evaṃ mayā śrutam — ekasmin samaye bhagavān kauśāmbyāṃ vyahārṣīd ghoṣitārāme.

atha khalv āyuṣmān mahācundaḥ sāyāhne pratisaṃlayanād vyutthāya yena bhagavāṃs tenopajagāma. upetya bhagavantaṃ praṇamya ekānte nyaṣīdat. ekāntaniṣaṇṇa āyuṣmān mahācundas taṃ bhagavantam etad uvāca — śakyate nu khalu bhagavan laukikapuṇyaprajñaptiḥ kartum iti?

bhagavān āha — śakyate cunda. santi cunda sapta laukikapuṇyāni mahāpuṇyāni mahāphalāni mahāyaśaskāni mahānuśaṃsāni ca. katamāni sapta? iha cunda śrāddhaḥ kulaputro vā kuladuhitā vā bhikṣusaṃghāya layanaṃ prāsādaṃ ca dadāti. idam ucyate cunda prathamaṃ laukikapuṇyaṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ mahāphalaṃ mahāyaśaskaṃ mahānuśaṃsaṃ ca.

punar aparaṃ cunda śrāddhaḥ kulaputro vā kuladuhitā vā layane mañcapīṭhaṃ kojavaṃ tūlikāṃ bṛsīṃ śayyāsanaṃ ca dadāti. idam ucyate cunda dvitīyaṃ laukikapuṇyaṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ mahāphalaṃ mahāyaśaskaṃ mahānuśaṃsaṃ ca.

punar aparaṃ cunda śrāddhaḥ kulaputro vā kuladuhitā vā layane sarvāṇi abhinavāni śuddhāni praṇītāni cīvarāṇi dadāti. idam ucyate cunda tṛtīyaṃ laukikapuṇyaṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ mahāphalaṃ mahāyaśaskaṃ mahānuśaṃsaṃ ca.

punar aparaṃ cunda śrāddhaḥ kulaputro vā kuladuhitā vā layane bhikṣusaṃghāya nityaṃ prātaryāgūṃ madhyāhnabhojanaṃ ca dadāti. api cārāmikān vaiyāpṛtyāya upapādayati, vātavṛṣṭiśītahimeṣu svayam ārāmam upagamya adhikataraṃ dadāti pūjayati ca. bhikṣusaṃgho bhuktavān na vātavṛṣṭiśītahimair ārdrīkṛtacīvaraḥ kliśyate. ahorātraṃ sukhaṃ dhyāne saṃlīyate manasikaroti ca. idam ucyate cunda saptamaṃ laukikapuṇyaṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ mahāphalaṃ mahāyaśaskaṃ mahānuśaṃsaṃ ca.

cunda yadi śrāddhena kulaputreṇa vā kuladuhitrā vā imāni sapta laukikapuṇyāni pratilabdhāni, tasya gacchato vā āgacchato vā tiṣṭhato vā niṣaṇṇasya vā śayānasya vā jāgrato vā ahorātraṃ puṇyaṃ nityaṃ jāyate pravardhate vipulaṃ ca bhavati.

cunda tadyathāpi nāma gaṅgānadīśroto mūlāt prabhavati mahāsamudram anupraviśati, tayor antare gabhīrataraṃ vipulataraṃ ca bhavati. evam eva cunda yadi śrāddhena kulaputreṇa vā kuladuhitrā vā imāni sapta laukikapuṇyāni pratilabdhāni, tasya gacchato vā āgacchato vā tiṣṭhato vā niṣaṇṇasya vā śayānasya vā jāgrato vā ahorātraṃ puṇyaṃ nityaṃ jāyate pravardhate vipulaṃ ca bhavati.

atha khalv āyuṣmān mahācunda utthāyāsanād ekāṃsam uttarāsaṅgaṃ kṛtvā dakṣiṇaṃ jānumaṇḍalaṃ pṛthivyāṃ pratiṣṭhāpya yena bhagavāṃs tenāñjaliṃ praṇamya bhagavantam etad uvāca — śakyate nu khalu bhagavan lokottarapuṇyaprajñaptiḥ kartum iti.

