देवशर्मोवाच- पूर्वजन्मकृतं पापं त्वयाख्यातं ममैव तत् । शूद्रत्वेन हि विप्रेंद्र मयैवं धनमर्जितम्
Devaśarman said: The sin from my previous birth, which you have described, is indeed mine. As a Śūdra, O best of Brahmins, I myself acquired wealth in this way.
विप्रत्वं हि मया प्राप्तं तत्कथं द्विजसत्तम । तत्सर्वं कारणं ब्रूहि ज्ञानविज्ञानपंडित
I have now attained Brahminhood; how did this come about, O foremost of twice-born? Tell me the entire cause, O wise one, learned in knowledge and discernment.
दुर्ल्लभं भारते वर्षे जन्म तस्मान्मनुष्यता । मानुष्ये ब्राह्मणत्वं च सुतरां सत्कुलोदितम्
Birth in the land of Bharata is rare; therefore, humanity is precious. Among humans, Brahminhood, especially when arising in a noble family, is exceedingly rare.
तत्रापीदृग्विधा भार्या सर्वज्ञा प्रियवादिनी । सती सर्वगुणोपेता दुर्लभा सा कुतोऽभवत्
Even more rare is a wife of such qualities: all-knowing, gentle in speech, virtuous, endowed with every virtue. How did she come to be?
वसिष्ठ उवाच-। यत्त्वया चेष्टितं पूर्वं धर्मकर्मकृतं द्विज । तदहं संप्रवक्ष्यामि श्रूयतां यदि मन्यसे
Vasiṣṭha said: The actions you performed previously, the deeds of righteousness, O Brahmin, I will now fully declare. Listen, if you wish.
ब्राह्मणैकः सुधर्मात्मा सदाचारः सुपंडितः । विष्णुभक्तस्तु धर्मात्मा नित्यं विष्णुपरायणः
There was a Brahmin, of excellent conduct, devoted to righteousness, highly learned, and a devotee of Vishnu, whose mind was ever fixed on Vishnu.
स्नानार्थमपि तीर्थानां भ्रमत्येकः स मेदिनीम् । अटमानः समायातस्तव गेहे महामतिः
For the sake of bathing, he wandered among the sacred places, traversing the earth. Roaming thus, that great-minded one arrived at your house.
तस्य दर्शनमात्रेण समुत्पन्न सुधीस्तव । यतो धर्मगते गेहे सतामागमनं भवेत्
By merely seeing him, your intellect became excellent, for in a house devoted to righteousness, the arrival of the virtuous brings auspiciousness.
किंकिं न लभ्यते विप्र विप्रवैष्णवसेवया । दुर्ल्लभं यच्च लोके स्यान्मोक्षस्थानमपि स्थिरम्
What is not obtained, O Brahmin, by serving Brahmins devoted to Vishnu? Even that which is rare in the world, even the stable abode of liberation, may be attained.
याचितं स्थानमेकं वै वासार्थं तेन सत्तम । तवैव भार्यया दत्तं त्वया च सह पुत्रकैः
He requested a place to stay for lodging, O noble one. Your wife gave it, and you, together with your sons, also.
एयतामेयतां ब्रह्मन्सुखेन च गृहे मम । वैष्णवं ब्राह्मणं पुण्यमित्युवाच पुनः पुनः
Let the Brahmin stay in my house with happiness, he said again and again, for the Vaiṣṇava Brahmin is auspicious.
सुखेन स्थीयतामत्र गृहोऽयं तव सुव्रत । अद्य धन्योऽस्म्यहं पुण्यो अद्य तीर्थमहं गतः
Remain here happily; this house is yours, O virtuous one. Today I am blessed, today I am auspicious, today I have reached a sacred place.
अद्यतीर्थफलं प्राप्तं मया ते विप्र दर्शनात् । गवां स्थानं परं पुण्यं वासस्थानं प्रदर्शितम्
Today I have attained the fruit of pilgrimage, O Brahmin, by seeing you. The place of cows, supremely auspicious, has been shown as a dwelling place.
अंगसंवाहनं सम्यक्पादौ चैव प्रमर्दितौ । क्षालितौ च पुनस्तोयैः स्नातः पादोदकेन हि
You thoroughly massaged his limbs and pressed his feet; you washed them again with water, and he bathed with the water from your feet.
