The Glory of the Water that Washed Vishnu's Feet

Verse 1 (padma.4.17.1)

शौनक उवाच । विष्णुपादोदकस्यापि माहात्म्यं पापनाशनम् । कथयस्व महाप्राज्ञ समूलं मे कृपार्णव ।

śaunaka uvāca viṣṇupādodakasyāpi māhātmyaṁ pāpanāśanam kathayasva mahāprājña samūlaṁ me kṛpārṇava

Shaunaka said: Tell me too, O greatly wise one, ocean of compassion, in full detail, the sin-destroying glory of the water that has washed Vishnu's feet.

Verse 2 (padma.4.17.2)

सूत उवाच । समस्तपातकध्वंसि विष्णुपादोदकं शुभम् । कणमात्रं वहेद्यस्तु सर्वतीर्थफलं लभेत् ।

sūta uvāca samastapātakadhvaṁsi viṣṇupādodakaṁ śubham kaṇamātraṁ vahedyastu sarvatīrthaphalaṁ labhet

Suta said: The auspicious water that has washed Vishnu's feet destroys every sin; whoever bears even a mere grain's worth of it obtains the fruit of all the sacred waters.

Verse 3 (padma.4.17.3)

विष्णुपादोदकं ब्रह्मन्स्पर्शतः पापनाशनम् । अकालमरणं नास्ति गंगास्नानफलं लभेत् ।

viṣṇupādodakaṁ brahmansparśataḥ pāpanāśanam akālamaraṇaṁ nāsti gaṁgāsnānaphalaṁ labhet

O Brahmin, Vishnu's foot-water destroys sin by mere touch; for one who touches it there is no untimely death, and he obtains the fruit of bathing in the Ganga.

Verse 4 (padma.4.17.4)

विष्णुपादोदकं पापी यः पिबेत्तस्य किल्बिषम् । शरीरस्थं क्षयं याति कृतं ब्रह्मन्न संशयः ।

viṣṇupādodakaṁ pāpī yaḥ pibettasya kilbiṣam śarīrasthaṁ kṣayaṁ yāti kṛtaṁ brahmanna saṁśayaḥ

Whatever sinner drinks Vishnu's foot-water — his sin, however firmly lodged in his body, is destroyed, O Brahmin, without doubt.

Verse 5 (padma.4.17.5)

तुलसीपर्णसंयुक्तं विष्णुपादोदकं द्विज । यो वहेच्छिरसा भक्त्या चांते याति हरेर्गृहम् ।

tulasīparṇasaṁyuktaṁ viṣṇupādodakaṁ dvija yo vahecchirasā bhaktyā cāṁte yāti harergṛham

Whatever Brahmin, with devotion, bears upon his head the foot-water of Vishnu joined with tulasi leaves, goes at the end to the abode of Hari.

Verse 6 (padma.4.17.6)

मेरुतुल्यसुवर्णानि दत्त्वा यत्फलमाप्यते । हरिपादोदकं स्पृष्ट्वा प्राप्यते तत्फलं नरैः ।

merutulyasuvarṇāni dattvā yatphalamāpyate haripādodakaṁ spṛṣṭvā prāpyate tatphalaṁ naraiḥ

Whatever fruit is obtained by giving away gold equal in weight to Mount Meru, that same fruit is obtained by men through touching the water of Hari's feet.

Verse 7 (padma.4.17.7)

धेनुकोटिसहस्राणि यत्फलं लभते नरैः । दत्वा पादोदकं स्पृष्ट्वा तत्फलं प्राप्यते ध्रुवम् ।

dhenukoṭisahasrāṇi yatphalaṁ labhate naraiḥ datvā pādodakaṁ spṛṣṭvā tatphalaṁ prāpyate dhruvam

Whatever fruit men obtain by the gift of a hundred million cows, that same fruit is surely obtained by touching that foot-water.

Verse 8 (padma.4.17.8)

यज्ञकोटिसहस्राणि कृत्वा यत्फलमाप्यते । हरिपादोदकं स्पृष्ट्वा तस्मात्कोटिगुणं नरैः ।

yajñakoṭisahasrāṇi kṛtvā yatphalamāpyate haripādodakaṁ spṛṣṭvā tasmātkoṭiguṇaṁ naraiḥ

Whatever fruit is obtained by performing a thousand million sacrifices, by touching Hari's foot-water men obtain a fruit a hundred million times greater.

Verse 9 (padma.4.17.9)

कोटिकन्याप्रदानेन यत्फलं लभ्यते जनैः । विष्णुपादोदकं स्पृष्ट्वा फलं तस्माद्द्विजाधिकम् ।

koṭikanyāpradānena yatphalaṁ labhyate janaiḥ viṣṇupādodakaṁ spṛṣṭvā phalaṁ tasmāddvijādhikam

Whatever fruit people obtain by the gift of a hundred million maidens in marriage, touching Vishnu's foot-water gives a still greater fruit, O Brahmin.

