प्रीयतां धर्मराजेति पितॄन्देवांश्च तर्पयेत् । यावज्जीवकृतं पापं तत्क्षणादेव नश्यति
Saying, 'May Dharmarāja be pleased,' one should satisfy the ancestors and the gods; all the sins committed in life are destroyed at that very moment.
वैशाख्यां पौर्णमास्यां च सृष्टाः कमलयोनिना । तिला देयाश्च भक्त्या च स्पृश्याः सर्वांगतो द्विज
On the full moon of Vaiśākha, created by the Lotus-born (Brahmā), sesame seeds should be given with devotion and touched with the whole body, O twice-born one.
यस्तिलैर्यवसम्मिश्रैः स्नाति सर्वांगतस्तदा । तस्य ब्रह्मा च धर्मोऽत्र ददाति वरमीप्सितम्
Whoever bathes the whole body with barley mixed with sesame seeds, for him Brahmā and Dharma grant the desired boon here.
प्रीतये धर्मराजस्य यो दद्यादुदकुंभकान् । सप्तसप्त कुलं तेन तारितं स्यान्न संशयः
Whoever, for the pleasure of Dharmarāja, gives water pots, seven by seven, saves his lineage for seven generations—of this there is no doubt.
त्रयोदश्यां चतुर्दश्यां पूर्णायां भक्तितत्परः । स्नात्वा जप्त्वा तथा हुत्वा दत्वा संपूज्य माधवम्
On the thirteenth, fourteenth, or full moon day, being devoted, after bathing, reciting, offering oblations, giving gifts, and worshipping Mādhava,
यत्फलं जायते पुत्र तदस्माकं प्रयच्छ भोः । नैतौ परिचितौ प्रेतौ हित्वा स्वर्गतिमाश्रये
Whatever fruit arises from this, O son, grant that to us; abandoning these two pretas, I seek the path to heaven.
एतयोरपिपापस्य ह्यं तोयं समुपस्थितः । यम उवाच- तथेत्युक्त्वा गतः सर्वं ततश्चक्रे स वै द्विजः
Even for these two sinful pretas, water has been offered; Yama said: 'So be it,' and after saying this, that brāhmaṇa did everything accordingly.
प्रीतः परमया भक्त्या वैशाख्यां स्नानदानकृत् । स्नातः समुदितो भक्त्या प्राप्य माधवपूर्णिमाम्
Pleased with supreme devotion, he performed bathing and giving in Vaiśākha; having bathed and arisen with devotion, he reached the full moon of Mādhava.
दत्वा बहूनि दानानि तेभ्यः पुण्यं ददौ पृथक् । तत्क्षणादेव ते सर्वे विमानस्था दिवं ययुः
Giving many gifts to them, he separately bestowed merit; at that very moment, all of them, dwelling in aerial chariots, went to heaven.
तत्पुण्यदानयोगेन मुदिता द्विजसत्तम । धनशर्मापि विप्रेंद्र श्रुःतिस्मृतिपुराणवित्
By the power of that meritorious giving, O best of brāhmaṇas, Dhanaśarman too, the foremost brāhmaṇa, learned in the Vedas, Smṛtis, and Purāṇas, rejoiced.
भुक्त्वा भोगांश्चिरं कालं ब्रह्मलोकमवाप्तवान् । एषा पुण्यतमा तस्माद्वैशाखी विश्वपावनी
Having enjoyed pleasures for a long time, he attained the realm of Brahma; therefore, this Vaiśākha is most holy and purifies the world.
कथ्यते तु मया विप्र समासेनातिगौरवात्
Now, O Brahmin, I shall tell you briefly, due to the great gravity of the subject.
धन्यास्त एव कृतिनश्च त एव जाता लोके त एव पुरुषाः पुरुषार्थभाजः । ये माधवे मधुनिषूदनमर्चयंति प्रातर्निमज्ज्य नियमेन विशुद्धचित्ताः
Blessed and accomplished are those men, born in this world, who pursue the goals of life; those who, in the month of Mādhava, worship the slayer of Madhu in the morning, having bathed and with pure minds, observing discipline.
यो माधवे मासि नरः प्रभाते स्नातः समाराधयते रमेशम् । यमैरुपेतो नियमैरशेषैर्वृतोऽपि नूनं स निहंति पापम्
Whoever, in the month of Mādhava, bathes at dawn and worships the Lord of Lakshmi, endowed with all restraints and disciplines, surely destroys sin.
तैरेवकालो विजितस्त एव नरेषु धन्या विगतैनसस्ते । त एव गर्भे न विशंति भूयो मज्जंति ये माधवमासि युक्ताः
Only those conquer time, only those are blessed among men, free from sin; only those do not enter the womb again, who are devoted in the month of Mādhava.
स माधवो गर्जति यज्ञयोगात्तपः क्रिया दानविधान योगात् । यस्मिन्कृतं मासि कथंचिदल्पं पुण्यं पुनः स्यादिह कल्पतुल्यम्
Mādhava roars through sacrifice, yoga, austerity, ritual, and giving; whatever little merit is gained in this month, it becomes equal to a kalpa.
मज्जतो हि मनुजस्य माधवे माधवार्चनकृते दिनोदये । तामसोपि जलबिंदुसंगमादंगमावहति पावनं यतः
For a man who bathes in Mādhava, to worship Mādhava at sunrise, even if he is tamasic, the touch of a drop of water brings purification to his body.
तानि देहमधिरुह्य देहिनस्तावदेव विचरंत्यघानि च । यावदेति न स माधवाह्वयः श्रीरमारमणवल्लभो विराट्
Sins remain with the embodied soul as long as the Lord called Mādhava, the beloved of Lakshmi, does not enter.
मेरुमंदरतुल्यानि पापान्युग्राण्यनेकशः । दहते माधवो मासः स्नातो माधववल्लभः
Sins as fierce and numerous as Mount Meru and Mandara are burned away by the Mādhava month, when one bathes and is devoted to Mādhava.
इदं संक्षेपतः प्रोक्तं मया तेऽनुग्रहाद्द्विज । वैशाखस्नानमाहात्म्यं श्रोतुः पापक्षयं करम्
This has been briefly spoken by me to you, O twice-born, out of compassion; the greatness of bathing in Vaiśākha, which destroys the listener's sins.
यस्तु श्रोष्यति भक्त्यैनमितिहासं मयोदितम् । सोऽपि पापविनिर्मुक्तो न मामालोकयिष्यति
Whoever hears this legend narrated by me with devotion, he too will be freed from sin and will not see me.
ब्रह्महत्यादि पापानि बहुशोऽपि कृतान्यपि । वैशाखस्य विधानेन तानि नश्यंति निश्चितम्
Even sins such as killing a Brahmin, committed many times, are certainly destroyed by the observance of Vaiśākha.
त्रिंशत्पूर्वान्परांस्त्रिंशत्त्रिंशच्चैव परावरान् । वैशाखे विधिना स्नातो नरकादुद्धरेत्पितॄन्
By bathing in Vaiśākha according to the prescribed method, a man lifts thirty ancestors from the past and thirty from the future out of hell.
एकतः सर्वतीर्थानि सर्वेयज्ञाः सदक्षिणाः । एकतो माधवो मासो नियमादनुपालितः
On one side are all holy places and all sacrifices with proper gifts; on the other, the Mādhava month observed with discipline.
यतो भगवतस्तस्य हरेरुत्कृष्टकर्मणः । प्रियोऽसौ माधवोमासः सर्वेभ्यः प्रवरोऽधिकः
Because this Mādhava month is dear to the Lord Hari, who performs exalted deeds, it is superior and foremost among all.
संशयं नो विधेहीति महीदेव कथंचन । वैशाखं प्रति वै मासं समासाद्यन्मयोदितम्
Do not entertain any doubt, O king; I have briefly told you about the Vaiśākha month.
इहार्थे यत्पुरावृत्तं तदाकर्णय चाद्भुतम् । अनाख्येयमपीदं ते कथयिष्ये कथानकम्
Hear now the wondrous story of what happened in ancient times for this purpose; though unspoken before, I shall tell you this tale.
यम उवाच- बभूव भूपतिः पूर्वं ख्यातो नाम्ना महीरथः । पूर्वपुण्यफलावाप्त प्रभूतैश्वर्यसंपदः
Yama said: There was once a king named Mahīratha, renowned, who attained abundant wealth and power as the fruit of previous merit.
केवलं कामकलना ललना ललितस्थितः । तदेकव्यसनासक्तिर्न धर्मार्थ व्यवस्थितः
He dwelled solely in the delight of desire, absorbed in the play of passion, attached to a single vice, and not established in righteousness or wealth.
मंत्रिणि न्यस्य राज्यश्रीर्बुभुजे विषयान्नृपः । स कामिनी सहचरो राज्यकार्यपराङ्मुखः
The king entrusted the splendor of his kingdom to his minister and indulged in pleasures; with his beloved companion, he turned away from the duties of governance.