The Ripening of Karma: Sons, Daughters, and Childlessness

Verse 1 (padma.4.5.1)

शौनक उवाच । कथयस्व महाप्राज्ञ पुत्रहीनो जनो भवेत् । कर्मणा केन वै सूत पुत्रो भवति केन च ।

śaunaka uvāca kathayasva mahāprājña putrahīno jano bhavet karmaṇā kena vai sūta putro bhavati kena ca

Shaunaka said: Tell me, O greatly wise one — by what deed does a person become childless, O Suta, and by what deed does one get a son?

Verse 2 (padma.4.5.2)

सूत उवाच । एतत्पृष्टः पुरा ब्रह्मा नारदेन महात्मना । स यदाह तदा तं च शृणुष्व मुनिपुंगव ।

sūta uvāca etatpṛṣṭaḥ purā brahmā nāradena mahātmanā sa yadāha tadā taṁ ca śṛṇuṣva munipuṁgava

Suta said: This very question was once asked of Brahma by the great soul Narada; hear, O foremost of sages, what he then said.

Verse 3 (padma.4.5.3)

नारद उवाच । पितामह महाप्राज्ञ सर्वतत्त्वार्थपारग । अपुत्रो वै भवेन्मर्त्यः कर्मणा केन पद्मज ।

nārada uvāca pitāmaha mahāprājña sarvatattvārthapāraga aputro vai bhavenmartyaḥ karmaṇā kena padmaja

Narada said: O grandsire, greatly wise, who has crossed to the far shore of every truth — O lotus-born one, by what deed does a mortal become without a son?

Verse 4 (padma.4.5.4)

वंध्या स्त्री वा भवेत्केन वृजिनेन ममाग्रतः । कथय शृण्वतो वै मे सर्वप्राणिहिते रत ।

vaṁdhyā strī vā bhavetkena vṛjinena mamāgrataḥ kathaya śṛṇvato vai me sarvaprāṇihite rata

By what sin does a woman become barren? Tell it to me, O you devoted to the welfare of all beings, as I listen.

Verse 5 (padma.4.5.5)

दुहिता जायते केन कर्मणा वा नपुंसकः । मृतवत्सो भवेत्केन मृतवत्सातिदुःखिता । केन पुण्येन भो ब्रह्मन्पुनः पुत्रो भवेद्वद ।

duhitā jāyate kena karmaṇā vā napuṁsakaḥ mṛtavatso bhavetkena mṛtavatsātiduḥkhitā kena puṇyena bho brahmanpunaḥ putro bhavedvada

By what deed is a daughter born, or a eunuch? By what deed does one lose a child, and by what does a woman, in great sorrow, keep losing her children? And by what merit, O Brahma, is a son born again — tell me this.

Verse 6 (padma.4.5.6)

ब्रह्मोवाच । कथयामि समासेन सावधानेन तच्छ्रणु । वृत्तांतं पृच्छसि त्वं वै शृण्वतां विस्मयप्रदम् ।

brahmovāca kathayāmi samāsena sāvadhānena tacchraṇu vṛttāṁtaṁ pṛcchasi tvaṁ vai śṛṇvatāṁ vismayapradam

Brahma said: I shall tell it in brief; listen attentively. The matter you ask of is one that astonishes all who hear it.

Verse 7 (padma.4.5.7)

पूर्वजन्मनि यो मर्त्यो वर्तनं ब्राह्मणस्य च । हरेद्वा हारयेदत्र पुत्रहीनो भवेत्किल ।

pūrvajanmani yo martyo vartanaṁ brāhmaṇasya ca haredvā hārayedatra putrahīno bhavetkila

The mortal who, in a former birth, seizes or causes to be seized the livelihood of a brahmin, surely becomes childless in this life.

Verse 8 (padma.4.5.8)

इह जन्मनि यो मर्त्यः पुराणश्रवणं हि च । ससस्या भूमेर्दानं च कुर्याद्वै श्रद्धयान्वितः ।

iha janmani yo martyaḥ purāṇaśravaṇaṁ hi ca sasasyā bhūmerdānaṁ ca kuryādvai śraddhayānvitaḥ

The man who in this birth, with faith, hears the Purana and gives the gift of land together with its crop,

Verse 9 (padma.4.5.9)

धेनुं बहुगुणां हैमीं बहुदुग्धां सदक्षिणाम् । सुवर्णप्रतिमां चैव तस्य पुत्रो भवेद्ध्रुवम् ।

dhenuṁ bahuguṇāṁ haimīṁ bahudugdhāṁ sadakṣiṇām suvarṇapratimāṁ caiva tasya putro bhaveddhruvam

who gives a cow of many virtues, richly milked, together with gold, a fee, and a golden image — for him a son is surely born.

Verse 10 (padma.4.5.10)

पूर्वजन्मनि या नारी परबालकघातनम् । करोति कपटेनैव बालहीना भवेद्ध्रुवम् ।

pūrvajanmani yā nārī parabālakaghātanam karoti kapaṭenaiva bālahīnā bhaveddhruvam

The woman who, in a former birth, through deceit causes the death of another's child, surely becomes childless.

Verse 11 (padma.4.5.11)

सौवर्णप्रतिमादानं या नारी श्रद्धयान्विता । कुर्यात्पानं ब्राह्मणस्य भक्त्या वै चरणोदकम् ।

sauvarṇapratimādānaṁ yā nārī śraddhayānvitā kuryātpānaṁ brāhmaṇasya bhaktyā vai caraṇodakam

The woman who, with faith, gives a golden image, and with devotion drinks the water that has washed a brahmin's feet,

Verse 12 (padma.4.5.12)

पुराणश्रवणं चैव दद्याद्वै बहुदक्षिणाम् । बह्वपत्या जीववत्सा भवेन्नास्त्यत्र संशयः ।

purāṇaśravaṇaṁ caiva dadyādvai bahudakṣiṇām bahvapatyā jīvavatsā bhavennāstyatra saṁśayaḥ

and hears the Purana and gives a generous fee, becomes rich in children whose lives endure — there is no doubt of this.

Verse 13 (padma.4.5.13)

जले निमग्नं बालं यो दृष्ट्वा या न समुद्धरेत् । इह जन्मन्यपुत्रो वै साऽपुत्री च भवेद्ध्रुवम् ।

jale nimagnaṁ bālaṁ yo dṛṣṭvā yā na samuddharet iha janmanyaputro vai sā'putrī ca bhaveddhruvam

The man or woman who, seeing a child drowning in water, does not rescue it, surely becomes childless in this very life.

Verse 14 (padma.4.5.14)

वृषभं चैव कूष्मांडं ससुवर्णं सवस्त्रकम् । दद्याद्दानं ब्राह्मणस्य कुर्याद्बालव्रतं शुभम् ।

vṛṣabhaṁ caiva kūṣmāṁḍaṁ sasuvarṇaṁ savastrakam dadyāddānaṁ brāhmaṇasya kuryādbālavrataṁ śubham

One should give a bull and a pumpkin-gourd, together with gold and cloth, as a gift to a brahmin, and perform the auspicious child-vow.

Verse 15 (padma.4.5.15)

गौरीं कन्यां तथा कुर्यात्पुराणश्रवणं हि यः । पुत्रो वै जायते तस्य सर्वपातकनाशनम् ।

gaurīṁ kanyāṁ tathā kuryātpurāṇaśravaṇaṁ hi yaḥ putro vai jāyate tasya sarvapātakanāśanam

One should also offer a young cow to Gauri; whoever hears the Purana surely obtains a son who destroys all sin.

Verse 16 (padma.4.5.16)

पूर्वजन्मनि यो मर्त्यो निराशं चातिथिं द्विज । कुर्यात्क्रोधेन दंडं च पुत्रहीनो भवेद्ध्रुवम् ।

pūrvajanmani yo martyo nirāśaṁ cātithiṁ dvija kuryātkrodhena daṁḍaṁ ca putrahīno bhaveddhruvam

O brahmin, the man who in a former birth sends a guest away disappointed, or in anger strikes and punishes someone, surely becomes childless.

Verse 17 (padma.4.5.17)

ब्राह्मणं चातिथिं चैव कुर्याद्भक्त्या प्रपूजनम् । अन्नदानं जलं चैव तथा देवालयं शुभम् ।

brāhmaṇaṁ cātithiṁ caiva kuryādbhaktyā prapūjanam annadānaṁ jalaṁ caiva tathā devālayaṁ śubham

One should honor a brahmin and a guest with devotion, give food and water, and also build an auspicious temple.

Verse 18 (padma.4.5.18)

पूर्वजन्मनि या नारी भ्रूणहत्यां च यो नरः । कुर्यात्सा मृतवत्सा च मृतवत्सो भवेद्ध्रुवम् ।

pūrvajanmani yā nārī bhrūṇahatyāṁ ca yo naraḥ kuryātsā mṛtavatsā ca mṛtavatso bhaveddhruvam

The woman or man who, in a former birth, commits the killing of an unborn child, surely becomes one whose children die young in this life.

Verse 19 (padma.4.5.19)

या नारी स्वामिसहिता कुर्याच्च हरिवासरम् । सुपुत्रा भर्तृसुभगा भवेत्सा प्रतिजन्मनि ।

yā nārī svāmisahitā kuryācca harivāsaram suputrā bhartṛsubhagā bhavetsā pratijanmani

The woman who, together with her husband, keeps the day sacred to Hari, becomes blessed with good sons and cherished by her husband, birth after birth.

Verse 20 (padma.4.5.20)

यो नरो गोधनं कुर्याच्छूद्रः कुर्याद्विमोहितः । ब्राह्मणीहरणं वापि कर्मणा स नपुंसकः ।

yo naro godhanaṁ kuryācchūdraḥ kuryādvimohitaḥ brāhmaṇīharaṇaṁ vāpi karmaṇā sa napuṁsakaḥ

The man who steals wealth in cattle, or a deluded shudra who abducts a brahmin woman, becomes a eunuch by that deed.

Verse 21 (padma.4.5.21)

इदं तु वृजिनं कृत्वा पश्चात्पुण्यं करोति यः । इह पुण्यप्रभावेण दुहिता जायते द्विज ।

idaṁ tu vṛjinaṁ kṛtvā paścātpuṇyaṁ karoti yaḥ iha puṇyaprabhāveṇa duhitā jāyate dvija

But whoever, having committed this sin, afterward performs merit — O brahmin, by the power of that merit a daughter is born to him in this life.

Verse 22 (padma.4.5.22)

आसीत्त्रेतायुगे राजा श्रीधरो नामतो द्विज । अपुत्रो धनवांस्तस्य जाया हेमप्रभावती ।

āsīttretāyuge rājā śrīdharo nāmato dvija aputro dhanavāṁstasya jāyā hemaprabhāvatī

O brahmin, in the Treta age there lived a king named Shridhara, wealthy yet without a son; his wife was named Hemaprabhavati.

Verse 23 (padma.4.5.23)

व्यासं सकलशास्त्रज्ञं सर्वलोकहितैषिणम् । आगतं चैव पप्रच्छ चापुत्रोऽहं कथं द्विज ।

vyāsaṁ sakalaśāstrajñaṁ sarvalokahitaiṣiṇam āgataṁ caiva papraccha cāputro'haṁ kathaṁ dvija

When Vyasa, knower of all the scriptures and wisher of good for all worlds, arrived there, the king asked him: 'O brahmin, why am I without a son?'

Verse 24 (padma.4.5.24)

उवाच नृपतेः श्रुत्वा वचनं विनयान्वितम् । राज्ञा दत्ते च पीठे च निर्मिते कनकादिभिः ।

uvāca nṛpateḥ śrutvā vacanaṁ vinayānvitam rājñā datte ca pīṭhe ca nirmite kanakādibhiḥ

Having heard the king's humble words, and seated on the golden seat the king had offered him, Vyasa gave his reply.

Verse 25 (padma.4.5.25)

राजाराज्ञी तस्य पादौ धौतं कृत्वा च हर्षितौ । पीत्वा पादोदकं द्वौ च सर्वपातकनाशनम् ।

rājārājñī tasya pādau dhautaṁ kṛtvā ca harṣitau pītvā pādodakaṁ dvau ca sarvapātakanāśanam

The king and queen, rejoicing, washed his feet and both drank that foot-water which destroys all sin.

Verse 26 (padma.4.5.26)

व्यास उवाच । राजन्शृणुष्व यत्पृष्टमपुत्रो येन कर्मणा । तवेयं राज्ञी चापुत्री चैकपत्नीव्रतस्तथा ।

vyāsa uvāca rājanśṛṇuṣva yatpṛṣṭamaputro yena karmaṇā taveyaṁ rājñī cāputrī caikapatnīvratastathā

Vyasa said: O king, hear what you have asked — by what deed you are without a son. This queen of yours too is childless, though you hold the vow of a single wife.

Verse 27 (padma.4.5.27)

पूर्वजन्मनि चंद्रस्त्वं नाम्ना वरतनु स्मृतः । भार्या तवापि शुभ्रांगी नाम्ना वै शंकरी स्मृता ।

pūrvajanmani caṁdrastvaṁ nāmnā varatanu smṛtaḥ bhāryā tavāpi śubhrāṁgī nāmnā vai śaṁkarī smṛtā

In a former birth you were a brahmin remembered by the name Varatanu; your wife too, of fair limbs, was known by the name Shankari.

Verse 28 (padma.4.5.28)

एकदा पथियातौ च नीचपुत्रं जलेपि च । मग्नं दृष्ट्वा हेलया च गतौ स पंचतां गतः ।

ekadā pathiyātau ca nīcaputraṁ jalepi ca magnaṁ dṛṣṭvā helayā ca gatau sa paṁcatāṁ gataḥ

Once, traveling along a road, the two of you saw a low-born child drowning in the water, and out of disdain walked on; that child came to its death.

Verse 29 (padma.4.5.29)

बहुपुण्यप्रभावेण राज्ञीराजा गतौ युवाम् । तेन कर्मविपाकेन युवायोर्न भवेत्सुतः ।

bahupuṇyaprabhāveṇa rājñīrājā gatau yuvām tena karmavipākena yuvāyorna bhavetsutaḥ

By the power of your own great merit, the two of you became king and queen; but by the ripening of that one deed, no son has been born to you.

