Chapter 1

[English text for this chapter is available]

| atha brāhmakhaṇḍe prathamaṃ setumāhātmyam |
śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ |
śrīvedavyāsāyanamaḥ |
śuklāṃbaradharaṃ viṣṇuṃ śaśivarṇaṃ caturbhujam |
prasannavadanaṃ dhyāyetsarvavighnopaśāṃtaye || 1 ||
[Analyze grammar]

naimiṣāraṇyanilayā ṛṣayaḥ śaunakādayaḥ |
aṣṭāṃgayoganiratā brahmajñānaikatatparāḥ || 1 ||
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mumukṣavo mahātmāno nirmamā brahmavādinaḥ |
dharmajñā anasūyāśca satyavataparāyaṇāḥ || 2 ||
[Analyze grammar]

jiteṃdriyā jitakrodhāḥ sarvabhūtadayālavaḥ |
bhaktyā paramayā viṣṇumarcayaṃtaḥ sanātanam || 3 ||
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tapastepurmahāpuṇye naimiṣe muktidāyini |
ekadā te mahātmānaḥ samājaṃ cakruruttamam || 4 ||
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kathayaṃto mahāpuṇyāḥ kathāḥ pāpapraṇāśinī |
bhuktimuktyorupāyaṃ ca jijñāsaṃtaḥ parasparam || 5 ||
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ṣaḍviṃśatisahasrāṇāmṛṣīṇāṃ bhāvitātmanām |
teṣāṃ śiṣyapraśiṣyāṇāṃ saṃkhyā kartuṃ na śakyate || 6 ||
[Analyze grammar]

atrāṃtare mahāvidvānvyāsaśiṣyo mahāmuniḥ |
āgamannaimiṣāraṇyaṃ sūtaḥ paurāṇikottamaḥ || 7 ||
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tamāgataṃ muniṃ dṛṣṭvā jvalaṃtamiva pāvakam |
arghyādyaiḥ pūjayāmāsurmunayaḥ |śaunakādayaḥ || 8 ||
[Analyze grammar]

sukhopaviṣṭaṃ taṃ sūtamāsane parame śubhe |
papracchuḥ paramaṃ guhyaṃ lokānugrahakāṃkṣayā || 9 ||
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sūta dharmārthatattvajña svāgataṃ munipuṃgava |
śrutavāṃstvaṃ purāṇāni vyāsātsatyavatīsutāt || 10 ||
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ataḥ sarvapurāṇānāmarthajño'si mahāmune |
kāni kṣetrāṇi puṇyāni kāni tīrthāni bhūtale || 11 ||
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kathaṃ vā lapsyate muktirjīvānāṃ bhavasāgarāt |
kathaṃ hare harau vāpi nṛṇāṃ bhaktiḥ prajāyate || 12 ||
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kena sidhyeta ca phalaṃ karmaṇāstrividhā tmanaḥ |
etaccānyacca tatsarvaṃ kṛpayā vada sūtaja || 13 ||
[Analyze grammar]

