सूत उवाच। राधाकृष्णप्रिये चौर्जे प्रातःस्नानं समाचरेत् । राधादामोदरं भक्त्या कुर्यात्पूजां समाहिता
Sūta said: For those dear to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, one should bathe in the morning; with devotion, one should worship Rādhā and Dāmodara with concentration.
त्यक्त्वामिषादिकं ब्रह्मन्पतिसेवापरायणा । सा याति श्रीहरेः स्थानं गोलोकाख्यं सुदुर्ल्लभम्
Abandoning meat and the like, O Brāhmaṇa, devoted to serving the Lord, she attains the abode of Śrī Hari, called Goloka, which is extremely rare.
राधादामोदराभ्यां या धूपदीपं तु कार्तिके । दद्यात्सा भवनं विष्णोर्याति वै त्यक्तपातकाः
Whoever offers incense and a lamp to Rādhā and Dāmodara in the month of Kārtika, such a person, freed from sins, attains the abode of Viṣṇu.
योषिद्या कार्त्तिके विप्र दद्याद्वस्त्रं निकेतने । राधादामोदराभ्यां तु वसेत्सा श्रीहरेश्चिरम्
O brāhmaṇa, a woman who, in Kārtika, gives cloth in her home to Rādhā and Dāmodara, dwells with Śrī Hari for a long time.
राधादामोदराभ्यां सा पुष्पं माल्यं सुवासितम् । कार्तिके मासि सा दद्याद्याति वैकुंठमंदिरम्
She who offers fragrant flowers and garlands to Rādhā and Dāmodara in the month of Kārtika goes to the mansion of Vaikuṇṭha.
गंधं या चापि नैवेद्यं दद्याद्वै शर्करादिकम् । राधादामोदराभ्यां सा गच्छेद्वै विष्णुमंदिरम्
She who gives fragrance, food offerings, or things like sugar to Rādhā and Dāmodara goes to the temple of Viṣṇu.
यत्किंचिद्यच्छति ब्रह्मन्कार्तिके च द्विजातये । राधादामोदरप्रीत्यै तस्याः पुण्याक्षयं भवेत्
O brāhmaṇa, whatever is given in Kārtika to a twice-born for the pleasure of Rādhā and Dāmodara, for her, the merit does not diminish.
या नारी कार्तिके भक्त्या राधादामोदरं द्विज । प्रातः सपर्यां सा याति न कुर्य्यान्निरयं चिरम्
O brāhmaṇa, a woman who worships Rādhā and Dāmodara with devotion in the morning during Kārtika does not go to hell for long.
कदाचिज्जन्मभूमौ सा विधवा प्रति जन्मनि । भवेच्चासाद्य पूर्व्वं वै चाप्रिया स्वामिनोऽपि च
In every birth, she is born a widow in her native land, and previously, she is also unloved by her husband.
पुरा त्रेतायुगे विप्र वृषलो नाम शंकरः । सौराष्ट्रदेशवासी च तस्य जाया कलिप्रिया
O brāhmaṇa, formerly in the Tretā age, there was a man named Śaṃkara, a Śūdra living in the land of Saurāṣṭra; his wife was Kalipriyā.
जाराकांक्षी सदा नाम्ना तृणवन्मन्यते पतिम् । असौ पतिर्न मे योग्यो मे स्वामी परपूरुषः
Always desiring another man, by name, she regarded her husband as mere grass: 'This husband is not fit for me; my lord is another man.'
इति मत्वा सदा तस्मै चोच्छिष्टं तु ददाति वै । नीचसंगान्महामूढा मद्यमांसं चखाद ह
Thinking thus always, she would give him her leftovers; deluded by base company, she ate liquor and meat.
स्वामिनो भर्त्सनां नित्यं कुर्यात्कामं तु निष्ठुरा । पादरज्जुर्भवेच्चासौ कस्माद्वै न मृतोऽपि च
Harsh as she wished, she constantly scolded her husband; she became the dust of his feet—why did she not die?
मृते तस्मिन्नहं भोगं करिष्यामि यदृच्छया । विचार्येति हृदा मूढा जारेणैकेन सा तदा
She, deluded, thought in her heart: 'When he dies, I will enjoy as I please with my lover.'
अन्यदेशं गमिष्यावः संकेतमकरोद्द्विज । सुप्तस्य स्वामिनो रात्रौ चासिना तद्गलं द्विज
She made an arrangement with her lover to go to another place, and at night, while her husband slept, she cut his throat with a knife.
