Skandapurana 2.7.18.34

2.7.18.34

vālmike:pūrva janmasya kathā
"vyādha uvāca..
bhavatā'nugṛhīto'smi mune pāpo'tiduṣṭadhīḥ..
dayālavo mahāṃto hi svabhāvādeva sādhavaḥ..1..
kva vyādhaścā'kulīno'haṃ kva ca vā matirīdṛśī..
kevalaṃ bhavatāmeva manye'nugrahamuttamam..2..
atha sādho ca śiṣyosmi kṛpāpātrosmi mānada..
anugrāhyo'smi putro'smi kṛpāṃ kuru dayānidhe..3..
yathā me na punarbhūyādasanmatiranarthadā..
sadbhistu saṃgateḥ kvāpi nabhūyo duḥkhamaśnute..4..
tasmādbodhaya māṃ vipra sūktaistairvṛjināpahaiḥ ..
yena cāddhā tariṣyaṃti saṃsārābdhiṃ mumukṣavaḥ..5..
sādhūnāṃ samacittānāṃ tathā bhūtadayāvatām ..
na ca hīnottamaḥ kvāpi nātmīyo hi parastathā..6..
aikāgryeṇa viciṃtyātha cittaśuddhiṃ ca pṛcchati..
sarvadoṣayuto vāpi sarvadharmojjhito'pi vā..7..
kṛtānutāpaśca yadā yadā pṛcchati vai gurūn..
tadaivopadiśaṃtyaddhā jñānaṃ saṃsāramocakam..8..
yathā gaṃgā manuṣyāṇāṃ pāpanāśasya bhāvinī..
tathā mandasamuddhārasvabhāvāḥ sādhavaḥ smṛtāḥ..9..
mā vicāraya māṃ boddhuṃ dayālo bhaktavatsala ..
śuśrūṣutvānnatatvācca śuddhatvāttava saṃgateḥ.. 2.7.18.10..
iti vyādhavacaḥ śrutvā punarvismitamānasaḥ..
sādhusādhviti saṃbhāṣya dharmānetānuvāca ha..11..
..śaṃkha-uvāca..
viṣṇuprītikarāndivyānsaṃsārābdhivimocakān ..
kuru dharmāṃśca vaiśākhe yadi vyādha śamicchasi..12..
ātapo bādhate ghoro na cchāyā nāṃbu cātra ca..
tasmātsthalāṃtaraṃ yāvo yatra cchāyā tu vartate..13..
tatra gatvā jalaṃ pītvā succhāyāṃ ca samāśritaḥ..
tatra te varṇayiṣyāmi māhātmyaṃ pāpanāśanam..14..
viṣṇormādhavamāsasya yathādṛṣṭaṃ yathāśrutam..
ityukto muninā tena vyādhaḥ prāha kṛtāñjaliḥ.. 15..
ito vidūre salilaṃ vartate ca sarovare ..
kapitthāstatra vai santiphalabhāreṇa pīḍitāḥ..16..
gacchāvastatra saṃtuṣṭirbhavitā nātra saṃśayaḥ..
vyādhenaivaṃ samādiṣṭastena sākaṃ yayau muniḥ..17..
kiyaddūraṃ tato gatvā dadarśāgre sarovaram ..
baka kāraṇḍavākīrṇaṃ cakravākopaśobhitam ..18..
haṃsasārasakrauṃcādyaiḥ samaṃtātpariśobhitam ..
kīcakaiśca sughoṣaiśca kūjitaṃ bhramarairapi ..19..
nakrakacchapamīnādyairvagāhyaṃ sumanoharam ..
kumudotpalakahlāra puṃḍarīkādibhirmahat.. 2.7.18.20..
śatapatraiḥ kokanadaiḥ samantātpariśobhitam ..
pakṣiṇāṃ ca kalārāvairmukhara nayanotsavam ..21..
taṭe kīcakagulmaiśca tathā vṛkṣaiśca śobhitam ..
vaṭaiḥ karaṃjairnīpaiśca ciṃciṇībhistathaiva ca ..22..
nimbaplakṣapriyālaiśca campakairbakulaiḥ śubhaiḥ..
punnāgaistumbaraiścaiva kapitthāmalakairapi ..23..
niṣpeṣaṇaiśca jambūbhiḥ samaṃtātpariśobhitam..
vanyamātaṃgasāraṃga varāhamahiṣādibhiḥ..24..
śaśaiśca śallakaiścaiva gavayairupaśobhitam..
khaṅganābhimṛgādyaiśca vyāghraiḥ siṃhairvṛkairapi ..25..
kharāntakaiśca śarabhaiśca marībhiḥ sumaṇḍitam ..
śākhāśākhāntaraṃ śīghraṃ plavamānaiḥ plavaṃgamaiḥ..26..
mārjāraiścaiva bhallūkairbhīṣaṇaṃ rurubhistathā..
jhillīśabdaiśca kreṃkāraiḥ kīcakānāṃ ravaistathā..27..
ghoravāyuvinirghātadārubhāraiḥ samanvitam ..
etādṛśaṃ saro divyaṃ vyādhenaiva pradarśitam ..28..
dadarśa muniśārdūlastṛṣayā bādhito bhṛśam ..
snātvā madhyāhnavelāyāṃ sarasyasminmanorame..29..
vāsasī paridhāyā'tha kṛtvā mādhyāhnikīḥkriyāḥ..
devapūjāṃ tataḥ kṛtvā bhuktvā phalamatandritaḥ .. 2.7.18.30..
vyādhopanītaṃ susvādu kapitthaṃ śramahāri ca ..
sukhopaviṣṭaḥ papraccha vyādhaṃ dharmarataṃ punaḥ ..31..
kiṃ vaktavyaṃ mayā hyadya tavādau dharmatatpara ..
dharmāśca bahavaḥ saṃti nānāmārgāḥ pṛthagvidhāḥ..32..
tatra vaiśākhamāsoktāḥ sūkṣmā api mahārthadāḥ..
sarveṣāmeva jantūnāmihā'mutra phalapradāḥ..33..
yatpraṣṭavyaṃ manasi te yaccādau tacca pṛcchatām..
ityukto muninā tena vyādhaḥ prāṃjalirabravīt..34.

The story of Vālmīki's previous birth.

The hunter said:
“I have been favored by you, O sage—I, a sinner of extremely wicked mind.
For the great are naturally compassionate, the virtuous indeed so. / 1
Where is a hunter of low birth like me, and where such an intellect?
I consider this merely your supreme grace. / 2
Now, O virtuous one, I am your pupil, a fit recipient of your mercy, O honor-giver.
I am worthy of grace, I am your son; bestow your compassion, O ocean of mercy! / 3
So that such an evil mind, which brings disaster, may not arise in me again.
For through association with the good, one never again experiences sorrow. / 4
Therefore instruct me, O brahmin, with those well-spoken words that remove sin,
by which seekers of liberation truly cross the ocean of worldly existence. / 5
For the virtuous, whose minds are impartial and who have compassion for all living beings,
no one is low or high, nor is anyone their own or another. / 6
Having pondered with one-pointed focus, he who inquires about purity of heart—
whether he is full of all faults or bereft of all religious duty— / 7
whenever he asks teachers, having felt genuine remorse,
they straightaway instruct him in the knowledge that liberates from worldly existence. / 8
Just as the Gaṅgā is destined to destroy the sins of men,
so the virtuous are known to have the nature of uplifting the lowly. / 9
Do not hesitate to enlighten me, O compassionate one, affectionate to devotees,
because of my desire to serve, my submission, and the purity arising from your company.” / 10

Having heard this speech of the hunter, his mind amazed once more,
addressing him with “Well done! Well done!”, he spoke of these religious duties: / 11

Śaṅkha said:
“Perform the divine duties pleasing to Viṣṇu that grant liberation from the ocean of worldly existence
in the month of Vaiśākha, O hunter, if you desire welfare. / 12
Terrible heat oppresses us, and there is neither shade nor water here.
Therefore let us go to another place where there is shade. / 13
Having gone there, drunk water, and resorted to pleasant shade,
I shall describe to you the sin-destroying māhātmya / 14
of Viṣṇu, pertaining to the month of Mādhava, just as it was seen and heard.”
Addressed thus by that sage, the hunter spoke with folded hands: / 15
“Not far from here there is water in a lake.
Kapittha trees are there, laden with a heavy load of fruit. / 16
Let us go there; contentment will be found, without a doubt.”
Directed thus by the hunter, the sage went along with him. / 17
Having gone some distance from there, he saw ahead a lake,
crowded with cranes and kāraṇḍavas, adorned with cakravākas, / 18
beautified all around by swans, sārasa cranes, and krauñcas,
resounding with loud resonant bamboos, and hummed over by bees, / 19
plunged into by crocodiles, turtles, fish, and the like, exceedingly enchanting,
vast with white water lilies, blue lotuses, kahlāras, and puṇḍarīkas, / 20
splendid all around with hundred-petaled lotuses and red water lilies,
resounding with the melodious calls of birds, a feast for the eyes, / 21
adorned on the bank with bamboo thickets and with trees:
with banyans, karañjas, nīpas, and ciñciṇīs, / 22
with nimba, plakṣa, priyāla, campaka, and auspicious bakula trees,
with punnāgas, tumburus, and also kapitthas and āmalakas, / 23
with niṣpeṣaṇa and jambū trees, adorned on every side;
with wild elephants, antelopes, boars, buffalos, and others, / 24
adorned with hares, porcupines, and forest oxen,
with rhinoceroses, musk deers, tigers, lions, and wolves, / 25
with donkeys, śarabhas, and beautifully adorned with deer;
with monkeys swiftly leaping from branch to branch, / 26
fearsome with wildcats, bears, and ruru deer,
with the sounds of crickets, shrieks, and the creaking of bamboos, / 27
endowed with masses of wood felled by violent windstorms—
such a divine lake was pointed out by the hunter. / 28
The tiger among sages, greatly tormented by thirst, saw it.
Having bathed at noon in this enchanting lake, / 29
putting on two garments, and then performing the midday rites,
he then performed worship of the gods and, alert, ate the fruit / 30
brought by the hunter—delicious kapittha fruit that removed his exhaustion.
Sitting comfortably, he asked the hunter who was devoted to righteousness: / 31
“What should I speak to you first today, O you who are dedicated to duty?
Duties are many, with diverse paths and different forms. / 32
Among them, those prescribed for the month of Vaiśākha, though subtle, yield great results;
they bestow rewards in this world and the next to all living beings. / 33
Whatever you need to ask in your mind, and whatever comes first, ask that.”
Addressed thus by that sage, he spoke with folded hands: / 34