The Glory of Devotion to Vishnu

Verse 1 (padma.6.130.1)

पार्वत्युवाच। श्रुतं कार्तिकमाहात्म्यं माघस्य च मया विभो । अधुना श्रोतुमिच्छामि मुक्तिदं कर्म चोत्तमम्

pārvatyuvāca śrutaṁ kārtikamāhātmyaṁ māghasya ca mayā vibho adhunā śrotumicchāmi muktidaṁ karma cottamam

Parvati said: 'O lord, I have heard the glory of Kartika and Magha. Now I wish to hear of that supreme deed which grants liberation.'

Verse 2 (padma.6.130.2)

श्रेष्ठा भक्तिस्तु का प्रोक्ता वद विश्वेश्वर प्रभो । येन विज्ञानमात्रेण नराः सुखमवाप्नुयुः

śreṣṭhā bhaktistu kā proktā vada viśveśvara prabho yena vijñānamātreṇa narāḥ sukhamavāpnuyuḥ

'Tell me, O lord of the universe, which devotion is declared the highest — the mere understanding of which brings men happiness.'

Verse 3 (padma.6.130.3)

महादेव उवाच। तल्लीनचित्तः स पुमान्सा भक्तिः परमा मता । दयाधर्मपरो नित्यं विष्णुधर्मेषु तत्परः

mahādeva uvāca tallīnacittaḥ sa pumānsā bhaktiḥ paramā matā dayādharmaparo nityaṁ viṣṇudharmeṣu tatparaḥ

Mahadeva said: 'That man whose mind remains wholly absorbed in him — his is held to be the highest devotion; one who is ever devoted to compassion and dharma, intent always on the duties of Vishnu-worship,'

Verse 4 (padma.6.130.4)

फलमूलजलाहारी शंखचक्रप्रधारकः । त्रिकालं पूजयेद्विष्णुं सा भक्तिः सात्विकी मता

phalamūlajalāhārī śaṁkhacakrapradhārakaḥ trikālaṁ pūjayedviṣṇuṁ sā bhaktiḥ sātvikī matā

'who lives on fruit, roots, and water, who bears the marks of conch and discus, and who worships Vishnu at all three times of day — that devotion is called sattvic.'

Verse 5 (padma.6.130.5)

उत्तमा सात्विकी प्रोक्ता राजसी चैव मध्यमा । कनिष्ठा तामसी चैव त्रिविधा भक्तिरुच्यते

uttamā sātvikī proktā rājasī caiva madhyamā kaniṣṭhā tāmasī caiva trividhā bhaktirucyate

'Sattvic devotion is called the highest, rajasic the middling, and tamasic the lowest — devotion is thus said to be of three kinds.'

Verse 6 (padma.6.130.6)

श्रीधरे तु प्रकर्त्तव्या मुक्तिकामफलेप्सुभिः । अहंकारेण रूपेण दंभमात्सर्यमायया

śrīdhare tu prakarttavyā muktikāmaphalepsubhiḥ ahaṁkāreṇa rūpeṇa daṁbhamātsaryamāyayā

'Devotion to Shridhara should be practiced by those who desire the fruit of liberation. But that which is offered with pride, for show, with hypocrisy, envy, and deceit —'

Verse 7 (padma.6.130.7)

ये कुर्वंति जना भक्तिं तामसी सा उदाहृता । परस्योत्सादनार्थं वा दंभमुद्दिश्यवाऽथवा

ye kurvaṁti janā bhaktiṁ tāmasī sā udāhṛtā parasyotsādanārthaṁ vā daṁbhamuddiśyavā'thavā

'such devotion as people offer for that purpose is called tamasic — whether it be done to bring down another, or with hypocrisy as its aim.'

Verse 8 (padma.6.130.8)

या भक्तिः क्रियते देवे तामसी सा प्रकीर्तिता । विषयान्प्रतिसंधाय यश ऐश्वर्यमेव वा

yā bhaktiḥ kriyate deve tāmasī sā prakīrtitā viṣayānpratisaṁdhāya yaśa aiśvaryameva vā

'Devotion offered to the deity while aiming at sensual objects, or at fame, or at prosperity — that too is proclaimed to be tamasic.'

Verse 9 (padma.6.130.9)

अर्चादावर्चयेद्यो मां पृथग्भावः स राजसः । कर्मक्षयार्थे कर्त्तव्या ब्राह्मणैर्ज्ञानतत्परैः

arcādāvarcayedyo māṁ pṛthagbhāvaḥ sa rājasaḥ karmakṣayārthe karttavyā brāhmaṇairjñānatatparaiḥ

'One who worships me through image-worship and the like, but with a divided, self-interested motive — his is rajasic devotion. Brahmins devoted to knowledge should practice devotion in order to exhaust the fruit of their past deeds,'

Verse 10 (padma.6.130.10)

विष्णौ ह्यात्मार्पणीं बुद्धिं सा भक्तिः सात्विकी मता । अतो वै सर्वथा देवि संसेव्यः सर्वदा हरिः

viṣṇau hyātmārpaṇīṁ buddhiṁ sā bhaktiḥ sātvikī matā ato vai sarvathā devi saṁsevyaḥ sarvadā hariḥ

'and that state of mind which offers up the very self to Vishnu is held to be sattvic devotion. Therefore, O goddess, Hari should always be served in every way.'

Verse 11 (padma.6.130.11)

तामसेन तु भावेन तामसत्वं हि लभ्यते । राजसो राजसेनैव सात्विकेन तु सात्विकः

tāmasena tu bhāvena tāmasatvaṁ hi labhyate rājaso rājasenaiva sātvikena tu sātvikaḥ

'By a tamasic disposition one attains only a tamasic state; by a rajasic disposition, a rajasic state; and by a sattvic disposition, a sattvic state.'

Verse 12 (padma.6.130.12)

वेदाध्यायरतः श्रीमान्रागद्वेषविवर्जितः । शंखचक्रधरो विप्रः सर्वदा शुचिरुच्यते

vedādhyāyarataḥ śrīmānrāgadveṣavivarjitaḥ śaṁkhacakradharo vipraḥ sarvadā śucirucyate

'A brahmin devoted to the study of the Veda, prosperous, free from attachment and aversion, and bearing the marks of conch and discus, is called ever pure.'

Verse 13 (padma.6.130.13)

कर्मकांडे प्रवृत्तो यः सर्वदा विष्णुनिंदकः । निंदकस्तज्जनानां च महाचंडाल उच्यते

karmakāṁḍe pravṛtto yaḥ sarvadā viṣṇuniṁdakaḥ niṁdakastajjanānāṁ ca mahācaṁḍāla ucyate

'One who is engaged in ritual observances and yet forever reviles Vishnu, and reviles his devotees too, is called a great outcaste.'

Verse 14 (padma.6.130.14)

वेदाध्यायरता नित्यं नित्यं वै यज्ञयाजकाः । अग्निहोत्ररता नित्यं विष्णुधर्मपराङ्मुखाः । निंदंति विष्णुधर्मांश्च वेदबाह्याः सुरेश्वरि

vedādhyāyaratā nityaṁ nityaṁ vai yajñayājakāḥ agnihotraratā nityaṁ viṣṇudharmaparāṅmukhāḥ niṁdaṁti viṣṇudharmāṁśca vedabāhyāḥ sureśvari

'O queen of gods, even those forever devoted to Veda-study, forever performing sacrifices, forever engaged in the fire-offering — if they turn away from the dharma of Vishnu and revile it, they stand truly outside the Veda.'

Verse 15 (padma.6.130.15)

कुर्वंति शांतिं विबुधाः प्रहृष्टाः क्षेमं प्रकुर्वंति पितामहाद्याः । स्वस्ति प्रयच्छंति मुनींद्रमुख्या गोविंदभक्तिं वहतां नराणाम्

kurvaṁti śāṁtiṁ vibudhāḥ prahṛṣṭāḥ kṣemaṁ prakurvaṁti pitāmahādyāḥ svasti prayacchaṁti munīṁdramukhyā goviṁdabhaktiṁ vahatāṁ narāṇām

'For men who bear devotion to Govinda, the gods, rejoicing, bestow peace, Brahma and the other great ones grant them well-being, and the foremost of sages confer good fortune upon them.'

Verse 16 (padma.6.130.16)

शुभा ग्रहा भूतपिशाचयुक्ता ब्रह्मादयो देवगणाः प्रसन्नाः । लक्ष्मी स्थिरा तिष्ठति मंदिरे च गोविंदभक्तिं वहतां नराणाम्

śubhā grahā bhūtapiśācayuktā brahmādayo devagaṇāḥ prasannāḥ lakṣmī sthirā tiṣṭhati maṁdire ca goviṁdabhaktiṁ vahatāṁ narāṇām

'For men who bear devotion to Govinda, even the planets turn auspicious, ghosts and pishachas become well-disposed, Brahma and the host of gods remain pleased, and Lakshmi dwells steadfast in their home.'

Verse 17 (padma.6.130.17)

गंगा गया नैमिषपुष्कराणि काशी प्रयागं कुरुजांगलानि । तिष्ठंति देहे कृतभक्तिपूर्वं गोविंदभक्तिं वहतां नराणाम्

gaṁgā gayā naimiṣapuṣkarāṇi kāśī prayāgaṁ kurujāṁgalāni tiṣṭhaṁti dehe kṛtabhaktipūrvaṁ goviṁdabhaktiṁ vahatāṁ narāṇām

'For men who bear devotion to Govinda, who have already made devotion their practice, the sacred fords themselves — Ganga, Gaya, Naimisha, Pushkara, Kashi, Prayaga, and Kurujangala — abide within their very body.'

Verse 18 (padma.6.130.18)

एवमाराधयेद्विद्वान्भगवंतं श्रिया सह । कृतकृत्यो भवेन्नित्यं स विप्रो नात्र संशयः

evamārādhayedvidvānbhagavaṁtaṁ śriyā saha kṛtakṛtyo bhavennityaṁ sa vipro nātra saṁśayaḥ

'Thus should the wise man worship the Lord, together with Shri; such a brahmin becomes ever fulfilled in his purpose — of this there is no doubt.'

Verse 19 (padma.6.130.19)

क्षत्रियो वाथ वैश्यो वा शूद्रो वासुरसत्तमे । भक्तिं कुर्वन्विशेषेण मुक्तिं याति स वै नरः

kṣatriyo vātha vaiśyo vā śūdro vāsurasattame bhaktiṁ kurvanviśeṣeṇa muktiṁ yāti sa vai naraḥ

'O foremost among the gods, whether he be a kshatriya, a vaishya, or a shudra — that man who practices devotion with special dedication surely attains liberation.'