गङ्गासमीपे यो दद्यात् सर्वकामान् अवाप्नुयात् भूमिं सस्यवतीं गाश् च ओषधीश् च मुदान्वितः
Whoever gives near the Ganga attains all desires—fertile land, cows, and herbs, all with joy.
विष्णुब्रह्मेशरूपाय यो दद्याद् भक्तिमान् नरः सर्वं तद् अक्षयं विद्यात् सर्वकामान् अवाप्नुयात्
A devoted person who gives to one of the form of Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva, should know that all that is imperishable, and he attains all desires.
ओषध्यः सोमराजन्याः सोमश् चाप्य् ओषधीपतिः इति ज्ञात्वा ब्रह्मविद ओषधीर् यः प्रदास्यति
Knowing that the herbs belong to Soma's lineage, and Soma is the lord of herbs, whoever, understanding this, gives herbs as taught by Brahman,
सर्वान् कामान् अवाप्नोति ब्रह्मलोके महीयते ता एव सोमराजन्याः प्रीताः प्रोचुः पुनः पुनः
Attains all desires and is honored in the world of Brahma; those same herbs of Soma's lineage, pleased, spoke again and again.
यो ऽस्मान् ददाति गङ्गायां तं राजन् पारयामसि त्वम् उत्तमश् चौषधीश त्वदधीनं चराचरम्
O King, whoever gives us in the Ganga, we carry him across; and you, supreme lord of herbs, all that moves and does not move is under your dominion.
ओषधयः संवदन्ते सोमेन सह राज्ञा यो ऽस्मान् ददाति विप्रेभ्यस् तं राजन् पारयामसि
The herbs converse with Soma, the king; O King, whoever gives us to the Brahmins, we carry him across.
वयं च ब्रह्मरूपिण्यः प्राणरूपिण्य एव च यो ऽस्मान् ददाति विप्रेभ्यस् तं राजन् पारयामसि
We are of the form of Brahman, and indeed of the form of life itself; O King, whoever gives us to the Brahmins, we carry him across.
अस्मान् ददाति यो नित्यं ब्राह्मणेभ्यो जितव्रतः उपास्तिर् अस्ति सास्माकं तं राजन् पारयामसि
Whoever, steadfast in vows, always gives us to the Brahmins, O King, he has our devotion; we carry him across.
स्थावरं जङ्गमं किंचिद् अस्माभिर् व्यापृतं जगत् यो ऽस्मान् ददाति विप्रेभ्यस् तं राजन् पारयामसि
Whatever in the world, fixed or moving, is engaged by us—O King, whoever gives us to the Brahmins, we carry him across.
हव्यं कव्यं यद् अमृतं यत् किंचिद् उपभुज्यते तद्गरीयश् च यो दद्यात् तं राजन् पारयामसि
Whatever is offered as oblation, ancestral offering, nectar, or anything enjoyed—whoever gives that which is most excellent, O King, we carry him across.
इत्य् एतां वैदिकीं गाथां यः शृणोति स्मरेत वा पठते भक्तिम् आपन्नस् तं राजन् पारयामसि
Whoever hears, remembers, or recites this Vedic verse with devotion, O King, we carry him across.
यत्रैषा पठिता गाथा सोमेन सह राज्ञा गङ्गातीरे चौषधीभिर् धान्यतीर्थं तद् उच्यते
Where this verse is recited together with Soma, the king, on the bank of the Ganga with the herbs, that is called the sacred ford of grain.
ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थम् औषध्यं सौम्यम् एव च अमृतं वेदगाथं च मातृतीर्थं तथैव च
From then on, that ford is medicinal, auspicious, immortal, Vedic, and likewise a mother’s ford.
एषु स्नानं जपो होमो दानं च पितृतर्पणम् अन्नदानं तु यः कुर्यात् तद् आनन्त्याय कल्पते
Whoever performs bathing, recitation, oblation, gift, ancestral offering, or giving of food there, attains endless merit.
षट्शताधिकसाहस्रं तीर्थानां तीरयोर् द्वयोः सर्वपापनिहन्तॄणां सर्वसंपद्विवर्धनम्
On both banks there are more than six hundred thousand fords, destroyers of all sins and increasers of all prosperity.
विदर्भासंगमं पुण्यं रेवतीसंगमं तथा तत्र यद् वृत्तम् आख्यास्ये यत् पुराणविदो विदुः
The sacred confluence of Vidarbha and likewise the confluence of Revati—what happened there I shall tell, as known by those versed in the Purana.
