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.
किंत्वाकर्णय लोकेश सुकृतं चास्य वर्त्तते । मन्येऽहं यमुनाभ्रातः सर्वपापविलोपि तत्
But listen, Lord of the world, he also has a virtuous act; I think, O brother of Yamunā, it destroys all sins.
धर्मराज उवाच- किं पुण्यं वर्त्ततेऽमात्य वद सारं ममांतिके । श्रुत्वैवं तद्विधास्यामि यत्र योग्यो भवेदसौ
Dharmarāja said: What virtue does he possess, minister? Tell me the essence before me. Hearing this, I shall assign him where he is fit.
यमस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा सभयश्चित्रगुप्तकः । कृत्वा हस्तांजलिं प्राह चात्मनः स्वामिने द्विज
Hearing Yama’s words, Citragupta, fearful, joined his hands and spoke to his own master, O twice-born one.
चित्रगुप्त उवाच- हरणार्थं हरेर्द्रव्यं गतोऽसौ पापिनां वरः । प्रोज्झितः कर्द्दमो राजन्पादयोर्द्वारतो हरेः
Citragupta said: For the sake of stealing the Lord’s property, he, best among sinners, went; but, O king, the mud was removed from the threshold of Hari’s feet.
बभूव लिप्ता सा भूमिर्बिलच्छिद्र विवर्जिता । तेन पुण्यप्रभावेण निर्गतं पातकं महत् । वैकुंठं प्रतियोग्योऽसौ निर्गतस्तव दंडतः
That ground became cleansed, free from any hole or opening; by that meritorious act, great sin departed. He is fit for Vaikuṇṭha, released from your punishment.
व्यास उवाच- श्रुत्वा स वचनं तस्य पीठं कनकनिर्मितम् । ददौ तस्मै चोपविष्टस्तत्र पूज्योयमेनसः
Vyāsa said: Hearing those words, Yama gave him a seat made of gold, and seated him there, honored him, though he was a sinner.
ननाम शिरसा तं वै प्रोवाच विनयान्वितः । यम उवाच- पवित्रं मंदिरं मेऽद्य पादयोस्तद्धि रेणुभिः
He bowed his head to Yama and spoke with humility. Yama said: Today my abode is purified by the dust of your feet.
कृतार्थोऽस्मि कृतार्थोऽस्मि कृतार्थोऽस्मि न संशयः । इदानीं गच्छ भो साधो हरेर्मंदिरमुत्तमम्
I am fulfilled, I am fulfilled, I am fulfilled—without doubt. Now go, O good man, to the supreme abode of Hari.
नानाभोगसमायुक्तं जन्ममृत्युनिवारणम् । व्यास उवाच- इत्युक्त्वा धर्मराजोऽसौ स्यंदने स्वर्णनिर्मिते
Endowed with various enjoyments, free from birth and death—Vyāsa said: Having spoken thus, Dharmarāja placed him in a chariot made of gold.
राजहंसयुते दिव्ये तमारोप्य गतैनसम् । समस्तसुखदं स्थानं प्रेषयामास चक्रिणः
Drawn by celestial swans, he mounted the divine chariot, freed from sin; he was sent to the abode of the Discus-holder, the giver of all happiness.
एवं प्रविष्टो वैकुंठे तत्र तस्थौ सुखं चिरम् । लेपनं ये प्रकुर्वंति भक्त्या तु हरिमंदिरम्
Thus entering Vaikuṇṭha, he remained there happily for a long time. Those who anoint Hari’s temple with devotion—
तेषां किं वा भविष्यति न जानेऽहं द्विजोत्तम । य इदं शृणुयाद्भक्त्या पठेद्यो वा समाहितः
What will not happen for them? I do not know, O best of twice-born! Whoever listens to or recites this with devotion and concentration—
कोटिजन्मार्जितं पापं नश्यत्येव न संशयः
Sin accumulated over millions of births is destroyed without doubt.
शौनक उवाच- कार्त्तिकस्य च माहात्म्यं ब्रूहि सूत ममाग्रतः । तद्व्रतस्य फलं किं वा दोषं किं तदकुर्वतः
Śaunaka said: O Sūta, speak before me the greatness of Kārttika, and tell me the fruit of its observance, as well as the fault for not performing that vow.
सूत उवाच- पुरैकदा मुनिश्रेष्ठ व्यासं सत्यवतीसुतम् । जैमिनिः पृष्टवानेतदारेभे कथितं मुनिः
Sūta said: Once, O foremost sage, Jaimini questioned Vyāsa, the son of Satyavatī, and the sage narrated this.
व्यास उवाच- तिलतैलं मैथुनं यः शुभदे कार्त्तिके त्यजेत् । बहुजन्मकृतैःपापैर्मुक्तो याति हरेर्गृहम्
Vyāsa said: Whoever renounces sesame oil and sexual union, which bring auspiciousness, during Kārttika, is freed from sins committed over many births and attains the abode of Hari.
मत्स्यं च मैथुनं यो वै कार्त्तिके न परित्यजेत् । प्रतिजन्मनि संमूढः शूकरश्च भवेद्ध्रुवम्
But whoever does not renounce fish and sexual union during Kārttika, is certainly deluded in every birth and becomes a pig.
कार्त्तिके तुलसीपत्रैः पूजयेद्वै जनार्दनम् । पत्रेपत्रेऽश्वमेधस्य फलं प्राप्नोति मानवः
Whoever worships Janārdana with tulasī leaves during Kārttika, attains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice with each leaf.
कार्त्तिके मुनिपुष्पैर्यः पूजयेन्मधुसूदनम् । देवानां दुर्लभं मोक्षं प्राप्नोति कृपया हरेः
Whoever worships Madhusūdana with flowers of sages during Kārttika, by Hari's grace attains liberation, which is difficult even for the gods.
कार्त्तिके मुनिशाकं वै योऽश्नाति च नरोत्तमः । संवत्सरकृतं पापं शाकेनैकेन नश्यति
The best of men who eats sage greens during Kārttika, destroys with a single green the sin accumulated over a year.