विधिं स राजापि ततश्चकार वैशाखमासस्य मुनिप्रणीतम् । पत्न्यासमं पुण्यधिया तमेव संचिंतयँल्लोकपवित्रकीर्तिः
Then the king performed the rite prescribed by the sage for the month of Vaiśākha, together with his virtuous wife, contemplating that very ceremony, renowned for purifying the world.
ऋषय ऊचुः - सूतसूतमहाप्राज्ञ जीवजीव शतंसमाः । यद्वयं पुण्यसमयं श्राविता जगतो हितम्
The sages said: O Sūta, wise among charioteers, may you live a hundred lifetimes! You have made us hear of the auspicious observance, beneficial to the world.
वद भूयोऽपि भूयिष्ठं पिबामस्तावकं वचः । पायंपायं न तृप्यामो वयं सूत तदुत्तमम्
Speak again, and speak more; let us drink your words. Like a nourishing drink, we do not tire of your excellent speech, O Sūta.
सूत उवाच- अत्राप्युदाहरंतीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । संवादमादिलोकस्य जगतां जगदीशितुः
Sūta said: Here too, an ancient legend is cited—a conversation between the first beings and the Lord of the universe.
षट्सहस्राणिचोच्छ्रायो विस्तारेण पुनस्त्रयम् । एवं नवसहस्राणि योजनानां विधाय च
Its height was six thousand, and its breadth three thousand; thus, nine thousand yojanas were measured out.
वामया दंष्ट्रया गृह्य उद्धृतादौ वसुंधरा । दिव्यवर्षसहस्रं वै दंष्ट्रया धारिता मही
With her left tusk, she lifted the earth at the beginning; for a thousand divine years, the earth was held by the tusk.
धर्माख्यानप्रसंगेन सोवाच विनयाद्विभुम् । पृथिव्युवाच- एते द्वादश मासा वै षष्टिर्दिनशतत्रयम्
In the context of narrating dharma, she spoke humbly to the Lord. The earth said: These are the twelve months, and sixty-three hundred days.
एषां किमुत्तमं पुण्यं प्रियं च तव केशव । पवित्रः कार्तिको मासस्तुलासंस्थे दिवाकरे
Among these, which is the most auspicious and dear to you, O Keśava? The month of Kārtika is pure, when the sun is in Libra.
मकरस्थे रवौ मासः पुराणे पावनः स्मृतः । मेषस्थे माधवो मासो भास्करे पठ्यते बुधैः
When the sun is in Capricorn, the month is remembered as holy in the Purāṇas; when the sun is in Aries, the month of Mādhava is praised by the wise.
मार्गशीर्षोऽपि मासानां पावनः परिकीर्तितः । एवं मासाः पवित्रास्ते वासराः केपि कीर्तिताः
Mārgaśīrṣa too is celebrated as a purifying month among the months; thus, these months are pure, and certain days are also praised.
युगादयो युगांताश्च तथा कल्पादयोऽपि च । सर्वेभ्योऽप्यधिकं मासमेतेभ्यो वद पावनम्
The beginnings and ends of ages, and likewise the beginnings of kalpas—among all these, tell me which month is the most sanctifying.
सर्वयज्ञमय श्रीमन्नेकं निश्चित्य मे वद । वराह उवाच- विधिनाविधिनाचैव ये यजंति नराधमाः
O glorious one, composed of all sacrifices, determine one for me and tell me. Varāha said: Whether by proper or improper rites, those degraded men who worship—
माधवे मासि मां भक्त्या तैश्च पूज्योऽस्म्यहं सदा । हिरण्याक्षो वरारोहे माधवे तु मधुर्हत
In the month of Mādhava, those who worship me with devotion are always to be honored; in Mādhava, the demon Hiraṇyākṣa was slain by the boar.
आदिदैत्यावुभावेतौ हत्वा त्वं तु समुद्धृता । त्रेतायुगे त्रयी धर्मो ज्ञानवर्णव्यवस्थितिः
Both the primordial demons were slain, and you were uplifted; in the Tretā age, the triple dharma and the order of knowledge and castes were established.
माधवे मासि संभूता तेन मे माधवःप्रियः । त्रेतायुगं तृतीयायां शुक्लायां मासि माधवे
In the month of Mādhava, I was born; therefore Mādhava is dear to me. In the third, bright month of Mādhava, the Tretā age began.
