यो नरः पुस्तकं दद्याद्भक्तिश्रद्धासमन्वितः । प्रतिवर्णं लभेत्पुण्यं कपिलाकोटिदानजम्
A man who gives a book with devotion and faith obtains, for each syllable, the merit equal to the gift of ten million cows.
मधुदो गुडदश्चैव मर्त्यो यातीक्षुसागरम् । लवणप्रदो नरो याति वारुणं लोकमेव च
A mortal who gives honey or jaggery goes to the ocean of sugarcane; a man who gives salt goes to the world of Varuna.
सर्वेषामेव दानानामन्नं वारि द्विजोत्तम । तत्त्वज्ञैर्मुनिभिः सर्वैः प्रवरं वै प्रकीर्त्तितम्
Of all gifts, O best of twice-born, food and water have been declared by all wise sages who know the truth to be the foremost.
अन्नं वारि द्विजश्रेष्ठ येन दत्तं महीतले । तेन दत्तानि दानानि सर्वाणि च द्विजर्षभ
O best of Brahmins, by whomever food and water are given upon the earth, O bull among twice-born, it is as if all gifts have been given by that person.
अन्नदो यो नरो विप्र प्राणदश्च प्रकीर्त्तितः । तस्मात्समस्तदानानामन्नदो लभते फलम्
O Brahmin, the man who gives food is called a giver of life; therefore, among all gifts, the giver of food obtains the highest fruit.
यथाचान्नं तथा वारि द्वे तुल्ये च प्रकीर्त्तिते । वारिणा च विना चान्नं सिद्धं न स्याद्द्विजोत्तम
Just as with food, so with water—both are declared to be equal; without water, O best of twice-born, food does not become complete.
क्षुधा तृषा द्विज व्याघ्र द्वे च तुल्ये प्रकीर्त्तिते । अतश्चान्नं च तोयं च श्रेष्ठं प्रोक्तं बुधैरपि
Hunger and thirst, O Brahmin, are both said to be equal; therefore, food and water are also declared by the wise to be the best.
अन्नदानं क्षितौ ब्रह्मन्ये कुर्वंति नरोत्तमाः । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्ता गच्छंति हरिमंदिरम्
Those noble men who give food on earth to the worthy, freed from all sins, go to the abode of Hari.
यावंत्यन्नानि भो विप्र यच्छति क्षितिमंडले । ब्रह्महत्याश्च तावंत्यो नश्यंत्येव तपोधन
O Brahmin, as many meals as one gives on the earth, just so many acts of Brahmin-slaying are destroyed, O possessor of austerity.
यच्छतां चान्नदानानि शरीराणि च पातकम् । गात्राणि गृह्णतां त्यक्त्वा सहसा यांति शौनक
For those who give gifts of food, O Shaunaka, the sins attached to their bodies depart at once, leaving their limbs.
अतः पापिष्ठ चान्नानि न गृह्णंति मनीषिणः । गृह्णंति मोहाद्ये मूढा भवंति पापभागिनः
Therefore, O most sinful, the wise do not accept food from the wicked; those who accept it out of delusion, being fools, become sharers in sin.
कुर्याद्भूमिष्ठमुदकं चैकं भो द्विजसत्तम । सर्वपापैर्विनिर्मुक्तो व्रजेत्स हरिमंदिरम्
O best of twice-born, one should offer even a single vessel of water placed upon the earth; being freed from all sins, he goes to the abode of Hari.
प्रयत्नेन द्विजश्रेष्ठ कर्त्तव्यो धनसंचयः । संचितं च धनं ब्रह्मन्दानकर्मणि विक्षिपेत्
With effort, O best of Brahmins, one should accumulate wealth, and the wealth thus gathered should be devoted to acts of giving to the Brahman.
रणंति ये च कार्पण्याद्धनं ते चातिदुःखिनः । अंते सर्वधनं त्यक्वा निःस्वा गच्छंति भो मुने
Those who, out of miserliness, hoard their wealth, are exceedingly unhappy; in the end, abandoning all their riches, they depart from this world destitute, O sage.
मानवा ये सदा दानं दत्त्वा दत्त्वा दरिद्रति । दरिद्रास्तेन विज्ञेया नरलोके महेश्वराः
Those men who, having given and given in charity, always become poor—know them to be poor in the world of men, O great lords.
परलोके द्विजव्याघ्र साधुसंयमवर्जिते । निर्दये बंधुहीने च न दत्तं नोपतिष्ठते
O tiger among twice-born, in the next world, where there is no good conduct, no compassion, and no relatives, what has not been given does not stand by one.
स्थिते धने नरो यो वै नाश्नाति न ददाति सः । दरिद्र इव विज्ञेयः प्रेत्य निश्वासमुत्सृजेत्
A man who, though possessing wealth, neither enjoys it nor gives it, should be regarded as poor; after death, he departs with a sigh.
तपसोऽपि वरं दानं प्रोक्तं च तत्त्वदर्शिभिः । अतो यत्नाद्द्विजश्रेष्ठ दानकर्म समाचरेत्
Charity is said by those who see the truth to be superior even to austerity; therefore, O best of Brahmins, one should diligently perform acts of giving.
दाता दानं न दद्याद्वै समुत्सृज्य द्विजातये । स याति निरयं घोरं सर्वजंतुभयावहम्
If a donor, having resolved to give, does not give charity to a Brahmin, he goes to a dreadful hell, terrifying to all beings.
दानं दाता प्रतिग्राही न स्मरेच्च न याचते । निरये चोभयोर्वासो यावच्चंद्र दिवाकरौ
The donor and the recipient of charity should neither remember nor ask about it; otherwise, both dwell in hell as long as the moon and sun endure.
ब्रह्महत्यादि पापानि यानि वै द्विजसत्तम । तानि दानेन हन्यंते तस्माद्दानं समाचरेत्
O best of twice-born, sins such as killing a Brahmin and others are destroyed by giving; therefore, one should practice charity.
शौनक उवाच। श्रीपदं विष्णुचरितं सर्वोपद्रवनाशनम् । सर्वपापक्षयकरं दुष्टग्रहनिवारणम्
Śaunaka said: The glorious abode, the deeds of Viṣṇu, destroy all calamities, bring about the end of all sins, and ward off evil influences.
विष्णुसान्निध्यदं चैव चतुर्वर्गफलप्रदम् । यः शृणोति नरो भक्त्या चांते याति हरेर्गृहम्
It brings the presence of Viṣṇu and grants the fruits of the four aims of life; whoever listens with devotion, at the end, attains the house of Hari.
नामोच्चारणमाहात्म्यं श्रूयते महदद्भुतम् । यदुच्चारणमात्रेण नरो यायात्परं पदम्
The greatness of uttering the Name is heard to be vast and wondrous; by merely uttering it, a person attains the supreme state.
तद्वदस्वाधुना सूत विधानं नामकीर्तने । सूत उवाच। शृणु शौनक वक्ष्यामि संवादं मोक्षसाधनम्
Therefore, tell us now, Sūta, the method of chanting the Name. Sūta said: Listen, Śaunaka, I will speak of the dialogue that is the means to liberation.
नारदः पृष्टवान्पूर्वं कुमारं तद्वदामि ते । एकदा यमुनातीरे निविष्टं शांतमानसम्
Nārada previously questioned Kumāra; I will tell you that. Once, on the bank of the Yamunā, he sat with a tranquil mind.
सनत्कुमारं पप्रच्छ नारदो रचिताञ्जलि । श्रुत्वा नानाविधान्धर्मान्धर्मव्यतिकरांस्तथा
Nārada, with folded hands, questioned Sanatkumāra, having heard various dharmas and their transgressions.
श्रीनारद उवाच। योऽसौ भगवता प्रोक्तो धर्मव्यतिकरो नृणाम् । कथं तस्य विनाशः स्यादुच्यतां भगवत्प्रिय
Śrī Nārada said: That transgression of dharma among men, spoken of by the Blessed One—how can its destruction occur? Tell me, O beloved of the Lord.
श्रीसनत्कुमार उवाच। शृणु नारद गोविंद प्रिय गोविंदधर्मवित् । यत्पृष्टं लोकनिर्मुक्तिकारणं तमसः परम्
Śrī Sanatkumāra said: Listen, Nārada, dear to Govinda, knower of Govinda's dharma; what you have asked is the cause of liberation from the world, the highest beyond darkness.
सर्वाचारविवर्जिताः शठधियो व्रात्या जगद्वञ्चकाः । दंभाहंकृतिपानपैशुनपराः पापाश्च ये निष्ठुराः
Those devoid of all proper conduct, deceitful-minded, outcastes, deceivers of the world, absorbed in hypocrisy, pride, intoxication, slander, and those sinful and harsh—