मृते भ्रातरि स त्व् अग्निः प्रिये वै जातवेदसि कोपेन महताविष्टो गाङ्गम् अम्भः समाविशत्
With his beloved brother Jātavedas dead, Agni, seized by great anger, entered the waters of the Ganges.
गङ्गाम्भसि समाविष्टे ह्य् अग्नौ देवाश् च मानुषाः जीवम् उत्सर्जयाम् आसुर् अग्निजीवा यतो मताः
When Agni entered the waters of the Ganges, both gods and humans released the vital spark of Agni, and thus are called 'those with Agni’s life'.
यत्राग्निर् जलम् आविष्टस् तं देशं सर्व एव ते आजग्मुर् विबुधाः सर्व ऋषयः पितरस् तथा
Where Agni entered the water, all the gods, all the sages, and the ancestors gathered together in that place.
विनाग्निना न जीवामः स्तुवन्तो ऽग्निं विशेषतः अग्निं जलगतं दृष्ट्वा प्रियं चोचुर् दिवौकसः
Without Agni, we cannot live—they especially praised Agni; seeing their beloved Agni immersed in water, the dwellers of heaven lamented.
देवाञ् जीवय हव्येन कव्येन च पितॄंस् तथा मानुषान् अन्नपाकेन बीजानां क्लेदनेन च
Revive the gods with offerings, the ancestors with ancestral rites, humans with cooked food, and seeds by moistening—thus they implored.
अग्निर् अप्य् आह तान् देवाञ् शक्तो यो मे गतो ऽनुजः क्रियमाणे भवत्कार्ये या गतिर् जातवेदसः
Agni replied to the gods, 'He who went, my younger brother, was able; whatever fate befell Jātavedas while your work was being done, let that be.'
सा वापि स्यान् मम सुरा नोत्सहे कार्यसाधने कार्यं तु सर्वतस् तस्य भवतां जातवेदसः
'Whether that fate be mine or the gods’, I am unable to accomplish the task; in all respects, the work belongs to Jātavedas, not to me.'
इमां स्थितिम् अनुप्राप्तो न जाने मे कथं भवेत् इह चामुत्र च व्याप्तौ शक्तिर् अप्य् अत्र नो भवेत्
I have come to this state, but I do not know what will become of me; whether here or elsewhere, I may not have the power to pervade all.
अथापि क्रियमाणे वै कार्ये सैव गतिर् मम देवास् तम् ऊचुर् भावेन सर्वेण ऋषयस् तथा
Even so, when an action is being performed, that alone is my course; the gods, along with all the sages, spoke to him with full devotion.
आयुः कर्मणि च प्रीतिर् व्याप्तौ शक्तिश् च दीयते प्रयाजान् अनुयाजांश् च दास्यामो हव्यवाहन
We shall grant you long life, delight in your duties, power to pervade, and strength; we shall also give you the preliminary and concluding offerings, O carrier of oblations.
देवानां त्वं मुखं श्रेष्ठम् आहुत्यः प्रथमास् तव त्वया दत्तं तु यद् द्रव्यं भोक्ष्यामः सुरसत्तम
You are the foremost mouth of the gods, and the first to receive oblations; whatever substance is offered by you, O best of gods, we shall enjoy.
ततस् तुष्टो ऽभवद् वह्निर् देववाक्याद् यथाक्रमम् इह चामुत्र च व्याप्तौ हव्ये वा लौकिके तथा
Then, pleased by the words of the gods, Agni became satisfied in due order, both here and hereafter, in sacrificial and worldly matters alike.
सर्वत्र वह्निर् अभयः समर्थो ऽभूत् सुराज्ञया जातवेदा बृहद्भानुः सप्तार्चिर् नीललोहितः
By the command of the gods, Agni, the knower of all births, great in radiance, with seven flames, blue and red, became fearless and capable everywhere.
जलगर्भः शमीगर्भो यज्ञगर्भः स उच्यते जलाद् आकृष्य विबुधा अभिषिच्य विभावसुम्
He is called born from water, from the śamī tree, and from sacrifice; drawing him from water, the gods anointed the radiant one.
उभयत्र पदे वासः सर्वगो ऽग्निस् ततो ऽभवत् यथागतं सुरा जग्मुर् वह्नितीर्थं तद् उच्यते
Thus, Agni became all-pervading, dwelling in both realms; as they had come, the gods departed—this is known as the sacred place of Agni.
