देवताऽतिथिपूजासु गुरुपूजासु नित्यशः। रतो वै पितृपूजासु न प्रेतो जायते नरः
He who is always devoted to worship of deities, guests, and teachers, and delights in honoring ancestors, does not become a preta.
शुक्लांगारकसंयुक्ता चतुर्थी जायते यदा। श्रद्धया श्राद्धकृत्तस्यां न प्रेतो जायते नरः
When the fourth lunar day falls with both white and red marks, one who performs śrāddha with faith on that day does not become a preta.
जितक्रोधविमर्शोयस्तृष्णासंगविवर्जितः। क्षमावान्दानशीलश्च न प्रेतो जायते नरः
A man who has conquered anger and deliberates, who is free from thirst and attachment, who possesses forgiveness and is inclined to giving, does not become a preta.
गोब्राह्मणांश्च तीर्थानि पर्वतांश्च नदीस्तथा। देवांश्चैव तु यो वन्द्यान्न प्रेतो जायते नरः
He who reveres cows, Brahmins, sacred places, mountains, rivers, and the worthy gods, does not become a preta.
प्रेता ऊचुः। श्रुताश्च विविधा धर्माः पृच्छामो दुःखिता मुने। येन वै जायते प्रेतस्तन्नो वद महामते
The pretas said: We have heard various teachings of dharma; O sage, we ask you, afflicted with sorrow, by what cause does one become a preta? Tell us, O wise one.
ब्राह्मण उवाच। शूद्रान्नेन तु भुक्तेन ब्राह्मणेन विशेषतः। म्रियते ह्युदरस्थेन स वै प्रेतो भवेन्नरः
The Brahmin said: When a Brahmin, especially, eats food given by Shudras, and dies with that food in his belly, he indeed becomes a preta.
मातरं पितरं भ्रातॄन्भगिनीं सुतमेव च। अदृष्टदोषांस्त्यजति स प्रेतो जायते नरः
A man who abandons his mother, father, brothers, sister, or son, without perceiving any fault in them, becomes a preta.
अयाज्ययाजनाच्चैव याज्यस्य च विवर्जनात्। रतो वै शूद्रसेवासु स प्रेतो जायते नरः
By performing forbidden sacrifices, or neglecting prescribed sacrifices, and by delighting in service to Shudras, a man becomes a preta.
न्यासापहर्ता मित्रध्रुक्शूद्रपाकरतः सदा। विस्रंभघाती कूटस्थः स प्रेतो जायते नरः1.32.
One who steals deposits, betrays friends, always delights in Shudra food, destroys trust, or is deceitful, becomes a preta.
ब्रह्महा गोघ्नकः स्तेनः सुरापो गुरुतल्पगः। भूमिकन्यापहर्त्ता च स प्रेतो जायते नरः
A killer of a Brahmin, a killer of a cow, a thief, a drinker of liquor, one who violates the teacher's bed, or one who abducts land or a maiden, becomes a preta.
सामान्यां दक्षिणां लब्ध्वा एक एव निगूहति। नास्तिकीभावनिरतः स वै प्रेतोभिजायते
He who, having received common gifts, keeps them secretly for himself, or who is devoted to atheistic thinking, indeed becomes a preta.
एवं ब्रुवाणे विप्रेन्द्र आकाशे दुंदुभिस्वनः। पुष्पवृष्टिः पपातोर्व्यां देवैर्मुक्ता सहस्रशः
As the chief of Brahmins spoke thus, a drum sounded in the sky, and a rain of flowers fell upon the earth, released by the gods in thousands.
प्रेतानां तु विमानानि आगतानि समंततः। अस्य विप्रस्य संभाषात्पुण्यसंकीर्तनेन च
The vimanas of the pretas arrived everywhere, due to the discourse of this Brahmin and the praise of virtue.
तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन सतां संभाषणं कुरु। यदि ते श्रेयसा कार्यं गंगासुत अतंद्रितः
Therefore, with all effort, converse with the virtuous, O son of Ganga, if you desire the highest good, without fatigue.
तिलकं सर्वधर्मस्य पञ्चप्रेतकथामिमाम्। पठेल्लक्षं योऽस्य कुले न प्रेतो जायते नरः
Whoever recites this account of the five pretas, the essence of all dharma, one hundred thousand times in his family, does not become a preta.
