Brahma Purana — Chapter 85
BrP 85.1
क्षुधातीर्थम् इति ख्यातं शृणु नारद तन्मनाः कथ्यमानं महापुण्यं सर्वकामप्रदं नृणाम् ॥
kṣudhātīrtham iti khyātaṃ śṛṇu nārada tanmanāḥ kathyamānaṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ sarvakāmapradaṃ nṛṇām //
Listen with attentive mind, Nārada, to what is called the Kṣudhātīrtha, as it is told — greatly meritorious, granting men all their desires.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 85.2
ऋषिर् आसीत् पुरा कण्वस् तपस्वी वेदवित्तमः परिभ्रमन्न् आश्रमाणि क्षुधया परिपीडितः ॥
ṛṣir āsīt purā kaṇvas tapasvī vedavittamaḥ paribhramann āśramāṇi kṣudhayā paripīḍitaḥ //
Formerly there was a sage, Kaṇva, an ascetic, most learned in the Vedas, who wandered about among the hermitages, sorely afflicted by hunger.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 85.3
गौतमस्याश्रमं पुण्यं समृद्धं चान्नवारिणा आत्मानं च क्षुधायुक्तं समृद्धं चापि गौतमम् ॥
gautamasyāśramaṃ puṇyaṃ samṛddhaṃ cānnavāriṇā ātmānaṃ ca kṣudhāyuktaṃ samṛddhaṃ cāpi gautamam //
(Seeing) Gautama's hermitage, holy and abounding in food and water, and himself beset by hunger, and Gautama too prosperous —
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 85.4
वीक्ष्य कण्वो ऽथ वैषम्यं वैराग्यम् अगमत् तदा गौतमो ऽपि द्विजश्रेष्ठो ह्य् अहं तपसि निष्ठितः ॥
vīkṣya kaṇvo 'tha vaiṣamyaṃ vairāgyam agamat tadā gautamo 'pi dvijaśreṣṭho hy ahaṃ tapasi niṣṭhitaḥ //
Then Kaṇva, seeing the disparity, fell into disgust with the world: "Gautama too is a foremost brahmin, and I am established in ascetic practice.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 85.5
समेन याच्ञायुक्ता स्यात् तस्माद् गौतमवेश्मनि न भोक्ष्ये ऽहं क्षुधार्तो ऽपि पीडिते ऽपि कलेवरे ॥
samena yācñāyuktā syāt tasmād gautamaveśmani na bhokṣye 'haṃ kṣudhārto 'pi pīḍite 'pi kalevare //
Begging from an equal would be (unfitting); therefore in Gautama's house I will not eat, though tormented by hunger, though my body be afflicted.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 85.6
गच्छेयं गौतमीं गङ्गाम् अर्जयेयं च संपदम् इति निश्चित्य मेधावी गत्वा गङ्गां च पावनीम् ॥
gaccheyaṃ gautamīṃ gaṅgām arjayeyaṃ ca saṃpadam iti niścitya medhāvī gatvā gaṅgāṃ ca pāvanīm //
Let me go to the Gautamī Gaṅgā and win prosperity there" — having so resolved, the wise man went to the purifying Gaṅgā,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 85.7
स्नात्वा शुचिर् यतमना उपविश्य कुशासने तुष्टाव गौतमीं गङ्गां क्षुधां च परमापदम् ॥
snātvā śucir yatamanā upaviśya kuśāsane tuṣṭāva gautamīṃ gaṅgāṃ kṣudhāṃ ca paramāpadam //
and having bathed, pure and with restrained mind, seated on a kuśa-grass mat, he praised the Gautamī Gaṅgā and Hunger, the supreme calamity:
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 85.8
नमो ऽस्तु गङ्गे परमार्तिहारिणि नमः क्षुधे सर्वजनार्तिकारिणि नमो महेशानजटोद्भवे शुभे नमो महामृत्युमुखाद् विनिसृते
namo 'stu gaṅge paramārtihāriṇi namaḥ kṣudhe sarvajanārtikāriṇi namo maheśānajaṭodbhave śubhe namo mahāmṛtyumukhād vinisṛte
"Homage to you, Gaṅgā, remover of the greatest distress; homage to you, Hunger, who bring distress to all people; homage, auspicious one, arisen from the matted hair of Maheśāna; homage to you who issued forth from the mouth of the great Death;
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 85.9
पुण्यात्मनां शान्तरूपे क्रोधरूपे दुरात्मनाम् सरिद्रूपेण सर्वेषां तापपापापहारिणि ॥
puṇyātmanāṃ śāntarūpe krodharūpe durātmanām saridrūpeṇa sarveṣāṃ tāpapāpāpahāriṇi //
you who are of peaceful form to the virtuous and of wrathful form to the wicked, who in the form of a river carry away the affliction and sin of all;
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 85.10
क्षुधारूपेण सर्वेषां तापपापप्रदे नमः नमः श्रेयस्करि देवि नमः पापप्रतर्दिनि नमः शान्तिकरि देवि नमो दारिद्र्यनाशिनि ॥
kṣudhārūpeṇa sarveṣāṃ tāpapāpaprade namaḥ namaḥ śreyaskari devi namaḥ pāpapratardini namaḥ śāntikari devi namo dāridryanāśini //
homage to you who in the form of Hunger bring affliction and sin to all; homage, goddess who works welfare; homage, destroyer of sin; homage, goddess who brings peace; homage, annihilator of poverty."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 85.11
इत्य् एवं स्तुवतस् तस्य पुरस्ताद् अभवद् द्वयम् एकं गाङ्गं मनोहारि ह्य् अपरं भीषणाकृति पुनः कृताञ्जलिर् भूत्वा नमस्कृत्वा द्विजोत्तमः ॥
ity evaṃ stuvatas tasya purastād abhavad dvayam ekaṃ gāṅgaṃ manohāri hy aparaṃ bhīṣaṇākṛti punaḥ kṛtāñjalir bhūtvā namaskṛtvā dvijottamaḥ //
As he was praising thus, a pair (of forms) appeared before him: one belonging to the Gaṅgā, delightful, and the other of terrifying shape; and again the best of brahmins, joining his palms, made obeisance (and said):
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 85.12
सर्वमङ्गलमाङ्गल्ये ब्राह्मि माहेश्वरि शुभे वैष्णवि त्र्यम्बके देवि गोदावरि नमो ऽस्तु ते ॥
sarvamaṅgalamāṅgalye brāhmi māheśvari śubhe vaiṣṇavi tryambake devi godāvari namo 'stu te //
"O auspiciousness of all auspicious things, Brāhmī, Māheśvarī, auspicious one, Vaiṣṇavī, Tryambakā, goddess Godāvarī, homage be to you.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 85.13
त्र्यम्बकस्य जटोद्भूते गौतमस्याघनाशिनि सप्तधा सागरं यान्ति गोदावरि नमो ऽस्तु ते ॥
tryambakasya jaṭodbhūte gautamasyāghanāśini saptadhā sāgaraṃ yānti godāvari namo 'stu te //
O you arisen from the matted hair of Tryambaka, destroyer of Gautama's sin, whose (streams) go sevenfold to the ocean, Godāvarī, homage be to you.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 85.14
सर्वपापकृतां पापे धर्मकामार्थनाशिनि दुःखलोभमयि देवि क्षुधे तुभ्यं नमो नमः ॥
sarvapāpakṛtāṃ pāpe dharmakāmārthanāśini duḥkhalobhamayi devi kṣudhe tubhyaṃ namo namaḥ //
O sin (itself) of all who commit sin, destroyer of dharma, pleasure and wealth, goddess made of sorrow and greed, Hunger — to you homage, homage."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 85.15
तत् कण्ववचनं श्रुत्वा सुप्रीते आहतुर् द्विजम् ॥
tat kaṇvavacanaṃ śrutvā suprīte āhatur dvijam //
Hearing that speech of Kaṇva, the two, well pleased, said to the brahmin:
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 85.16
अभीष्टं वद कल्याण वरान् वरय सुव्रत ॥
abhīṣṭaṃ vada kalyāṇa varān varaya suvrata //
"Speak your wish, auspicious one; choose boons, you of good vows."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 85.17
प्रोवाच प्रणतो गङ्गां कण्वः क्षुधां यथाक्रमम् ॥
provāca praṇato gaṅgāṃ kaṇvaḥ kṣudhāṃ yathākramam //
Bowing, Kaṇva addressed Gaṅgā and Hunger in turn.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 85.18
देहि देवि मनोज्ञानि कामानि विभवं मम आयुर् वित्तं च भुक्तिं च मुक्तिं गङ्गे प्रयच्छ मे ॥
dehi devi manojñāni kāmāni vibhavaṃ mama āyur vittaṃ ca bhuktiṃ ca muktiṃ gaṅge prayaccha me //
"Grant, O goddess, the pleasing objects of my desire and prosperity; grant me long life, wealth, enjoyment, and liberation, O Gaṅgā."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 85.19
इत्य् उक्त्वा गौतमीं गङ्गां क्षुधां चाह द्विजोत्तमः ॥
ity uktvā gautamīṃ gaṅgāṃ kṣudhāṃ cāha dvijottamaḥ //
Having spoken thus to the Gautamī Gaṅgā, the best of the twice-born addressed Hunger as well.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 85.20
मयि मद्वंशजे चापि क्षुधे तृष्णे दरिद्रिणि याहि पापतरे रूक्षे न भूयास् त्वं कदाचन ॥
mayi madvaṃśaje cāpi kṣudhe tṛṣṇe daridriṇi yāhi pāpatare rūkṣe na bhūyās tvaṃ kadācana //
"O Hunger, O Thirst, O Poverty, in me and in those born of my line—go away, you most sinful, harsh one; never again may you be (here)."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 85.21
अनेन स्तवेन ये वै त्वां स्तुवन्ति क्षुधातुराः तेषां दारिद्र्यदुःखानि न भवेयुर् वरो ऽपरः ॥
anena stavena ye vai tvāṃ stuvanti kṣudhāturāḥ teṣāṃ dāridryaduḥkhāni na bhaveyur varo 'paraḥ //
"Those who, afflicted by hunger, praise you with this hymn—may the sufferings of poverty not befall them: (this is) another boon."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 85.22
अस्मिंस् तीर्थे महापुण्ये स्नानदानजपादिकम् ये कुर्वन्ति नरा भक्त्या लक्ष्मीभाजो भवन्तु ते ॥
asmiṃs tīrthe mahāpuṇye snānadānajapādikam ye kurvanti narā bhaktyā lakṣmībhājo bhavantu te //
"Those men who with devotion perform bathing, giving, muttering of prayers and the rest at this greatly meritorious sacred ford—may they become possessors of prosperity."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 85.23
यस् त्व् इदं पठते स्तोत्रं तीर्थे वा यदि वा गृहे तस्य दारिद्र्यदुःखेभ्यो न भयं स्याद् वरो ऽपरः ॥
yas tv idaṃ paṭhate stotraṃ tīrthe vā yadi vā gṛhe tasya dāridryaduḥkhebhyo na bhayaṃ syād varo 'paraḥ //
"But whoever recites this hymn of praise, whether at the ford or at home—for him let there be no fear of the sufferings of poverty: (this is) another boon."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 85.25
एवम् अस्त्व् इति चोक्त्वा ते कण्वं याते स्वम् आलयम् ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थं काण्वं गाङ्गं क्षुधाभिधम् सर्वपापहरं वत्स पितॄणां प्रीतिवर्धनम् ॥
evam astv iti coktvā te kaṇvaṃ yāte svam ālayam tataḥ prabhṛti tat tīrthaṃ kāṇvaṃ gāṅgaṃ kṣudhābhidham sarvapāpaharaṃ vatsa pitṝṇāṃ prītivardhanam //
And having said to Kaṇva, "So be it," they went to their own abode. From then on that ford has been called Kāṇva, Gāṅga, and Kṣudhā (Hunger); it removes all sins, my child, and increases the joy of the ancestors.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition