Padma Purana · Chapter 7.8

vyāsa uvāca-
punarvakṣyāmi viprendra gaṅgāmāhātmyamuttamam /
gaṅgākathāsudhāpānaṃ kuru muktiṃ yadīcchasi

dānaṃ dattaṃ tena sarvaṃ tena sarve makhāḥ kṛtāḥ /
tena prapūjito viṣṇuryadbhaktirbhīṣma mātari

gaṅgāyāṃ dharmakarmāṇi kriyaṃte yāni kāni ca /
akṣayāni bhavaṃtyasya tāni sarvāṇi jaimine

vahaṃtaṃ jalamālokya gāṅgeyāni jalāni yaḥ /
bhaktyā gacchetsamutthāya so'śvamedhasahasrakṛt

gaṅgājaleṣvāgateṣu yo no tiṣṭhati bhaktitaḥ /
paśutā śāśvatī tasya janmajanmani jaimine

gāṅgeyaṃ jalamāsādya yo na gṛhṇāti bhaktitaḥ /
janmakoṭyarjitaṃ puṇyaṃ kṣaṇādeva tu naśyati

gaṅgātīraṃ jigamiṣuṃ yastu vārayate dvija /
sa koṭikulasaṃyukto rauravaṃ narakaṃ vrajet

mūtraṃ vātha purīṣaṃ vā gaṃgātīre karoti yaḥ /
na dṛṣṭā niṣkṛtistasya kalpakoṭiśatairapi

śleṣmāṇaṃ vāpi niṣṭhīvaṃ dūṣikāṃ vāśru vā malam /
gaṃgātīre tyajedyastu sa nūnaṃ nārakī bhavet

ucchiṣṭaṃ kaphakaṃ caiva gaṅgāgarbhe ca yastyajet /
sa yāti narakaṃ ghoraṃ brahmahatyāṃ ca viṃdati

gaṅgārodhasi yaḥ pāpaṃ kurute mūḍhadhīrnaraḥ /
tadakṣaya bhavennūnaṃ nānyatīrtheṣu śāmyati

anyatīrthe kṛtaṃ pāpaṃ gaṅgāyāṃ ca vinaśyati /
gaṅgāyāṃ yatkṛtaṃ pāpaṃ tatkutrāpi na śāmyate

tasmātpāpaṃ na kartavyaṃ gaṅgāyāṃ śāstrakovidaiḥ /
karmaṇā manasā vācā kartavyo dharmasaṃgrahaḥ

na te deśā na te śailā na ca tāni vanāni ca /
pāpavidhvaṃsinī yatra na tiṣṭhetsuranimnagā

gaṅgātīraṃ parityajya muhūrtamapi jaimine /
na ca sthātavyamanyatra yadi kāryaśatānyapi

bhikṣānnamapi bhuktvā ca sthātavyaṃ jāhnavītaṭe /
na cānyatra kṣaṇamapi prāpya bhūpālatāmapi

saṃtyajya dehaṃ gaṅgāyāṃ brahmahāpi vimucyate /
anyatra muktaye na syādaśvamedhasahasrakṛt

gaṅgātīre vasanyastu haripūjāparo bhavet /
janmajanmāṃtare yena kadācinnārcito hariḥ

bhaktirbhavati naitasya gaṅgāyāṃ lokamātari /
śrūyatāṃ mānavāḥ sarve bhūyobhūyo bravīmyaham

snānaṃ vidhāya gaṅgāyāṃ gamyatāṃ paramaṃ padam /
mṛtyukāle bhajedyastu gaṅgāgaṅgeti mānavaḥ

vimuktaḥpātakaiḥ sarvairdivi devayugāyutam /
yasya gaṅgākathārambho mṛtyukāle bhaveddvija

sa gacchedviṣṇubhavanaṃ galitākhila kalmaṣaḥ /
yastu smarati vai prājño mṛtyukāle dvijottama

