Chapter 41

[English text for this chapter is available]

| vena uvāca |
putro bhāryā kathaṃ tīrthaṃ pitāmātā kathaṃ vada |
guruścaiva kathaṃ tīrthaṃ tanme vistarato vada || 1 ||
[Analyze grammar]

śrīviṣṇuruvāca |
asti vārāṇasī ramyā gaṃgāyuktā mahāpurī |
tasyāṃ vasati vaiśyaikaḥ kṛkalo nāma nāmataḥ || 2 ||
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tasya bhāryā mahāsādhvī pativrataparāyaṇā |
dharmācāraparā nityaṃ sā vai patiparāyaṇā || 3 ||
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sukalā nāma puṇyāṃgī suputrā cārumaṃgalā |
satyaṃvadā sadā śuddhā priyākārā priyapriyā || 4 ||
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evaṃguṇaiḥ samāyuktā subhagā cārukāriṇī |
sa vaiśya uttamo nānā dharmajño jñānavānguṇī || 5 ||
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purāṇe śrautadharme ca sadā śravaṇatatparaḥ |
tīrthayātrāprasaṃgena bahupuṇyapradāyakam || 6 ||
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śraddhayā nirgato yātrāṃ tīrthānāṃ puṇyamaṃgalām |
brāhmaṇānāṃ prasaṃgena sārthavāhena tena ca || 7 ||
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prasthito dharmamārgaṃ tu tamuvāca pativratā |
patisnehena saṃmugdhā bhartāraṃ vākyamabravīt || 8 ||
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sukalovāca |
ahaṃ te dharmataḥ patnī sahapuṇyakarā priya |
patimārgaṃ pratīkṣyāhaṃ patidevaṃ yajāmyaham || 9 ||
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kadā naiva mayā tyājyaṃ sāmīpyaṃ te dvijottama |
tavacchāyāṃ samāśritya kariṣye dharmamuttamam || 10 ||
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pativratākhyaṃ pāpaghnaṃ nārīṇāṃ gatidāyakam |
puṇyastrī kathyate loke yā syātpatiparāyaṇā || 11 ||
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yuvatīnāṃ pṛthaktīrthaṃ vinā bharturna śobhate |
sukhadaṃ nāsti vai loke svargamokṣapradāyakam || 12 ||
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savyaṃ pādaṃ ca bhartuśca prayāgaṃ viddhi sattama |
vāmaṃ ca puṣkaraṃ tasya yā nārī parikalpayet || 13 ||
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tasya pādodakasnānāttatpuṇyaṃ pari jāyate |
prayāgapuṣkarasamaṃ snānaṃ strīṇāṃ na saṃśayaḥ || 14 ||
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sarvatīrthamayo bhartā sarvapuṇyamayaḥ patiḥ |
makhānāṃ yajanātpuṇyaṃ yadvai bhavati dīkṣite || 15 ||
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tatphalaṃ samavāpnoti sevayā bhartureva hi |
gayādīnāṃ sutīrthānāṃ yātrāṃ kṛtvā hi yadbhavet || 16 ||
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tatphalaṃ samavāpnoti bhartuḥ śuśrūṣaṇādapi |
samāsena pravakṣyāmi tanme nigadataḥ śṛṇu || 17 ||
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nāstyāsāṃ hi pṛthagdharmaḥ patiśuśrūṣaṇaṃ vinā |
tasmātkāṃtasahāyaṃ te kurvāṇā sukhadāyinī || 18 ||
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tavacchāyāṃ samāśritya āgamiṣyāmi nānyathā |
viṣṇuruvāca |
rūpaṃ śīlaṃ guṇaṃ bhaktiṃ samālokya vayastathā || 19 ||
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saukumāryaṃ vicāryaivaṃ kṛkalaḥ sa punaḥpunaḥ |
yadyevaṃ hi nayiṣyāmi durgamārgaṃ suduḥkhadam || 20 ||
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rūpanāśo bhaveccāsyāḥ śītātapaviloḍanāt |
padmagarbhapratīkāśamasyāścāṃgaṃ pravarṇakam || 21 ||
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jhaṃjhāvātena śītena kṛṣṇavarṇaṃ bhaviṣyati |
paṃthāḥ karkaśa sugrāvā pādaucāsyāḥ sukomalau || 22 ||
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eṣyate vedanāṃ tīvrāmatho gaṃtuṃ na ca kṣamā |
kṣuttṛṣṇābhiparītāṃgī kīdṛśīyaṃ bhaviṣyati || 23 ||
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vāmāṃgī mama ca sthānaṃ sukhasthānaṃ varānanā |
mama prāṇapriyā nityaṃ nityaṃ dharmasya cāśrayaḥ || 24 ||
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nāśameti yadā bālā mama nāśo bhavediha |
iyaṃ me jīvikā nityamiyaṃ prāṇasya ceśvarī || 25 ||
[Analyze grammar]

na nayiṣye vanaṃ tīrthamekaścaivāpyahaṃ vraje |
ciṃtayitvā kṣaṇaṃ nūnaṃ kṛkalena mahātmanā || 26 ||
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tasya cittānugo bhāvastayā jñāto nṛpottama |
punarūce mahābhāgā bharttāraṃ prasthitaṃ tadā || 27 ||
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anaghā naiva vai tyājyā puruṣaiḥ śṛṇu sattama |
mūlamevaṃ hi dharmasya puruṣasya mahāmate || 28 ||
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evaṃ jñātvā mahābhāga māmevaṃ naya sāṃpratam |
viṣṇuruvāca |
śrutvā sarvaṃ hi tenāpi priyāyā bhāṣitaṃ bahu || 29 ||
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prahasyaiva vaco brūte tāmevaṃ kṛkalaḥ punaḥ |
naiva tyājyā bhavedbhāryā prāptā dharmeṇa vai priye || 30 ||
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yena bhāryā parityaktā sunītā dharmacāriṇī |
daśāṃgadharmastenāpi parityakto varānane || 31 ||
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tasmāttvāmeva bhadraṃ te naiva tyakṣye kadā priye |
viṣṇuruvāca |
evamābhāṣya tāṃ bhāryāṃ saṃbodhya ca punaḥpunaḥ || 32 ||
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tasyā ajñātamātreṇa sasārthena samaṃ gataḥ |
gate tasminmahābhāge kṛkale puṇyakarmaṇi || 33 ||
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devakarmasuvelāyāṃ kāle puṇye śubhānanā |
naiva paśyati bhartāraṃ kṛkalaṃ nijamaṃdire || 34 ||
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samutthāya tvarāyuktā rudamānā suduḥkhitā |
vayasyānpṛcchate bharturduḥkhaśokādhipīḍitā || 35 ||
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yuṣmābhirvā mahābhāgā dṛṣṭo'sau kṛkalo mama |
prāṇeśvaro gataḥ kvāpi bhavaṃto mama bāṃdhavāḥ || 36 ||
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yadi dṛṣṭo mahābhāgāḥ kṛkalo mama sāṃpratam |
bhartāraṃ puṇyakartāraṃ sarvajñaṃ satyapaṃḍitam || 37 ||
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kathayaṃtu mahātmānaṃ yadi dṛṣṭo mahāmatiḥ |
tasyāstadbhāṣitaṃ śrutvā tāmūcuste mahāmatim || 38 ||
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dharmayātrāprasaṃgena nāthaste kṛkalaḥ śubhe |
tīrthayātrāṃ cakārāsau kasmācchocasi suvrate || 39 ||
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sādhayitvā mahātīrthaṃ punareṣyati śobhane |
evamāśvāsitā sā ca puruṣairāptakāribhiḥ || 40 ||
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punargehaṃ gatā rājansukalā cārubhāṣiṇī |
ruroda karuṇaṃ duḥkhaṃ sukalāpi parāyaṇā || 41 ||
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yāvadāyāti me bharttā bhūmau svapsyāmi saṃstare |
ghṛtaṃ tailaṃ na bhokṣye'haṃ dadhikṣīraṃ tathaiva ca || 42 ||
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lavaṇaṃ ca parityaktaṃ tathā tāṃbūlameva ca |
madhuraṃ ca tathā rājaṃstyaktaṃ guḍādikaṃ tathā || 43 ||
