मार्जयंति हरेः स्थानं पितृयज्ञप्रवर्तकाः । जने दीने दयायुक्ता विज्ञेयास्ते च वैष्णवाः
Those who clean the place of Hari, who perform ancestral rites, and who are compassionate to the poor—know them as Vaiṣṇavas.
परस्वं ब्राह्मणद्रव्यं पश्यंति विषवच्च ये । हरिनैवेद्यं येऽश्नन्ति विज्ञेया वैष्णवा जनाः
Those who regard the wealth of others and the property of Brāhmaṇas as poison, and who eat only food offered to Hari—know them as Vaiṣṇavas.
वेदशास्त्रानुरक्ता ये तुलसीवनपालकाः । राधाष्टमीव्रतरता विज्ञेयास्ते च वैष्णवाः
Those who are devoted to the Vedas and scriptures, who care for tulasī groves, and who are steadfast in the vow of Rādhāṣṭamī—know them as Vaiṣṇavas.
श्रीकृष्णपुरतो ये च दीपं यच्छंति श्रद्धया । परनिंदां न कुर्वंति विज्ञेयास्ते च वैष्णवाः
Those who faithfully offer a lamp before Śrī Kṛṣṇa and do not speak ill of others—know them as Vaiṣṇavas.
सूत उवाच- पृष्टो जैमिनिना व्यास इत्युक्तः स यथाक्रमम् । मयेदं कथ्यते ब्रह्मन्यत्प्रसंगाद्गुरोः श्रुतम्
Sūta said: Thus, when questioned by Jaimini, Vyāsa replied in order; what I have told you, O Brāhmaṇas, is what I heard from my teacher on this very topic.
अध्यायं श्रद्धया युक्तं ये शृण्वंति नरोत्तमाः । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्ता यांति विष्णोः परं पदम्
Those noble men who listen with faith to this chapter become freed from all sins and attain the supreme abode of Viṣṇu.
सूत उवाच- शृणु शौनक वक्ष्यामि चान्यधर्म्मं पुरातनम् । व्यासजैमिनिसंवादं श्रोतॄणां पापनाशनम्
Sūta said: O Śaunaka, listen as I recount another ancient duty—the dialogue between Vyāsa and Jaimini, which destroys the sins of those who hear it.
जैमिनिरुवाच- कर्म्मणा हि गुरो केन मंदिरं जगतीपतेः । याति तत्कथयस्वाद्य नरः पापी च मे प्रभो
Jaimini said: By what action, O revered teacher, does even a sinful person attain the temple of the Lord of the world? Please tell me this today, O master.
व्यास उवाच- श्रीकृष्णमंदिरे यो वै लेपनं कुरुते नरः । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः श्रांतो याति हरेर्गृहम्
Vyāsa said: Whoever applies plaster to the temple of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, that person, freed from all sins, wearily reaches the abode of Hari.
यश्चांबुलेपनं कुर्यात्संक्षेपाच्छृणु जैमिने । तस्यपुण्यमहं वच्मि मंदिरे जगतीपतेः
And whoever applies clay, listen briefly, O Jaimini—I will tell you the merit of such a one in the temple of the Lord of the world.
तत्र यावंति पश्यंति रजांसि च द्विजोत्तम । तावत्कल्पसहस्राणि स वसेद्विष्णुमंदिरे
For as many specks of dust as are seen there, O best of twice-born, for that many thousands of aeons he dwells in Viṣṇu’s temple.
पुरासीद्दंडको नाम्ना चौरो लोकभयप्रदः । ब्रह्मस्वहारी मित्रघ्नो युगे द्वापरसंज्ञके
Long ago there was a thief named Daṇḍaka, who terrified the world—he stole Brahmins’ wealth, killed friends, and lived in the age called Dvāpara.
असत्यभाषी क्रूरश्च परस्त्रीगमने रतः । गोमांसाशी सुरापश्च पाखंडजनसंगभाक्
He was a liar, cruel, addicted to other men’s wives, ate beef, drank liquor, and kept company with heretics.
वृत्तिच्छेदी द्विजातीनां न्यासापहारकस्तथा । शरणागतहंता च वेश्याविभ्रमलोलुपः
He deprived twice-born men of their livelihood, stole sacred deposits, killed those who sought refuge, and was infatuated with prostitutes.
