Vishnu Purana — Amsha 6 — Chapter 2
ViP 6 2.1
व्यासश् चाह महाबुद्धिर् यद् अत्रैव हि वस्तुनि तच् छ्रूयतां महाभाग गदतो मम तत्त्वतः ॥
vyāsaś cāha mahābuddhir yad atraiva hi vastuni tac chrūyatāṃ mahābhāga gadato mama tattvataḥ //
And what the greatly wise Vyāsa said on this very matter — let that be heard, greatly fortunate one, as I relate it as it truly is.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.2
कस्मिन् काले ऽल्पको धर्मो ददाति सुमहत् फलम् मुनीनाम् अप्य् अभूद् वादः कैश् चासौ क्रियते सुखम् ॥
kasmin kāle 'lpako dharmo dadāti sumahat phalam munīnām apy abhūd vādaḥ kaiś cāsau kriyate sukham //
"In which age does a small (act of) dharma give very great fruit? And by whom is it performed easily?" — such a debate arose even among the sages.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.3
संदेहनिर्णयार्थाय वेदव्यासं महामुनिम् ययुस् ते संशयं प्रष्टुं मैत्रेय मुनिपुंगवाः ॥
saṃdehanirṇayārthāya vedavyāsaṃ mahāmunim yayus te saṃśayaṃ praṣṭuṃ maitreya munipuṃgavāḥ //
To settle their doubt, those bulls among sages went, Maitreya, to the great sage Vedavyāsa, to ask about their uncertainty.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.4
ददृशुस् ते मुनिं तत्र जाह्नवीसलिले द्विज वेदव्यासं महाभागम् अर्धस्नातं सुतं मम ॥
dadṛśus te muniṃ tatra jāhnavīsalile dvija vedavyāsaṃ mahābhāgam ardhasnātaṃ sutaṃ mama //
There, O twice-born, they saw the sage, the greatly fortunate Vedavyāsa, my son, in the water of the Ganges, half-way through his bath.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.5
स्नानावसानं ते तस्य प्रतीक्षन्तो महर्षयः तस्थुस् तटे महानद्यास् तरुषण्डम् उपाश्रिताः ॥
snānāvasānaṃ te tasya pratīkṣanto maharṣayaḥ tasthus taṭe mahānadyās taruṣaṇḍam upāśritāḥ //
Those great seers, awaiting the end of his bath, stood on the bank of the great river, taking shelter in a cluster of trees.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.6
मग्नो ऽथ जाह्नवीतोयाद् उत्थायाह सुतो मम व्यासः साधुः कलिः साधुर् इत्य् एवं शृण्वतां वचः तेषां मुनीनां भूयश् च ममज्ज स नदीजले ॥
magno 'tha jāhnavītoyād utthāyāha suto mama vyāsaḥ sādhuḥ kaliḥ sādhur ity evaṃ śṛṇvatāṃ vacaḥ teṣāṃ munīnāṃ bhūyaś ca mamajja sa nadījale //
Then my son Vyāsa, plunged in the water of the Ganges, rose up and spoke — while those sages listened — these words: "The Kali (age) is good, good is Kali!" and again he submerged himself in the river's water.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.7
उत्थाय साधु साध्व् इति शूद्र धन्यो ऽसि चाब्रवीत् ॥
utthāya sādhu sādhv iti śūdra dhanyo 'si cābravīt //
Rising up, he said, "Good, good! O Śūdra, you are fortunate!"
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.8
निमग्नश् च समुत्थाय पुनः प्राह महामुनिः योषितः साधु धन्यास् तास् ताभ्यो धन्यतरो ऽस्ति कः ॥
nimagnaś ca samutthāya punaḥ prāha mahāmuniḥ yoṣitaḥ sādhu dhanyās tās tābhyo dhanyataro 'sti kaḥ //
And having submerged and risen again, the great sage said: "Women — good! Fortunate are they! Who is more fortunate than they?"
