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.
सुपर्णासंगमं नाम काद्रवासंगमं तथा महेश्वरो यत्र देवो गङ्गापुलिनम् आश्रितः
There is the meeting place called Suparṇāsaṃgama, and also Kādravāsaṃgama, where the great god Maheśvara resides on the bank of the Ganga.
अग्निकुण्डं च तत्रैव रौद्रं वैष्णवम् एव च सौरं सौम्यं तथा ब्राह्मं कौमारं वारुणं तथा
There also are the fire-pits: the fierce, the Vaiṣṇava, the Saura, the gentle, the Brāhma, the Kaumāra, and the Vāruṇa.
अप्सरा च नदी यत्र संगता गङ्गया तथा तत्तीर्थस्मरणाद् एव कृतकृत्यो भवेन् नरः
There, the river Apsarā joins with the Ganga; merely by remembering that sacred place, a man accomplishes his purpose.
सर्वपापप्रशमनं शृणु यत्नेन नारद इन्द्रेण हिंसिताः पूर्वं वालखिल्या महर्षयः दत्तार्धतपसः सर्वे प्रोचुस् ते काश्यपं मुनिम्
Hear with care, O Nārada, about the complete removal of all sins: formerly, the Vālakhilya great sages, harmed by Indra and having given up half their austerities, spoke to the sage Kāśyapa.
पुत्रम् उत्पादयानेन इन्द्रदर्पहरं शुभम् तपसो ऽर्धं तु दास्यामस् तथेत्य् आह मुनिस् तु तान्
They said, 'By you, let a son be begotten who will humble Indra's pride; we will give half our austerity.' The sage replied, 'So be it.'
सुपर्णायां ततो गर्भम् आदधे स प्रजापतिः कद्र्वां चैव शनैर् ब्रह्मन् सर्पाणां सर्पमातरि
Then the lord of creatures placed an embryo in Suparṇā, and gradually, O brāhmaṇa, in Kadrū, the mother of serpents.
ते गर्भिण्याव् उभे आह गन्तुकामः प्रजापतिः अपराधो न च क्वापि कार्यो गमनम् एव च
To both pregnant wives, the lord of creatures, wishing to depart, said: 'No fault should occur anywhere, and you must not go elsewhere.'
अन्यत्र गमनाच् छापो भविष्यति न संशयः
If you go elsewhere, there will certainly be a curse; there is no doubt.
इत्य् उक्त्वा स ययौ पत्न्यौ गते भर्तरि ते उभे तदैव जग्मतुः सत्त्रम् ऋषीणां भावितात्मनाम्
Having said this, he departed; and as soon as their husband had gone, both wives went to the sacrificial session of the sages, who were devoted in spirit.
ब्रह्मवृन्दसमाकीर्णं गङ्गातीरसमाश्रितम् उन्मत्ते ते उभे नित्यं वयःसंपत्तिगर्विते
That place was filled with hosts of Brahmas, situated on the bank of the Ganga; both wives, intoxicated and always proud of their youth and beauty, went there.