वैशाखे विधिना स्नानं चक्रे मेषस्थिते रवौ । पूजयामास विधिवन्मधुसूदनमच्युतम्
In the month of Vaiśākha, when the sun was in Aries, he bathed according to the rite and worshipped Madhusudana, the infallible one, as prescribed.
यमैः सनियमैर्युक्तः शक्त्या किंचिद्ददौ ततः । हविष्यभुग्भूमिशायी ब्रह्मचर्यव्रतस्थितः
Practicing self-control and discipline, he gave what he could with effort; eating simple food, sleeping on the ground, and observing the vow of celibacy.
कृच्छ्रादि तपसा क्षामो ध्यायन्नारायणं हृदि । तत्र प्राप्य स वैशाखीं दत्वा मधुतिलादिकम्
Emaciated by austerities such as kṛcchra, meditating on Narayana in his heart, there he performed the Vaiśākha vow, giving honey, sesame, and the like.
विप्रेभ्यो भोजनं दत्वा भक्त्या धेनुं सदक्षिणाम् । अच्छिद्रं प्रार्थयामास तत्र स्नानस्य भूसुरान्
He gave food to the Brahmins with devotion, along with a cow and proper gifts; there, after bathing, he prayed to the Brahmins for unbroken merit.
सापि साध्वी च सुश्रोणी पतिभक्तिपरायणा । पतिं शुश्रूषते नित्यं स्नात्वा संपूज्य केशवम्
She too, that virtuous and beautiful lady, devoted to her husband, served him always, having bathed and worshipped Keśava.
तौ दंपती ततो यातौ स्वगेहं साधुहर्षितम् । कृतकृत्यावथात्मानौ मन्यमानावसंशयम्
Then the couple returned to their own home, filled with holy joy, considering themselves truly accomplished and without doubt.
तेन पुण्यप्रभावेण कालेन कियता किल । बभूवुरमितास्तस्य धनधान्यानि संपदः
By the power of that merit, in due course of time, he obtained immeasurable wealth, grain, and prosperity.
तनया विनयोपेताश्चत्वारः श्रुतिकोविदाः । धर्मज्ञा वैष्णवा नित्यं पितृमातृपरायणाः
He had four sons, endowed with humility, learned in the Vedas, knowing righteousness, devoted to Vishnu, and always attentive to their parents.
बभूवुरमितप्रज्ञाः पुरुषार्थाय बोधिताः । विख्याता विधितत्त्वज्ञा ब्रह्मज्ञा ब्रह्मतत्पराः
They became possessed of boundless wisdom, instructed in the aims of life, renowned as knowers of the essence of the scriptures, knowers of Brahman, and devoted to the Supreme.
समग्रगुणसंपन्नाः संप्रतिष्ठंति कीर्तयः
Endowed with all virtues, their fame endures.
तौ दंपती सुतसमग्रसमृद्धसौख्यं पुण्योदयं समुपयुज्य ततश्चिरेण । स्थानं परं परममीयतुरस्य भक्त्या श्रीमाधवे च सुकृतस्य नृपप्रसादात्
Those two spouses, enjoying happiness and prosperity equal to that of their children, and the rise of merit, after a long time, attained the supreme and highest state of this world through devotion to Śrī Mādhava and by the favor of the virtuous king.
यथैव माधवः साक्षाद्विद्यालक्ष्मी धवः स्मृतः । तथैव माधवो मासो मधुसूदनवल्लभः
Just as Mādhava is remembered as the husband of the goddess of learning and fortune, so too is the Mādhava month dear to Madhusūdana.
इदं माधवमाहात्म्यं किंचित्संक्षेपतोऽनघ । मया ते कथितं वीर यत्पुरा च पितुः श्रुतम्
O sinless one, I have briefly told you this Mādhava month’s greatness, O hero, as I once heard it from your father.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे पातालखंडे नारदांबरीषसंवादे वैशाखमासमाहात्म्ये एकनवतितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the ninety-first chapter in the Vaiśākha Māhātmya, in the dialogue between Nārada and Ambarīṣa, of the Pātāla section of the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
सूत उवाच-। इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा नारदस्य स भूपतिः । प्रणम्य विस्मितः प्राहचिंतयन्मनसा हरिम्
Sūta said: Hearing these words of Nārada, the king, bowing and astonished, spoke while contemplating Hari in his mind.
