Adhyaya 172

Verse 1

इत्य् आग्नेये महापुरेणे रहस्यादिप्रायश्वित्तं नाम एकसप्तत्यधिकशततमो ऽध्यायः अथ द्विसप्तत्यधिकशततमो ऽध्यायः सर्वपापप्रायश्चित्तानि पुष्कर उवाच परदारपरद्रव्यजीवहिंसादिके यदा प्रवर्तते नृणां चित्तं प्रायश्चित्तं स्तुतिस्तदा

Thus, in the Agni Mahāpurāṇa ends the one-hundred-and-seventy-second chapter entitled “Expiations beginning with the Secret (Rites).” Now begins the one-hundred-and-seventy-third chapter: “Expiations for All Sins.” Puṣkara said: When the minds of people become inclined toward acts such as another’s wife, another’s property, and violence toward living beings, then expiation and (penitential) praise are to be undertaken.

Verse 2

विष्णवे विष्णवे नित्यं विष्णवे विष्णवे नमः नमामि विष्णुं चित्तस्थमहङ्कारगतिं हरिं

To Viṣṇu, to Viṣṇu—always; to Viṣṇu, to Viṣṇu, reverence. I bow to Viṣṇu—Hari—who abides in the mind and who is the very course (ground) of the ego-sense.

Verse 3

चित्तस्थमीशमव्यक्तमनन्तमपराजितं विष्णुमीड्यमशेषेण अनादिनिधनं विभुं

I praise Viṣṇu—the Lord abiding in the mind; unmanifest, infinite, unconquered; wholly worthy of adoration; the all-pervading One, without beginning and without end.

Verse 4

विष्णुश्चित्तगतो यन्मे विष्णुर्बुद्धिगतश् च यत् यच्चाहङ्कारगो विष्णुर्यद्विष्णुर्मयि संस्थितः

Whatever Viṣṇu has entered into my mind (citta), whatever Viṣṇu has entered into my intellect (buddhi), and whatever Viṣṇu has entered into my ego-sense (ahaṅkāra)—and whatever Viṣṇu is established within me—(all that is His presence alone).

Verse 5

करोति कर्मभूतो ऽसौ स्थवरस्य चरस्य च तत् पापन्नाशमायातु तस्मिन्नेव हि चिन्तिते

He, having become the very agent of action, effects the deeds of both the immobile and the mobile; may that sin be destroyed—indeed, the very moment That is contemplated.

Verse 6

ध्यातो हरति यत् पापं स्वप्ने दृष्टस्तु भावनात् तमुपेन्द्रमहं विष्णुं प्रणतार्तिहरं हरिं

That Lord who, when meditated upon, removes sin, and who, when seen in a dream through sustained contemplation, also grants purification—that Upendra, that Viṣṇu, Hari who removes the distress of those who bow down, I worship.

Verse 7

जगत्यस्मिन्निराधारे मज्जमाने तमस्यधः हस्तावलम्बनं विष्णुं प्रणमामि परात् परं

In this world, which is without true support and is sinking downward into darkness, I bow to Viṣṇu—the handhold and saving support—the Supreme beyond the supreme.

Verse 8

सर्वेश्वरेश्वर विभो परमात्मन्नधोक्षज हृषीकेश हृषीकेश हृषीकेश नमो ऽस्तु ते

O Lord of the lords of all, O all-pervading One; O Supreme Self, O Adhokṣaja (beyond the reach of the senses); O Hṛṣīkeśa, Hṛṣīkeśa, Hṛṣīkeśa—salutations be to You.

Verse 9

नृसिंहानन्त गोविन्द भूतभवन केशव विष्णवे विष्णवे इति ज , ञ च दुरुक्तं दुष्कृतं ध्यातं शमयाघन्नमो ऽस्तु ते

O Nṛsiṃha, Ananta, Govinda, Bhūta-bhavana, Keśava—(I bow) to Viṣṇu, to Viṣṇu. By the utterance of the syllables “ja” and “ña” together with these names, please pacify the sins arising from ill-spoken words, evil deeds, and even sinful thoughts. Homage to You.

Verse 10

यन्मया चिन्तितं दुष्टं स्वचित्तवशवर्तिना अकार्यमहदत्युग्रन्तच्छमन्नय केशव

Whatever wicked thing has been conceived by me—being one who is ruled by his own mind—those greatly improper and exceedingly fierce impulses and acts, O Keśava, lead them to pacification; forgive and quell them.

Verse 11

ब्रह्मण्यदेव गोविन्द परमार्थपरायण जगन्नाथ जगद्धातः पापं प्रशमयाच्युत

O Brahmaṇya-deva, God devoted to the Brahmins and sacred order; O Govinda, intent on the highest good; O Jagannātha, O Supporter of the world—O Acyuta, pacify and remove my sin.

Verse 12

यथापराह्णे सायाह्णे मध्याह्णे च तथा निशि कायेन मनसा वाचा कृतं पापमजानता

Whether in the afternoon, the evening, at midday, or likewise at night—whatever sin has been committed unknowingly by body, mind, or speech—is to be acknowledged for expiation.

Verse 13

जानता च हृषीकेश पुण्डरीकाक्ष माधव नामत्रयोच्चारणतः स्वप्ने यातु मम क्षयं

By knowingly uttering the three names—Hṛṣīkeśa, Puṇḍarīkākṣa, and Mādhava—may my wasting away (affliction) be destroyed, even in a dream.

Verse 14

शारीरं मे हृषीकेश पुण्डरीकाक्ष माधव पापं प्रशमयाद्य त्वं बाक्कृतं मम माधव

O Hṛṣīkeśa, O Puṇḍarīkākṣa, O Mādhava—please pacify today the sin of my body, and the sin committed by my speech, O Mādhava.

Verse 15

यद्भुञ्जन्यत्स्वपंस्तिष्ठन् गच्छन् जाग्रद् यदास्थितः कृतवान् पापमद्याहं कायेन मनसा गिरा

Whatever sin I have committed—whether while eating, sleeping, standing, walking, waking, or in any state at all—today I confess it as done by me through body, mind, and speech.

Verse 16

यत् स्वल्पमपि यत् स्थूलं कुयोनिनरकाबहं तद्यातु प्रशमं सर्वं वासुदेवानुकीर्तनात्

Whether slight or grave—whatever (karma) leads to a wretched birth and to hell—may all of it be pacified and come to rest through the repeated chanting of Vāsudeva’s name.

Verse 17

परं ब्रह्म परं धाम पवित्रं परमञ्च यत् तस्मिन् प्रकीर्तिते विष्णौ यत् पापं तत् प्रणश्यतु

He is the Supreme Brahman, the highest abode, and the utmost purifier. When that Vishnu is praised, whatever sin there is—let that be destroyed.

Verse 18

यत् प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते गन्धस्पर्शदिवर्जितं सूरयस्तत् पदं विष्णोस्तत् सर्वं शमयत्वघं

Having attained that, the wise do not return—devoid of smell and touch—this is Viṣṇu’s station, the supreme abode; may that realization wholly pacify all sin.

Verse 19

पापप्रणाशनं स्तोत्रं यः पठेच्छृणुयादपि प्रशमात्यर्थमिति ख , घ , ज च अस्मिन्निति घ सर्वं गमयत्वघमिति झ यः पटेच्छ्रद्धया नर इति ज , झ च यः पठेच्छृणुयान्नर इति ञ शारीरैर् मानसैर् वाग्जैः कृतैः पपैः प्रमुच्यते

Whoever recites—or even listens to—this sin-destroying hymn is released from sins committed through body, mind, and speech.

Verse 20

सर्वपापग्रहादिभ्यो याति विष्णोः परं पदं तस्मात् पापे कृते जप्यं स्तोत्रं सर्वाघमर्दनं

From all sins, from the seizing forces (grahas) and the like, one attains Viṣṇu’s supreme abode. Therefore, when a sin has been committed, the hymn called “Sarvāgha-mardana,” the crusher of all sin, should be recited as japa.

Verse 21

प्रायश्चित्तमघौघानां स्तोत्रं व्रतकृते वरं प्रायश्चित्तैः स्तोत्रजपैर् व्रतैर् नश्यति पातकं

For the mass of sins, expiation (prāyaścitta) is the remedy; and for one who undertakes vows (vrata), the japa of hymns is best. Through acts of expiation, through the japa of stotras, and through vows, sin is destroyed.

Verse 22

ततः कार्याणि संसिद्ध्यै तानि वै भुक्तिमुक्तये

Therefore, those prescribed practices should be performed for their complete accomplishment—indeed, for the attainment of both worldly enjoyment (bhukti) and liberation (mukti).