तान्सर्वानुत्सुकान्दृष्ट्वा पाण्डवान्दीनचेतसः। अश्वासयंस्तथा धौम्यो बृहस्पतिसमोऽब्रवीत्
Seeing all the Pandavas anxious and dispirited, Dhaumya, wise as Brihaspati, comforted them and spoke thus.
ब्राह्मणानुमतान्पुण्यानाश्रमान्भरतर्षभ। दिशस्तीर्थानि शैलांश्च शृणु मे वदतोऽनघ
Hear from me, O best of Bharatas, about the blessed hermitages approved by Brahmanas, the directions, holy places, and mountains.
याञ्श्रुत्वा गदतो राजन्विशोको भवितासि ह। द्रौपद्या चानया सार्धं भ्रातृभिश्च नरेश्वर
Hearing of these as I recount them, O king, you will become free from sorrow, together with Draupadi and your brothers.
श्रवणाच्चैव तेषां त्वं पुण्यमाप्स्यसि पाण्डव। गत्वा शतगुणं चैव तेभ्य एव नरोत्तम
By merely hearing of them, O Pandava, you will gain merit; and by visiting them, O best of men, you will gain a hundredfold more.
शृणु पूर्वां दिशं राजन्देवर्षिगणसेविताम्। रम्यां ते कथयिष्यामि युधिष्ठिर यथास्मृति
Hear now, O king, of the eastern direction, served by hosts of divine sages; I shall tell you of its beauty as I remember, Yudhishthira.
तस्यां रदेवर्षिजुष्टायां नैमिषं नाम भारत। यत्रतीर्थानि देवानां पुण्यानि च पृथक् पृथक्
In that region, frequented by divine sages, is the holy place called Naimisha, where the sacred fords of the gods are found, each with its own merit.
यत्र सा गोमती पुण्या रम्या देवर्षिसेविता। यज्ञभूमिश्च देवानां शामित्रं च विवस्वतः
There flows the sacred and beautiful Gomati, frequented by divine sages; there is the sacrificial ground of the gods and the Shamitri of Vivasvat.
तस्यां गिरिवरः पुण्यो गयो राजर्षिसत्कृतः। शिवं ब्रह्मसरो यत्रसेवितं त्रिदशर्षिभिः
There is the holy mountain Gaya, honored by royal sages, and the auspicious lake of Brahma, frequented by the sages of the gods.
यदर्थे पुरुषव्याघ्र कीर्तयन्ति पुरातनाः। एष्टव्या बहवः पुत्रा यद्येकोपि गयां व्रजेत्
For this reason, O tiger among men, the ancients declare: 'Let many sons be begotten, for even if only one goes to Gaya, it is enough.'
गौरीं वा वरयेत्कन्यां नीलं वा वृषमुत्सृजेत्। उत्तारयति संतत्या दश पूर्वान्दशावरान्
Whether one gives a maiden in marriage or releases a blue bull, he uplifts ten ancestors before and ten after in his lineage.
महानदी च तत्रैव तथा गयशिरो नृप। यत्रासौ कीर्त्यते विप्रैरक्षय्यकरणो वटः
There too is the great river and the head of Gaya, O king, where the imperishable banyan tree is praised by the Brahmanas.
यत्रदत्तं पितृभ्योऽन्नमक्षय्यं भवति प्रभो। सा च पुण्यजला तत्र फल्गुनामा महानदी
Whatever food is offered there to the ancestors becomes inexhaustible, O lord; and there flows the sacred river Phalguni, pure and holy.
बहुमूलफला चापि कौशिकी भरतर्षभ। विश्वामित्रोऽध्यगाद्यत्र ब्राह्मणत्वं तपोधनः
O best of the Bharatas, the Kauśikī river, rich in many roots and fruits, is where Viśvāmitra, the wealth of asceticism, attained Brāhmaṇahood.
गङ्गा यत्रनदी पुण्या यस्यास्तीरे भगीरथः। अयजत्तत्रबहुभिः क्रतुभिर्भूरिदक्षिणैः
On the sacred river Gaṅgā, on whose banks Bhagīratha performed many sacrifices with abundant gifts.
पाञ्चालेषु च कौरव्य कथयन्त्युत्पलावतम्। विश्वामित्रोऽयजद्यत्र शक्रेण सह कौशिकः
In the land of the Pāñcālas, O Kaurava, they speak of Utpalāvata, where Viśvāmitra of the Kauśika line performed a sacrifice together with Indra.
