विश्वासघाती ज्ञातीनां वृत्तिच्छेदी द्विजोत्तम । दुष्टं सर्वे समालोक्य तादृशं तद्गृहे द्विजः
One who betrays trust, deprives relatives of their livelihood, O best of twice-born, all seeing such wickedness in that person’s house.
आगता ज्ञातयः क्रुद्धास्तस्य पापपरायणम् । ज्ञातय ऊचुः। रे रे मूढ दुराचार विनाशं प्रतिनीयते । या प्रतिष्ठार्जिता पूर्वैरस्माकं निर्मलेऽन्वये
Relatives arrived, angry at his devotion to sin; the relatives said: 'Hey, foolish one of evil conduct, destruction is brought upon the pure lineage established by our ancestors.'
इति क्रुद्धा द्विजश्रेष्ठ अपकीर्तिभयादपि । पापिनां प्रवरं सर्वे तत्यजुस्तं कुलादरम्
Thus, angered, O best of Brahmins, out of fear of disgrace, all abandoned that foremost sinner, the disgrace of the family.
ततो गतो महारण्यं विनष्टाखिल वैभवः । कुर्यात्स दस्युभिः सार्द्धं दस्युकर्म निरंतरम्
Then he went to the great forest, all his wealth destroyed; he continually performed the deeds of bandits together with them.
पथि प्रगच्छतां तेषां भयाद्विप्र न खादितुम् । प्राप्तं किंचित्क्षुधार्त्तास्ते गताश्चान्य स्थलं प्रति
While traveling on the road, out of fear, O Brahmin, they could not eat anything; hungry, they went to another place.
तत्र प्रविष्टास्ते सर्वे दृष्ट्वा पुण्यजनान्बहून् । धात्रीमूले स्थितान्ब्रह्मन्वैष्णवान्द्विजसत्तमान्
There, entering, they all saw many virtuous people, Brahmins and Vaishnavas, standing at the base of a fig tree.
सर्वे ते दस्यवो विप्र गता दंडकरोऽपि सः । तेषां परिसरं गत्वा प्रणामं वै चकार ह
All those bandits, O Brahmin, went there, including Dandaka; approaching their vicinity, he made obeisance.
दंडकर उवाच। क्षुधार्तोऽहं द्विजश्रेष्ठाः प्राणा यास्यंति मे ध्रुवम् । ददध्वं खादितुं किंचिद्युष्माकं शरणं गतः
Dandaka said: 'I am hungry, O best of Brahmins; surely my life will depart. Give me something to eat, I have come to you for refuge.'
आकर्ण्य वचनं तस्य चोचुस्ते धर्मतत्पराः । सर्वपापहरे त्वं च विख्याते विष्णुपंचके
Hearing his words, those devoted to dharma replied: 'You are renowned as the remover of all sins in the Vishnu Panchaka.'
कथमन्नं खादितुं ते वांछा त्वद्य हरेर्दिने । विशेषं ते ब्रूहि संज्ञा काते भवति सांप्रतम्
How do you desire to eat food today, on the day of Hari? Tell us specifically, what is your current identity?
स उवाच मुदा विप्रा नाम्ना दंडकरोप्यहम् । सर्वपापसमायुक्तश्चोद्धारो मे कथं भवेत्
He said joyfully: 'O Brahmins, my name is Dandaka; I am filled with all sins. How can I be delivered?'
ऊचुस्ते वै व्रतं श्रेष्ठं कुरुष्व विष्णुपंचकम् । विप्राणामाज्ञया विप्र चकार विष्णुपंचकम्
They said: 'Perform the supreme vow, the Vishnu Panchaka.' By the command of the Brahmins, Dandaka performed the Vishnu Panchaka.
स प्रेत्य च हरेः स्थानमारुह्य स्यंदने वरे । आसाद्य श्रीहरेरूपं तस्थौ जन्मविवर्जितः
After death, he ascended to the abode of Hari, riding in a splendid chariot; attaining the form of Shri Hari, he stood, free from rebirth.
य इदं शृणुयाद्भक्त्या चाख्यानं पापनाशनम् । कोटिजन्मार्जितं पापं तस्य नश्यति तत्क्षणात्
Whoever hears this account with devotion, which destroys sin, the sin accumulated over millions of births perishes instantly.
शौनक उवाच। विदुषांवर तत्त्वज्ञ कथयस्व महामते । इदानीं मम दानानां माहात्म्यं क्रमतो मुने
Shaunaka said: 'O foremost among the learned, knower of truth, tell me, O wise one, now in order, the greatness of gifts.'
