सर्वत्र गौतमीतीरे पितॄणां दानम् उत्तमम् विशेषतः कोटितीर्थे तद् अनन्तफलप्रदम् अत्रैकन्यूनपञ्चाशत् तीर्थानि मुनयो विदुः
Everywhere on the bank of the Gautami, the best offering to the ancestors is especially at the Hundred Million Ford; it grants infinite fruit. Here, the sages know there are forty-nine fords, each lacking one.
नारसिंहम् इति ख्यातं गङ्गाया उत्तरे तटे तस्यानुभावं वक्ष्यामि सर्वरक्षाविधायकम्
Known as Narasimha, on the northern bank of the Ganga, I will now describe its influence, which provides all protection.
हिरण्यकशिपुः पूर्वम् अभवद् बलिनां वरः तपसा विक्रमेणापि देवानाम् अपराजितः
Hiranyakashipu was formerly the foremost of the powerful; by austerity and valor, he was unconquered even by the gods.
हरिभक्तात्मजद्वेषकलुषीकृतमानसः आविर्भूय सभास्तम्भाद् विश्वात्मत्वं प्रदर्शयन्
His mind was tainted by hatred of his son, a devotee of Hari; manifesting from the pillar in the assembly, he revealed his all-pervading nature.
तं हत्वा नरसिंहस् तत्सैन्यम् अद्रावयत् तदा सर्वान् हत्वा महादैत्यान् क्रमेणाजौ महामृगः
Having slain him, Narasimha drove away his army; then, having slain all the great demons in battle one by one, the great beast—
रसातलस्थाञ् शत्रूंश् च जित्वा स्वर्लोकम् ईयिवान् तत्र जित्वा भुवं गत्वा दैत्यान् हत्वा नगस्थितान्
Having conquered the enemies dwelling in the netherworld, he ascended to the world of the gods; there, having conquered, he went to earth and slew the demons dwelling on the mountains.
समुद्रस्थान् नदीसंस्थान् ग्रामस्थान् वनवासिनः नानारूपधरान् दैत्यान् निजघान मृगाकृतिः
The Lord, in the form of a beast, slew the demons dwelling in the ocean, in rivers, in villages, and in forests, those who assumed various shapes.
आकाशगान् वायुसंस्थाञ् ज्योतिर्लोकम् उपागतान् वज्रपाताधिकनखः समुद्धूतमहासटः
With claws more powerful than thunderbolts and a mane stirred up in fury, he struck down those who moved through the sky, those abiding in the wind, and those who had entered the realm of light.
दैत्यगर्भस्राविगर्जी निर्जिताशेषराक्षसः महानादैर् वीक्षितैश् च प्रलयानलसंनिभैः
Roaring with the thunder of the birth-cries of demon wombs, and conquering all the rakshasas, he gazed with mighty roars like the fire of dissolution.
चपेटैर् अङ्गविक्षेपैर् असुरान् पर्यचूर्णयत् एवं हत्वा बहुविधान् गौतमीम् अगमद् धरिः
With slaps and violent movements of his limbs, he crushed the asuras; thus, having slain many kinds, Hari went to the Gautami.
स्वपदाम्बुजसंभूतां मनोनयननन्दिनीम् तत्राम्बर्य इति ख्यातो दण्डकाधिपते रिपुः
There, the enemy of the lord of Dandaka, named Ambarya, renowned, arose from the lotus of his own feet, delighting the mind and eyes.
देवानां दुर्जयो योद्धा बलेन महतावृतः तेनाभवन् महारौद्रं भीषणं लोमहर्षणम्
He was a warrior unconquerable by the gods, surrounded by great strength; because of him, there arose a fierce, terrifying, hair-raising battle.
शस्त्रास्त्रवर्षणं युद्धं हरिणा दैत्यसूनुना निजघान हरिः श्रीमांस् तं रिपुं ह्य् उत्तरे तटे
A battle of weapons and missiles was fought between Hari and the demon's son; the glorious Hari slew that enemy on the northern bank.
गङ्गायां नारसिंहं तु तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम् स्नानदानादिकं तत्र सर्वपापग्रहार्दनम्
On the Ganga, there is the Narasimha tirtha, famed throughout the three worlds; bathing, giving, and other rites there destroy all sins and afflictions.
सर्वरक्षाकरं नित्यं जरामरणवारणम् यथा सुराणां सर्वेषां न कोपि हरिणा समः
It always grants universal protection, wards off old age and death; just as among all the gods, none equals Hari.
तीर्थानाम् अप्य् अशेषाणां तथा तत् तीर्थम् उत्तमम् तत्र तीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा कुर्यान् नृहरिपूजनम्
Among all tirthas, that tirtha is supreme; there, after bathing, one should worship Narahari.
स्वर्गे मर्त्ये तले वापि तस्य किंचिन् न दुर्लभम् इत्याद्य् अष्टौ मुने तत्र महातीर्थानि नारद
Whether in heaven, on earth, or below, nothing is difficult for him; O sage, there are eight great tirthas there, O Narada.
पृथक् पृथक् तीर्थकोटिफलम् आहुर् मनीषिणः अश्रद्धयापि यन्नाम्नि स्मृते सर्वाघसंक्षयः
Wise men say each separately yields the merit of a crore of tirthas; even if remembered without faith, its name destroys all sins.
भवेत् साक्षान् नृसिंहो ऽसौ सर्वदा यत्र संस्थितः तत् तीर्थसेवासंजातं फलं कैर् इह वर्ण्यते
Wherever Narasimha himself is always present, who can describe the fruit born of service to that tirtha here?
यथा न देवो नृहरेर् अधिकः क्वापि वर्तते तथा नृसिंहतीर्थेन समं तीर्थं न कुत्रचित्
Just as nowhere is any god greater than Narahari, so nowhere is any tirtha equal to Narasimha tirtha.
पैशाचं तीर्थम् आख्यातं गङ्गाया उत्तरे तटे पिशाचत्वात् पुरा विप्रो मुक्तिम् आप महामते
The Piśāca tirtha is named on the northern bank of the Ganga; because of its piśāca nature, a brahmin once attained liberation there, O wise one.
सुयवस्यात्मजो लोके जीगर्तिर् इति विश्रुतः कुटुम्बभारदुःखार्तो दुर्भिक्षेण तु पीडितः
In the world, the son of Suyavasya was known as Jīgarti; burdened by the hardships of family, he was afflicted by famine.
मध्यमं तु शुनःशेपं पुत्रं ब्रह्मविदां वरम् विक्रीतवान् क्षत्रियाय वधाय बहुलैर् धनैः
He sold his middle son, Śunaḥśepa, the best among those knowing Brahman, to a kshatriya for slaughter, for much wealth.
किं नामापद्गतः पापं नाचरत्य् अपि पण्डितः शमितृत्वे धनं चापि जगृहे बहुलं मुनिः
What sin does not commit one who has fallen into calamity, even if learned? The sage accepted much wealth for the role of pacifier.
विदारणार्थं च धनं जगृहे ब्राह्मणाधमः ततो ऽप्रतिसमाधेयमहारोगनिपीडितः
That lowest of Brahmins took wealth for the purpose of division, and as a result, he was afflicted by incurable, severe diseases.
स मृतः कालपर्याये नरकेष्व् अथ पातितः भोगाद् ऋते न क्षयो ऽस्ति प्राक्तनानाम् इहांहसाम्
When he died in due course of time, he was cast into hell; except for the enjoyment (of the results), there is no end to the sins committed previously.
किंकरैर् यमवाक्येन बहुयोन्यन्तरं गतः ततः पिशाचो ह्य् अभवद् दारुणो दारुणाकृतिः
By the command of Yama and his servants, he passed through many different wombs; then he became a dreadful piśāca, terrible in form.
शुष्ककाष्ठेष्व् अथारण्ये निर्जले निर्जने तथा ग्रीष्मे ग्रीष्मदवव्याप्ते क्षिप्यते यमकिंकरैः
Then, among dry woods, in the forest, without water, in desolate places, and in the heat of summer, scorched by the summer sun, he is cast by Yama's servants.
कन्यापुत्रमहीवाजिगवां विक्रयकारिणः नरकान् न निवर्तन्ते यावद् आभूतसंप्लवम्
Those who sell daughters, sons, land, horses, or cows do not return from hell until the dissolution of the world.
स्वकृताघविपाकेन दारुणैर् यमकिंकरैः संघाते पच्यमानो ऽसौ रुरोदोच्चैः कृतं स्मरन्
Due to the consequences of his own evil deeds, he, tormented by Yama's fierce servants, is cooked in a mass (of suffering), loudly weeping and remembering what he had done.