न वेदवचनात्तात न लोकवचनादपि। मतिरुत्क्रमणीया ते प्रयागमरणं प्रति
Neither by the words of the Vedas nor by the words of men should your mind turn away from dying at Prayaga.
दशतीर्तसहस्राणि षष्टिः कोट्यस्तथाऽपराः। येषां सान्निध्यमत्रैव कीर्तितं कुरुन्दन
Ten thousand holy places and sixty million others are said to be present here, O descendant of the Kurus.
चतुर्विद्ये च यत्पुण्यं सत्यवादिषु चैव यत्। स्नात एव तदाप्नोति गङ्गायमुनसंगमे
Whatever merit is gained from the four Vedas or from truth-speaking men, one attains it simply by bathing at the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna.
तत्र भोगवती नाम वासुकेस्तीर्थमुत्तमम्। तत्राभिषेकं यः कुर्यात्सोऽश्वमेधफलं लभेत्
There is the supreme holy place called Bhogavati, belonging to Vasuki; whoever bathes there obtains the fruit of the Ashvamedha sacrifice.
तत्र हंसप्रपतनं तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम्। दशाश्वमेधिकं चैव गङ्गायां कुरुनन्दन
There is the sacred site called Hamsaprapatana, renowned in the three worlds, and the ten-Ashvamedha site on the Ganga, O descendant of the Kurus.
कुरुक्षेत्रसमा गङ्गा यत्रतत्रावगाहिता। विशेषो वै कनखले प्रयागे परमं महत्
Wherever the Ganga is entered, it is equal to Kurukshetra; but the special greatness is at Kanakhala and at Prayaga.
यद्यकार्यशतं कृत्वा कृतंगङ्गावसेचनम्। सर्वं तत्तस्य गङ्गापो दहत्यग्निरिवेन्धनम्
Even if one has committed a hundred wrongful acts, if one has bathed in the Ganga, all those sins are burned away by the waters of the Ganga, just as fire consumes fuel.
सर्वं कृतयुगे पुण्यंत्रेतायां पुष्करं स्मृतम्। द्वापरेऽपि कुरुक्षेत्रं गङ्गा कलियुगे स्मृता
All merit in the Krita age is remembered at Pushkara; in the Treta, at Pushkara; in the Dvapara, at Kurukshetra; and in the Kali age, at the Ganga.
पुष्करे तु तपस्तप्येद्दानं दद्यान्महालये। मलये त्वग्निमारोहेद्भृगुतुन्दे त्वनाशनम्
At Pushkara, one should perform austerity; at Mahalaya, give gifts; at Malaya, ascend the fire; and at Bhrigutunda, undertake fasting.
पुष्करे तु कुरुक्षेत्रे रगङ्गायां मगधेषु च। स्नात्वा तारयते जन्तुः सप्तसप्तावरांस्तथा
At Pushkara, Kurukshetra, the Ganga, and in Magadha, by bathing, a creature delivers seven generations on both sides.
पुनाति कीर्तिता पापं दृष्टा भद्रं प्रयच्छति। अवगाढा च पीता च पुनात्यासप्तमं कुलम्
When spoken of, it purifies sin; when seen, it grants auspiciousness; when entered or drunk, it purifies up to the seventh generation.
यावदस्थि मनुष्यस् गङ्गायाः स्पृशते जलम्। तावत्स पुरुषो राजन्स्वर्गलोके महीपते
As long as a person's bones touch the water of the Ganga, O King, that person remains in the heavenly realm, O Lord of the Earth.
यथा पुण्यानि तीर्थानि पुण्यान्यायतनानि च। उपास्य पुण्यं लब्ध्वा च भवत्यमरलोकभाक्
Just as holy places and sacred shrines, when worshipped and having gained merit, make one a partaker in the world of the immortals.
न गङ्गासदृशं तीर्थं न देवः केशवात्परः। ब्राह्मणेभ्यः परं नास्ति एवमाह पितामहः
There is no sacred place equal to the Ganga, no god greater than Kesava, and nothing higher than the Brahmanas; so says the grandsire.
यत्र गङ्गा महाराज स देशस्तत्तपोकवनम्। सिद्धिक्षेत्रं च तज्ज्ञेयं गङ्गातीरसमाश्रितम्
Where the Ganga flows, O great king, that land is called Tapovana; know that as the field of accomplishment, situated on the banks of the Ganga.
इदं सत्यंद्विजातीनां साधूनामात्मनोपि च। सुहृदां च जपेत्कर्मे शिष्यस्यानुगतस्य च
This is truth for the twice-born, for the virtuous, for oneself, for friends; let one recite it for the actions of a disciple and for one who follows.
इदं धन्यमिदं मेध्यमिदं स्वर्ग्यमिदं सुखम्। इदं पुण्यमिदं रम्यं पावनं धर्म्यमुत्तमम्
This is blessed, this is pure, this leads to heaven, this is happiness; this is meritorious, this is delightful, purifying, supremely righteous.
महर्षीणामिदं गुह्यं सर्वपापप्रमोचनम्। अधीत्यद्विजमध्ये च निर्मलः स्वर्गमाप्नुयात्
This is the secret of the great sages, the remover of all sins; having studied it among the twice-born, one attains heaven, purified.
श्रीमत्स्वर्ग्यं तथा पुण्यं सपत्नशमनं शिवम्। मेधाजननमग्र्यं वै तीर्थवंशानुकीर्तनम्
It is glorious, heavenly, meritorious, destroys enemies, auspicious; it is the foremost producer of intelligence, the recounting of the lineage of sacred places.
अपुत्रो लभते पुत्रमधनो धनमाप्नुयात्। शूद्रो यथेप्सितान्कामान्ब्राह्मणः पारगः पठन्। महीं विजयते राजा वैश्यो धनमवाप्नुयात्
The childless gains a son, the poor obtains wealth; the Shudra attains desired pleasures, the Brahmana crosses over by reciting; the king conquers the earth, the Vaishya acquires wealth.
यश्चेदं शृणुयान्नित्यं तीर्थपुण्यं नरः शुचिः। जातीः स स्मरते बह्वीर्नाकपृष्ठे च मोदते
Whoever, pure in mind, hears this merit of the sacred places daily, remembers many births and rejoices in the heavenly realm.
गम्यान्यपि च तीर्थानि कीर्तितान्यगमानि च। मनसा तानि गच्छेत सर्वतीर्थसमीक्षया
Even those sacred places which are difficult to reach or only spoken of, one may go to them in mind, considering all the holy places.
एतानि वसुभिः साध्यैरादित्यैर्मरुदश्विभिः। ऋषिभिर्देवकल्पैश्च स्नातानि सुकृतैषिभिः
These have been bathed in by Vasus, Adityas, Maruts, Ashvins, sages, and those who are like gods, by the virtuous seekers of merit.
एवं त्वमपि कौरव्य विधिनाऽनेन सुव्रत। व्रत तीर्थानि नियतः पुण्यं पुण्येन वर्धयन्
Thus, O Kaurava, you too, steadfast in vows, by this method, visiting sacred places with discipline, increase merit with merit.
भाषितैः करणैः पूर्वमास्तिक्याच्छ्रुतिदर्शनात्। प्राप्यन्ते तानि तीर्तानि सद्भिः शास्त्रार्थदर्शिभिः। सद्भिः शास्त्रार्थतत्वज्ञैर्ब्राह्मणैः सह गम्यताम्
By words, actions, faith, and hearing, those sacred places are attained by the good who understand the meaning of the scriptures; let them be visited with good Brahmanas who know the essence of the scriptures.
नाव्रती नाकृतात्मा च नाशुचिर्न च तस्करः। स्नाति तीर्थेषु कौरव्य न च वक्रमतिर्नरः
One who is without vows, who has not mastered oneself, who is impure, who is a thief, who is crooked-minded, O Kaurava, does not bathe in the sacred places.
त्वया तु सम्यग्वृत्तेन नित्यं धर्मार्थदर्शिना। `पितरस्तात सर्वे च तारिताः प्रपितामहाः
But by you, who act rightly, always seeing the meaning of dharma and artha, O dear one, all your ancestors and forefathers are rescued.
पिता पितामहस्चैव सर्वे च प्रपितामहाः। पितामहपुरोगाश्च देवाः सर्षिगणा नृप। तव धर्मेण धर्मज्ञ नित्यमेवाभितोषितः
Father, grandfather, and all forefathers, the gods led by the grandsires, together with the sages, O king, are always gratified by your righteousness, O knower of dharma.
अवाप्स्यसि त्वं लोकान्वै वसूनां वासवोपम। कीर्तिं च महातीं भीष्म प्राप्स्यसे भुविशाश्वतीं
You will indeed attain worlds equal to those of the Vasus, like Indra, and, O Bhishma, you will gain great and everlasting fame on earth.
एवमुक्त्वाऽभ्यनुज्ञाय पुलस्त्यो भगवानृषिः। प्रीतः प्रीतेन मनसा तत्रैवान्तरधीयत
Having spoken thus and granted permission, the venerable sage Pulastya, pleased in mind, vanished there itself.