युष्माकमपि आहारं श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः । प्रेता ऊचुः - शृणुष्वाहारमस्माकं सर्वसत्वविगर्हितम्
I wish to hear the truth about your food as well. The pretas said: Hear about our food, which is despised by all beings.
यं श्रुत्वा निंदसे ब्रह्मन्भूयोभूयश्च नित्यशः । श्लेष्ममूत्रपुरीषेण योषिदंगमलेन च
Hearing of it, O brāhmaṇa, you will reproach us again and again. It consists of phlegm, urine, excrement, and the filth of women's bodies.
गृहाणित्यक्तशौचानि तानि भुंजंति तत्र वै । स्त्रीदग्धानि प्रकीर्णानि प्रकीर्णायस्कराणि च
They consume what is left behind, unclean, in houses, and what is eaten there. That which is burnt by women, scattered, and the leavings of the scattered.
कुत्सितानि मलेनापि प्रेता वै तत्र भुंजते । माधवं यत्र नार्चंति स्त्रीजितानि गृहाणि च
The pretas eat disgusting things, even filth, in those places. Where Mādhava is not worshipped, and the houses are ruled by women.
दया क्षांतिविहीनानि प्रेतास्तत्रैव भुंजते । यत्राभद्रा गृहे वाचः शौचहीनाश्च योषितः
Those who lack compassion and patience, the spirits consume their offerings there; where words in the household are inauspicious and women are without purity.
कलहो यत्र सततं प्रेतास्ते तत्र भुंजते । न यत्र जामयो गेहे पूज्यंते न वराः स्त्रियः
Where constant quarrelling occurs, the spirits consume offerings there; where daughters-in-law are not honored in the home, nor are noble women respected.
यत्र दुर्जनसंसर्गस्तत्र भोक्ष्यामहे वयम् । न यत्र हरिसेवा वा न कथा यत्र वैष्णवी
Where there is association with wicked people, there we spirits partake; where there is neither service to Hari nor narration of Vaishnava stories.
न यत्र वैष्णवी प्रीतिः प्रेता वै तत्र भुंजते । येषामेवं गृहे प्रीता भुंजते तेऽपि सत्वरम्
Where there is no Vaishnava affection, there indeed the spirits consume; but in whose home such affection exists, they too quickly partake.
प्रेता भवंति पापेन निजवंशविनाशकाः । तस्य मे जायते ब्रह्मन्वदतो भोजनं निजम्
By sin, spirits arise, destroying their own lineage; O Brahman, from such a one, my own food is produced as he speaks.
अस्मात्पापतरं चान्यत्किंचिद्वक्तुं न शक्यते । निर्विण्णः प्रेतभावेन पृच्छामि त्वां दृढव्रतम्
Nothing else can be spoken of as more sinful than this; distressed by the state of being a spirit, I ask you, steadfast in vows.
यथा न जायते प्रेतो मुक्तिः प्रेतत्वतो यथा । ब्राह्मण उवाच- एकादश्यादिभिः पुण्यैर्व्रतैरच्युतकीर्तनैः
How does one not become a spirit, and how is liberation from spirithood attained? The Brahman said: By the merits of Ekadashi and other vows, and by praising Acyuta.
देवतातिथिपूजाभिर्गुरुपूजादिभिस्तथा । आचारैः साधुचरितैः श्रुतिस्मृत्युदितैर्दिनैः
By worship of deities and guests, and likewise by honoring the guru; by conduct in accordance with the ways of the virtuous, as prescribed by scripture and tradition.
एवं श्राद्धक्रियादानैर्यथाविधिविनिर्मितैः । दयादानदमक्षांतिशीलशिष्टाभिवादनैः
Thus, by performing rites of śrāddha and giving gifts, as prescribed; by compassion, charity, self-control, patience, and respectful greetings to the virtuous.
इत्येवमादिभिर्धर्मैः प्रेता न स्युः कुलेऽपि वै । गोविप्रतीर्थामरपर्वताग्र्य नदीनदाश्वत्थतरूननेकशः
By such and similar dharmas, spirits do not arise even in the lineage; at holy places of cows, Brahmins, rivers, gods, mountains, rivers, lakes, and banyan trees, in many ways.
