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.'
गृहाण कन्यां विधिवद् भार्यां कुरु मम स्वसाम् अस्यां प्रीत्या वर्तितव्यं याचेयं दक्षिणाम् इमाम्
'Accept my sister as your wife, according to proper rites; live with her with affection—this is the gift I request.'
भ्रातृवत् पुत्रवच् चापि शिष्यः स्यात् तु गुरोः सदा गुरुश् च पितृवच् च स्यात् संबन्धो ऽत्र कथं भवेत्
'A disciple should always be to the teacher as a brother or a son, and the teacher as a father; how then can this relationship be?'
मद्वाक्यं कुरु सत्यं त्वं ममाज्ञा तव दक्षिणा सर्वं स्मृत्वा कठाद्य त्वं रेवतीं भर तन्मनाः
'Do my bidding, which is true; my command is your gift. Remember everything, O Kaṭha, and take Revati with full intent.'
तथेत्य् उक्त्वा गुरोर् वाक्यात् कठो जग्राह पाणिना रेवतीं विधिवद् दत्तां तां समीक्ष्य कठस् त्व् अथ
Saying 'So be it,' Kaṭha, at his teacher's word, took Revati by the hand, as she was duly given; then Kaṭha looked upon her.
तत्रैव पूजयाम् आस देवेशं शंकरं तदा रेवत्या रूपसंपत्त्यै शिवप्रीत्यै च रेवती
There, Kaṭha worshipped the lord of the gods, Śaṅkara, at that time, along with Revati, for the sake of her beauty and to please Śiva.
सुरूपा चारुसर्वाङ्गी न रूपेणोपमीयते अभिषेकोदकं तत्र रेवत्या यद् विनिःसृतम्
She was beautiful, with lovely limbs, incomparable in form; the water from Revati's consecration flowed there.
साभवत् तत्र गङ्गायां तस्मात् तन्नामतो नदी रेवतीति समाख्याता रूपसौभाग्यदायिनी
That became, in the Gaṅgā, a river named Revati, renowned for bestowing beauty and good fortune.
पुनर् दर्भैश् च विविधैर् अभिषेकं चकार सः पुण्यरूपत्वसंसिद्ध्यै विदर्भा तद् अभून् नदी
Again, with various kinds of darbha grass, he performed consecration for the attainment of auspicious form; that became the river Vidarbhā.
श्रद्धया संगमे स्नात्वा रेवतीगङ्गयोर् नरः सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तो विष्णुलोके महीयते
Whoever bathes with faith at the confluence of Revati and Gaṅgā is freed from all sins and is honored in the world of Viṣṇu.
तथा विदर्भागौतम्योः संगमे श्रद्धया मुने स्नानं करोत्य् असौ याति भुक्तिं मुक्तिं च तत्क्षणात्
Likewise, O sage, whoever bathes with faith at the confluence of Vidarbhā and Gautamī attains enjoyment and liberation at that very moment.