वैशाखस्नानमाहात्म्यं किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमर्हसि
What more do you wish to hear about the greatness of bathing in Vaiśākha?
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे पातालखंडे वैशाखमासमाहात्म्ये चित्रोपाख्याने। त्रिनवतितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the ninety-third chapter in the story of Citropākhyāna, concerning the greatness of the month of Vaiśākha, in the Pātāla section of the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
अंबरीष उवाच- पापप्रशमनं स्तोत्रं श्रोतुमिच्छामि तद्विभो । यस्य श्रवणमात्रेण पापराशिर्विलीयते
Ambarīṣa said: O Lord, I wish to hear that hymn which removes sin, by merely hearing which a mass of sin is dissolved.
धन्योऽस्म्यनुगृहीतोऽस्मि श्रावितोऽस्मि शुभं विधिम् । विकर्मोपार्जितं यस्य श्रवणादेव हीयते
I am blessed, I am favored, I have been taught the auspicious rite, by hearing which even the sin acquired by wrong deeds is diminished.
चित्रं किमत्र मधुसूदन दैवतस्य मासस्य पुण्यसवनैरिह माधवस्य । स्नानैरवश्यविहितैरघराशिनाशः स्याद्यस्य नामपठनादपि तस्य लोकः
O Madhusudana, what wonder is there in this, that in the holy month of Madhava, by the prescribed sacred baths, the destruction of heaps of sin surely occurs; and even by reciting his name, one attains that world.
तदेव पुण्यं परमं पवित्रं हृद्यं च लोके सुकृतैकलभ्यम् । यदुच्यते केशवनामधेयं मन्ये मुने माधवमासि भव्यम्
That alone is the supreme, pure, and delightful merit in this world, attainable only by the virtuous, which is spoken of as the name of Keshava; this, O sage, I consider the auspicious essence of the month of Madhava.
धन्यास्तु ते माधवमासि नाम स्मरंति येऽहो मधुसूदनस्य । तस्यैव मे किंचिदहो चरित्रं पुनः पवित्रं वद विश्वजन्यम्
Blessed indeed are those who remember the name of Madhava in this month, O slayer of Madhu; tell me again, I pray, some portion of his deeds, that are pure and the source of the universe.
सूत उवाच- वचः समाकर्ण्य हरिप्रियस्य प्रीतो मुनिस्तस्य नृपोत्तमस्य । स माधवस्नानसमुत्सुकोऽपि कथारसेनाह स माधवस्य
Suta said: Hearing the words of the devotee of Hari, the delighted sage spoke to that best of kings, though eager for the bath of Madhava month, being absorbed in the nectar of tales about Madhava.
नारद उवाच- सत्यं महीपाल मिथो मुकुंदकथारसालापविधिर्विशुद्धः । त्वया समं माधवमासधर्मस्नानाधिकोऽयं हरिदैवतेन
Narada said: Truly, O king, the pure exchange of stories about Mukunda between us surpasses even the merit of bathing in the holy month of Madhava, being sanctified by Hari himself.
जीवितं यस्य धर्मार्थं धर्मो हर्यर्थमेव च । अहोरात्राणि पुण्यार्थं तं मन्ये वैष्णवं भुवि
He whose life is devoted to righteousness and to the purpose of Hari, who spends his days and nights for the sake of merit—I consider him a true Vaishnava on earth.
किंचिद्वक्ष्यामि ते राजन्वैशाखस्नानजं फलम् । अस्मत्पितापि नो वक्तुमलं विस्तरतोऽखिलम्
I will tell you, O king, a little of the fruit that comes from bathing in the month of Vaishakha; even my father was not able to describe it all in detail.
यत्र मज्जनमात्रेण प्रेता मुक्तिमुपागताः । माधवे मासि ते पापा नर्मदासलिले परे
By merely bathing there, in the waters of the Narmada during the month of Madhava, even the departed, stained by sin, attained liberation.
पुरातीर्थप्रसंगेन भ्रमन्कोपि महीसुरः । मुनिशर्मेति विख्यातो धर्मात्मा सत्यवाञ्छुचिः
Once, while wandering in connection with ancient holy places, a certain noble sage, renowned as Munisharma, righteous, truthful, and pure, was traveling.
युक्तः शमदमाभ्यां च क्षांतिसंतोषसंयुतः । युक्तः स पितृकार्येषु श्रुतिस्मृतिविधानवान्
He was endowed with self-control and restraint, patience and contentment, diligent in ancestral rites, and versed in the injunctions of the scriptures and tradition.
युक्तो मधुरवाक्येषु संयुक्तो हरिपूजने । युक्तो वैष्णवसंसर्गे त्रिकालज्ञानवान्मुनिः
He was skilled in gentle speech, devoted to the worship of Hari, associated with Vaishnavas, and a sage possessing knowledge of the three times.