brūyuḥ snigdhāya śiṣyāya guravo guhyamapyuta |
iti pṛṣṭastadā sūto naimiṣāraṇyavāsibhiḥ || 14 ||
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vaktuṃ pracakrame natvā vyāsaṃ svagurumāditaḥ |
śrīsūta uvāca |
samyakpṛṣṭamidaṃ viprā yuṣmābhirjagato hitam || 15 ||
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rahasyame tadyuṣmākaṃ vakṣyāmi śṛṇutādarāt |
mayā noktamidaṃ pūrvaṃ kasyāpi munipuṃgavāḥ || 16 ||
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mano niyamya vipreṃdrāḥ śṛṇudhvaṃ bhaktipūrvakam |
asti rāmeśvaraṃ nāma rāmasetau pavitritam || 17 ||
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kṣetrāṇāmapi sarveṣāṃ tīrthānāmapi cottamam |
dṛṣṭamātre rāmasetau muktiḥ saṃsārasāgarāt || 18 ||
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hare harau ca bhaktiḥ syāttathā puṇyasamṛddhitā |
karmaṇastrividhasyāpi siddhiḥ syānnātra saṃśayaḥ || 19 ||
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yo naro janmamadhye tu setuṃ bhaktyāvalokayet |
tasya puṇyaphalaṃ vakṣye śṛṇudhvaṃ munipuṃgavāḥ || 20 ||
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mātṛtaḥ pitṛtaścaiva dvikoṭikulasaṃyutaḥ |
nirviśya śaṃbhunā kalpaṃ tato mokṣaṃ samaśnute || 21 ||
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gaṇyaṃte pāṃsavo bhūmergaṇyaṃte divi tārakāḥ |
setudarśanajaṃ puṇyaṃ śeṣeṇāpi na gaṇyate || 22 ||
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samastadevatārūpaḥ setuvaṃdhaḥ prakīrtitaḥ |
taddarśanavataḥ puṃsaḥ kaḥ puṇyaṃ gaṇituṃ kṣamaḥ || 23 ||
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setuṃ dṛṣṭvā naro viprāḥ sarvayāgakaraḥ smṛtaḥ |
snātaśca sarvatīrtheṣu tapo'tapyata cākhilam || 24 ||
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setuṃ gaccheti yo brūyādyaṃ kaṃ vāpi naraṃ dvijāḥ |
so'pi tatphalamāpnoti kimanyairbahubhāṣaṇaḥ || 25 ||
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setusnānakaro martyaḥ saptakoṭikulānvitaḥ |
saṃprāpya viṣṇubhavanaṃ tatraiva parimucyate || 26 ||
[Analyze grammar]

setuṃ rāmeśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ gaṃdhamādanaparvatam |
ciṃtayanmanujaḥ satyaṃ sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate || 27 ||
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mātṛtaḥ pitṛtaścaiva lakṣakoṭikulānvitaḥ |
saṃprāpya viṣṇubhavanaṃ tatraiva parimucyate |
kalpatrayaṃ śaṃbhupade sthitvā tatraiva mucyate || 28 ||
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mūṣāvasthāṃ vasākūpaṃ tathā vaitaraṇī nadīm |
śvabhakṣaṃ mūtrapānaṃ ca setusnāyī na paśyati || 29 ||
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taptaśūlaṃ taptaśilāṃ purī ṣahradameva ca |
tathā śoṇitakūpaṃ ca setusnāyī na paśyati || 30 ||
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śālmalyārohaṇaṃ raktabhojanaṃ kṛmibhojanam |
svamāṃsabhojanaṃ caiva vahnijvālāpraveśanam || 31 ||
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śilāvṛṣṭiṃ vahnivṛṣṭiṃ narakaṃ kālasūtrakam |
kṣārodakaṃ coṣṇatoyaṃ neyātsetvavalokakaḥ || 32 ||
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setusnāyī naro viprāḥ paṃcapātakavānapi |
mātṛtaḥ pitṛtaścaiva śatakoṭikulānvitaḥ || 33 ||
[Analyze grammar]

