समासेन समाख्यातं किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि
I have described it in summary; what more do you wish to hear?
ब्राह्मण उवाच- एतन्मूर्खोऽपि जानाति शुभकर्मकरः पुमान् । न याति नरकं स्वर्गं तथा पापक्रिया रतः
The Brahmin said: Even a fool knows that a man who performs good deeds does not go to hell, and one who delights in sinful acts does not attain heaven.
क्रतुभिर्विविधैरिष्टैर्व्रत दान जपादिभिः । सत्येनाचारकुशलैः स्वर्गसौख्यमवाप्यते
Through various sacrifices, offerings, vows, gifts, recitation, and by truth and skill in conduct, the happiness of heaven is attained.
विद्याचारधनोपेतैर्ऋषिभिर्वेदपारगैः । प्राप्यते पुण्ययोगेन यज्ञैर्नाकस्ततः क्वचित्
By sages endowed with learning, good conduct, and wealth, who are versed in the Vedas, heaven is attained through the accumulation of merit, and never otherwise.
वित्तेन च विना दानं बहुदातुं न शक्यते । विद्यमान धनेनापि कुटुंबासक्तचेतसा
Without wealth, it is not possible to give many gifts; and even with wealth, one whose mind is attached to family cannot give.
अग्निहोत्रादयो धर्मा विशेषेण कलौ युगे । दुष्करा दानधर्मोऽपि दुष्करो भगवन्मतः
Rites like Agnihotra and others are especially difficult in the Kali age; even the practice of giving is difficult, O Blessed One, in my opinion.
अल्पायासेन धर्मेण लभ्यते धर्मसंचयः । तन्मे विशेषतो ब्रूहि धर्माधर्मप्रदर्शक
By a small effort in righteousness, a store of merit is obtained; therefore, tell me especially, O revealer of dharma and adharma.
तदेकं कथ्यतां धर्मं सर्वधर्मोत्तमोत्तमम् । कृतेनैकेन येनेह सर्वपापक्षयो भवेत्
Tell me that one supreme dharma, highest among all dharmas, by which, through a single act, all sins here may be destroyed.
धनं धान्यं यशो धर्ममायुर्येनाभि वर्त्तते । मर्त्यलोकेऽपि सख्यं स्यात्स्वर्गो येनाक्षयो भवेत्
By which wealth, grain, fame, righteousness, and long life increase; by which, even in the world of mortals, friendship arises, and by which heaven becomes inexhaustible.
साक्षान्नारायणो येन भक्तानामभयप्रदः । तुष्येदस्यप्रसादेन कामः करतले स्थितः
By which Lord Nārāyaṇa himself grants fearlessness to devotees; by whose grace, desire is as if held in the palm of the hand.
सर्वयज्ञ तपोदानतीर्थसेवाधिकं फलम् । लभ्यते येन यद्यस्ति वैवस्वत तदादिश
By which the highest fruit, greater than all sacrifices, austerities, gifts, and pilgrimages, is obtained—if such exists, O Vaivasvata, declare it.
अनुग्राह्यो ह्यहं देव यदि धर्मोपदेशतः । सर्वधर्मक्रियासारं तदेकं कृपया वद
If I am to be favored by you, O Lord, with instruction in dharma, then out of compassion, tell me that one essence of all dharmic acts.
पापानामनुरूपाणि प्रायश्चित्तानि यद्यथा । तथा तथैव संस्मृत्य कथितानि मनीषिभिः
The expiations are prescribed according to the nature of the sins; thus, the wise have described them, recalling each as appropriate.
कर्तुं तानि न शक्यंते देव प्रत्येकशो नरैः । सर्वपापहरं पुण्यमेकं चेदस्ति तद्वद
O god, people are not able to perform each of these individually; if there is one single meritorious act that removes all sins, please tell it.
सूत उवाच-। इत्युक्त्वा ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठो यमं धर्मस्वरूपिणम् । तुष्टाव प्रयतो भूत्वा सूक्ष्मधर्माभिकामुकः
Sūta said: Having spoken thus, the foremost brāhmaṇa, desiring subtle righteousness, became composed and praised Yama, the embodiment of dharma.
ब्राह्मण उवाच- नमस्ते सर्वशमन नमस्ते जगतांपते । नमोऽस्तु देवरूपाय स्वर्गमार्गप्रदायिने
The brāhmaṇa said: Salutations to you, who bring peace to all; salutations to you, lord of the worlds; salutations to you, who appear as a god and grant the path to heaven.
