śaunaka said: When the age of Kali arrives, by what action can living beings be uplifted? Therefore, tell me this before me.
एतद्व्यासः पुरा विप्रः सर्वज्ञः सर्वपूजितः । पृष्टो जैमिनिना तं स यदाह शृणु वैष्णव
Sūta said: Excellent, excellent, O best of sages, you are foremost among the virtuous, and you constantly wish for the welfare of all people.
दंडवत्प्रणिपत्यासौ व्यासं सर्वार्थपारगम् । गुरुं सत्यवतीसूनुं पप्रच्छ मुनिपुंगवः
This was formerly asked by Jaimini to Vyāsa, the all-knowing and universally honored sage; listen, O Vaiṣṇava, to what he replied.
जैमिनिरुवाच- कलौ नृणां भवेत्केन मोक्षो वै कथयस्व मे । अल्पेनापि च पुण्येन मर्त्याश्चाल्पायुषो यतः
Having bowed down in reverence to Vyāsa, master of all meanings and son of Satyavatī, the eminent sage questioned his guru.
व्यास उवाच- साधुसंगाद्भवेद्विप्र शास्त्राणां श्रवणं प्रभो । हरिभक्तिर्भवेत्तस्मात्ततो ज्ञानं ततो गतिः
Jaimini said: By what means can people attain liberation in the age of Kali? Tell me, since mortals are short-lived and possess little merit.
न रोचते कथा भूमौ पापिष्ठाय जनाय वै । वैष्णवी स तु विज्ञेयः पापिष्ठप्रवरो द्विजः
Vyāsa said: O Brāhmaṇa, from association with the good comes listening to scripture, from that arises devotion to Hari, from that comes knowledge, and from knowledge, liberation.
श्रीकृष्णस्य कथां श्रुत्वाऽऽनंदी भवति वैष्णवः । असत्यां तां तु यो ब्रूयाज्ज्ञेयः स पापिनां गुरुः
The narration of sacred stories does not please a wicked person on earth; know that such a person, O twice-born, is the foremost among sinners.
यस्मिन्यस्मिन्स्थले विप्र कृष्णस्य वर्तते कथा । तस्मात्तस्माज्जगन्नाथो याति त्यक्त्वा न कर्हिचित्
A Vaiṣṇava becomes joyful upon hearing the stories of Śrī Kṛṣṇa; but one who speaks falsely about them should be known as the chief among sinners.