प्रवृत्तं च त्रयी धर्माः प्रवृत्तास्ते प्रवर्द्धिताः । अक्षया सोच्यते लोके तृतीया हरिवल्लभा
The triple dharma commenced and flourished; the third is called inexhaustible in the world, beloved of Hari.
स्नाने दानार्चने श्राद्धे जपे पूर्वजतर्प्पणे । येऽर्चयंति यवैर्विष्णुं श्राद्धं कुर्वंति यत्नतः
In bathing, giving, worship, ancestral rites, recitation, and offerings to ancestors—those who worship Viṣṇu with barley, and perform ancestral rites with care—
तेषां ददाम्यहं सर्वं यन्मनोऽभीष्टमुत्तमम् । ये ददंत्यपि दानानि धन्यास्ते धार्मिका नराः
To them I grant all their highest wishes; those who give gifts are blessed, those men are righteous.
ये यजंति हरेर्नित्यमध्वरैर्विविधैरपि । माधवे यजते यो मां तेभ्यस्तदधिकं फलम्
Those who worship Hari constantly with various sacrifices—whatever the form—yet whoever worships Me in the month of Mādhava attains a greater reward than they.
स्नानं दानं जपो होमस्तपो यज्ञ व्रतादिकम् । वैशाखे यत्कृतं देवि तस्य पुण्यफलं शृणु
Bathing, giving, recitation, fire-offering, austerity, sacrifice, and vows—whatever is performed in the month of Vaiśākha, O Goddess, listen to the merit gained from that.
मन्वंतराणां कोट्यस्तु दशपंच च सप्त च । मत्सान्निध्यगतास्तेपि तिष्ठंति भयवर्जिताः
Even those who have come into My presence for ten, five, and seven crores of Manvantaras remain there, free from fear.
यद्यपि स्युर्ग्रहाः सर्वे क्रूरा जन्मव्ययाष्टकाः । प्रातःस्नानेन वैशाखे सर्वे सौम्या भवंति ते
Even if all the planets are cruel, bringing birth, loss, and the eighth house, by bathing in the morning during Vaiśākha, they all become auspicious for that person.
वैशाखे मासि यो विप्रान्भोजयेद्भक्तितत्परः । सिक्थेसिक्थे भवेत्तृप्तिः पितॄणां युगसंख्यया
Whoever, with devotion, feeds Brāhmaṇas in the month of Vaiśākha, the satisfaction of the ancestors endures for as many ages as there are grains of flour.
यच्छंति तत्र मधुराधिकभोजनानि ये वायवाशन तिलोदक भोजनानि । छत्रांबराणि चरणोचितरक्षणानि धन्यास्त एव परितोषकराहि विष्णोः
Those who offer there sweet and abundant foods, wind-dried or cooked with sesame water, as well as umbrellas, garments, and proper foot protection—these blessed ones alone bring satisfaction to Viṣṇu.
विशेषादिह दातव्यास्तिला मधुसमन्विताः । धर्माय बृहते दीर्घ दुरितक्षय हेतवे
Especially here, one should give sesame seeds mixed with honey, for the sake of great righteousness, long life, and the destruction of sin.
एवंकृते तु यत्पुण्यं प्राप्यते मनुजैश्च तैः । तत्कैर्गणयितुं शक्यं वर्षकोटिशतैरपि
The merit gained by people from such acts cannot be counted, even in hundreds of millions of years.
पुत्रपौत्रादिसंपत्ति दीर्घायूंषि यथेप्सितम् । इहाप्नोति परत्रापि मामेव प्रतिपद्यते
One attains sons, grandsons, and other prosperity, long life as desired, and hereafter, one reaches Me alone.
अनेकजन्मार्जित पातकावली विलीयते माधव मज्जनेन । जनस्य तत्रोषसि पुण्यतीर्थे यथाविधानं श्रयते तथा वा
The multitude of sins accumulated over many births is dissolved by bathing in Mādhava; in that sacred place, when one bathes according to the proper method, one attains merit.
यः परित्यज्य वैशाखं व्रतमन्यदुपाचरेत् । स करस्थं महारत्नं हित्वा लोष्टं हि याचते
Whoever abandons the Vaiśākha vow and observes another, is like one who, having a great jewel in his hand, throws it away and begs for a clod of earth.
सूतउवाच- एवं स भगवान्पूर्वमादिदेवो वदद्विभुः । माधवं मासमुद्दिश्य जगत्यां जगतीधरः
Sūta said: Thus, in ancient times, the Lord, the primeval God, the all-pervading one, spoke about the month of Mādhava, the sustainer of the world.