Verse 10 (padma.4.17.10)

दंतिकोटिप्रदानेन सप्तिकोटिप्रदानतः । यत्फलं लभते मर्त्यः स्पृष्ट्वा पादोदकं हरेः ।

daṁtikoṭipradānena saptikoṭipradānataḥ yatphalaṁ labhate martyaḥ spṛṣṭvā pādodakaṁ hareḥ

Whatever fruit a mortal obtains by giving away a hundred million elephants and a hundred million horses, that same fruit is obtained by touching the foot-water of Hari.

Verse 11 (padma.4.17.11)

दत्वा मर्त्यः सप्तद्वीपां ससस्यां यत्फलं लभेत् । विष्णुपादोदकं स्पृष्ट्वा तस्माद्विप्राधिकं लभेत् ।

datvā martyaḥ saptadvīpāṁ sasasyāṁ yatphalaṁ labhet viṣṇupādodakaṁ spṛṣṭvā tasmādviprādhikaṁ labhet

Whatever fruit a mortal obtains by giving away the seven continents with their crops, O Brahmin, touching Vishnu's foot-water gives a still greater fruit.

Verse 12 (padma.4.17.12)

शृणु विप्र प्रवक्ष्यामि संक्षेपेणाधिकं किमु । विष्णुपादोदकं स्पृष्ट्वा पापी याति हरेर्गृहम् ।

śṛṇu vipra pravakṣyāmi saṁkṣepeṇādhikaṁ kimu viṣṇupādodakaṁ spṛṣṭvā pāpī yāti harergṛham

Listen, O Brahmin, I shall tell you in brief what is greater still: by touching Vishnu's foot-water, even a sinner goes to the abode of Hari.

Verse 13 (padma.4.17.13)

शौनक उवाच । स्पृष्ट्वा पीत्वा पुरा केन प्राणिना प्रापि वै गृहम् । कथयस्व हरेः सूत मम त्वं चानुकंपया ।

śaunaka uvāca spṛṣṭvā pītvā purā kena prāṇinā prāpi vai gṛham kathayasva hareḥ sūta mama tvaṁ cānukaṁpayā

Shaunaka said: Formerly, what being, by touching and drinking it, attained the abode of Hari? Tell me this, O Suta, out of compassion for me.

Verse 14 (padma.4.17.14)

सूत उवाच । पुरा त्रेतायुगे पापी नाम्ना विप्रः सुदर्शनः । जनार्द्दनदिने नित्यमश्नीयात्स द्विजोत्तम ।

sūta uvāca purā tretāyuge pāpī nāmnā vipraḥ sudarśanaḥ janārddanadine nityamaśnīyātsa dvijottama

Suta said: Formerly, in the Treta age, there was a sinful Brahmin named Sudarshana, O best of the twice-born, who habitually ate food even on Janardana's sacred day.

Verse 15 (padma.4.17.15)

शास्त्रनिंदाकरो नित्यं व्रतनिंदाकरः सदा । असावन्यं न जानाति केवलं स्वोदरं विना ।

śāstraniṁdākaro nityaṁ vrataniṁdākaraḥ sadā asāvanyaṁ na jānāti kevalaṁ svodaraṁ vinā

He was ever given to reviling the scriptures and reviling the sacred vows; he knew, and cared for, nothing beyond his own belly.

Verse 16 (padma.4.17.16)

एकदा प्राप्तकालस्तु निधनं प्राप्तवान्द्विज । यमदूताः समायाता बद्ध्वा नीतो यमालयम् ।

ekadā prāptakālastu nidhanaṁ prāptavāndvija yamadūtāḥ samāyātā baddhvā nīto yamālayam

Once, O Brahmin, when his time had come, he died. Yama's messengers came, bound him, and led him to Yama's abode.

Verse 17 (padma.4.17.17)

तं दृष्ट्वा यमुनाभ्राता पप्रच्छ सचिवं रुषा । भोऽमात्य चास्य यत्पुण्यं पापं वद समूलतः ।

taṁ dṛṣṭvā yamunābhrātā papraccha sacivaṁ ruṣā bho'mātya cāsya yatpuṇyaṁ pāpaṁ vada samūlataḥ

Seeing him, Yama, brother of Yamuna, angrily asked his minister: "O minister, tell me in full detail this man's merit and sin."

Verse 18 (padma.4.17.18)

असौ विप्रो महापापी क्रूरकर्म्मेव दृश्यते ।

asau vipro mahāpāpī krūrakarmmeva dṛśyate

"This Brahmin appears to be a great sinner of cruel deeds."