bhagavān āha — śakyate cunda. santi khalu sapta puṇyāni lokottarāṇi mahāpuṇyāni mahāphalāni mahāyaśaskāni mahānuśaṃsāni ca. katamāni sapta? iha cunda śrāddhaḥ kulaputro vā kuladuhitā vā śṛṇoti tathāgatas tathāgataśrāvako vā amukasmin pradeśe viharatīti. śrutvā ca pramudito bhavati hṛṣṭacittaḥ pāramodyajātaḥ. idam ucyate cunda prathamaṃ lokottarapuṇyaṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ mahāphalaṃ mahāyaśaskaṃ mahānuśaṃsaṃ ca.

punar aparaṃ cunda śrāddhaḥ kulaputro vā kuladuhitā vā śṛṇoti tathāgatas tathāgataśrāvako vā amuta ihāgamiṣyatīti. śrutvā ca pramudito bhavati hṛṣṭacittaḥ pāramodyajātaḥ. idam ucyate cunda dvitīyaṃ lokottarapuṇyaṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ mahāphalaṃ mahāyaśaskaṃ mahānuśaṃsaṃ ca.

punar aparaṃ cunda śrāddhaḥ kulaputro vā kuladuhitā vā śṛṇoti tathāgatas tathāgataśrāvako vā amuta ihāgata iti. śrutvā ca pramudito bhavati hṛṣṭacittaḥ pāramodyajātaḥ. sa prasannena cetasā svayam upasaṃkrāmati darśanāya vandanāya pūjanāya ca. pūjayitvā ca buddhaṃ dharmaṃ bhikṣusaṃghaṃ ca śaraṇaṃ gacchati śīlāni ca samādatte. idam ucyate cunda saptamaṃ lokottarapuṇyaṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ mahāphalaṃ mahāyaśaskaṃ mahānuśaṃsaṃ ca.

cunda yadi śrāddhaḥ kulaputro vā kuladuhitā vā imāni sapta laukikapuṇyāni pratilabhate, yāni cānyāni sapta lokottarapuṇyāni, teṣāṃ puṇyānāṃ pramāṇaṃ na śakyate saṃkhyātum. iyat puṇyam iyat puṇyaphalaṃ iyat puṇyavipāka iti, api tv aparimāṇam aprameyaṃ na śakyate mahāpuṇyasaṃkhyām avagantum.

cunda tadyathāpi nāma jambūdvīpe pañca mahānadyaḥ pravahanti, tadyathā — gaṅgā yamunā sarabhūr aciravatī mahī ca. tā mahāsamudram anupraviśanti, tayor antare jalasaṃkhyā na śakyate kartum. iyanty āḍhakāni iyanti droṇānīti, api tv aparimāṇam aprameyaṃ na śakyate mahājalasaṃkhyām avagantum.

cunda evam eva yadi śrāddhaḥ kulaputro vā kuladuhitā vā imāni sapta laukikapuṇyāni pratilabhate, yāni cānyāni sapta lokottarapuṇyāni, teṣāṃ puṇyānāṃ pramāṇaṃ na śakyate saṃkhyātum. iyat puṇyam iyat puṇyaphalaṃ iyat puṇyavipāka iti, api tv aparimāṇam aprameyaṃ na śakyate mahāpuṇyasaṃkhyām avagantum.

atha khalu bhagavāṃs tasyāṃ velāyāṃ gāthā abhāṣata —

gaṅgā yā vai nadī śuddhā sutīrthā parikīrtitā |
samudro ratnasampūrṇo jalānām īśvaraḥ smṛtaḥ ||

yathā nadījalāny eva lokena sevitāni ca |
sarvanadīsamāśrayaṃ praviśanty eva sāgaram ||

evam eva naro yas tu vastrānnapānam eva ca |
mañcapīṭhaṃ ca kojavaṃ śayyāsanaṃ dadāti ca ||

anantapuṇyaphalabhāg yāti sthānam anuttaram |
yathā nadījalāny eva praviśanty eva sāgaram ||

idam avocad bhagavān. āttamanā āyuṣmān mahācundas te ca bhikṣavo bhagavato bhāṣitam abhyanandiṣuḥ.

laukikapuṇyasūktaṃ niṣṭhitaṃ saptamam