प्राप्ता सीता जिता लंका पौलस्त्यो निहतो रणे । अनेनविधिना पुत्र ये कुर्वंति नरा व्रतम्
Sītā was regained, Laṅkā was conquered, and the son of Pulastya was slain in battle; by this procedure, O son, those men who perform the vow—
इहलोकजयप्राप्तिः परलोकस्तथाक्षयः । एतस्मात्कारणात्पुत्र कर्तव्यं विजयाव्रतम्
They attain victory in this world and imperishable merit in the next; for this reason, O son, the vow of victory should be performed.
विजयायाश्च माहात्म्यं सर्वकिल्बिषनाशनम् । पठनाच्छ्रवणाच्चैव वाजपेयफलं लभेत्
The greatness of the Vijayā vow destroys all sins; by reciting or hearing it, one obtains the fruit of the Vājapeya sacrifice.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे फाल्गुनकृष्णाविजयामाहात्म्यंनाम चतुश्चत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the forty-fourth chapter, entitled 'The Greatness of Vijayā in the Dark Fortnight of Phālguna,' in the Uttarakhaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa, comprising fifty-five thousand verses.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच- माहात्म्यं विजयायाश्च श्रुतं कृष्ण महत्फलम् । फाल्गुनस्यार्जुने पक्षे यन्नाम्नी तां वदाधुना
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: The greatness of Vijayā has been heard, O Kṛṣṇa, with its great fruit; now tell me the name of the vow that occurs in the fortnight of Phālguna.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच-। धर्मपुत्र महाभाग शृणु वक्ष्यामितेऽधुना । योक्ता पृष्टेन मांधात्रा वसिष्ठेन महात्मना
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: O Dharmaputra, greatly fortunate one, listen as I now speak; I will tell you what was asked by Māndhātṛ and taught by the great sage Vasiṣṭha.
फाल्गुनस्य विशेषेण विशेषः कथितो नृप । आमलकीव्रतं पुण्यं विष्णुलोकफलप्रदम्
O king, in particular, the special vow of Phālguna has been described—the sacred Āmalakī vow, which bestows the reward of reaching Viṣṇu's abode.
आमलक्यास्तले गत्वा जागरं तत्र कारयेत् । कृत्वा जागरणं रात्रौ गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्
Going to the base of the āmalakī tree, one should keep vigil there; by keeping vigil at night, one obtains the merit of giving a thousand cows.
मांधातोवाच - आमलकी कदा ह्येषा उत्पन्ना द्विजसत्तम । एतत्सर्वं ममाचक्ष्व परं कौतूहलं हि मे
Māndhātā said: O best of twice-born, when did this āmalakī arise? Please tell me all of this, for I am greatly curious.
कस्मादियं पवित्रा च कस्मात्पापप्रणाशिनी । कस्माज्जागरणं कृत्वा गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्
Why is this tree pure, why does it destroy sin, and why does one who keeps vigil attain the merit of giving a thousand cows?
वसिष्ठ उवाच- कथयामि महाभाग यथेयमभवत्क्षितौ । आमलकी महावृक्षः सर्वपापप्रणाशनः
Vasiṣṭha said: I will tell you, O greatly fortunate one, how this āmalakī, the great tree that destroys all sins, came to be on earth.
एकार्णवे पुरा जाते नष्टे स्थावरजंगमे । नष्टे देवासुरगणे प्रणष्टोरगराक्षसे
Once, in the single ocean, when all that is movable and immovable was destroyed, when the hosts of gods and demons, serpents and rākṣasas had perished,
तत्र देवादिदेवेशः परमात्मा सनातनः । जगाम ब्रह्मपरममात्मनः पदमव्ययम्
There, the Lord of gods, the supreme, eternal Self, attained the highest, imperishable state of Brahman.
ततोऽस्य जाग्रतो ब्रह्ममुखाच्छशिसमप्रभः । ष्ठीवनाद्बिंदुरुत्पन्नः स भूमौ निपपात ह
Then, as he remained awake, from the mouth of Brahman, a drop radiant like the moon emerged and fell to the earth.
तस्माद्बिंदोः समुत्पन्नः स्वयं धात्री नगो महान् । शाखाप्रशाखाबहुलः फलभारेण नामितः
From that drop, the āmalakī tree itself arose, a great tree, abundant in branches and twigs, bowed down by the weight of its fruit.
