The Glory of Gopichandana

Verse 1 (padma.6.67.1)

महेश्वर उवाच- इति श्रुतं धर्ममुखान्मुद्गलो द्विजसत्तमः । कथयित्वा ममाग्रे वै गतो यादृच्छिको मुने

maheśvara uvāca- iti śrutaṁ dharmamukhānmudgalo dvijasattamaḥ kathayitvā mamāgre vai gato yādṛcchiko mune

Maheshvara said: Having heard this from the mouth of Dharmaraja, the excellent brahmin Mudgala related it before me; O sage, after that he departed as he wished.

Verse 2 (padma.6.67.2)

गोपिकाचंदनं यत्र तिष्ठते वै द्विजोत्तम । तद्गृहं तीर्थरूपं च विष्णुना भाषितं किल

gopikācaṁdanaṁ yatra tiṣṭhate vai dvijottama tadgṛhaṁ tīrtharūpaṁ ca viṣṇunā bhāṣitaṁ kila

O best of the twice-born, that house in which gopi-chandana [sacred clay] dwells is itself of the form of a sacred place - so Vishnu himself has said.

Verse 3 (padma.6.67.3)

शोकमोहौ न तत्रास्तां न भवत्यशुभं क्वचित् । गोपिकाचंदनं यस्य तिष्ठति द्विजसद्मनि

śokamohau na tatrāstāṁ na bhavatyaśubhaṁ kvacit gopikācaṁdanaṁ yasya tiṣṭhati dvijasadmani

There, neither grief nor delusion ever dwell, nor does any misfortune ever befall, in the home of the brahmin where gopi-chandana resides.

Verse 4 (padma.6.67.4)

सुखिनः पूर्वजास्तेषां संततिर्वर्द्धते सदा । गोपिकाचंदनं यस्य वर्त्ततेऽहर्निशं गृहे

sukhinaḥ pūrvajāsteṣāṁ saṁtatirvarddhate sadā gopikācaṁdanaṁ yasya varttate'harniśaṁ gṛhe

Their ancestors remain happy, and their offspring ever increase, in whose home gopi-chandana dwells day and night.

Verse 5 (padma.6.67.5)

गोपीपुष्करजा मृत्स्ना पवित्रा कायशोधिनी । उद्वर्त्तनाद्विनश्यंति व्याधयो ह्याधयश्च ये

gopīpuṣkarajā mṛtsnā pavitrā kāyaśodhinī udvarttanādvinaśyaṁti vyādhayo hyādhayaśca ye

That clay, born at Gopi-Pushkara, is pure and purifies the body; by anointing oneself with it, whatever bodily diseases and mental afflictions exist are destroyed.

Verse 6 (padma.6.67.6)

अतो देहे धृतं पुंभिर्मुक्तिदं सर्वकामिकम् । तावद्गर्जंति तीर्थानि तावत्क्षेत्राणि सर्वदा

ato dehe dhṛtaṁ puṁbhirmuktidaṁ sarvakāmikam tāvadgarjaṁti tīrthāni tāvatkṣetrāṇi sarvadā

Therefore, worn upon the body by men, it grants liberation and fulfils every desire. Until gopi-chandana has been seen or heard of,

Verse 7 (padma.6.67.7)

गोपिकाचंदनं यावन्न दृष्टं न श्रुतं द्विज । इदं ध्येयमिदं पूज्यं मलदोषविनाशनम्

gopikācaṁdanaṁ yāvanna dṛṣṭaṁ na śrutaṁ dvija idaṁ dhyeyamidaṁ pūjyaṁ maladoṣavināśanam

until then alone, O brahmin, do all the sacred crossings and all the sacred fields continue to proclaim [their own glory]. This is worthy of meditation, worthy of worship, and destroys the fault of impurity,

Verse 8 (padma.6.67.8)

यस्य संस्पर्शनादेव पूतो भवति मानवः । अंतकाले तु मर्त्यानां मुक्तिदं पावनं परम्

yasya saṁsparśanādeva pūto bhavati mānavaḥ aṁtakāle tu martyānāṁ muktidaṁ pāvanaṁ param

by the mere touch of which a man becomes pure. For mortals at the time of death, it is supremely liberating and purifying.

Verse 9 (padma.6.67.9)

किं वदामि द्विजश्रेष्ठ मुक्तिदं गोपिचंदनम् । विष्णोस्तु तुलसीकाष्ठं तथा वै मूलमृत्तिका

kiṁ vadāmi dvijaśreṣṭha muktidaṁ gopicaṁdanam viṣṇostu tulasīkāṣṭhaṁ tathā vai mūlamṛttikā

O best of the twice-born, what more shall I say - gopi-chandana grants liberation. The wood of Vishnu's tulasi, and likewise the clay from its root,

Verse 10 (padma.6.67.10)

गोपिकाचंदनं चैव तथा वै हरिचंदनम् । चत्वारि ह्येतानि संमील्य अंगमुद्वर्तयेत्सुधीः

gopikācaṁdanaṁ caiva tathā vai haricaṁdanam catvāri hyetāni saṁmīlya aṁgamudvartayetsudhīḥ

gopi-chandana as well, and likewise hari-chandana [white sandalwood] too - the wise should mix these four together and anoint the body with them.

Verse 11 (padma.6.67.11)

तेन तीर्थं कृतं सर्वं जंबूद्वीपेषु सर्वदा । तिलकं कुरुते यस्तु गोपिकाचंदनद्रवैः

tena tīrthaṁ kṛtaṁ sarvaṁ jaṁbūdvīpeṣu sarvadā tilakaṁ kurute yastu gopikācaṁdanadravaiḥ

By this, all the sacred crossings of Jambudvipa are ever reckoned as having been visited. Whoever applies the tilaka with the paste of gopi-chandana,

Verse 12 (padma.6.67.12)

सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तो याति विष्णोः परं पदम् । पितुः श्राद्धादिकं तेन गयां गत्वा तु वै कृतम्

sarvapāpavinirmukto yāti viṣṇoḥ paraṁ padam pituḥ śrāddhādikaṁ tena gayāṁ gatvā tu vai kṛtam

becomes freed from every sin and attains the supreme state of Vishnu. It should be understood that by him the shraddha and other rites for his father have been performed, as though he had gone to Gaya.

Verse 13 (padma.6.67.13)

येन वा पुरुषेणापि विधृतं गोपिचंदनम् । मद्यपो ब्रह्महा चैव गोघ्नो वा बालहा तथा । मुच्यते तत्क्षणादेव गोपीचंदनधारणात्

yena vā puruṣeṇāpi vidhṛtaṁ gopicaṁdanam madyapo brahmahā caiva goghno vā bālahā tathā mucyate tatkṣaṇādeva gopīcaṁdanadhāraṇāt

Whatever man may have worn gopi-chandana - whether he be a drinker of liquor, a killer of a brahmin, a killer of a cow, or a killer of a child - he becomes freed at that very instant by wearing gopi-chandana.