श्रीकृष्ण उवाच-। धर्मपुत्र महाभाग शृणु वक्ष्यामितेऽधुना । योक्ता पृष्टेन मांधात्रा वसिष्ठेन महात्मना
Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: O Dharmaputra, greatly fortunate one, listen as I now speak to you what was once asked of me by Māndhātṛ and by the great sage Vasiṣṭha.
फाल्गुनस्य विशेषेण विशेषः कथितो नृप । आमलकीव्रतं पुण्यं विष्णुलोकफलप्रदम्
O king, the special merit of Phālguna has been described; the sacred vow of Āmalakī bestows the fruit of attaining Viṣṇu's realm.
आमलक्यास्तले गत्वा जागरं तत्र कारयेत् । कृत्वा जागरणं रात्रौ गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्
Going beneath the Āmalakī tree, one should keep vigil there; by keeping vigil at night, one obtains the fruit equal to giving a thousand cows.
मांधातोवाच - आमलकी कदा ह्येषा उत्पन्ना द्विजसत्तम । एतत्सर्वं ममाचक्ष्व परं कौतूहलं हि मे
Māndhātā said: O best of twice-born, when did this Āmalakī arise? Tell me all of this, for I am greatly curious.
कस्मादियं पवित्रा च कस्मात्पापप्रणाशिनी । कस्माज्जागरणं कृत्वा गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्
Why is this tree pure? Why does it destroy sin? Why, by keeping vigil, does one obtain the fruit equal to a thousand cows?
वसिष्ठ उवाच- कथयामि महाभाग यथेयमभवत्क्षितौ । आमलकी महावृक्षः सर्वपापप्रणाशनः
Vasiṣṭha said: O greatly fortunate one, I will tell you how this Āmalakī, the great tree that destroys all sins, came to be on earth.
एकार्णवे पुरा जाते नष्टे स्थावरजंगमे । नष्टे देवासुरगणे प्रणष्टोरगराक्षसे
Once, when a single ocean existed, all that was stationary and moving was destroyed; the hosts of gods and demons, serpents and rākṣasas, were also gone.
तत्र देवादिदेवेशः परमात्मा सनातनः । जगाम ब्रह्मपरममात्मनः पदमव्ययम्
There, the Lord of gods, the Supreme Self, eternal, went to the highest state of Brahman, the imperishable abode of the Self.
ततोऽस्य जाग्रतो ब्रह्ममुखाच्छशिसमप्रभः । ष्ठीवनाद्बिंदुरुत्पन्नः स भूमौ निपपात ह
Then, as he was awake, from the mouth of Brahmā, a drop, shining like the moon, was expelled and fell to the earth.
तस्माद्बिंदोः समुत्पन्नः स्वयं धात्री नगो महान् । शाखाप्रशाखाबहुलः फलभारेण नामितः
From that drop arose, of itself, the great dhātrī tree, with many branches and sub-branches, bowed down by the weight of its fruit.
सर्वेषां चैव वृक्षाणामादिरोहः प्रकीर्तितः । ब्रह्मणाथ ततः पश्चात्संसृष्टाश्च इमाः प्रजाः
The first ascent of all trees has been proclaimed by Brahmā; thereafter, these beings were created.
देवदानवगंधर्वयक्षराक्षसपन्नगान् । असृजद्भगवान्देवो महर्षींश्च तथामलान्
The blessed Lord, the god, then created the gods, Dānavas, Gandharvas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, serpents, and also the pure great sages.
आजग्मुस्तत्र देवास्ते यत्र धात्री हरिप्रिया । तां दृष्ट्वा ते महाभाग परं विस्मयमागताः
There the gods arrived, where the dhātrī tree, dear to Hari, stood; seeing her, those greatly fortunate ones were filled with supreme wonder.
न जानीम इमं वृक्षं चिंतयंतोऽभिसंस्थिताः । एवं चिंतयतां तेषां वागुवाचाशरीरिणी
They stood there, pondering, 'We do not know this tree.' As they thus reflected, a bodiless voice spoke.
