शिव उवाच- महाविपंचीमवलंब्य निष्ठितः स वायुसूनुः शिवमन्वपृच्छत् । न्यायार्जितैरेव हि पूजने विभोः कीदृग्भवेच्चानयजैः फलं वद
Shiva said— Leaning on the great vina, the son of Vayu asked Shiva: ‘By worship with wealth righteously obtained, O Lord, what kind of result is produced? Tell me.’
चौर्य्यैरथो किं फलमर्पितार्पणे उपाहृतद्रव्यसमर्पणेषु । एकैकशो मे भगवन्वदेश प्रश्नोत्तरं किं कथयाशु शंभो
And what result comes from offerings made with stolen goods, or with gifts brought by theft? Tell me each answer, O Lord, to my questions—speak quickly, O Shambhu.
अथेश्वरो वानरमाबभाषे वदामि सर्वं तव ध्यानतः शृणु । न्यायार्जितैः पूज्य सदाशिवं त्वजं संप्राप चैश्वर्यमिदं हि गौतमः
Then the Lord spoke to the monkeys: ‘I will tell you everything as you contemplate; listen. By worshiping Sadashiva with righteously obtained wealth, Gautama indeed attained this prosperity.’
पुरा द्विजो मंकणसूनुराकथः सुशोभनामाप सतीं द्विजन्मा । द्ररिद्र एकः करुणासमन्वितः षष्ठाहभोजी पितृवर्जितश्च
Long ago, a twice-born named Akatha, son of Mankan, who was called Sushobhana, obtained a wife; he was poor, full of compassion, ate once every six days, and was fatherless.
उपोष्य पंचाहमथापि भोक्तुं प्रवृत्त एवाथ समापतद्यतिः । यतिर्बभाषे मधुरं तदा कथं मासोपवासी तव भोक्तुमागतः
After fasting for five days, as he was about to eat, a mendicant arrived; the mendicant spoke sweetly: ‘How is it that, though you fast for a month, you have come to eat?’
तिष्ठामि भुंजे यदि चास्ति ते मुने न मे बुभुक्षान्यगृहाद्विभोक्तुम् । आकथ उवाच- न मे भुजिः पंचदिनं द्विजेंद्र षष्ठे दिने मे भुजिरागतश्च
‘I will stay and eat if you have, O sage; I have no hunger to eat elsewhere.’ Akatha said: ‘I have not eaten for five days, O best of twice-born, and on the sixth day my meal has come.’
तदा मया कार्यमचिंतनीयं प्रक्षालयाम्येहि तवाद्य पादौ । ओमित्यथ क्षालितपादयुग्मः स भोजनं कर्तुमियेष योगी
Then I must do what is proper; come, let me wash your feet today. Thus, after washing the pair of feet with ‘Om’, the yogi wished to take food.
रंभादलांसे बुभुजे तदन्नं विपाच्य संपादितमाज्ययुक्तम् । वन्यैः सुसंयुक्तमथादरेण न किंचिदुच्छेषितमन्नमस्य
He ate that food, prepared with ghee and wild vegetables, on a plantain leaf, with great respect, leaving nothing uneaten.
अथाकथो वीक्ष्य मुनिं सुतुष्टं तुतोष भार्य्यासहितस्तपस्वी । गतोऽथ भुक्त्वापि यतिः स चाकथः संतुष्टचित्तोऽथ जपं चकार
Seeing the sage pleased, Akatha, together with his wife, was satisfied; after eating, the mendicant departed, and Akatha, his mind content, engaged in recitation.
कपोतवृत्तिं स चकार पत्न्या तपोवितानायस सज्जनो मुनिः । पीठेऽथ कृत्वा तमुमापतिं शिवं लिंगे समाराध्य समन्वितं गणैः
That virtuous sage, together with his wife, lived by the way of the dove, spreading austerity; then, placing a seat, he worshiped Shiva, the Lord of Uma, in the form of a linga, attended by hosts.
लिंगं निधायाथ निरीक्षमाणो ददर्श चाज्ञातकृशाकृतिं द्विजम् । दिगंबरं पादविहीनमेतं काणं कुणिं कर्णविहीनकं प्रभुम्
Placing the linga and gazing upon it, he saw a Brahmin of unknown, emaciated form, naked, without feet, lame, crippled, without ears—a master.
सामोद्गिरं तं बहुशास्त्रपारगं गृहं समायांतमथो ददर्श
He saw him, uttering joy, learned in many scriptures, entering the house.
अथाकथो भार्यां सुशोभनामिदमुवाच
Then Akatha spoke these words to his beautiful wife.
अयं हि विकृतवेषो ब्राह्मणः समायाति
This Brahmin, in strange attire, is approaching.
अर्द्धं देयमेतस्मै भोजनं रक्षार्द्धमन्नं चास्मिन्नपि दिने गते षष्ठेह्नि भोजनाभावात्तव जीवितं न तिष्ठतीति मम प्रतीयते किं तु त्वं मन्यसे वद
Half of this food should be given to him, and half kept for protection; if this day passes, on the sixth day, for lack of food, your life will not remain—so it seems to me. But what do you think? Tell me.
सा शोभनोवाच- आयुर्ललाटे लिखितं नांतरा नश्यति
Shobhana replied: 'Lifespan is written on the forehead; it does not perish in the meantime.'
आकथ आह। यथा बद्धायुषोऽपि यज्ञस्य वीरभद्रेणच्छिन्नं शिर अजस्रात्मनः किमुत नु याणां पापात्मनामिति तदेनं परिहृत्य त्वया भुज्यते यदि त्वेतस्मै मयान्नं दीयते । तवेच्छानुसारतो मम कर्तव्यम्
Akatha said: 'Even for one whose lifespan is fixed, the head of Daksha was cut off by Virabhadra at the sacrifice; what then of those who are sinful? Therefore, if you avoid him and eat, you may live. But if I give this food to him, I must act according to your wish.'
भार्य्या प्राह कथमहं भोक्ष्ये त्वय्यभुक्ते मया किं पूर्वं भुक्तमिदमपरं शृणु
His wife said: 'How can I eat if you have not eaten? Have I ever eaten before you? Listen further.'
अन्नं हि प्राणिनां प्राणाः प्रत्यक्षं सर्वदेहिनाम् । तस्मादन्नप्रदो यस्तु प्राणदः स निगद्यते
Food is indeed the life of living beings, evident in all embodied creatures; therefore, the giver of food is called the giver of life.
अन्नाद्भूतानि जायंते वर्द्धंते तानि वै यतः । तस्मादन्नाधिकं किंचिन्नास्य दानं महाफलम्
From food, beings are born and by it they grow; therefore, there is no gift greater in merit than food.
अश्वत्थचलपत्राग्र लीनतोयद्रवास्तिके । जीवितेन हि यो दद्यात्तस्य जन्म निरर्थकम्
If one gives food with his very life, like water clinging to the tip of a trembling leaf of the ashvattha tree, his birth is not in vain.
परलोकसहायो हि धर्मो भार्या न बांधवाः । भार्य्या वा पितरौ पुत्रा यावदायुर्न बांधवाः
Dharma alone is the companion in the next world, not wife nor relatives; wife, parents, and sons are not companions beyond one's lifespan.
संपद्वयः सुहृदिह इहामुत्र हि तं स्थितम् । धर्मं धर्मभृतां श्रेष्ठं भुंक्ते चान्ये किमावयोः
Wealth and friends remain here and hereafter with the righteous; the best of the virtuous enjoy dharma, but what of us two?
इति भार्य्यावचः श्रुत्वा आकथः करुणानिधिः । अविशंकितमेवास्मै दत्तवानन्नमूर्ज्जितम् । अयं स शंकरो देवो नानाकरणमागतः
Hearing his wife's words, Akatha, full of compassion, gave the nourishing food to him without hesitation, for this was Shiva himself come in another form.
इति निश्चित्य मनसा तस्यांगं पापनाशनम्
Thinking thus in his mind, he touched that body, which destroys sin.
आजानुपादं प्रक्षाल्य परा जंघमतः परम् । गुल्फं च तदधस्तस्य प्रक्षाल्याचामय द्द्विजम्
He washed the feet up to the knees, then the lower legs, and after washing the ankles and what was below, he offered water for sipping to the Brahmin.
अथाकथोऽपि पत्संधिं गृहांगणमुपानयत् । उन्मुच्य पादसंधिं स निषसादार्पितासने
Then Akatha brought the Brahmin to the house courtyard, loosened his feet, and seated him on the offered seat.
समभ्यर्च्याकथः सम्यग्भोजयामास तं मुनिम् । एतस्मिन्नंतरे कश्चिदुन्मत्तो गृहमागतः
Having properly honored him, Akatha served food to that sage; meanwhile, a certain madman entered the house.
पादसंधिमथादाय गृहबाह्यमुपानयत् । अथादहच्च तद्गेहं दंपती चाप्यताडयत् 5.117.
Seizing the Brahmin's feet, he dragged him outside the house, then set the house on fire and struck the couple.
आकथस्ताडितो विप्रो दह्यमानं गृहं तदा । विवेश देवमीशानमादातुं तूर्णमेव वा
Beaten, Akatha the Brahmin then entered the burning house quickly, to retrieve the Lord.