भरद्वाज इति ख्यात ऋषिर् आसीत् तपोधिकः तस्य स्वसा रेवतीति कुरूपा विकृतस्वरा
There was a sage named Bharadvaja, renowned for his great austerity; his sister was Revati, deformed in appearance and with a distorted voice.
तां दृष्ट्वा विकृतां भ्राता भरद्वाजः प्रतापवान् चिन्तया परया युक्तो गङ्गाया दक्षिणे तटे
Seeing his deformed sister, the mighty Bharadvaja, filled with deep thought, stood on the southern bank of the Ganga.
कस्मै दद्याम् इमां कन्यां स्वसारं भीषणाकृतिम् न कश्चित् प्रतिगृह्णाति दातव्या च स्वसा तथा
To whom should I give this sister, this maiden of dreadful appearance? No one will accept her, yet a sister must be given.
अहो भूयान् न कस्यापि कन्या दुःखैककारणम् मरणं जीवतो ऽप्य् अस्य प्राणिनस् तु पदे पदे
Alas, for no one is a daughter not the sole cause of sorrow; for a living being, at every step, it is as if death even while alive.
एवं विमृशतस् तस्य स्वाश्रमे चातिशोभने द्रष्टुं मुनिवरः प्रायाद् भरद्वाजं यतव्रतम्
As he thus reflected in his own splendid hermitage, a great sage came to see the steadfast Bharadvaja.
द्व्यष्टवर्षः शुभवपुः शान्तो दान्तो गुणाकरः नाम्ना कठ इति ख्यातो भरद्वाजं ननाम सः
He was sixteen years old, handsome, calm, self-controlled, a repository of virtues, known by the name Katha; he bowed to Bharadvaja.
विधिवत् पूज्य तं विप्रं भरद्वाजः कठं तदा तस्यागमनकार्यं च पप्रच्छ पुरतः स्थितः
Bharadvāja, having duly honored that Brahmin Kaṭha, then asked him, as he stood before him, the reason for his coming.
कठो ऽप्य् आह भरद्वाजं विद्यार्थ्य् अहम् उपागतः तथा च दर्शनाकाङ्क्षी यद् युक्तं तद् विधीयताम्
Kaṭha also said to Bharadvāja: 'I have come as a seeker of knowledge, desiring your audience; please do what is appropriate.'
भरद्वाजः कठं प्राह अधीष्व यद् अभीप्सितम् पुराणं स्मृतयो वेदा धर्मस्थानान्य् अनेकशः
Bharadvāja said to Kaṭha: 'Study whatever you wish—Puranas, Smritis, Vedas, and the many sources of Dharma.'
सर्वं वेद्मि महाप्राज्ञ रुचिरं वद मा चिरम् कुलीनो धर्मनिरतो गुरुशुश्रूषणे रतः अभिमानी श्रुतधरः शिष्यः पुण्यैर् अवाप्यते
'I know everything, O great wise one; speak without delay. A noble-born, dharma-devoted, obedient to the teacher, humble, learned disciple is attained through merit.'
अध्यापयस्व भो ब्रह्मञ् शिष्यं मां वीतकल्मषम् शुश्रूषणरतं भक्तं कुलीनं सत्यवादिनम्
'O Brahmin, teach me, your disciple, who is free from sin, devoted to service, faithful, noble-born, and truthful.'
तथेत्य् उक्त्वा भरद्वाजः प्रादाद् विद्याम् अशेषतः प्राप्तविद्यः कठः प्रीतो भरद्वाजम् अथाब्रवीत्
Saying 'So be it,' Bharadvāja imparted all knowledge to him; having received the knowledge, Kaṭha, pleased, then spoke to Bharadvāja.
इच्छेयं दक्षिणां दातुं गुरो तव मनःप्रियाम् वदस्व दुर्लभं वापि गुरो तुभ्यं नमो ऽस्तु ते
'I wish to give you a gift, O teacher, whatever pleases your heart; speak, even if it is difficult to obtain. O teacher, I bow to you.'
विद्यां प्राप्यापि ये मोहात् स्वगुरोः पारितोषिकम् न प्रयच्छन्ति निरयं ते यान्त्य् आचन्द्रतारकम्
'Even after obtaining knowledge, those who, out of delusion, do not give satisfaction to their teacher, go to hell for as long as the moon and stars endure.'