The Fruits and Perils of Filial Devotion

Verse 1 (padma.2.63.1)

सुकर्मोवाच- तयोश्चापि द्विजश्रेष्ठ मातापित्रोश्च स्नातयोः । पुत्रस्यापि हि सर्वांगे पतंत्यंबुकणा यदा

sukarmovāca- tayoścāpi dvijaśreṣṭha mātāpitrośca snātayoḥ putrasyāpi hi sarvāṁge pataṁtyaṁbukaṇā yadā

Sukarma said: O foremost of brahmins, when even the drops of water from the bathing of one's mother and father fall upon all the limbs of the son —

Verse 2 (padma.2.63.2)

सर्वतीर्थसमं स्नानं पुत्रस्यापि सुजायते । पतितं विकलं वृद्धमशक्तं सर्वकर्मसु

sarvatīrthasamaṁ snānaṁ putrasyāpi sujāyate patitaṁ vikalaṁ vṛddhamaśaktaṁ sarvakarmasu

—then for the son too there arises a bathing equal to every sacred tirtha. Whoever attends to a father fallen, disabled, aged, incapable in every task —

Verse 3 (padma.2.63.3)

व्याधितं कुष्ठिनं तातं मातरं च तथाविधाम् । उपाचरति यः पुत्रस्तस्य पुण्यं वदाम्यहम्

vyādhitaṁ kuṣṭhinaṁ tātaṁ mātaraṁ ca tathāvidhām upācarati yaḥ putrastasya puṇyaṁ vadāmyaham

—diseased, leprous father, or a mother in like condition, that son — I shall tell of his merit.

Verse 4 (padma.2.63.4)

विष्णुस्तस्य प्रसन्नात्मा जायते नात्र संशयः । प्रयाति वैष्णवं लोकं यदप्राप्यं हि योगिभिः

viṣṇustasya prasannātmā jāyate nātra saṁśayaḥ prayāti vaiṣṇavaṁ lokaṁ yadaprāpyaṁ hi yogibhiḥ

Vishnu himself becomes pleased with him, without doubt; he attains Vishnu's own realm, which even yogis find unattainable.

Verse 5 (padma.2.63.5)

पितरौ विकलौ दीनौ वृद्धावेतौ गुरू सुतः । महागदेन संप्राप्तौ परित्यजति पापधीः

pitarau vikalau dīnau vṛddhāvetau gurū sutaḥ mahāgadena saṁprāptau parityajati pāpadhīḥ

But the son of sinful mind who abandons his father and mother, these elders — disabled, wretched, aged, or afflicted with great illness —

Verse 6 (padma.2.63.6)

पुत्रो नरकमाप्नोति दारुणं कृमिसंकुलम् । वृद्धाभ्यां च समाहूतो गुरूभ्यामिह सांप्रतम्

putro narakamāpnoti dāruṇaṁ kṛmisaṁkulam vṛddhābhyāṁ ca samāhūto gurūbhyāmiha sāṁpratam

—that son attains a terrible hell, teeming with worms. And now, when called by his aged elders —

Verse 7 (padma.2.63.7)

न प्रयाति सुतो भूत्वा तस्य पापं वदाम्यहम् । विष्ठाशी जायते मूढो ग्रामघ्रोणी न संशयः

na prayāti suto bhūtvā tasya pāpaṁ vadāmyaham viṣṭhāśī jāyate mūḍho grāmaghroṇī na saṁśayaḥ

—the son does not go to them, I shall tell of his sin: that fool becomes a filth-eating village pig, without doubt.

Verse 8 (padma.2.63.8)

यावज्जन्मसहस्रं तु पुनः श्वा चाभिजायते । पुत्रगेहेस्थितौ वृद्धौ माता च जनकस्तथा

yāvajjanmasahasraṁ tu punaḥ śvā cābhijāyate putragehesthitau vṛddhau mātā ca janakastathā

For a full thousand births, and then he is born again as a dog. When the aged mother and father dwell in a son's house —

Verse 9 (padma.2.63.9)

अभोजयित्वा तावन्नं स्वयमत्ति च यः सुतः । मूत्रं विष्ठां स भुंजीत यावज्जन्मसहस्रकम्

abhojayitvā tāvannaṁ svayamatti ca yaḥ sutaḥ mūtraṁ viṣṭhāṁ sa bhuṁjīta yāvajjanmasahasrakam

—and the son eats food himself without first feeding them, that son shall eat urine and excrement for a full thousand births.

