जाबालिरुवाच। एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचस्तस्य धर्मराजस्य धीमतः । पुण्यं ददौ महाराज आजन्मसमुपार्जितम्
Jabali said: Hearing these words of the wise Dharmaraja, the king gave, O great king, all the merit he had earned since birth.
यदा जन्मकृतैः पुण्यै रघुनाथार्चनोद्भवैः । एतेषां निरयान्मुक्तिर्भवत्वत्र मनोरमा
By the merit acquired through worship of Raghunatha from birth, may these be released from hell, O beautiful one.
एवं कथयतस्तस्य जीवा निरयसंस्थिताः । तत्क्षणान्निरयान्मुक्ता जाता दिव्यवपुर्धराः
As he spoke thus, the souls who were situated in hell were instantly freed from hell and attained divine forms.
ऊचुस्ते जनकं राजंस्त्वत्प्रसादाद्वयं क्षणात् । दुःखदान्निरयान्मुक्ता यास्यामः परमं पदम्
They said to King Janaka: 'By your grace, O King, we have been freed in a moment from the torment of hell and will attain the supreme state.'
तान्दृष्ट्वा सूर्यसंकाशान्नरान्निरयनिःसृतान् । तुतोष चित्ते सुभृशं सर्वभूतदयापरः
Seeing those men, shining like the sun, emerging from hell, he was deeply satisfied in his heart, being ever devoted to compassion for all beings.
ते सर्वे प्रययुर्लोकं दिवं देवैरलंकृतम् । जनकं तु प्रशंसंतो महाराजं दयानिधिम्
All of them went to the heavenly world, adorned by the gods, praising Janaka, the great king, the treasure-house of compassion.
जाबालिरुवाच। अथ तेषु प्रयातेषु नरकस्थेषु वै नृषु । राजा पप्रच्छ कीनाशं सर्वधर्मविदांवरम्
Jabali said: Then, after those men who had been in hell departed, the king questioned Kīnasha, the foremost knower of all dharma.
राजोवाच। धर्मराज त्वया प्रोक्तं यत्पातककरा नराः । आयांति तव संस्थानं न च धर्मकथारताः
The king said: O Dharmaraja, you have said that those who commit sins come to your abode, not being devoted to the stories of dharma.
मदागमनमत्राभूत्केनपापेन धार्मिक । तद्वै कथय सर्वं मे पापकारणमादितः
By what sin, O righteous one, did my coming here occur? Tell me everything from the beginning, the cause of my sin.
इति श्रुत्वा तु तद्वाक्यं धर्मराजः परंतप । कथयामास तस्यैवं यमपुर्यागमं तदा
Hearing these words, Dharmaraja, scorcher of foes, began to tell him then of his coming to the city of Yama.
धर्मराज उवाच। राजंस्तव महत्पुण्यं नैतादृक्कस्य भूतले । रघुनाथपदद्वंद्वमकरंद मधुव्रत
Dharmaraja said: O King, your great merit is not found on earth in one such as this; you are like a bee at the twin lotus feet of Raghunatha.
त्वत्कीर्ति स्वर्धुनी सर्वान्पापिनो मलसंयुतान् । पुनाति परमाह्लादकारिणी दुष्टतारिणी
Your fame, like the celestial Ganga, purifies all sinners covered in impurity, bringing supreme delight and rescuing the wicked.
तथापि पापलेशस्ते वर्तते नृपसत्तम । येन संयमिनीपार्श्वमागतः पुण्यपूरितः
Yet, O best of kings, a trace of sin remains, by which, though filled with merit, you have come near the abode of restraint.
एकदा तु चरंतीं गां वारयामास वै भवान् । तेन पापविपाकेन निरयद्वारदर्शनम्
Once, you prevented a cow as she was wandering; by the result of that sin, you have had a vision of the gate of hell.
इदानीं पापनिर्मुक्तो बहुपुण्यसमन्वितः । भुंक्ष्व भोगान्सुविपुलान्निजपुण्यार्जितान्बहून्
Now, freed from sin and endowed with great merit, enjoy the abundant pleasures you have earned by your own virtue.
