अरुन्धती वा सुभगा वसिष्ठं लोपामुद्रा वा यथा ह्यगस्त्यम्। नलस्य वै दमयन्ती यथा भू द्यथा शची वज्रधरस्य चैव
Just as the blessed Arundhati serves Vasistha, or Lopamudra serves Agastya, or Damayanti serves Nala, or Shachi serves the wielder of the thunderbolt, so did she serve him.
प्रीत्या युक्ता पर्यचरन्नरेन्द्र
With affection she served him, O king.
तस्याश्रमः पुण्य एषोऽवभाति महाह्रदं शोभयन्पुण्यकीर्तिः। अत्रस्नातः कृतकृत्यो विशुद्ध- स्तीर्थान्यन्यान्यनुसंयाहि राजन्
This hermitage of his shines with merit, glorifying the great lake with his virtuous fame; having bathed here, one is accomplished and purified—O king, proceed to other holy places.
ततः प्रयातः कौशिक्याः पाण्डवो जनमेजय। आनुपूर्व्येण सर्वाणि जगामायतनान्यथ
Then the Pandava, O Janamejaya, departed from the Kausiki and visited all the sacred places in order.
स सागरं समासाद्य गङ्गायाः संगमे नृप। नदीशतानां पञ्चानां मध्ये चक्रे समाप्लवम्
He reached the ocean at the confluence of the Ganga, O king, and in the midst of five hundred rivers, performed his ablutions.
ततः समुद्रतीरेण जगाम वसुधाधिपः। भ्रातृभिः सहितो वीरः कलिङ्गान्प्रति भारत
Then the lord of the earth, accompanied by his brothers, journeyed along the seashore toward the land of the Kalingas, O descendant of Bharata.
एते कलिङ्गाः कौन्तेय यत्र वैतरणी नदी। यत्रायजत धर्मोपि देवाञ्शरणमेत्य वै
These are the Kalingas, O son of Kunti, where the river Vaitarani flows, where even Dharma performed sacrifice, seeking refuge with the gods.
ऋषिभिः समुपायुक्तं यज्ञियं गिरिशोभितम्। उत्तरं तीरमेतद्धि सततं द्विजसेवितम्
This northern bank, adorned with mountains, is always frequented by twice-born sages and is a place of sacrifice used by the seers.
समेन देवयानेन पथा स्वर्गमुपेयुषः। अत्रवै ऋषयोऽन्येऽपि पुरा क्रतुभिरीजिरे
By the same path as the gods, they attained heaven; here, too, other sages in ancient times performed sacrifices.
अत्रैव रुद्रो राजेन्द्र पशुमादत्तवान्मखे। पशुमादाय राजेन्द्र भागोयमिति चाब्रवीत्
Here indeed, O king, Rudra took the sacrificial animal during the ritual; having taken the animal, he declared, 'This share is mine.'
हृते पशौ तदा देवास्तमूचुर्भरतर्षभ। मा परस्वमभिद्रोग्धा माधर्म्यान्नीनशः पथः
When the animal was taken, the gods said to him, O best of the Bharatas: 'Do not covet the property of others, nor stray from the path of righteousness.'
स्वयं यज्ञेश्वरो भूत्वा कर्मणां फलदायकः। यज्ञं विहन्तुं भगवान्नार्हसे जगदीश्वर
'You yourself are the lord of sacrifice, the giver of the fruits of actions; O lord of the universe, you should not destroy the sacrifice.'
इतिकल्याणरूपाभिर्वाग्भिस्ते रुद्रमस्तुवन्। इष्ट्या चैनं तर्पयित्वा मानयांचक्रिरे तदा
Thus, with words of auspicious form, they praised Rudra; having satisfied him with the offering, they honored him at that time.
ततः स पशुमुत्सृज्य देवयानेन जग्मिवान्। तत्रानुवंशो रुद्रस्यतं निबोध युधिष्ठिर
Then, releasing the animal, he departed by the path of the gods; here is the tradition of Rudra—listen to it, O Yudhishthira.
अयातयामं सर्वेभ्यो भागेभ्यो भागमुत्तमम्। देवाः संकल्पयामासुर्भयाद्रुद्रस्य शाश्वतम्
Out of fear of Rudra, the gods assigned to him the best and eternal share from all the portions.