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.9
ततः स्नात्वा यथान्यायम् आचान्तं तं कृतक्रियम् उपतस्थुर् महाभागा मुनयस् ते सुतं मम ॥
tataḥ snātvā yathānyāyam ācāntaṃ taṃ kṛtakriyam upatasthur mahābhāgā munayas te sutaṃ mama //
Then, when he had bathed according to rule, rinsed his mouth, and completed his rites, those greatly fortunate sages approached my son.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.10
कृतसंवन्दनांश् चाह कृतासनपरिग्रहान् किमर्थम् आगता यूयम् इति सत्यवतीसुतः ॥
kṛtasaṃvandanāṃś cāha kṛtāsanaparigrahān kimartham āgatā yūyam iti satyavatīsutaḥ //
And when they had made their salutations and had accepted seats, the son of Satyavatī said to them, "For what purpose have you come?"
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.11
तम् ऊचुः संशयं प्रष्टुं भवन्तं वयम् आगताः अलं तेनास्तु तावन् नः कथ्यताम् अपरं त्वया ॥
tam ūcuḥ saṃśayaṃ praṣṭuṃ bhavantaṃ vayam āgatāḥ alaṃ tenāstu tāvan naḥ kathyatām aparaṃ tvayā //
They said to him: "We have come to ask you about a doubt; but enough of that for now — let something else be told us by you.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.12
कलिः साध्व् इति यत् प्रोक्तं शूद्रः साध्व् इति योषितः यच् चाह भगवान् साधु धन्याश् चेति पुनः पुनः ॥
kaliḥ sādhv iti yat proktaṃ śūdraḥ sādhv iti yoṣitaḥ yac cāha bhagavān sādhu dhanyāś ceti punaḥ punaḥ //
"What was said — 'Kali is good,' 'the Śūdra is good,' 'women (are good)' — and what your reverence said again and again, 'Good!' and 'Fortunate!' —
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.13
तत् सर्वं श्रोतुम् इच्छामो न चेद् गुह्यं महामुने तत् कथ्यतां ततो हृत्स्थं पृच्छामस् त्वां प्रयोजनम् ॥
tat sarvaṃ śrotum icchāmo na ced guhyaṃ mahāmune tat kathyatāṃ tato hṛtsthaṃ pṛcchāmas tvāṃ prayojanam //
"all that we wish to hear, if it is not secret, O great sage. Let that be told; then we will ask you the purpose that lies in our heart."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.14
इत्य् उक्तो मुनिभिर् व्यासः प्रहस्येदम् अथाब्रवीत् श्रूयतां भो मुनिश्रेष्ठा यद् उक्तं साधु साध्व् इति ॥
ity ukto munibhir vyāsaḥ prahasyedam athābravīt śrūyatāṃ bho muniśreṣṭhā yad uktaṃ sādhu sādhv iti //
Thus addressed by the sages, Vyāsa laughed and then said this: "Listen, O best of sages, to why 'Good, good!' was said.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.15
यत् कृते दशभिर् वर्षैस् त्रेतायां हायनेन तत् द्वापरे तच् च मासेन अहोरात्रेण तत् कलौ ॥
yat kṛte daśabhir varṣais tretāyāṃ hāyanena tat dvāpare tac ca māsena ahorātreṇa tat kalau //
"What (is gained) in the Kṛta age by ten years, that (is gained) in the Tretā by one year, and that in the Dvāpara by a month, and that in the Kali by a day and a night —
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.16
तपसो ब्रह्मचर्यस्य जपादेश् च फलं द्विजाः प्राप्नोति पुरुषस् तेन कलिः साध्व् इति भाषितम् ॥
tapaso brahmacaryasya japādeś ca phalaṃ dvijāḥ prāpnoti puruṣas tena kaliḥ sādhv iti bhāṣitam //
"the fruit of austerity, of chastity, and of recitation and the rest, O twice-born, a man obtains (so); for that reason it was said, 'Kali is good.'
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.17
ध्यायन् कृते यजन् यज्ञैस् त्रेतायां द्वापरे ऽर्चयन् यद् आप्नोति तद् आप्नोति कलौ संकीर्त्य केशवम् ॥
dhyāyan kṛte yajan yajñais tretāyāṃ dvāpare 'rcayan yad āpnoti tad āpnoti kalau saṃkīrtya keśavam //
"What one gains by meditating in the Kṛta, by sacrificing with sacrifices in the Tretā, by worship in the Dvāpara — that one gains in the Kali by praising Keśava.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.18
धर्मोत्कर्षम् अतीवात्र प्राप्नोति पुरुषः कलौ स्वल्पायासेन धर्मज्ञास् तेन तुष्टो ऽस्म्य् अहं कलेः ॥
dharmotkarṣam atīvātra prāpnoti puruṣaḥ kalau svalpāyāsena dharmajñās tena tuṣṭo 'smy ahaṃ kaleḥ //
"Here in the Kali a man attains a very great excess of merit with little effort, O knowers of dharma; for that reason I am pleased with Kali.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.19
व्रतचर्योपहारैश् च ग्राह्यो वेदो द्विजातिभिः ततः स्वधर्मसंप्राप्तैर् यष्टव्यं विधिवद् धनैः ॥
vratacaryopahāraiś ca grāhyo vedo dvijātibhiḥ tataḥ svadharmasaṃprāptair yaṣṭavyaṃ vidhivad dhanaiḥ //
"The Veda must be acquired by the twice-born through the practice of vows and through gifts (to the teacher); then, with wealth obtained by their own proper occupation, they must sacrifice according to rule.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.20
वृथा कथा वृथा भोज्यं वृथेज्या च द्विजन्मनाम् पतनाय तथा भाव्यं तैस् तु संयमिभिः सदा ॥
vṛthā kathā vṛthā bhojyaṃ vṛthejyā ca dvijanmanām patanāya tathā bhāvyaṃ tais tu saṃyamibhiḥ sadā //
"Idle talk, eating in vain, and useless sacrificing lead to the fall of the twice-born; therefore they must always be self-restrained.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.21
असम्यक्करणे दोषस् तेषां सर्वेषु वस्तुषु भोज्यपेयादिकं चैषां नेच्छाप्राप्तिकरं द्विजाः ॥
asamyakkaraṇe doṣas teṣāṃ sarveṣu vastuṣu bhojyapeyādikaṃ caiṣāṃ necchāprāptikaraṃ dvijāḥ //
"For them there is fault in the improper performance of any matter whatever, and their food, drink and the rest does not come to them at will, O twice-born.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.22
पारतन्त्र्यं समस्तेषु तेषां कार्येषु वै ततः जयन्ति ते निजांल् लोकान् क्लेशेन महता द्विजाः ॥
pāratantryaṃ samasteṣu teṣāṃ kāryeṣu vai tataḥ jayanti te nijāṃl lokān kleśena mahatā dvijāḥ //
"Hence in all their duties there is dependence on others; and so, O twice-born, they win their own worlds with great hardship.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.23
द्विजशुश्रूषयैवैष पाकयज्ञाधिकारवान् निजाञ् जयति वै लोकाञ् शूद्रो धन्यतरस् ततः ॥
dvijaśuśrūṣayaivaiṣa pākayajñādhikāravān nijāñ jayati vai lokāñ śūdro dhanyataras tataḥ //
By service to the twice-born alone, this one, entitled to the pāka-sacrifices, wins his own worlds; therefore the śūdra is more fortunate.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.24
भक्ष्याभक्ष्येषु नास्यास्ति पेयापेयेषु वै यतः नियमो मुनिशार्दूलास् तेनासौ साध्व् इतीरितम् ॥
bhakṣyābhakṣyeṣu nāsyāsti peyāpeyeṣu vai yataḥ niyamo muniśārdūlās tenāsau sādhv itīritam //
Since for him there is no restriction regarding foods to be eaten and not eaten, or drinks to be drunk and not drunk, O tigers among sages, therefore "well done!" was uttered by me for him.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.25
