गोप्यस्तु श्रुतयो ज्ञेया ऋचो वै गोपकन्यकाः । देवकन्याश्च राजेंद्र तपोयुक्ता मुमुक्षवः
Know, O king, that the gopīs are the Vedas, the maidens of the gopas are the Ṛg verses, and the divine maidens, endowed with austerity and seeking liberation.
गोपाला मुनयः सर्वे वैकुंठानंदमूर्त्तयः । कल्पवृक्षः कदंबोऽयं परानंदैकभाजनम्
All the gopas are sages, embodiments of Vaikuṇṭha's bliss; this kadamba tree is the wish-fulfilling tree, the sole vessel of supreme bliss.
वनमानंदकाख्यं हि महापातकनाशनम् । सिद्धाश्च साध्या गंधर्वाः कोकिलाद्या न संशयः
The forest named Ānandakā destroys great sins; there is no doubt that the siddhas, sādhyas, and gandharvas are the cuckoos and others.
केचिदानंदहृदयं साक्षाद्यमुनया तनुम् । अनादिर्हरिदासोऽयं भूधरो नात्र संशयः
Some, with hearts full of bliss, directly assumed the form of a sage; this mountain, without beginning, is Haridāsa—there is no doubt.
वेणुर्यः शृणुतं विप्रं तवापि विदितं तथा । द्विज आसीच्छांतमनास्तपः शांतिपरायणः
That flute, O brāhmaṇa, as you also know, was a twice-born who was calm in mind, devoted to austerity and peace.
नाम्ना देवव्रतोदांतः कर्मकांडविशारदः । स वैष्णवजनव्रातमध्यवर्त्ती क्रियापरः
His name was Devavrata, self-controlled and skilled in ritual acts; he dwelt among the assembly of Vaiṣṇavas, devoted to religious duties.
स कदाचन शुश्राव यज्ञेशोऽस्तीति भूपते । तस्य गेहमथाभ्यागाद्द्विजो मद्गतनिश्चयः
Once, O king, he heard that the Lord of sacrifice exists; then that brāhmaṇa, intent on me, came to his house.
स मद्भक्तः क्वचित्पूजां तुलसीदलवारिणा । कृतवांस्तद्गृहे किंचित्फलं मूलं न्यवेदयत्
That devotee of mine, at some time, performed worship with tulasī leaves and water; in that house, he offered some fruit and roots.
स्नानवारिफलं किंचित्तस्मै मत्या ददौ सुधीः । अश्रद्धया स्मितं कृत्वा सोऽप्यगृह्णाद्द्विजन्मनः
He, wise in mind, gave some fruit from his bath to him; the twice-born, without faith, accepted it with a smile.
तेन पापेन संजातं वेणुत्वमतिदारुणम् । तेन पुण्येन तस्याथ मदीय प्रियतां गतः
Because of that sin, he was born as a flute, exceedingly hard; by that merit, he then attained my dearness.
अमुना सोपि राजेंद्र केतुमानिव राजते । युगांते तद्विष्णुपरो भूत्वा ब्रह्म समाप्स्यति
By this, O king, he shines like Ketumān; at the end of the age, being devoted to Viṣṇu, he will attain Brahman.
अहो न जानंति नरा दुराशयाः पुरीं मदीयां परमां सनातनीम् । सुरेंद्र नागेंद्र मुनींद्र संस्तुतां मनोरमां तां मथुरां पुरातनीम्
Alas, people with misguided intentions do not know my supreme, eternal city—praised by Indra, the lord of serpents, and the best of sages, that delightful, ancient Mathurā.
काश्यादयो यद्यपि संति पुर्यस्तासां तु मध्ये मथुरैव धन्या । यज्जन्ममौंजीव्रतमृत्युदाहैर्नृणां चतुर्द्धा विदधाति मुक्तिम्
Though there are other cities like Kāśī, among them Mathurā alone is blessed; for by birth, investiture, vows, and death, she grants fourfold liberation to people.
यदा विशुद्धास्तपआदिना जनाः शुभाशया ध्यानधना निरंतरम् । तदैव पश्यंति ममोत्तमां पुरीं न चान्यथा कल्पशतैर्द्विजोत्तमाः
When people, purified by austerity and other means, with auspicious intent and constant wealth of meditation, then alone do they behold my supreme city, O best of brāhmaṇas—not otherwise, even in a hundred ages.
मथुरावासिनो धन्या मान्या अपि दिवौकसाम् । अगण्यमहिमानस्ते सर्व एव चतुर्भुजाः
The residents of Mathurā are blessed and honored even among the gods; all of them, possessing four arms, have immeasurable greatness.
मथुरावासिनो ये तु दोषान्पश्यंति मानवाः । तेषु दोषं न पश्यंति जन्ममृत्युसहस्रजम्
But those humans who see faults in the residents of Mathurā—such people do not perceive the faults that arise from thousands of births and deaths.
अधना अपि ते धन्या मथुरां ये स्मरंति ते । यत्र भूतेश्वरो देवो मोक्षदः पापिनामपि
Even those without wealth are blessed if they remember Mathurā, where the Lord of beings, the giver of liberation even to sinners, resides.
मम प्रियतमो नित्यं देवो भूतेश्वरः परः । यः कदापि मम प्रीत्यै न संत्यजति तां पुरीम्
The supreme Lord of beings, who is always most dear to me, never abandons that city for my pleasure, not even for a moment.
भूतेश्वरं यो न नमेन्न पूजयेन्न वास्मरेद्दुश्चरितो मनुष्यः । नैनां स पश्येन्मथुरां मदीयां स्वयंप्रकाशां परदेवताख्याम्
A person of evil conduct who does not bow to, worship, or remember Bhūteśvara should not see my Mathurā, self-luminous and known as the supreme deity.
न कथं मयि भक्तिं स लभते पापपूरुषः । यो मदीयं परं भक्तं शिवं संपूजयेन्नहि
Such a sinful person does not attain devotion to me, who does not worship my supreme devotee Śiva.
मन्मायामोहितधियः प्रायस्ते मानवाधमाः । भूतेश्वरं न नमंति न स्मरंति स्तुवंति ये
Those base humans whose minds are deluded by my māyā do not bow to, remember, or praise Bhūteśvara.
बालकोऽपि ध्रुवो यत्र ममाराधनतत्परः । प्राप स्थानं परं शुद्धं यत्नयुक्तं पितामहैः
Even a child there, wholly devoted to my worship, attained the supreme pure state, which even the grandfathers achieved with great effort.
तां पुरीं प्राप्य मथुरां मदीयां सुरदुर्लभाम् । खंजो भूत्वांधको वापि प्राणानेव परित्यजेत्
Having reached that city, my Mathurā, difficult for the gods to attain, even if one is lame or blind, one should give up one's life there.
वेदव्यासमहाभाग मा कृथाः संशयं क्वचित् । रहस्यं वेदशिरसां यन्मया ते प्रकाशितम्
O greatly fortunate Vedavyāsa, do not ever entertain doubt about the secret of the Vedas' essence which I have revealed to you.
इमं भगवता प्रोक्तमध्यायं यः पठेच्छुचिः । शृणुयाद्वापि यो भक्त्या मुक्तिस्तस्यापि शाश्वती
Whoever, pure in heart, recites this chapter spoken by the Blessed Lord, or listens to it with devotion, attains eternal liberation.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे पातालखंडे वृंदावनादिमथुरामाहात्म्यकथनंनाम त्रिसप्ततितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the seventy-third chapter, named 'The Account of the Glory of Vṛndāvana and Mathurā,' in the Pātāla Section of the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
ईश्वर उवाच-। एकदा रहसि श्रीमानुद्धवो भगवित्प्रियः । सनत्कुमारमेकांते ह्यपृच्छत्पार्षदः प्रभो
Īśvara said: Once, in a secluded place, the illustrious Uddhava, beloved of the Lord, asked Sanatkumāra, the chief attendant, in private.
यत्र क्रीडति गोविंदो नित्यं नित्यसुरास्पदे । गोपांगनाभिर्यत्स्थानं कुत्र वा कीदृशं परम्
Where is that supreme place, ever the abode of the gods, where Govinda eternally sports with the cowherd maidens, and what is it like?
तत्तत्क्रीडनवृत्तांतमन्यद्यद्यत्तदद्भुतम् । ज्ञातं चेत्तव तत्कथ्यं स्नेहो मे यदि वर्त्तते
If you know the various wondrous pastimes and deeds that took place there, please tell me, if you hold affection for me.
सनत्कुमार उवाच-। कदाचिद्यमुनाकूले कस्यापि च तरोस्तले । सुवृत्तेनोपविष्टेन भगवत्पार्षदेन वै
Sanatkumāra said: Once, on the bank of the Yamunā, beneath a certain tree, a virtuous attendant of the Lord was seated.