Adhyaya 33

Verse 1

ऋषय ऊचुः । शप्ता गंधर्वपुत्रेण सुशंखेन महात्मना । तस्य शापात्कथं जाता किं किं कर्म कृतं तया

The sages said: “She was cursed by the noble Suśaṅkha, the son of a Gandharva. Because of his curse, how did she come to be in her present condition—and what deeds, what actions, were done by her?”

Verse 2

सा लेभे कीदृशं पुत्रं तस्य शापाद्द्विजोत्तम । सुनीथायाश्च चरितं त्वं नो विस्तरतो वद

O best of Brahmins, what kind of son did she obtain as a result of his curse? And please tell us, in detail, the story and conduct of Sunīthā as well.

Verse 3

सूत उवाच । सुशंखेनापि तेनैव सा शप्ता तनुमध्यमा । पितुः स्थानं गता सा तु सुनीथा दुःखपीडिता

Sūta said: Even by that very Suśaṅkha she—slender-waisted—was cursed; and Sunīthā, afflicted with sorrow, went to her father’s abode.

Verse 4

पितरं चात्मनश्चैव चरितं च प्रकाशितम् । श्रुतवान्सोपि धर्मात्मा मृत्युः सत्यवतां वर

He heard the account that revealed both his father’s story and his own as well. That righteous one—even Death—became the foremost among those devoted to truth.

Verse 5

तामुवाच सुनीथां तु सुतां शप्तां महात्मना । भवत्या दुष्कृतं पापं धर्म तेजः प्रणाशनम्

He then spoke to Sunīthā, the daughter who had been cursed by the great-souled one: “By you a sinful misdeed has been done—an act that destroys the radiance and power of dharma.”

Verse 6

कस्मात्कृतं महाभागे सुशांतस्य हि ताडनम् । विरुद्धं सर्वलोकस्य भवत्या परिकल्पितम्

O noble lady, why did you have the truly peaceful one beaten? What you have contrived stands opposed to the judgment of all people.

Verse 7

कामक्रोधविहीनं तं सुशांतं धर्मवत्सलम् । तपोमार्गे विलीनं च परब्रह्मणि संस्थितम्

Free from desire and anger, serene and devoted to righteousness, he was absorbed in the path of austerity and firmly established in the Supreme Brahman.

Verse 8

तमेवघातयेद्यो वै तस्य पापं शृणुष्व हि । पापात्मा जायते पुत्रः किल्बिषं लभते बहु

Whoever indeed kills that very person—listen to the sin of such a one: a wicked-souled son is born to him, and he incurs abundant guilt.

Verse 9

ताडंतं ताडयेद्यो वै क्रोशंतं क्रोशयेत्पुनः । तस्य पापं स वै भुंक्ते ताडितस्य न संशयः

Whoever strikes one who is striking, or again cries out at one who is crying out—he surely bears (and experiences) the sin of the one who was struck; of this there is no doubt.

Verse 10

स वै शांतः स जितात्मा ताडयंतं न ताडयेत् । निर्दोषं प्रति येनापि ताडनं च कृतं सुते

Truly, one who is peaceful and self-controlled should not strike even someone who strikes. And striking the innocent—by anyone—should not be done, O son.

Verse 11

पश्चान्मोहेन पापेन निर्दोषेऽपि च ताडयेत् । निर्दोषं प्रति येनापि हृद्रोगः क्रियते वृथा

Later, deluded by sinful intent, one may even strike an innocent person; by doing so, one needlessly inflicts a ‘disease of the heart’—deep inner anguish—upon the blameless.

Verse 12

निर्दोषं ताडयेत्पश्चान्मोहात्पापेन केनचित् । स पापी पापमाप्नोति निर्दोषस्य शरीरजम्

If, through delusion, someone sins by striking an innocent person, that sinner incurs the very sin that arises from injuring the innocent one’s body.

Verse 13

निर्दोषो घातयेत्तं वै ताडंतं पापचेतसम् । पुनरुत्थाय वेगेन साहसात्पापचेतनम्

Even one who is blameless should strike down the evil-minded person who assaults him; rising again swiftly, he should forcefully subdue the wicked aggressor.

Verse 14

पापकर्तुश्च यत्पापं निर्दोषं प्रति गच्छति । ताडनं नैव तस्माद्वै कार्यं दोषवतोऽपि च

Since the wrongdoer’s sin comes to fall upon the blameless, therefore punishment should not be inflicted—even upon one who appears to be at fault.

Verse 15

दुष्कृतं च महत्पुत्रि त्वयैव परिपालितम् । शप्ता तेनापि याद्यैव तस्मात्पुण्यं समाचर

O noble daughter, you yourself have fostered a grave misdeed. Because of that, you have also been cursed; therefore, practice merit and virtuous deeds.

Verse 16

सतां संगं समासाद्य सदैव परिवर्तय । योगध्यानेन ज्ञानेन परिवर्तय नंदिनि

Having attained the company of the virtuous, always transform yourself; by yogic meditation and by true knowledge, transform yourself, O Nandinī.

Verse 17

सतां संगो महापुण्यो बहुश्रेयो विधायकः । बाले पश्य सुदृष्टांतं सतां संगस्य यद्गुणम्

The company of the virtuous is supremely meritorious and brings abundant welfare. O child, behold a fine illustration of the virtue inherent in associating with the good.

Verse 18

अपां संस्पर्शनात्पानात्स्नानात्तत्र महाधियः । मुनयः सिद्धिमायांति बाह्याभ्यंतरक्षालिताः

By merely touching the waters, drinking them, and bathing there, the great-minded sages attain spiritual accomplishment—cleansed both outwardly and inwardly.

