तथा शिवस्य देवस्य प्रसादाच् च वृषाकपेः जलोद्भवाच् च मे मित्राद् अब्जकाल् लोकविश्रुतात्
Thus, by the grace of the god Shiva, of Vṛṣākapi, and of my friend born from water, the lotus-stemmed one renowned in the worlds, this has come to me.
उत्तीर्णदुःखः सुभगे इत इन्द्रो ऽहम् अच्युतः किं न साध्यं यत्र भार्या भर्तृचित्तानुगामिनी
O fortunate one, I have crossed over suffering; here I am Indra, the steadfast—what could be impossible where a wife follows the mind of her husband?
दुष्करा तत्र नो मुक्तिः किंत्व् अर्थादित्रयं शुभे जायैव परमं मित्रं लोकद्वयहितैषिणी
There, liberation is difficult for us; but, O auspicious one, among the three aims of life, the wife alone is the highest friend, seeking the welfare of both worlds.
सा चेत् कुलीना प्रियभाषिणी च पतिव्रता रूपवती गुणाढ्या संपत्सु चापत्सु समानरूपा तया ह्य् असाध्यं किम् इह त्रिलोक्याम्
If she is of good family, speaks sweetly, devoted to her husband, beautiful, endowed with virtues, and equal in fortune and adversity—what is impossible for her in the three worlds?
तस्मात् तव धिया कान्ते ममेदं शुभम् आगतम् इतस् तवोदितं चैव कर्तव्यं नान्यद् अस्ति मे
Therefore, O lovely one, by your wisdom this good fortune has come to me; and what you have declared must be done—there is nothing else for me.
परलोके च धर्मे च सत्पुत्रसदृशं न च आर्तस्य पुरुषस्येह भार्यावद् भेषजं नहि
In the next world and in righteousness, nothing equals a true son; and for a man in distress here, there is no remedy like a wife.
निःश्रेयसपदप्राप्त्यै तथा पापस्य मुक्तये गङ्गया सदृशं नास्ति शृणु चान्यद् वरानने
For attaining the supreme state and for liberation from sin, there is nothing like the Ganga; listen further, O beautiful-faced one.
धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणां प्राप्तये पापमुक्तये शिवविष्ण्वोर् अनन्यत्वज्ञानान् नास्त्य् अत्र मुक्तये
For attaining righteousness, wealth, desire, and liberation, and for freedom from sin, there is no means here like the knowledge of the non-difference of Shiva and Vishnu.
तस्मात् तव धिया साध्वि सर्वम् एतन् मनोगतम् अवाप्तं च शिवाद् विष्णोर् गङ्गायाश् च प्रसादतः
Therefore, O virtuous one, by your understanding, all this that was in your mind has been obtained by the grace of Shiva, Vishnu, and Ganga.
इन्द्रत्वं मे स्थिरं चेतो मन्ये मित्रबलात् पुनः वृषाकपिर् मम सखा यो जातस् त्व् अप्सु भामिनि
My position as Indra is now secure, I think, again by the strength of my friend; Vṛṣākapi is my companion, who was born in the waters, O beautiful one.
त्वं च प्रियसखी नित्यं नान्यत् प्रियतरं मम तीर्थानां गौतमी गङ्गा देवानां हरिशंकरौ
And you are my dear friend always; there is none dearer to me. Among holy places, Gautami Ganga is foremost; among the gods, Hari and Shankara.
तस्माद् एभ्यः प्रसादेन सर्वं चेप्सितम् आप्तवान् मम प्रीतिकरं चेदं तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम्
Therefore, by the grace of these, I have obtained all that I desired, and this holy place, renowned throughout the three worlds, brings me delight.
तस्माद् एतद् धि याचिष्ये देवान् सर्वान् अनुक्रमात् अनुमन्यन्तु ऋषयो गङ्गा च हरिशंकरौ
Therefore, I shall request this from all the gods in order; let the sages, Ganga, and Hari and Shankara give their consent.
इन्द्रेश्वरे चाब्जके च उभयोस् तीरयोः सुराः एकत्र शंकरो देवो ह्य् अपरत्र जनार्दनः
At the two holy places, Indreśvara and Abjaka, the gods are present; at one, the god Shankara, and at the other, Janardana.
पावयन् दण्डकारण्यं साक्षाद् विष्णुस् त्रिविक्रमः अन्तरे यानि तीर्थानि सर्वपुण्यप्रदानि च
Purifying the Dandaka forest, Vishnu himself as Trivikrama is present; and the holy places within grant all merit.