इमां गाथामत्र गायन्नपः स्पृशति यो नरः। देवयानोऽस्य पन्थाश्च चक्षुषाऽभिप्रकाशते
Whoever, singing this verse here, touches the waters, for him the path of the gods becomes clearly visible to his eyes.
ततो वैतरणीं सर्वे पाण्डवा द्रौपदी तथा। अवतीर्य महाभागास्तर्पयांचक्रिरे पितृन्
Then all the blessed Pāṇḍavas, together with Draupadī, descended to the Vaitaraṇī river and offered libations to their ancestors.
उपस्पृश्येह विधिवदस्यां नद्यां तपोबलात्। मानुषादस्मि विषयादपेतः पश्य लोमश
Having ritually purified myself in this river by the power of austerity, I am now beyond the realm of mortals—see this, O Lomaśa.
सर्वाल्लोँकान्प्रपश्यामि प्रसादात्तव सुव्रत। वैखानसानां जपतामेष शब्दो महात्मनाम्
By your grace, O steadfast one, I behold all the worlds; this is the sound of the great-souled Vaikhānasas reciting their mantras.
त्रिशतं वै सहस्राणि योजनानां युधिष्ठिर। यत्रध्वनिं शृणोष्येनं तूष्णीमास्स्व विशांपते
O Yudhiṣṭhira, for three hundred thousand yojanas, wherever you hear this sound, remain silent, O lord of men.
एतत्स्वयंभुवो राजन्वनं दिव्यं प्रकाशते। यत्रायजत राजेन्द्र विश्वकर्मा प्रतापवान्
O king, this is the divine forest of Svayambhū that shines forth, where the mighty Viśvakarmā performed a sacrifice, O ruler of kings.
यस्मिन्यज्ञे हि भूर्दत्ता कश्यपाय महात्मने। सपर्वतवनोद्देशा दक्षिणार्थे स्वयंभुवा
In that sacrifice, the earth, along with its mountains and forests, was given as a gift by Svayambhū to the great-souled Kaśyapa.
अवासीदच्च कौन्तेय दत्तमात्रा मही तदा। उवाच चापि कुपिता लोकश्वरमिदं प्रभुम्
O son of Kuntī, when the earth was thus given, she became dejected and spoke in anger to the lord of the worlds.
न मां मर्त्याय भगवन्कस्मैचिद्दातुमर्हसि। प्रदानं मोघमेतत्ते यास्याम्येषा रसातलम्
"O blessed one, you should not give me to any mortal; this gift of yours is in vain—I shall descend to the netherworld."
विषीदन्तीं तु तां दृष्ट्वा कश्यपो भगवानृषिः। प्रसादयांबभूवाथ ततो भूमिं विशांपते
Seeing her thus distressed, the venerable sage Kaśyapa sought to appease the earth, O lord of men.
ततः प्रसन्ना पृथिवी तपसा तस्य पाण्डव। पुनरुन्नह्य सलिलाद्देदीरूपास्थिता बभौ
Then, O Pāṇḍava, the earth, pleased by his austerity, rose again from the waters, resplendent in form.
सैषा प्रकाशते राजन्वेदीसंस्थानलक्षणा। आरुह्यात्र महाराज वीर्यवान्वै भविष्यसि
This is that place, O king, marked by the sacrificial altar; ascend here, O great king, and you will become powerful.
सैषा सागरमास्राद्य राजन्वेदी समाश्रिता। एतामारुह्य भद्रं ते त्वमेकस्तर सागरम्
This altar, O king, having reached the ocean, stands firm; ascend it, and may good fortune be yours—cross the ocean alone.
अहं च ते स्वस्त्ययनं प्रयोक्ष्ये यथा त्वमेनामधिरोहसेऽद्य। स्पृष्टा हि मर्त्येन ततः समुद्र- मेषा वेदी प्रविशत्याजमीढ
And I shall perform a rite of blessing for you, so that you may ascend this altar today; for when touched by a mortal, this altar enters the ocean, O sinless one.
ओंनमो विश्वगुप्ताय नमो विश्वपराय ते। सान्निध्यं कुरु देवेश सागरे लवणाम्भसि
"Om, homage to the protector of the universe, homage to you who transcend all! O lord of gods, be present in the salty waters of the ocean."