कर्णोपरिकृतं पापं नष्टं स्यान्मुखधारणे । कंठे च धारणात्कंठभोगादिकृतपातकम्
Sin committed near the ear is destroyed by wearing it on the face; and by wearing it on the neck, sin arising from the enjoyment of the throat is removed.
बाह्वोर्बाहुकृतं पापं वक्षसि मनसा कृतम् । नाभ्यां शिश्नकृतं पापं पृष्ठे गुदकृतं तथा
Sin committed by the arms is removed by wearing it on the arms; sin committed by the mind is removed by wearing it on the chest; sin committed by the genitals is removed by wearing it on the navel, and sin committed by the anus is removed by wearing it on the back.
पार्श्वयोर्धारणाद्राम परस्त्र्यालिंगनादिजम् । तद्भस्मधारणं शस्तं सर्वत्रैव त्रिपुंड्रकम्
By wearing it on the sides, sin arising from embracing another's wife and similar acts is destroyed; thus, the wearing of the tripuṇḍra of ash is praised everywhere.
ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेशानां त्रय्यग्नीनां च धारणम् । गुप्त्यै लोकत्रयाणां च धारणं तेन वै कृतम्
The wearing of it is for the protection of the three worlds, as it is associated with Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśa, and the three sacred fires.
धृतं पंचदशस्थाने शुद्धं भस्माभिमंत्रितम् । कोष्ठयुग्मे बाहुयुग्मे कोष्ठोपरि युगे तथा
When consecrated ash, properly empowered with mantras, is worn in fifteen places—on both sides of the abdomen, both arms, and above the abdomen, among others—it is pure.
धारणं सर्वदेहानां पूजायै धर्मसंमतम् । भस्माशना भस्मशय्या भस्मोद्धूलितविग्रहाः
The wearing of ash on the whole body is considered proper for worship according to dharma; eating ash, sleeping on ash, and having the body dusted with ash are also approved.
भस्मस्नानाः सदापापैर्मुच्यंते नात्र संशयः । आदौ ब्राह्मणदीक्षायां त्रियायुषमिति स्मृतम्
Those who bathe in ash are always freed from sins—there is no doubt of this; at the beginning of the initiation of a brāhmaṇa, it is said to grant a threefold lifespan.
प्रसवे च मनुष्याणां भूतावेशेऽपि रक्षकम् । सर्पादिविषहान्यर्थं सर्वेषां साधनं त्विदम्
It is a protector at the birth of humans and even during possession by spirits; it is a means for all to counteract poison from snakes and the like.
अपि वा वैष्णवो मर्त्य अथवापीतरो जनः । भस्मस्नायी भस्मयुक्तः कर्मस्वधिकरोति वै
Whether a person is a Vaiṣṇava or of another lineage, one who bathes in ash and is adorned with ash is indeed entitled to perform rituals.
श्रीराम उवाच- भस्ममाहात्म्यमादौ मे भस्मायुष्यं हि कस्य वै । कथं हि रक्षते ह्येतत्सर्वमेतद्वदस्व मे
Śrī Rāma said: In the beginning, tell me about the greatness of ash—whose lifespan does it extend, and how does it protect everything? Please explain all this to me.
शंभुरुवाच- आयुष्यवर्द्धने हेतुस्त्रिविधस्यापि देहिनः । पापघ्नं शीतमुष्णं च स्पर्शाच्छिवपदप्रदम्
Śaṃbhu said: The reason for increasing the lifespan of embodied beings of all three types is that, by touch, it destroys sin, is cooling and heating, and grants the state of Śiva.
अत्र ते कीर्तयिष्यामि चेतिहासं पुरातनम् । आसीद्वासिष्ठवंश्यस्तु धनंजय इति द्विजः
Here, I will recount to you an ancient story: There was a brāhmaṇa named Dhanaṃjaya, descended from the line of Vasiṣṭha.
तस्य भार्याशतं चासीद्रूपलावण्यसंयुतम् । तासामेका तु सुषुवे शामाकाकरुणं मुने
He had a hundred wives endowed with beauty and charm; among them, one gave birth to a son named Karuṇa, O sage.
भार्याणां संख्यया राम सुताश्चासंस्तपस्विनः । पित्रा विभागस्तेषां च विषमः परिकल्पितः
Rāma, his wives were numerous, and his sons were ascetics; their father made an unequal division among them.
