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.
आज्ये सति निराज्यं च तेन पर्य्युषितोऽस्म्यहम् । मिथ्यामिथ्यापरच्छिद्र मर्म्मान्वेषी स्वभावतः
When there was ghee, I withheld it; thus I am Paryuṣita. By nature, I sought out the faults and secrets of others, whether true or false.
सूचयामास तेनासौ सूचकोऽशुचिरातुरः । शीघ्रं नश्यति विप्रेण याचितः क्षुभितेन वै
Because of this, I became Sūcaka, impure and afflicted. When a brāhmaṇa, angered, asks quickly, he perishes.
एतत्कारणमुद्दिश्य शीघ्रगो द्विजसत्तम । गृहोपरि सदा स्वादुभुक्तमेतेन पापिना
For this reason, O best of twice-born, he is called Śīghraga. This sinner always ate tasty food above the house.
एकाकिना कुमनसा तेनासौ रोधकः स्मृतः । मौनेनापि स्थितो नित्यं पादेन लिखते महीम्
Alone and with a wicked mind, he is remembered as Rodhaka, the obstructer. Even while always silent, he writes on the ground with his foot.
अस्माकमपि पापिष्ठो लेखको लोकसंगतः । गुणिनोयं गुणान्द्वेष्टि निर्गुणे च गुणज्ञताम्
Among us, the most sinful is Lekhaka, mingling with people. Though virtuous, he hates virtues, and in the unvirtuous, he recognizes virtue.
असंज्ञे ज्ञानयोगी च वाग्दुष्टोसौ ततः स्मृतः । नास्तिक्यभावादनिशं पितृदैवत मानवान्
Lacking awareness, though a knower of yoga, he is called Vāgduṣṭa, of corrupt speech. Due to atheistic views, he never honors ancestors or gods.
न मन्यते च सत्कर्म पापस्तेन विदैवतः । सदा याचनको मिथ्या मिथ्यादौर्गत्यदर्शकः
He does not consider good deeds; thus, he is Vidaivata, hostile to the gods. Always begging falsely, he shows signs of misfortune.
सभूतोद्वेजको लुब्धस्तेन याचनकस्त्वयम् । एभिः पूर्वकृतैः पापैर्भुक्त्वा नरकयातनाम्
He disturbs gatherings, is greedy; thus, he is called Yācanaka, the beggar. Having suffered the torments of hell for these past sins,
प्रेतास्ते दर्शनादद्य पुनर्जाताः स्म सुस्थिताः । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातमात्मवृत्तांतसंभवम्
these pretas, by being seen today, have been reborn in a good state. All this has been told to you, the account of our own deeds.
प्रश्नं च यदि ते श्रद्धा पृच्छान्यत्कथयामि ते । ब्राह्मण उवाच- ये जीवा भुवि तिष्ठंति सर्वआहारमूलकाः
If you have faith and wish to ask more, I will tell you. The brāhmaṇa said: All living beings on earth subsist on various foods.