शंभुं पुराणतत्त्वज्ञं राघवो वाक्यमब्रवीत् । त्वमेव सर्वं जानीषे सर्वधर्मगुहाशयम्
Rāghava spoke to Śambhu, knower of ancient truths: 'You alone know all, the secret essence of all dharma.'
कस्मिन्कस्मिन्युगे ब्रह्मन्किंविशिष्टं वदस्व मे । शंभुरुवाच- ध्यानमेव कृते श्रेष्ठं त्रेतायां यज्ञ एव च
Tell me, O Brahman, in which age, what is distinguished? Śambhu said: 'In the Kṛta age, meditation alone is supreme; in the Tretā, sacrifice is best.'
द्वापरे चार्चनं तिष्ये दानं च हरिकीर्तनम् । सर्वं च शस्तं सर्वत्र ध्यानं न च कलौ युगे
In the Dvāpara, worship; in the Kali, charity and the praise of Hari. All are good everywhere, but meditation is not in the Kali age.
नराणां मुग्धचित्तत्वात्कृच्छ्रस्थानां विशांपते । न धर्मे नियताबुद्धिर्न वेदे नैव च स्मृतौ
Because of the childishness of men's minds and their difficult circumstances, O lord of men, there is no fixed understanding of dharma, nor in the Veda, nor in tradition.
न क्रतौ न स्वधाकारे पुराणानां च न श्रुतौ । न यज्ञेन च तीर्थेषु न च शुश्रूषणे सताम्
Not in ritual, nor in offerings, nor in the hearing of the Purāṇas, nor by sacrifice, nor at holy places, nor in service to the good.
नेज्यायां देवतानां च न स्वजातीयकर्म्मणि । न देवस्मरणेनापि न च क्वापि वृषे नृप
Not in worship of the gods, nor in one's own prescribed duties, nor even in remembrance of the gods, nor, O king, in any righteous act.
अतश्च दीर्घकालानां पुण्यानामक्षमा नराः । दानं तु स्वल्पकालत्वात्कर्तुं शक्नोति मानवः
Therefore, people are unable to accumulate merit over long periods; but a person can give charity because it requires only a short time.
अतश्च कलिदुष्टानां प्रायश्चितं न विद्यते । केषांचित्पापनाशः स्यात्प्रायश्चित्तैस्तु नान्यथा
And so, for those corrupted by the Kali age, there is no atonement; for some, the destruction of sin may occur through atonement, but not otherwise.
ब्रह्मज्ञानी गयाश्राद्धी काशीगंता श्रुतौ रतः । पुराणज्ञावमाश्चैते श्रोता तस्य च राघव
One who knows Brahman, who performs ancestral rites at Gayā, who goes to Kāśī, who delights in the Vedas, who knows the Purāṇas, and who listens to them—such a person, O Rāghava—
युगानामनुसारेण तथार्थस्य विवेचनात् । स्व पर प्रत्ययोत्पादात्परब्रह्मप्रकाशनात्
—by following the sequence of ages, by discerning the true meaning, by inspiring faith in oneself and others, and by revealing the Supreme Brahman—
पुराणवक्ता सर्वस्माद्ब्राह्मणस्तु विशिष्यते । तेनापि च कृतं पापं न सज्येत्किमुतान्यतः
—the reciter of the Purāṇas, above all, is the distinguished brāhmaṇa; even if he commits a sin, it does not cling to him—how much less to others.
अन्येषामपि केषांचित्पुराणं पापनाशनम् । यः पुराणेषु विश्वासी वक्तारं मन्यते गुरुम्
For some others as well, the Purāṇa is a destroyer of sin; whoever has faith in the Purāṇas and regards the reciter as a teacher—
ब्रह्मविद्याप्रदातारं विशेषं ज्ञातिबंधुतः । तस्य पापानि सर्वाणि विलयं यान्त्यसंशयम्
—who considers him a giver of Brahma-knowledge, especially as a relative or friend—without doubt, all his sins are dissolved.
अथ श्रीशैलगमनं पूजकस्य महेशितुः । अतः कलौ मनुष्याणां पुराणं पापनाशनम्
Now, the journey to Śrīśaila for the worshipper of the great Lord—therefore, in the Kali age, the Purāṇa is the destroyer of sin for people.
पुरा कलियुगे राम वृत्तं संकीर्तये शृणु । आसीत्तु गौतमो नाम ब्राह्मणो वेदवर्जितः
Long ago, in the Kali Yuga, O Rāma, I will recount an event—listen: there was a brāhmaṇa named Gautama, devoid of Vedic knowledge.