धर्मशास्त्रस्वरूपाय धर्मराज नमोस्तुते । त्वया भूः पाल्यते देवाप्यंतरिक्षं च द्यौर्महः
Salutations to you, King of Dharma, who are the very form of the scriptures of righteousness; by you, O god, the earth, the heavens, the mid-space, and the great sky are protected.
जनस्तपस्तथासत्यं सर्वस्वं पाल्यते त्वया । न त्वया रहितं किंचिज्जगत्स्थावर जंगमम्
The world of men, the world of ascetics, the world of truth—all are protected by you; there is nothing, whether moving or unmoving in the world, that exists without you.
विद्यते त्वद्गृहीतं तु सद्यो नश्यति वै जगत् । त्वमात्मा सर्वभूतानां सतां सत्वस्वरूपवान्
Whatever is not held by you is immediately destroyed; you are the self of all beings, possessing the true nature of the good.
राजसानां रजस्त्वं च तामसानां तमस्तथा । चतुष्पदां भवान्देव चतुःशृंगस्त्रिलोचनः
You are rajas among those of rajas nature, and likewise tamas among those of tamas nature; O god, you are four-footed, four-horned, and three-eyed.
सप्तहस्तस्त्रिधा बद्धो वृषरूप नमोस्तु ते । सर्वयज्ञमयो धर्मस्त्वयि विग्रहविग्रहः
Salutations to you, bull-formed, with seven hands, bound in three ways; all sacrifice is embodied in dharma, and in you, form takes form.
साक्षाद्दृष्टोसि लोकेश देव तुभ्यं नमोनमः । हृदिस्थः सर्वभूतानां पुण्यपापेक्षिता भवान्
Directly seen, O lord of the world, O god, I bow again and again to you; you dwell in the hearts of all beings, you are sought by those desiring virtue.
तेन शास्ता च भूतानां दाता देव प्रशासिता । प्रवर्त्तको हि धर्मस्य देवदंडधरो भुवि
Therefore, you are the ruler, giver, and governor of beings, O god; you are the initiator of dharma, the divine wielder of the rod on earth.
सर्वधर्ममयं सारमेकं वद सुनिश्चितम् । यम उवाच- परितुष्टोऽस्मि ते विप्र स्तोत्रेण च विशेषतः
Speak with certainty the one essential dharma that contains all righteousness. Yama said: O brāhmaṇa, I am pleased with you, especially with your hymn.
तथाप्यागम धर्मेण मान्योसि मम सत्तम । यन्न कस्यचिदाख्यातं तद्गोप्यं परमं मम
Still, you are respected by me, best of men, because of your adherence to scriptural dharma; what has not been told to anyone, that supreme secret of mine—
सारमुद्धृत्य सर्वेषां यदेकं निश्चितं मया । महानिरयसंघातान्निर्वासनकरं परम्
Having extracted the essence from all, the one thing I have determined, which leads to liberation from the great masses of hell—
अनाख्येयमपि ब्रह्मन्वक्ष्ये विनयतोषितः
Even though it is not to be spoken, O brāhmaṇa, I will declare it to you, pleased by your humility.
स्युर्मोहाय चराचरस्य जगतस्ते ते पुराणागमास्तां तामेव हि देवतां परमिकां जल्पंतु कल्पे विधौ । सिद्धांते पुनरेक एव भगवान्विष्णुः समस्तागम-व्यापारेषु विवेकिनां व्यतिकरं नीतेषु निश्चीयते
Let those ancient scriptures, which are for the delusion of the moving and unmoving world, speak of that supreme deity in the course of creation; but in the final conclusion, it is only the one Lord Viṣṇu who is ascertained by the wise, when all scriptural distinctions are set aside.
भवो ब्रह्मा च विष्णुश्च त्रयमेव त्रयी मता । दीपोऽग्निर्वर्तिस्नेहैस्तु यथा विप्र तथा हरिः
Śiva, Brahmā, and Viṣṇu—these three are considered the triple Veda; just as a lamp consists of flame, wick, and oil, so too is Hari, O brāhmaṇa.
समाराध्य हरिं भक्त्या गोलोकान्प्राप्नुयाच्छुभान् । आराधिते हरौ कामाः सर्वे करतले स्थिताः
By worshipping Hari with devotion, one attains the auspicious worlds of Goloka; when Hari is worshipped, all desires are held in the palm of one's hand.