Verse 19 (padma.4.17.19)

चित्रगुप्त उवाच । आकर्णय चास्य पापं पुण्यं नास्त्यणुमात्रकम् । वासरेऽपि हरेर्नित्यमकरोद्भोजनं विभो ।

citragupta uvāca ākarṇaya cāsya pāpaṁ puṇyaṁ nāstyaṇumātrakam vāsare'pi harernityamakarodbhojanaṁ vibho

Chitragupta said: "Hear his sin — he has not even an atom of merit. O lord, he constantly ate food even on Hari's sacred day."

Verse 20 (padma.4.17.20)

वासरे कमलाभर्तुश्चाश्नीयाद्यो नराधमः । पुरीषं सोऽश्नीयाद्राजन्निरयं याति दारुणम् ।

vāsare kamalābhartuścāśnīyādyo narādhamaḥ purīṣaṁ so'śnīyādrājannirayaṁ yāti dāruṇam

"Whatever basest of men eats on the day of Lakshmi's husband, O king, is, in effect, eating filth, and he goes to a terrible hell."

Verse 21 (padma.4.17.21)

मन्वंतरशतं देहि स्थानं तु निरयेऽप्यमुम् । ग्रामक्रोडस्य योनौ हि ततो जन्म भविष्यति ।

manvaṁtaraśataṁ dehi sthānaṁ tu niraye'pyamum grāmakroḍasya yonau hi tato janma bhaviṣyati

"Give him a place in hell for a hundred manvantaras; after that let him take birth in the womb of a village pig."

Verse 22 (padma.4.17.22)

सूत उवाच । यमाज्ञया ततो विप्र तस्य दूतैर्भयंकरैः । पातितस्तु पुरीषे वै मन्वंतरशताधिकम् ।

sūta uvāca yamājñayā tato vipra tasya dūtairbhayaṁkaraiḥ pātitastu purīṣe vai manvaṁtaraśatādhikam

Suta said: Then, O Brahmin, by Yama's command, his terrifying messengers cast him down into filth for more than a hundred manvantaras.

Verse 23 (padma.4.17.23)

ततो मुक्तोऽभवच्चासौ पृथिव्यां ग्रामसूकरः । चिरं नरकमश्नीयाद्धरिवासरभोजनात् ।

tato mukto'bhavaccāsau pṛthivyāṁ grāmasūkaraḥ ciraṁ narakamaśnīyāddharivāsarabhojanāt

Then, released from that, he became a village pig upon the earth; because of eating on Hari's sacred day, he had long feasted, in effect, on the food of hell.

Verse 24 (padma.4.17.24)

ततो विप्र प्राप्तकालः पंचत्वं स जगाम ह । काकयोनौ पुनर्जन्म लेभेऽसौ विड्भुजः सदा ।

tato vipra prāptakālaḥ paṁcatvaṁ sa jagāma ha kākayonau punarjanma lebhe'sau viḍbhujaḥ sadā

Then, O Brahmin, when his time came, he died once more, and was reborn again in the womb of a crow, ever an eater of filth.

Verse 25 (padma.4.17.25)

एकस्मिन्दिवसे विप्र श्रीहरेश्चरणोदकम् । द्वारदेशेस्थितं पीत्वा सर्वपापविवर्जितः ।

ekasmindivase vipra śrīhareścaraṇodakam dvāradeśesthitaṁ pītvā sarvapāpavivarjitaḥ

One day, O Brahmin, standing near a doorway, he drank the water that had washed Shri Hari's feet, and was thereby freed of all his sins.

Verse 26 (padma.4.17.26)

तस्मिन्नेव दिने काकः पतितः शबरस्य च । काले मृत्युदशां प्राप्तो व्याधेन वायसोपि च ।

tasminneva dine kākaḥ patitaḥ śabarasya ca kāle mṛtyudaśāṁ prāpto vyādhena vāyasopi ca

That very day the crow fell prey to a hunter; at the appointed time, that crow too met death by the hunter's arrow.

Verse 27 (padma.4.17.27)

आगते स्यंदने दिव्ये राजहंसयुते शुभे । आरुह्य बलिभुग्विप्र ययौ स हरिमंदिरम् ।

āgate syaṁdane divye rājahaṁsayute śubhe āruhya balibhugvipra yayau sa harimaṁdiram

Then a divine, auspicious chariot arrived, yoked with royal swans; mounting it, that former eater of oblations went to the temple of Hari.

Verse 28 (padma.4.17.28)

पादोदकस्य माहात्म्यं कथितं पापनाशनम् । यः शृणोति नरः पापी तस्य पापं विनश्यति ।

pādodakasya māhātmyaṁ kathitaṁ pāpanāśanam yaḥ śṛṇoti naraḥ pāpī tasya pāpaṁ vinaśyati

This is the sin-destroying glory of the foot-water that I have told you; whatever sinner hears it, his sin is destroyed.