आमलकी नगो ह्येष प्रवरो वैष्णवो मतः । अस्य संस्मरणादेव लभेद्गोदानजं फलम्
This is the Āmalakī tree, regarded as the foremost Vaiṣṇava tree; merely by remembering it, one attains the fruit of gifting a cow.
स्पर्शनाद्द्विगुणं पुण्यं त्रिगुणं धारणात्तथा । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन सेव्या आमलकी सदा
By touching it, merit is doubled; by bearing it, merit is tripled; therefore, the Āmalakī should always be served with every effort.
सर्वपापहरा प्रोक्ता वैष्णवी पापनाशिनी । तस्या मूले स्थितो विष्णुस्तदूर्ध्वे च पितामहः
It is declared to remove all sins, a Vaiṣṇavī, destroyer of evil; Viṣṇu stands at its root, and above him is the Grandfather (Brahmā).
स्कंधे च भगवान्रुद्रः संस्थितः परमेश्वरः । शाखासु मुनयः सर्वे प्रशाखासु च देवताः
On its trunk abides the blessed Rudra, the supreme Lord; on its branches dwell all the sages, and on the smaller branches, the deities.
पर्णेषु चासते देवाः पुष्पेषु मरुतस्तथा । प्रजानां पतयः सर्वे फलेष्वेव व्यवस्थिताः
On its leaves sit the gods, on its flowers the Maruts; and in its fruits are established all the lords of beings.
सर्वदेवमयी ह्येषा धात्री च कथिता मया । तस्मात्पूज्यतमा ह्येषा विष्णुभक्तिपरायणैः
This dhātrī has been described by me as composed of all the gods; therefore, she 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? Tell us truly as it is.'
वागुवाच - यः कर्ता सर्वभूतानां भुवनानां च सर्वशः । विस्मितान्विदुषः प्रेक्ष्य सोऽहं विष्णुः सनातनः
The voice said: 'I am Viṣṇu, the eternal one, the creator of all beings and all worlds; seeing you amazed and inquiring, I have revealed myself.'
तच्छ्रुत्वा देवदेवस्य भाषितं ब्रह्मणः सुताः । अनादिनिधनं देवं स्तोतुं तत्र प्रचक्रमुः
Hearing the words of the god of gods, the sons of Brahmā there began to praise the god who is without beginning or end.
नमो भूतात्मभूताय आत्मने परमात्मने । अच्युताय नमो नित्यमनंताय नमो नमः
'Salutations to the soul of all beings, to the supreme soul; salutations to Acyuta, the eternal, the infinite—again and again, salutations.'
दामोदराय कवये यज्ञेशाय नमो नमः । एवं स्तुतस्तु ऋषिभिस्तुतोष भगवान्हरिः
'Salutations to Dāmodara, the wise, the lord of sacrifice—again and again, salutations.' Thus praised by the sages, the blessed Hari was pleased.
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, for the sake of our welfare—'
व्रतं किंचित्समाख्याहि स्वर्गमोक्षफलप्रदम् । धनधान्यप्रदं पुण्यमात्मनस्तुष्टिकारकम्
'Please declare a vow that bestows the fruit of heaven and liberation, that grants wealth and grain, that is meritorious and brings satisfaction to the soul.'
अल्पायासं बहुफलं व्रतानामुत्तमं व्रतम् । कृतेन येन देवेश विष्णुलोके महीयते
'A vow that is easy to perform, yields great results, and is the best of vows; by which, when performed, 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 fortnight of Phālguna, the twelfth day coincides with Puṣya, that day is supremely auspicious and destroys great sins.
विशेषस्तत्र कर्त्तव्यः शृणुध्वं द्विजसत्तमाः । आमलकीं च संप्राप्य जागरं तत्र कारयेत्
A special observance is to be performed then; listen, O foremost twice-born! Upon reaching the Āmalakī tree, one should keep vigil there.