स्वकर्मणि रतो धीरो हृदयालुः प्रियाप्रियः । दयालुरतिमेधावी तत्त्वविद्ब्राह्मणप्रियः
Steadfast in his own duties, courageous, compassionate, impartial to friend and foe, merciful, highly intelligent, a knower of truth, and dear to the Brahmanas.
माधवे मासि रेवायां स्नानार्थं प्रतिसंचरन् । अग्रतः पंचपुरुषान्ददर्शातीव दुःखितान्
While journeying along the Reva for the purpose of bathing in the month of Madhava, he saw ahead five men, greatly afflicted.
परस्परमसंसर्गकारिणः कृष्णविग्रहान् । वटच्छायामुपाश्रित्य समासीनानवस्थितान्
They avoided contact with each other, had dark forms, and, taking shelter under the shade of a banyan tree, sat there, unsettled.
पश्यंतो दिक्षु सर्वासु दुरितोद्विग्नचेतसः । तानालोक्य द्विजश्रेष्ठश्चिंतयामास विस्मितः
Looking in all directions, their minds disturbed by misfortune, the best of twice-born, seeing them, wondered in amazement.
अत्रैते के नरा भीता विपिने दीनचेष्टिताः । चौरा वा विकृताकारा दृश्यंते संगभागिनः
Who are these men here, fearful and behaving wretchedly in the forest? Are they thieves, or deformed in appearance, seen together?
परस्परं च भाषंतः कृशाः कृष्णवपुः श्रियः । यावदेवं स विप्राग्र्यो विचारयति धीरधीः
Speaking among themselves, emaciated, with dark bodies and bereft of splendor—as the foremost Brahmin pondered thus with steady mind,
तावदागम्यते सर्वे दूरस्था मुनिमादरात् । बद्धांजलिपुटा भूत्वा प्रणम्योचुरिति स्फुटम्
At that moment, all of them, who were at a distance, approached the sage with reverence, palms joined, bowed, and spoke clearly as follows.
पंचपुरुषा ऊचुः - भव्यं भवंतं पुरुषोत्तमं वै विभ्राजमानं चरितेन मान्यम् । मन्यामहे विप्र दयालुमुख्यं वाचं समाकर्णय नोसि मैत्रः
The five men spoke: We regard you, O Supreme Person, as noble, radiant through your conduct, and worthy of respect. We consider you, O Brahmin, to be compassionate and foremost; listen to our words, for you are friendly to us.
संतः प्रतिष्ठा दीनानां दैवादुद्भूतपापिनाम् । आर्तानामार्तिहंतारो दर्शनादेव साधवः
The virtuous are the refuge of the afflicted, even of those who have become sinners through fate; the good destroy the suffering of the distressed merely by their presence.
अहं पांचालदेशीयः क्षत्रियो वीरवाहनः । ब्राह्मणं हतवान्मोहाच्छरेण शब्दवेधिना
I am a Kshatriya from the land of Panchala, named Viravahana. Out of delusion, I killed a Brahmin with an arrow that strikes by sound.
शिखासूत्रविहीनस्तु तिलकेन विवर्जितः । अटामि जगतीमेनां ब्रह्मघ्नोऽहमिति ब्रुवन्
Deprived of the topknot and sacred thread, and lacking the mark of tilaka, I wander this earth, declaring myself a slayer of Brahmins.
ब्रह्मघ्नायातिपापाय भिक्षा मह्यं प्रदीयताम् । एवं सर्वेषु तीर्थेषु भ्रमन्नत्रास्मि चागतः
For the sin of Brahmin-slaying, which is exceedingly wicked, let alms be given to me. Thus, wandering through all the sacred places, I have arrived here, fearful.
ब्रह्महत्या न मेद्यापि प्रयाति मुनिसत्तम । एवं मे वर्षमेकं हि व्यतीतं कुर्वतो विभो
Even in the sacred places, O best of sages, the sin of Brahmin-slaying does not depart from me. Thus, O Lord, a whole year has passed while I have acted so.
दह्यमानस्य पापेन शोकाकुलितचेतसः । चंद्रशर्मापरो विप्रो योयं संलक्ष्यते द्विज
Burned by sin, with a mind troubled by sorrow, there is another Brahmin here, named Chandrasharma, whom you see, O twice-born.
गुरुघाती स तु ब्रह्मन्मोहाकुलितमानसः । मोहाकुलितचित्तत्वाद्गुरुघातक उच्यते
He is a slayer of his teacher, O Brahmin, his mind confused by delusion. Because of his deluded state, he is called a teacher-slayer.