Brahma Purana — Chapter 88
BrP 88.1
तस्माद् अप्य् अपरं तीर्थं जनस्थानम् इति श्रुतम् चतुर्योजनविस्तीर्णं स्मरणान् मुक्तिदं नृणाम् ॥
tasmād apy aparaṃ tīrthaṃ janasthānam iti śrutam caturyojanavistīrṇaṃ smaraṇān muktidaṃ nṛṇām //
Beyond that there is yet another sacred site, known as Janasthāna, four yojanas in extent, granting men liberation by the mere remembering of it.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.2
वैवस्वतान्वये जातो राजाभूज् जनकः पुरा सो ऽपांपतेस् तु तनुजाम् उपयेमे गुणार्णवाम् ॥
vaivasvatānvaye jāto rājābhūj janakaḥ purā so 'pāṃpates tu tanujām upayeme guṇārṇavām //
Born in the line of Vaivasvata, there was once a king named Janaka; and he married the daughter of the lord of the waters, an ocean of virtues.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.3
धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणां जनकां जनको नृपः अनुरूपगुणत्वाच् च तस्य भार्या गुणार्णवा ॥
dharmārthakāmamokṣāṇāṃ janakāṃ janako nṛpaḥ anurūpaguṇatvāc ca tasya bhāryā guṇārṇavā //
King Janaka was the begetter of dharma, wealth, pleasure, and liberation; and because her qualities matched his, his wife was an ocean of virtues.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.4
याज्ञवल्क्यश् च विप्रेन्द्रस् तस्य राज्ञः पुरोहितः तम् अपृच्छन् नृपश्रेष्ठो याज्ञवल्क्यं पुरोहितम् ॥
yājñavalkyaś ca viprendras tasya rājñaḥ purohitaḥ tam apṛcchan nṛpaśreṣṭho yājñavalkyaṃ purohitam //
And Yājñavalkya, the best of brahmins, was that king's household priest. The foremost of kings asked him, Yājñavalkya the priest:
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.5
भुक्तिमुक्ती उभे श्रेष्ठे निर्णीते मुनिसत्तमैः दासीदासेभतुरगरथाद्यैर् भुक्तिर् उत्तमा ॥
bhuktimuktī ubhe śreṣṭhe nirṇīte munisattamaiḥ dāsīdāsebhaturagarathādyair bhuktir uttamā //
"Enjoyment and liberation — both have been determined by the best of sages to be excellent. Enjoyment is highest when it comes with maidservants, servants, elephants, horses, chariots and the rest;
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.6
किंत्व् अन्तविरसा भुक्तिर् मुक्तिर् एका निरत्यया भुक्तेर् मुक्तिः श्रेष्ठतमा भुक्त्या मुक्तिं कथं व्रजेत् ॥
kiṃtv antavirasā bhuktir muktir ekā niratyayā bhukter muktiḥ śreṣṭhatamā bhuktyā muktiṃ kathaṃ vrajet //
but enjoyment turns insipid in the end, while liberation alone is without decline. Liberation is far better than enjoyment: how may one reach liberation by way of enjoyment?
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.7
सर्वसङ्गपरित्यागान् मुक्तिप्राप्तिः सुदुःखतः तद् ब्रूहि द्विजशार्दूल सुखान् मुक्तिः कथं भवेत् ॥
sarvasaṅgaparityāgān muktiprāptiḥ suduḥkhataḥ tad brūhi dvijaśārdūla sukhān muktiḥ kathaṃ bhavet //
The attainment of liberation through the abandonment of all attachments is very painful. So tell me, tiger among the twice-born, how liberation may come about pleasantly."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.8
अपांपतिस् तव गुरुः श्वशुरः प्रियकृत् तथा तं गत्वा पृच्छ नृपते उपदेक्ष्यति ते हितम् ॥
apāṃpatis tava guruḥ śvaśuraḥ priyakṛt tathā taṃ gatvā pṛccha nṛpate upadekṣyati te hitam //
"The lord of the waters is your teacher, your father-in-law, and one who does what pleases you; go to him and ask, O king — he will instruct you in what is good for you."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.9
याज्ञवल्क्यश् च जनको राजानं वरुणं तदा गत्वा चोचतुर् अव्यग्रौ मुक्तिमार्गं यथाक्रमम् ॥
yājñavalkyaś ca janako rājānaṃ varuṇaṃ tadā gatvā cocatur avyagrau muktimārgaṃ yathākramam //
Then Yājñavalkya and Janaka went to King Varuṇa and, unhurried, spoke of the path to liberation in due order.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.10
द्विधा तु संस्थिता मुक्तिः कर्मद्वारे ऽप्य् अकर्मणि वेदे च निश्चितो मार्गः कर्म ज्यायो ह्य् अकर्मणः ॥
dvidhā tu saṃsthitā muktiḥ karmadvāre 'py akarmaṇi vede ca niścito mārgaḥ karma jyāyo hy akarmaṇaḥ //
"Liberation is established in two ways: through the door of action, and also in non-action. And in the Veda the path is settled: action is better than non-action.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.11
सर्वं च कर्मणा बद्धं पुरुषार्थचतुष्टयम् अकर्मणैवाप्यत इति मुक्तिमार्गो मृषोच्यते ॥
sarvaṃ ca karmaṇā baddhaṃ puruṣārthacatuṣṭayam akarmaṇaivāpyata iti muktimārgo mṛṣocyate //
And the whole set of four human aims is bound up with action; that it is obtained by non-action alone — such a path to liberation is spoken of falsely.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.12
कर्मणा सर्वधान्यानि सेत्स्यन्ति नृपसत्तम तस्मात् सर्वात्मना कर्म कर्तव्यं वैदिकं नृभिः ॥
karmaṇā sarvadhānyāni setsyanti nṛpasattama tasmāt sarvātmanā karma kartavyaṃ vaidikaṃ nṛbhiḥ //
By action all riches will be accomplished, best of kings; therefore action prescribed by the Veda must be performed by men with their whole being.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.13
तेन भुक्तिं च मुक्तिं च प्राप्नुवन्तीह मानवाः अकर्मणः कर्म पुण्यं कर्म चाप्य् आश्रमेषु च ॥
tena bhuktiṃ ca muktiṃ ca prāpnuvantīha mānavāḥ akarmaṇaḥ karma puṇyaṃ karma cāpy āśrameṣu ca //
By that, men here obtain both enjoyment and liberation; action is more meritorious than non-action, and (so is) action within the stages of life (āśramas).
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.14
जात्याश्रितं च राजेन्द्र तत्रापि शृणु धर्मवित् आश्रमाणि च चत्वारि कर्मद्वाराणि मानद ॥
jātyāśritaṃ ca rājendra tatrāpi śṛṇu dharmavit āśramāṇi ca catvāri karmadvārāṇi mānada //
And (there is duty) based on birth (caste), O lord of kings; hear about that too, you who know dharma. And the four stages of life are the gateways of action, O bestower of honour.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.15
चतुर्णाम् आश्रमाणां च गार्हस्थ्यं पुण्यदं स्मृतम् तस्माद् भुक्तिश् च मुक्तिश् च भवतीति मतिर् मम ॥
caturṇām āśramāṇāṃ ca gārhasthyaṃ puṇyadaṃ smṛtam tasmād bhuktiś ca muktiś ca bhavatīti matir mama //
And of the four stages of life, the householder's state is remembered as the giver of merit; therefore from it come both enjoyment and liberation—such is my view.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.16
एतच् छ्रुत्वा तु जनको याज्ञवल्क्यश् च बुद्धिमान् वरुणं पूजयित्वा तु पुनर् वचनम् ऊचतुः ॥
etac chrutvā tu janako yājñavalkyaś ca buddhimān varuṇaṃ pūjayitvā tu punar vacanam ūcatuḥ //
Having heard this, Janaka and the wise Yājñavalkya, after honouring Varuṇa, spoke a word again:
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.17
को देशः किं च तीर्थं स्याद् भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायकम् तद् वदस्व सुरश्रेष्ठ सर्वज्ञो ऽसि नमो ऽस्तु ते ॥
ko deśaḥ kiṃ ca tīrthaṃ syād bhuktimuktipradāyakam tad vadasva suraśreṣṭha sarvajño 'si namo 'stu te //
"Which land, and what holy place, would grant enjoyment and liberation? Tell us that, best of gods; you are all-knowing—homage be to you."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.18
पृथिव्यां भारतं वर्षं दण्डकं तत्र पुण्यदम् तस्मिन् क्षेत्रे कृतं कर्म भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदं नृणाम् ॥
pṛthivyāṃ bhārataṃ varṣaṃ daṇḍakaṃ tatra puṇyadam tasmin kṣetre kṛtaṃ karma bhuktimuktipradaṃ nṛṇām //
"On the earth (there is) the land of Bharata; in it the Daṇḍaka (region) is the giver of merit. Action performed in that field bestows enjoyment and liberation on men.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.19
तीर्थानां गौतमी गङ्गा श्रेष्ठा मुक्तिप्रदा नृणाम् तत्र यज्ञेन दानेन भोगान् मुक्तिम् अवाप्स्यति ॥
tīrthānāṃ gautamī gaṅgā śreṣṭhā muktipradā nṛṇām tatra yajñena dānena bhogān muktim avāpsyati //
Among holy places the Gautamī Gaṅgā is the best, granting men liberation; there, by sacrifice and by giving, one will obtain enjoyments and liberation."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.20
याज्ञवल्क्यश् च जनको वाचं श्रुत्वा ह्य् अपांपतेः वरुणेन ह्य् अनुज्ञातौ स्वपुरीं जग्मतुस् तदा ॥
yājñavalkyaś ca janako vācaṃ śrutvā hy apāṃpateḥ varuṇena hy anujñātau svapurīṃ jagmatus tadā //
And Yājñavalkya and Janaka, having heard the speech of the lord of waters, then, permitted by Varuṇa, went to their own city.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.21
अश्वमेधादिकं कर्म चकार जनको नृपः याजयाम् आस विप्रेन्द्रो याज्ञवल्क्यश् च तं नृपम् ॥
aśvamedhādikaṃ karma cakāra janako nṛpaḥ yājayām āsa viprendro yājñavalkyaś ca taṃ nṛpam //
King Janaka performed the rites beginning with the horse sacrifice, and the chief of brahmins, Yājñavalkya, conducted the sacrifices for that king.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.22
गङ्गातीरं समाश्रित्य यज्ञान् मुक्तिम् अवाप राट् तथा जनकराजानो बहवस् तत्र कर्मणा ॥
gaṅgātīraṃ samāśritya yajñān muktim avāpa rāṭ tathā janakarājāno bahavas tatra karmaṇā //
Resorting to the bank of the Gaṅgā, the king attained liberation through sacrifices; and likewise many Janaka kings there, by rites,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.23
मुक्तिं प्रापुर् महाभागा गौतम्याश् च प्रसादतः ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थं जनस्थानेति विश्रुतम् ॥
muktiṃ prāpur mahābhāgā gautamyāś ca prasādataḥ tataḥ prabhṛti tat tīrthaṃ janasthāneti viśrutam //
those greatly fortunate ones attained liberation, and by the grace of the Gautamī. From then on that holy place is renowned as Janasthāna.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.24
जनकानां यज्ञसदो जनस्थानं प्रकीर्तितम् चतुर्योजनविस्तीर्णं स्मरणात् सर्वपापनुत् ॥
janakānāṃ yajñasado janasthānaṃ prakīrtitam caturyojanavistīrṇaṃ smaraṇāt sarvapāpanut //
The sacrificial hall of the Janakas is proclaimed (to be) Janasthāna, extending four yojanas, dispelling all sins by (mere) recollection.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.25
तत्र स्नानेन दानेन पितॄणां तर्पणेन तु तीर्थस्य स्मरणाद् वापि गमनाद् भक्तिसेवनात् ॥
tatra snānena dānena pitṝṇāṃ tarpaṇena tu tīrthasya smaraṇād vāpi gamanād bhaktisevanāt //
There, by bathing, by giving, and by offering water-libations to the ancestors, or even by remembering the holy place, by going (to it), by serving it with devotion,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 88.26
सर्वान् कामान् अवाप्नोति मुक्तिं च समवाप्नुयात् ॥
sarvān kāmān avāpnoti muktiṃ ca samavāpnuyāt //
one obtains all desires, and would attain liberation as well.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition