मूषकोऽग्निभयात्तत्र वेगेनापि पलायितः । आखोश्च सकलं पापं विनष्टं कृपया हरेः
Out of fear of the fire, the mouse quickly fled from there; by the compassion of Hari, all the sins of the mouse were destroyed.
सर्पेण दंशितश्चाखुः प्राणत्यागं चकार ह । ततो यमाज्ञया दूताः पाशमुद्गरपाणयः
Bitten by a snake, the mouse gave up its life; then, by the command of Yama, messengers bearing nooses and clubs arrived.
आगतास्तं समानेतुं बबंधुश्चर्मरज्जुभिः । यावन्नेतुं मनश्चक्रुः शंखचक्रगदाधराः
They came to take it away and bound it with leather straps; but as they prepared to lead it off, those bearing conch, discus, and mace appeared.
आगता गरुडारूढा विष्णुदूताश्चतुर्भुजाः । विमानं गगने चैव राजहंसयुतं शुभम्
Vishnu’s messengers, four-armed and riding Garuḍa, arrived; in the sky was a splendid celestial chariot adorned with royal swans.
निर्मितं कनकैः शुद्धैः कामगं कृपया हरेः । पाशं छित्वा ततो दूताः प्रोचुस्ते यमकिंकरान्
That chariot, made of pure gold and able to go wherever desired by Hari’s grace, was prepared; then the messengers cut the noose and addressed Yama’s servants.
विष्णुभक्तोऽप्यसौ मूढा व्यर्थं तु बंधनं कृतम् । गच्छध्वं शमनप्रेष्या यदि वांछास्ति जीवितुम्
This one is a devotee of Vishnu, though deluded; your binding was in vain. Go away, servants of Yama, if you wish to live.
श्रुत्वा प्रकंपितास्ते वै पृच्छंति विनयान्विताः । केन पुण्यप्रभावेण युष्माभिर्नीयते पुरम्
Hearing this, they trembled and humbly asked: By what power of merit is he being taken by you to your city?
असौ विष्णोर्महापापी यूयं तद्वक्तुमर्हथ । विष्णुदूता ऊचुः- पुरतो वासुदेवस्य प्रदीपबोधनं कृतम्
He is a great sinner devoted to Vishnu; you ought to explain this. The messengers of Vishnu said: He awakened the lamp before Vāsudeva.
तेनैव कर्मणा दूता नयामो विष्णुमंदिरम् । अनिच्छयापि यः कुर्याद्विष्णोर्दीपस्य बोधनम्
By that very act, O messengers, we are taking him to Vishnu’s abode; even if done unintentionally, one who awakens the lamp of Vishnu—
कोटिजन्मार्जितं पापं त्यक्त्वा याति हरेर्गृहम् । भक्त्या प्रदीपं यो दद्यात्कार्तिके तु हरेर्दिनैः
—leaves behind sins accumulated over millions of births and goes to Hari’s home; and one who offers a lamp with devotion to Hari during Kārtika—
तस्य पुण्यं समाख्यातुं न शक्तो हरिणा विना । घृतपूर्णप्रदीपं यो भक्त्या दद्याद्धरेर्गृहे
—his merit cannot be described except by Hari himself; one who with devotion offers a lamp full of ghee in Hari’s temple—
अश्वमेधसहस्रेण तस्य किं वा प्रयोजनम् । अश्वमेधप्रकर्ता यः स्वर्गं याति हरेर्दिने
—what need has he for a thousand horse sacrifices? The performer of a horse sacrifice attains heaven on Hari’s day—
कार्तिके दीपदाता च स गच्छेद्धरिमंदिरम् । व्यास उवाच- इति श्रुत्वा ततो दूता गतास्ते वै यथागताः
—but the giver of a lamp in Kārtika goes to Hari’s abode. Vyāsa said: Hearing thus, the messengers departed as they had come.
विष्णुदूता रथे कृत्वा गतास्तं विष्णुमंदिरम् । विष्णुसान्निध्य एवास्य मन्वंतरशतं गतम्
The messengers of Vishnu placed him on the chariot and went to Vishnu’s abode; there, in the presence of Vishnu, he passed a hundred ages of Manu.
ततो मर्त्ये राजकन्या बभूव कृपया हरेः । पुत्रपौत्रसमायुक्ता चिरं भोगं चकार सा
Then, by the compassion of Hari, she was born as a royal princess among mortals, and, endowed with sons and grandsons, she enjoyed pleasures for a long time.
