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?
सूत उवाच। पुरा त्रेतायुगे पापी नाम्ना विप्रः सुदर्शनः । जनार्द्दनदिने नित्यमश्नीयात्स द्विजोत्तम
Sūta said: Long ago, in the Tretā Yuga, there was a sinful brāhmaṇa named Sudarśana, who would eat every day on the day of Janārdana, O best of twice-born.
शास्त्रनिंदाकरो नित्यं व्रतनिंदाकरः सदा । असावन्यं न जानाति केवलं स्वोदरं विना
He constantly reviled the scriptures and always disparaged vows; he recognized no one but himself and cared only for his own belly.
एकदा प्राप्तकालस्तु निधनं प्राप्तवान्द्विज । यमदूताः समायाता बद्ध्वा नीतो यमालयम्
Once, when his time had come, that brāhmaṇa met his death; the messengers of Yama arrived, bound him, and took him to the abode of Yama.
तं दृष्ट्वा यमुनाभ्राता पप्रच्छ सचिवं रुषा । भोऽमात्य चास्य यत्पुण्यं पापं वद समूलतः
Seeing him, the brother of Yamunā angrily questioned his minister: 'O minister, tell me in detail the merits and sins of this one.'
असौ विप्रो महापापी क्रूरकर्म्मेव दृश्यते
This brāhmaṇa is a great sinner and is seen to have committed only cruel deeds.
चित्रगुप्त उवाच। आकर्णय चास्य पापं पुण्यं नास्त्यणुमात्रकम् । वासरेऽपि हरेर्नित्यमकरोद्भोजनं विभो
Citragupta said: Hear now of his sins; he has not even the smallest merit. Yet, O Lord, he ate food every day on the day of Hari.
वासरे कमलाभर्तुश्चाश्नीयाद्यो नराधमः । पुरीषं सोऽश्नीयाद्राजन्निरयं याति दारुणम्
O King, the wretch who eats on the day of the Lotus-eyed Lord should eat excrement and go to a terrible hell.
मन्वंतरशतं देहि स्थानं तु निरयेऽप्यमुम् । ग्रामक्रोडस्य योनौ हि ततो जन्म भविष्यति
Assign him a place in hell for a hundred manvantaras; after that, he will be born from the womb of a village pig.
सूत उवाच। यमाज्ञया ततो विप्र तस्य दूतैर्भयंकरैः । पातितस्तु पुरीषे वै मन्वंतरशताधिकम्
Sūta said: By Yama’s command, the terrifying messengers threw that brāhmaṇa into excrement for more than a hundred manvantaras.
ततो मुक्तोऽभवच्चासौ पृथिव्यां ग्रामसूकरः । चिरं नरकमश्नीयाद्धरिवासरभोजनात्
Then, released from there, he was born on earth as a village pig, and for a long time he ate filth because of eating on Hari’s day.