एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यत्पृष्टोऽहं त्वयानघ । उत्पत्तिश्च विपत्तिश्च मया मत्यनुसारतः
All that you asked, O blameless one, I have told you: the origin and destruction, as they follow the course of mortal existence.
इत्थं निशम्य दितिजेंद्र कुलानुकारिवार्तां महापुरुष ईश्वरईशिता च । संरुद्धबाष्पगलदश्रुमुखारविंदो भूमौ पपात सदसि प्रथितप्रभावः
Hearing the account of the lineage of the demon king and the deeds of the great lord, whose power is supreme, he, renowned for his glory, with tears streaming from his restrained eyes, fell to the ground in the assembly.
शेष उवाच। वात्स्यायनमुनिश्रेष्ठ कथा पापप्रणाशिनी । ब्रह्मण्यदेवदेवस्य सर्वधर्मैकरक्षितुः
Śeṣa said: O illustrious sage Vātsyāyana, the story that destroys sin concerns the god of gods, protector of all dharma.
राजानं मूर्च्छितं दृष्ट्वा कुंभजन्मा तपोनिधिः । शनैःशनैः करेणाशु पस्पर्शाश्रु जगाद च
Seeing the king unconscious, the sage born from the pot, rich in austerity, gently touched him with his hand and spoke, weeping.
भो रामाश्वसिहि क्षिप्रं किमर्थमवसीदसि । भवान्दैत्यकुलच्छेत्ता महाविष्णुः सनातनः
O Rāma, quickly take heart! Why are you despondent? You are the destroyer of the demon lineage, the eternal great Viṣṇu.
भूतं भव्यं भवच्चैव जगत्स्थास्नु चरिष्णु च । त्वदृते नास्ति संचारी किमर्थमिह मूर्च्छितः
Past, present, and future, the world that is stable and moving—apart from you, there is no one who acts. Why have you fainted here?
श्रुत्वा वाक्यं महाराजः कुंभजन्मसमीरितम् । उत्तस्थौ विगलन्नेत्र बाष्पपूरितसन्मुखः
Hearing the words spoken by the pot-born sage, the great king rose, his eyes overflowing, his face filled with tears.
उवाच दीनदीनं च विस्पष्टाक्षरविस्तरम् । त्रपाभर नमन्मूर्तिर्ब्रह्मद्रोहपराङ्मुखः
He spoke in a voice faint and weak, with clear and extended words, his form bowed in shame, turning away from the sin of offending Brahmins.
श्रीराम उवाच। अहो मे पश्यता ज्ञानं विमूढस्य दुरात्मनः । यद्ब्राह्मणकुले रूढं हतवान्कामलोलुपः
Śrī Rāma said: Alas, see my knowledge—how deluded and wicked I am! Though born in a Brahmin family, I killed, driven by desire.
महिलार्थे त्वहं विप्रं वेदशास्त्रविवेकवान् । हतवान्वाडवकुलं बुद्धिहीनोति दुर्मतिः
For the sake of a woman, I killed a learned Brahmin, skilled in Vedic scripture; I destroyed the horse-breeder's lineage, lacking wisdom and acting foolishly.
इक्ष्वाकूणां कुले जातु ब्राह्मणो न दुरुक्तिभाक् । ईदृशं कुर्वता कर्म मयैतत्सुकलंकितम्
Never in the Ikṣvāku lineage has a Brahmin uttered harsh words; by performing such an act, I have marked myself with this stain.
ये ब्राह्मणास्तु पूजार्हा दानसम्मानभोजनैः । ते मया निहता विप्राः शरसंघातसंहितैः
Those Brahmins who deserved worship, gifts, honor, and meals—I killed those learned ones with volleys of arrows.
काँल्लोकान्नु गमिष्यामि कुंभीपाकोऽपि दुःसहः । न तादृशं तीर्थमस्ति यन्मां पावयितुं क्षमम्
To which worlds shall I go? Even the dreadful Kumbhīpāka hell is unbearable. There is no such sacred place capable of purifying me.
न यज्ञो न तपो दानं न वा चैव व्रतादिकम् । यत्तु वै ब्राह्मणद्रोग्धुर्ममपावनतारकम्
Neither sacrifice, nor austerity, nor charity, nor vows and the like—nothing can purify me from the sin of harming Brahmins.
यैः कोपितं ब्रह्मकुलं नरैर्निरयगामिभिः । ते नरा बहुशो दुःखं भोक्ष्यंति निरयं गताः
Those men who anger the Brahmin lineage and go to hell will suffer much pain repeatedly in the infernal realms.
वेदा मूलं तु धर्माणां वर्णाश्रमविवेकिनाम् । तन्मूलं ब्राह्मणकुलं सर्ववेदैकशाखिनः
The Vedas are the root of dharma for those who discern caste and stage of life; the Brahmin lineage is its foundation, the sole branch of all the Vedas.
मूलच्छेत्तुर्ममौद्धत्यात्को लोकोनु भविष्यति । किमद्यकरणीयं वै येन मे हि शिवं भवेत्
Who in the world will become the destroyer of my roots due to my arrogance? What should I do today so that well-being may come to me?
शेष उवाच। विलपंतं भृशं रामं राजेंद्रं रघुपुंगवम् । मायामनुष्यवपुषं कुंभजन्माब्रवीद्वचः
Śeṣa said: As Rāma, the foremost of the Raghu dynasty and king among kings, lamented greatly, the one born from the pot, taking on the form of a human through his māyā, spoke these words.
अगस्त्य उवाच। मा विषादं महाधीर कुरु राजन्महामते । न ते ब्राह्मणहत्या स्याद्दुष्टानां नाशमिच्छतः
Agastya said: Do not give in to despair, O king, great in wisdom and steadfast in mind. For you, there is no sin of brahmin-killing, since you sought the destruction of the wicked.
त्वं पुराणः पुमान्साक्षादीश्वरः प्रकृतेः परः । कर्ता हर्ताऽविता साक्षी निर्गुणः स्वेच्छया गुणी
You are the ancient person, the Lord, transcending nature itself—creator, destroyer, protector, witness, beyond qualities, yet assuming qualities by your own will.
सुरापो ब्रह्महत्याकृत्स्वर्णस्तेयी महाघकृत् । सर्वे त्वन्नामवादेन पूताः शीघ्रं भवंति हि
Even a drinker of liquor, a slayer of a brahmin, a thief of gold, or one who commits great sins—all are quickly purified by uttering your name.
इयं देवी जनकजा महाविद्या महामते । यस्याः स्मरणमात्रेण मुक्ता यास्यंति सद्गतिम्
This goddess, daughter of Janaka, is the great wisdom, O wise one. By merely remembering her, people are liberated and attain the highest path.
रावणोऽपि न वै दैत्यो वैकुंठे तव सेवकः । ऋषीणां शापतोऽवाप्तो दैत्यत्वं दनुजांतक
Even Rāvaṇa was not truly a demon, but your servant in Vaikuṇṭha. Due to the curse of the sages, he took birth as a demon, O destroyer of the Danujas.
तस्यानुग्रहकर्ता त्वं न तु हंता द्विजन्मनः । एवं संचिंत्य मा भूयो निजं शोचितुमर्हसि
You were his benefactor, not the slayer of a twice-born. Therefore, reflecting thus, you should not grieve over your own actions any longer.
इति श्रुत्वा ततो वाक्यं रामः परपुरंजयः । उवाच मधुरं वाक्यं गद्गदस्वरभाषितम्
Hearing these words, Rāma, conqueror of enemy cities, spoke sweet words, his voice choked with emotion.
श्रीराम उवाच। पातकं द्विविधं प्रोक्तं ज्ञाताज्ञातविभेदतः । ज्ञातं यद्बुद्धिपूर्वं हि अज्ञातं तद्विवर्जितम्
Śrī Rāma said: Sin is said to be of two kinds, distinguished as known and unknown. That which is done knowingly is known; what is otherwise is unknown.
बुद्धिपूर्वं कृतं कर्म भोगेनैव विनश्यति । नश्येदनुशयादन्यदिदं शास्त्रविनिश्चितम्
An act done knowingly is destroyed only through experiencing its result; the other is destroyed by remorse—this is the settled conclusion of the scriptures.
कुर्वतो बुद्धिपूर्वं मे ब्रह्महत्यां सुनिंदिताम् । न मे दुःखापनोदाय साधुवादः सुसंमतः
Since I knowingly committed the grave sin of brahmin-killing, mere words of praise are not, in my view, sufficient to remove my sorrow.
प्रब्रूहि तादृशं मह्यं यादृशं पापदाहकम् । व्रतं दानं मखं किंचित्तीर्थमाराधनं महत्
Tell me, therefore, of such a vow, gift, sacrifice, pilgrimage, or great worship that can burn away such sin.
येन मे विमला कीर्तिर्लोकान्वै पावयिष्यति । पापाचाराप्तकालुष्यान्ब्रह्महत्याहतप्रभान्
By which my fame may become pure and sanctify the worlds, and those tainted by sinful conduct and dimmed by the sin of brahmin-killing may be cleansed.