Verse 19

शुचिष्मंतो भवंत्येते लोकाः सर्वे चराचराः । आपः शांताः सुशीताश्च मृदुगात्राः प्रियंकराः

All these worlds—everything moving and unmoving—become radiant with purity. The waters are calm and pleasantly cool, gentle to the body and a source of delight.

Verse 20

निर्मला रसवत्यश्च पुण्यवीर्या मलापहाः । तथा संतस्त्वया ज्ञेया निषेव्याश्च प्रयत्नतः

Know them to be pure, delightful, endowed with holy potency, and removers of impurity; likewise, you should recognize such good people and associate with them diligently.

Verse 21

यथा वह्निप्रसंगाच्च मलं त्यजति कांचनम् । तथा सतां हि संसर्गात्पापं त्यजति मानवः

Just as gold, by contact with fire, sheds its impurities, so too a person, through association with the virtuous, abandons sin.

Verse 22

सत्यवह्निः प्रदीप्तश्च प्रज्वलेत्पुण्यतेजसा । सत्येन दीप्ततेजास्तु ज्ञानेनापि सुनिर्मलः

The fire of truth, once kindled, blazes forth with the radiance born of merit. By truth its splendor shines ever brighter, and by knowledge it becomes perfectly pure as well.

Verse 23

अत्युष्णो ध्यानभावेन अस्पृश्यः पापजैर्नरैः । सत्यवह्नेः प्रसंगाच्च पापं सर्वं विनश्यति

By the ardor born of meditation, he becomes intensely radiant and untouchable to sinful men; and through association with the fire of truth, all sin is destroyed.

Verse 24

तस्मात्सत्यस्य संसर्गः कर्तव्यः सर्वथा त्वया । पापभारं परित्यज्य पुण्यमेवं समाश्रय

Therefore, in every way, you should keep company with the truthful. Casting off the burden of sin, take refuge in merit—righteousness (dharma)—in this manner.

Verse 25

सूत उवाच । एवं पित्रा सुनीथा सा दुःखिता प्रतिबोधिता । नमस्कृत्य पितुः पादौ गता सा निर्जनं वनम्

Sūta said: Thus instructed by her father, Sunīthā—sorrowful—bowed at her father’s feet and went away into a lonely forest.

Verse 26

कामं क्रोधं परित्यज्य बाल्यभावं तपस्विनी । मोहद्रोहौ च मायां च त्यक्त्वा एकांतमास्थिता

Having renounced desire and anger, the ascetic woman cast off childishness; abandoning delusion, malice, and deceit as well, she took refuge in solitude, single-minded and secluded.

Verse 27

तस्याः सख्यः समाजग्मुः क्रीडार्थं लीलयान्विताः । तां ददृशुर्विशालाक्ष्यः सुनीथां दुःखभागिनीम्

Her friends came together for play, filled with sportive delight; and they saw Sunīthā—wide-eyed—fallen to a share of sorrow.

Verse 28

ध्यायंतीं चिंतयानां तामूचुश्चिंतापरायणाः । कस्माच्चिंतसि भद्रे त्वमनया चिंतयान्विता

Seeing her absorbed in thought and worry, those who were themselves intent on reflection said to her: “O auspicious lady, why are you anxious—so filled with this concern?”

Verse 29

तन्नो वै कारणं ब्रूहि चिंतादुःखप्रदायिनी । एकैव सार्थकी चिंता धर्मस्यार्थे विचिंत्यते

Therefore, tell us the cause of that worry which brings anxiety and sorrow. Only one concern is truly worthwhile—reflection undertaken for the sake of dharma.

Verse 30

द्वितीया सार्थका चिंता योगिनां धर्मनंदिनी । अन्या निरर्थिका चिंता तां नैव परिकल्पयेत्

The second kind of contemplation is meaningful—delighting the yogins and nurturing dharma. Any other contemplation is purposeless; one should not entertain it at all.

Verse 31

कायनाशकरी चिंता बल तेजः प्रणाशिनी । नाशयेत्सर्वसौख्यं तु रूपहानिं निदर्शयेत्

Worry destroys the body; it ruins strength and vitality. It wipes out all happiness and brings about the loss of one’s beauty.

Verse 32

तृष्णां मोहं तथा लोभमेतांश्चिंता हि प्रापयेत् । पापमुत्पादयेच्चिंता चिंतिता च दिने दिने

Anxious brooding indeed gives rise to craving, delusion, and greed; and when indulged day after day, such worry generates sin again and again.

Verse 33

इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे पंचपंचाशत्सहस्रसंहितायां भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने । सुनीथाचरितं नाम त्रयस्त्रिंशोऽध्यायः

Thus, in the Śrī Padma Purāṇa, in the compilation of fifty-five thousand verses, in the Bhūmi-khaṇḍa, within the narrative of Vena, ends the thirty-third chapter called “The Account of Sunīthā.”

Verse 34

अर्जितं कर्मणा पूर्वं स्वयमेव नरेण तु । तदेव भुंक्तेऽसौ जंतुर्ज्ञानवान्न विचिंतयेत्

Whatever a person has previously earned by his own actions—indeed, that alone the living being experiences. Therefore, one who is wise should not brood or worry.

Verse 35

तस्माच्चिंतां परित्यज्य सुखदुःखादिकं वद । तासां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा सुनीथा वाक्यमब्रवीत्

“Therefore, abandoning anxiety, speak of happiness, sorrow, and the like.” Hearing their words, Sunīthā then spoke.