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ekāhārā nirāhārā tāvatsthāsye na saṃśayaḥ |
yāvaccāgamanaṃ bhartuḥ punareva bhaviṣyati || 44 ||
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evaṃ duḥkhānvitā bhūtvā ekaveṇīdharā punaḥ |
ekakaṃcukasaṃvītā malinā ca babhūva sā || 45 ||
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malinenāpi vastreṇa ekenaiva sthitā punaḥ |
hāhākāraṃ pramuṃcaṃtī niḥśvasaṃtī suduḥkhitā || 46 ||
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viyogānalasaṃdagdhā kṛṣṇāṃgī maladhāriṇī |
evaṃ duḥkhasamācārā sukṛśā vihvalā tadā || 47 ||
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rodamānā divārātrau nidrā lebhe na vai niśi |
kṣudhāṃ na viṃdate rājanduḥkhena vidalīkṛtā || 48 ||
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atha sakhyaḥ samāyātāḥ papracchuḥ sukalāṃ tadā |
sukale cārusarvāṃgi kasmādrodiṣi saṃprati || 49 ||
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tatastvaṃ kāraṇaṃ brūhi duḥkhasyāsya varānane |
sukalovāca |
sa māṃ tyaktvā gato bhartā dharmārthaṃ dharmatatparaḥ || 50 ||
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tīrthayātrāprasaṃgena aṭate medinīṃ tataḥ |
māṃ tyaktvā sa gataḥ svāmī nirdoṣāṃ pāpavarjitām || 51 ||
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ahaṃ sādhvī samācārā sadā puṇyā pativratā |
māṃ tyaktvā sa gato bhartā tīrtha sādhanatatparaḥ || 52 ||
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tenāhaṃ duḥkhitā sakhyo viyogenāti pīḍitā |
jīvanāśo varaṃ śreṣṭho varaṃ vai viṣabhakṣaṇam || 53 ||
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varamagnipraveśaśca varaṃ kāyavināśanam |
nārīṃ priyāṃ parityajya bhartā yāti suniṣṭhuraḥ || 54 ||
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bhartṛtyāgo varaṃ naiva prāṇatyāgo varaṃ sakhi |
viyogaṃ na samarthāhaṃ sahituṃ nityadāruṇam || 55 ||
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tenāhaṃ duḥkhitā sakhyo viyogenāpi nityaśaḥ |
sakhya ūcuḥ |
tīrthayātrāṃ gato bhartā punareṣyati te patiḥ || 56 ||
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vṛthā śoṣayase kāyaṃ vṛthāśokaṃ karoṣi vai |
vṛthā tvaṃ tapyase bāle vṛthā bhogānparityajeḥ || 57 ||
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pibasva pānaṃ bhuṃkṣva tvaṃ svapradattaṃ hi pūrvakam |
kasya bhartā sutāḥ kasya kasya svajanabāṃdhavāḥ || 58 ||
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kaḥ kasya nāsti saṃsāre saṃbaṃdhaḥ kena caiva hi |
bhakṣyate bhujyate bāle saṃsārasya hi tatphalam || 59 ||
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mṛte prāṇini ko'śnāti ko hi paśyati tatphalam |
pīyate bhujyate bāle etatsaṃsārataḥ phalam || 60 ||
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sukalovāca |
bhavatībhiḥ prayuktaṃ yattanna syādvedasaṃmatam |
yātu bhartuḥ pṛthagbhūtā tiṣṭhatyekā sadaiva hi || 61 ||
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pāpabhūtā bhavennārī tāṃ na manyaṃti sajjanāḥ |
bhartuḥ sārdhaṃ sadā sakhyo dṛṣṭo vedeṣu sarvadā || 62 ||
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saṃbaṃdhaḥ puṇyasaṃsargājjāyate nātra saṃśayaḥ |
nārīṇāṃ ca sadā tīrthaṃ bhartā śāstreṣu paṭhyate || 63 ||
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tamevāvāhayennityaṃ vācā kāyena karmabhiḥ |
manasā pūjayennityaṃ bhāvasatyena tatparā || 64 ||
