Chapter 137: Dispute between Lakṣmī and Poverty
SS 228-230brahmovāca:
BRP137.001.1 lakṣmītīrtham iti khyātaṃ sākṣāl lakṣmīvivardhanam |
BRP137.001.2 alakṣmīnāśanaṃ puṇyam ākhyānaṃ śṛṇu nārada || 1 ||
BRP137.002.1 saṃvādaś ca purā tv āsīl lakṣmyāḥ putra daridrayā |
BRP137.002.2 parasparavirodhinyāv ubhe viśvaṃ samīyatuḥ || 2 ||
BRP137.003.1 tābhyām avyāpṛtaṃ vastu tan nāsti bhuvanatraye |
BRP137.003.2 mama jyaiṣṭhyaṃ mama jyaiṣṭhyam ity ūcatur ubhe mithaḥ |
BRP137.003.3 ahaṃ pūrvaṃ samudbhūtā ity āha śriyam ojasā || 3 ||
śrīlakṣmīr uvāca:
BRP137.004.1 kulaṃ śīlaṃ jīvitaṃ vā dehinām aham eva tu |
BRP137.004.2 mayā vinā dehabhājo jīvanto 'pi mṛtā iva || 4 ||
brahmovāca:
BRP137.005.1 daridrayā ca sā proktā sarvebhyo hy adhikā hy aham |
BRP137.005.2 muktir madāśritā nityaṃ daridraivaṃ vaco 'bravīt || 5 ||
BRP137.006.1 kāmaḥ krodhaś ca lobhaś ca mado mātsaryam eva ca |
BRP137.006.2 yatrāham asmi tatraite na tiṣṭhanti kadācana || 6 ||
BRP137.007.1 na bhayodbhūtir unmāda īrṣyā uddhatavṛttitā |
BRP137.007.2 yatrāham asmi tatraite na tiṣṭhanti kadācana || 7 ||
BRP137.008.1 daridrāyā vacaḥ śrutvā lakṣmīs tāṃ pratyabhāṣata || 8 ||
lakṣmīr uvāca:
BRP137.009.1 alaṅkṛto mayā jantuḥ sarvo bhavati pūjitaḥ |
BRP137.009.2 nirdhanaḥ śivatulyo 'pi sarvair apy abhibhūyate || 9 ||
BRP137.010.1 dehīti vacanadvārā dehasthāḥ pañca devatāḥ |
BRP137.010.2 sadyo nirgatya gacchanti dhīśrīhrīśāntikīrtayaḥ || 10 ||
BRP137.011.1 tāvad guṇā gurutvaṃ ca yāvan nārthayate param |
BRP137.011.2 arthī cet puruṣo jātaḥ kva guṇāḥ kva ca gauravam || 11 ||
BRP137.012.1 tāvat sarvottamo jantus tāvat sarvaguṇālayaḥ |
BRP137.012.2 namasyaḥ sarvalokānāṃ yāvan nārthayate param || 12 ||
BRP137.013.1 kaṣṭam etan mahāpāpaṃ nirdhanatvaṃ śarīriṇām |
BRP137.013.2 na mānayati no vakti na spṛśaty adhanaṃ janaḥ || 13 ||
BRP137.014.1 aham eva tataḥ śreṣṭhā daridre śṛṇu me vacaḥ || 14 ||
brahmovāca:
BRP137.015.1 tal lakṣmīvacanaṃ śrutvā daridrā vākyam abravīt || 15 ||
daridrovāca:
BRP137.016.1 vaktuṃ na lakṣmīr jyeṣṭhāham iti vai lajjase muhuḥ |
BRP137.016.2 pāpeṣu ramase nityaṃ vihāya puruṣottamam || 16 ||
BRP137.017.1 viśvastavañcakā nityaṃ bhavatī ślāghase katham |
BRP137.017.2 sukhaṃ na tādṛk tvatprāptau paścāttāpo yathā guruḥ || 17 ||
BRP137.018.1 na tathā jāyate puṃsāṃ surayā dāruṇo madaḥ |
BRP137.018.2 tvatsannidhānamātreṇa yathā vai viduṣām api || 18 ||
BRP137.019.1 sadaiva ramase lakṣmīḥ prāyas tvaṃ pāpakāriṣu |
BRP137.019.2 ahaṃ vasāmi yogyeṣu dharmaśīleṣu sarvadā || 19 ||
BRP137.020.1 śivaviṣṇvanurakteṣu kṛtajñeṣu mahatsu ca |
BRP137.020.2 sadācāreṣu śānteṣu gurusevodyateṣu ca || 20 ||
BRP137.021.1 satsu vidvatsu śūreṣu kṛtabuddhiṣu sādhuṣu |
BRP137.021.2 nivasāmi sadā lakṣmīs tasmāj jyaiṣṭhyaṃ mayi sthitam || 21 ||
BRP137.022.1 brāhmaṇeṣu śuciṣmatsu vratacāriṣu bhikṣuṣu |
BRP137.022.2 nirbhayeṣu vasiṣyāmi lakṣmīs tvaṃ śṛṇu te sthitim || 22 ||
BRP137.023.1 rājavartiṣu pāpeṣu niṣṭhureṣu khaleṣu ca |
BRP137.023.2 piśuneṣu ca lubdheṣu vikṛteṣu śaṭheṣu ca || 23 ||
BRP137.024.1 anāryeṣu kṛtaghneṣu dharmaghātiṣu sarvadā |
BRP137.024.2 mitradrohiṣv aniṣṭeṣu bhagnacitteṣu vartase || 24 ||
brahmovāca:
BRP137.025.1 evaṃ vivadamāne te jagmatur mām ubhe api |
BRP137.025.2 tayor vākyam upaśrutya mayokte te ubhe api || 25 ||
BRP137.026.1 mattaḥ pūrvatarā pṛthvī āpaḥ pūrvatarās tataḥ |
BRP137.026.2 strīṇāṃ vivādaṃ tā eva striyo jānanti netare || 26 ||
BRP137.027.1 viśeṣataḥ punas tābhyaḥ kamaṇḍalubhavāś ca yāḥ |
BRP137.027.2 tatrāpi gautamī devī niścayaṃ kathayiṣyati || 27 ||
BRP137.028.1 saiva sarvārtisaṃhartrī saiva sandehakartarī |
BRP137.028.2 te madvākyād bhuvaṃ gatvā bhūmyā ca sahite api || 28 ||
BRP137.029.1 adbhiś ca sahitāḥ sarvā gautamīṃ yayur āpagām |
BRP137.029.2 bhūmir āpas tayor vākyaṃ gautamyai kramaśaḥ sphuṭam || 29 ||
BRP137.030.1 sarvaṃ nivedayām āsur yathāvṛttaṃ praṇamya tām |
BRP137.030.2 daridrāyāś ca lakṣmyāś ca vākyaṃ madhyasthavat tadā || 30 ||
BRP137.031.1 śṛṇvatsu lokapāleṣu śṛṇvatyāṃ bhuvi nārada |
BRP137.031.2 śṛṇvatīṣv apsu sā gaṅgā daridrāṃ vākyam abravīt |
BRP137.031.3 sampraśasya tathā lakṣmīṃ gautamī vākyam abravīt || 31 ||
gautamy uvāca:
BRP137.032.1 brahmaśrīś ca tapaḥśrīś ca yajñaśrīḥ kīrtisañjñitā |
BRP137.032.2 dhanaśrīś ca yaśaśrīś ca vidyā prajñā sarasvatī || 32 ||
BRP137.033.1 bhuktiśrīś cātha muktiś ca smṛtir lajjā dhṛtiḥ kṣamā |
BRP137.033.2 siddhis tuṣṭis tathā puṣṭiḥ śāntir āpas tathā mahī || 33 ||
BRP137.034.1 ahaṃśaktir athauṣadhyaḥ śrutiḥ śuddhir vibhāvarī |
BRP137.034.2 dyaur jyotsnā āśiṣaḥ svastir vyāptir māyā uṣā śivā || 34 ||
BRP137.035.1 yat kiñcid vidyate loke lakṣmyā vyāptaṃ carācaram |
BRP137.035.2 brāhmaṇeṣv atha dhīreṣu kṣamāvatsv atha sādhuṣu || 35 ||
BRP137.036.1 vidyāyukteṣu cānyeṣu bhuktimuktyanusāriṣu |
BRP137.036.2 yad yad ramyaṃ sundaraṃ vā tat tal lakṣmīvijṛmbhitam || 36 ||
BRP137.037.1 kim atra bahunoktena sarvaṃ lakṣmīmayaṃ jagat |
BRP137.037.2 yasmin kasmiṃś ca yat kiñcid utkṛṣṭaṃ paridṛśyate || 37 ||
BRP137.038.1 lakṣmīmayaṃ tu tat sarvaṃ tayā hīnaṃ na kiñcana |
BRP137.038.2 atremāṃ sundarīṃ devīṃ spardhayantī na lajjase || 38 ||
BRP137.039.1 gaccha gaccheti tāṃ gaṅgā daridrāṃ vākyam abravīt |
BRP137.039.2 tataḥ prabhṛti gaṅgāmbho daridrāvairakāry abhūt || 39 ||
BRP137.040.1 tāvad daridrābhibhavo gaṅgā yāvan na sevyate |
BRP137.040.2 tataḥ prabhṛti tat tīrtham alakṣmīnāśanaṃ śubham || 40 ||
BRP137.041.1 tatra snānena dānena lakṣmīvān puṇyavān bhavet |
BRP137.041.2 tīrthānāṃ ṣaṭ sahasrāṇi tasmiṃs tīrthe mahāmate |
BRP137.041.3 devarṣimunijuṣṭānāṃ sarvasiddhipradāyinām || 41 ||