शृणोति वाप्यभीक्ष्णं वा श्रद्धया परयान्वितः। भक्त्या समन्वितो वापि न प्रेतो जायते नरः
Or whoever hears it repeatedly, with utmost faith or devotion, does not become a preta.
भीष्म उवाच। अंतरिक्षे किमर्थं तु पुष्करं परिकीर्त्यते। मुनिभिर्धर्मशीलैश्च लभ्यते तत्कथं त्विह
Bhishma said: For what reason is Pushkara praised in the sky? How is it attained here by sages devoted to dharma?
येन तल्लभ्यते लब्धं लब्धं चैव फलप्रदम्। तन्मे सर्वं समाचक्ष्व कौतुकादेव पृच्छतः
By what means is it attained, and once attained, how does it yield fruit? Tell me all this, for I ask out of curiosity.
पुलस्त्य उवाच। ऋषिकोटिस्समायाता दक्षिणापथवासिनी। स्नानार्थं पुष्करे राजन्पुष्करं च वियद्गतम्
Pulastya said: A multitude of sages from the southern region came to Pushkara for bathing, O king, and Pushkara is situated in the sky.
मत्वाते मुनयः सर्वे प्राणायामपरायणाः। ध्यायमानाः परं ब्रह्म स्थिता द्वादशवत्सरान्
Thinking thus, all the sages, devoted to pranayama, meditated on the supreme Brahman, remaining for twelve years.
ब्रह्मा महर्षयस्तत्र देवास्सेन्द्रास्समागताः। ऋषयोंतर्हिताः प्रोचुर्नियमांस्ते सुदुष्करान्
There, Brahma, the great sages, the gods, and Indra assembled; the hidden sages spoke of disciplines that are exceedingly difficult.
आकारणं पुष्करस्य मंत्रेण क्रियतां द्विजाः। आपोहिष्ठेति तिसृभिर्ऋग्भिः सांनिध्यमेष्यति
Let the form of Pushkara be established by mantra, O twice-born; by reciting the three Rig verses 'āpohiṣṭha', its presence will be attained.
अघमर्षणजप्येन भवेद्वै फलदायकम्। विप्रैर्वाक्यावसाने तु सर्वैस्तैस्तु तथा कृतम्
By chanting the Aghamarṣaṇa, it becomes fruitful; at the conclusion of the Brahmins' words, all performed accordingly.
कृतेन पुण्यतां प्राप्ता ये निदेशाच्च ते द्विजाः। गर्हिता धर्मशास्त्रेषु ते विप्रा दक्षिणोत्तराः
Those Brahmins who attained merit by following the instructions, yet those southern Brahmins are condemned in the scriptures of dharma.
ये चान्ये पार्वतीयाश्च श्राद्धेनार्हंति केतनम्। एतस्मात्कारणाद्राजन्वियत्येवं समास्थितम्
And others from Parvati's region who honor the altar with śrāddha—because of this, O king, the separation has thus been established.
कार्तिक्यां पुष्करं स्नानात्पूततामभियच्छति। ब्रह्मणा सहितं राजन्सर्वेषां पुण्यदायकम्
During Kartika, bathing at Pushkara bestows purity; together with Brahma, O king, it grants merit to all.
तत्रागतास्तु ये वर्णाः सर्वे ते पुण्यभाजनाः। द्विजैस्तुल्या न संदेहो विना मंत्रेण ते नृप
All castes who arrive there become recipients of merit; there is no doubt they are equal to Brahmins, except without the mantra, O king.
आग्नेयं तु यदा ऋक्षं कार्तिक्यां भवति क्वचित्। महती सा तिथिर्ज्ञेया स्नाने दाने तथोत्तमा
Whenever the Agneya constellation occurs during Kartika, that date is considered great; it is excellent for bathing and giving.
यदा याम्यं तु भवति ऋक्षं तस्यां तिथौ क्वचित्। तिथिः सापि महापुण्या यतिभिः परिकीर्तिता
Whenever the Yamya constellation occurs on that date, that date too is highly meritorious, praised by ascetics.
प्राजापत्यं यदा ऋक्षं तिथौ तस्यां नराधिप। सा महाकार्तिकी प्रोक्ता देवानामपि दुर्लभा
Whenever the Prajapatya constellation occurs on that date, O ruler of men, it is called the great Kartika, rare even for the gods.