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.
पतिता सा हरेरग्रे पापमस्य स्वयं हरिः । तूर्णं तु नाशयामास दयालुर्दुःखनाशकः
That offering fell before Hari, and the compassionate destroyer of suffering, Hari, swiftly destroyed his sin.
कदाचित्प्राप्तकालस्तु पंचत्वं स जगाम ह । यमदूतास्तमानेतुं चागता बहुशो द्विज
When the destined time arrived, he died, and many messengers of Yama came to take him, O Brahmin.
बद्ध्वा नेतुं यदा चक्रुर्यमस्य सदनं प्रति । तदागता विष्णुदूताः शंखचक्रगदाधराः
When they bound him to take him to the abode of Yama, then the messengers of Viṣṇu arrived, bearing conch, discus, and mace.
पाशं छित्त्वा रथे दिव्ये तमाशुगतकिल्बिषम् । तत्र चारोपयामासुः यमदूताः पलायिताः
Cutting the noose, they placed him, whose sins had swiftly departed, upon a divine chariot; the messengers of Yama fled from there.
ततो निकेतनं विष्णोर्नागस्तैर्वेष्टितो ययौ । तत्र तस्थौ हरेरग्रे पुनरावर्त्तिवर्जितः
Then, encircled by serpents, he went to Viṣṇu’s abode and remained there before Hari, free from rebirth.
भक्त्या यो हरये दद्याल्लाजांश्च सघृतान्द्विज । वराटिकां तस्य पुण्यं न जाने किं भवेद्ध्रुवम्
O twice-born, I do not know what certain merit accrues to one who, with devotion, offers even parched grains mixed with ghee or a small coin to Hari.
य इमं शृणुयाद्विप्र चाध्यायं पापनाशनम् । तस्य नश्यंति पापानि श्रीहरेः कृपयापि च
O brāhmaṇa, whoever hears this chapter, which destroys sin, his sins are destroyed also by the grace of Śrī Hari.
शौनक उवाच। विष्णुपादोदकस्यापि माहात्म्यं पापनाशनम् । कथयस्व महाप्राज्ञ समूलं मे कृपार्णव
Śaunaka said: O ocean of compassion, O most wise one, tell me fully the greatness of Viṣṇu’s foot-water, which destroys sin.
सूत उवाच। समस्तपातकध्वंसि विष्णुपादोदकं शुभम् । कणमात्रं वहेद्यस्तु सर्वतीर्थफलं लभेत्
Sūta said: Viṣṇu’s foot-water, auspicious and destroyer of all sins—whoever carries even a drop of it obtains the fruit of all sacred bathing places.
विष्णुपादोदकं ब्रह्मन्स्पर्शतः पापनाशनम् । अकालमरणं नास्ति गंगास्नानफलं लभेत्
O brāhmaṇa, Viṣṇu’s foot-water, by mere touch, destroys sin; there is no untimely death, and one gains the fruit of bathing in the Gaṅgā.
विष्णुपादोदकं पापी यः पिबेत्तस्य किल्बिषम् । शरीरस्थं क्षयं याति कृतं ब्रह्मन्न संशयः
O brāhmaṇa, if a sinner drinks Viṣṇu’s foot-water, his sins residing in the body are destroyed—of this there is no doubt.
तुलसीपर्णसंयुक्तं विष्णुपादोदकं द्विज । यो वहेच्छिरसा भक्त्या चांते याति हरेर्गृहम्
O twice-born, whoever with devotion carries Viṣṇu’s foot-water, joined with Tulasī leaves, upon his head, at the end attains Hari’s abode.
मेरुतुल्यसुवर्णानि दत्त्वा यत्फलमाप्यते । हरिपादोदकं स्पृष्ट्वा प्राप्यते तत्फलं नरैः
The fruit obtained by giving gold equal to Mount Meru is attained by men through touching Hari’s foot-water.
धेनुकोटिसहस्राणि यत्फलं लभते नरैः । दत्वा पादोदकं स्पृष्ट्वा तत्फलं प्राप्यते ध्रुवम्
The fruit that men gain by giving away ten million cows is certainly attained by touching the foot-water.
यज्ञकोटिसहस्राणि कृत्वा यत्फलमाप्यते । हरिपादोदकं स्पृष्ट्वा तस्मात्कोटिगुणं नरैः
The fruit obtained by performing a thousand million sacrifices is multiplied a crore-fold for men by touching Hari’s foot-water.
कोटिकन्याप्रदानेन यत्फलं लभ्यते जनैः । विष्णुपादोदकं स्पृष्ट्वा फलं तस्माद्द्विजाधिकम्
O twice-born, the fruit that people obtain by giving away a crore of maidens is surpassed by touching Viṣṇu’s foot-water.
दंतिकोटिप्रदानेन सप्तिकोटिप्रदानतः । यत्फलं लभते मर्त्यः स्पृष्ट्वा पादोदकं हरेः
The fruit that a mortal gains by giving away a crore of elephants or seven crores in gifts is certainly attained by touching Hari’s foot-water.
दत्वा मर्त्यः सप्तद्वीपां ससस्यां यत्फलं लभेत् । विष्णुपादोदकं स्पृष्ट्वा तस्माद्विप्राधिकं लभेत्
By giving away the seven islands of the earth with their crops, a mortal gains a certain fruit; by touching Viṣṇu’s foot-water, he gains even more, O brāhmaṇas.
शृणु विप्र प्रवक्ष्यामि संक्षेपेणाधिकं किमु । विष्णुपादोदकं स्पृष्ट्वा पापी याति हरेर्गृहम्
Hear, O brāhmaṇa, I will tell you briefly what is greater: even a sinner, by touching Viṣṇu’s foot-water, goes to Hari’s abode.
शौनक उवाच। स्पृष्ट्वा पीत्वा पुरा केन प्राणिना प्रापि वै गृहम् । कथयस्व हरेः सूत मम त्वं चानुकंपया
Śaunaka said: Tell me, O Sūta, out of compassion, by whom in former times, having touched or drunk it, was Hari’s abode attained?