एकदा स द्विजश्रेष्ठ कस्यचिद्विष्णुमंदिरम् । जगाम हरणार्थाय विष्णोर्द्रव्यं स मूढधीः
Once, O best of Brahmins, that foolish-minded man went to a Viṣṇu temple, intending to steal the property of Viṣṇu.
अथ द्वारि प्रविश्यासावंघ्रिः कर्द्दमसंयुतः । प्रोच्छितः सकलं निम्ने भूमौ देवगृहस्य च
Then, entering the doorway, his feet covered in mud, he slipped and fell completely into a hollow on the floor of the divine house.
तेनैव कर्म्मणा भूमिर्निम्नरिक्ता बभूव ह । लोहस्य च शलाकाभ्यां मुद्घाट्यत्वररंमुदा
By that very act, the ground became hollowed out, and with two iron rods he joyfully pried open the lock.
प्रविवेश हरेर्गेहं वितानवरशोभितम् । रत्नकांचनदीपाढ्यं परिध्वस्त महत्तमम्
He entered Hari’s house, adorned with splendid canopies, filled with lamps of jewels and gold, and magnificently decorated.
नानापुष्पसुगंधाढ्यं नानापात्रसमाकुलम् । सुवासितस्य तैलस्य गंधेन परिपूरितम्
It was filled with the fragrance of many flowers, crowded with various vessels, and suffused with the scent of perfumed oil.
अनेनहारकेणाथ पर्य्यंके सुमनोहरे । शायितो राधया सार्द्धं दृष्टः पीतांबरोऽच्युतः
There, as the thief, he saw Acyuta, clad in yellow garments, lying on a most delightful couch with Rādhā.
प्रणम्य राधिकानाथं निष्पापः सोऽभवत्तदा । नेष्याम्यथ न नेष्यामि अनेन किं भवेन्मम
Having bowed to the Lord of Rādhā, he at once became free from sin. Then he thought: 'Shall I take this or not? What will come of it for me?'
सेवां कर्त्तुमशक्तोऽहं यतश्चौरोऽस्मि सर्वदा । द्रव्येण कार्यमस्तीति तन्नेतुं कृतवान्मनः
Unable to serve, since I am always a thief, I must act through material things—so he resolved in his mind to take the goods.
पातयित्वांशुकं भूमौ कौशेयं कमलापतेः । बबंध वस्तुजातं च पाणौ कृत्वा सकंपितः
Throwing down the silk cloth of the lotus-lord onto the ground, he gathered the valuables, his hand trembling.
विष्णोर्मायापतेश्चाथ तानि सर्वाणि जैमिने । कृत्वा शब्दं सुघोरं च पतितान्यथ तानि वै
O Jaimini, then, as he did this in the house of Viṣṇu, Lord of Māyā, all those things fell to the ground with a terrible noise.
परित्यज्य सुनिद्रां च धावंत इति किन्वहो । आगता बहुशो लोकाश्चोरो द्रव्यं जवेन च
Abandoning deep sleep, he ran—what indeed was the reason? Many people had come, and the thief swiftly took the wealth.
त्यक्त्वा धनं च चौरोऽपि त्रस्तः किंचिज्जगाम ह । दंशितः कालसर्पेण मृतोऽसौ गतकिल्बिषः
Even the thief, having left the wealth behind, fled in fear; bitten by the serpent of Time, he died, freed from sin.
यमाज्ञया तस्य दूताः पाशमुद्गरपाणयः । आगतास्तं समानेतुं दंष्ट्रिणश्चर्मवाससः
By Yama’s command, his messengers, holding nooses and maces, arrived—fanged, clad in hides—to bring him.
बबंधुश्चर्मपाशेन निन्युर्दुर्गमवर्त्मना । दृष्ट्वा तं शमनः क्रुद्धः पप्रच्छ सचिवं प्रति
They bound him with a hide noose and led him along a difficult path; seeing him, the enraged Yama questioned his minister.
यम उवाच- अनेन किं कृतं कर्म पापं वा पुण्यमेव वा । समूलं वद हे प्राज्ञ चित्रगुप्त ममाग्रतः
Yama said: What deed has he done, whether sinful or virtuous? Speak in full, O wise one, O Citragupta, before me.
चित्रगुप्त उवाच- सृष्टानि यानि पापानि विधात्रा पृथिवीतले । कृतान्यनेन मूढेन सत्यमेतन्मयोदितम्
Citragupta said: Whatever sins have been created by the Creator on earth, all these have been committed by this deluded one—this I declare truly.