प्रक्षाल्याथ ततो हस्तौ कर्मानुष्ठानमाचरेत् । शिव उवाच- यूयमेवं प्रकारेण भस्म कृत्वा प्रघृष्य च
Then, after washing the hands, one should perform the prescribed rites; Śiva said: 'You, in this manner, having prepared and rubbed on the ash—'
गुणान्धारयितुं शक्तास्ततः स्रक्ष्यथ वै प्रजाः । शंभुरुवाच- इत्थं शिवोदिता देवा ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः
—'are able to bear the qualities, and thus you will indeed create beings.' Śambhu spoke: 'Thus, as Śiva instructed, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara—'
तथा कृत्वा च विधिना हमहमिकया तदा । अन्योन्यबोधनाशक्ताः प्रणम्य शिवमूचिरे
Having done so according to the rule, each with a sense of rivalry, being unable to understand one another, they bowed to Śiva and spoke.
कं गुणं धारयेत्को वा शिवः प्राह सुतानथ । कर्मशक्तिं तथा ज्ञानं मुखरेण्वैव नश्यति
'Which quality should one bear? Who, O Śiva, spoke to his sons, saying: Action and knowledge, when mixed with pride, are destroyed.'
अल्पायुर्दृश्यते ब्रह्मा मनुभिश्चास्य जीवितम् । योऽहं ब्रह्मांडमालाभिर्भूषितो ब्रह्मगोपनम्
'Brahmā is seen as short-lived, and his life is with Manu; I, adorned with the garland of universes, am the protector of Brahmā.'
रजोगुणमवष्टभ्य न च जानासि मां तदा । ब्रह्माधिकबलो विष्णुरायुषि ब्रह्मणोऽधिकः
'Though you are endowed with the quality of passion, you did not know me then; Viṣṇu, stronger than Brahmā, surpasses Brahmā in lifespan.'
ब्रह्मांडमालाभरणे महेशस्य ममैव तु । चतुर्निःश्वासमात्रेण विष्णोरायुरुदाहृतम्
'For Maheśa and myself, adorned with the garland of universes, the lifespan of Viṣṇu is said to be but four breaths.'
ब्रह्मणोऽधिकसत्वत्वात्सत्वमालंबतां हरिः । जानाति सर्वकालं मां क्वचिदेव न विस्मरेत्
'Because Viṣṇu is endowed with the quality of goodness, he relies on goodness; he knows me at all times and never forgets me.'
सात्विकैकैव पूजास्य राजसी तामसी न तु । शांतं शिवं सत्वगुणं रजवक्त्रावमानतः
Only the sāttvika form of worship belongs to him; not the rājasī or tāmasī. The peaceful, auspicious, sāttvika quality is diminished by the presence of rajas and tamas.
नभोनीलं तथा चैव गुणं शंभुस्तथाभजत् । सत्वं रजस्तमश्चापि दधार च पुरा किल
Just as the color of the sky is blue, so too Śambhu adopted that quality. In ancient times, he bore sattva, rajas, and tamas.
अतोऽस्य विविधा पूजा शंकरस्य विधीयते । रजश्च तमसायुक्तं दारुणं परिकीर्तितम्
Therefore, various forms of worship are prescribed for Śaṃkara. Rajas, when joined with tamas, is described as harsh.
दारुणापि ततः पूजा शंकरे गतिदा मता । रजश्च तमसायुक्तमलं शास्त्रप्रवर्तकम्
Even harsh worship is considered to grant liberation when offered to Śaṃkara. Rajas joined with tamas is entirely established by scripture.
विच्छिन्नापि ततः पूजा शंकरे फलदा मता । तमश्च सत्वसंयुक्तं मिश्रकं च प्रवर्तकम्
Even interrupted worship is regarded as fruitful when offered to Śaṃkara. Tamas joined with sattva, and the mixed form, are also established.
मिश्रपूजा विफलदा शंकरे लोकशंकरे । यादृशं तादृशं वापि नियमेनार्चनं विभोः
Mixed worship yields no fruit for Śaṃkara, the benefactor of the world. Whatever form of worship is performed for the Lord, according to rule—
शंकरस्याशुफलदं यादृशस्यापि देहिनः । शंभुरुवाच- एतत्संक्षेपतः प्रोक्तं विधानं भस्मनोऽनघ
Śaṃkara quickly grants the fruit, whatever the nature of the worshipper. Śambhu said: This is the concise account of the procedure for ashes, O sinless one.