यो वंदते बंधुजने विनीतः प्रेतो न लोके भवतीह नूनम् । क्रमादर्च्चयते युक्तो विशेषादपि मानवः
He who humbly honors his relatives is certainly not born as a spirit in this world; and one who worships in proper order, especially among men.
गंगादिपुण्यतीर्थेषु तस्य पुण्यमनंतकम् । नाहं वर्षसहस्रेषु वक्तुं शक्तः स्वयं विभुः
At sacred places like the Ganges and others, his merit is endless; even I, the Lord, am unable to describe it in a thousand years.
दर्शनादेव तस्यापि मुक्तः प्रेतत्वतो भवेत् । ऊर्जमूर्जस्वलं मासमथ दामोदरप्रियम्
By merely seeing such a person, one is freed from spirithood; then comes the month full of vigor, dear to Dāmodara.
तपसामुत्तमं मासं तपो माधववल्लभम् । वैशाखं माधवं मासं मधुसूदनदैवतम्
The month of supreme austerities, beloved of Mādhava; Vaiśākha, the month of Mādhava, is dedicated to Madhusūdana as its deity.
उत्तमं सर्वमासानां यमेकं मुनयो विदुः । येनैव साधनेन स्यात्सर्वं कृत्यं हि साधितम्
Among all months, the sages know this one as the best; by its observance, all duties are indeed accomplished.
ब्रह्मविद्यामताभ्येति सा लक्ष्मीर्विश्वकारिणी । तस्या वासो यतो मासो माधवोऽसौ ततः स्मृतः
One attains Brahma-knowledge through it; that Lakshmi, the creator of all, dwells in whichever month Mādhava resides, and thus it is called Mādhava.
न माधवसमो देवो यथा देवेषु निश्चितम् । तथा मासेषु सर्वेषु न मासो माधवप्रियः
There is no deity equal to Mādhava, as is certain among the gods; likewise, among all months, none is dearer than Mādhava.
तस्य माधवमासस्य माहात्म्यमपि भक्तितः । श्रुत्वा विमुच्यते प्रेतयोनितः किं विधानतः
The greatness of the Mādhava month, when heard with devotion, frees one from the spirit birth—even without ritual observance.
सतां संभाषणादेव पुण्यतीर्थनिषेवणात् । नारायणेति पठनात्तन्नामश्रवणादपि
By merely conversing with the virtuous, by visiting holy pilgrimage sites, by reciting the name 'Nārāyaṇa,' or even by hearing that name—
मुच्यते पातकैः सर्वैर्जनो भक्तिपरायणः । यतिष्ये तदहं प्रेता भवतामपि मुक्तये
—a person devoted to faith is freed from all sins. I will strive, even as a spirit, for your liberation as well.
परोपकारजं पुण्यं यतो न स्यान्मखैरपि । प्रेता यामि ततः स्नातुं रेवावारिणि माधवे
Since merit arising from helping others cannot be gained even by sacrifices, therefore, as a spirit, I go to bathe in the waters of the Revā in the month of Mādhava.
मासि मेषस्थिते भानावेतैरनुगतो नरैः । पंचैव ते पुनर्मोहाज्जातपातकसंचयाः
When the sun is in Aries, accompanied by these men, five of them, again due to delusion, have accumulated sins.
स्नातुमायांति वचसा ममैव करुणावतः
They come to bathe, moved by my own compassionate words.
तावद्भवंतस्तु निदेशतो मे तिष्ठंतु तत्रैव वने विशोकाः । श्रीनर्मदावारिणि यावदेव गत्वा निजस्नानविधिं विहाय
Therefore, by my instruction, remain there in the forest, free from sorrow, until you have gone to the waters of the sacred Narmadā, abandoning your own bathing rites.
निर्माय पुरुषानपि नाम तस्मात्कुशस्वरूपानिह नर्मदा के । विधानतो माधवमासि दीनान्निमज्जयामीति दया निबद्धः
There, according to the prescribed rule, I will compassionately fashion figures of men from kuśa grass and immerse them in the Narmadā during the Mādhava month, saying, 'Let these be delivered.'
एवं दिनत्रयेणैव मुक्तिर्वः प्रेतयोनितः । न दर्भबटुकस्नानमात्रेणैव न संशयः
Thus, within three days, you will be liberated from the state of spirits—not merely by bathing kuśa effigies, without doubt.