सर्पिस्तत्स्वादितु चाखुरागतोऽपि प्रदीपतः । यावत्खादितुमारेभे बोधितोऽसौ प्रदीपकः
A mouse, drawn by the scent of ghee, approached the lamp; as he began to eat, the lamp awakened him.
मूषकोऽग्निभयात्तत्र वेगेनापि पलायितः । आखोश्च सकलं पापं विनष्टं कृपया हरेः
Frightened by the fire, the mouse fled swiftly from there; and by the compassion of Hari, all his sins were destroyed.
सर्पेण दंशितश्चाखुः प्राणत्यागं चकार ह । ततो यमाज्ञया दूताः पाशमुद्गरपाणयः
Bitten by the snake, the mouse gave up his life; then, by Yama’s command, messengers arrived, holding nooses and maces.
आगतास्तं समानेतुं बबंधुश्चर्मरज्जुभिः । यावन्नेतुं मनश्चक्रुः शंखचक्रगदाधराः
They came to take him and bound him with leather cords; as they prepared to lead him away, those bearing conch, discus, and mace appeared.
आगता गरुडारूढा विष्णुदूताश्चतुर्भुजाः । विमानं गगने चैव राजहंसयुतं शुभम्
Vishnu’s messengers, four-armed and mounted on Garuda, 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
Fashioned from pure gold by Hari’s grace, fulfilling all desires, the chariot stood there; then the messengers, cutting the noose, spoke to Yama’s servants.
विष्णुभक्तोऽप्यसौ मूढा व्यर्थं तु बंधनं कृतम् । गच्छध्वं शमनप्रेष्या यदि वांछास्ति जीवितुम्
This mouse is a devotee of Vishnu, O ignorant ones; your binding was in vain. Go, 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 the city?
असौ विष्णोर्महापापी यूयं तद्वक्तुमर्हथ । विष्णुदूता ऊचुः- पुरतो वासुदेवस्य प्रदीपबोधनं कृतम्
He is a great sinner against Vishnu; you ought to explain.' 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, whoever awakens the lamp of Vishnu—
कोटिजन्मार्जितं पापं त्यक्त्वा याति हरेर्गृहम् । भक्त्या प्रदीपं यो दद्यात्कार्तिके तु हरेर्दिनैः
—leaving behind sins accumulated over millions of births, he goes to the house of Hari; and whoever, with devotion, offers a lamp to Hari during Kārtika—
तस्य पुण्यं समाख्यातुं न शक्तो हरिणा विना । घृतपूर्णप्रदीपं यो भक्त्या दद्याद्धरेर्गृहे
—his merit cannot be described except by Hari himself; whoever, with devotion, offers a lamp filled with ghee at Hari’s house—
अश्वमेधसहस्रेण तस्य किं वा प्रयोजनम् । अश्वमेधप्रकर्ता यः स्वर्गं याति हरेर्दिने
—what need has he for a thousand horse sacrifices? He who performs the horse sacrifice attains heaven on Hari’s day.
कार्तिके दीपदाता च स गच्छेद्धरिमंदिरम् । व्यास उवाच- इति श्रुत्वा ततो दूता गतास्ते वै यथागताः
But one who gives a lamp in Kārtika goes to Hari’s abode.' Vyāsa said: 'Hearing this, 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; in Vishnu’s presence, he passed a hundred ages of Manu.
ततो मर्त्ये राजकन्या बभूव कृपया हरेः । पुत्रपौत्रसमायुक्ता चिरं भोगं चकार सा
Then, by Hari’s grace, he was born as a royal princess among mortals; surrounded by sons and grandsons, she enjoyed long-lasting pleasures.
इतः पुनर्गता सा तु गोलोकं हरिसेवया । सूत उवाच- भक्त्या शृणोति यो मर्त्यो दीपमाहात्म्यमुत्तमम्
Afterwards, by serving Hari, she went to Goloka.
सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः स याति विष्णुमंदिरम्
Sūta said: Whoever, with devotion, hears this supreme glory of the lamp, is freed from all sins and goes to Vishnu’s abode.
शौनक उवाच- जयंत्याः सूत माहात्म्यं कदा सा क्रियते जनैः । कथयस्व मयि त्वं वै पोतः संसारसागरे
Śaunaka said: O Sūta, when do people perform the observance of Jayantī, and what is its greatness? Please tell me, for it is a boat in the ocean of worldly existence.
सूत उवाच- शृणु विप्र प्रवक्ष्यामि यत्पृष्टो मुनिसत्तम । पुरा ब्रह्मा नारदेन पृष्ट एतत्सुरालये
Sūta said: Listen, O sage, I will tell you what you have asked. Long ago, Brahmā was questioned by Nārada in the abode of the gods.
नारद उवाच- जयंत्याश्चैव माहात्म्यं कथयस्व पितामह । यच्छ्रुत्वाहं गमिष्यामि तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम्
Nārada said: O Grandfather, tell me the greatness of Jayantī. Hearing it, I shall attain the supreme abode of Viṣṇu.
ब्रह्मोवाच- शृणुष्वावहितो विप्र तवाग्रे कथयाम्यहम् । जयंत्या उपवासेन विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति
Brahmā said: Listen attentively, O sage, I will speak before you. By fasting on Jayantī, one attains the world of Viṣṇu.
स्मरणात्कीर्तनात्पापं सप्तजन्मार्जितं मुने । जयंती दहते तच्च किं पुनः सोपवासकृत्
By remembering and reciting Jayantī, the sins accumulated over seven births are burned away, O sage; how much more so when fasting is performed.
जन्माष्टमी च नवमी चैत्रे मासि सिता शुभा । कृष्णा चतुर्दशी कुंभे मेषे शुक्ला चतुर्दशी
The auspicious eighth and ninth days in the bright fortnight of Caitra, the dark fourteenth in Kumbha, and the bright fourteenth in Meṣa are Jayantī.
दुर्गाष्टम्याश्विने शुक्ला द्वादशी श्रवणान्विता । महापुण्याश्च शुभदा जयंत्यः षट्प्रकीर्तिताः
The bright eighth day of Durgā in Āśvina, the bright twelfth joined with Śravaṇa, these six Jayantīs are declared to be highly meritorious and bestowing auspiciousness.
कृष्णजन्माष्टमी पूर्वा प्रसिद्धा पापनाशिनी । क्रतुकोटिसमा ह्येषा तीर्थानामयुतैः समा
The well-known Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭamī, destroyer of sin, is equal to millions of sacrifices and tens of thousands of holy places.
कर्ता गवां सहस्रं तु यो ददाति दिनेदिने । तत्फलं समवाप्नोति जयंत्यां समुपोषणे
Whoever gives a thousand cows every day attains that same result by fasting on Jayantī.
हेमभारसहस्रं तु कुरुक्षेत्रे रविग्रहे । तत्फलं समवाप्नोति जयंत्यां समुपोषणे
The result of giving a thousand loads of gold at Kurukṣetra during a solar eclipse is attained by fasting on Jayantī.
कृष्णाजिनसहस्राणि तिलधेनुशतानि च । तत्फलं समवाप्नोति जयंत्यां समुपोषणे
The result of giving thousands of black antelope skins and hundreds of sesame cows is attained by fasting on Jayantī.
कन्याकोटिसहस्राणां दाने भवति यत्फलम् । तत्फलं समवाप्नोति जयंत्यां समुपोषणे
The result obtained from giving thousands of millions of maidens in charity is attained by fasting on Jayantī.