अथ सा मूर्च्छितेवाशु वसनं परिमुच्य तम् । दर्शयंती स्तनौ गुह्यं बाहुमूले विलोचने
Then, as if fainting, she quickly loosened her garment, revealing her breasts, her secret place, and her eyes at the root of her arms.
आलंब्य कंठे बाहुभ्यां स्तनाभ्यामस्पृशद्द्विजम् । चंद्रातपश्च विशदो मंदमारुतसंभवः
Clinging to his neck with her arms, she touched the Brāhmaṇa with her breasts; the clear moonlight arose, accompanied by a gentle breeze.
अथ चिंतापरो विप्रो नैव कार्यमिदं मम । पितुर्वा मातुरुचितं पत्युर्वाथ गुरोस्तथा
Then the Brāhmaṇa, absorbed in thought, reflected: 'This is not my duty; it is proper for her father, mother, husband, or teacher.'
असंबुद्धस्य मे सर्वं विपरीतं विभाति वै । अथ कामः समायातो रहस्ये स्थितयोस्तयोः
Everything appears reversed to me, as if I am not in my right mind. Then, as the two stood together in private, desire arose.
विव्याध निशितैर्बाणैर्द्विजं कामो दुरात्मवान् । स्मरबाणातुरो विप्रश्चिंतयामास कामुकः
Desire, wicked in nature, pierced the Brāhmaṇa with sharp arrows. Afflicted by the arrows of Kāma, the Brāhmaṇa, now a lover, began to reflect.
इयं सुचारु सर्वांगी कामिनीव प्रदृश्यते । नोचेद्योनिमुखे ह्यस्याः कथं रोमांचसंभवः
'This woman, beautiful in every limb, appears as a passionate lover; otherwise, how could there be goosebumps at the opening of her yoni?'
तदेतस्याः कुचस्पर्शात्सर्वं व्यक्तं भविष्यति । इति संचिंत्य मनसा कुचौ योनिं द्विजोऽस्पृशत्
'Therefore, by touching her breasts, everything will become clear.' Thinking thus in his mind, the Brāhmaṇa touched her breasts and yoni.
सापि मूर्च्छितरूपेव मंदस्मितमुखाभवत् । आलिलिंग द्विजं गाढमाननं च चुचुंब ह
She, too, as if in a faint, became one with a gentle smile on her face, embraced the Brāhmaṇa tightly, and kissed his face.
तयोरथ समायोगो वर्षाणां शतमप्यभूत् । गते वर्षशते पश्चादेकस्मिन्दिवसे द्विजः
Then their union lasted for a hundred years; after a hundred years had passed, on a certain day, the Brāhmaṇa—
स्नातुं ययौ नदीं प्रातः सापि विप्रप्रसंगतः । स्नानं तत्र तथा चक्रे पुराणं श्रुतवानथ
Went to the river in the morning to bathe; she, too, attached to the Brāhmaṇa, performed her bath there in the same way, having heard the Purāṇa.
कौर्मं समस्तपापानां नाशनं शिवभक्तिदम् । इदं च पद्यं शुश्राव पुराणज्ञेन भाषितम्
He heard the Kūrma Purāṇa, destroyer of all sins and bestower of devotion to Śiva, and also this verse spoken by one learned in the Purāṇas:
ब्रह्महा मद्यपः स्तेनस्तथैव गुरुतल्पगः । कौर्मं पुराणं श्रुत्वैव मुच्यते पातकात्ततः
'A Brahmin-killer, drunkard, thief, or one who violates the teacher's bed—upon hearing the Kūrma Purāṇa, is freed from that sin.'
श्रुत्वैतद्वचनं विप्रः पौराणिकमभाषत । मया कृतानां पापानां न च संख्यास्ति काचन
Hearing these words, the Brāhmaṇa said to the Purāṇika: 'There is truly no count of the sins I have committed.'
अशेषपापसंदोहनाशनं तदिहोच्यताम् । पौराणिक उवाच- आराधय स्वदेवेशं शंकरं त्रिदशेश्वरम्
'Here, declare that which destroys the entire heap of accumulated sins.' The Purāṇika said: 'Worship your own Lord, Śaṅkara, Lord of the gods.'
