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.
नारद उवाच- एवमुक्तस्ततस्तैस्तु प्रतीतैरपि पूजितः । मुनिशर्मा ययावेतैरनुयातस्तु पंचभिः
Nārada said: Thus addressed, and honored by them though they were convinced, Muniśarman set out, accompanied by those five.
तत्र गत्वा ततः प्रातः स्नात्वा कृत्वा तथाविधिम् । स्नापयामास तान्प्रेतान्नामतो दर्भनिर्मितान्
Having arrived there, in the morning, after bathing and performing the prescribed rites, he bathed those spirits, represented by figures made of kuśa grass, in name.
स्मृताश्च मुनिना तीर्थे स्नापिता नामतस्तथा । प्रेताः पुण्यवता तेन सद्यो मुक्ता दिवं ययुः
Remembered by the sage at the holy site, and bathed in name, those spirits, through his merit, were instantly liberated and ascended to heaven.
ते पापिनः पंच यदैव रेवाजले निमग्ना वचसैव तस्य । श्रीमाधवे मासि विवर्णदेहाः सद्यः सुवर्णैकरुचो बभूवुः
Those five sinners, as soon as they were immersed in the waters of the Revā by his words, in the Mādhava month, their pale bodies immediately became radiant like gold.
पापप्रशमनं स्तोत्रं श्राविता मुनिशर्मणा । समक्षं सर्वलोकानां जातास्ते वरकांतयः
The hymn that destroys sin was recited by Muniśarman; in the presence of all worlds, they became handsome and radiant.
तत्रस्था मानवास्तांस्तु विरजान्स्नानमात्रतः । न स्पृशंति च राजेंद्र पापिसंसर्गशंकथा
The people present there, O King, do not touch those purified ones merely by bathing, nor do they fear contact with sinners.
मुनिशर्मानुरोधेन ततो धर्मप्रमाणतः । सद्यो दिव्याभवद्वाणी यदेते विगतैनसः
By the request of Muniśarman, and according to the authority of dharma, a divine voice immediately declared that these were now free from sin.
स्नातानां माधवेमासि मुकुंदहृदयात्मनाम् । पापप्रशमनं स्तोत्रं शृण्वतामिह सादरम्
For those who have bathed in the Mādhava month, whose hearts are devoted to Mukunda, the hymn that destroys sin is to be heard here with reverence.
चित्रं किमत्र या शुद्धिर्जायते पापसंचयात् । सर्वेषामेव पापानां प्रायश्चित्तमिदं परम्
What wonder is there in this, that such purity arises from a heap of sin? For all sins, this is the supreme atonement.
यत्प्रातर्माधवे मासि भक्त्या तीर्थेऽवगाहनम् । यतः प्रेतास्तु ते पापाः स्नापिता नाममात्रतः
That morning immersion in the holy place during the Mādhava month, performed with devotion, is the reason those sinful spirits were purified, even by name alone.