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.
निवसन्मागधेदेशे संत्यक्तः स्वजनैस्ततः । दैवादसावपि मुने भ्रमन्निह समागतः
Living in the land of Magadha, abandoned by his own people, he too, O sage, has come here, wandering by fate.
शिखासूत्रविहीनस्तु विप्रलिंगविवर्जितः । मया पृष्टस्तु वृत्तांतं सत्यमेवावदद्द्विजः
Deprived of the topknot and sacred thread, lacking the marks of a Brahmin, when questioned by me, he truthfully recounted his story, O twice-born.
वसता यद्गुरोर्गेहे क्रोधाकुलितचेतसा । महामोहगतेनापि यथा वै घातितो गुरुः
While residing in his teacher's house, his mind agitated by anger, and overcome by great delusion, he killed his teacher as described.
तेन पापेन दग्धोऽसौ वर्तते शोकपीडितः । तृतीयोऽयं पुनः स्वामिन्वेदशर्मासमाहितः
Afflicted by that sin, he remains tormented by sorrow. The third, again, is the master Vedasharma, who is disturbed.
सुरापो ब्राह्मणो जातो मोहाद्वेश्याप्रसंगतः । पृष्टो मयायमपि मे यथावृत्तं तथाब्रवीत्
A Brahmin, addicted to liquor, born from association with a hated woman due to delusion; when questioned by me, he told me his story as it happened.
आत्मनश्चेष्टितं सर्वं मनस्तापेन पीडितः । निरस्तः सर्वलोकैश्च भार्याबंधुजनैरपि
Tormented in mind by all his actions, rejected by all people, and even by his wife and relatives.
तेन पापेन संलिप्तो भ्रमन्नत्रायमागतः । चतुर्थो विधुरो नाम वैश्योऽयं गुरुतल्पगः
Entangled in that sin, wandering, he has arrived here. The fourth is named Vidhura, a Vaishya who has committed the grave sin of violating his teacher's wife.
मोहान्मासत्रयं यावद्वेश्याभूतां च मातरम् । बुभुजे स विदेहस्थां ज्ञाततत्त्वस्ततश्चरन्
Out of delusion, for three months, he enjoyed his mother, who had become a hated woman and was living elsewhere; later, realizing the truth, he wandered.
दुःखितोऽभ्यागमद्भूमिं भ्रमन्निह मुने पुनः । पंचमोऽयं महापापी पापिसंसर्गकारकः
Distressed, he came to this land, wandering here again, O sage. The fifth is a great sinner, a cause of sinful association.
प्रत्यहं धनलोभेन स्तेयादिकृतवानघम् । वैश्योतिपातकैः क्रांतस्ततस्त्यक्तो जनैः स्वयम्
Every day, out of greed for wealth, he committed sins such as theft; being overcome by grave transgressions as a Vaishya, he was abandoned by people of his own accord.