धात्रीपत्रं कार्तिके च द्वादश्यां तुलसीदलम् । चिनोति यो नरो गच्छेन्निरयं यातनामयम्
Whoever, in Kartika on the twelfth day, gathers dhatri leaves or tulasi leaves, goes to a hell full of torment.
धात्रीछायासु यो विप्र चान्नं भुनक्ति कार्तिके । अन्नसंसर्गजं पापमावर्षं तस्य नश्यति
O Brahmin, whoever eats food in the shade of a dhatri tree during Kartika, the sin arising from contact with food for that year is destroyed.
तुलसीवनमध्ये च धात्रीमूले च कार्तिके । कुर्याद्धर्यर्चनं विप्र वैकुण्ठं याति स ध्रुवम्
O Brahmin, whoever worships Hari in the middle of a grove of tulasi or at the root of an amalaki tree during the month of Kartika, certainly attains Vaikuntha.
तुलसीमूलदेशेऽपि स्थितं वारि द्विजोत्तम । गृह्णाति मस्तके भक्त्या पापी याति हरेर्गृहम्
O best of twice-born, even a sinner who, with devotion, takes water placed at the root of tulasi and touches it to his head, goes to the abode of Hari.
तुलसीपत्रगलितं यस्तोयं शिरसावहेत् । सर्वतीर्थेषु स स्नातश्चांते याति हरेर्गृहम्
Whoever carries on his head water that has washed over tulasi leaves is considered to have bathed in all sacred waters and, at the end, goes to the house of Hari.
पुरा कश्चिद्द्विजश्रेष्ठो द्वापरेऽभून्महामुने । स्नात्वैकदा तुलस्यै स वनं दत्वा गृहं गतः
Once, O great sage, there was a foremost Brahmin in Dvapara Yuga; after bathing, he offered a grove to Tulasi and returned home.
आदित्यो वर्चसा नाम्ना मार्त्तंड इव पुण्यतः । तृषार्तो भक्षकः कश्चिदागतो बहुकल्मषः
A certain man named Varchasa, radiant like the sun and pure in merit, suffering from thirst and burdened with many sins, came there.
तुलस्यामूलतस्तोयं पीत्वा चासौ हतांहसः । त्वरयाप्यागतो व्याधो नाम्ना यश्चासिमर्द्दनः
Drinking water from the root of the tulasi, he was freed from sin; then, in haste, a hunter named Asimardana arrived.
उवाच भुक्तं चान्नं च भुक्त्वा भग्नं गतः किमु । कृत्वा मे पाकभांडस्थं चागतो हिंसकस्य ते
He said, 'You have eaten food and, after eating, why did you leave, breaking the vessel in which you cooked, and come here, O cruel one?'
विव्याध तं गतप्राणं नेतुं वै शमनाज्ञया । आगताः किंकराः क्रुद्धाः पाशमुद्गरपाणयः
He struck him, and as his life departed, the angry servants of Yama arrived, holding nooses and clubs, to take him away by the order of the Lord of Death.
बद्ध्वा नेतुं मनश्चक्रुरागता विष्णुकिंकराः । तदा छित्त्वा चर्मपाशं स्यंदने तं मनोहरे
Binding him to take him away, the servants of Vishnu arrived; then, cutting the leather noose, they placed him on a beautiful chariot.
तूर्णमारोहयामासुः पप्रच्छुर्विनयान्विताः । तेऽपि पुण्येन भोः संतः केन वै नीयतेऽप्यसौ
Quickly they made him ascend and, with respect, asked, 'O virtuous ones, by what merit is this person being taken away?'
ऊचुस्तेऽसौ पुरा राजा पुण्यं बहुतरं कृतम् । अकरोद्धरणं कांचित्सुंदरीं चांगनामयम्
They said, 'He was once a king who performed great merit; he rescued a beautiful woman from distress.'
अनेन चांहसा राजा गतो वै शमनक्षयम् । तत्रक्लेशं तु युष्माभिर्दत्तं वै शमनाज्ञया
Because of that sin, the king went to the abode of Yama; there, by Yama's order, you inflicted suffering upon him.
ताम्रमय्यास्त्रियासार्द्धं क्रीडां सुप्त्वा चकार सः । तप्तायां लोहशय्यायां वैक्लव्यं कर्मणा नृप
He played with a woman made of copper and, lying with her on a heated iron bed, the king suffered the consequences of his actions.