सर्वेषां चैव वृक्षाणामादिरोहः प्रकीर्तितः । ब्रह्मणाथ ततः पश्चात्संसृष्टाश्च इमाः प्रजाः
It is said to be the first sprouting among all trees; then, by Brahman, these creatures were created.
देवदानवगंधर्वयक्षराक्षसपन्नगान् । असृजद्भगवान्देवो महर्षींश्च तथामलान्
The blessed Lord created gods, demons, gandharvas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, serpents, and also the great sages, pure in nature.
आजग्मुस्तत्र देवास्ते यत्र धात्री हरिप्रिया । तां दृष्ट्वा ते महाभाग परं विस्मयमागताः
The gods came there, where the āmalakī, beloved of Hari, was; seeing it, those greatly fortunate ones were filled with wonder.
न जानीम इमं वृक्षं चिंतयंतोऽभिसंस्थिताः । एवं चिंतयतां तेषां वागुवाचाशरीरिणी
Not knowing this tree, they stood thinking; as they pondered thus, a bodiless voice spoke.
आमलकी नगो ह्येष प्रवरो वैष्णवो मतः । अस्य संस्मरणादेव लभेद्गोदानजं फलम्
This āmalakī tree is considered the foremost among Vaiṣṇava trees; by merely remembering it, one attains the fruit of giving a cow.
स्पर्शनाद्द्विगुणं पुण्यं त्रिगुणं धारणात्तथा । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन सेव्या आमलकी सदा
By touching it, the merit is doubled; by wearing it, the merit is tripled. Therefore, the āmalakī should always be served with all effort.
सर्वपापहरा प्रोक्ता वैष्णवी पापनाशिनी । तस्या मूले स्थितो विष्णुस्तदूर्ध्वे च पितामहः
It is declared to remove all sins, a Vaiṣṇava tree, destroyer of evil; at its root stands Viṣṇu, and above him is the Grandfather (Brahmā).
स्कंधे च भगवान्रुद्रः संस्थितः परमेश्वरः । शाखासु मुनयः सर्वे प्रशाखासु च देवताः
On its trunk is the blessed Rudra, the supreme Lord; in its branches are all the sages, and in the twigs, the deities.
पर्णेषु चासते देवाः पुष्पेषु मरुतस्तथा । प्रजानां पतयः सर्वे फलेष्वेव व्यवस्थिताः
In its leaves dwell the gods, in its flowers the Maruts; all the lords of creatures are established in its fruits.
सर्वदेवमयी ह्येषा धात्री च कथिता मया । तस्मात्पूज्यतमा ह्येषा विष्णुभक्तिपरायणैः
This āmalakī is said to be composed of all the gods; therefore, it is most worthy of worship by those devoted to Viṣṇu.
ऋषय ऊचुः - को भवान्न हि जानीमः कस्मात्कारणतां गतः । देवो वा यदि वा चान्यः कथयस्व यथातथम्
The sages said: Who are you? We do not know. For what reason have you come? Are you a god or someone else? Please tell us truly.
वागुवाच - यः कर्ता सर्वभूतानां भुवनानां च सर्वशः । विस्मितान्विदुषः प्रेक्ष्य सोऽहं विष्णुः सनातनः
Vāk spoke: I am that Viṣṇu, the eternal one, who is the creator of all beings and all worlds in every way, whom the wise behold with wonder.
तच्छ्रुत्वा देवदेवस्य भाषितं ब्रह्मणः सुताः । अनादिनिधनं देवं स्तोतुं तत्र प्रचक्रमुः
Hearing the words of the Lord of gods, the sons of Brahmā there began to praise that god who is without beginning or end.
नमो भूतात्मभूताय आत्मने परमात्मने । अच्युताय नमो नित्यमनंताय नमो नमः
Homage to the soul of all beings, to the supreme self, to the imperishable one; homage to the eternal, infinite Acyuta—again and again, homage.
दामोदराय कवये यज्ञेशाय नमो नमः । एवं स्तुतस्तु ऋषिभिस्तुतोष भगवान्हरिः
Homage to Dāmodara, the wise, to the Lord of sacrifice—again and again, homage. Thus praised by the sages, the blessed Hari was satisfied.