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!'
ब्राह्मण्युवाच- अशक्यं यदि वा शक्यं मया गंतुं मुने वद । अग्निप्रवेशकालो वै व्यतीतो न भवेद्यथा
The Brahmin woman said: 'Whether it is possible or not for me to go, tell me, O sage; let it not be that the time for entering the fire has already passed.'
नारद उवाच- योजनानां शतं त्वेकमितः स्थानात्पुरं हितत् । श्वो दाहः किल विप्रस्य भविता गंतुमर्हसि
Nārada said: 'A hundred yojanas from here is the city; tomorrow the Brahmin's cremation will take place there—you should go.'
अव्ययोवाच- दूरस्थितं कायनाथं गंतुमर्हामि हे मुने । तद्वचस्तु समाकर्ण्य नारदस्तामभाषत
Avyaya said: O sage, I am permitted to go to my distant lord. Hearing these words, Narada spoke to her.
विपंची नालसंस्था त्वं भव गच्छाम्यहं क्षणात् । इत्युदीर्य तदा गत्वा त्वरां चक्रे गतं च तत्
"You, Vipaṃcī, remain at the base of the nāla; I will go and return in a moment." Saying this, he went at once, hastening, and then returned.
देशं नष्टद्विजस्थानं तामुवाचाव्ययां मुनिः । रोदनं नेह कर्तव्यं यदि तत्राग्निमेष्यसि
The sage spoke to Avyaya at that place, where the dwelling of the twice-born was lost: "You must not weep here, if you intend to enter the fire there."
पापं यदि कृतं भद्रे परपूरुषसेवनम् । एतद्विशुद्धये पुत्रि प्रायश्चित्तं समाचर
O blessed one, if you have committed the sin of serving another man, then, daughter, perform expiation for your purification.
तवोपपातकव्रात नाशो वह्निप्रवेशनात् । नान्यत्पश्यामि नारीणां सर्वपापोपशांतये
By entering the fire, the multitude of your minor sins is destroyed; I see no other way for women to bring all sins to rest.
अग्निप्रवेशं मुक्त्वैकं प्रायश्चित्तं जगत्त्रये । दधीच उवाच- अथ नारदवाक्येन नोदिता सा वचोऽब्रवीत्
Except for entering the fire, there is no other expiation in the three worlds. Dadhīca said: Then, prompted by Narada's words, she spoke.
अग्निप्रवेशे नारीणां किं कर्तव्यं महामुने । नारद उवाच- स्नानं मंगलसंस्कारो भूषणांजनधारणम्
"O great sage, what must a woman do when entering the fire?" Narada said: "Bathing, auspicious rites, adorning with ornaments and collyrium—"
गंधपुष्पं तथा धूपं हरिद्राक्षतधारणम् । मंगलं च तथा सूत्रं पादालक्तकमेव च
"—fragrance, flowers, incense, applying turmeric and rice grains, an auspicious thread, and also lac for the feet—"