सूत उवाच। क्षितिदानं मुनिश्रेष्ठ दानानामुत्तमं मतम् । येन कृतं वै तद्दानं सर्वदानफलं मतम्
Suta said: 'The gift of land, O best of sages, is considered the highest among gifts; whatever gift is made, that gift is regarded as yielding the fruit of all gifts.'
क्षितिं ससस्यां यो दद्याद्ब्राह्मणाय द्विजोत्तम । विष्णुलोके सुखं भुंक्ते यावदिंद्राश्चतुर्दश
He who gives fertile land to a brāhmaṇa, O best of twice-born, enjoys happiness in Viṣṇu's world for as long as the fourteen Indras reign.
पृथिव्यां जन्म चासाद्य सार्वभौमस्ततो नृपः । महीं सर्वां चिरं भुक्त्वा व्रजेद्वै श्रीहरेर्गृहम्
Having attained birth on earth as a universal sovereign, that king, after enjoying the whole earth for a long time, indeed goes to the abode of Śrī Hari.
गोचर्ममात्रां भूमिं यः प्रयच्छति द्विजातये । स गच्छति हरेर्गेहं सर्वपापविवर्जितः
He who gives land the size of a cowhide to a twice-born is freed from all sins and goes to the house of Hari.
शतं गावो वृषश्चैको यत्र तिष्ठंत्ययंत्रिताः । गोचर्ममात्रां तां भूमिं प्रवदंति महर्षयः
Where a hundred cows and one bull can stand unrestrained, that extent of land is called a cowhide's measure by the great sages.
भूमिनेता भूमिदाता द्वौ चापि स्वर्गगामिनौ । ग्राह्या भूमिर्द्विजैः प्राज्ञैस्त्यक्त्वा दानशतान्यपि
Both the one who takes land and the one who gives land go to heaven; land should be accepted by wise brāhmaṇas, even forsaking hundreds of other gifts.
अज्ञानी भूसुरो यस्तु त्यजेद्भूमिं विमोहितः । प्रतिजन्मन्यसौ विप्रो भवेच्चात्यंत दुःखभाक्
But the brāhmaṇa who, out of ignorance and delusion, abandons land, becomes subject to extreme suffering in every birth.
अन्यतो यः समासाद्य दद्याद्भूमिं द्विजातये । तस्मै विप्र जगन्नाथो ददाति परमं पदम्
He who, having obtained land from elsewhere, gives it to a twice-born, to him the Lord of the universe grants the supreme abode.
स्वदत्तां परदत्तां च मेदिनीं यो हरेद्द्विज । युक्तः कोटिकुलैर्याति नरकं चातिदारुणम्
A twice-born who seizes land, whether self-given or given by another, is bound with countless families and goes to a most terrible hell.
हरेद्यो वै महीं विप्र देवब्राह्मणयोरपि । न दृष्टा निष्कृतिस्तस्य कोटिकल्पशतैर्मुने
He who takes land from a brāhmaṇa or even from the gods, O sage, for him there is no expiation, even in hundreds of crores of ages.
भूमिं यो परदत्तां च रक्षति क्ष्मापतिर्द्विज । पुण्यं कोटिगुणं स्याद्वै तस्य दानं जनादपि
The king who protects land given by another, O twice-born, gains merit a crore times greater than that of the giver.
सप्तद्वीपां महीं दत्त्वा यत्पुण्यं प्राप्यते द्विज । तत्पुण्यं प्राप्नुयान्मर्त्यो धेनुं यच्छन्द्विजातये
The merit obtained by giving the earth with its seven continents, O twice-born, is gained by a mortal who gives a cow to a twice-born.
ददाति वृषभं यस्तु दरिद्राय कुटुंबिने । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तो शिवलोकं स गच्छति
He who gives a bull to a poor householder is freed from all sins and goes to the world of Śiva.
तिलप्रमाणं स्वर्णं यो ब्राह्मणाय प्रयच्छति । हरेर्निकेतनं याति युक्तः कोटिकुलैरपि
He who gives gold equal to a sesame seed to a brāhmaṇa goes to Hari's abode, accompanied by countless families.
यो दद्याद्रजतं विप्र साधवे भूसुराय वै । प्राप्नोति चंद्रलोकं च पिबेत्तत्रामृतं सदा
He who gives silver to a worthy brāhmaṇa attains the world of the moon and always drinks nectar there.