वैष्णवा ये तु दृश्यन्ते भुवनेऽस्मिन्महामुने। ते वै विष्णुसमाश्चैव ज्ञातव्यास्तत्वकोविदैः
Those Vaiṣṇavas who are seen in this world, O great sage, should be known by those skilled in truth as equal to Viṣṇu.
कलौ धन्यतमा लोके श्रुता मे नात्र संशयः। विष्णोः पूजा कृता तेन सर्वेषां पूजनं कृतम्
In the age of Kali, those are the most blessed in the world—I have heard this, there is no doubt; by worshipping Viṣṇu, all worship is accomplished.
महादानं कृतं तेन पूजिता येन वैष्णवाः। फलं पत्रं तथा शाकमन्नं वा वस्त्रमेव च
He who has worshipped Vaiṣṇavas has performed a great gift; whether it is fruit, leaf, vegetable, food, or even cloth—
वैष्णवेभ्यः प्रयच्छन्ति ते धन्या भुवि सर्वदा। अर्चितो वैष्णवो यैस्तु सर्वेषां चैव पूजनम्
Those who give these to Vaiṣṇavas are always blessed on earth; by whom a Vaiṣṇava is worshipped, the worship of all is accomplished.
कृतं यैरर्चितो विष्णुस्ते वै धन्यतमा मताः। तेषां दर्शनमात्रेण शुद्ध्यते पातकान्नरः
Those by whom Viṣṇu has been worshipped through righteous acts are considered most blessed; by merely seeing them, a person is purified from sins.
किमन्यद्बहुनोक्तेन भूयोभूयश्च वाडव। अतो वै दर्शनं तेषां स्पर्शने सुखदायकम्
Why speak at length or repeatedly, O Vaḍava? Therefore, seeing them or touching them brings happiness.
यथा विष्णुस्तथा चायं नान्तरं वर्तते क्वचित्। इति ज्ञात्वा तु भो वत्स सर्वदा पूजयेद्बुधः
Just as Viṣṇu is, so is this one; there is never any difference between them anywhere. Knowing this, O dear one, the wise should always honor them.
एक एव तु यैर्विप्रो वैष्णवो भुवि भोज्यते। सहस्रं भोजितं तेन द्विजानां नात्र संशयः
If even a single Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇa is fed on earth, it is as if a thousand twice-born have been fed—of this there is no doubt.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पञ्चपञ्चाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे उमापतिनारदसंवादे वैष्णवमाहात्म्यंनाम अष्टषष्टितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the sixty-eighth chapter, entitled 'The Greatness of the Vaiṣṇava,' in the dialogue between Umāpati and Nārada, in the Uttarakhaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa, comprising fifty-five thousand verses.
नारद उवाच- उपवासासमर्थानां सदैवामरसत्तम । एका या द्वादशी पुण्या तां वदस्व ममानघ
Nārada said: O best of immortals, for those unable to fast, always tell me about that one auspicious Dvādaśī, O sinless one.
शिव उवाच- मासि भाद्रपदे शुक्ले द्वादशी श्रवणान्विता । सा वै सर्वप्रदा पुण्या ह्युपवासे महाफला
Śiva said: In the bright half of the month Bhādrapada, the Dvādaśī joined with the Śravaṇa star is most auspicious, bestowing all blessings and yielding great fruit when observed with fasting.
संगमे सरितः स्नात्वा द्वादशीं तामुपोषितः । अयत्नात्समवाप्नोति द्वादश द्वादशीफलम्
By bathing at the confluence of rivers and observing that Dvādaśī, one effortlessly attains the merit of twelve Dvādaśī fasts.
बुधश्रवणसंयुक्ता या च वै द्वादशी भवेत् । अतीव महती तस्यां कृतं सर्वमथाक्षयम्
When Dvādaśī coincides with the Budha and Śravaṇa stars, whatever is performed on that day becomes exceedingly great and inexhaustible.
द्वादशी श्रवणोपेता यदा भवति नारद । संगमे सरितां स्नात्वा लभेद्गोदानजं फलम्
When Dvādaśī is joined with Śravaṇa, O Nārada, by bathing at the confluence of rivers, one obtains the merit of gifting a cow.
जलपूर्णं तदा कुंभं स्थापयित्वा विचक्षणः । तस्योपरि न्यसेत्पात्रं स्थापयित्वा जनार्दनम्
At that time, the wise should place a pot filled with water, and above it set a vessel, installing Janārdana there.