छित्त्वा जारकृते सापि संकेतस्य स्थलं गता । आगतं जारपुरुषं द्वीपिना भक्षितं द्विज
After killing him for her lover, she went to the appointed place; but, O brāhmaṇa, a tiger devoured her lover when he arrived.
दृष्ट्वा सा रोदनं कृत्वा मूर्च्छिता निपपात ह । चिरादाश्वस्य सा मूढा करुणं विललाप ह
Seeing this, she wept and fell down unconscious; after a long time, regaining her senses, the deluded woman lamented piteously.
कलिप्रियोवाच। स्वकीयं स्वामिनं हत्वा चागता परपूरुषम् । तं जारं स्वामिनं दैवात्शार्दूलो भक्षयन्मम । किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि विधात्रा वंचितास्म्यहम्
Kalipriyā said: 'Having killed my own husband, I came to another man; but by fate, a tiger ate my lover, my husband. What shall I do, where shall I go? I have been deceived by destiny.'
सूत उवाच। ततः कलिप्रिया ब्रह्मनागता स्वगृहं प्रति । लपने स्वामिनो दत्वा मुखं च विललाप सा
Sūta said: Then, O brāhmaṇa, Kalipriyā returned to her own house; giving her husband's head to her mouth, she lamented.
कलिप्रियोवाच। हा नाथ किं कृतं कर्म्म मया हंतातिदारुणम् । कं लोकं वा गमिष्यामि वद स्वामिन्मनाग्गिरम्
Kalipriyā said: 'Alas, master, what terrible deed have I done, having killed you? To what world shall I go? Speak, O husband, even in thought or word.'
भर्त्सनां तु यथाकामं कुर्य्याच्चाहं सुनिंदिता । किंचिन्न वदसि स्वामिन्नेनो यन्मे न विद्यते
I would rebuke as I wished, and though I was harshly criticized, I said nothing, O master, for I have no fault.
सूत उवाच। ननाम चरणे तस्य गतान्यनगरं प्रति । तत्र प्रविष्टा सा योषिद्दृष्ट्वा पुण्यजनान्बहून्
Sūta said: She bowed at his feet and departed toward another city; there, upon entering, that woman saw many virtuous people.
ऊर्जे स्नानपरान्प्रातर्नर्मदायां च वैष्णवान् । तत्र नद्यां स्त्रियश्चापि राधादामोदरं द्विज
She saw, O brāhmaṇa, many Vaiṣṇavas bathing in the Narmadā at dawn during the month of Ūrja, and women as well, worshipping Rādhā and Dāmodara.
सपर्यां च कृतां चैव शंखनादैर्महोत्सवैः । गंधपुष्पैर्धूपदीपैर्वस्त्रैर्नानाविधैः फलैः
She saw worship being performed with great festivals, with the sound of conches, with scents, flowers, incense, lamps, garments, and various kinds of fruits.
मुखवासैर्भक्तियुक्ता दृष्ट्वा सा विनयान्विता । पप्रच्छ ब्रूत यूयं मे किमेतत्क्रियते स्त्रियः
Seeing them, filled with devotion and sweet fragrance in their mouths, she, humble, asked: 'Please tell me, what is it that you women are doing here?'
स्त्रिय ऊचुः - सर्वमासोत्तमे चोर्जे राधादामोदरौ शुभौ । पूजां कृत्वा वयं मातः सर्वपापहरां शुभाम्
The women said: 'In the auspicious month of Ūrja, we worship Rādhā and Dāmodara, O mother, performing a holy worship that removes all sins.'
कोटिजन्मार्जितं पापं नष्टं प्राप्तं निकेतनम् । सपर्य्यामामिषं त्यक्त्वा कृत्वा सा च हरेर्द्दिने
Sins accumulated over millions of births are destroyed and the home is purified, when one performs this worship on the day of Hari, having renounced animal offerings.
निधनत्वं पौर्णमास्यां गता सा निर्मला द्विज । किंकराश्चागतास्तूर्णं यमस्य निलयं प्रति
On the full moon, O brāhmaṇa, she died, pure; then Yama's servants quickly arrived at her abode.
नेतुं तां क्रोधसंयुक्ता बबंधुश्चर्मरज्जुभिः । तदागता विष्णुदूता विमानं स्वर्णनिर्मितम्
To take her, they, filled with anger, bound her with leather straps; then the messengers of Viṣṇu arrived, with an airplane made of gold.
शंखचक्रगदापद्मधारिणो वनमालिनः । निजघ्नुश्चक्रधाराभिर्यमदूताः पलायिताः
Wearing garlands and bearing conch, discus, mace, and lotus, they struck the servants of Yama with streams from their discus, and the Yama-dūtas fled.