अंबरीष उवाच-। कथमेतद्विमुह्यामः स्वल्पायासेन यन्मुने । शूद्रः पापसमाचारो लेभे ब्राह्मण्यमुत्तमम्
Ambarīṣa said: O sage, how are we not bewildered, when with little effort, a Śūdra of sinful conduct attained the highest status of a Brāhmaṇa?
ब्राह्मण्यं दुर्ल्लभं तात सुकृतैर्विविधैरपि । कथं माधवमासस्य स्नानेनैवाप सोऽधमः
O father, Brāhmaṇahood is difficult to attain even through various virtuous deeds; how did that lowly man obtain it merely by bathing in the Mādhava month?
न यज्ञदानैर्न तपोभिरुग्रैर्न पुण्यसंज्ञैरपरैरपीश । अस्मादृशो भूपतयोऽर्थवंतो न ते लभंतेऽवनिदैवतत्वम्
Not by sacrifices, gifts, severe austerities, or other acts called meritorious, do wealthy kings like us attain the status of the gods.
स गाधिसूनुर्विविधं तपोऽपि चिरंविधायानिशमेव घोरम् । कृच्छ्रेण लेभे शतवर्षपूर्णैरहो कथंचिद्बहुभिः प्रयत्नैः
The son of Gādhi performed various severe austerities ceaselessly for a long time; with great difficulty, after a hundred years, he attained it somehow through many efforts.
कथं स वर्णाधम एष पापः स्वधर्महीनो धनवान दाता । पुण्यादनायासकृतादमुष्मादल्पादिहावाप स रामतत्त्वम्
How did this sinful one, lowest of his caste, devoid of his own duty, yet wealthy and generous, attain the essence of Rāma through merit gained without effort and so little here?
नारद उवाच-। सत्यमुक्तं त्वया राजन्ब्राह्मण्यमतिदुर्ल्लभम् । तथापि गतयः सूक्ष्मा दुर्ज्ञेया धर्मतत्त्वतः
Nārada said: What you have spoken is true, O king; Brāhmaṇahood is extremely difficult to attain. Yet the paths are subtle and hard to comprehend in the essence of dharma.
विचित्राणि च कर्माणि विचित्रा भूतभावना । विचित्राणि च भूतानि विचित्राः कर्मशक्तयः
Actions are diverse, the creation of beings is diverse; beings themselves are diverse, and the powers of action are diverse.
कदाचित्सुकृतं कर्म कूटस्थं यदवापि तम् । केनचित्कर्मणा भूप शुभेन परिवर्धते
Sometimes, a virtuous deed, though dormant, is increased by some auspicious action, O king.
फलं ददाति सुमहत्तस्मिन्नपि च जन्मनि । धर्मो गहनसूक्ष्मोऽयं नीयते न यथा तथा
It gives a great result even in that birth; this dharma is deep and subtle, and does not proceed as one expects.
न तस्य फलदानस्य श्रूयते कालनिश्चयः । यत्किंचित्सुकृतं कर्मच्छन्नं पापांतरैरपि
There is no fixed time known for the giving of its fruit; any virtuous action, though concealed by sins, is heard to yield results.
तदागत्य कुतः क्वापि सुफलं च प्रयच्छति । कृतस्य नेह नाशोस्ति पुण्यस्य दुरितस्य च
Then, coming from somewhere, it gives a good result; neither merit nor sin is destroyed here.
तथापि बहुभिः पुण्यैर्दुरितं याति दारुणम् । यदुक्तं भवता राजन्नायासाधिक्यतो भवेत्
Yet, by many merits, sin becomes weakened; as you said, O king, it does not depend on the amount of effort.
तत्फलं तत्र तत्रापि शृणु सत्यं मयोदितम् । अनायासमहायासौ यद्यल्पत्व महत्त्वयोः
That fruit, whether small or great, comes accordingly; hear the truth I speak about ease and great effort, and their smallness or greatness.
महाव्रतास्ततस्ते स्युः सततं कर्मकादयः । सिंहव्याघ्रादिमूत्रादौ प्रयासा बहुलास्ततः
Those who undertake great vows, always engaged in ritual actions, endure much hardship, such as from the urine of lions, tigers, and others.
पंचगव्यप्रशस्तत्वं व्रतमध्ये ततो भवेत् । इति कर्तव्यबाहुल्यं महत्त्वं चेत्तदल्पता
Among vows, the use of the five products of the cow is praised; but if greatness is measured by the multitude of acts required, then even small vows would be considered great.