प्रजापतिर् यथा दक्ष ऋषीणां कश्यपो यथा तथा समस्ततीर्थानां वरिष्ठं पुरुषोत्तमम्
As Dakṣa is the lord among progenitors, and Kaśyapa among seers, so is Puruṣottama the most eminent among all sacred fords.
ग्रहाणां भास्करो यद्वन् मन्त्राणां प्रणवो यथा तथा समस्ततीर्थानां वरिष्ठं पुरुषोत्तमम्
As the sun is chief among planets, and praṇava among mantras, so is Puruṣottama the most excellent among all sacred fords.
अश्वमेधस् तु यज्ञानां यथा श्रेष्ठः प्रकीर्तितः तथा समस्ततीर्थानां क्षेत्रं च तद् द्विजोत्तमाः
Just as the Aśvamedha is declared the highest among sacrifices, so too, O best of twice-born, is that field the most eminent among all sacred fords.
ओषधीनां यथा धान्यं तृणेषु तृणराड् यथा तथा समस्ततीर्थानाम् उत्तमं पुरुषोत्तमम्
As grain is the best among herbs, and the lord of grasses among grasses, so is Puruṣottama the highest among all sacred fords.
यथा समस्ततीर्थानां धर्मः संसारतारकः तथा समस्ततीर्थानां श्रेष्ठं तत् पुरुषोत्तमम्
Just as the righteousness of all the sacred waters leads one across the ocean of worldly existence, so too, among all the sacred places, that Supreme Person is the highest.
सर्वेषां चैव तीर्थानां क्षेत्राणां च द्विजोत्तमाः जपहोमव्रतानां च तपोदानफलानि च
O best of twice-born, of all the sacred waters, holy places, recitations, sacrifices, vows, austerities, and gifts, the fruits are as follows:
न तत् पश्यामि भो विप्रा यत् तेन सदृशं भुवि किं चात्र बहुनोक्तेन भाषितेन पुनः पुनः
O Brahmins, I do not see anything on earth that equals it; why speak at length, repeating the same again and again?
सत्यं सत्यं पुनः सत्यं क्षेत्रं तत् परमं महत् पुरुषाख्यं सकृद् दृष्ट्वा सागराम्भःसमाप्लुतम्
Truly, truly, again truly, that field is supremely great; having seen the place called the Supreme Person even once, one is purified as if immersed in the ocean.
ब्रह्मविद्यां सकृज् ज्ञात्वा गर्भवासो न विद्यते हरेः संनिहिते स्थान उत्तमे पुरुषोत्तमे
Having once known the knowledge of Brahman, there is no return to the womb; in the supreme abode where Hari is present, in the place of the Supreme Person.
संवत्सरम् उपासीत मासमात्रम् अथापि वा तेन जप्तं हुतं तेन तेन तप्तं तपो महत्
One should worship there for a year, or even for just a month; whatever is recited, offered, or any great austerity performed there,
स याति परमं स्थानं यत्र योगेश्वरो हरिः भुक्त्वा भोगान् विचित्रांश् च देवयोषित्समन्वितः
He attains the supreme abode where Hari, the lord of yogis, resides, having enjoyed various pleasures together with celestial maidens.
कल्पान्ते पुनर् आगत्य मर्त्यलोके नरोत्तमः जायते योगिनां विप्रा ज्ञानज्ञेयोद्यतो गृहे
At the end of an age, returning again to the world of mortals, the best of men is born in the house of yogis and Brahmins, devoted to knowledge and its pursuit.
संप्राप्य वैष्णवं योगं हरेः स्वच्छन्दतां व्रजेत् कल्पवृक्षस्य रामस्य कृष्णस्य भद्रया सह
Having attained the Vaishnava yoga, he attains the freedom of Hari, together with the wish-fulfilling tree, Rama, Krishna, and the blessed one.
मार्कण्डेयेन्द्रद्युम्नस्य माहात्म्यं माधवस्य च स्वर्गद्वारस्य माहात्म्यं सागरस्य विधिः क्रमात्
The greatness of Markandeya and Indradyumna, and of Madhava, the glory of the gateway to heaven, and the ordinance of the ocean, in order.
मार्जनस्य यथाकाले भागीरथ्याः समागमम् सर्वम् एतन् मया ख्यातं यत् परं श्रोतुम् इच्छथ
The proper time for purification, the meeting with the Bhagirathi—all this I have declared to you, whatever supreme thing you wish to hear.
