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—
आगता ज्ञातयः क्रुद्धास्तस्य पापपरायणम् । ज्ञातय ऊचुः। रे रे मूढ दुराचार विनाशं प्रतिनीयते । या प्रतिष्ठार्जिता पूर्वैरस्माकं निर्मलेऽन्वये
The relatives, having arrived and angered at his devotion to sin, spoke: 'Hey, you fool of evil conduct, you bring about the destruction of the pure lineage and the honor earned by our ancestors.'
इति क्रुद्धा द्विजश्रेष्ठ अपकीर्तिभयादपि । पापिनां प्रवरं सर्वे तत्यजुस्तं कुलादरम्
Thus, enraged and fearing disgrace, O best of twice-born, all abandoned that most sinful one, the disgrace of the family.
ततो गतो महारण्यं विनष्टाखिल वैभवः । कुर्यात्स दस्युभिः सार्द्धं दस्युकर्म निरंतरम्
Then, having lost all his wealth, he went to a great forest and continually engaged in the deeds of bandits together with them.
पथि प्रगच्छतां तेषां भयाद्विप्र न खादितुम् । प्राप्तं किंचित्क्षुधार्त्तास्ते गताश्चान्य स्थलं प्रति
While traveling on the road, out of fear, O Brahmin, they could not eat anything they obtained, though tormented by hunger, and so they went to another place.
तत्र प्रविष्टास्ते सर्वे दृष्ट्वा पुण्यजनान्बहून् । धात्रीमूले स्थितान्ब्रह्मन्वैष्णवान्द्विजसत्तमान्
There, having entered, they all saw many virtuous people—Brahmins devoted to Vishnu—standing at the root of a tree.
सर्वे ते दस्यवो विप्र गता दंडकरोऽपि सः । तेषां परिसरं गत्वा प्रणामं वै चकार ह
All those bandits, along with Dandaka, approached their vicinity and offered their respects.
दंडकर उवाच। क्षुधार्तोऽहं द्विजश्रेष्ठाः प्राणा यास्यंति मे ध्रुवम् । ददध्वं खादितुं किंचिद्युष्माकं शरणं गतः
Dandaka said: 'I am hungry, O best of Brahmins; surely my life will depart. Give me something to eat, for I have come to you for refuge.'
आकर्ण्य वचनं तस्य चोचुस्ते धर्मतत्पराः । सर्वपापहरे त्वं च विख्याते विष्णुपंचके
Hearing his words, those devoted to righteousness spoke: 'You are renowned as the destroyer of all sins in the famous group of Vishnu's devotees.'
कथमन्नं खादितुं ते वांछा त्वद्य हरेर्दिने । विशेषं ते ब्रूहि संज्ञा काते भवति सांप्रतम्
'How is it that today, on the day of Hari, you desire to eat food? Tell us clearly what is your present state.'
स उवाच मुदा विप्रा नाम्ना दंडकरोप्यहम् । सर्वपापसमायुक्तश्चोद्धारो मे कथं भवेत्
He said joyfully: 'O Brahmins, I am also called Dandaka by name, filled with all sins. How can I be delivered?'