शौनक उवाच । कर्मणा केन भोः सूत चैनसां संक्षयो भवेत् । श्रीहरेश्च कृपा भूयात्तद्वदस्वानुकंपया
Śaunaka said: O Sūta, by what action, indeed, can the destruction of sins occur? May the compassion of Śrī Hari be abundant—please tell this out of your kindness.
सूत उवाच । शृणु शौनक वक्ष्यामि शृण्वतां पापनाशनम् । येन विष्णोः कृपा स्याद्वै वृजिनक्षयकारिणी
Sūta said: Listen, O Śaunaka, I will tell you that which destroys sins for those who hear it, and by which the grace of Viṣṇu is surely obtained, causing the removal of transgressions.
पौर्णमास्यां तु यो विप्र भक्तिभावसमन्वितः । कुर्य्यान्नानाविधानेन सपर्य्यां श्रीजगद्विभोः
O Brahman, on the full moon day, whoever, endowed with devotion, performs worship of the Lord of the universe in various ways—
कलुषं तस्य नश्येत कोटिजन्मार्जितं मुने । तस्मिन्श्रीरमणस्यास्य कृपा जाता भवेद्ध्रुवम्
The impurity accumulated over millions of births is destroyed for that person, O sage, and the compassion of the beloved of Lakṣmī is certainly obtained.
द्वादश्यामन्नदानं यो भक्त्या कुर्याद्द्विजातये । तस्य नश्यंति पापानि तमांसी वारुणोदये
Whoever gives food with devotion to a twice-born on the twelfth day, his sins are destroyed like darkness at sunrise.
यो नरः श्रीहरिं कुर्यात्स्नपनं पयसा द्विज । तत्प्रीतिः श्रीहरेः सद्यो द्वादश्यां शर्करादिभिः
O Brahman, whoever bathes Śrī Hari with milk on the twelfth day, at once receives the pleasure of Śrī Hari with sugar and other offerings.
मंत्रं विना तु यो विप्र दद्याच्छ्रीहरये किल । पाषाणसदृशं पुष्पं दाता याति अधोगतिम्
But whoever gives to Śrī Hari, O Brahman, an offering without a mantra, is like one who offers a stone-like flower and goes to a lower state.
क्ष्मासुराय च मूर्खाय पाषाणसदृशं तु यत् । दद्याद्दानं नरो यो वै तस्य पुण्यं न विद्यते
If a man gives a gift, like a stone, to an unworthy or ignorant person, then he gains no merit from that gift.
विद्याहीनो द्विजो मोहाद्दानं गृह्णाति मूढधीः । कालानलं यथा जीर्णं तेन स निरयं व्रजेत्
A twice-born without knowledge, who out of delusion accepts a gift, is like one who swallows old fire, and by that he goes to hell.
यथा दारुमयो हस्ती मृगश्चित्रमयो यथा । विद्याहीनो द्विजो विप्र त्रयस्ते नामधारकाः
Just as an elephant made of wood or a deer made of painted cloth, so too is a twice-born without knowledge—these three only bear the name.
यथाध्वनिस्थितं वारि पवनार्केण शुद्ध्यति । भक्त्या तु पार्षदं दृष्ट्वा तस्य नश्यति कल्मषम्
Just as water on the road is purified by wind and sun, so too, by seeing a devotee with devotion, one's impurity is destroyed.
यो नरश्चाश्विने मासि सघृतान्पूर्णिमा दिने । दद्याच्छ्रीहरये लाजान्क्रीडार्थं तु वराटिकाम्
Whoever, in the month of Āśvina, on the full moon day, gives to Śrī Hari parched rice mixed with ghee, or a small coin for play—
भक्त्या याति हरेः स्थानं पुनरावृत्तिवर्जितः । न दद्याद्यो नरो मोहात्तस्मिन्न तुष्टिदो हरिः
With devotion, he attains the abode of Hari, never to return again; but one who, out of delusion, does not give, does not please Hari.
वराटिकां यावतीं यो हरये पौर्णिमादिने । तावद्दिनं हरेः स्थानं चाश्विने संवसेद्ध्रुवम्
As many coins as one gives to Hari on the full moon day, for that many days he surely dwells in Hari's abode in the month of Āśvina.
करवीरपुरे ह्यासीत्पुरा शूद्रोऽपि निर्द्दयः । कालद्विजो द्विजश्रेष्ठ नाम्ना पापी भयंकरः
In the city of Karavīra, there once lived a merciless Śūdra named Kāladvija, O best of twice-born, a sinful and fearsome man.
स्वकार्यनिरतः सोऽपि स्वामिकार्यप्रणाशकः । एकदा पंचतां यातो यमदूता भयंकराः
He was always engaged in his own affairs and destroyed his master's work; once, when he died, the terrifying messengers of Yama came for him.
आगतास्तं समानेतुं यमस्यतु निकेतनम् । बद्ध्वा निन्युश्च तं दृष्ट्वा पृष्टवान्सचिवं यमः
Those who had come to bring him to Yama's abode bound him and led him away; seeing this, Yama questioned his minister.
यम उवाच । अस्य किं विद्यतेऽमात्य कर्मापि च शुभाशुभम् । कथयस्व समूलं तु चित्रगुप्त विचक्षण
Yama said: O wise Citragupta, tell me in detail what deeds, good or bad, this one has performed.
चित्रगुप्त उवाच। असौ पापी दुराचारः स्वामिकार्यप्रणाशकः । नास्ति पुण्यं चाणुमात्रं नरके परिपच्यताम्
Citragupta said: He is sinful, of wicked conduct, and a destroyer of his master's work; he has not even a particle of merit—let him be tormented in hell.
शतमन्वन्तरं राजन्नागयोनौ च निष्ठुरः । पाषाणे जन्म चासाद्य गृहे स्थातुं निरंतरम्
For a hundred manvantaras, O King, let him be born as a cruel serpent, and then, having obtained birth as a stone, remain in a house continually.
सूत उवाच । तावत्कालं ततो विप्र निरये स पपात ह । ततोऽप्यश्मगृहे नागयोनौ जातः सुदुःखितः
Sūta said: For that time, O brāhmaṇa, he fell into hell; then, after that, he was born in a stone house as a serpent, suffering greatly.
एकदा चाश्विने मासि पौर्णमासीदिने द्विज । लाजान्वराटिका नागो बिलात्प्राक्षेपयद्बहिः
Once, O brāhmaṇa, on the full moon day in the month of Āśvina, the serpent threw out grains of parched rice and a coin from its hole.
पतिता सा हरेरग्रे पापमस्य स्वयं हरिः । तूर्णं तु नाशयामास दयालुर्दुःखनाशकः
That which fell before Hari became the cause of his sin's destruction; the compassionate Hari, the remover of suffering, quickly destroyed it.
कदाचित्प्राप्तकालस्तु पंचत्वं स जगाम ह । यमदूतास्तमानेतुं चागता बहुशो द्विज
When his time came, he died; and many times, O brāhmaṇa, the messengers of Yama came to take him.
बद्ध्वा नेतुं यदा चक्रुर्यमस्य सदनं प्रति । तदागता विष्णुदूताः शंखचक्रगदाधराः
When they bound him to take him to Yama's abode, then the attendants of Viṣṇu, bearing conch, discus, and mace, arrived.
पाशं छित्त्वा रथे दिव्ये तमाशुगतकिल्बिषम् । तत्र चारोपयामासुः यमदूताः पलायिताः
Cutting the noose, they placed him, whose sins had been swiftly removed, on a divine chariot; the messengers of Yama fled.
ततो निकेतनं विष्णोर्नागस्तैर्वेष्टितो ययौ । तत्र तस्थौ हरेरग्रे पुनरावर्त्तिवर्जितः
Then, surrounded by them, the serpent went to Viṣṇu's abode; there he remained before Hari, freed from rebirth.
भक्त्या यो हरये दद्याल्लाजांश्च सघृतान्द्विज । वराटिकां तस्य पुण्यं न जाने किं भवेद्ध्रुवम्
O brāhmaṇa, I do not know what certain merit accrues to one who, with devotion, offers grains mixed with ghee and a coin to Hari.
य इमं शृणुयाद्विप्र चाध्यायं पापनाशनम् । तस्य नश्यंति पापानि श्रीहरेः कृपयापि च
O brāhmaṇa, whoever hears this chapter, which destroys sin, his sins are destroyed by the grace of Śrī Hari.
शौनकउवाच। माहात्म्यं ब्रूहि सर्वज्ञ शृण्वतां पापनाशनम् । सर्वप्राणिहितार्थाय तुलस्या अनुकंपया
Śaunaka said: O all-knowing one, tell the greatness that destroys sin, for the benefit of all beings, out of compassion for Tulasī, to those who are listening.