राजोवाच- इदानीं केन पुण्येन सुतो वै जायते प्रभो । अपुत्रस्य मनुष्याणां जीवनं हि निरर्थकम्
The king said: 'By what merit now, O Lord, can a son be born? For the life of a childless person is truly without purpose.'
व्यास उवाच- सवस्त्रं चैव कूष्मांडं वृषभं ससुवर्णकम् । देहि दानं ब्राह्मणस्य कुरु बालव्रतं तथा
Vyāsa said: 'Give to a Brāhmaṇa, as a gift, a garment, a gourd, a bull, and some gold; also observe the vow of feeding children.'
गौरीं कन्यां तथा देहि पुराणश्रवणं कुरु । पुत्रो वै जायते तत्र सर्वपातकनाशनम्
Give a maiden named Gaurī, and listen to the Purāṇas; by doing so, a son will be born, and all sins will be destroyed.
ब्रह्मोवाच- इति श्रुत्वा ततो राजा व्यासोक्तं दानमुत्तमम् । पुराणश्रवणं चैव चकार गतकिल्बिषः
Brahmā said: 'Having heard this, the king performed the excellent gifts as instructed by Vyāsa, and listened to the Purāṇas, becoming free from sin.'
ततः पुत्रो वर्षमध्ये बभूव सर्वपूजितः । अभूद्राजा सार्वभौमः सुंदरः कुलनायकः
Then, within a year, a son was born, honored by all; he became a universal emperor, handsome, and leader of his lineage.
सूत उवाच- य इदं शृणुयाद्भक्त्या करोति दानमुत्तमम् । अपुत्रो लभते पुत्रं संक्षेपात्कथितं मया
Sūta said: 'Whoever hears this with devotion or gives these excellent gifts, even if childless, will obtain a son; this has been briefly told by me.'
भक्त्या श्रुत्वा तु या नारी कुर्याद्ब्राह्मणपूजनम् । सुपुत्रा सा भवेन्नित्यं शास्त्रोक्तविधिना द्विज
If a woman, having heard this with devotion, worships Brāhmaṇas according to scriptural injunctions, she will always have good sons, O twice-born.
सुवर्णं रजतं वस्त्रं पुष्पमाल्यं च चंदनम् । यो दद्यात्पुस्तके भक्त्या सर्वपापप्रणाशनम्
Whoever devoutly gives gold, silver, cloth, flowers, garlands, or sandalwood to a book, all his sins are destroyed.
पूर्वजन्मनि यो मूढो ब्रह्मबालकघातकः । तस्य क्रूरो भवेत्पुत्रः सप्तजन्मांतरैर्द्विजः
O twice-born, one who, in a previous birth, foolishly killed a young Brahmin, will have a cruel son as a result, after seven lifetimes.
शौनक उवाच- केन पुण्येन भो सूत वैकुंठं समवाप्यते । तद्वदस्व शृण्वतो मे पोतो हि भवसागरे
Śaunaka said: O Sūta, by what merit is Vaikuṇṭha attained? Please tell me, for as I listen, your words are a boat across the ocean of existence.
सूत उवाच- साधुसाधु मुनिश्रेष्ठ सर्वमंगलकारक । कथयामि समासेन शृण्वतां पापनाशनम्
Sūta said: Excellent, excellent, O best of sages, your question brings all auspiciousness. I will tell you in brief that which destroys sin for those who listen.
विष्णवे ब्राह्मणायैव मृदावेश्मविनिर्मितम् । यो वै दद्याद्द्विजश्रेष्ठ तस्य पुण्यं निशामय
O best of twice-born, listen to the merit gained by one who gives a house made of clay to Viṣṇu or to a Brahmin.
विष्णुलोके च स विप्रः सर्वपापविवर्जितः । सौधवासी भवेन्नित्यं विष्णुलोके प्रपूज्यते
In Viṣṇu's world, that Brahmin, free from all sin, dwells always in a palace and is honored in the realm of Viṣṇu.
विष्णवे सौधगेहं यो दद्याद्वै ब्राह्मणाय च । हरेर्न्निकेतनं प्राप्य स्वर्गवासी भवेद्ध्रुवम्
Whoever gives a palace-house to Viṣṇu or to a Brahmin surely attains the abode of Hari and dwells in heaven.
अंते विष्णुपुरं गत्वा युक्तः कोटिकुलैर्द्विज । स्वर्णसौधे गृहे स्थित्वा कुर्याद्भोगं यथासुखम्
At the end, O twice-born, going to Viṣṇu's city, surrounded by multitudes of his own kin, he dwells in a golden palace and enjoys pleasures as he desires.
