पुराणवाचकं ब्रह्मन्जयंतीव्रतिनं तथा । ये पश्यंति नराः पापास्ते यांति परमं पदम्
O Brahmin, those men who see the reciter of the Purana or the observer of the Jayanti vow, their sins depart and they reach the highest state.
शौनक उवाच- कथयस्व महाप्राज्ञ पुत्रहीनो जनो भवेत् । कर्मणा केन वै सूत पुत्रो भवति केन च
Shaunaka said: Tell me, O wise one, how a person without a son may obtain a son; by what act, O Suta, does one get a son, and by what means?
सूत उवाच- एतत्पृष्टः पुरा ब्रह्मा नारदेन महात्मना । स यदाह तदा तं च शृणुष्व मुनिपुंगव
Sūta said: This question was once asked by the great sage Nārada to Brahmā; listen, O foremost of sages, to what he replied at that time.
नारद उवाच- पितामह महाप्राज्ञ सर्वतत्त्वार्थपारग । अपुत्रो वै भवेन्मर्त्यः कर्मणा केन पद्मज
Nārada said: O Grandfather, O greatly wise one, knower of the meaning of all truths, by what action does a mortal become childless, O Lotus-born?
वंध्या स्त्री वा भवेत्केन वृजिनेन ममाग्रतः । कथय शृण्वतो वै मे सर्वप्राणिहिते रत
By what misdeed does a woman become barren before me? Tell me, as I listen, O one devoted to the welfare of all beings.
दुहिता जायते केन कर्मणा वा नपुंसकः । मृतवत्सो भवेत्केन मृतवत्सातिदुःखिता । केन पुण्येन भो ब्रह्मन्पुनः पुत्रो भवेद्वद
By what action is a daughter born, or a son who is impotent? By what cause does one have a dead child, or a mother suffer greatly from losing her child? By what merit, O Brahman, does a son return again? Tell me.
ब्रह्मोवाच- कथयामि समासेन सावधानेन तच्छ्रणु । वृत्तांतं पृच्छसि त्वं वै शृण्वतां विस्मयप्रदम्
Brahmā said: I will tell you briefly; listen carefully. You are asking about an account that brings wonder to those who hear it.
पूर्वजन्मनि यो मर्त्यो वर्तनं ब्राह्मणस्य च । हरेद्वा हारयेदत्र पुत्रहीनो भवेत्किल
A mortal who, in a previous life, takes away or causes to be taken away the livelihood of a brāhmaṇa, becomes childless in this life.
इह जन्मनि यो मर्त्यः पुराणश्रवणं हि च । ससस्या भूमेर्दानं च कुर्याद्वै श्रद्धयान्वितः
A mortal who, in this life, with faith, listens to the Purāṇas and gives land rich with grain as a gift,
धेनुं बहुगुणां हैमीं बहुदुग्धां सदक्षिणाम् । सुवर्णप्रतिमां चैव तस्य पुत्रो भवेद्ध्रुवम्
Or who gives a cow of many virtues, golden, yielding much milk, with proper gifts, or a golden image—such a person surely obtains a son.
पूर्वजन्मनि या नारी परबालकघातनम् । करोति कपटेनैव बालहीना भवेद्ध्रुवम्
A woman who, in a previous life, deceitfully kills another’s child, surely becomes childless.
सौवर्णप्रतिमादानं या नारी श्रद्धयान्विता । कुर्यात्पानं ब्राह्मणस्य भक्त्या वै चरणोदकम्
A woman who, with faith, gives a golden image, and with devotion gives water from the feet of a brāhmaṇa to drink,
पुराणश्रवणं चैव दद्याद्वै बहुदक्षिणाम् । बह्वपत्या जीववत्सा भवेन्नास्त्यत्र संशयः
Or who listens to the Purāṇas and gives many gifts—she becomes a mother of many children, with living offspring; there is no doubt about this.
जले निमग्नं बालं यो दृष्ट्वा या न समुद्धरेत् । इह जन्मन्यपुत्रो वै साऽपुत्री च भवेद्ध्रुवम्
A woman who, seeing a child submerged in water, does not rescue it, surely becomes childless in this life.
वृषभं चैव कूष्मांडं ससुवर्णं सवस्त्रकम् । दद्याद्दानं ब्राह्मणस्य कुर्याद्बालव्रतं शुभम्
One who gives, as a gift to a brāhmaṇa, a bull, a pumpkin, gold, and cloth, and performs the auspicious vow for children,
गौरीं कन्यां तथा कुर्यात्पुराणश्रवणं हि यः । पुत्रो वै जायते तस्य सर्वपातकनाशनम्
Or who gives a fair maiden, or listens to the Purāṇas—such a person surely obtains a son, destroying all sins.
पूर्वजन्मनि यो मर्त्यो निराशं चातिथिं द्विज । कुर्यात्क्रोधेन दंडं च पुत्रहीनो भवेद्ध्रुवम्
A mortal who, in a previous life, angrily rejects a guest or brāhmaṇa, or punishes them, surely becomes childless.
ब्राह्मणं चातिथिं चैव कुर्याद्भक्त्या प्रपूजनम् । अन्नदानं जलं चैव तथा देवालयं शुभम्
One who, with devotion, honors a brāhmaṇa or guest, gives food and water, and builds a beautiful temple,
पूर्वजन्मनि या नारी भ्रूणहत्यां च यो नरः । कुर्यात्सा मृतवत्सा च मृतवत्सो भवेद्ध्रुवम्
A woman who, in a previous life, or a man, commits abortion—she surely becomes a mother of a dead child, and he a father of a dead child.
या नारी स्वामिसहिता कुर्याच्च हरिवासरम् । सुपुत्रा भर्तृसुभगा भवेत्सा प्रतिजन्मनि
A woman who, together with her husband, observes the day of Hari, becomes blessed with good sons and a happy husband in every birth.
यो नरो गोधनं कुर्याच्छूद्रः कुर्याद्विमोहितः । ब्राह्मणीहरणं वापि कर्मणा स नपुंसकः
A man who acquires cows or wealth by improper means, or a deluded Śūdra who does so, or one who takes a Brāhmaṇa's wife—such a person is impotent by his actions.
इदं तु वृजिनं कृत्वा पश्चात्पुण्यं करोति यः । इह पुण्यप्रभावेण दुहिता जायते द्विज
But if, after committing this sin, someone performs meritorious deeds, then by the power of that merit, O twice-born, a daughter is born to him in this life.
आसीत्त्रेतायुगे राजा श्रीधरो नामतो द्विज । अपुत्रो धनवांस्तस्य जाया हेमप्रभावती
In the Tretā age, there was a king named Śrīdhara, O twice-born; he was wealthy but childless, and his wife was Hemaprabhāvatī.
व्यासं सकलशास्त्रज्ञं सर्वलोकहितैषिणम् । आगतं चैव पप्रच्छ चापुत्रोऽहं कथं द्विज
He approached Vyāsa, knower of all scriptures and benefactor of all beings, and asked, 'I am childless, O twice-born, what should I do?'
उवाच नृपतेः श्रुत्वा वचनं विनयान्वितम् । राज्ञा दत्ते च पीठे च निर्मिते कनकादिभिः
Hearing the king's humble words, Vyāsa spoke; the king had offered a seat, crafted from gold and other precious materials.
राजाराज्ञी तस्य पादौ धौतं कृत्वा च हर्षितौ । पीत्वा पादोदकं द्वौ च सर्वपातकनाशनम्
The king and queen, delighted, washed Vyāsa's feet and drank the water, which destroys all sins.
व्यास उवाच- राजन्शृणुष्व यत्पृष्टमपुत्रो येन कर्मणा । तवेयं राज्ञी चापुत्री चैकपत्नीव्रतस्तथा
Vyāsa said: 'O King, listen to what you have asked—why you are childless, why your queen is without a child, and why you have observed the vow of a single wife.'
पूर्वजन्मनि चंद्रस्त्वं नाम्ना वरतनु स्मृतः । भार्या तवापि शुभ्रांगी नाम्ना वै शंकरी स्मृता
In a previous birth, you were known as Candra, O noble one, and your wife was called Śubhrāṅgī, also known as Śaṃkarī.
एकदा पथियातौ च नीचपुत्रं जलेपि च । मग्नं दृष्ट्वा हेलया च गतौ स पंचतां गतः
Once, while traveling, you both saw a low-caste boy drowning in water; you passed by carelessly, and he died.
बहुपुण्यप्रभावेण राज्ञीराजा गतौ युवाम् । तेन कर्मविपाकेन युवायोर्न भवेत्सुतः
Because of great accumulated merit, you and your queen became king and queen; but due to the result of that deed, you both have no child.