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.
अर्चयित्वा हृषीकेशमेकादश्यां समाहितः । निष्प्राप्य गोमयं सम्यक्मंत्रवत्समुपासते
Having worshipped Hrishikesha with concentration on Ekadashi, one should properly serve him with cow dung, accompanied by mantras.
गोमूत्रं मंत्रवद्भूयो द्वादश्यां प्राशयेद्व्रती । क्षीरं तथा त्रयोदश्यां चतुर्दश्यां तथा दधि
On Dvadashi, the vow-holder should again take cow urine with mantras; on Trayodashi, milk; and on Chaturdashi, curd.
संप्राप्य पापशुद्ध्यर्थं लंघयित्वा चतुर्दिनम् । पंचमे तु दिने स्नात्वा विधिवत्पूज्य केशवम्
Having observed four days for purification from sin, on the fifth day, after bathing and properly worshipping Keshava—
भोजयेद्ब्राह्मणान्भक्त्या तेभ्यो दद्याच्च दक्षिणाम् । ततो नक्तं समश्नीयात्पंचगव्यं सुमंत्रितम्
—one should feed Brahmins with devotion and give them gifts; then one should eat at night the panchagavya, well sanctified with mantras.
एवं कर्तुमशक्तो यः फलमूलं च भोजनम् । कुर्याद्धविष्यं वा विप्र यथोक्तविधिना ह वै
If one is unable to do this, O Brahmin, one may eat fruits and roots, or havisya food, as prescribed by the proper method.
श्रीहरेः पंचकं विप्र कुर्याद्यस्तुलसीदलैः । पूजयेत्तं स विज्ञेयः स्वयं नारायणः प्रभुः
O Brahmin, whoever performs the Panchaka of Shri Hari with Tulasi leaves, should be known as the Lord Narayana himself.
पुरा त्रेतायुगे शूद्रो दस्युवृत्तिपरायणः । नाम्ना दंडकरो नित्यं धर्मनिंदां करोति यः
Once, in the Treta age, there was a Shudra named Dandaka, devoted to the ways of thieves, who always reviled dharma.
असत्यभाषी मित्रघ्नो वेश्याविभ्रम लोलुपः । ब्रह्मस्वहारी क्रूरश्च परस्त्रीगमने रतः
He spoke falsehood, killed friends, was lustful for prostitutes, stole sacred property, was cruel, and engaged in intercourse with others' wives.
शरणागतहंता च पाखंडजनसंगभाक् । गोमांसाशी सुरापश्च परनिंदाकरः सदा
One who kills those seeking refuge, associates with heretics, eats beef, drinks liquor, and always engages in slander—
विश्वासघाती ज्ञातीनां वृत्तिच्छेदी द्विजोत्तम । दुष्टं सर्वे समालोक्य तादृशं तद्गृहे द्विजः
One who betrays the trust of relatives, destroys their means of livelihood, O best of twice-born, seeing such a wicked person, all the relatives—