जन्मना सह यत् पुंसां विहितं परमेष्ठिना कदाचिन् नान्यथा तद् वै वृथा क्लिश्यन्ति जन्तवः
Whatever is ordained by the Supreme Lord for a person at birth never happens otherwise; creatures suffer in vain.
तस्माद् याचावहे किंचिद् धिताय जगतां शुभम् गुणदायि तु सर्वेषां तद् युवाम् अनुमन्यताम्
Therefore, let us request something for the welfare of the worlds, something auspicious and bestowing virtue upon all; may you both approve of this.
ताव् आहतुर् उभौ देवौ पक्षिणौ लोकविश्रुतौ धर्मस्य यशसो ऽवाप्त्ये लोकानां हितकाम्यया
Then both the divine birds, renowned in the worlds, spoke: 'For the sake of dharma's fame and the welfare of beings...'
आवाभ्याम् आश्रमौ तीर्थे गङ्गाया उभये तटे भवेतां जगतां नाथाव् एष एव परो वरः
'May we both have hermitages at the holy place on both banks of the Ganga; let us be the protectors of the worlds—this is the highest boon.'
स्नानं दानं जपो होमः पितॄणां चापि पूजनम् सुकृती दुष्कृती वापि यः करोति यथा तथा सर्वं तद् अक्षयं पुण्यं स्याद् इत्य् एष परो वरः
Bathing, giving gifts, recitation, offering oblations, and also worship of the ancestors—whether performed by the virtuous or the sinful, however it is done—all of these become inexhaustible merit; this is the supreme boon.
एवम् अस्तु तथा चान्यत् सुप्रीतौ तु ब्रवावहै
So be it; and now, let us speak further, being well pleased.
उत्तरे गौतमीतीरे यमस्तोत्रं पठन्ति ये तेषां सप्तसु वंशेषु नाकाले मृत्युम् आप्नुयात्
Those who recite the hymn to Yama on the northern bank of the Gautamī—among their seven generations, none will meet death before their time.
पुरुषो भाजनं च स्यात् सर्वदा सर्वसंपदाम् यस् त्व् इदं पठते नित्यं मृत्युस्तोत्रं जितात्मवान्
A person who always recites this hymn to Death, with self-control, becomes a vessel of all prosperity.
अष्टाशीतिसहस्रैश् च व्याधिभिर् न स बाध्यते अस्मिंस् तीर्थे द्विजश्रेष्ठौ त्रिमासाद् गुर्विणी सती
He is not afflicted by eighty-eight thousand diseases; and at this holy place, O best of twice-born, a pregnant woman in her third month—
अर्वाग्वन्ध्या च षण्मासात् सप्ताहं स्नानम् आचरेत् वीरसूः सा भवेन् नारी शतायुः स सुतो भवेत्
And a previously barren woman, after six months, should bathe there for seven days; she will bear a heroic son, and he will live a hundred years.
लक्ष्मीवान् मतिमाञ् शूरः पुत्रपौत्रविवर्धनः तत्र पिण्डादिदानेन पितरो मुक्तिम् आप्नुयुः मनोवाक्कायजात् पापात् स्नानान् मुक्तो भवेन् नरः
He will be wealthy, wise, and brave, increasing sons and grandsons; there, by offering rice-balls and other gifts, the ancestors attain liberation; and by bathing, a man is freed from sins of mind, speech, and body.
यमवाक्याद् अनु तथा हव्यवाड् आह पक्षिणौ
Then, following Yama’s words, the fire-god spoke to the two birds.
मत्स्तोत्रं दक्षिणे तीरे ये पठन्ति यतव्रताः तेषाम् आरोग्यम् ऐश्वर्यं लक्ष्मीं रूपं ददाम्य् अहम्
Those who, with disciplined vows, recite my hymn on the southern bank—I grant them health, wealth, fortune, and beauty.
इदं स्तोत्रं तु यः कश्चिद् यत्र क्वापि पठेन् नरः नैवाग्नितो भयं तस्य लिखिते ऽपि गृहे स्थिते
Whoever recites this hymn anywhere, even if it is merely written and kept in the house, will have no fear from fire.
स्नानं दानं च यः कुर्याद् अग्नितीर्थे शुचिर् नरः अग्निष्टोमफलं तस्य भवेद् एव न संशयः
Whoever, pure in body, performs bathing and giving at the fire’s bank attains the fruit of the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice, without doubt.
ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थं याम्यम् आग्नेयम् एव च कपोतं च तथोलूकं हेत्युलूकं विदुर् बुधाः
From that time, that holy place is known as Yāmyam and Āgneyam; and the wise know the pigeon and the owl, and the fierce owl, as well.
तत्र त्रीणि सहस्राणि तावन्त्य् एव शतानि च पुनर् नवतितीर्थानि प्रत्येकं मुक्तिभाजनम्
There are three thousand, and just as many hundreds, and again ninety holy places there; each is a vessel of liberation.
तेषु स्नानेन दानेन प्रेतीभूताश् च ये नराः पूतास् ते पुत्रवित्ताढ्या आक्रमेयुर् दिवं शुभाः
By bathing and giving there, even those who have become departed spirits are purified; they attain heaven, blessed with sons and wealth.
तपस्तीर्थम् इति ख्यातं तपोवृद्धिकरं महत् सर्वकामप्रदं पुण्यं पितॄणां प्रीतिवर्धनम्
It is known as the Tapas Tīrtha, the great place that increases austerity, grants all desires, brings merit, and increases the satisfaction of the ancestors.
तस्मिंस् तीर्थे तु यद् वृत्तं शृणु पापप्रणाशनम् अपाम् अग्नेश् च संवादम् ऋषीणां च परस्परम्
Now hear what happened at that holy place, which destroys sin—the conversation between the waters and the fire, and the mutual discourse of the sages.
अपो ज्येष्ठतमाः केचिन् मेनिरे ऽग्निं तथापरे एवं ब्रुवन्तो मुनयः संवादं चाग्निवारिणोः
Some considered the waters to be the greatest, others thought fire was; thus the sages spoke, discussing the merits of fire and water.
विनाग्निं जीवनं क्व स्याज् जीवभूतो यतो ऽनलः आत्मभूतो हव्यभूतश् चाग्निना जायते ऽखिलम्
Where would life be without fire? For fire is the very essence of life; all things are born from fire, which is both self and the recipient of offerings.
अग्निना ध्रियते लोको ह्य् अग्निर् ज्योतिर्मयं जगत् तस्माद् अग्नेः परं नास्ति पावनं दैवतं महत्
The world is sustained by fire; indeed, fire is the light of the universe. Therefore, there is no purifier, no great deity, superior to fire.
अन्तर्ज्योतिः स एवोक्तः परं ज्योतिः स एव हि विनाग्निना किंचिद् अस्ति यस्य धाम जगत्त्रयम्
That very one is called the inner light; he alone is the supreme light. Without fire, nothing exists whose radiance encompasses the three worlds.
तस्माद् अग्नेः परं नास्ति भूतानां ज्यैष्ठ्यभाजनम् योषित्क्षेत्रे ऽर्पितं बीजं पुरुषेण यथा तथा
Therefore, there is nothing greater than fire, the vessel of preeminence among beings. Just as a seed is placed by a man in the field of a woman, so it is.
तस्य देहादिका शक्तिः कृशानोर् एव नान्यथा देवानां हि मुखं वह्निस् तस्मान् नातः परं विदुः
His power, beginning with the body, belongs only to fire and not otherwise. Fire is indeed the mouth of the gods; thus, nothing is known beyond this.
अपरे तु ह्य् अपां ज्यैष्ठ्यं मेनिरे वेदवादिनः अद्भिः संपत्स्यते ह्य् अन्नं शुचिर् अद्भिः प्रजायते
But others, versed in the Vedas, have considered water to be preeminent. Food is produced by water, and purity is born from water.
अद्भिर् एव धृतं सर्वम् आपो वै मातरः स्मृताः त्रैलोक्यजीवनं वारि वदन्तीति पुराविदः
Everything is indeed sustained by water; waters are remembered as mothers. Those who know ancient lore say that water is the life of the three worlds.
उत्पन्नम् अमृतं ह्य् अद्भ्यस् ताभ्यश् चौषधिसंभवः अग्निर् ज्येष्ठ इति प्राहुर् आपो ज्येष्ठतमाः परे
Immortality has arisen from water, and from them comes the origin of plants. Some declare fire to be the eldest, while others say water is the most ancient.
एवं मीमांसमानास् ते ऋषयो वेदवादिनः विरुद्धवादिनो मां च समभ्येत्येदम् अब्रुवन्
Thus, those seers, versed in the Vedas and holding opposing views, approached me and spoke these words.