विष्णुनाराधितेनादौ स्वयमुक्तं च तत्त्वतः । न तृप्तिरशनादन्या न गुरुर्जनकादपि
—and what was first spoken truly by Vishnu, worshipped at the beginning: there is no satisfaction apart from food, no teacher greater than one’s father.
न पात्रमन्यद्विप्रेभ्यो न देवः केशवात्परः । न गंगया समं तीर्थं न दानं सुरभीसमम्
There is no recipient greater than the Brahmins, no god higher than Keshava; no holy place equal to the Ganga, no gift equal to the cow.
न गायत्र्या समं जाप्यं न द्वादश्यासमं व्रतम् । न भार्यया समं मित्रं न धर्मो दयया समः
There is no recitation equal to Gayatri, no vow equal to Dvadashi; no friend like a wife, no righteousness equal to compassion.
न स्वातंत्र्यसमं सौख्यं गार्हस्थ्यान्नाश्रमो वरः । न सत्यात्परआचारो न संतोषात्परं सुखम्
There is no happiness like independence, no stage of life superior to the householder’s; no conduct higher than truth, no happiness greater than contentment.
न माधवसमो मासो महापापहरः परः । विधिनानुष्ठितो भक्त्या मधुसूदनवल्लभः
There is no month like Madhava for destroying great sins; when observed properly with devotion, it is dear to Madhusudana.
गंगादिषु च तीर्थेषु विशेषेण सुदुर्लभः । प्रायश्चित्तानि सर्वाणि द्वादशाब्दमुखानि च
Even among holy places like the Ganga and others, it is especially rare; all acts of atonement, even those lasting twelve years—
तावद्गर्जंति पापानि यावन्नायाति माधवः । वैशाखमखिलं मासं यः स्नाति हरितत्परः
—sins continue to roar until Madhava arrives; whoever bathes with devotion for the entire month of Vaishakha—
हरिपादसमुद्भूते सलिले विमलाशयः । स एव सर्वपापानां हंता दृष्टस्तु पापिभिः
—in water that has touched the feet of Hari, with pure intent, he alone is seen by sinners as the destroyer of all sins.
निजपापौघनिष्कृत्यै वक्तव्यं तस्य किन्नरैः
For the removal of his accumulated sins, it should be spoken by the Kinnaras.
मासे तु वै माधवसंज्ञकेऽस्मिन्यः स्नाति पापैः स विमुच्यते हि । मेषस्थिते संप्रति नर्मदायाः शर्मप्रदे वारिणि वारिताघे
In this month called Mādhava, whoever bathes is indeed freed from sins; when the Sun is in Aries, in the waters of Narmadā that grant happiness, the sinful are cleansed.
दुर्लभा हि महानद्यो माधवे मासि सर्वशः । ततोऽपि दुर्लभा गंगा रेवा च यमुना तथा
The great rivers are indeed difficult to access in the Mādhava month everywhere; even more difficult are Gaṅgā, Revā, and likewise Yamunā.
एतासु तिसृषु प्रायः प्राप्यैकामपि सादरम् । यः स्नाति माधवे मासि विपापः स हरिं व्रजेत्
Among these three, if one attains even a single river with reverence and bathes in the Mādhava month, he becomes free from sin and goes to Hari.
तस्मादहो सह मया सुकृतैकसारे वैशाखमासि च भवंत उपेत्य रेवाम् । मज्जंतु पातककृतो मुनिवृंदजुष्टे रेवाजले निखिलपापभयापहत्यै
Therefore, O friends, together with me, in the essence of virtue, come in the month of Vaiśākha to Revā; let those who have committed sins immerse themselves in the waters of Revā, cherished by sages, to dispel all fear of sin.
एवमुक्तास्ततः सर्वे मुदिता मुनिना सह । जग्मुस्ते पापिनो रेवां शंसंतोऽद्भुतकारिणीम्
Thus addressed, all the sinners, joyful together with the sage, went to Revā, praising her wondrous deeds.
मुनिशर्मा ततो गच्छंस्तैस्तथानुगतो नरैः । ददर्श पथिसंत्रस्तान्पिशाचानष्ट भीषणान्
Muniśarmā, proceeding along with them as they followed, saw terrifying, lost piśācas wandering the path.