Verse 30 (padma.4.5.30)

राजोवाच । इदानीं केन पुण्येन सुतो वै जायते प्रभो । अपुत्रस्य मनुष्याणां जीवनं हि निरर्थकम् ।

rājovāca idānīṁ kena puṇyena suto vai jāyate prabho aputrasya manuṣyāṇāṁ jīvanaṁ hi nirarthakam

The king said: O lord, by what merit, then, is a son now to be born? For the life of a man without a son is truly meaningless.

Verse 31 (padma.4.5.31)

व्यास उवाच । सवस्त्रं चैव कूष्मांडं वृषभं ससुवर्णकम् । देहि दानं ब्राह्मणस्य कुरु बालव्रतं तथा ।

vyāsa uvāca savastraṁ caiva kūṣmāṁḍaṁ vṛṣabhaṁ sasuvarṇakam dehi dānaṁ brāhmaṇasya kuru bālavrataṁ tathā

Vyasa said: Give a pumpkin-gourd together with cloth, and a bull together with gold, as a gift to a brahmin, and perform the child-vow as well.

Verse 32 (padma.4.5.32)

गौरीं कन्यां तथा देहि पुराणश्रवणं कुरु । पुत्रो वै जायते तत्र सर्वपातकनाशनम् ।

gaurīṁ kanyāṁ tathā dehi purāṇaśravaṇaṁ kuru putro vai jāyate tatra sarvapātakanāśanam

Offer a young cow to Gauri as well, and hear the Purana; by this a son who destroys all sin will surely be born.

Verse 33 (padma.4.5.33)

ब्रह्मोवाच । इति श्रुत्वा ततो राजा व्यासोक्तं दानमुत्तमम् । पुराणश्रवणं चैव चकार गतकिल्बिषः ।

brahmovāca iti śrutvā tato rājā vyāsoktaṁ dānamuttamam purāṇaśravaṇaṁ caiva cakāra gatakilbiṣaḥ

Brahma said: Hearing this, the king performed the excellent gift that Vyasa had spoken of, and heard the Purana as well, and became free of his sin.

Verse 34 (padma.4.5.34)

ततः पुत्रो वर्षमध्ये बभूव सर्वपूजितः । अभूद्राजा सार्वभौमः सुंदरः कुलनायकः ।

tataḥ putro varṣamadhye babhūva sarvapūjitaḥ abhūdrājā sārvabhaumaḥ suṁdaraḥ kulanāyakaḥ

Then, within a year, a son was born, honored by all; he became a handsome sovereign king, foremost of his lineage.

Verse 35 (padma.4.5.35)

सूत उवाच । य इदं शृणुयाद्भक्त्या करोति दानमुत्तमम् । अपुत्रो लभते पुत्रं संक्षेपात्कथितं मया ।

sūta uvāca ya idaṁ śṛṇuyādbhaktyā karoti dānamuttamam aputro labhate putraṁ saṁkṣepātkathitaṁ mayā

Suta said: Whoever hears this with devotion and performs this excellent gift — the childless obtains a son; this I have told in brief.

Verse 36 (padma.4.5.36)

भक्त्या श्रुत्वा तु या नारी कुर्याद्ब्राह्मणपूजनम् । सुपुत्रा सा भवेन्नित्यं शास्त्रोक्तविधिना द्विज ।

bhaktyā śrutvā tu yā nārī kuryādbrāhmaṇapūjanam suputrā sā bhavennityaṁ śāstroktavidhinā dvija

O brahmin, the woman who, hearing this with devotion, honors brahmins according to the rite laid down in scripture, ever becomes blessed with good sons.

Verse 37 (padma.4.5.37)

सुवर्णं रजतं वस्त्रं पुष्पमाल्यं च चंदनम् । यो दद्यात्पुस्तके भक्त्या सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् ।

suvarṇaṁ rajataṁ vastraṁ puṣpamālyaṁ ca caṁdanam yo dadyātpustake bhaktyā sarvapāpapraṇāśanam

Whoever with devotion offers gold, silver, cloth, a garland of flowers, and sandal-paste to the sacred book, destroys all his sin.

Verse 38 (padma.4.5.38)

पूर्वजन्मनि यो मूढो ब्रह्मबालकघातकः । तस्य क्रूरो भवेत्पुत्रः सप्तजन्मांतरैर्द्विजः ।

pūrvajanmani yo mūḍho brahmabālakaghātakaḥ tasya krūro bhavetputraḥ saptajanmāṁtarairdvijaḥ

O brahmin, the fool who in a former birth is the killer of a brahmin's child is given a cruel son, across seven successive births.