रूपसुंदर्युवाच-। ममापि स्मरणं जातं प्राकृतस्य च जन्मनः । मूषिका चाहमप्यासं क्षुद्रा ब्राह्मणवेश्मनि
Rupasundari said: I too have remembered my previous ordinary birth; I was a small mouse in a brahmin’s house.
कार्तिके च प्रबोधिन्यां मंदीभूते च दीपके । वर्त्यग्राहरणार्थाय निर्गताहं तदा बिलात्
On Prabodhini in Kartika, when the lamp had grown dim, I came out of my hole to take the tip of the wick.
दृष्ट्वा नारायणं देवं पूजितं कुसुमैस्तथा । निद्राभिभूतं विप्रं च वर्त्तिः कृष्टा मया तदा
Seeing Lord Narayana worshipped with flowers, and the brahmin overcome by sleep, I pulled the wick at that time.
उत्थितस्त्वं यदा तत्र मां गृहीतुं कृतक्षणः । दृष्ट्वा त्वं च प्रणष्टाहं प्रविष्टा बिलमध्यतः
When you rose then, ready to catch me, seeing you I fled and entered the middle of the hole.
विशंत्या मम पादेन दीपवर्त्तिर्विजृंभिता । तैलपात्रं च नमितं तेनाहं सुखभागिनी
As I entered, my foot stretched the lamp’s wick, and the oil vessel was tilted; by that I became fortunate.
तन्मया राजराजेंद्र दीपं चैव प्रकाशितम् । इदानीं च मया प्राप्तं रूपलावण्यमुत्तमम्
Thus, O king of kings, I too made the lamp shine; and now I have obtained supreme beauty and charm.
त्वं च भर्त्ता तथा राज्यं पुत्राश्चैवंविधं सुखम् । दीपप्रबोधनाज्जातं ज्ञानमत्यंत दुर्ल्लभम्
You, your husband, the kingdom, and sons—all such happiness—arises from the knowledge, exceedingly rare, gained through the observance of the lamp rite.
तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन दीपव्रतमनुत्तमम् । आवां हि परया भक्त्या कुर्वश्चैव विशेषतः
Therefore, with every effort, the supreme lamp vow should be performed; indeed, we have done so with utmost devotion, especially.
तदेतत्कर्मणः प्राप्तं फलं राज्यादिसंपदः । पूर्वजन्मस्मृतं चापि सर्वपापक्षयस्तथा
From this act, the fruits such as sovereignty and prosperity have been attained, as well as remembrance of past births and the destruction of all sins.
तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन विधिमंत्रादिपूर्वकम् । दीपव्रतं कृतं पुंभिः पुण्यं चंद्रार्कतारकम्
Therefore, with all effort, and preceded by proper rites and mantras, the lamp vow should be performed by men, which is as meritorious as the moon, sun, and stars.
इति श्रुत्वा वचो राजा चक्रे दीपव्रतं तदा । प्रियया सह देवर्षे सम्यक्श्रद्धासमन्वितः
Hearing these words, the king then performed the lamp vow together with his beloved, accompanied by the divine sage, with full faith.
तस्मिंस्तु पुष्करे तीर्थे कृत्वा दीपव्रतं तु तौ । अवापतुः परां मुक्तिं देवदानवदुर्ल्लभाम्
There, at the holy place of Puṣkara, after performing the lamp vow, the two attained supreme liberation, difficult for gods and demons to obtain.
एतद्दीपस्य माहात्म्यं ये शृण्वंति नरा भुवि । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्ताः प्रयांति हरिमंदिरम्
Those men on earth who hear of this greatness of the lamp become freed from all sins and go to the abode of Hari.
ये च कुर्वंति पुरुषाः स्त्रियो वा भक्तितत्पराः । ते सर्वे पापनिर्मुक्ता यांति ब्रह्मसनातनम्
And those men or women who perform it, devoted to faith, all become freed from sin and reach the eternal Brahman.
नेत्ररोगा विनश्यंति यथा पापप्रभावजाः । आधयो व्याधयः सर्वे नश्यंते हि कृतेक्षणात्
Diseases of the eyes, arising from the influence of sin, are destroyed; all afflictions and illnesses perish instantly upon seeing it performed.
न दारिद्र्यं न शोकं च न मोहो न च विभ्रमः । गृहे लक्ष्मीः समायाति जन्मजन्मनि वाडव
There is no poverty, no sorrow, no delusion, nor confusion; Lakṣmī herself comes to the house, birth after birth, O best of men.
नारद उवाच- देवदेव जगन्नाथ भक्तानामभयप्रद । व्रतं ब्रूहि महादेव कृपां कृत्वा ममोपरि
Nārada said: O God of gods, Lord of the universe, giver of fearlessness to devotees, tell me, O great god, the vow, showing your compassion to me.
श्रीमहादेव उवाच- सार्वभौमः पुरा ह्यासीद्धरिश्चंद्रो महीपतिः । तस्यतुष्टोऽददद्ब्रह्मा पुरीं कामदुघां शुभाम्
Śrī Mahādeva said: Once there was a universal sovereign, Hariśchandra, king of the earth; pleased with him, Brahmā gave him a city, wish-fulfilling and auspicious.
सर्वरत्नमयीं दिव्यां बालार्कसदृशप्रभाम् । तत्र स्थितो महीपालो सप्तद्वीपां वसुंधराम्
That city was divine, made of all jewels, shining like the young sun; there the king dwelt, ruling the earth of seven continents.
पालयामास धर्मेण पिता पुत्रमिवौरसम् । प्रभूतधनधान्यस्तु पुत्रदौहित्रवान्नृपः
He governed with righteousness, as a father cares for his own son; the king was endowed with abundant wealth, grain, sons, and grandsons.
स पालयन्शुभं राज्यं परं विस्मयमागतः । न तादृशमभूत्पूर्वं राज्यं कस्य हि कर्हिचित्
Ruling his auspicious kingdom, he was filled with great wonder; never before had there been such a kingdom for anyone at any time.
न चेदृशं नरैरन्यैर्विमानमधिरोहितम् । कस्येह कर्मणो व्यष्टिर्येनाहं सुरराडिव
Nor had any other men ascended such a celestial chariot; for whose action is this result, by which I am like the king of the gods?
इति चिंतापरो भूत्वा विमानवरमास्थितः । ददर्श पार्थिववरो मेरुं शिखरिणां वरम्
Thus absorbed in thought, seated in his excellent chariot, the best of kings beheld Meru, the foremost of mountains.
तत्रास्ते च महात्मासौ द्वितीय इव भास्करः । आसीनं पर्वतवरे शैलपट्टे हिरण्मये
There, that great soul dwells, like a second sun, seated on the golden plateau of the best of mountains.
सनत्कुमारं ब्रह्मर्षिं ज्ञानयोगपरायणम् । दृष्ट्वा ह्यवातरद्राजा प्रष्टुकामोऽथ विस्मयम्
Seeing Sanatkumara, the brahmarshi devoted to the path of knowledge and yoga, the king descended, wishing to ask him, and was filled with wonder.
ववंदे चरणौ हृष्टस्तेनापि स च नंदितः । सुखोपविष्टस्तु नृपः पप्रच्छ मुनिपुंगवम्
Joyfully, he bowed at his feet, and Sanatkumara was pleased by this; then, the king sat comfortably and questioned the foremost of sages.
भगवन्दुर्ल्लभा लोके संपच्चेयं यथा मम । कर्मणा केन लभ्येत कश्चाहं पूर्वजन्मनि
O revered one, such prosperity as this is rare in the world; by what action is it obtained, and who was I in a previous birth?
तत्त्वं कथय मे सर्वमनुग्राह्योऽस्मि ते यदि । सनत्कुमार उवाच-। शृणु राजन्प्रवक्ष्यामि पूर्ववृत्तस्य कारणम्
Tell me the whole truth, for I am worthy of your favor, if you so choose. Sanatkumara said: Hear, O king, I will tell you the cause of your previous story.
येन कृत्वा विशेषेण तव चानुग्रहोऽभवत् । त्वमासीः पूर्वजनुषि सुवैश्यः सत्यवाक्शुचिः
By what special deed your favor has arisen, I will explain: In a former birth, you were a virtuous and truthful merchant.
स्वं कर्म ते परित्यक्तं ततस्त्यक्तस्तु बांधवैः । सत्वं वृत्तिपरिक्षीणो भार्ययानुगतस्तथा
You abandoned your own occupation, and thus were forsaken by your relatives; your means of livelihood diminished, and you were followed only by your wife.