तप्तायोभीषणं तप्तं लोहस्तंभं यमाज्ञया । ततः स्थितः समालिंग्य भुक्त्वा दुःखं चिरं नृपः
By Yama's command, he embraced a terrifying, heated iron pillar and remained there, enduring great pain for a long time.
सिक्तः क्षारांबुधाराभिरन्यैर्वै शमनालये । ततो नरकशेषे च पापयोनौ मुहुर्मुहुः
He was drenched with streams of caustic liquid by others in the house of Yama, and then, repeatedly, he was born in sinful wombs in the remaining hells.
जन्मासाद्य चिरं दुःखमनुभूतं स्वकर्मणा । तुलसीमूलकं वारि पीत्वा याति हरेर्गृहम्
After taking birth, he experienced long-lasting suffering as a result of his own actions; but by drinking water from the root of tulasi, he goes to the house of Hari.
इदानीं तद्वचः श्रुत्वा गतादूता यथागताः । तेन सार्द्धं विष्णुदूता गता वैकुंठमंदिरम्
Now, hearing these words, the messengers of Yama departed as they had come, and together with him, the messengers of Vishnu went to the abode of Vaikuntha.
माहात्म्यं कथितं ब्रह्मन्तुलस्याः पापनाशनम् । कुर्वंति सेवां ये भक्त्या न जाने किं भवेन्मुने
O Brahma, the greatness of tulasi, the destroyer of sin, has been described; those who serve her with devotion—I do not know what they will not attain, O sage.
शौनक उवाच। कथयस्व मुने सूत माहात्म्यं कलुषक्षयम् । शेषपंचदिनस्यापि कार्त्तिकस्यानुकंपया
Shaunaka said: O sage Suta, please tell me the greatness that destroys impurity, out of compassion, even for the last five days of Kartika.
सूत उवाच। शृणु शौनक यत्पृष्टं माहात्म्यं पापनाशनम् । वक्ष्याम्यहं वै चोर्जस्य शेषपंचदिनस्य च
Suta said: Hear, O Shaunaka, the greatness you have asked about, which destroys sin; I will now speak of the virtue of the last five days.
व्रतानां मुनिशार्दूल प्रवरं विष्णुपंचकम् । तस्मिन्यः पूजयेद्भक्त्या श्रीहरिं राधया सह
Among vows, O tiger among sages, the foremost is the Vishnu Panchaka; whoever worships Shri Hari with Radha in devotion during this time—
गंधपुष्पैर्धूपदीपैर्वस्त्रैर्नानाविधैः फलैः । स याति विष्णुसदनं सर्वपापविवर्जितः
—with scents, flowers, incense, lamps, cloths, and various kinds of fruits, he attains the abode of Vishnu, freed from all sin.
ब्रह्मचारी गृहस्थो वा वानप्रस्थोऽथवा यतिः । न प्राप्नोति परं स्थानमकृत्वा विष्णुपंचकम्
Whether a student, householder, forest-dweller, or ascetic, none attains the supreme state without performing the Vishnu Panchaka.
सर्वपापहरं पुण्यं विख्यातं विष्णुपंचकम् । तत्र स्नानं तु यः कुर्यात्सर्वतीर्थफलं लभेत्
The Vishnu Panchaka is renowned as the remover of all sin and bestower of merit; whoever bathes during it gains the fruit of all sacred waters.
श्रीहरेः पुरतो विप्र तुलस्याश्च समीपतः । प्रदीपं सर्पिषा पूर्णं दद्याद्यो भक्तिभावतः
In front of Shri Hari, near the sacred Tulasi, whoever offers a lamp filled with ghee in devotion—
नभसि श्रीहरेः प्रीत्यै याति स विष्णुमंदिरम् । पापी याति हरेर्धाम सत्यमेतन्मयोदितम्
—for the pleasure of Shri Hari in the sky, he goes to Vishnu's temple; even a sinner attains Hari's abode—this is truly spoken by me.
स्नापयेच्चाच्युतं भक्त्या मधुक्षीरघृतादिभिः । दद्यात्किं नो हरिः प्रीतस्तस्मै साधुजनाय वै
One should bathe Achyuta with honey, milk, ghee, and the like in devotion; what would Hari, pleased, not grant to such a virtuous person?
नैवेद्यं देवदेवेशं परमान्नं निवेदयेत् । तस्य पुण्यं प्रसंख्यातुं न शक्तो वै चतुर्मुखः
One should offer the supreme food as oblation to the Lord of gods; even the four-faced Brahma cannot enumerate the merit gained thereby.