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.
प्रत्युवाच महर्षींस्तानभीष्टं किं ददामि वः । ऋषय ऊचुः यदि तुष्टोऽसि भगवन्नस्माकं हितकाम्यया
He addressed those great sages: 'What boon shall I grant you?' The sages said: 'If you are pleased, O Lord, and wish for our welfare—'
व्रतं किंचित्समाख्याहि स्वर्गमोक्षफलप्रदम् । धनधान्यप्रदं पुण्यमात्मनस्तुष्टिकारकम्
'Please declare to us a vow that grants the fruits of heaven and liberation, that bestows wealth and grain, is meritorious, and brings satisfaction to the self.'
अल्पायासं बहुफलं व्रतानामुत्तमं व्रतम् । कृतेन येन देवेश विष्णुलोके महीयते
'A vow that is easy to perform, yields great results, and is the best among vows, by which, O Lord of gods, one is honored in Viṣṇu’s world.'
विष्णुरुवाच- फाल्गुने शुक्लपक्षे तु पुष्येण द्वादशी यदि । भवेत्सा च महापुण्या महापातकनाशिनी
Viṣṇu said: 'If, in the bright half of Phālguna, the twelfth day coincides with Puṣya, that day is supremely meritorious and destroys great sins.'
विशेषस्तत्र कर्त्तव्यः शृणुध्वं द्विजसत्तमाः । आमलकीं च संप्राप्य जागरं तत्र कारयेत्
'A special observance is to be performed then—listen, best of twice-born. Having obtained an āmalakī (gooseberry) tree, one should keep vigil there.'
सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तो गोसहस्रफलं लभेत् । एतद्वः कथितं विप्रा व्रतानां व्रतमुत्तमम् । अर्चयित्वाच्युतं तस्यां विष्णुलोकान्न मुच्यते
'Freed from all sins, one attains the fruit of giving a thousand cows. This, O brāhmaṇas, is declared to you—the supreme vow among vows. Worshipping Acyuta there, one is never separated from Viṣṇu’s worlds.'
ऋषय ऊचुः - व्रतस्यास्य विधिं ब्रूहि परिपूर्णं कथं भवेत् । के मंत्राः के नमस्काराः देवता का प्रकीर्तिता
The sages said: 'Tell us the full procedure of this vow—what are the mantras, what are the salutations, and which deity is to be invoked?'
कथं दानं कथं स्नानं कश्च पूजाविधिः स्मृतः । अर्घार्चनस्य मंत्रं तु कथयस्व यथातथम्
'How is the offering to be made, how is the bathing done, and what is the prescribed method of worship? Tell us, exactly, the mantra for arghya and worship.'
विष्णुरुवाच- श्रूयतां यो विधिः सम्यग्व्रतस्यास्य द्विजर्षभाः । एकादश्यां निराहारः स्थित्वा चैव परेऽहनि
Viṣṇu said: 'Hear now the proper procedure for this vow, O best of twice-born. On the eleventh day, one should fast, and on the following day—'
भोक्ष्येऽहं पुंडरीकाक्ष शरणं मे भवाच्युत । इति कृत्वा तु नियमं दंतधावनपूर्वकम्
'I shall eat, O lotus-eyed one; be my refuge, O Acyuta'—having made this resolve, after brushing the teeth—'