वक्तृश्रोतृजनानां च समस्ताघविनाशनम्
It destroys all sins of those who speak and those who listen.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे पातालखंडे शिवराघवसंवादे भस्मोत्पत्तिविधानं नामाष्टोत्तरशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the one hundred and eighth chapter, named 'The Origin and Procedure of Ashes,' in the dialogue between Śiva and Rāghava, in the Pātāla section of the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
शंभुरुवाच- अत्र ते कीर्तयिष्यामि कथां पापप्रणाशिनीम् । श्रुत्वा यां प्राप धर्मात्मा शिवभक्तिमनुत्तमाम्
Śambhu said: Here I will recount to you a story that destroys sin; by hearing it, a righteous soul attained supreme devotion to Śiva.
इक्ष्वाकुर्नाम विप्रेंद्रो महाविद्यो महामतिः । बहुशास्त्रप्रवीणश्च नीतिशास्त्रविशारदः
There was a king of Brahmins named Ikṣvāku, greatly learned and wise, skilled in many scriptures, and expert in the science of ethics.
न यष्टा न च दाता च न देवानां च पूजकः । न चाध्यापयिता वेदं न व्याख्याता श्रुतस्य च
He was neither a sacrificer nor a giver, nor a worshipper of the gods; nor did he teach the Veda or explain what was heard.
न पुराणेतिहासानां श्रुतीनामागमस्य वा । यत्नाद्भोक्ता तथा देहसंस्कारैकप्रवर्तकः
He did not study Purāṇas, Itihāsas, Śrutis, or Āgamas; he was diligent only in eating and in bodily rites.
तादृशस्य द्विजस्याथ समालक्ष्यायुरत्यगात् । लक्षांतरे तथैकस्मिन्वत्सरे मासि पंचमे
Observing such a twice-born, his lifespan ended; after a hundred thousand years, in one year, in the fifth month—
तृतीय दिवसे रात्र्यां पुराणं श्रुतवानिदम् । स्वसंपादितवित्तस्य येन दानं न वै कृतम्
On the third night, he heard this Purāṇa; yet, though possessing wealth, he did not give charity.
दिनेदिने भुज्यमानं निःसारं स्यात्क्रमेण हि । वर्षाण्येव च तावंति नरके पच्यते ध्रुवम्
Day by day, what is eaten becomes devoid of essence, gradually; for as many years, he is certainly cooked in hell.
कृमियोनिसहस्रं च अनुभूय ततः परम् । दरिद्रो व्याधितोऽबंधुर्दुष्टभार्यो बहुप्रजः
After experiencing a thousand worm births, then afterwards, he becomes poor, diseased, friendless, with a wicked wife and many children.
दिनेदिने भिक्षितेन याचितेन च जीवनम् । यन्न क्वापि च बीजानां मग्नानामथ मार्गणात्
Day by day, living by begging and what is asked for; and nowhere, even among seeds sunk and searched for—
लब्धेनजीवनं कर्म भृत्यानामथ जीवनम् । मध्ये श्रोत्रविहीनश्च नेत्रहीनः स्खलन्मलः
The livelihood obtained is for the work of servants, and likewise their sustenance; among them, one is deaf, another blind, another stumbles, and another is impure.
एवं पुराणं श्रुत्वा साविक्ष्वाकुर्भृशदुःखितः । मनसा चिंतयच्चेदं स्मारं स्मारं द्विजाधमः
Having heard thus the Purāṇa, Sāvikṣvāku was greatly distressed; that lowest of the twice-born kept pondering this again and again in his mind.
रूपपुष्पैर्माहिष्मयी दुर्गापि फलवर्जिता । तथा पुराणरहिता विद्या नो गतिदर्शनी
Even the goddess Durgā, worshipped with beautiful flowers, yields no fruit if the offering is from a buffalo; likewise, knowledge without the Purāṇa does not reveal the path.
बहुशास्त्रं समभ्यस्य बहुवेदान्सविस्तरान् । पुंसोश्रुतपुराणस्य सम्यग्याति न दर्शनम्
Even after studying many śāstras and the Vedas in detail, for a person who has not heard the Purāṇa, true understanding does not arise.