kalpatrayaṃ viṣṇupade sthitvā tatraiva mucyate |
adhaḥśiraḥśoṣaṇaṃ ca narakaṃ kṣārasevanam || 34 ||
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pāṣāṇayantrapīḍāṃ ca marutprapatanaṃ tathā |
purīṣalepanaṃ caiva tathā krakacadāraṇam || 35 ||
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purīṣabhojanaṃ retaḥpānaṃ saṃdhiṣu dāhanam |
aṃgāraśayyābhramaṇaṃ tathā musalamarddanam || 36 ||
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etāni narakāṇyaddhā setusnāyī na paśyati |
setu snānaṃ kariṣye'hamiti buddhyā viciṃtayan || 37 ||
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gacchecchatapadaṃ yastu sa mahāpātako'pi san |
bahūnāṃ kāṣṭhayaṃtrāṇāṃ karṣaṇaṃ śastrabhedanam || 38 ||
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patanotpatanaṃ caiva gadādaṇḍanipīḍanam |
gajadantaiśca hananaṃ nānābhujagadaṃśanam || 39 ||
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dhūmapānaṃ pāśabandhaṃ nānāśūlanipīḍanam |
mukhe ca nāsikāyāṃ ca kṣārodakaniṣecanam || 40 ||
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kṣārāṃbupānaṃ narakaṃ taptāyaḥ sūcibhakṣaṇam |
etāni narakānyaddhā na yāti gatapātakaḥ || 41 ||
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kṣārāṃbupūrṇaraṃdhrāṇāṃ praveśaṃ malabhojanam |
snāyucchedaṃ snāyudāhamasthibhedanameva ca || 42 ||
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śleṣmādanaṃ pittapānaṃ mahātiktaniṣevaṇam |
atyuṣṇa tailapānaṃ ca pānaṃ kṣārodakasya ca || 43 ||
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kaṣāyodakapānaṃ ca taptapāṣāṇabhojanam |
atyuṣṇasikatāsnānaṃ tathā daśanamardanam || 44 ||
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taptāyaḥśayanaṃ caiva saṃtaptāṃbuniṣecanam |
sūciprakṣepaṇaṃ caiva netrayormukhasaṃdhiṣu || 45 ||
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śiśne savṛṣaṇe caiva hyayobhārasya bandhanam |
vṛkṣāgrātpatanaṃ caiva durgaṃdhaparipūrite || 46 ||
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tīkṣṇadhārāstraśayyāṃ ca retaḥpānādikaṃ tathā |
ityādi narakānghorāsetusnāyī na paśyati || 47 ||
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setusaikatamadhye yaḥ śete tatpāṃsukuṃṭhitaḥ |
yāvantaḥ pāṃsavo lagnāstasyāṃge viprasattamāḥ || 48 ||
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tāvatāṃ brahmahatyānāṃ nāśaḥ syānnātra saṃśayaḥ |
setumadhyastha vātena yasyāṃgaṃ spṛśyate'khilam || 49 ||
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surāpānāyutaṃ tasya tatkṣaṇādeva naśyati |
vartaṃte yasya keśāstu vapanātsetumadhyataḥ || 50 ||
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gurutalpā yutaṃ tasya tatkṣaṇādeva naśyati |
yasyāsthi setumadhye tu sthāpitaṃ putrapautrakaiḥ |
svarṇasteyāyutaṃ tasya tatkṣaṇādeva naśyati || 51 ||
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smṛtvā yaṃ setumadhye tu snānaṃ kuryāddvijottamāḥ |
mahāpātakisaṃsargadoṣastasya layaṃ vrajet || 52 ||
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mārgabhedī svārthapākī yatibrāhmaṇadūṣakaḥ |
atyāśī vedavikretā paṃcaite brahmaghātakāḥ || 53 ||
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brāhmaṇānyaḥ samāhūya dāsyāmīti dhanādikam |
paścānnāstīti yo brūte brahmahā sopi kīrtitaḥ || 54 ||
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parijñāya yato dharmāṃstasmai yo dveṣamācaret |
avajānāti vā viprānbrahmahā sopi kīrtitaḥ || 55 ||
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jalapānārthamāyātaṃ govṛndaṃ tu jalāśaye |
nivārayati yo viprā brahmahā sopi kīrtitaḥ || 56 ||
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setumetya tu te sarve mucyaṃte doṣasaṃcayaiḥ |
brahmaghātakatulyā ye saṃti cānye dvijottamāḥ || 57 ||
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te sarve setumāgatya mucyaṃte nātra saṃśayaḥ |
aupāsanaparityāgī devatānnasya bhojakaḥ || 58 ||
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surāpayoṣitsaṃsargī gaṇikānnāśanastathā |
