दृष्ट्वातिथिं तु शीतार्तं ववंदे शिरसा ततः । ददौ तृणासनं भक्त्या तस्मै पाद्यादिकं ततः
Seeing the guest afflicted by cold, he bowed his head in respect, offered him a seat of grass with devotion, and then gave him water for washing the feet and other customary offerings.
ततो मधुरया वाचा तेनैवातिथिना सह । तस्थौ स्वस्थेन मनसा प्रज्ञालापं प्रकुर्वता
Then, with sweet words, he remained with that guest, his mind at ease, engaging in wise conversation.
गृहिण्या सह गोपेन स्वामिसेवा सुदक्षया । ततः कूष्माण्डकं नव्यं पक्वमत्यंत यत्नतः
Together with his wife, skilled in serving her lord, he and the cowherd carefully cooked the fresh gourd-fruit.
संप्राप्य हर्षिता साध्वी ददौ भागं विधाय सा । अथासौ दुर्बलो गोपो दिनविंशमुपोषणात्
Having obtained it, the virtuous wife, delighted, apportioned the fruit and gave a share; and the weak cowherd, having fasted for twenty days, received it.
आतिथेयो महाभागं ददौ चातिथये मुदा । ततस्तद्गृहिणी साध्वी स्वामिभक्तिपरायणा
The honored guest joyfully gave the largest portion to the host; then the virtuous wife, devoted to serving her husband, ...
ददौ सा पतितं भागं तस्मै चातिथये मुदा । अथातिथेस्तयोस्तत्र दंपत्योः सुमहात्मनोः
... gave her own portion to the guest with gladness; thus, between the two great-hearted spouses and the guest, ...
अभूद्भागद्वयं भुक्त्वा सुप्रीतो द्विजसत्तम । विष्णुवत्पूजितस्ताभ्यां सोऽतिथिर्दृढभक्तितः
After eating the two portions, the excellent brāhmaṇa guest was greatly pleased; worshipped by them with firm devotion as if he were Viṣṇu himself.
विश्रामं रात्रौ तत्रैव प्रातः स्नात्वा चिरं ययौ । गतैवमुपवासेन दिनानामेकविंशतिः
He rested there that night, and in the morning, after bathing, departed; thus, through fasting, twenty-one days passed.
दंपती तौ महात्मानौ पंचतां ययतुस्ततः । तेन पुण्यप्रभावेण दंपती तौ महाशयौ
Those two great-souled spouses then departed from this world; by the power of their merit, those noble husband and wife—
प्रापतुर्विष्णुसायुज्यं दुर्ल्लभं योगिनामपि । तयोः पुण्यप्रभावेण विहितातिथिपूजया
—attained union with Viṣṇu, which is difficult even for yogis to obtain. By the power of their merit, through the worship offered to guests—
तस्मिन्राज्ये तु दुर्भिक्षं विनष्टमभवत्ततः । अत्यंतसुखिनोलोकाः शोकव्याधिविवर्जिताः
—famine in that kingdom was destroyed; the people became extremely happy, free from sorrow and disease.
धनधान्यादिसम्पन्ना बभूवुर्धर्मतत्पराः । विनष्टा दस्यवस्तत्र नृपोऽभूल्लोकपालकः
They became endowed with wealth, grain, and other riches, devoted to righteousness; bandits were eliminated there, and the king became the protector of the people.
निजाचाररतालोका जलदाः कामवर्षिणः । पूर्वजाः कोटिपुरुषास्तथैवापरजास्तयोः
The people delighted in their own duties; the clouds rained as desired. Both their ancestors and descendants—
तेनैव कर्मणा मुक्तिं जग्मुः पापविवर्जिताः । निर्दोषा धनसंपन्नाः सर्वलोकैकपूजिताः
—by that very act, attained liberation, freed from sin; faultless, endowed with wealth, and honored by all the worlds.
शोकव्याधिविहीना च ववृधे संततिस्तयोः । लोमश उवाच- आगंतुपूजामाहात्म्यं सेतिहासं मयोदितम्
Free from sorrow and disease, their lineage flourished. Lomaśa said: The greatness of guest worship, along with this story, has been told by me.
