निरेतः श्रूयते पुण्यो यत्र विश्रवसो मुनेः। जज्ञे धनपतिर्यत्र कुबेरो नरवाहनः
There is the holy Nirēta, where the sage Viśravas is heard; where Kubera, lord of wealth and bearer of men, was born.
वैढूर्यशिखरो नाम पुण्यो गिरिवरः शिवः। नित्यपुष्पफलास्तत्र पादपा हरितच्छदाः
There is the sacred mountain Vaiḍhūrya, with its shining peak; its trees, ever green, bear flowers and fruits perpetually.
तस्य शैलस्य शिखरे सरः पुण्यं महीपते। फुल्लपद्मं महाराज देवगन्धर्वसेवितम्
On the summit of that mountain, O king, is a holy lake, blooming with lotuses, frequented by gods and gandharvas.
बह्वाश्चर्यं महाराज दृश्यते तत्र पर्वते। पुण्ये स्वर्गोपमे चैव देवर्षिगणसेविते
Many wonders, O king, are seen on that mountain, sacred and heaven-like, attended by hosts of divine sages.
ह्रदिनी पुण्यतीर्था च राजर्षेस्तत्र वै सरित्। विश्चामित्रेण तपसा निर्मिता सर्वपावनी
There is the holy river Hradinī, sacred bathing place of royal sages, created by Viśvāmitra's austerity, purifying all.
यस्यास्तीरे सतां मध्ये ययातिर्नहुषात्मजः। पपात स पुनर्लोकाँल्लेभे धर्मान्सनातनान्
On its bank, among the virtuous, Yayāti, son of Nahusha, fell; he then attained the eternal worlds and Dharma.
तत्रपुण्यो ह्रदः ख्यातो मैनाकश्चैव पर्वतः। बहुमूलफलोपेतस्त्वमितो नाम पर्वतः
There is a renowned sacred lake there, and also the Mainaka mountain; and you, O mountain named Tamita, are abundant with many roots and fruits.
आश्रमः कक्षसेनस्य पुण्यस्तत्रयुधिष्ठिरः। च्यवनस्याश्रमश्चैव विख्यातस्तत्रपाण्डव। तत्राल्पेनैव सिद्ध्यन्ति मानवास्तपसा विभो
There is the holy hermitage of Kakshasena, O Yudhishthira, and also the well-known hermitage of Chyavana, O Pandava; there, with little austerity, people quickly attain success, O illustrious one.
जम्बूमार्गो महाराज ऋषीणां भावितात्मनाम्। आश्रम शाम्यतां श्रेष्ठ मृगद्विजनिषेवितः
O great king, the Jambu path is frequented by sages of purified souls; the foremost hermitage of Shamyata is there, inhabited by beasts and birds.
ततः पुण्यतमा राजन्सततं तापसैर्युता। केतुमाला च मेध्या च गङ्गाद्वारं च भूमिप। ख्यातं च सैन्धवारण्यं पुण्यं द्विजनिषेवितम्
Then, O king, there are the most sacred places, always filled with ascetics: Ketumala, Medhya, and Gangadvara, O lord of the earth; and the famous Sindhu forest, a holy place frequented by twice-born ones.
पितामहसरः पुण्यं पुष्करं नाम नामतः। वैखानसानां सिद्धानामृषीणामाश्रमः प्रियः
There is the sacred lake of the Grandsire, known by name as Pushkara; it is the beloved hermitage of the accomplished Vaikhanasa sages.
अप्यत्र संश्रयार्थाय प्रजापतिरथो जगौ। पुष्करेषु कुरुश्रेष्ठ गाथां सुकृतिनांवर
Here, too, for the sake of refuge, the Lord of Creatures once sang; at Pushkara, O best of Kurus, he recited a verse for the blessed.
मनसाऽप्यभिकामस्य पुष्कराणि मनखिनः। विप्रणश्यन्ति पापानि नाकपृष्ठे च मोदते
Even by wishing in the mind, for one who desires, the Pushkaras remove the sins of the mind; and he rejoices on the summit of heaven.
उदीच्यां राजशार्दूल दिशि पुण्यानि यानि वै। तानि ते कीर्तयिष्यामि पुण्यान्यायतनानि च
O tiger among kings, I will now recount to you the sacred places and holy shrines in the northern direction.
शृणुष्वावहितो भूत्वा मम मन्त्रयतः प्रभो। कथाप्रतिग्रहो वीर श्रद्धां जनयते शुभाम्
Listen attentively as I speak, O lord; receiving this tale, O hero, generates auspicious faith.