इन्द्रद्युम्नस्य माहात्म्यम् एतच् च कथितं मया सर्वाश्चर्यं समाख्यातं रहस्यं पुरुषोत्तमम् पुराणं परमं गुह्यं धन्यं संसारमोचनम्
The greatness of Indradyumna has been told by me; all the wonders have been described, the secret of the Supreme Person, the ancient, most secret, blessed, and liberating from worldly existence.
नहि नस् तृप्तिर् अस्तीह शृण्वतां तीर्थविस्तरम् पुनर् एव परं गुह्यं वक्तुम् अर्हस्य् अशेषतः परं तीर्थस्य माहात्म्यं सर्वतीर्थोत्तमोत्तमम्
We are not yet satisfied here, listening to the expanse of the sacred places; you should again speak in full the supreme secret, the highest glory of the supreme sacred place, surpassing all others.
इमम् एव पुरा प्रश्नं पृष्टो ऽस्मि द्विजसत्तमाः नारदेन प्रयत्नेन तदा तं प्रोक्तवान् अहम्
This very question was asked of me in ancient times, O best of Brahmins, by Narada with great effort; then I spoke to him.
तपसो यज्ञदानानां तीर्थानां पावनं स्मृतम् सर्वं श्रुतं मया त्वत्तो जगद्योने जगत्पते
Of austerity, sacrifice, and gifts, the sacred waters are remembered as purifying; all this has been heard by me from you, O source and lord of the world.
कियन्ति सन्ति तीर्थानि स्वर्गमर्त्यरसातले सर्वेषाम् एव तीर्थानां सर्वदा किं विशिष्यते
How many sacred places are there in heaven, on earth, and in the netherworld? Among all these sacred places, which one is always the most distinguished?
चतुर्विधानि तीर्थानि स्वर्गे मर्त्ये रसातले दैवानि मुनिशार्दूल आसुराण्य् आरुषाणि च
There are four kinds of sacred places in heaven, on earth, and in the netherworld: divine, O best of sages, demonic, and those of the reddish hue.
मानुषाणि त्रिलोकेषु विख्यातानि सुरादिभिः मानुषेभ्यश् च तीर्थेभ्य आर्षं तीर्थम् अनुत्तमम्
Among the three worlds, the human sacred places are renowned by the gods and others; and among the human sacred places, the sage-founded one is unsurpassed.
आर्षेभ्यश् चैव तीर्थेभ्य आसुरं बहुपुण्यदम् आसुरेभ्यस् तथा पुण्यं दैवं तत् सार्वकामिकम्
From the sages and from the sacred fords arise the demonic ones, which bestow much merit; and from the demonic, the divine, which is all-desire-fulfilling.
ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवैश् चैव निर्मितं दैवम् उच्यते त्रिभ्यो यद् एकं जायेत तस्मान् नातः परं विदुः
That which is established by Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva is called divine; whatever is born from these three together, nothing is known beyond that.
त्रयाणाम् अपि लोकानां तीर्थं मेध्यम् उदाहृतम् तत्रापि जाम्बवं द्वीपं तीर्थं बहुगुणोदयम्
Among all the three worlds, the sacred ford is declared pure; and among them, the Jambudvipa ford is renowned for its many virtues.
जाम्बवे भारतं वर्षं तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम् कर्मभूमिर् यतः पुत्र तस्मात् तीर्थं तद् उच्यते
In Jambudvipa, the land of Bharata is the sacred ford, famed throughout the three worlds, for, my son, it is the field of action; therefore, it is called the sacred ford.
तत्रैव यानि तीर्थानि यान्य् उक्तानि मया तव हिमवद्विन्ध्ययोर् मध्ये षण्नद्यो देवसंभवाः
There, the sacred fords which I have mentioned to you, situated between the Himalayas and the Vindhyas, and the six rivers of divine origin—
तथैव देवजा ब्रह्मन् दक्षिणार्णवविन्ध्ययोः एता द्वादश नद्यस् तु प्राधान्येन प्रकीर्तिताः
Likewise, O Brahman, the rivers born of the gods between the southern ocean and the Vindhyas—these twelve rivers are proclaimed as foremost.
अभिसंपूजितं यस्माद् भारतं बहुपुण्यदम् कर्मभूमिर् अतो देवैर् वर्षं तस्मात् प्रकीर्तितम्
Because Bharata, the land of great merit, is honored and is the field of action by the gods, therefore it is renowned as the land.
आर्षाणि चैव तीर्थानि देवजानि क्वचित् क्वचित् आसुरैर् आवृतान्य् आसंस् तद् एवासुरम् उच्यते
The sacred fords of the sages and those born of the gods, in some places, were overtaken by the demons; those are called demonic.