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.
दैवेष्व् एव प्रदेशेषु तपस् तप्त्वा महर्षयः दैवप्रभावात् तपस आर्षाण्य् अपि च तान्य् अपि
In the regions of the divine, the great sages performed austerities; by the power of the divine and their penance, even the sage-born fords became so.
आत्मनः श्रेयसे मुक्त्यै पूजायै भूतये ऽथवा आत्मनः फलभूत्यर्थं यशसो ऽवाप्तये पुनः
For one's own welfare, for liberation, for worship, for prosperity, or for the sake of personal gain, or again for the attainment of fame—
मानुषैः कारितान्य् आहुर् मानुषाणीति नारद एवं चतुर्विधो भेदस् तीर्थानां मुनिसत्तम
Those established by humans are called human fords, O Narada; thus, O best of sages, there is a fourfold division of sacred fords.
भेदं न कश्चिज् जानाति श्रोतुं युक्तो ऽसि नारद बहवः पण्डितंमन्याः शृण्वन्ति कथयन्ति च सुकृती को ऽपि जानाति वक्तुं श्रोतुं निजैर् गुणैः
No one knows the distinction; you are fit to hear, O Narada. Many who consider themselves learned listen and speak, but only a virtuous one knows how to speak or hear by their own qualities.
तेषां स्वरूपं भेदं च श्रोतुम् इच्छामि तत्त्वतः यच् छ्रुत्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मुच्यते नात्र संशयः
I wish to hear, in truth, their nature and distinctions; by hearing this, one is freed from all sins—of this there is no doubt.
ब्रह्मन् कृतयुगादौ तु उपायो ऽन्यो न विद्यते तीर्थसेवां विना स्वल्पायासेनाभीष्टदायिनीम्
O Brahman, at the beginning of the Krita age, there was no other means except service to the sacred fords, which grants the desired result with little effort.
न त्वया सदृशो धातर् वक्ता ज्ञाताथवा क्वचित् त्वं नाभिकमले विष्णोः संजातो ऽखिलपूर्वजः
There is no one like you, O Creator, as a speaker or knower; you were born in the lotus of Vishnu's navel, the eldest of all.
गोदावरी भीमरथी तुङ्गभद्रा च वेणिका तापी पयोउष्णी विन्ध्यस्य दक्षिणे तु प्रकीर्तिताः
The Godavari, Bhimarathi, Tungabhadra, Venika, Tapi, and Payoshni are proclaimed to the south of the Vindhya.
भागीरथी नर्मदा तु यमुना च सरस्वती विशोका च वितस्ता च हिमवत्पर्वताश्रिताः
The Bhagirathi, Narmada, Yamuna, Sarasvati, Vishoka, and Vitasta are situated on the Himalaya mountains.
एता नद्यः पुण्यतमा देवतीर्थान्य् उदाहृताः गयः कोल्लासुरो वृत्रस् त्रिपुरो ह्य् अन्धकस् तथा
These rivers are most holy, declared as divine fords: Gaya, Kollasura, Vritra, Tripura, and likewise Andhaka.