तस्य संपूजनाद्विप्र सर्वं पापं विनश्यति । पापमेव तमः प्रोक्तं ज्ञानदीपेन नश्यति
By worshipping him, O Brahmin, all sin is destroyed; sin is indeed called darkness, and it is dispelled by the lamp of knowledge.
अथवा पूजया विप्र समस्ताघविनाशनम् । ज्ञानपूजाविहीनानां नरके पतनं ध्रुवम्
Alternatively, O Brahmin, by worship alone all sins are destroyed; but for those who lack the worship of knowledge, a fall into hell is certain.
दधीच उवाच- अथ द्विजो ह्यभिगतः शिवालयमनुत्तमम् । द्रोणपुष्पसहस्रेण पूजयामास शंकरम्
Dadhīca said: Then a Brahmin approached the supreme temple of Shiva and worshipped Shankara with a thousand Drona flowers.
गृहं जगाम च ततो भोजनं कृतवानथ । विहाय क्षत्रियां विप्रो जगामेष्टां भुवं ततः
After that, he went home and took his meal; forsaking the Kshatriya woman, the Brahmin then went to his desired land.
हविष्यमन्नमादाय भुक्त्यशक्तेः शिवालयम् । गत्वा दीपस्थिताज्येन भोजनं कृतवान्बहिः
Taking sacrificial food, unable to eat, he went to the temple of Shiva and, with ghee placed in a lamp, ate his meal outside.
अथ मृत्युवशं प्राप्तो यमलोकं जगाम वै । यम उवाच- त्वया कृतानां पापानां केषांचिन्नाशनं पुरा
Then, coming under the power of death, he went to the realm of Yama. Yama said: Of the sins you committed before, only some have been destroyed.
त्वयैकदिवसे पूजा शंकरस्य यतः कृता । तव पापसहस्रं च प्रणष्टं भवतो द्विज
Because you performed worship of Shankara on a single day, O Brahmin, a thousand of your sins have been destroyed.
स्थितानामपि पापानां फलं नरकपातनम् । वर्षकोटिद्वयं विप्र श्वानजन्मशतं पुनः
Yet for the remaining sins, the result is a fall into hell: for two crore years, O Brahmin, and then a hundred births as a dog.
शिवदीपाज्यहरणात्फलं नरकसेवनम् । नरके च स्थितिस्तस्य शतवर्षं सुभीषणम्
For taking the ghee from Shiva's lamp, the result is dwelling in hell; and there, his stay will be a terrifying hundred years.
कुंभीपाके च काष्ठत्वं भस्म भूत्वा पुनः पुनः । वर्षाणां दशकं त्वेवं कृमिभुक्तिः परं दश
In the hell of Kumbhipāka, he will become wood, turning to ash again and again; for ten years thus, he will be eaten by worms for another ten.
पुनश्च दीपवर्तित्वं वर्षाणां च तथा दश । श्लेष्मामेध्यपुरीषेषु मूत्ररेतोह्रदेषु च
Again, he will become a lamp-wick for ten years, and likewise in phlegm, filth, and in lakes of urine and semen.
उन्मज्ज्य च निमज्ज्याथ श्लेष्मविण्मलभोजनम् । ततो नरकशेषेण श्वानजन्मशतं परम्
Rising and sinking there, he will eat phlegm and excrement; after that, for the remainder of his hellish term, he will be born a hundred times as a dog.
यमवाक्यमिति श्रुत्वा ब्राह्मणो निपपात च । अथ तस्य प्रिया भार्या पतिचिंतापराभवत्
Hearing these words of Yama, the Brahmin fell down; then his beloved wife became absorbed in thoughts of her husband.
एतस्मिन्नंतरे तस्याः समीपं नारदोऽभ्यगात् । नारदस्य पपातासौ पादयोरतिदुःखिता
At that moment, Nārada approached her; she, overwhelmed with grief, fell at Nārada's feet.
तामुत्थाप्य मुनिः शुद्धां गतायुषमभाषत । अयि मुग्धे विशालाक्षि भर्तारं गंतुमर्हसि
Raising her up, the pure sage spoke to her, whose life was nearly ended: 'O innocent, wide-eyed one, you should go to your husband.'
भर्ता ते हि विशालाक्षि मृतो बंधुविवर्जितः । न रोदितव्यं ते भद्रे ज्वलनं प्रविशस्व भोः
'Your husband, O wide-eyed one, has died, bereft of kin; you should not weep, O good lady—enter the fire, O woman!'