भ्रातॄणां च तदा ह्येव वैरबंधो महानभूत् । नराणामेकजातीनां वैरं नियतमेव तु
Then, a great enmity arose among the brothers; indeed, enmity is certain among men born of different mothers.
अथासौ करुणो गत्वा भवनाशिनिका तटे । नानामुनिगणैः सार्द्धं नरसिंहदिदृक्षया
Then Karuṇa went to the bank of the Bhavanāśinī river, together with various groups of sages, desiring to see Narasiṃha.
नृसिंहदर्शनार्थं तु ब्राह्मणेन तु केनचित् । उत्कृष्टफलितंवीरमानीतं रूपगंधवत्
For the purpose of seeing Narasiṃha, a certain brāhmaṇa brought a fruit, excellent and fragrant, to the hero.
करुणस्तु तदादाय व्यजिघ्रत्फलमुत्तमम् । तत्रस्थिता द्विजगणाः शापेन तमयोजयन्
Karuṇa took that fruit and smelled the excellent fruit; the brāhmaṇas present there cursed him.
मक्षिका भव पापात्मन्वर्षाणां शतमप्यतः । शापावसानं भविता दधीचेन महात्मना
Become a fly, O wicked-souled one, for a hundred years; the curse will end by the great-souled Dadhichi.
अथ मक्षिकतां प्राप्तो भार्यामिदमभाषत । मक्षिकात्वमहं प्राप्तो मां शुभे पालयस्व भोः
Then, having become a fly, he spoke this to his wife: 'I have attained the state of a fly; O good lady, please protect me.'
इत्युक्त्वा स तथा भूतो बभ्राम च ततस्ततः । अथैवंविधमाज्ञाय ज्ञातयः पापनिश्चयाः
Having said this, thus transformed, he wandered here and there; then, learning of this, his relatives, intent on evil,
तद्वधे यत्नमास्थाय तैलमध्ये ह्यपातयन् । मृतं पतिमथादाय दुःखिता सा कृशोदरी
Made efforts to kill him and dropped him into oil; then, taking her dead husband, the sorrowful, slender-waisted woman—
तद्दुःखशमनार्थाय प्राह देवीत्वरुंधती । अमुं संजीवयाम्यद्य भस्मनैव शुचिस्मिते
To relieve that sorrow, she spoke to the goddess Arundhati: 'Today, O beautiful-smiling one, I will revive him with ashes.'
अथाग्निहोत्रजं भस्म अरुंधत्यै न्यवेदयत् । मृत्युंजयेन मंत्रेण मृतजंतौ तथाक्षिपत्
Then Arundhati offered fire-ritual ashes; with the death-conquering mantra, she sprinkled them on the dead creature.
मंदवायुं तथा चक्रे व्यजनेन शुचिस्मिता । उदतिष्ठत्ततो जंतुर्भस्मनोऽस्य प्रभावतः
The beautiful-smiling one then created a gentle breeze with a fan; by the power of the ashes, the creature arose.
ततो वर्षशते पूर्णे ज्ञातिरेको ह्यमारयत् । मृते भर्तरि सा साध्वी दुःखिता च शुचिस्मिता
Then, when a hundred years had passed, one of the relatives killed him; with her husband dead, the virtuous and sorrowful lady—
दधीचं नाम विप्रेंद्रं महामाहेश्वरं मुनिम् । जगाम शरणं साध्वी प्राह विप्रस्तपोधनः
Sought refuge with the illustrious sage Dadhichi, the great devotee of Shiva; the ascetic sage spoke—
त्रियायुषा विहीनं तु जमदग्निं तपोनिधिम् । भस्मैव जीवयामास कश्यपं च तथाविधम्
'Jamadagni, the treasure of austerity, deprived of his lifespan, was revived by ashes, as was Kashyapa in the same way.'
देवानपि तथाभूतान्मामप्येतादृशं पुरा । तस्मात्तु भस्मना जंतुं जीवयामि तवानघे
'Even the gods, when they were in such a state, and myself in former times—therefore, O sinless one, I will revive your husband with ashes.'
इत्येवमुक्त्वा भगवान्दधीचो महेश्वरं वै शरणं जगाम । भस्माभिमंत्र्याथ करे गृहीत्वा संजीवयामास धवं सुसाध्व्याः
Having thus spoken, the venerable Dadhichi sought refuge with Maheshvara; then, having sanctified the ashes and taken them in his hand, he revived the good lady's husband.