युवयोः प्रीतयोर्विप्रौ किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छथ । व्यास उवाच- इति ब्रुवति वै तस्मिँल्लोमशे तपसां धने
O two delighted Brāhmaṇas, what else do you wish to hear? Vyāsa said: While Lomaśa, the treasure of austerities, was speaking thus—
कालग्रस्तः कृष्णआखुस्तत्रोत्तस्थौ बिलान्निजात् । तमुत्थितं बिलात्कृष्णमूषकं क्रोधविह्वलः
—a black rat, seized by time, rose up there from its own hole; that black rat, having emerged from the hole, agitated by anger—
पवित्रस्तत्र चोत्तस्थौ वदन्निति मुहुर्मुहुः । अयं पापाशयो दुष्टो मूषको निशि चाश्रमम्
—was then raised up, repeatedly saying: 'This mouse, with wicked intent, is evil; at night, it digs in the hermitage—'
खनते तीक्ष्णदंतौघैर्गृहद्रव्यं च कृंतति । सर्वेषामेव वर्णानां कृपा श्रेष्ठा प्रकीर्तिता
—'with its sharp teeth it burrows and cuts up the household goods.' Compassion is praised as best among all classes—
सा च सर्वेषु कर्तव्या न च दुष्टेषु जंतुषु । इत्युक्त्वासौ मूषिकं तं द्विजश्रेष्ठ कृतैनसम्
—and it should be practiced toward all, but not toward wicked creatures. Having said this, he struck that mouse, O best of twice-born, with a sharp spear—
नाराचेनातितीक्ष्णेन प्राप्तकालं जघान ह । स्रवच्छोणितधाराभिः प्लाविताङ्गः स मूषकः
—and killed it at the proper time. That mouse, its body drenched with flowing streams of blood—
पपात भूमौ विप्रर्षे व्यथया हतचेतनः । आखौ निपतिते तस्मिन्दयालुर्द्विजसत्तमः
—fell to the ground, O best of Brāhmaṇas, its senses overcome by pain. When the mouse had fallen, the compassionate best of Brāhmaṇas—
हाहाकारं ततः कृत्वा समुत्तस्थौ जवेन सः । निजकर्णात्समानीय तुलसीपत्रमुत्तमम्
—then uttered a cry of distress and quickly rose up; taking a fine leaf of tulasī from his own ear—
तस्याखोर्वदने शीर्षे कर्णयोश्च प्रदत्तवान् । मातस्तु तुलसीदेवि गोविन्दह्लादकारिणि
—he placed it in the mouth, on the head, and on the ears of that mouse. 'O Mother Tulasī, goddess, bringer of delight to Govinda—'
अस्याखोः कृतपापस्य कुरु त्वं गतिमुत्तमाम् । इत्युक्त्वा सद्विजश्रेष्ठ सर्वलोकोपकारकः
'For this mouse, who has committed sin, grant the highest state.' Having said this, the excellent Brāhmaṇa, benefactor of all the worlds—
हरेनारायणानन्त इत्युच्चैरकरोद्ध्वनिम् । तुलसीपत्रसंस्पर्शान्मूषको वीतकल्मषः
—loudly uttered the names 'Hari, Nārāyaṇa, Ananta.' By the touch of the tulasī leaf, the mouse was freed from sin.
श्रवणाद्धरिनाम्नश्च मुक्तोऽभूद्भवबंधनात् । ततो दूता महाविष्णोः सर्वलक्षणसंयुताः
By hearing the name of Hari, he was freed from the bondage of birth; then the messengers of the great Viṣṇu, adorned with all auspicious marks,
आजग्मुः सुरथैः शीघ्रं नेतुं तं गतकल्मषम् । समारुह्य रथं दिव्यं विष्णुदूतगणैर्वृताः
quickly arrived with divine chariots to take him, whose sins were gone; mounting a celestial chariot, surrounded by the hosts of Viṣṇu’s attendants,
जगाम परमं स्थानं मूषको द्विजसत्तम । युगकोटिसहस्राणि स्थित्वा नारायणाश्रमे
the mouse, O best of twice-born, reached the supreme abode, having dwelt in Nārāyaṇa’s hermitage for thousands of millions of ages.
ज्ञानमासाद्य तत्रैव मोक्षमाखुर्जगाम सः । व्यास उवाच- माहात्म्यं तुलसीदेव्याः कथितं ते द्विजोत्तम
There itself, attaining knowledge, that mouse obtained liberation; Vyāsa said: The greatness of goddess Tulasī has been told to you, O best of Brāhmaṇas.