Verse 10 (padma.2.63.10)

कृष्णसर्पो भवेत्पापी यावज्जन्मशतद्वयम् । मातरंपितरं वृद्धमवज्ञाय प्रवर्त्तते

kṛṣṇasarpo bhavetpāpī yāvajjanmaśatadvayam mātaraṁpitaraṁ vṛddhamavajñāya pravarttate

That sinner becomes a black serpent for two hundred births, who conducts himself with contempt toward his aged mother and father.

Verse 11 (padma.2.63.11)

ग्राहोपि जायते दुष्टो जन्मकोटिशतैरपि । तावेतौ कुत्सते पुत्रः कटुकैर्वचनैरपि

grāhopi jāyate duṣṭo janmakoṭiśatairapi tāvetau kutsate putraḥ kaṭukairvacanairapi

That wicked one becomes a crocodile too, even for a hundred million births — the son who reviles them, even with harsh words.

Verse 12 (padma.2.63.12)

स च पापी भवेद्व्याघ्रः पश्चादृक्षः प्रजायते । मातरंपितरं पुत्रो यो न मन्येत दुष्टधीः

sa ca pāpī bhavedvyāghraḥ paścādṛkṣaḥ prajāyate mātaraṁpitaraṁ putro yo na manyeta duṣṭadhīḥ

And that sinner becomes a tiger, and afterward is born as a bear — the son, of wicked mind, who does not honor his mother and father.

Verse 13 (padma.2.63.13)

कुंभीपाके वसेत्तावद्यावद्युगसहस्रकम् । नास्ति मातृसमं तीर्थं पुत्राणां च पितुः समम्

kuṁbhīpāke vasettāvadyāvadyugasahasrakam nāsti mātṛsamaṁ tīrthaṁ putrāṇāṁ ca pituḥ samam

He shall dwell in Kumbhipaka hell for as long as a thousand ages. There is no tirtha equal to the mother, none for sons equal to the father —

Verse 14 (padma.2.63.14)

तारणाय हितायैव इहैव च परत्र च । तस्मादहं महाप्राज्ञ पितृदेवं प्रपूजये

tāraṇāya hitāyaiva ihaiva ca paratra ca tasmādahaṁ mahāprājña pitṛdevaṁ prapūjaye

—for deliverance and true good, here in this world and in the world beyond. Therefore, O most wise one, I worship my father as very God —

Verse 15 (padma.2.63.15)

मातृदेवं सर्वदेव योगयोगी तथाभवम् । मातृपितृप्रसादेन संजातं ज्ञानमुत्तमम्

mātṛdevaṁ sarvadeva yogayogī tathābhavam mātṛpitṛprasādena saṁjātaṁ jñānamuttamam

—and my mother too, as very God; thus have I become a true yogi of yogis. By the grace of my mother and father, this excellent knowledge has arisen in me.

Verse 16 (padma.2.63.16)

त्रिलोकीयं समस्ता तु संयाता मम वश्यताम् । अर्वाचीनगतिं जाने देवस्यास्य महात्मनः

trilokīyaṁ samastā tu saṁyātā mama vaśyatām arvācīnagatiṁ jāne devasyāsya mahātmanaḥ

The entire three worlds have come under my sway; I know the manifest way of this great-souled deity —

Verse 17 (padma.2.63.17)

वासुदेवस्य तस्यैव पराचीनां महामते । सर्वं ज्ञानं समुद्भूतं पितृमातृप्रसादतः

vāsudevasya tasyaiva parācīnāṁ mahāmate sarvaṁ jñānaṁ samudbhūtaṁ pitṛmātṛprasādataḥ

—and, O most wise one, the transcendent way of that very Vasudeva as well. All this knowledge has arisen through the grace of my father and mother.

Verse 18 (padma.2.63.18)

को न पूजयते विद्वान्पितरं मातरं तथा । सांगोपांगैरधीतैस्तैः श्रुतिशास्त्रसमन्वितैः

ko na pūjayate vidvānpitaraṁ mātaraṁ tathā sāṁgopāṁgairadhītaistaiḥ śrutiśāstrasamanvitaiḥ

'What use is there for a learned man who does not worship his father and mother, even though endowed with the study of the Vedas, their limbs and subsidiary texts, joined with the scriptures of the Shruti?'

Verse 19 (padma.2.63.19)

वेदैरपि च किं विप्रा पिता येन न पूजितः । माता न पूजिता येन तस्य वेदा निरर्थकाः

vedairapi ca kiṁ viprā pitā yena na pūjitaḥ mātā na pūjitā yena tasya vedā nirarthakāḥ

'What use, O brahmins, is there even in the Vedas for one by whom the father is not worshipped? For one by whom the mother is not worshipped, his Vedas are meaningless.'

