अतिदुष्कृतिकर्म्माहं कथं भोक्ष्ये कथं स्वपे । कथं तिष्ठे कथं गच्छे परलोकः कथं भवेत्
"I have committed exceedingly evil deeds—how shall I eat, how shall I sleep, how shall I stand, how shall I go, and what will become of the next world?"
इति चिंताकुलो नित्यं न नमत्यपरान्वितः । द्विजस्य सदनं गत्वा पुराणज्ञस्य राघव
Thus, always troubled by such thoughts, not bowing to others, he goes to the house of a twice-born who knows the Purāṇas, O Rāghava.
लज्जावाक्कृतवक्त्रश्च किंकरोमीत्यभाषत । न किंचिदप्युवाचासौ द्विजः पौराणिकस्तदा
Ashamed and with downcast speech, he says, "What should I do?" But that learned Brāhmaṇa said nothing at all.
पापोयमिति विज्ञाय शिष्येण निरगामयत् । गौतमोपि विनिर्गम्य द्वार्येव च बहिः स्थितः
Recognizing him as sinful, the teacher sent him away; and Gautama, too, went out and stood just outside the door.
भुव्यासीनं तु विज्ञाय पुराणार्थविचारकम् । कथं कथमपि प्राप्य पीठं दत्तं च नाभजत्
Seeing him seated on the ground, pondering the meaning of the Purāṇas, he somehow approached, but did not accept the seat that was offered.
निषण्णो भूतले राम पुराणज्ञमभाषत । प्रायश्चित्तं करिष्यामि तदत्रैव विधीयताम्
Sitting on the earth, O Rāma, he spoke to the knower of the Purāṇas: "I will perform expiation; let it be prescribed here and now."
ब्राह्मण उवाच- पापानि कीर्तयस्व त्वं सर्वथैव कृतानि तु । स चापि नाऽकृतं किंचिन्मया पापमितीरयन्
The Brāhmaṇa said: "You must recount all the sins you have committed in every way." And he replied, "There is nothing I have not done—indeed, I have committed every sin."
रुदन्पपात भूम्यां च कथं तातेति पीडितः । ब्राह्मणस्तमथ प्राह प्रायश्चित्तं न विद्यते
Weeping, he fell to the ground, tormented, saying, "How, father?" Then the Brāhmaṇa said to him, "There is no expiation for you."
महापापं त्रिरावृत्ते पुनश्च यदि चेत्कृतम् । गौतम उवाच- पौराणिक महाभाग प्राप्यापि त्वामहं कथम्
If a great sin is committed three times, and then again, O Gautama—Gautama said: "O most fortunate knower of the Purāṇas, how could I, even having approached you—"
पापयुक्तो द्विजश्रेष्ठ संगतिर्विफला भवेत् । पौराणिक उवाच- शास्त्रं प्रमाणं सर्वेषां प्रायश्चित्तविनिर्णये
"—being sinful, O best of Brāhmaṇas, any association with me would be fruitless." The Purāṇika said: "Scripture is the authority for all decisions regarding expiation."
तद्विना यो हि तं ब्रूयात्प्रायाश्चित्तं न तद्भवेत् । सकृत्कृते सकृत्प्रोक्तं द्वितीये द्विगुणं भवेत्
"Without it, whatever expiation one prescribes is not valid. For a first offense, the prescribed penance is performed once; for a second, it is doubled."
तृतीये त्रिगुणं प्रोक्तं चतुर्थे नास्ति निष्कृतिः । त्वया कृतं तु बहुधा चतुर्विधमपीच्छया
"For a third, it is said to be threefold; for a fourth, there is no atonement. But you have committed many sins, even of four kinds, and by your own desire."
कथं वक्तुमहं शक्तः प्रायश्चित्तं भवादृशे । गौतमोऽपि पुनः प्राह क्व गंतव्यं मयेति च । उपवासत्रयं कृत्वा शिवरात्रिमविंदत
How can I possibly declare an expiation suitable for one such as you? Even Gautama again asked, 'Where should I go?' After performing three fasts, he observed the night of Shiva.
चतुर्थमुपवासं च चकारातीव दुःखितः । पारणं चाप्यमायां स कृतवान्फलवल्कलैः
He undertook a fourth fast as well, though greatly afflicted, and he broke his fast with fruits and bark.
अथ प्रदक्षिणं चक्रे श्रीशैलस्य च स द्विजः । गतवान्मंदिरं पश्चाच्चिंतयातिकृशः श्वसन्
Then that twice-born one circumambulated the holy mountain Shri Shaila, and afterwards, emaciated and sighing, he went to the temple, deep in thought.