तत्र सप्त शतान्य् आसंस् तीर्थानि गुणवन्ति च तेषु स्नानं च दानं च यः करोति जितात्मवान्
There were seven hundred holy places there, endowed with virtue; whoever, self-controlled, bathes and gives there,
अश्वमेधफलं साग्रं प्राप्नोत्य् अविकलं शुभम् देवतीर्थं च तत्रैव आग्नेयं जातवेदसम्
Attains the full and flawless fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice, auspicious and complete; there too is the divine ford, the Agni-tīrtha, of Jātavedas.
अग्निप्रतिष्ठितं लिङ्गं तत्रास्ते ऽनेकवर्णवत् तद्देवदर्शनाद् एव सर्वक्रतुफलं लभेत्
There stands a liṅga established by Agni, of many colors; merely by seeing that deity, one obtains the fruit of all sacrifices.
ऋणप्रमोचनं नाम तीर्थं वेदविदो विदुः तस्य स्वरूपं वक्ष्यामि शृणु नारद तन्मनाः
The knowers of the Veda call it the sacred place of debt-release; I will describe its nature to you—listen attentively, O Nārada.
आसीत् पृथुश्रवा नाम प्रियः कक्षीवतः सुतः न दारसंग्रहं लेभे वैराग्यान् नाग्निपूजनम्
There was one named Pṛthuśravā, beloved son of Kakṣīvat; out of detachment, he did not marry nor worship Agni.
कनीयांस् तु समर्थो ऽपि परिवित्तिभयान् मुने नाकरोद् दारकर्मादि नैवाग्नीनाम् उपासनम्
Though the younger was capable, O sage, out of fear of inheriting, he did not perform marriage rites nor the worship of the fires.
ततः प्रोचुः पितृगणाः पुत्रं कक्षीवतः शुभम् ज्येष्ठं चैव कनिष्ठं च पृथक् पृथग् इदं वचः
Then the hosts of ancestors spoke these words separately to the good sons of Kakṣīvat, both the elder and the younger:
ऋणत्रयापनोदाय क्रियतां दारसंग्रहः
Let marriage be undertaken for the removal of the threefold debt.
नेत्य् उवाच ततो ज्येष्ठः किम् ऋणं केन युज्यते कनीयांस् तु पितॄन् प्राह न योग्यो दारसंग्रहः
Then the elder replied, 'No; what debt, and by whom is it incurred?' But the younger said to the ancestors, 'Marriage is not suitable for me.'
ज्येष्ठे सति महाप्राज्ञः परिवित्तिभयाद् इति ताव् उभौ पुनर् अप्य् एवम् ऊचुस् ते वै पितामहाः
Since the elder is present, O wise one, it is out of fear of inheritance; thus both again spoke likewise to the ancestors.
याताम् उभौ गौतमीं तु पुण्यां कक्षीवतः सुतौ कुरुतां गौतमीस्नानं सर्वाभीष्टप्रदायकम्
Let both sons of Kakṣīvat go to the sacred Gautamī; let them perform bathing in the Gautamī, which grants all desires.
गच्छतां गौतमीं गङ्गां लोकत्रितयपावनीम् स्नानं च तर्पणं तस्यां कुरुतां श्रद्धयान्वितौ
Let those who go to the Gautamī Ganga, purifier of the three worlds, perform bathing and offerings there with faith.
दृष्टावनामिता ध्याता गौतमी सर्वकामदा न देशकालजात्यादिनियमो ऽत्रावगाहने ज्येष्ठो ऽनृणस् ततो भूयात् परिवित्तिर् न चेतरः
The Gautamī, when seen, bowed to, or meditated upon, grants all desires; there is no restriction of place, time, caste, or other conditions for entering her. The eldest who is free from debts becomes so; not otherwise.
ततः पृथुश्रवा ज्येष्ठः कृत्वा स्नानं सतर्पणम् त्रयाणाम् अपि लोकानां काक्षीवतो ऽनृणो ऽभवत्
Then Pṛthuśravas, the eldest, after bathing and making offerings, became free of debts to the three worlds, O descendant of Kakṣīvat.
ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थम् ऋणमोचनम् उच्यते श्रौतस्मार्त-ऋणेभ्यश् च इतरेभ्यश् च नारद तत्र स्नानेन दानेन ऋणी मुक्तः सुखी भवेत्
From that time, that sacred place is called the 'debt-releasing ford.' O Nārada, by bathing and giving there, one is freed from Vedic, ancestral, and other debts, and becomes happy.