Verse 20 (padma.2.63.20)

यज्ञैश्च तपसा विप्र किं दानैः किं च पूजनैः । प्रयाति तस्य वैफल्यं न माता येन पूजिता

yajñaiśca tapasā vipra kiṁ dānaiḥ kiṁ ca pūjanaiḥ prayāti tasya vaiphalyaṁ na mātā yena pūjitā

'What use, O brahmin, is there in sacrifices, austerity, gifts, or acts of worship? For him by whom the mother is not worshipped, they all become fruitless.'

Verse 21 (padma.2.63.21)

न पिता पूजितो येन जीवमानो गृहे स्थितः । एष पुत्रस्य वै धर्मस्तथा तीर्थं नरेष्विह

na pitā pūjito yena jīvamāno gṛhe sthitaḥ eṣa putrasya vai dharmastathā tīrthaṁ nareṣviha

'—for him by whom the father, while yet living, dwelling in the house, is not worshipped. This, indeed, is the true dharma of a son, and the true tirtha among men here.'

Verse 22 (padma.2.63.22)

एष पुत्रस्य वै मोक्षस्तथा जन्मफलं शुभम् । एष पुत्रस्य वै यज्ञो दानमेव न संशयः

eṣa putrasya vai mokṣastathā janmaphalaṁ śubham eṣa putrasya vai yajño dānameva na saṁśayaḥ

'This indeed is the son's true liberation, and the auspicious fruit of his birth. This indeed is the son's true sacrifice, and his very gift, without doubt.'

Verse 23 (padma.2.63.23)

पितरं पूजयेन्नित्यं भक्त्या भावेन तत्परः । तस्य जातं समस्तं तद्यदुक्तं पूर्वमेव हि

pitaraṁ pūjayennityaṁ bhaktyā bhāvena tatparaḥ tasya jātaṁ samastaṁ tadyaduktaṁ pūrvameva hi

'Whoever ever worships his father with devotion, intent with true feeling — for him all that has been spoken of before comes to pass.'

Verse 24 (padma.2.63.24)

दानस्यापि फलं तेन तीर्थस्यापि न संशयः । यज्ञस्यापि फलं प्राप्तं माता येनाप्युपासिता

dānasyāpi phalaṁ tena tīrthasyāpi na saṁśayaḥ yajñasyāpi phalaṁ prāptaṁ mātā yenāpyupāsitā

'By him, without doubt, the fruit of giving is obtained, and of pilgrimage as well; and the fruit of sacrifice too is attained, by whom the mother is worshipped.'

Verse 25 (padma.2.63.25)

पिता येन सुभक्त्या च नित्यमेवाप्युपासितः । तस्य सर्वा सुसंसिद्धा यज्ञाद्याः पुण्यदाः क्रियाः

pitā yena subhaktyā ca nityamevāpyupāsitaḥ tasya sarvā susaṁsiddhā yajñādyāḥ puṇyadāḥ kriyāḥ

'And by whom the father is ever worshipped, with true devotion — for him all sacrifices and other merit-giving rites become fully accomplished.'

Verse 26 (padma.2.63.26)

एतदर्थं समाज्ञातं धर्मशास्त्रं श्रुतं मया । पितृभक्तिपरो नित्यं भवेत्पुत्रो हि पिप्पल

etadarthaṁ samājñātaṁ dharmaśāstraṁ śrutaṁ mayā pitṛbhaktiparo nityaṁ bhavetputro hi pippala

'For this reason has the dharma-shastra been so declared, as I have heard it; a son should ever be devoted to his parents, O Pippala.'

Verse 27 (padma.2.63.27)

तुष्टे पितरि संप्राप्तं यदुराज्ञा पुरा सुखम् । रुष्टे पितरि च प्राप्तं महत्पापं पुरा शृणु

tuṣṭe pitari saṁprāptaṁ yadurājñā purā sukham ruṣṭe pitari ca prāptaṁ mahatpāpaṁ purā śṛṇu

'When the father is pleased, happiness is attained — such as the king of the Yadus once obtained; when the father is angered, great sin is attained — hear of this, of old.'

Verse 28 (padma.2.63.28)

रुरुणा पौरवेणापि पित्रा शप्तेन भूतले । एवं ज्ञानं मया चाप्तं द्वावेतौ यदुपासितौ

ruruṇā pauraveṇāpi pitrā śaptena bhūtale evaṁ jñānaṁ mayā cāptaṁ dvāvetau yadupāsitau

'—by Ruru, of the Puru lineage, cursed by his own father upon this earth.' Thus have I attained this knowledge, since I have worshipped these two, my mother and father —

Verse 29 (padma.2.63.29)

एतयोश्च प्रसादेन प्राप्तं फलमनुत्तमम्

etayośca prasādena prāptaṁ phalamanuttamam

—and by their very grace, I have attained this unsurpassed fruit.