पुत्रस्य लक्षणं पुण्यं तवाग्रे प्रवदाम्यहम् । पुण्यप्रसक्तो यस्यात्मा सत्यधर्मरतः सदा
I will declare to you the auspicious qualities of a son: One whose soul is devoted to virtue, always engaged in truth and dharma.
शुद्धिमाञ्ज्ञानसंपन्नस्तपस्वी वाग्विदां वरः । सर्वकर्मसुसंवीतो वेदाध्ययनतत्परः
Pure, endowed with knowledge, ascetic, foremost among speakers, accomplished in all actions, and devoted to study of the Vedas.
सर्वशास्त्रप्रवेदी च देवब्राह्मणपूजकः । याज्ञिकः सर्वयज्ञानां दाता त्यागी प्रियंवदः
He is learned in all scriptures, worshipper of gods and Brahmins, performer of sacrifices, giver in all rites, renouncer, and one who speaks kindly.
विष्णुध्यानपरो नित्यं शांतोदांतः सुहृत्सदा । पितृमातृपरो नित्यं सर्वस्वजनवत्सलः
Always devoted to meditation on Vishnu, peaceful and self-controlled, ever a friend; constantly attentive to father and mother, affectionate to all his kin.
कुलस्य तारको विद्वान्स्वकुलं परिपोषकः । एवंगुणैस्तु संयुक्तः सुपुत्रः सुखदायकः
A savior of his lineage, wise, nourisher of his own family; endowed with such qualities, a good son brings happiness.
अन्ये संबंधयुक्ताश्च शोकसंतापकारकाः । उदासीनेन किं कार्यं फलहीनेन तेऽनघ
Others, though related, bring sorrow and distress; what use is there for one indifferent, O sinless one, whose actions bear no fruit?
आयांति यांति ते सर्वे दुःखं दत्वा सुदारुणम् । पुत्ररूपेण ते सर्वे संसारे द्विजसत्तम
All of them come and go, causing severe suffering; in the form of sons, they all bring pain in worldly life, O best of twice-born.
पूर्वजन्मकृतं कर्म यत्त्वया परिपालितम् । तत्सर्वं हि प्रवक्ष्यामि श्रूयतामद्भुतं पुनः
The deeds performed by you in previous births, which you have maintained, I will recount all of them; listen again to this wondrous tale.
भवाञ्छूद्रो महाप्राज्ञ पूर्वजन्मनि नान्यथा । कृषिकर्त्ता ज्ञानहीनो महालोभेन संयुतः
You were a Shudra, O wise one, in a previous birth, not otherwise; a farmer, lacking knowledge, possessed of great greed.
एकभार्यः सदा द्वेषी बहुपुत्रो ह्यदत्तवान् । धर्मं नैव विजानासि सत्यं च परिनिष्ठितम्
Having one wife, always hostile, father of many sons, yet not a giver; you did not understand dharma nor the established truth.
दानं नैव त्वया दत्तं शास्त्रं नैव परिश्रुतम् । कृतं नैव त्वया तीर्थं न च यात्रा महामते
You never gave charity, nor listened to scripture; you did not undertake pilgrimages nor journeys, O great-minded one.
एवं कृतस्त्वया विप्र कृषिमार्गः पुनःपुनः । पशूनां पालनं पूर्वंग च्छंश्चैव द्विजोत्तम
Thus, O Brahmin, you repeatedly followed the path of agriculture; formerly, you tended cattle and goats, O best of twice-born.
महिषीणां तथाश्वीनां पालनं च पुनःपुनः । एवं पूर्वं कृतं कर्म त्वयैव च द्विजोत्तम
You also repeatedly tended buffaloes and horses; such actions were performed by you in the past, O best of Brahmins.
विपुलं तु धनं तद्वल्लोभेन परिसंचितम् । तस्य व्ययस्तु पुण्येन न कृतस्तु त्वया कदा
A great amount of wealth was accumulated by you through greed; its expenditure for merit was never made by you.
पात्रे दानं न दत्तं हि दृष्ट्वा वा दुर्बलं च तत् । कृषिं कृत्वा न दत्तं तु भवता धनमेव हि
Charity was not given to the worthy, even seeing their weakness; after farming, you kept the wealth for yourself.
गोमयं हि त्विदं सर्वं पशूनां संचयं च वै । विक्रयित्वा धनं विप्र संचितं विपुलं त्वया
All this cow dung and the collection of cattle, indeed, was sold by you, O Brahmin, and a great wealth was amassed.
तक्रं घृतं तथा क्षीरं विक्रीतं सततं दधि । दुष्कालश्चिंतितो विप्र मोहितो विष्णुमायया
Buttermilk, ghee, and milk were constantly sold, as was curd; you worried about hard times, O Brahmin, deluded by Vishnu's illusion.
कृत्वा महार्घमेवैतद्धनं ब्राह्मणसत्तम । निर्दयेन त्वया दानं न दत्तं तु तदा किल
Having made this wealth exceedingly valuable, O foremost Brahmin, you never gave charity, acting without compassion.
देवानां पूजनं विप्र भवता न कृतं सदा । पर्वाणि प्राप्य विप्रेभ्यो द्रव्यं नैव समर्पितम्
Worship of the gods was never performed by you, O Brahmin; even upon festivals, you did not offer gifts to Brahmins.
श्राद्धकालं च संप्राप्य श्रद्धया न कृतं त्वया । भार्या वदति ते साध्वी दिनमध्ये समागते
When the time for ancestral rites arrived, you did not perform them with faith; your virtuous wife speaks to you in the midst of the day.
श्वशुरश्राद्धकालश्च श्वश्र्वाश्चैव महामते । तच्छ्रुत्वा तद्वचस्तेषां गृहं त्यक्त्वा पलायसे
O wise one, when the time comes for the ancestral rites of your father-in-law and mother-in-law, upon hearing of it, you abandon their house and flee.
धर्ममार्गो न दृष्टो हि श्रुतो नैव कदा त्वया । लोभो मातापिता भ्राता लोभः स्वजनबांधवाः
You have never seen nor heard of the path of righteousness; greed alone is your mother, father, brother, and all your relatives.
पालितो लोभ एवैकस्त्यक्त्वा धर्मं सदैव हि । तस्माद्दुःखी भवाञ्जातो दारिद्रेणाति पीडितः
You have always upheld only greed, abandoning righteousness; therefore, you have been born miserable, afflicted greatly by poverty.
दिनेदिने महातृष्णा हृदये ते प्रवर्त्तते । यदायदा गृहे द्रव्यं वृद्धिमायाति ते सदा
Day by day, great craving arises in your heart; whenever wealth in your house increases, it is always so.
तृष्णया दह्यमानस्तु तदा त्वं वह्निरूपया । रात्रौ वा त्वं प्रसुप्तस्तु लोभं चिंतयसेऽधिकम्
Burned by craving, which takes the form of fire, even at night while you sleep, you think ever more about greed.
दिनं प्राप्य महामोहैर्व्यापितो हि सदैव हि । सहस्रं लक्षतः कोटिः कदावार्बुदमेव च
Each day, you are always occupied with great delusions; you wonder, 'When will a thousand, a hundred thousand, a crore, or even ten million be mine?'
भविष्यति कदा खर्वो निखर्वश्चाथ मे गृहे । एवं सहस्रलक्षं च कोटिरर्बुदमेव च
'When will a kharva or nikharva come into my house?' In this way, you think of thousands, lakhs, crores, and even arbudas.
खर्वो निखर्वः संजातस्तृष्णा नैव प्रगच्छति । एवं कालं परित्यज्य वृद्धिमायाति सर्वदा
Even when a kharva or nikharva is gained, your craving does not subside; thus, forsaking time itself, it always increases.
नैव दत्तं हुतं विप्र भुक्तं नैव कदा त्वया । निश्चितं भूमिमध्ये तत्क्षिप्तं पुत्रानजानते
You have never given, offered, or enjoyed anything, O Brahmin; whatever is buried in the earth, your sons do not know of it.
अन्यमेवमुपायं तु द्रव्यागमनकारणात् । कुरुषे सर्वदा विप्र लोकान्पृच्छसि बुद्धिमान्
For the sake of acquiring wealth, you always seek out other means, O Brahmin, and you question people, being clever.