एतेषां करुणावार्धी रघुनाथो सुखं हरन् । संयमिन्या महामार्गे प्रेरयामास वैष्णवम्
Raghunātha, the ocean of compassion, taking away their suffering, directed the ascetic onto the great Vaiṣṇava path.
नागमिष्यो यदि त्वं वै मार्गेणानेन सुव्रत । अभविष्यत्कथं तेषां निरयात्परिमोचनम्
O virtuous one, if you had not come by this path, how could those souls have been released from hell?
त्वादृशाः परदुःखेन दुःखिताः करुणालयाः । प्राणिनां दुःखविच्छेदं कुर्वंत्येव महामते
Great-minded ones like you, abodes of compassion, are pained by the suffering of others and always strive to end the pain of living beings.
जाबालिरुवाच। एवं वदंतं शमनं प्रणम्य स दिवंगतः । दिव्येन सुविमानेन अप्सरोगणशोभिना
Jābāli said: Bowing to the sage who spoke thus, he ascended to heaven in a splendid celestial chariot adorned with groups of apsarās.
तस्माद्गावोऽनिशं पूज्या मनसापि न गर्हयेत् । गर्हयन्निरयं याति यावदिंद्राश्चतुर्दश
Therefore, cows must always be honored; one should not even mentally disparage them. He who does so goes to hell for as many years as there are fourteen Indras.
तस्मात्त्वं नृपतिश्रेष्ठ गोपूजां वै समाचर । सा तुष्टा दास्यति क्षिप्रं पुत्रं धर्मपरायणम्
Therefore, O best of kings, perform the worship of cows; when satisfied, she will quickly grant you a son devoted to righteousness.
सुमतिरुवाच। तच्छ्रुत्वा धेनुपूजां स पप्रच्छ कथमादरात् । पूजनीया प्रयत्नेन कीदृशं कुरुते नरम्
Sumati said: Hearing this, he respectfully asked how the worship of cows should be properly performed, and what kind of person is to be honored by such worship.
जाबालि कथयामास धेनुपूजां यथाविधि । प्रत्यहं विपिनं गच्छेच्चारणार्थं व्रती तु गोः
Jābāli described the proper method of cow worship: Every day, the vow-holder should go to the forest to graze the cow.
गवे यवांस्तु संभोज्य गोमयस्थान्समाहरेत् । भक्षणीया यवास्ते तु पुत्रकामेन भूपते
He should feed the cow barley and collect dung from where the cow resides; O king, barley is to be given by one desiring a son.
सा यदा पिबते तोयं तदा पेयं जलं शुचि । सोच्चैः स्थाने यदा तिष्ठेत्तदानीं चासनस्थितः
When she drinks water, pure water should be offered; when she stands in a high place, one should also remain seated there.
दंशान्निवारयेन्नित्यं यवसं स्वयमाहरेत् । एवं प्रकुर्वतः पुत्रं दास्यते धर्मतत्परम्
He should always drive away flies and personally bring barley; by doing so, he will obtain a son devoted to righteousness.
सुमतिरुवाच। इति वाक्यं समाकर्ण्य पुत्रकाम ऋतंभरः । व्रतं चकार धर्मात्मा धेनुपूजां समाचरन्
Sumati said: Hearing these words, Ṛtaṃbhara, desiring a son, undertook the vow and performed the worship of the cow with righteousness.
प्रत्यहं कुरुते गां वै यवसाद्येन तोषिताम् । दंशान्न्यवारयद्धीमान्यवभक्षकृतादरः
Every day, he satisfied the cow with barley and other offerings, diligently drove away flies, and respectfully gave her barley to eat.
एवं धेनुं पूजयतो गतास्तु दिवसा घनाः । वनमध्ये तृणादींश्च चरंतीमकुतोभयाम्
Thus, as he worshipped the cow, many days passed, and she wandered fearlessly in the forest, grazing on grass and the like.
एकदा नृपतिस्तस्य वनस्य श्रीनिरीक्षणे । न्यस्तदृष्टिः सपरितो बभ्राम स कुतूहली
One day, as the king was observing the beauty of that forest, he wandered about, his gaze cast all around, filled with curiosity.