तस्य पुष्टिः पशुश्चास्तां भ्रातरौ वेदवर्जितौ । ताभ्यां सह कृषिं चक्रे तत्र वृद्धिमवाप च
He had wealth and cattle, and two brothers also lacking Vedic knowledge; together with them, he farmed and prospered there.
धनधान्यादिकं किंचिद्राजानं दत्तवानथ । उवाच वचनं किंचिदधिकारं निरूपय
He gave some wealth, grain, and the like to the king, and then said a few words: 'Assign me a position of authority.'
अर्थं न गमयिष्यामि तौ शक्तौ भ्रातरौ मम । राजोवाच- ब्राह्मणस्याधिकारो हि वैदिके धर्मकर्मणि
'I will not pursue wealth; my two brothers are capable.' The king said: 'A brāhmaṇa's authority is in Vedic rites and duties.'
तदन्यत्र नियुक्तस्य ब्राह्मण्यं विप्रणश्यति । गौतम उवाच- युगेष्वन्येषु धर्मोयं कलिधर्मो न तादृशः
'If a brāhmaṇa is employed elsewhere, his brāhmaṇa-hood is lost.' Gautama said: 'In other ages, this is the law; in the Kali age, it is not so.'
भूपति त्वं हि भूपाल नृपाणां धर्म उच्यते । ब्राह्मणश्च परिक्षीणस्तं कुर्वन्नैव दुष्यति
'O king, you are the lord of the earth; the law for kings is stated thus: if a brāhmaṇa is destitute, he does not incur sin by acting so.'
शूद्राणां तु कृषिर्द्धर्मो नापद्यप्यग्रजन्मनः । तस्मात्क्षत्त्रेण वर्तिष्ये ग्रामान्मम समादिश
'For śūdras, farming is their duty, but not even in distress for one of higher birth; therefore, I will act as a kṣatriya—assign me villages.'
अन्यत्र चात्र क्षत्त्रेण वर्तनं मम रोचते । अन्यन्न तु तथेत्युक्तो ददौ ग्रामान्द्विजन्मनः
'Elsewhere, too, I prefer to act as a kṣatriya; otherwise, not so.' Thus addressed, the king gave villages to the twice-born.
ग्रामाधिकारदुष्टस्य वर्तनं त्वन्यथाभवत् । अभक्षि मांसं चापायि सुरा चाभाषि दुर्वचः
For one who misused village authority, his conduct became otherwise: he ate forbidden meat, drank liquor, and spoke harsh words.
परयोषा तथा गामि परस्वं प्रत्यहारि च । अक्रीडि द्यूतमसकृत्कलंजं चादि दुर्भुजा
He consorted with another's wife, took others' property daily, gambled repeatedly, ate impure food, and committed other wicked acts.
नापूजि जगतामीशः शिवो वा विष्णुरेव वा । एवं कालेन दुर्वृत्तं राजा वाक्यमभाषत
Neither Shiva nor Vishnu, the lord of the worlds, was worshipped. In this way, after some time, the wicked king spoke these words.
विप्र विप्रत्वमुत्सृज्य शूद्रत्वं प्राप्तवानसि । तस्मान्नियोगधर्मेण भवंतं भ्रंशयामि च
O Brahmin, having abandoned your Brahminhood, you have attained the status of a Shudra. Therefore, by the rule of command, I dismiss you from your position.
मास्तु विप्रत्वमद्यैव शूद्रतैव वरं मम । तदृते यदि विप्रास्ते न भोक्ष्यंति वरं मम
Let there be no Brahminhood today; being a Shudra is preferable to me. If the Brahmins do not partake, that is better for me.
न हि सर्वमिदं त्यक्तुं शक्तोहं पृथिवीपते । शंभुरुवाच- एवं वदति दुर्विप्रे राजा तूष्णीमतिष्ठत
O lord of the earth, I am not able to abandon all of this. Shambhu spoke: While the wicked Brahmin was saying this, the king remained silent.
स तु वै शूद्रतुल्यश्च बुभुजेन्नं सहामिषम् । कदाचिदथ दुर्वृत्तः प्रतोलीमंडपस्थितः
He, being like a Shudra, ate food together with meat. Once, the wicked one was standing in the pavilion at the city gate.
द्विजेन पठ्यमानं तु पद्यं तु श्रुतवानिदम् । हृदये पद्यमेतत्तु द्विजेरितमतिष्ठत
He heard this verse being recited by a twice-born. That verse, uttered by the Brahmin, remained in his heart.