अत्र तु स्नानमात्रेण सर्वे ते मुक्तिम् आप्नुयुः पापिष्ठाः पापतो मुक्तिम् आप्नुयुर् ये च धर्मिणः
Here, by merely bathing, even the most sinful attain liberation; sinners are freed from sin, and the righteous also attain liberation.
तेषां तु परमा मुक्तिः पितृभिः पञ्चपञ्चभिः अत्र किंचिच् च ये दद्युर् अर्थिभ्यस् तिलमात्रकम्
For them, the highest liberation is with their ancestors, five generations back; and those who give even a little sesame here to those who ask—
दातृभ्यो ह्य् अक्षयं तत् स्यात् कामदं मोक्षदं तथा धन्यं यशस्यम् आयुष्यम् आरोग्यं पुण्यवर्धनम्
For the donors, it becomes inexhaustible, granting desires and liberation; it brings prosperity, fame, longevity, health, and increases merit.
आख्यानं विष्णुशंभ्वोश् च ज्ञात्वा स्नानाच् च मुक्तिदम् अस्य तीर्थस्य माहात्म्यं ये शृण्वन्ति पठन्ति च
Those who, having learned the story of Viṣṇu and Śaṃbhu, and the liberation-granting power of bathing here, listen to or recite the greatness of this holy place—
पुण्यभाजो भवेयुस् ते तेभ्यो ऽत्रैव स्मृतिर् भवेत् शिवविष्ण्वोर् अशेषाघसंघविच्छेदकारिणी यां प्रार्थयन्ति मुनयो विजितेन्द्रियमानसाः
They become worthy of merit, and here itself, they attain the remembrance that destroys all heaps of sins of Śiva and Viṣṇu, which the sages, with controlled senses and minds, earnestly desire.
भविष्यत्य् एवम् एवेति तं देवा ऋषयो ऽब्रुवन् गौतम्या उत्तरे पारे तीर्थानां मोक्षदायिनाम्
The gods and seers said to him, 'So it shall indeed be.' On the northern bank of the Gautamī, among the holy places that grant liberation—
देवर्षिसिद्धसेव्यानां सहस्राण्य् अथ सप्त वै तथैव दक्षिणे तीरे तीर्थान्य् एकादशैव तु
There are, indeed, seven thousand holy places served by gods, sages, and perfected beings; likewise, on the southern bank, there are exactly eleven holy places.
अब्जकं हृदयं प्रोक्तं गोदावर्या मुनीश्वरैः विश्रामस्थानम् ईशस्य विष्णोर् ब्रह्मण एव च
The sages have declared that Abjaka is the heart of the Godāvarī, the resting place of the Lord, of Viṣṇu, and of Brahmā as well.
आपस्तम्बम् इति ख्यातं तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम् स्मरणाद् अप्य् अशेषाघसंघविध्वंसनक्षमम्
The holy place known as Āpastamba, renowned throughout the three worlds, is capable of destroying all heaps of sins even by mere remembrance.
आपस्तम्बो महाप्राज्ञो मुनिर् आसीन् महायशाः तस्य भार्याक्षसूत्रेति पतिधर्मपरायणा
Āpastamba, the great sage of vast wisdom and fame, had a wife named Akṣasūtrā, devoted to her husband's duties.
तस्य पुत्रो महाप्राज्ञः कर्किनामाथ तत्त्ववित् तस्याश्रमम् अनुप्राप्तो ह्य् अगस्त्यो मुनिसत्तमः
He had a son, wise and learned, named Karki; to his hermitage came the eminent sage Agastya.
तम् अगस्त्यं पूजयित्वा आपस्तम्बो मुनीश्वरः शिष्यैर् अनुगतो धीमांस् तं प्रष्टुम् उपचक्रमे
Having worshipped Agastya, the wise lord among sages, Āpastamba, accompanied by his disciples, began to question him.
त्रयाणां को नु पूज्यः स्याद् देवानां मुनिसत्तम भुक्तिर् मुक्तिश् च कस्माद् वा स्याद् अनादिश् च को भवेत्
O best of sages, among the three gods, who is to be worshipped? From whom does enjoyment and liberation arise? And who is without beginning?
अनन्तश् चापि को विप्र देवानाम् अपि दैवतम् यज्ञैः क इज्यते देवः को वेदेष्व् अनुगीयते एतं मे संशयं छेत्तुं वदागस्त्य महामुने
And who, O sage, is the infinite one, the god of the gods? Which deity is worshipped by sacrifices? Who is praised in the Vedas? O great sage Agastya, please resolve this doubt of mine.
धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणां प्रमाणं शब्द उच्यते तत्रापि वैदिकः शब्दः प्रमाणं परमं मतः
The authority for righteousness, wealth, desire, and liberation is said to be scripture; and among them, Vedic scripture is considered the highest authority.