कुर्वंतो विविधाञ्छब्दान्भ्रमंतोऽपि ततस्ततः । ऊर्द्ध्वकेशोर्द्ध्वरक्तांश्च कृष्णदंतकृशोदरान्
Making various sounds, wandering here and there, with hair standing upright, blood rising, black teeth, and emaciated bellies.
अरण्ये कंटकाक्रांते वृक्षपानीयवर्जिते । सम्मुखं धावतो दृष्ट्वा भयसंविग्नमानसः
In a forest overrun with thorns, devoid of water from trees, seeing them rushing headlong, his mind was seized with fear.
नमोनारायणायेति रक्षरक्षेति चाब्रवीत्
He spoke: 'Salutations to Nārāyaṇa! Protect, protect!'
नारायणायेति नमोभिधानमाकर्ण्य धर्मैकनिधानमुच्चैः । भवांतरे ते मनसा पिशाचा ययुर्निजादृष्टवशेन लब्धाः
Hearing the utterance 'Salutations to Nārāyaṇa,' loudly addressed to the sole repository of Dharma, in another existence, those piśācas departed by the force of their own vision.
विनयान्वितमनसो मुनिशर्मा विलोक्य तान् । उवाच मधुराभाषी के यूयं विकृता नराः
Seeing them, Muniśarmā, whose mind was filled with humility, spoke sweetly: 'Who are you, distorted men?'
किं वा केन कृतं कर्म येन प्राप्ता च वैकृतिः । कथमेवं विधाः सर्वे दुःखिनोऽतीव भीषणाः
'What deed or act was done, by which this distortion was attained? How is it that all of you are so miserable and exceedingly terrifying?'
प्रेता ऊचुः - क्षुत्पिपासार्दिता नित्यं नानादुःखचयाकुलाः । कृतबुद्धे हृदि क्रूरा नष्टसंज्ञा विचेतसः
The pretas said: 'Afflicted always by hunger and thirst, overwhelmed by various heaps of suffering, with cruel intent in the heart, bereft of consciousness and confused.'
न जानीमो दिशः क्वापि मूढा मानवघातिनः । तदेतद्दुःखमाख्यातमेतदेवासुखं पुनः
'We do not know any direction, bewildered, destroyers of men; this is the suffering described, and this again is our misery.'
प्रभातमिव संभाति भास्करोदयदर्शनात् । श्रुत्वा नारायणेत्युच्चैर्भाषितं तव कोमलम्
'Like the dawn that arises at the sight of the sun, hearing your gentle utterance of 'Nārāyaṇa' aloud.'
दृष्ट्वा च दर्शनं विप्र शुद्धभावं गता वयम् । दर्शनेनैव ते विप्र नामश्रवणतो हरेः
'And seeing your presence, O brāhmaṇa, we have attained pure feeling; by your very sight, O brāhmaṇa, and by hearing the name of Hari.'
भवांतरमनुप्राप्ता वयं प्राप्ता दयालवः । विनाशयत्यपयशो बुद्धिं विशदयत्यपि
'We have attained another existence, and have become recipients of compassion; misfortune destroys the mind, but compassion purifies it.'
प्रतिष्ठापयति प्रायो नृणां वैष्णवदर्शनम् । अहं पर्युषितो नाम सूचकोऽयं द्वितीयकः
Generally, the sight of a Vaiṣṇava establishes merit for people; I am called Paryuṣita, the indicator—this is the second one.
शीघ्रगो रोधकश्चान्यः पंचमोयं च लेखकः । षष्ठोयमिति वाग्दुष्टः सप्तमोयं विदैवतः
Another is Śīghraga, the one who obstructs; the fifth is Lekhaka, the scribe; the sixth is Vāgduṣṭa, one of corrupt speech; the seventh is Vidaivata, hostile to the gods.
नित्यंयाजनकश्चायमष्टमः कष्टदायकः । मुनिशर्मोवाच- प्रेतानां कर्मजातानां नामानि भवतां कुतः
The eighth is Nityam Yājanaka, always causing ritual, and Kaṣṭadāyaka, the bringer of suffering. Muniśarma said: From where do you pretas get these names according to your deeds?
किं तत्कारणमुद्दिश्य येन यूयं सनामकाः । प्रेता ऊचुः - मया स्वादु सदा भुक्तं दत्तं पर्युषितं द्विजे
What is the reason, for what cause, that you all have such names? The pretas said: I always ate tasty food and gave stale food to the twice-born.