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.
दानमेव परं श्रेष्ठं सर्वपुण्येषु वै द्विज । दानेन नश्यते पापं सर्वं दानेन लभ्यते
Among all virtuous acts, giving is truly the highest, O twice-born; by giving, all sin is destroyed, and by giving, all is obtained.
नित्यं नैमित्तिकं काम्यमन्यदभ्युदयात्मकम् । अन्यं च परमं दानमिति पंचविधं स्मृतम्
Giving is remembered as fivefold: perpetual, occasional, desire-motivated, for prosperity, and the supreme form of giving.
प्रातर्मध्यापराह्णेषु त्रिषु कालेषु यत्नतः । यत्किंचिदपि दातव्यं नित्यमेव प्रकीर्तितम्
At dawn, midday, and dusk, one should diligently give something, however small; this is always declared as perpetual giving.
शून्यं दिनं न कर्तव्यमात्मार्थं हितमिच्छताम् । यस्मिन्कुले तु दत्तं यत्तत्रतत्रोपतिष्ठति
Those who desire their own welfare should not let a day pass empty for themselves; whatever is given in a family, that benefit arises there.
यः स्वयं भक्षयेन्मोहाददत्वा बुद्धिवर्जितः । उत्पादयाम्यहं रोगं तस्य भोगनिवारणम्
He who, out of delusion and lacking discernment, eats himself without giving, I generate disease for him as an obstacle to his enjoyment.
तेषु कार्येषु संतुष्टं बहुपीडाप्रदायकम् । मंदानलेन संयुक्तं द्वारं संतापकारकम्
For such a person, I create a door of suffering, joined with a slow fire, causing much distress, and bringing dissatisfaction in their actions.
त्रिषु कालेषु नो दत्तं ब्राह्मणेषु सुरेषु यैः । स्वयं तु भुंजते मिष्टं पापं तैस्तु महत्कृतम्
Those who do not give to Brahmins or gods at the three times, but themselves eat delicious food, commit great sin.
प्रायश्चित्तेन रौद्रेण तानहं परिशोधये । उपवासैर्महीदेव कायशोषकरादिकैः
With harsh penances, I purify them—through fasts and other acts that dry up the body, O lord of the earth.
चर्मकारो यथा चर्मकुंडस्योपरि निर्घृणे । शोधयेच्च कशाद्यैश्च कुद्रव्यं स्फोटयेद्यथा
Just as a tanner, without pity, scrapes a hide with a knife, or bursts bad material, so do I purify.
तथाहं पापकर्तारं शोधयामि न संशयः । औषधीनां सुयोगैश्च कषायैः कटुकैर्ध्रुवम्
In the same way, I purify the doer of evil—there is no doubt—using proper medicines and certainly with bitter decoctions.