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bhartuḥ pārśvaṃ mahātīrthaṃ dakṣiṇāṃgaṃ sadaiva hi |
tamāśritya yadā nārī gṛhasthā parivarttayet || 65 ||
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yajate dānapuṇyaiśca tasya dānasya yatphalam |
vārāṇasyāṃ ca gaṃgāyāṃ yatphalaṃ na ca puṣkare || 66 ||
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dvārakāyāṃ na cāvantyāṃ kedāre śaśibhūṣaṇe |
labhate naiva sā nārī yajamānā sadā kila || 67 ||
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tādṛśaṃ phalamevaṃ sā na prāpnoti kadā sakhi |
sumukhaṃ putrasaubhāgyaṃ snānaṃ dānaṃ ca bhūṣaṇam || 68 ||
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vastrālaṃkārasaubhāgyaṃ rūpaṃ tejaḥ phalaṃ sadā |
yaśaḥ kīrtimavāpnoti guṇaṃ ca varavarṇinī || 69 ||
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bhartuḥ prasādātsarvaṃ ca labhate nātra saṃśayaḥ |
vidyamāne yadā kāṃte anyaṃ dharmaṃ karoti yā || 70 ||
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niṣphalaṃ jāyate tasyāḥ puṃścalī parikathyate |
nārīṇāṃ yauvanaṃ rūpamavatāraṃ smṛtaṃ dhruvam || 71 ||
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ekasyāpi hi bhartuśca tasyārthe bhūmimaṃḍale |
suputrā suyaśā nārī parikathyeta vai sadā || 72 ||
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tuṣṭe bhartari saṃsāre dṛśyā nārī na saṃśayaḥ |
patihīnā bhavennārī bhavetsā bhūmimaṃḍale || 73 ||
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kutastasyāḥ sukhaṃ rūpaṃ yaśaḥ kīrtiḥ sutā bhuvi |
sudaurbhāgyaṃ mahadduḥkhaṃ saṃsāre paribhujyate || 74 ||
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pāpabhāgā bhavetsā ca duḥkhācārā sadaiva hi |
tuṣṭe bhartari tasyāstu tuṣṭāḥ sarvāśca devatāḥ || 75 ||
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tuṣṭe bhartari tuṣyaṃti ṛṣayo devamānavāḥ |
bhartā nātho gururbhartā devatā daivataiḥ saha || 76 ||
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bhartā tīrthaśca puṇyaśca nārīṇāṃ nṛpanaṃdana |
śṛṃgāraṃ bhūṣaṇaṃ rūpaṃ varṇaṃ saugaṃdhameva ca || 77 ||
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kṛtvā sā tiṣṭhate nityaṃ varjayitvā suparvasu |
śṛṃgārairbhūṣaṇaiḥ sā tu śuśubhe sā yadā patiḥ || 78 ||
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patyāvinā bhavatyevaṃ kṣīraṃ sarpamukhe yathā |
bharturarthe mahābhāgā suvratā cārumaṃgalā || 79 ||
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gate bhartari yā nārī śṛṃgāraṃ kurute yadi |
rūpaṃ varṇaṃ ca tatsarvaṃ śavarūpeṇa jāyate || 80 ||
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vadaṃti bhūtale lokāḥ puṃścalīyaṃ na saṃśayaḥ |
tasmādbharturviyuktā yā nāryāḥ śṛṇuta bhūtale || 81 ||
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icchaṃtyā vai mahāsaukhyaṃ bhavitavyaṃ kadācana |
sujāyāyāḥ paro dharmo bhartā śāstreṣu gīyate || 82 ||
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tasmādvai śāśvato dharmo na tyājyo bhāryayā kila |
evaṃ dharmaṃ vijānāmi kathaṃ bhartā parityajet || 83 ||
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ityarthe śrūyate sakhya itihāsaḥ purātanaḥ |
sudevāyāśca caritaṃ supuṇyaṃ pāpanāśanam || 84 ||
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iti śrīpadmapurāṇe bhūmikhaṃḍe venopākhyāne sukalācarita |
ekacatvāriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ || 41 ||
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