स्नुषादिभर्त्सनं बाल तालहास्यनिदर्शनम् । गुरुनिर्गमनादीनि संचिंत्य च पुनः पुनः
He is scolded by his daughter-in-law and others, mocked by children, and repeatedly recalls things like the departure of elders.
आहूतो भोजनाद्यर्थं भोज्यान्नादि विनिंदयन् । चिरमुष्णं च निर्भर्त्स्य पुनश्चिंतामवाप सः
When called for food and such, he criticizes the meal, reproaching it for being long cold, and again falls into anxious thought.
अतिदुष्कृतिकर्म्माहं कथं भोक्ष्ये कथं स्वपे । कथं तिष्ठे कथं गच्छे परलोकः कथं भवेत्
"Having done such wicked deeds, how shall I eat, how shall I sleep, how shall I stand, how shall I go, and what will become of the next world?"
इति चिंताकुलो नित्यं न नमत्यपरान्वितः । द्विजस्य सदनं गत्वा पुराणज्ञस्य राघव
Thus, always troubled by such thoughts, he does not bow to others; going to the house of a learned Brahmin, O Raghava,
लज्जावाक्कृतवक्त्रश्च किंकरोमीत्यभाषत । न किंचिदप्युवाचासौ द्विजः पौराणिकस्तदा
With a face cast down in shame, he said, "What should I do?" But the Brahmin versed in the Puranas said nothing at all.
पापोयमिति विज्ञाय शिष्येण निरगामयत् । गौतमोपि विनिर्गम्य द्वार्येव च बहिः स्थितः
Recognizing him as a sinner, he had his disciple send him away; Gautama too went out and stood just outside the door.
भुव्यासीनं तु विज्ञाय पुराणार्थविचारकम् । कथं कथमपि प्राप्य पीठं दत्तं च नाभजत्
Seeing him seated on the ground, pondering the meaning of the Puranas, he somehow approached but did not accept the seat offered.
निषण्णो भूतले राम पुराणज्ञमभाषत । प्रायश्चित्तं करिष्यामि तदत्रैव विधीयताम्
Sitting on the earth, O Rama, he spoke to the knower of the Puranas: "I wish to perform atonement; let it be prescribed here itself."
ब्राह्मण उवाच- पापानि कीर्तयस्व त्वं सर्वथैव कृतानि तु । स चापि नाऽकृतं किंचिन्मया पापमितीरयन्
The Brahmin said: Proclaim all the sins you have committed, without exception; and he, declaring, 'There is not a single sin I have not committed,' spoke thus.
रुदन्पपात भूम्यां च कथं तातेति पीडितः । ब्राह्मणस्तमथ प्राह प्रायश्चित्तं न विद्यते
Weeping, he fell to the ground, tormented, saying, 'How, father?' Then the Brahmin said to him, 'There is no expiation.'
महापापं त्रिरावृत्ते पुनश्च यदि चेत्कृतम् । गौतम उवाच- पौराणिक महाभाग प्राप्यापि त्वामहं कथम्
If a great sin is committed three times, and again if it is done— Gautama said: O illustrious Pauranika, even after reaching you, how can I—
पापयुक्तो द्विजश्रेष्ठ संगतिर्विफला भवेत् । पौराणिक उवाच- शास्त्रं प्रमाणं सर्वेषां प्रायश्चित्तविनिर्णये
O best of twice-born, one tainted by sin, association with such is fruitless. Pauranika said: Scripture is the authority for all decisions regarding expiation.
तद्विना यो हि तं ब्रूयात्प्रायाश्चित्तं न तद्भवेत् । सकृत्कृते सकृत्प्रोक्तं द्वितीये द्विगुणं भवेत्
Without that, if someone prescribes expiation, it is not valid; for a first offense, the prescribed penance is done once, for a second, it is doubled.
तृतीये त्रिगुणं प्रोक्तं चतुर्थे नास्ति निष्कृतिः । त्वया कृतं तु बहुधा चतुर्विधमपीच्छया
For a third offense, it is said to be tripled; for a fourth, there is no atonement. But you have committed many and of four kinds, by your own desire.
कथं वक्तुमहं शक्तः प्रायश्चित्तं भवादृशे । गौतमोऽपि पुनः प्राह क्व गंतव्यं मयेति च । उपवासत्रयं कृत्वा शिवरात्रिमविंदत
How am I able to prescribe expiation for someone like you? Gautama again said, 'Where should I go?' Having performed a three-day fast, he observed the night of Shiva.
चतुर्थमुपवासं च चकारातीव दुःखितः । पारणं चाप्यमायां स कृतवान्फलवल्कलैः
He undertook a fourth fast as well, greatly afflicted; and he broke his fast at the proper time, with fruits and bark garments.
अथ प्रदक्षिणं चक्रे श्रीशैलस्य च स द्विजः । गतवान्मंदिरं पश्चाच्चिंतयातिकृशः श्वसन्
Then that Brahmin performed circumambulation of Shri Shaila, and afterwards, thin and sighing, he went to the temple, reflecting deeply.
कथं पापनिवृत्तिर्मे तूष्णींभूतस्य सेत्स्यति । अनंतमविचार्यं किं पापं च सुमहत्तरम्
How will my release from sin occur, now that I have become silent? What is this immense, boundless sin?
श्रुत्वा न कोपि मे ब्रूयात्प्रायश्चित्तं विधीयताम् । किंतु कस्मिन्पुराणे तु श्रुते ज्ञातं भविष्यति
Though I have heard, no one tells me the prescribed expiation; but perhaps, by hearing some Purana, it will become known.
इति कृत्वा मतिं सोथ पुराणज्ञमभाषत । पुराणमेकं मे तात व्याख्यातु भगवानिति
Thinking thus, he then spoke to the knower of the Puranas: 'O revered one, please explain to me one Purana.'
जातकर्मादिसंस्कारान्कारयस्व ममाशु वै । द्विजो भूत्वा शृणोम्यद्य प्रायश्चित्तं करोम्यतः
'Quickly perform for me the rites from birth onwards; becoming a Brahmin, I will listen today and perform expiation.'
विधायकं पुराणं मे भविष्यति च कीर्तितम् । अतः शक्यं करिष्यामि पुराणार्थं विनिश्चयन्
'Let a Purana that is authoritative for me be recited; then I will be able to act, having determined the meaning of the Purana.'
पौराणिक उवाच- यथावत्कीर्तयिष्यामि पुराणं पापनाशनम् । यथाज्ञानं यथाशक्ति यथाशुद्धं यथाविधि
Pauranika said: I will recite the Purana properly, which destroys sin, to the best of my knowledge, ability, purity, and according to the rules.
किं वांच्छसि पुराणं तु कीर्तयिष्ये तदेव तु । गौतम उवाच- सर्वं रुचि पुराणं मे वक्तव्यं किं हितं वद
'Which Purana do you desire? I will recite that.' Gautama said: 'Tell me the Purana that is most beneficial and pleasing to me.'
श्रुते यस्मिन्भिदा नैव जायते तु हरीशयोः । पौराणिक उवाच- कौर्मोक्तं यत्पुराणं तद्देवयोरभिदाभिधम्
'In which, when heard, no discord arises between Hari and Isha.' Pauranika said: 'The Purana spoken by the Tortoise, which is free from discord between the two gods.'
शृणोति यस्तत्प्रथमं तस्य पापं विनश्यति । तस्य वक्ता तु यो विप्रस्तस्य विघ्नांतरं भवेत्
Whoever hears it first, his sin is destroyed; but for the Brahmin who recites it, obstacles arise.
श्रोतव्यं मन्यते पापो यदि भार्या विनश्यति । किंचैकं दुष्करं वक्ष्ये श्रोतुर्वक्तुरनिंदकम्
If a wicked man thinks he should listen when his wife perishes, I will now speak of one thing difficult to do, which is blameless for both the listener and the speaker.
व्याख्यातरि यदि प्रीतिर्द्धर्मादेव प्रकाशिनी । आचारदर्शने पुण्ये कर्ममोक्षादिदर्शके
If affection arises for the expositor, revealed solely through dharma, in the observation of conduct, in merit, and in the demonstration of actions leading to liberation,
तदा तुष्टो महेशः स्याद्विष्णुरिष्टफलप्रदः । पितरस्तारितास्तेन यांति ते परमां गतिम्
Then Mahesha becomes pleased, Vishnu grants the desired fruits, and the ancestors are rescued by that, attaining the highest state.
श्रीराम उवाच- कथं पातकसंघात संक्रमे ब्राह्मणाधमे । पुराणज्ञः कथं व्याख्यां चकार द्विजसत्तम
Śrī Rāma said: How, in the midst of a multitude of sins, did the lowest of Brahmins, who knew the Purāṇas, deliver an exposition, O best of twice-born?