gaṇānnabhojakaścaiva patitānnarataśca yaḥ || 59 ||
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ete surāpinaḥ proktāḥ sarvakarmabahiṣkṛtāḥ |
setusnānena mucyaṃte te sarve hatakilbiṣāḥ || 60 ||
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surāpatulyā ye cānye mucyaṃte setumajjanāt |
kandamūlaphalānāṃ ca kastūrīpaṭṭavāsasām || 61 ||
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payaścaṃdanakarpūrakramukāṇāṃ tathaiva ca |
madhvājyatā mrakāṃsyānāṃ rudrākṣāṇāṃ tathaiva ca || 62 ||
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corakāstu parijñeyā suvarṇasteyinaḥ samāḥ |
te setukṣetramāgatya mucyante nātra saṃśayaḥ || 69 ||
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anye ca steyinaḥ sarve setusnānena vai dvijāḥ |
mucyaṃte sarvapāpebhyo nātra kāryā vicāraṇā || 64 ||
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bhaginīṃ putrabhāryāṃ ca tathaiva ca rajasvalām |
bhrātṛbhāryāṃ mitrabhāryāṃ madyapāṃ ca parastriyam || 65 ||
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hīnastriyaṃ ca viśvastāṃ yo'bhigacchati rāgataḥ |
gurutalpī sa vijñeyaḥ sarvakarmabahiṣkṛtaḥ || 66 ||
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ete cānye ca ye saṃti gurutalpagatulyakāḥ |
te sarve pravimucyaṃte setusnānena vai dvijāḥ || 67 ||
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etaiḥ saṃsargiṇo viprā ye cānye saṃti pāpinaḥ |
setusnānena mahatā te'pi mokṣamavāpnuyuḥ || 69 ||
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yāgaṃ vinā devaloke ghṛtācīmenakādibhiḥ |
saṃbhogakāmino viprāḥ snātuṃ saṃtāvaghāpahe || 69 ||
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aniṣevya raviṃ vahnimanupāsya parānsurān |
śubhakāmī janaḥ setaukuryātsnānaṃ sabhaktikam || 7 ||
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tilānbhūmiṃ suvarṇaṃ ca dhānyaṃ taṃdulameva ca |
adattvecchaṃti te svargaṃ snātuṃ setau tu te dvijāḥ || 71 ||
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upavāsairvrataiḥ kṛtsnairasaṃtāpya nijāṃ tanum |
svargābhilāṣiṇaḥ puṃsaḥ snāṃtu setau vimuktide || 72 ||
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setusnānaṃ mokṣadaṃ hi manaḥśuddhipradaṃ tathā |
japāddhomāttathā dānādyāgācca tapaso'pi ca || 73 ||
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setusnānaṃ viśiṣṭaṃ hi purāṇe paripaṭhyate |
akāmanākṛtaṃ snānaṃ setau pāpavināśane || 74 ||
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apunarbhavadaṃ proktaṃ satyamuktaṃ dvijottamāḥ |
yaḥ saṃpadaṃ samuddiśya snāti setau naro mudā || 75 ||
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sa saṃpadamavāpnoti vipulāṃ dvijapuṃgavāḥ |
śuddhyarthaṃ snāti cetsetau tadā śuddhimavāpnuyāt || 76 ||
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ratyarthaṃ yadi ca snāyādapsarobhirnaro divi |
tadā ratimavāpnoti svargaloke'marījanaiḥ || 77 ||
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muktyarthaṃ yadi ca snāyātsetau muktipradāyini |
tadā muktimavāpnoti punarāvṛttivarjitām || 78 ||
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setusnānena dharmaḥ syātsetusnānādaghakṣayaḥ |
setusnānaṃ dvijaśreṣṭhāḥ sarvakāmaphalapradam || 79 ||
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sarvavratādhikaṃ puṇyaṃ sarvayajñottaraṃ smṛtam |
sarvayogādhikaṃ proktaṃ sarva tīrthādhikaṃ smṛtam || 80 ||
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iṃdrādilokabhogeṣu rāgo yeṣāṃ pravartate |
snātavyaṃ tairdvijaśreṣṭhāḥ setau rāmakṛte sakṛt || 81 ||
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brahmaloke ca vaikuṇṭhe kailāse'pi śivālaye |
raṃtumicchā bhavedyeṣāṃ te setau snāṃtu sādaram || 82 ||
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āyurārogyasaṃpattimatirūpaguṇāḍhyatām |
caturṇāmapi vedānāṃ sāṃgānāṃ pāragāminām || 83 ||