सद्यो घृतं दधिक्षीरमन्यमन्यं प्रदत्तवान् । ब्राह्मणाय तदा तस्मै त्वं तथाऽदृष्टनोदितः
Immediately, you gave ghee, curds, and milk, each in turn, to that Brahmin, as prescribed by custom.
एवं संतोषितो विप्रस्त्वयैव सह भार्यया । पुत्रैः सार्धं महाभागो वैष्णवो ज्ञानपंडितः
Thus, the Brahmin, a Vaiṣṇava, learned and wise, was satisfied by you together with your wife and sons, O fortunate one.
अथ प्रभाते विमले स्नानार्थं मासि माधवे । गंगायां गच्छता तेन तुष्टेन दययाधिपम्
Then, at dawn, pure and clear, in the month of Mādhava, you went to the Gaṅgā for bathing, your mind satisfied, O lord of compassion.
वैशाखस्नानमाहात्म्यमुपदिष्टं तवाग्रतः । कारितस्तु यथान्यायं सभार्या तनयो भवान्
The greatness of bathing in Vaiśākha was taught to you directly; you performed it properly, together with your wife and son.
यथा न वारिधि समो लोके कोपि जलाशयः । तथा मासो न वैशाखसदृशो माधवप्रियः
Just as there is no reservoir of water in the world equal to the ocean, so too, no month is as dear to Mādhava as Vaiśākha.
तावत्पापानि तिष्ठंति निष्प्रत्यूहं कलेवरे । यावत्किल मलध्वंसी मासो नैति स माधवः
Sins remain in the body, unobstructed, until the month of Mādhava, destroyer of impurities, arrives.
तस्य वाक्यं समाकर्ण्य वैशाखे सेवनं कृतम् । तुष्टेन मनसा विप्र पूजितो मधुसूदनः
Hearing these words, you observed Vaiśākha with devotion; with a satisfied mind, O brāhmaṇa, you worshipped Madhusūdana.
अवशिष्टदिनान्येव पंचमासस्य तस्य वै । एकादशीं समारभ्य स्नानं च विधिवत्कृतम्
Only a few days remained in that fifth month; beginning with the eleventh day, you performed the prescribed bathing.
ब्राह्मणस्य प्रसंगेन रेवां चानुदिने त्वया । प्रातःस्नानं कृतं विप्र वैशाखे मासि तावता
By the brāhmaṇa’s guidance, you bathed daily in the Revā river at dawn during the month of Vaiśākha, O brāhmaṇa.
पूजितो देवदेवेशो मधुहा परमेश्वरः । नैवाप्तः सकलो मासः स्नानार्थं तव पूर्वतः
You worshipped the Lord of gods, the slayer of Madhu, the supreme Lord; yet you did not complete the entire month’s bathing as before.
एवं स्नानं त्वया चीर्णमपि पंचदिनात्मकम् । तेन पुण्येन संगत्या ब्राह्मणस्य विशेषतः
Thus, though your bathing lasted only five days, by the merit gained—especially through association with the brāhmaṇa—
गोविंदस्य प्रसादेन त्वं तु ब्राह्मणतां गतः । त्वया तन्मासयोगेन प्राप्तमेतन्महत्कुलम्
By Govinda’s grace, you attained brāhmaṇa status; through your connection with that month, you obtained this great lineage.
दुर्ल्लभं भूमिदेवानां सत्यधर्मसमन्वितम् । भार्यापि सुसती प्राप्ता साध्वी सर्वगुणान्विता
You gained a lineage rare even among earth’s gods, endowed with truth and righteousness; and a wife, supremely chaste and virtuous, was obtained.
च्यवनस्य गृहोत्पन्ना सर्वज्ञा ब्रह्मवादिनी । रूपमेव परं स्त्रीणां भूषणं च महामुने
Born in Cyavana’s house, she is all-knowing, a speaker of Brahman; for women, O great sage, beauty is indeed the highest ornament.
शीलमेव द्वितीयं च तृतीयं सत्यमेव च । सदार्यत्वं चतुर्थं तु पंचमं पुण्यमुत्तमम्
Virtue is the second, truth the third, constant devotion to the husband the fourth, and supreme merit the fifth.
मधुरत्वं तथा षष्ठं शुद्धत्वं सप्तमं महत् । बाह्यांतः सततं स्त्रीणां सर्वाभरणसप्तमम्
Sweetness is the sixth, great purity the seventh—both inner and outer—these are the seven ornaments of women.