gaṅgeti muktidaṃ nāma tasya tuṣṭo bhaveddhariḥ /
mṛtyukāle bhavedyastu gaṅgāmṛtpuṇḍramuttamam

gaṅgāsnāyinamālokya tyajedyastu kalevaram /
śmaśāne'pi dvijaśreṣṭha sa gaṅgāmaraṇaṃ labhet

tiṣṭhaṃtyasthīni gaṅgāyāṃ yāvatkālaṃ śarīriṇaḥ /
tāvatkalpasahasrāṇi viṣṇuloke mahīyate

yasya majjanti gaṅgāyāṃ bhasmāsthīni nakhāni ca /
śiroruhāṇyapi prājñaḥ sa viṣṇorbhuvanaṃ vaset

sthiteṣvasthiṣu gaṅgāyāṃ yatkarma labhate naraḥ /
bravīmi tatphalaṃ sarvaṃ śṛṇu nānyamanā dvija

ekadā bhagavāñchakro nānālaṃkārabhūṣitaḥ /
krīḍāgṛhaṃ yayau kāmī yuvatyā padmagaṃdhayā

padmagaṃdhā rasajñā sā saṃprāpta navayauvanā /
nānārasapradānena cakāra surasaṃ prati

sapatnyāḥ svarṇaparyaṃke tasyāḥ śiśumṛgīdṛśaḥ /
prītaḥ pādatale jiṣṇuruvāsa smaramohitaḥ

atha tasyai svayaṃ śakro nirmāya svarṇavīṭikām /
dadāti paramaprītastadguṇākṛṣṭamānasaḥ

etasminneva kāle tu paulomī varasundarī /
bhūṣaṇairbhūṣitā sarvaiḥ svayaṃ tadgṛhamāyayau

dṛṣṭvā tathāvidhaṃ śakraṃ sarvadevādhipaṃ prabhum /
bhṛśaṃ cukopa paulomī prāheti ca sulakṣaṇā

śacyuvāca-
deva kiṃ kuruṣe kāṃta tvaṃ samastasurādhipa /
mama dāsīsvarūpāyai dadāsi svarṇavīṭikām

spṛśaṃti tridaśāḥ sarve śirasā caraṇau tava /
tvaṃ kathaṃ padmagandhāyā dāsyāḥ pādatale prabhoḥ

yācitaśca sugandhitvādbhṛṃgaḥ syānacatadyaśaḥ /
suṃdarī koṭibharttā tvaṃ samastarasavitprabho

kathamevaṃvidhaṃ karma karoṣyatyaṃtakutsitam /
nirguṇe padmagandhehe dāsidūraṃ parivraja

tvamīśvarī ca paryaṃke śakraḥ pādatale tava /
vyāsa uvāca-
tayā nirbhartsitā sādhvī paulomyā bahudhā tataḥ

uvāca padmagandhā sā krodhāditi varāṃganā /
padmagaṃdhovāca-
guṇaṃ ca mama doṣaṃ ca svayaṃ svāmyeva vetti vai

kenādhikāreṇāgatya tvaṃ māṃ niṃdasi nirguṇe /
anye netradvayenāpi paśyaṃti guṇadoṣakau

sahasranetrairapyeṣa na paśyetkiṃ durāśaye /
yathā doṣo hi lokānāṃ pracarenna guṇaṃ tathā

ādau kalaṃkaścandrasya dṛśyate guṇavajjanaiḥ /
anarthabhāṣiṇī krūrā kumūrttirguṇavarjitā

yadāhaṃ nāsmi guṇinī bhajatu tvāṃ tadā patiḥ /
vyāsa uvāca-
ityuktvā padmagaṃdhā sā krodhātkokanadekṣaṇā

uttasthau svarṇaparyaṅkātkurvaṃtī karuṇaṃ mahat /
indra uvāca-
priye prāṇeśvari śreṣṭhe māṃ vihāya kva gacchasi

mayā kimaparāddhaṃ te mama tadvada suṃdari /
kāṃte dāso'smyahaṃ nūnaṃ dāsakarma karomi te

dāsapatnī bhaveddāsī vākyaṃ tvaṃ na śṛṇoṣi kam /
samutthāya tataḥ śakrastanmohākulamānasaḥ

aṃke niveśayāmāsa bhūyastāṃ varasuṃdarīm /
śacyuvāca-
krauṃcitvajjīvanaṃ dhanyaṃ vyarthaṃ majjīvanaṃ dhruvam

tvaṃ svāmisubhagā nityaṃ durbhagāhaṃ varāṃganā /
yāvatpuṇyakṣayaṃ krauṃci tatpuṇyaṃ yāsyate kṣayam

krauṃcavaṃśasamutpannā duḥkhaṃbhūyo'pi bhokṣyasi /
devendreṇasamaṃ tāvatkuru keli yathāsukham

kiyadbhirdivasaiḥ krauṃci na bhavettava nirguṇe /
atyadbhutaṃ vacastasyāḥ padmagandhā niśamya sā ५०

dvandvabhāvaṃ parityajya praṇamyovāca tāṃ satīm /
padmagaṃdhovāca-
pulomaje varārohe citrametattvayoditam

krauṃcī kathamahaṃ brūhi śrotumicchāmi yatnataḥ /
kāhaṃ kutrasthitā cāpi kathamatrāgatā satī

kālaiḥ kiyadbhirmatpuṇyaṃ kṣīṇatvaṃ pratiyāsyati /
śacyuvāca-
padmagandhe purā tvaṃ hi krauṃcī pakṣisamudbhavā

amedhyamāmiṣaṃ kīṭānbhakṣayaṃtī kṣitau sthitā /
nyagrodhatarureko'sti gaṅgātīre manorame

tatra nīḍaṃ vinirmāya bhavatyā vasatiḥ kṛtā /
ekadā kṛṣṇasarpeṇa tasminnyagrodhapādape

nīḍaṃ praviśya daṣṭā tvaṃ sahasā paṃcatāṃ gatā /
kravyāṇi tava sarvāṇi sa sarpo bhakṣayatkrudhā

sthitāni tatraivāsthīni nirmāṃsāni varānane /
kadācitpavanairbhadre mahadbhiḥ sa ca pātitaḥ

bhagnaḥ papāta gaṅgāyāṃ samūlo'pi varāṃgane /
gaṅgāyāṃ patite tasminnyagrodhe dharaṇīruhe

gaṅgājalaiḥ plāvitāni tānyasthīni tavottame /
yāvadasthīni gaṅgāyāṃ tāvattiṣṭhaṃti tāni ca

tāvattvaṃ svāmisubhagā bhaviṣyasi sadaiva hi /
iti te kathitaṃ sarvaṃ padmagaṃdhe mayādhunā

yena puṇyaprabhāveṇa śakro'pi vaśagastava /
dhanyā tu jāhnavī devī krauṃcī yasyāḥ prasādataḥ

tvamaspṛśyāsi cāṇḍālairaṃkesvapiṣi vajriṇaḥ /
tenāpamānitā sādhvī śakreṇāpi pulomajā

parimlānamukhāṃbhojā sā jagāma yathāgatā /
śakrāṃka eva sā tasthau padmagandhā varāṃganā

tadvākyaṃ hṛdaye tasyā jāgarūkamivasthitam /
athaikadā surādhīśaḥ suprītastadguṇairdvija

varaṃ varaya suśroṇi svayaṃ tāmityuvāca ha /
padmagaṃdhovāca /
tvaṃ sarvadevatādhīśo nārīkoṭipatisthatā

tathāpyasi mamādhīnaḥ svāminkimaparairvaraiḥ /
tathāpi tvaṃ varaṃ ditsuryadā nūnaṃ surottama

karmaṇā manasā vācā pratijñāṃ kuru matpuraḥ /
iṃdra uvāca-
jīvitaṃ ca dhanaṃ caiva rājyaṃ caiva paricchadam

ājñāpaya kimetadvai tubhyaṃ dāsyāmi suṃdari /
satyaṃ satyaṃ punaḥ satyaṃ saṃdeho nātra vidyate

yadīcchasi mṛgīnetre tatte dāsyāmyahaṃ dhruvam /
padmagaṃdhovāca-
nūnameva prasanno'si yadi tvaṃ tridaśeśvara

janma me hastiyonau ca bhūyo dehīti me varam /
iṃdra uvāca-
kṛtapratijñaḥ suśroṇi varaṃ te'haṃ dadāmi vai

kiṃtu duḥkhāni yātāni bahūni hṛdaye mama /
tvāmadṛṣṭvā varārohe prītirna prāpyate kṣaṇam

kathaṃ te ciravicchedaṃ soḍhuṃ śaknomi duḥsaham /
yadā mayyanukaṃpāsti tava pīnapayodhare

tadā kiyaddinaṃ tiṣṭha mayā saha varāṅgane /
tato devādhirājasya vadaṃtī bahusaṃpadam

varṣāṇāmayutaṃ tasthau sā devanilaye satī /
padmagandhovāca-
ājñāṃ dehi surādhīśa sādhituṃ sumanoratham

vrajāmyahaṃ karmabhūmiṃ vaṃde pādadvayaṃ tava /
indra uvāca-
tvatpremasiṃdhumānena mayā candranibhānane

sthitvā katidinaṃ paścādgamiṣyasi yathāsukham /
tatastukautukāgāre tena sārddhamaharniśam

krīḍaṃtī padmagaṃdhā sā tasthau varṣāyutatrayam /
surādhīśaṃ tataḥ seti tadā prāha mudānvitā

ādeśaṃ kuru gacchāmi pṛthivīṃ prati saṃprati /
iṃdra uvāca-
jāḍyaṃ jahīhi suśroṇi tiṣṭhātraiva mayā saha

tvāṃ tyaktuṃ na hi śaknomi prāṇebhyo'pi garīyasīm /
padmagandhovāca-
puṇyakṣaye surādhīśa yadā yāsyāmyahaṃ bhuvi

tadā ciraṃ te vicchedo bhaviṣyati mayā saha /
yadvicchede mayā nātha punargaṃtuṃ bhuvaṃ prati

icchāmyahaṃ punardyauśca puṇyopārjanahetave /
karmabhūmimahaṃ gatvā yenopāyena vāsava

tatkariṣyāmi vicchedaḥ kadācitsyāttvayā na me /
indra uvāca-
bhadre tvayā yadā nūnaṃ karmedaṃ kartumicchitam

tadā gaccha punaḥ śīghramāgamiṣyasi suṃdari /
saha netrāddhi vigaladvāṣpasiktatanustataḥ

dorbhyāmāliṅgya tāṃ śakro gacchetyāha priye vadan /
tadādeśāttataḥ sādhvī karmabhūmiṃ samāgatā

jātā ca hastinī yonau bhūtvā jātismarā dvija /
smaraṃtī nijavṛttāṃtaṃ sā kiyadbhirdinaistataḥ

jagāma jāhnavītīraṃ hastiyonisu saṃbhavā /
gaṅgāyāṃ snānamāsādya gaṅgākardamabhūṣitā

gaṃgāgaṃgeti jalpaṃtī hradaṃ nimnaṃ viveśa sā /
tasmingaṃgāhrade gatvā hastinī parvatākṛtiḥ

nijāṃ jātiṃ smaraṃtī sā jagāma paṃcatāṃ punaḥ /
tasyāḥ sāhasamālokya hastinīṃ sarvadevatāḥ

vavarṣuḥ pārijātādyaiḥ kusumairuttamairmudā /
tāmānetuṃ tataḥ śakraḥ sarvadevagaṇairvṛtaḥ

vegāttacciravicchedātkṛṣṇāṃgīṃ sumanā yayau /
puṣpaketāṃ samālokya divyadehāṃ surādhipaḥ

kathayannijaduḥkhāni nijāvāsaṃ jagāma ha /
pulomajā ca raṃbhā ca pramlocā corvaśī tathā

suṃdaryo'nyāśca yuvatīstasyāstyaktvā mudā gatāḥ /
śakrasya hṛdayotsāhaṃ tanvaṃtī sā varāṃganā

puraṃdarapure tasthau subhagā prītivallabhā /
yasyāstiṣṭhaṃti gaṅgāyāṃ yāvadasthīni jaimine

kulakoṭiśataṃ tāvattasthāvāsa surālaye /
rājāno divirājyeṣu ye ye bhūtāstapobalāt

teṣāṃteṣāṃ snehabhūmirbhavatyamarasuṃdarī /
gaṃgāsthimajjanādeva jaimine phalamīdṛśam

gaṃgāyāṃ tyajato dehaṃ phalaṃ vaktuṃ na śakyate /
mṛtaṃ śarīraṃ gaṃgāyāṃ yāvadasthīni jaimine

kalpakoṭiśataṃ tāvattasyā vāsaḥ surālaye /
mṛtaṃ śarīraṃ gaṃgāyāṃ srotobhiścalitaṃ dvija

dṛśyate dehinastasya tatphalaṃ śṛṇu jaimine /
svarge devāṃganā trastacārucāmaravāyubhiḥ

vījitaḥ svarṇaparyaṃke suptastiṣṭhati kautukī /
jāhnavīsaikate yasya śarīraṃ dṛśyate mṛtam

divākarakaraistaptaṃ kulaṃ tasya vadāmyaham /
sugandhaiścaṃdanairdivyairliptasarvakalevaraḥ १००

divyāṅganābhiḥ sahito divi krīḍatisarvadā /
kākairgṛdhraiśca kaṃkaiśca śakuṃtairbhīṣmamātari

vapurvidalitaṃ yasya dṛśyate tatphalaṃ śṛṇu /
divi divyāṃganāpīnaprottuṅgarucirastanaiḥ

śliṣṭavakṣāśca paryaṃke nidrāti nityameva saḥ /
pipīlikābhiḥ kīṭaiśca makṣikābhiśca veṣṭitaḥ

gaṃgāyāṃ yasya dṛśyaṃte asthīni patitāni ca /
tasyākṣayaṃ phalaṃ vipra vadato me niśāmaya

praṇamattridaśavyūha śiromukuṭabhūṣaṇaiḥ /
hatapādarajāḥ svarge sa ca śakrāyate ciram

anicchayāpi gaṅgāyāṃ yaddehapatanaṃ bhavet /
sa vimukto'khilaiḥ pāpairnaro nārāyaṇo bhavet

yasyāṃgārāśca dṛśyaṃte gaṅgāyāṃ calitā jalaiḥ /
aṅgārasaṅkhyayā svarge tiṣṭhetkalpaśatādhikam

sarveṣāmeva puṇyānāṃ kadācitkṣayamīkṣate /
gaṅgāyāṃ patite dehe bhavetpuṇyakṣayo na hi

bahunātra kimuktena niścitaṃ kathyate'dhunā /
gaṅgāyāṃ tyaktadehasya mahimā jñāyate nahi

viṣamaduritarāśīnāśi gāṅgaṃ naro yaḥ spṛśati bhuvi kadācidbhāvuko bhaktibhāvaiḥ /
jagadudadhijalaṃ vilaṃghya ghoraṃ vrajati sa pāramapāratuṣṭi nāvā

iti śrīpadmapurāṇe kriyāyogasāre gaṅgāmāhātmye'ṣṭamo'dhyāyaḥ