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sarvaśāstrādhigaṃtṛtvaṃ sarvamaṃtreṣvabhijñatām |
samuddiśya tu yaḥ snāyātsetau sarvārthasiddhide || 84 ||
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tattatsiddhima vāpnoti satyaṃ syānnātra saṃśayaḥ |
dāridryānnarakādye ca manujā bhuvi bibhyati || 85 ||
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snānaṃ kurvaṃtu te sarve rāmasetau vimuktide |
śraddhayā sahito martyaḥ śraddhayā rahito'pi vā || 86 ||
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ihaloke paratrāpi setusnāyī na duḥkhabhāk |
setusnānena sarveṣāṃ naśyate pāpasaṃcayaḥ || 87 ||
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varddhate dharmarāśiśca śuklapakṣe yathā śaśī |
yathā ratnāni varddhaṃte samudre vividhānyapi || 88 ||
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tathā puṇyāni varddhaṃte setusnānena vai dvijāḥ |
kāma dhenuryathā loke sarvākāmānprayacchati || 89 ||
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ciṃtāmaṇiryathā dadyātpuruṣāṇāṃ manorathān |
yathā'maratarurdadyātpuruṣāṇāmabhīpsitam || 90 ||
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setusnānaṃ tathā nṛṇāṃ sarvābhīṣṭānpradāsyati |
aśaktaḥ setuyātrāyāṃ dāridryeṇa ca mānavaḥ || 91 ||
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yācitvā sa dhanaṃ śiṣṭātsetau snānaṃ samāca ret |
setusnānasamaṃ puṇyaṃ tatra dātā samaśnute || 92 ||
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tathā pratigṛhītāpi prāpnotyavikalaṃ phalam |
setuyātrāṃ samuddiśya gṛhṇīyādbrāhmaṇāddha nam || 93 ||
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kṣatriyādapi gṛhṇīyānna dadyurbrāhmaṇā yadi |
vaiśyādvā pratigṛhṇīyānna prayacchaṃti cennṛpāḥ || 94 ||
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śūdrānna pratigṛhṇīyātkathaṃcidapi mānavaḥ |
yaḥ setuṃ gacchataḥ puṃso dhanaṃ vā dhānyameva vā || 95 ||
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dattvā vastrādikaṃ vāpi pravartayati mānavaḥ |
so'śvamedhādiyajñānāṃ phalamāpto tyanuttamam || 96 ||
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caturṇāmapi vedānāṃ pārāyaṇaphalaṃ labhet |
tulāpuruṣamukhyānāṃ dānānāṃ phalamaśnute || 97 ||
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brahmahatyādipāpānāṃ nāśaḥ syā nnātra saṃśayaḥ |
bahunā kiṃ pralāpena sarvānkāmānsamaśnute || 98 ||
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evaṃ pratigṛhītāpi tattulyaphalamaśnute |
yācataḥ setuyātrārthaṃ na pratigrahakalmaṣam || 99 ||
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setuṃ gaccha dhanaṃ te'haṃ dāsyāmīti pralobhya yaḥ |
paścānnāstīti ca brūyāttamāhurbrahmaghātakam || 100 ||
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lobhena setuyātrārthaṃ saṃpanno'pi daridravat |
mānavo yadi yāceta tamāhusteyinaṃ budhāḥ || 101 ||
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gamiṣye setumiti vai yo gṛhītvā dhanaṃ naraḥ |
na yāti setuṃ lobhena tamāhurbrahmaghā takam || 102 ||
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yena kenāpyupāyena setuṃ gacchennaro mudā |
aśakto dakṣiṇāṃ dattvā gamayedvā dvijottamam || 103 ||
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yācitvā yajñakaraṇe yathā doṣo na vidyate |
yācitvā setuyātrāyāṃ tathā doṣo na vidyate || 104 ||
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yācitvāpyanyato dravyaṃ setusnāne pravartayet |
so'pi tatphalamāpnoti setu snāyī naro yathā || 105 ||
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jñānena mokṣamabhiyāṃti kṛte yuge tu tretāyuge yajanameva vimuktidāyi |
śreṣṭhaṃ tathānyayugayorapi dānamāhuḥ sarvatra setva bhiṣavo hi varo narāṇām || 106 ||
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iti śrīskāṃde mahāpurāṇe ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ tṛtīye brahmakhaṇḍe setumāhātmye setugamanaphalādivarṇanaṃ nāma prathamo'dhyāyaḥ || 1 ||
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