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.
अथ प्रेतान्ददर्शासौ क्षुत्तृषाव्याकुलेंद्रियान् । उत्कटान्खलिनो भीमान्निर्मांसान्रौद्रदर्शनान्
Then he saw pretas—spirits—whose senses were overwhelmed by hunger and thirst, fierce, wicked, terrifying, fleshless, and dreadful to behold.
प्रेतस्कंधसमारूढमेकं विकृतदर्शनम् । ददर्श बहुभिः प्रेतैः समंतात्परिवारितम्
He saw one with a distorted appearance, mounted on the shoulders of a preta, surrounded on all sides by many pretas.
अगच्छमानमत्युग्रं प्रेतशब्दपुरःसरम् । प्रेतोऽपि दृष्ट्वा तां घोरामटवीमागतं नरम्
That preta, exceedingly fierce and preceded by the cries of pretas, was moving along; and seeing the man who had entered that terrible forest—
प्रेतस्कंधान्महीं गत्वा तस्यांतिकमुपागमत् । प्रणिपत्य वणिक्श्रेष्ठमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्
The preta, descending from the shoulders of the other preta, approached him, and bowing to the chief of merchants, spoke these words:
अस्मिन्घोरतरे देशे प्रवेशो भवतः कथम् । तमुवाच वणिक्धीमान्सार्थभ्रष्टस्य मे वने
"How have you entered this most dreadful place?" To him, the wise merchant replied, "I am lost from my caravan in this forest—
प्रवेशो दैवयोगेन पूर्वकर्मकृतेन च । तृषा मे बाधतेऽत्यर्थं क्षुधा चैव भृशं तथा
"I have entered here by the conjunction of fate and by deeds done before; I am greatly afflicted by thirst, and likewise by intense hunger."
प्राणांतिकमनुप्राप्तं वचनं भ्रमतीव मे । अत्रोपायं न पश्यामि जीवेयं येन केनचित्
"I have come to the brink of death; my mind wanders as I speak; I see no means here by which I might somehow survive."
इत्येवमुक्ते प्रेतस्तं वणिजं वाक्यमब्रवीत् । फुल्लां शमीं समाश्रित्य प्रतीक्ष त्वं मुहूर्त्तकम्
When he had spoken thus, the preta said to the merchant, "Take shelter under the blossoming shamī tree and wait for a moment."
कृतातिथ्यो मया पश्चाद्गमिष्यसि यथासुखम् । एवमुक्तस्तथा चक्रे स वणिक्तृष्णयार्दितः
"After I have shown you hospitality, you will go on as you please." Thus addressed, the merchant, tormented by thirst, did as he was told.
मध्याह्नसमये प्राप्ते प्रेतस्तं देशमागतः । फुल्लां सवृक्षां शीतोदां वारिधानीं मनोरमाम्
When midday came, the preta arrived at that place—a delightful spot with blossoming trees, cool water, and a reservoir.