ततस्तस्याग्रतो देयं नैवेद्यं घृतपाचितम् । सोदकांश्च नवान्कुंभान्दद्याच्छक्त्या विचक्षणः
Then, before Him, one should offer food prepared with ghee as naivedya, and, according to ability, give new water-filled pots.
एवं संपूज्य गोविंदं जागरं तत्र कारयेत् । प्रभाते विमले स्नात्वा संपूज्य गरुडध्वजम्
Having thus worshipped Govinda, one should keep vigil there; in the pure morning, after bathing, worship the bearer of Garuḍa.
पुष्पधूपादि नैवेद्यैः फलैर्वस्त्रैः सुशोभनैः । पुष्पांजलिं ततो दद्यान्मंत्रमेनमुदीरयेत्
With flowers, incense, offerings, fruits, and fine garments, one should then offer a handful of flowers and recite this mantra.
नमो नमस्ते गोविंद बुधश्रवणसंयुत । अघौघसंक्षयं कृत्वा सर्वसौख्यप्रदो भव
"Salutations, salutations to you, Govinda, joined with Budha and Śravaṇa; having destroyed the multitude of sins, grant all happiness."
अन्नं तु ब्राह्मणे पूतं वेदवेदांगपारगे । पुराणज्ञे विशेषेण विधिवत्संप्रदापयेत्
One should properly give purified food to a brāhmaṇa learned in the Vedas and their limbs, especially one knowledgeable in the Purāṇas.
अनेन विधिना चैव नद्यास्तीरे नरोत्तमः । सर्वं निर्वर्त्तयेत्सम्यगेकचित्तरतोऽपि सन्
By this procedure, even while intent on a single purpose, the best of men should perform everything properly on the riverbank.
अत्राप्युदाहरंतीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । महत्यरण्ये यद्वृतं भूमिदेव शृणुष्व तत्
Here too, I will recount an ancient legend; listen to what happened in a great forest, O lord of the earth.
यं श्रुत्वा मानवो लोके महादुःखात्प्रमुच्यते । देशो दासरको नाम तस्य भागे च पश्चिमे
Hearing of this, a person in the world is freed from great suffering; there is a place called Dāsaraka, and in its western part—
तत्र विद्वन्मरुर्देशः सर्वसत्वभयंकरः । सुतप्तसिकता भूमिर्यत्र दुष्टा महोरगाः
There, O learned one, is the land of Maru, terrifying to all living beings; the ground is covered with burning sand, and evil great serpents dwell there.
अल्पच्छायाद्रुमाकीर्णा मृतप्राणिसमाकुला । शमीखदिरपालाशकरीरैः पीलुभिः सह
It is filled with scantily-shaded trees, crowded with dead creatures, and with shamī, khadira, palāśa, karīra, and pīlu trees.
तत्र भीमा द्रुमगणाः कंटकैरचिता दृढैः । जग्धप्राणजनाकीर्णा यत्र भूर्दृश्यते क्वचित्
There, fearsome groups of trees stand, thick with strong thorns; the earth is sometimes seen strewn with the remains of those whose lives have been devoured.
तथापि जीवा जीवंति सर्वे कर्मनिबंधनात् । नोदकं नोदकाधारा विद्वंस्तत्र बलाहकाः
Yet, all living beings there continue to exist, bound by their karma; there is no water, no sources of water, and, O learned one, no clouds.
पक्षांतरगतैः कैश्चिच्छिशुभिस्तृषितैः समम् । उत्क्रांतजीविनो विप्र दृश्यंते नु खगोत्तमाः
Among the branches, some birds—parched and with their young—are seen, O brāhmaṇa, with their lives departing.
तस्मिंस्तथाविधे देशे कश्चिद्दैववशाद्वणिक् । निजसार्थपरिभ्रष्टः प्रविष्टो मरुजांगले
In such a place, by the force of fate, a certain merchant, separated from his caravan, entered the desert wilderness.
बभ्रामोद्भ्रांतहृदयः क्षुत्तृट्भ्यां श्रमपीडितः । क्व ग्रामः क्व जलं क्वाहं यास्यामि न बुबोध ह
He wandered, his heart bewildered, tormented by hunger, thirst, and exhaustion; he did not know where there was a village, where water was, or where he himself was going.