सरस्वती महापुण्या ह्रदिनी तीर्थमालिनी। समुद्रगा महावेगा यमुना यत्र पाण्डव
The Sarasvati, most holy, flowing with lakes and lined with sacred fords, and the Yamuna, O Pandava, which flows to the ocean with great speed, are there.
यत्र पुण्यतरं तीर्थं प्लक्षावतरणं शुभम्। यत्रसारस्वतैरिष्ट्वा गच्छन्त्यवभृथं द्विजाः
There is the most sacred ford, the auspicious Plaksha-pravaraṇa, where the Sarasvata brahmins, after performing sacrifices, go to bathe for the final ablution.
पुण्यं चाख्यायते दिव्यं शिवमग्निशिरोऽनघ। सहदेवोऽयजद्यत्रशम्याक्षेपेण भारत
There is also the divine, auspicious, and sinless Agnishiras, so called; where Sahadeva once performed a sacrifice with the offering of shamya leaves, O Bharata.
एतस्मिन्नेव चार्थेऽसौ इन्द्रगीता युधिष्ठिर। गाथा चरति लोकेऽस्मिन्गीयमाना द्विजातिभिः
On this very subject, O Yudhishthira, there is the song of Indra, a verse recited in this world by the twice-born.
अग्नयः सहदेवेन ये चिता यमुनामनु। ते तस्य कुरुशार्दूल सहस्रशतदक्षिणाः
The fires which Sahadeva consecrated along the Yamuna, O tiger of the Kurus, were given hundreds of thousands of gifts.
तत्रैव भरतो राजा चक्रवर्ती महायशाः। विंशतीं सप्त चाष्टौ च हयमेधानुपाहरत्
There, too, the illustrious king Bharata, the universal emperor, performed twenty, seven, and eight horse sacrifices.
कामकृद्यो द्विजातीनां श्रुतस्तात यथा पुरा। अत्यन्तमाश्रमः पुण्यः शरभङ्गस्य विश्रुतः
The most excellent hermitage of Sharabhanga, famed as it was of old, is renowned as the wish-fulfilling place for the twice-born, O dear one.
सरस्वती नदी सद्भिः सततं पार्थ पूजिता। वालखिल्यैर्महाराज यत्रेष्टमृषिभिः पुरा
The Sarasvati river is always honored by the virtuous, O Partha; there, in ancient times, the Valakhilya sages performed sacrifices.
दृषद्वती महापुण्या यत्र रख्याता युधिष्ठिर। न्यग्रोधाख्यस्तु पाञ्चाल्यः पाञ्चाल्योद्विपदांवर। दाल्भ्यघोषश्च दाल्भ्याश् धरणीस्थो महात्मनः
The Drishadvati, most holy, is renowned there, O Yudhishthira; and the Nyagrodha, called Panchalya, O best of men; and the Dalbhya Ghosha, belonging to the Dalbhyas, of the great-souled one who dwelt on the earth.
कौन्तेयानन्तयशसः सुव्रतस्यामितौजसः। आश्रमः ख्यायते पुण्यस्त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतः
O son of Kunti, the hermitage of the one of endless fame, of noble vows and immeasurable energy, is renowned as holy and celebrated in the three worlds.
एतावर्णाववर्णौ च विश्रुतौ मनुजाधिप। ईजाते क्रतुभिर्मुख्यैः पुण्यैर्भरतसत्तम
O ruler of men, these two castes, the colored and the uncolored, became famous, O best of the Bharatas, having performed foremost and virtuous sacrifices.
समेत्य बहुशो देवाः सेन्द्राः सवरुणाः पुरा। विशाखयूपेऽतप्यन् तेन पुण्यतमश्च सः
Long ago, the gods, many times, together with Indra and Varuna, assembled and performed austerities at the Viśākhayūpa, making it most sacred.
ऋषिर्महान्महाभागो जमदग्निर्महायशाः। पलाशकेषु पुण्येषु रम्येष्वयजत प्रभुः
The great and illustrious sage Jamadagni, blessed with great fortune, performed sacrifices in the beautiful and holy groves of palāśa trees.
यत्रसर्वाः सरिच्छ्रेष्टाः साक्षात्तमृषिसत्तमम्। स्वं स्वं तोयमुपादाय परिवार्योपतस्थिरे
There, all the foremost rivers, bringing their own waters, surrounded and approached that eminent sage directly.
अपि चात्र महाराज स्वयं विश्वावसुर्जगौ। इमं श्लोकं तदा वीर प्रेक्ष्य दीक्षां महात्मनः
And there, O great king, Viśvāvasu himself sang this verse, beholding the consecration of the great-souled one.