Brahma Purana — Chapter 99
BrP 99.1
ऋणप्रमोचनं नाम तीर्थं वेदविदो विदुः तस्य स्वरूपं वक्ष्यामि शृणु नारद तन्मनाः ॥
ṛṇapramocanaṃ nāma tīrthaṃ vedavido viduḥ tasya svarūpaṃ vakṣyāmi śṛṇu nārada tanmanāḥ //
Those who know the Vedas know a ford named Ṛṇapramocana ("Release from Debt"). I shall tell its nature; listen, Nārada, with attentive mind.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 99.2
आसीत् पृथुश्रवा नाम प्रियः कक्षीवतः सुतः न दारसंग्रहं लेभे वैराग्यान् नाग्निपूजनम् ॥
āsīt pṛthuśravā nāma priyaḥ kakṣīvataḥ sutaḥ na dārasaṃgrahaṃ lebhe vairāgyān nāgnipūjanam //
There was one named Pṛthuśravas, the dear son of Kakṣīvat. Out of dispassion he undertook neither the taking of a wife nor the worship of the fire.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 99.3
कनीयांस् तु समर्थो ऽपि परिवित्तिभयान् मुने नाकरोद् दारकर्मादि नैवाग्नीनाम् उपासनम् ॥
kanīyāṃs tu samartho 'pi parivittibhayān mune nākarod dārakarmādi naivāgnīnām upāsanam //
But the younger (brother), though capable, out of fear of being a parivitti (one married before his elder brother), O sage, performed neither the marriage rite and the rest, nor the tending of the fires.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 99.4
ततः प्रोचुः पितृगणाः पुत्रं कक्षीवतः शुभम् ज्येष्ठं चैव कनिष्ठं च पृथक् पृथग् इदं वचः ॥
tataḥ procuḥ pitṛgaṇāḥ putraṃ kakṣīvataḥ śubham jyeṣṭhaṃ caiva kaniṣṭhaṃ ca pṛthak pṛthag idaṃ vacaḥ //
Then the hosts of the ancestors spoke this word to the auspicious son of Kakṣīvat, to the eldest and to the youngest, each separately:
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 99.5
ऋणत्रयापनोदाय क्रियतां दारसंग्रहः ॥
ṛṇatrayāpanodāya kriyatāṃ dārasaṃgrahaḥ //
"For the removal of the three debts, let a wife be taken."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 99.6
नेत्य् उवाच ततो ज्येष्ठः किम् ऋणं केन युज्यते कनीयांस् तु पितॄन् प्राह न योग्यो दारसंग्रहः ॥
nety uvāca tato jyeṣṭhaḥ kim ṛṇaṃ kena yujyate kanīyāṃs tu pitṝn prāha na yogyo dārasaṃgrahaḥ //
Then the elder said "No: what debt is there, and with whom is one bound by it?" But the younger said to the ancestors, "The taking of a wife is not proper (for me),
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 99.7
ज्येष्ठे सति महाप्राज्ञः परिवित्तिभयाद् इति ताव् उभौ पुनर् अप्य् एवम् ऊचुस् ते वै पितामहाः ॥
jyeṣṭhe sati mahāprājñaḥ parivittibhayād iti tāv ubhau punar apy evam ūcus te vai pitāmahāḥ //
since an elder brother exists, from fear of being a parivitti"—so (spoke) the very wise one. To those two the grandfathers spoke thus once again:
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 99.8
याताम् उभौ गौतमीं तु पुण्यां कक्षीवतः सुतौ कुरुतां गौतमीस्नानं सर्वाभीष्टप्रदायकम् ॥
yātām ubhau gautamīṃ tu puṇyāṃ kakṣīvataḥ sutau kurutāṃ gautamīsnānaṃ sarvābhīṣṭapradāyakam //
"Let both sons of Kakṣīvat go to the holy Gautamī; let them perform the bath in the Gautamī, which bestows all that is desired.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 99.9
गच्छतां गौतमीं गङ्गां लोकत्रितयपावनीम् स्नानं च तर्पणं तस्यां कुरुतां श्रद्धयान्वितौ ॥
gacchatāṃ gautamīṃ gaṅgāṃ lokatritayapāvanīm snānaṃ ca tarpaṇaṃ tasyāṃ kurutāṃ śraddhayānvitau //
Let the two of you go to the Gautamī Gaṅgā, purifier of the three worlds, and, endowed with faith, perform bathing and the libation to the ancestors in her.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 99.10
दृष्टावनामिता ध्याता गौतमी सर्वकामदा न देशकालजात्यादिनियमो ऽत्रावगाहने ज्येष्ठो ऽनृणस् ततो भूयात् परिवित्तिर् न चेतरः ॥
dṛṣṭāvanāmitā dhyātā gautamī sarvakāmadā na deśakālajātyādiniyamo 'trāvagāhane jyeṣṭho 'nṛṇas tato bhūyāt parivittir na cetaraḥ //
Seen, bowed to, meditated on, the Gautamī grants every wish; in bathing here there is no restriction as to place, time, birth and the rest. Thereby let the elder become free of debt, and the other not a parivitti."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 99.11
ततः पृथुश्रवा ज्येष्ठः कृत्वा स्नानं सतर्पणम् त्रयाणाम् अपि लोकानां काक्षीवतो ऽनृणो ऽभवत् ॥
tataḥ pṛthuśravā jyeṣṭhaḥ kṛtvā snānaṃ satarpaṇam trayāṇām api lokānāṃ kākṣīvato 'nṛṇo 'bhavat //
Then Pṛthuśravas the elder, the son of Kakṣīvat, having performed the bath together with the libation, became free of debt to all three worlds.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 99.12
ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थम् ऋणमोचनम् उच्यते श्रौतस्मार्त-ऋणेभ्यश् च इतरेभ्यश् च नारद तत्र स्नानेन दानेन ऋणी मुक्तः सुखी भवेत् ॥
tataḥ prabhṛti tat tīrtham ṛṇamocanam ucyate śrautasmārta-ṛṇebhyaś ca itarebhyaś ca nārada tatra snānena dānena ṛṇī muktaḥ sukhī bhavet //
From that time on that ford is called Ṛṇamocana ("the release from debt"); and from debts owed under śruti and smṛti and from other (debts) too, Nārada, by bathing and giving there a debtor becomes freed and happy.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition