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.
न प्रजा न धनं धर्मं नार्थं कार्यं च पश्यति । केवलं कामिनीकेलि कलनोचितवासनः
He regards neither his subjects, nor wealth, nor righteousness, nor any duty; his mind is fixed only on the pleasures of dalliance with women.
अथ कालेन महता पुरोधास्तस्य कश्यपः । वचः प्रोवाच तं धर्म्यमिति चेतस्यचिंतयत्
Then, after a long time, his priest, Kashyapa, spoke to him words of righteousness, pondering thus in his mind.
न वारयति यो मोहादधर्मान्नृपतिं गुरुः । सोपि तत्पापभुक्तस्माद्बोधनीयः पुरोधसा
If a teacher, out of delusion, does not restrain the king from unrighteous acts, he too must be corrected by the priest, for he partakes of that sin.
बोधितोऽप्यवजानाति स चेद्वाक्यं पुरोधसः । पुरोधास्तत्र निर्दोषो राजा स्यात्सर्वदोषभाक्
If, even after being instructed, the king disregards the priest's words, then the priest is blameless, and the king bears all the faults.
शृणु राजन्मम गुरोर्वचो धर्मार्थसंहितम् । अभिन्नार्थमुपेतार्थमिच्छारागादि वर्जितम्
Hear, O king, the words of my teacher, imbued with righteousness and wealth, unified in meaning, free from desire and attachment.
अयमेव परो धर्मो यद्गुरोर्वचसि स्थितिः । गुर्वाज्ञायालवो राज्ञामायुः श्री सौख्यवर्द्धनः
This alone is the highest righteousness: to abide in the words of the teacher; by obeying the teacher's command, a king's life, prosperity, and happiness increase.
न विप्रास्तर्पिता दानैर्विष्णुर्नाराधितस्त्वया । न व्रतं न तपः किंचिन्न तीर्थं हि कृतं त्वया
You have not satisfied the Brahmins with gifts, nor have you worshipped Vishnu; you have performed no vow, no austerity, nor visited any holy place.
हरिनाम त्वया कामवशगेन न चिंतितम् । हा त्वया भीरुसंगत्या न विद्वत्संगतिः कृता
You have not contemplated the name of Hari, being led by desire; alas, through association with the fearful, you have not sought the company of the wise.
स्मरचामरवाहिन्यो वल्लभाः कस्य न प्रियाः । किंतु ताः पवनोल्लोलकदलीदलवच्चलाः
Who does not cherish beloveds adorned with fans and fly-whisks? Yet they are as fickle as banana leaves stirred by the wind.
तरंगतरलैरर्थैर्भोगैर्भ्रूभंगभंगुरैः । मुहूर्तपेयैस्तारुण्यैर्न तृप्यंते महाशयाः
Great souls are not satisfied by fleeting pleasures, unstable wealth, or momentary youth, all as transient as the waves and the arch of an eyebrow.