स्वधर्मस्याविरोधेन नरैर् लब्धं धनं सदा प्रतिपाद्यं च पात्रेषु यष्टव्यं च यथाविधि ॥
svadharmasyāvirodhena narair labdhaṃ dhanaṃ sadā pratipādyaṃ ca pātreṣu yaṣṭavyaṃ ca yathāvidhi //
Wealth obtained by men without conflict with their own duty must always be bestowed on worthy recipients and offered in sacrifice according to rule.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.26
तस्यार्जने महान् क्लेशः पालने च द्विजोत्तमाः तथासद्विनियोगाय विज्ञेयं गहनं नृणाम् ॥
tasyārjane mahān kleśaḥ pālane ca dvijottamāḥ tathāsadviniyogāya vijñeyaṃ gahanaṃ nṛṇām //
Great is the trouble in acquiring it and in guarding it, O best of the twice-born; and likewise, when it is misapplied, it is to be known as a thicket (of difficulty) for men.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
ViP 6 2.27
एभिर् अन्यैस् तथा क्लेशैः पुरुषो द्विजसत्तमाः निजाञ् जयति वै लोकान् प्राजापत्यादिकान् क्रमात् ॥
ebhir anyais tathā kleśaiḥ puruṣo dvijasattamāḥ nijāñ jayati vai lokān prājāpatyādikān kramāt //
By these and by other such troubles a man, O best of the twice-born, wins in due order his own worlds, those of Prajāpati and the rest.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.28
योषिच् छुश्रूषणं भर्तुः कर्मणा मनसा गिरा कुर्वती समवाप्नोति तत्सालोक्यं यतो द्विजाः ॥
yoṣic chuśrūṣaṇaṃ bhartuḥ karmaṇā manasā girā kurvatī samavāpnoti tatsālokyaṃ yato dvijāḥ //
Since a woman, rendering service to her husband by deed, thought and speech, attains to the same world as he, O twice-born ones—
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.29
नातिक्लेशेन महता तान् एव पुरुषो यथा तृतीयं व्याहृतं तेन मया साध्व् इति योषिताम् ॥
nātikleśena mahatā tān eva puruṣo yathā tṛtīyaṃ vyāhṛtaṃ tena mayā sādhv iti yoṣitām //
—(and attains) those very (worlds) without the very great toil that a man (undergoes), therefore the third "well done!" was uttered by me for women.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.30
एतद् वः कथितं विप्रा यन्निमित्तम् इहागताः तत् पृच्छत यथाकामं अहं वक्ष्यामि वः स्फुटम् ॥
etad vaḥ kathitaṃ viprā yannimittam ihāgatāḥ tat pṛcchata yathākāmaṃ ahaṃ vakṣyāmi vaḥ sphuṭam //
This has been told to you, O brahmins, (concerning) that for the sake of which you came here; ask about it as you wish—I shall declare it to you plainly.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.31
ततस् ते मुनयः प्रोचुर् यत् प्रष्टव्यं महामुने अन्यस्मिन्न् एव तत् प्रश्ने यथावत् कथितं त्वया ॥
tatas te munayaḥ procur yat praṣṭavyaṃ mahāmune anyasminn eva tat praśne yathāvat kathitaṃ tvayā //
Then those sages said: What was to be asked, O great sage, has been duly told by you in answer to quite another question.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.32
ततः प्रहस्य तान् प्राह कृष्णद्वैपायनो मुनिः विस्मयोत्फुल्लनयनांस् तापसांस् तान् उपागतान् ॥
tataḥ prahasya tān prāha kṛṣṇadvaipāyano muniḥ vismayotphullanayanāṃs tāpasāṃs tān upāgatān //
Then the sage Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana, laughing, spoke to those ascetics who had come to him, their eyes wide with astonishment:
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.33
मयैष भवतां प्रश्नो ज्ञातो दिव्येन चक्षुषा ततो हि वः प्रसङ्गेन साधु साध्व् इति भाषितम् ॥
mayaiṣa bhavatāṃ praśno jñāto divyena cakṣuṣā tato hi vaḥ prasaṅgena sādhu sādhv iti bhāṣitam //
This question of yours was known to me by divine sight; for that reason, by way of allusion to you, "well done, well done!" was spoken.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.34
स्वल्पेन हि प्रयत्नेन धर्मः सिध्यति वै कलौ नरैर् आत्मगुणाम्भोभिः क्षालिताखिलकिल्बिषैः ॥
svalpena hi prayatnena dharmaḥ sidhyati vai kalau narair ātmaguṇāmbhobhiḥ kṣālitākhilakilbiṣaiḥ //
For with very little effort dharma is accomplished in the Kali age by men who have washed away all their sins with the waters of the qualities of the self;
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.35
शूद्रैश् च द्विजशुश्रूषातत्परैर् मुनिसत्तमाः तथा स्त्रीभिर् अनायासात् पतिशुश्रूषयैव हि ॥
śūdraiś ca dvijaśuśrūṣātatparair munisattamāḥ tathā strībhir anāyāsāt patiśuśrūṣayaiva hi //
and by śūdras who are devoted to the service of the twice-born, O best of sages, and likewise by women without exertion, merely by service to their husbands.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.36
ततस् त्रितयम् अप्य् एतन् मम धन्यतमं मतम् धर्मसंसाधने क्लेशो द्विजातीनां कृतादिषु ॥
tatas tritayam apy etan mama dhanyatamaṃ matam dharmasaṃsādhane kleśo dvijātīnāṃ kṛtādiṣu //
Therefore these three are held by me to be most fortunate; (whereas) for the twice-born in the Kṛta and the other ages there is toil in accomplishing dharma.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.37
भवद्भिर् यद् अभिप्रेतं तद् एतत् कथितं मया अपृष्टेनापि धर्मज्ञाः किम् अन्यत् क्रियतां द्विजाः ॥
bhavadbhir yad abhipretaṃ tad etat kathitaṃ mayā apṛṣṭenāpi dharmajñāḥ kim anyat kriyatāṃ dvijāḥ //
What you intended (to ask), that has been told by me though I was not asked, O knowers of dharma; what else should be done, O twice-born?
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.38
ततः संपूज्य ते व्यासं प्रशशंसुः पुनः पुनः यथागतं द्विजा जग्मुर् व्यासोक्तिक्षतसंशयाः ॥
tataḥ saṃpūjya te vyāsaṃ praśaśaṃsuḥ punaḥ punaḥ yathāgataṃ dvijā jagmur vyāsoktikṣatasaṃśayāḥ //
Then, having honoured Vyāsa, they praised him again and again, and the twice-born went as they had come, their doubts destroyed by Vyāsa's words.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.39
भवतो ऽपि महाभाग रहस्यं कथितं मया अत्यन्तदुष्टस्य कलेर् अयम् एको महान् गुणः ॥
bhavato 'pi mahābhāga rahasyaṃ kathitaṃ mayā atyantaduṣṭasya kaler ayam eko mahān guṇaḥ //
To you too, O greatly fortunate one, this secret has been told by me: of the exceedingly evil Kali age this is the one great merit.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
ViP 6 2.40
यच् चाहं भवता पृष्टो जगताम् उपसंहृतिम् प्राकृताम् अन्तरालां च ताम् अप्य् एष वदामि ते ॥
yac cāhaṃ bhavatā pṛṣṭo jagatām upasaṃhṛtim prākṛtām antarālāṃ ca tām apy eṣa vadāmi te //
And as to what you asked me about the dissolution of the worlds, the elemental (prākṛta) one and the intermediate one—that too I now declare to you.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition