तन्मध्यतः पुण्यनदी प्रायात् पूर्वार्णवं प्रति एवम् एषापि ते प्रोक्ता गङ्गा क्षात्रा महामुने
From its midst, the sacred river proceeded toward the eastern ocean; thus, O great sage, this is the account of the royal Ganga told to you.
माहेश्वरी वैष्णवी च सैव ब्राह्मी च पावनी भागीरथी देवनदी हिमवच्छिखराश्रया
She is the purifier, Maheshvari, Vaishnavi, and also Brahmi; Bhagirathi, the divine river, dwells among the peaks of the Himalayas.
महेश्वरजटावारि एवं द्वैविध्यम् आगतम् विन्ध्यस्य दक्षिणे गङ्गा गौतमी सा निगद्यते उत्तरे सापि विन्ध्यस्य भागीरथ्य् अभिधीयते
The water in Shiva's matted hair thus became twofold: south of the Vindhya she is called Gautami Ganga, and north of the Vindhya she is known as Bhagirathi.
न मनस् तृप्तिम् आधत्ते कथाः शृण्वत् त्वयेरिताः पृथक् तीर्थफलं श्रोतुं प्रवृत्तं मम मानसम्
My mind does not find satisfaction, hearing the stories you have told; it is eager to learn the fruits of the holy places.
क्रमशो ब्राह्मणानीतां गङ्गां मे प्रथमं वद पृथक् तीर्थफलं पुण्यं सेतिहासं यथाक्रमम्
Step by step, tell me first about the Ganga brought by the Brahmins, and separately, the fruits and merits of the holy places, along with their histories, in order.
तीर्थानां च पृथग् भावं फलं माहात्म्यम् एव च सर्वं वक्तुं न शक्नोमि न च त्वं श्रवणे क्षमः
I am unable to speak of the distinct nature, fruits, and greatness of all the holy places, nor are you able to listen to them all.
तथापि किंचिद् वक्ष्यामि शृणु नारद यत्नतः यान्य् उक्तानि च तीर्थानि श्रुतिवाक्यानि यानि च
Still, I will tell you something; listen carefully, O Narada, to the holy places and the statements of scripture that have been spoken.
तानि वक्ष्यामि संक्षेपान् नमस्कृत्वा त्रिलोचनम् यत्रासौ भगवान् आसीत् प्रत्यक्षस् त्र्यम्बको मुने
I will briefly tell you of those, after bowing to the Three-eyed One, where the blessed Lord was manifest, O sage, as Tryambaka.
त्र्यम्बकं नाम तत् तीर्थं भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायकम् वाराहम् अपरं तीर्थं त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम्
That holy place named Tryambaka grants enjoyment and liberation; another holy place, Varaha, is renowned in the three worlds.
तस्य रूपं प्रवक्ष्यामि नाम विष्णोर् यथाभवत् पुरा देवान् पराभूय यज्ञम् आदाय राक्षसः
I will describe its form and how it was named after Vishnu; once, having defeated the gods, a demon seized the sacrifice.
रसातलम् अनुप्राप्तः सिन्धुसेन इति श्रुतः यज्ञे तलम् अनुप्राप्ते निर्यज्ञा ह्य् अभवन् मही
He entered the netherworld, known as Sindhusena; when the sacrifice was taken to the netherworld, the earth became devoid of sacrifice.
नायं लोको ऽस्ति न परो यज्ञे नष्ट इतीत्वराः सुरास् तम् एव विविशू रसातलम् अनुद्विषम्
There is neither this world nor the next; with the sacrifice lost, the gods, anxious, entered the netherworld, following him.
नाशक्नुवंस् तु तं जेतुं देवा इन्द्रपुरोगमाः विष्णुं पुराणपुरुषं गत्वा तस्मै न्यवेदयन्
The gods, led by Indra, were unable to defeat him; they went to Vishnu, the ancient person, and reported the matter to him.
राक्षसस्य तु तत् कर्म यज्ञभ्रंशम् अशेषतः ततः प्रोवाच भगवान् वाराहं वपुर् आस्थितः
The demon's act was the complete destruction of the sacrifice; then the blessed Lord, assuming the form of Varaha, spoke.
शङ्खचक्रगदापाणिर् गत्वा चैव रसातलम् आनयिष्ये मखं पुण्यं हत्वा राक्षसपुंगवान्
Bearing the conch, discus, and mace in my hand, I will go to the netherworld and bring back the sacred sacrifice, having slain the foremost among the Rakshasas.
स्वः प्रयान्तु सुराः सर्वे व्येतु वो मानसो ज्वरः येन गङ्गा तलं प्राप्ता पथा तेनैव चक्रधृक्
Let all the gods return to heaven; may your mental distress subside. By the very path by which the Ganga reached the depths, by that path shall the wielder of the discus go.
जगाम तरसा पुत्र भुवं भित्त्वा रसातलम् स वराहवपुः श्रीमान् रसातलनिवासिनः
Then, O son, he swiftly went, piercing the earth and reaching the netherworld, that glorious one in the form of the Boar, among the dwellers of the nether regions.
राक्षसान् दानवान् हत्वा मुखे धृत्वा महाध्वरम् वाराहरूपी भगवान् मखम् आदाय यज्ञभुक्
Having slain the Rakshasas and Danavas, holding the great sacrifice in his mouth, the Lord, in the form of the Boar, the enjoyer of the sacrifice, took up the sacrificial rite.
येन प्राप तलं विष्णुः पथा तेनैव शत्रुजित् मुखे न्यस्य महायज्ञं निश्चक्राम रसातलात्
By the very path by which Vishnu reached the depths, by that same path, the conqueror of foes, placing the great sacrifice in his mouth, emerged from the netherworld.
तत्र ब्रह्मगिरौ देवाः प्रतीक्षां चक्रिरे हरेः पथस् तस्माद् विनिःसृत्य गङ्गास्रवणम् अभ्यगात्
There, on the Brahmagiri mountain, the gods awaited the path of Hari; from there, having emerged, he approached the source of the Ganga.
प्राक्षालयच् च स्वाङ्गानि असृग्लिप्तानि नारद गङ्गाम्भसा तत्र कुण्डं वाराहम् अभवत् ततः
And there, O Narada, he washed his limbs, smeared with blood, with the waters of the Ganga; there a pool called Varaha was formed.
मुखे न्यस्तं महायज्ञं देवानां पुरतो हरिः दत्तवांस् त्रिदशश्रेष्ठो मुखाद् यज्ञो ऽभ्यजायत
Having placed the great sacrifice in his mouth, Hari, before the gods, the best among the immortals, gave forth the sacrifice, and from his mouth the yajna was born.
ततः प्रभृति यज्ञाङ्गं प्रधानं स्रुव उच्यते वाराहरूपम् अभवद् एवं वै कारणान्तरात्
From that time onward, the principal ladle of the sacrifice is called Varaha-form; thus it became so for another reason.
तस्मात् पुण्यतमं तीर्थं वाराहं सर्वकामदम् तत्र स्नानं च दानं च सर्वक्रतुफलप्रदम्
Therefore, the Varaha tirtha is most holy and grants all desires; bathing and giving gifts there bestow the fruit of all sacrifices.
तत्र स्थितो ऽपि यः कश्चित् पितॄन् स्मरति पुण्यकृत् विमुक्ताः सर्वपापेभ्यः पितरः स्वर्गम् आप्नुयुः
Whoever, even while staying there, remembers their ancestors with pious intent, their forefathers, freed from all sins, attain heaven.
कुशावर्तस्य माहात्म्यम् अहं वक्तुं न ते क्षमः तस्य स्मरणमात्रेण कृतकृत्यो भवेन् नरः
I am not able to speak of the greatness of Kushavarta; by merely remembering it, a person becomes fulfilled.
कुशावर्तम् इति ख्यातं नराणां सर्वकामदम् कुशेनावर्तितं यत्र गौतमेन महात्मना
Kushavarta is renowned among men as granting all desires, where the great-souled Gautama formed a whirl with kusa grass.
कुशेनावर्तयित्वा तु आनयाम् आस तां मुनिः तत्र स्नानं च दानं च पितॄणां तृप्तिदायकम्
Having formed a whirl with kusa grass, the sage brought her there; bathing and giving gifts at that place satisfy the ancestors.
नीलगङ्गा सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा निःसृता नीलपर्वतात् तत्र स्नानादि यत् किंचित् करोति प्रयतो नरः
The Nila Ganga, best of rivers, flows forth from the Nila mountain; whatever a devoted person does there—bathing and so forth—
सर्वं तद् अक्षयं विद्यात् पितॄणां तृप्तिदायकम् विश्रुतं त्रिषु लोकेषु कपोतं तीर्थम् उत्तमम्
All that should be known as imperishable, bringing satisfaction to the ancestors; the Kapota tirtha is famed as the highest among holy places in the three worlds.