हस्त्यश्वरथवृंदैश्च समागत्य पुरोहितैः । ततः स्नात्वा तथा ध्यायन्तर्पयन्पितृदेवताः
Accompanied by entourages of elephants, horses, chariots, and priests, they arrived. Then, after bathing, they meditated and offered oblations to ancestors and deities.
पूजयामास देवेशं पुंडरीकाक्षमच्युतम् । दीपमालाकुले तत्र सर्वतः सुमनोहरे
They worshipped the Lord of gods, the lotus-eyed, imperishable one, in that place adorned everywhere with beautiful rows of lamps.
ददर्श लिखितं तत्र मार्जारं देवतालये । तं दृष्ट्वा प्राकृतं कर्म जन्म स्मृत्वा नृपस्तदा
There, in the temple, he saw a cat depicted. Seeing it, the king remembered his previous ordinary birth.
मुखपंकजमालोक्य प्रियायाः प्रजहास च । रूपसुंदर्युवाच- मम सन्मुखमालोक्य भर्तः किं स्मितकारणम् 6.30.
Looking at his beloved's lotus-like face, he laughed. Rūpasundarī said: "Husband, seeing my face, what is the reason for your smile?"
कथयामास हृष्टात्मा प्राक्तनं कर्मणः फलम् । राजोवाच- अहमासं पुरा देवि मार्जारो ब्राह्मणालये
He, his heart gladdened, began to tell the result of his previous actions. The king said: "Once, O goddess, I was a cat in the house of a brāhmaṇa."
भक्षिता मूषकास्तत्र मया शतसहस्रशः । ततो नारायणस्याग्रे दीपः संरक्षितो यतः
"There, I ate hundreds of thousands of mice. Then, because I protected a lamp before Nārāyaṇa—"
व्याजेनापि मया देविप्राप्तं तत्कर्मणः फलम् । विष्णुलोकमनुप्राप्य राज्यं प्राप्तं मयाधुना
"—even if only by pretense, O goddess, I have received the fruit of that act: I attained Viṣṇu's world and now have obtained a kingdom."
रूपसुंदर्युवाच-। ममापि स्मरणं जातं प्राकृतस्य च जन्मनः । मूषिका चाहमप्यासं क्षुद्रा ब्राह्मणवेश्मनि
Rūpasundarī said: "I too remember my previous ordinary birth; I was a small mouse in the house of a brāhmaṇa."
कार्तिके च प्रबोधिन्यां मंदीभूते च दीपके । वर्त्यग्राहरणार्थाय निर्गताहं तदा बिलात्
"During Kārttika, on Prabodhinī, 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 the god Nārāyaṇa being worshipped with flowers, and the brāhmaṇa overcome by sleep, I then pulled the wick."
उत्थितस्त्वं यदा तत्र मां गृहीतुं कृतक्षणः । दृष्ट्वा त्वं च प्रणष्टाहं प्रविष्टा बिलमध्यतः
When you rose there, ready to seize me at that moment, seeing you, I vanished and entered into the middle of the hole.
विशंत्या मम पादेन दीपवर्त्तिर्विजृंभिता । तैलपात्रं च नमितं तेनाहं सुखभागिनी
As I entered, my foot touched the lamp's wick, which flared up, and the oil vessel was tipped—thus I became fortunate.
तन्मया राजराजेंद्र दीपं चैव प्रकाशितम् । इदानीं च मया प्राप्तं रूपलावण्यमुत्तमम्
By me, O king of kings, the lamp was thus kindled, and now I have attained supreme beauty and charm.
त्वं च भर्त्ता तथा राज्यं पुत्राश्चैवंविधं सुखम् । दीपप्रबोधनाज्जातं ज्ञानमत्यंत दुर्ल्लभम्
You are my husband, and likewise the kingdom, sons, and such happiness—all this, and the exceedingly rare knowledge, arose from the observance of the lamp vow.
तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन दीपव्रतमनुत्तमम् । आवां हि परया भक्त्या कुर्वश्चैव विशेषतः
Therefore, with all effort, the unsurpassed lamp vow should be performed, especially by us with supreme devotion.
तदेतत्कर्मणः प्राप्तं फलं राज्यादिसंपदः । पूर्वजन्मस्मृतं चापि सर्वपापक्षयस्तथा
From this act, the fruits of kingdom and other prosperity have been obtained, 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; its merit is as enduring 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, O sage, with full faith and devotion.
तस्मिंस्तु पुष्करे तीर्थे कृत्वा दीपव्रतं तु तौ । अवापतुः परां मुक्तिं देवदानवदुर्ल्लभाम्
There, at the holy place of Pushkara, the two performed the lamp vow and attained the supreme liberation, difficult for gods and demons to obtain.
एतद्दीपस्य माहात्म्यं ये शृण्वंति नरा भुवि । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्ताः प्रयांति हरिमंदिरम्
Those men on earth who hear this greatness of the lamp are 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 with devoted intent—all of them, freed from sin, 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 vanish instantly.
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; Lakshmi abides in the house, birth after birth, O Vaḍava.
महादेव उवाच- दृष्ट्वा शतक्रतुं सिद्धं समाप्तवरदक्षिणम् । मघवा जातसंकल्पः पर्यपृच्छद्बृहस्पतिम्
Mahadeva said—Seeing Shatakratu accomplished, having completed the gifts and fees, Maghavan, his resolve formed, questioned Brihaspati.
भगवन्केन दानेन सर्वतः सुखमेधते । यदक्षयं महार्घं च तन्मे ब्रूहि महातपः
O venerable one, by what gift does one everywhere attain happiness, which is inexhaustible and supremely precious? Tell me that, O great ascetic.
एवमिंद्रेण चोक्तोऽसौ देवदेवः पुरोहितः । प्रहस्य तं महाप्राज्ञो बृहस्पतिरुवाचह
Thus addressed by Indra, the lord of the gods and priest, Brihaspati, the wise one, smiled and spoke to him.
हिरण्यदानं गोदानं भूमिदानं च वासव । एतत्प्रयच्छमानस्तु सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
The gift of gold, the gift of cows, and the gift of land, O Vāsava—he who gives these is freed from all sins.
सुवर्णं रजतं वस्त्रं मणिरत्नं च वासव । सर्वमेव भवेद्दत्तं वसुधां यः प्रयच्छति
Gold, silver, cloth, jewels, and gems, O Vāsava—all these are indeed given when one gives the earth.
फालकृष्टां महीं दत्वा सबीजां सस्यमालिनीम् । यावत्सूर्यकृतालोकस्तावत्स्वर्गेमहीयते
Having given land that has been plowed, with seeds and covered in crops, one is honored in heaven for as long as the sun gives light.
यत्किंचित्कुरुते पापं पुरुषो वृत्तिकर्षितः । अपि गोचर्ममात्रेण भूमिदानेन शुध्यति
Whatever sin a person commits, worn down by livelihood, is purified even by giving as much land as a cow's hide.