यत्रानुवंशं भगवाञ्जामदग्न्यस्तथा जगौ। विश्वामित्रस्य तां दृष्ट्वा चिभूतिमतिमानुषीम्
There, the venerable Jāmadagnya recited the genealogy, having witnessed the extraordinary, almost superhuman, prosperity of Viśvāmitra.
कान्यकुब्जेऽपिबत्सोममिन्द्रेण सह कौशिकः। ततः क्षत्रादपाक्रामद्ब्राह्मणोस्मीति चाब्रवीत्
At Kānyakubja, Kauśika drank soma together with Indra; then he renounced the kṣatriya order and declared, 'I am a Brāhmaṇa.'
पवित्रमृषिभिर्जुष्टं पुण्यं पावनमुत्तमम्। गङ्गायमुनयोर्वीर संगमं लोकविश्रुतम्
The confluence of the Gaṅgā and Yamunā, O hero, is renowned in the world as pure, blessed, and supremely sanctifying, cherished by sages.
यत्रायजत भूतात्मा पूर्वमेव पितामहः। प्रयागमिति विख्यातं तस्माद्भरतसत्तम
There, in ancient times, the self-born grandsire performed a sacrifice; therefore, O best of the Bharatas, it is famed as Prayāga.
अगस्त्यस्य तु राजेन्द्र तत्राश्रमवरो नृप। तत्तथा तापसारण्यं तापसैरुपशोभितम्
O king, there is the excellent hermitage of Agastya, adorned by ascetics, and thus that forest is known as the ascetics' woodland.
हिरण्यबिन्दुः कथितो गिरौ कालञ्जरे महान्। आगस्त्यपर्वतोरभ्यः पुण्यो गिरिवः शिवः
On the great Kālañjara mountain is the renowned Hiraṇyabindu, a sacred and auspicious peak, dear to the Agastya lineage.
महेन्द्रो नाम कौरव्य भार्गवस्य महात्मनः। अयजत्तत्रकौन्तेय पूर्वमेव पितामहः
O Kaurava, on the mountain called Mahendra, the great-souled Bhārgava performed a sacrifice there, as did the grandsire in ancient times.
यत्रभागीरथी पुण्यां सरस्यासीद्युधिष्ठिर। यत्र सा ब्रह्मशालेति पुण्याख्याता विशांपते। धूतपाप्मभिराकीर्णा पुण्यं तस्याश्च दर्शनम्
Where the sacred Bhāgīrathī once formed a lake, O Yudhiṣṭhira, and where it is known as Brahmaśālī, famed among men, filled with those cleansed of sin—beholding her is holy.
पवित्रो मङ्गलीयश्च ख्यातो लोके सनातनः। केदारश्च मतङ्गस्य महानाश्रम उत्तमः
Kedāra, the great and excellent hermitage of Mataṅga, is renowned in the world as pure, auspicious, and eternal.
कुण्डोदः पर्वतो रम्यो बहुमूलफलोदकः। नैषधस्तृषितो यत्र जलं शर्म च लब्धवान्
The delightful mountain Kuṇḍoda, abundant in roots, fruits, and water, is where the thirsty Naiṣadha found water and relief.
यत्र देववनं पुण्यं तापसैरुपशोभितम्। बाहुदा च नदी यत्रनन्दा च गिरिमूर्धनि
There is the sacred Devavana, adorned by ascetics, and the rivers Bāhudā and Nandā, which arise on the mountain's summit.
तीर्थानि सरितः शैलाः पुण्यान्यायतनानि च। प्राच्यां दिशि महाराज कीर्तितानि मया तव
O great king, I have recounted to you the sacred fords, rivers, mountains, and holy places in the eastern direction.
तिसृष्वन्यासु पुण्यानि दिक्षु तीर्थानि मे शृणु। सरितः पर्वतांश्चैव पुण्यान्यायतनानि च
Now hear from me of the sacred fords in the other three directions, as well as the holy rivers, mountains, and sanctuaries.
दक्षिणस्यां तु पुण्यानि शृणु तीर्थानि भारत। विस्तरेण यथाबुद्धि कीर्त्यमानानि तानि वै
Now hear, O Bhārata, of the sacred fords in the southern direction, described in detail and to the best of my knowledge.
यस्यामाख्यायते पुण्या दिशि गोदावरी नदी। बह्वारामा बहुजला तापसाचरिता शिवा
In that direction is the sacred river Godāvarī, famed for its many groves and abundant waters, holy and frequented by ascetics.