इतः पुनर्गता सा तु गोलोकं हरिसेवया । सूत उवाच- भक्त्या शृणोति यो मर्त्यो दीपमाहात्म्यमुत्तमम्
Afterwards, through service to Hari, she went to Goloka; Sūta said: Whoever among mortals listens with devotion to this supreme glory of the lamp—
सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः स याति विष्णुमंदिरम्
He, freed from all sins, attains the abode of Viṣṇu.
शौनक उवाच- जयंत्याः सूत माहात्म्यं कदा सा क्रियते जनैः । कथयस्व मयि त्वं वै पोतः संसारसागरे
Śaunaka said: O Sūta, when is the glory of Jayantī observed by people? Tell me, for you are the boat in the ocean of worldly existence.
सूत उवाच- शृणु विप्र प्रवक्ष्यामि यत्पृष्टो मुनिसत्तम । पुरा ब्रह्मा नारदेन पृष्ट एतत्सुरालये
Sūta said: Listen, O brāhmaṇa, I will tell you what you have asked, O best of sages; formerly, Brahmā was asked this by Nārada in the assembly of the gods.
नारद उवाच- जयंत्याश्चैव माहात्म्यं कथयस्व पितामह । यच्छ्रुत्वाहं गमिष्यामि तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम्
Nārada said: O Grandfather, tell me also the glory of Jayantī; hearing which, I shall attain the supreme abode of Viṣṇu.
ब्रह्मोवाच- शृणुष्वावहितो विप्र तवाग्रे कथयाम्यहम् । जयंत्या उपवासेन विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति
Brahmā said: Listen attentively, O brāhmaṇa, I will tell you in your presence; by observing the fast of Jayantī, one attains the world of Viṣṇu.
स्मरणात्कीर्तनात्पापं सप्तजन्मार्जितं मुने । जयंती दहते तच्च किं पुनः सोपवासकृत्
By remembrance and recitation alone, Jayantī burns away the sins accumulated over seven births, O sage; what then if one observes it with fasting?
जन्माष्टमी च नवमी चैत्रे मासि सिता शुभा । कृष्णा चतुर्दशी कुंभे मेषे शुक्ला चतुर्दशी
The auspicious Jayantī days are: the eighth and ninth lunar days in the bright half of Caitra; the fourteenth in the dark half in Kumbha; the fourteenth in the bright half in Meṣa.
दुर्गाष्टम्याश्विने शुक्ला द्वादशी श्रवणान्विता । महापुण्याश्च शुभदा जयंत्यः षट्प्रकीर्तिताः
On the eighth day of Durgā in the bright half of Āśvina, and the twelfth joined with Śravaṇa—these six Jayantīs are declared to be of great merit and bestow auspiciousness.
कृष्णजन्माष्टमी पूर्वा प्रसिद्धा पापनाशिनी । क्रतुकोटिसमा ह्येषा तीर्थानामयुतैः समा
The well-known Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭamī, destroyer of sins, is equal to ten million sacrifices and to ten thousand holy places.
कर्ता गवां सहस्रं तु यो ददाति दिनेदिने । तत्फलं समवाप्नोति जयंत्यां समुपोषणे
Whoever gives a thousand cows daily attains that same fruit by observing the fast of Jayantī.
हेमभारसहस्रं तु कुरुक्षेत्रे रविग्रहे । तत्फलं समवाप्नोति जयंत्यां समुपोषणे
One attains the same fruit as giving a thousand loads of gold at Kurukṣetra during a solar eclipse by observing the fast of Jayantī.
कृष्णाजिनसहस्राणि तिलधेनुशतानि च । तत्फलं समवाप्नोति जयंत्यां समुपोषणे
One attains the same fruit as giving a thousand black antelope skins and a hundred sesame cows by observing the fast of Jayantī.
कन्याकोटिसहस्राणां दाने भवति यत्फलम् । तत्फलं समवाप्नोति जयंत्यां समुपोषणे
The fruit obtained by giving away a hundred million maidens in charity is attained by observing the fast of Jayantī.
ससागरामिमां पृथ्वीं दत्वा यल्लभते फलम् । तत्फलं समवाप्नोति जयंत्यां समुपोषणे
The fruit gained by giving this earth, with its oceans, is attained by observing the fast of Jayantī.