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.'
प्रभूतवह्निनाशे हि धूमराशिर्यथैव हि । शलभो दीपनाशाय वह्निनाशाय न प्रभुः
Just as, when a great fire is extinguished, only a heap of smoke remains, so too, a moth is powerless to destroy the lamp or the fire.
कृतं पापं तथान्येषां नाशनाय पुराणिकः । भूतादिग्रस्तमर्त्यानां भूतादि भयमोचकः
In the same way, the knower of the Purāṇas does not destroy the sins committed by others; he is the remover of fear caused by spirits and the like for mortals possessed by such beings.
समंत्रवानपनयेद्यथा न स्वयमातुरः । पौराणिकस्तथा पापं न किंचित्प्राप्तुमर्हति
Just as a healer does not cure himself but removes afflictions from others by means of mantras, so too, the knower of the Purāṇas does not obtain any sin himself.
आत्मना च कृतं पापमन्यैरपि च यत्कृतम् । पुराणज्ञो नाशयति त्वतिदुष्टं स्वकर्म्म वा
Whatever sin is committed by oneself or by others, the knower of the Purāṇas destroys it, whether it is exceedingly wicked or his own action.
भवानीशे हृषीकेशे समवृत्तिर्विवेकवान् । लोकवेदक्रियावेत्ता रुद्रजाप्यतिनिःस्पृहः
O Lord of Bhavānī, O Hṛṣīkeśa, he is impartial, discerning, skilled in worldly and Vedic duties, and unattached even to the recitation of Rudra.
तुष्टः शांतः क्रियादक्षः प्रभूतो योगकृद्वशी । यथैव ते पुराणज्ञो वसिष्ठो भगवानृषिः
He is content, tranquil, adept in action, powerful, devoted to yoga, and self-controlled, just as the venerable sage Vasiṣṭha, knower of the Purāṇas, was.
नियोगात्तव भूपाल अयोध्यायामतिष्ठत । अपालयद्भुवं कृत्स्नां त्वां च रक्षः समापतत्
By your command, O king, he remained in Ayodhyā and protected the entire earth, and you as well, when danger approached.
स च शुक्रोपदेशेन राक्षसस्त्वामथाभ्यगात् । निद्रासक्तं हनिष्यामि नान्यथावसरस्त्विति
Then, following Śukra's instruction, the demon approached you, saying, 'I will kill him while he is absorbed in sleep; there is no other opportunity.'
अथ विप्रो विदित्वैतद्वसिष्ठस्त्वद्धितप्रियः । सुप्तं प्रमत्तं काकुत्स्थं रक्षो हंति न संशयः
Then the sage Vasiṣṭha, who desired your welfare, understood this: 'The demon will surely kill Kakutstha while he is asleep and careless.'
ब्रह्मावाप्तवरं तद्धि मया कार्यं निवारणम् । इति संचिंत्य विप्रर्षिः सेनामादाय निर्गतः
'Since he has obtained a boon from Brahmā, I must prevent this act.' Thinking thus, the sage took the army and set out.