ततः प्रभाते रजनी द्वादशी श्रवणान्विता । आगता तत्र सा नारी रोषनिर्भरमानसा
Then, at dawn, when the night of Dvadashi arrived, accompanied by the star Shravan, that woman came there, her mind full of anger.
निराहारौ कृतौ द्वौ च निर्मला सा बभूव ह । रात्रौ च पंचतां याता जयंतीवासरे द्विज
Having fasted for two days, she became pure; and at night, on the day of Jayanti, O Brahmin, she passed away.
यमाज्ञया ततो दूता आगतास्तां तथाविधाम् । नेतुं भयंकरास्ते च पाशमुद्गरपाणयः
By the command of Yama, messengers came, terrifying and armed with nooses and maces, to take her away in that condition.
बद्ध्वा नेतुं मनश्चक्रे कृतांतसदनं यदा । तदागता विष्णुदूताः शंखचक्रगदाधराः
When they bound her and prepared to take her to the abode of Death, then the messengers of Vishnu arrived, bearing conch, discus, and mace.
छित्त्वा पाशं ततो दिव्ये स्यंदने तां गतैनसम् । ते वै चारोहयामासु निर्मलां भवनं हरेः
They cut the noose and, placing her purified self in a divine chariot, they made her ascend to the abode of Hari.
गता तैर्वेष्टिता साथ दुर्ल्लभं निर्जरैः शुभम् । विष्णोर्दिवसमाहात्म्यं कथितं ते द्विजर्षभ
Escorted by them, she reached that auspicious place, difficult even for the immortals to attain. Thus, O best of Brahmins, the greatness of Vishnu's day has been told.
अनिच्छयापि यः कुर्यात्स याति हरिमंदिरम् । एकादश्यादिने मर्त्यो दीपं दातुं हरेर्गृहे
Even one who performs it unwillingly attains the abode of Hari—if, on the day of Ekadashi, a mortal offers a lamp in the house of Hari.
गच्छेत्प्रतिपदं सोऽपि चाश्वमेधफलाधिकम् । शृण्वंति च पुराणानि पठंति च हरेर्दिने । प्रत्यक्षरं लभंते ते कपिलादानजं फलम्
He attains, step by step, a result greater than that of an Ashvamedha sacrifice. Those who listen to or recite the Puranas on the day of Hari obtain, for each syllable, the merit arising from the gift of Kapila cows.
शौनक उवाच । कर्मणा केन भोः सूत चैनसां संक्षयो भवेत् । श्रीहरेश्च कृपा भूयात्तद्वदस्वानुकंपया
Shaunaka said: By what action, O Suta, can the destruction of sins occur? And how may the mercy of Shri Hari be obtained? Please tell this out of compassion.
सूत उवाच । शृणु शौनक वक्ष्यामि शृण्वतां पापनाशनम् । येन विष्णोः कृपा स्याद्वै वृजिनक्षयकारिणी
Suta said: Listen, O Shaunaka, I will tell you that which destroys sins for those who hear it, and by which the grace of Vishnu, the remover of sins, is obtained.
पौर्णमास्यां तु यो विप्र भक्तिभावसमन्वितः । कुर्य्यान्नानाविधानेन सपर्य्यां श्रीजगद्विभोः
O Brahmin, whoever, filled with devotion, performs worship of the Lord of the universe on the full moon day, in various ways,
कलुषं तस्य नश्येत कोटिजन्मार्जितं मुने । तस्मिन्श्रीरमणस्यास्य कृपा जाता भवेद्ध्रुवम्
His impurity, accumulated over millions of births, is destroyed, O sage; and the compassion of Shri Ramaṇa is certainly bestowed upon him.
द्वादश्यामन्नदानं यो भक्त्या कुर्याद्द्विजातये । तस्य नश्यंति पापानि तमांसी वारुणोदये
Whoever gives food to a Brahmin with devotion on Dvadashi, his sins are destroyed as darkness is dispelled at sunrise.
यो नरः श्रीहरिं कुर्यात्स्नपनं पयसा द्विज । तत्प्रीतिः श्रीहरेः सद्यो द्वादश्यां शर्करादिभिः
O Brahmin, a man who bathes Shri Hari with milk on Dvadashi, with sugar and other offerings, immediately attains the pleasure of Shri Hari.
मंत्रं विना तु यो विप्र दद्याच्छ्रीहरये किल । पाषाणसदृशं पुष्पं दाता याति अधोगतिम्
O Brahmin, one who gives to Śrī Hari without reciting the mantra, offers flowers as if they were stones, and the giver descends to a lower state.
