युधिष्ठिर उवाच कीदृशे पुरुषे तात स्त्रीषु वा भरतर्षभ। श्री: पद्मा वसते नित्यं तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह॥
Yudhishthira said Tell me, O grandfather, in what kind of man or woman, O chief of the Bharatas, does the goddess of Prosperity always live.
भीष्म उवाच अत्र ते वर्णयिष्यामि यथावृत्तं यथाश्रुतम्। रुक्मिणी देवकीपुत्रसंनिधौ पर्यपृच्छत॥
Bhishma said About it, I shall describe to you what took place and what I have heard. Once on a time, the princess Rukmini put this question in the presence of Devaki's son.
नारायणस्याङ्गतां ज्वलन्ती दृष्ट्वा श्रियं पद्मसमानवर्णाम्। कौतूहलाद् विस्मितचारु नेत्रा पप्रच्छ माता मकरध्वजस्य॥
Seeing ihe goddess of Prosperity, shining with beauty and gifted with the hue of the lotus, the mother of Pradyumna having the emblem of Makara on his banner, filled with curiosity, said these words.
कानीह भूतान्युपसेवसे त्वं संतिष्ठसे कानिव सेवसे त्वम्। तानि त्रिलोकेश्वरभूतकान्ते तत्त्वेन मे ब्रूहि महर्षिकल्पे॥
Who are those beings whom you help and whom you serve? Who, again, are those whom you do not serve? O you who are dear to him who is the lord of all creatures, tell me this truly, O you who are equal to a great Rishi in penances and power.
एवं तदा श्रीरभिभाष्यमाणा देव्या समक्षं गरुडध्वजस्य। उवाच वाक्यं मधुराभिधानं मनोहरं चन्द्रमुखी प्रसन्ना॥
Thus addressed by the princess, the goddess of Prosperity, with a face beautiful like the moon, and, actuated by grace in the presence of the deity having the emblem of Garuda on his banner, said these words in reply which were sweet and charming.
श्रीरुवाच वसामि नित्यं सुभगे प्रगल्भे दक्षे नरे कर्मणि वर्तमाने। अक्रोधने देवपरे कृतज्ञे जितेन्द्रिये नित्यमुदीर्णसत्त्वे॥
Shree said O blessed lady, I always live with him who is eloquent, active, attentive to business, free from anger, given to the adoration of the gods, endued with gratitude, has his passions under complete restraint, and is highminded in everything.
नाकर्मशीले पुरुषे वसामि न नास्तिके साङ्गरिके कृतघ्ने। न भिन्नवृत्ते न नृशंसवर्णे न चापि चौरे न गुरुष्वसूये॥
I never live with one who does not attend to business, who is an unbeliever, who causes an intermixture by his lustful habit, who is ungrateful, who is of impure deeds, who uses harsh and cruel words, who is a thief, and who cherishes malice towards his preceptors and other elders.
ये चाल्पतेजोबलसत्त्वमानाः क्लिश्यन्ति कृप्यन्ति च यत्र तत्र। न चैव तिष्ठामि तथाविधेषु नरेषु संगुप्तमनोरथेषु॥
I never live in those persons who are gifted with little energy, strength, life, and honour, who are distressed at every, trifle, and who always indulge in anger. Nor do I ever live with those who think in one way and act in a different way.
यश्चात्मनि प्रार्थयते न किञ्चिद् यश्च स्वभावोपहतान्तरात्मा। तेष्वल्पसंतोषपरेषु नित्यं नरेषु नाहं निवसामि सम्यक्॥
I never live also with him who never wishes for any acquisition for imself, or him who is so blinded as to rest satisfied with the lot in which he finds himself without any exertion, or with those who are contented with small gains.
स्वधर्मशीलेषु च धर्मविस्तु वृद्धोपसेवानिरते च दान्ते। कृतात्मनि क्षान्तिपरे समर्थे क्षान्तासु दान्तासु तथाबलासु॥
I live with those who perform the duties of their own order, or those who are conversant with the duties of virtue, or those who are given to the service of the aged, or those who have their passions under restraint, or those that are gifted with purified souls, or those who observe the virtue of forgiveness, or those who are able and prompt in action, or with such women as are forgiving and self-controlled.
सत्यस्वभावार्जवसंयुत्तासु वसामि देवद्विजपूजिकासु॥ प्रकीर्णभाण्डामनपेक्ष्यकारिणी सदा च भर्तुः प्रतिकूलवादिनीम्॥
I live with those women also who are given to truth and sincerity and who adore the gods. I do not live with those women also who do not look after household furniture and provisions scattered all around the house, and who always ulter words against the wishes of their husbands.
मेवंविधां तां परिवर्जयामि। पापामचोक्षामवलेहिनीं च व्ययेतधैर्य कलहप्रिया च।।१२।
I always avoid those women who are fond of the houses of other people and who have no modesty. On the other hand, I live with those women who are devoted to their husbands, who are blessed in conduct, and who are always adorned with ornaments and well-clad.
निद्राभिभूतां सततं शयानां एवंविधां तां परिवर्जयामि। सत्यासु नित्यं प्रियदर्शनासु सौभाग्ययुक्तासु गुणान्वितासु॥ वसामि नारीषु पतिव्रतासु कल्याणशीलासु विभूषितासु। यानेषु कन्यासु विभूषणेषु यज्ञेषु मेघेषु च वृष्टिमत्सु॥ वसामि फुल्लासु च पद्मिनीषु नक्षत्रवीथीषु च शारदीषु। गजेषु गोष्ठेषु तथाऽऽसनेषु सर:सु फुल्लोत्पलपङ्कजेषु।।१५।
I always live with those women who are truthful in words, who are handsome and lovely in appearance, who are blessed and whe are gifted with all accomplishments. I always avoid such women who are sinful and unclean or impure, who always lick the corners of their mouths, who have no patience or fortitude, and who are fond of dispute and quarrelling; who are indolent and sleepy and always inclined to lie down. I always live in conveyances and the animals that drag them, in maidens, in ornaments and good dresses, in sacrifices, in clouds charged with rain, in full-blown lotises. and in those stars that covers the autumnal sky. I live in elephants, in the cowpeng in good seats, and in lakes adorned with full-bloun lotuses.
नदीषु हंसस्वननादितासु क्रौञ्चावघुष्टस्वरशोभितासु। विकीर्णकूलद्रुमराजितासु तपस्विसिद्धद्विजसेवितासु।।१६।
I live also in such rivers as pass by with sweet murinurs, melodious with the music of cranes, having banks adorned with row of various trees, and resorted to by Brahmanas and ascetics.
वसामि नित्यं सुबहूदकासु सिंहैर्गजैश्चाकुलितोदकासु। मत्ते गजे गोवृषभे नरेन्द्र सिंहासने सत्पुरुषेषु नित्यम्।।१७।
I always live in those rivers also which havo deep and extensive waters rendered turbid by lions and elephants plunging into them for bathing or satisfying their thirst. I live also in angry elephants, in bulls, in kings, on the throne, and in good men.
यस्मिन् जनो हव्यभुजं जुहोति गोब्राह्मणं चार्चति देवताश्च। काले च पुष्पैर्बलयः क्रियन्ते तस्मिन् गृहे नित्यमुपैमि वासम्॥
I always live in that house in which the inmate pours libations on the sacrificial fire and adore kine, Brahmanas, and the gods. I live in that house where at the proper time offerings are made, to the gods, of flowers in course of worship.
स्वाध्यायनित्येषु सदा द्विजेषु क्षत्रे च कृष्याभिरते सदैव। वैश्ये च धर्माभिरते वसामि शूद्रे शुश्रूषणनित्ययुक्ते॥
I always live in such Brahmanas as are given to the study of the Vedas, in Kshatriyas devoted to the observance of virtue, in Vaishyas devoted to cultivation, and in Shudras devoted to the service of the three upper castes.
नारायणे त्वेकमना वसामि सर्वेण भावेन शरीरभूता। तस्मिन् हि धर्मः सुमहान् निविष्टो ब्रह्मण्यता चात्र तथा प्रियत्वम्॥
I live, with a heart firm and unshaken, in Narayana, in my embodied self. In Him exists virtue, full and perfect, devotion to the Brahmanas, and the quality of goodness.
नाहं शरीरेण वसामि देवि नैवं मया शक्यमिहाभिधातुम्। भावेन यस्मिन् निवसामि पुंसि स वर्धते धर्मयशोर्थकामैः॥
Can I not say, O lady, that I do not live in my embodied form? That person in whom I live in spirit increases in virtue and fame and wealth and object of desire.