ब्राह्मणस्थापने पुण्यं यद्वै भवति भो मुने । संख्यां कर्तुमशक्तस्तु तद्वेधाः सर्वकारकः
O sage, the merit that arises from establishing a Brahmin cannot be measured; only the Creator, who accomplishes all, knows it.
गण्यंते रेणवश्चैव गण्यंते वृष्टिबिंदवः । न गण्यंते विधात्रापि ब्रह्मसंस्थापने फलम्
The grains of dust and the drops of rain may be counted, but even the Creator cannot count the fruit of establishing a Brahmin.
नारदेन पुरा ब्रह्मा पृष्टः संसारसंभवः । वेधास्तं कथयामास तच्छृणुष्व महामुने
Long ago, Nārada asked Brahmā about the origin of worldly existence; the Creator told him—listen to that, O great sage.
पुरासीद्द्वापरे ब्रह्मन्वारनारी सुशोभना । सुकेशी हरिणीनेत्रा सुमध्या चारुहासिनी
In the Dvāpara age, O Brahmin, there was a beautiful courtesan named Vāranārī, with lovely hair, deer-like eyes, a slender waist, and charming smile.
नाम्ना सा चंचलापांगी ययौ देशांतरं कदा । सर्वपापसमायुक्ता नरके पातयंति च
She, called Caṃcalāpāṅgī, once went to another land; being full of all sins, she was destined to fall into hell.
संगेन सिंधुनाकांक्षी जनान्देवालयं गता । तत्र क्षणं सोपविष्टा तांबूलभक्षणं कृतम्
Desiring to cross the river with companions, she entered a temple of the gods; there, sitting for a moment, she chewed betel leaf.
शेषं चूर्णं सौधभित्तौ दत्वा निम्ने कुतूहलात् । ततो गता जारकांक्षी धनार्थं नगरं प्रति
Out of curiosity, she placed the remaining betel powder on the palace wall at a lower spot, and then, desiring a lover and wealth, went toward the city.
जारेण केनचित्सार्द्धं संकेतः सहसा कृतः । संकेतं तु गता वेश्या वनं रात्रौ विमोहिता
A sudden rendezvous was arranged with a lover; the courtesan, going to the meeting place at night in the forest, was bewildered.
संकेतं नागतो वैश्यो व्यशंकिष्टविलोकिता । कथं कांतो नागतो मे सर्पव्याघ्रैश्च भक्षितः
The merchant did not come to the meeting; she anxiously wondered, 'Why did my beloved not come? Was he devoured by snakes or tigers?'
संकेतनं कथं हित्वा गतः किं कामविह्वलः । अन्यया ज्ञातया सार्द्धमभिलाषी भवेत्किमु
'Why did he abandon the meeting, overcome by desire? Did he perhaps go with another woman whom he knew and desired?'
परामृष्यैतद्हृद्यंतः कोटपालभयाद्द्विज । नगरं नागता सा हि रुद्धे लोकपथे तमैः
Reflecting thus in her heart, O twice-born, out of fear of the guards, she did not go to the city, for the road was blocked by darkness.
एतस्मिन्नंतरे व्याघ्रः कामरूपी बलात्क्षुधी । प्रेषितः कालदेवेनाग्रसदागत्य तां द्विज
Meanwhile, a tiger with the power to assume any form, driven by hunger and sent by the god of death, suddenly appeared there, O twice-born.
ततस्तु यमुनाभ्रातुर्दूतास्ते भीमवर्षिणः । आगता गिरिकूटांगा नेतुं तां पापकर्मणा
Then, messengers of Yama, the brother of Yamuna and bringer of terrible storms, arrived from the mountain peaks to seize her for her sinful deeds.
वक्रपादा वक्रमुखा उन्नासा बहुदंष्ट्रिणः । चर्मरज्जूर्मुद्गरांश्च गृहीत्वा पांशुलां द्विज
With twisted feet, crooked faces, upturned noses, and many fangs, holding leather straps and clubs, covered in dust, O twice-born—
बंधयामासुरुन्मत्ता गणिकां चर्म्मरज्जुभिः । शंखचक्रगदापद्मधारिणो वनमालिनः
Those frenzied beings bound the courtesan with leather cords; but then, those adorned with garlands and bearing the conch, discus, mace, and lotus—