क्ष्मासुराय च मूर्खाय पाषाणसदृशं तु यत् । दद्याद्दानं नरो यो वै तस्य पुण्यं न विद्यते
If a man gives a gift to the earth-demon or to a fool, and that gift is like a stone, he gains no merit from it.
विद्याहीनो द्विजो मोहाद्दानं गृह्णाति मूढधीः । कालानलं यथा जीर्णं तेन स निरयं व्रजेत्
A twice-born who lacks knowledge and, out of delusion, accepts a gift with a dull mind, is like one who swallows aged fire; by this, he goes to hell.
यथा दारुमयो हस्ती मृगश्चित्रमयो यथा । विद्याहीनो द्विजो विप्र त्रयस्ते नामधारकाः
Just as an elephant made of wood or a deer made of painted cloth, so too is a Brahmin without knowledge; all three are merely bearers of a name.
यथाध्वनिस्थितं वारि पवनार्केण शुद्ध्यति । भक्त्या तु पार्षदं दृष्ट्वा तस्य नश्यति कल्मषम्
Just as water on the road is purified by wind and sun, so too, by seeing the attendant with devotion, one's sin is destroyed.
यो नरश्चाश्विने मासि सघृतान्पूर्णिमा दिने । दद्याच्छ्रीहरये लाजान्क्रीडार्थं तु वराटिकाम्
Whoever, on the full moon day in the month of Āśvina, gives roasted rice mixed with ghee to Śrī Hari for play, along with a coin,
भक्त्या याति हरेः स्थानं पुनरावृत्तिवर्जितः । न दद्याद्यो नरो मोहात्तस्मिन्न तुष्टिदो हरिः
With devotion, he attains the abode of Hari, free from return; but if a man gives out of delusion, Hari is not pleased by it.
वराटिकां यावतीं यो हरये पौर्णिमादिने । तावद्दिनं हरेः स्थानं चाश्विने संवसेद्ध्रुवम्
As many coins as one gives to Hari on the full moon day, for that many days he surely resides in Hari's abode in Āśvina.
करवीरपुरे ह्यासीत्पुरा शूद्रोऽपि निर्द्दयः । कालद्विजो द्विजश्रेष्ठ नाम्ना पापी भयंकरः
In the city of Karavīra, there once lived a cruel Śūdra named Kāladvija, O best of Brahmins, a sinful and terrifying man.
स्वकार्यनिरतः सोऽपि स्वामिकार्यप्रणाशकः । एकदा पंचतां यातो यमदूता भयंकराः
He was absorbed in his own affairs and destroyed his master's work; one day, he died, and the terrifying messengers of Yama came.
आगतास्तं समानेतुं यमस्यतु निकेतनम् । बद्ध्वा निन्युश्च तं दृष्ट्वा पृष्टवान्सचिवं यमः
They arrived to take him to Yama's abode; binding him, they led him away, and seeing him, Yama questioned his minister.
यम उवाच । अस्य किं विद्यतेऽमात्य कर्मापि च शुभाशुभम् । कथयस्व समूलं तु चित्रगुप्त विचक्षण
Yama said: What deeds, good or bad, does this one have, O wise Citragupta? Tell me everything in detail.
चित्रगुप्त उवाच। असौ पापी दुराचारः स्वामिकार्यप्रणाशकः । नास्ति पुण्यं चाणुमात्रं नरके परिपच्यताम्
Citragupta said: He is sinful, of bad conduct, and a destroyer of his master's work; he has not even a particle of merit—let him be cooked in hell.
शतमन्वन्तरं राजन्नागयोनौ च निष्ठुरः । पाषाणे जन्म चासाद्य गृहे स्थातुं निरंतरम्
For a hundred manvantaras, O king, he will be harsh in the serpent form, and after gaining birth as a stone, he must remain in the house continually.
सूत उवाच । तावत्कालं ततो विप्र निरये स पपात ह । ततोऽप्यश्मगृहे नागयोनौ जातः सुदुःखितः
Sūta said: For that time, O Brahmin, he fell into hell; then, in a stone house, he was born in the serpent form, suffering greatly.
एकदा चाश्विने मासि पौर्णमासीदिने द्विज । लाजान्वराटिका नागो बिलात्प्राक्षेपयद्बहिः
Once, O Brahmin, in the month of Āśvina, on the full moon day, the serpent threw out roasted rice and a coin from his hole.