कथं पापनिवृत्तिर्मे तूष्णींभूतस्य सेत्स्यति । अनंतमविचार्यं किं पापं च सुमहत्तरम्
How will I be freed from sin, remaining silent as I am? What endless, unfathomable, and exceedingly great sin is this?
श्रुत्वा न कोपि मे ब्रूयात्प्रायश्चित्तं विधीयताम् । किंतु कस्मिन्पुराणे तु श्रुते ज्ञातं भविष्यति
Having heard, no one tells me what expiation should be prescribed. But in which Purana, when heard, will knowledge arise?
इति कृत्वा मतिं सोथ पुराणज्ञमभाषत । पुराणमेकं मे तात व्याख्यातु भगवानिति
Having thus resolved, he spoke to one learned in the Puranas: 'O revered one, please explain to me a Purana.'
जातकर्मादिसंस्कारान्कारयस्व ममाशु वै । द्विजो भूत्वा शृणोम्यद्य प्रायश्चित्तं करोम्यतः
'Quickly perform for me the birth and other sacraments. Becoming a twice-born, I will listen today and perform expiation.'
विधायकं पुराणं मे भविष्यति च कीर्तितम् । अतः शक्यं करिष्यामि पुराणार्थं विनिश्चयन्
'The Purana that prescribes the rite will be recited for me. Therefore, I will be able to act, having determined the meaning of the Purana.'
पौराणिक उवाच- यथावत्कीर्तयिष्यामि पुराणं पापनाशनम् । यथाज्ञानं यथाशक्ति यथाशुद्धं यथाविधि
The reciter said: 'I will properly recite the Purana that destroys sin, according to my knowledge, ability, purity, and the prescribed method.'
किं वांच्छसि पुराणं तु कीर्तयिष्ये तदेव तु । गौतम उवाच- सर्वं रुचि पुराणं मे वक्तव्यं किं हितं वद
'Which Purana do you wish to hear? I will recite that one.' Gautama said: 'Tell me the Purana that is most agreeable to me; say what is beneficial.'
श्रुते यस्मिन्भिदा नैव जायते तु हरीशयोः । पौराणिक उवाच- कौर्मोक्तं यत्पुराणं तद्देवयोरभिदाभिधम्
'In which, when heard, there is no discord between Hari and Ishvara.' The reciter said: 'The Purana spoken by the Tortoise, which describes both deities.'
शृणोति यस्तत्प्रथमं तस्य पापं विनश्यति । तस्य वक्ता तु यो विप्रस्तस्य विघ्नांतरं भवेत्
Whoever first hears that, his sin is destroyed; but for the Brahmin who recites it, obstacles may arise.
श्रोतव्यं मन्यते पापो यदि भार्या विनश्यति । किंचैकं दुष्करं वक्ष्ये श्रोतुर्वक्तुरनिंदकम्
If a sinner considers it worth hearing, his wife may perish. Moreover, I will tell one difficult thing, which brings no blame to the listener or the speaker.
व्याख्यातरि यदि प्रीतिर्द्धर्मादेव प्रकाशिनी । आचारदर्शने पुण्ये कर्ममोक्षादिदर्शके
If there is joy in the explainer, manifesting from righteousness, in the display of conduct, in merit, and in showing the way to liberation through actions—
तदा तुष्टो महेशः स्याद्विष्णुरिष्टफलप्रदः । पितरस्तारितास्तेन यांति ते परमां गतिम्
Then Mahesha is pleased, and Vishnu grants the desired fruit; by that, the ancestors are uplifted and attain the highest state.
श्रीराम उवाच- कथं पातकसंघात संक्रमे ब्राह्मणाधमे । पुराणज्ञः कथं व्याख्यां चकार द्विजसत्तम
Shri Rama said: 'How, in the midst of a multitude of sins, did the lowest of Brahmins, O best of twice-born, receive an exposition from the knower of the Puranas?'
शंभुरुवाच- अध्यापने चाध्ययने जायते चाथ संगमः । संगतौ वत्सरं राम याति पातकि पातकम्
Shambhu said: 'In teaching and in study, association arises; in such association, O Rama, for a year, the sinner accumulates sin.'
पुराणज्ञे तु काकुत्स्थ सर्वतत्वार्थवेदिनि । अपिपातकसंदोह चीर्णपापं प्रणश्यति
'But for the knower of the Puranas, O descendant of Kakutstha, who knows the essence and meaning of all, even a heap of great sins is destroyed.'