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.
पथि गच्छन् कदाचित् स जीगर्तेर् मध्यमः सुतः शुश्राव रुदतो वाणीं पिशाचस्य मुहुर् मुहुः
Once, as he was walking on the road, the middle son of Jīgarti repeatedly heard the voice of the piśāca weeping.
पुत्रक्रेतुर् ब्रह्महन्तुर् जीगर्तेस् तु पितुस् तदा पापिनः पुत्रविक्रेतुर् ब्रह्महन्तुः पितुश् च ताम्
At that time, the sin of selling a son, of killing a Brahmin, and of Jīgarti the father—indeed, the sin of selling a son, of killing a Brahmin, and of the father—
शुनःशेपस् तदोवाच को भवान् अतिदुःखितः जीगर्तिर् अब्रवीद् दुःखाच् छुनःशेपपिता ह्य् अहम्
Then Śunaḥśepa said, 'Who are you, so greatly afflicted?' Jīgarti replied in his misery, 'I am Śunaḥśepa's father.'
पापीयसीं क्रियां कृत्वा योनिं प्राप्तो ऽस्मि दारुणाम् नरकेष्व् अथ पक्वश् च पुनः प्राप्तो ऽन्तरालकम् ये ये दुष्कृतकर्माणस् तेषां तेषाम् इयं गतिः
Having performed a most sinful act, I have attained a dreadful birth; cooked in hell, I have again reached an intermediate state. Such is the fate of all those who commit evil deeds.
जीगर्तिपुत्रस् तम् उवाच दुःखात् सो ऽहं सुतस् ते मम दोषेण तात विक्रीत्वा मां नरकान् एवम् आप्तस् ततः करिष्ये स्वर्गतं त्वाम् इदानीम्
Jīgarti's son said to him in distress, 'O father, it is by my own fault that, having sold me, you have thus reached hell. Therefore, I will now make you attain heaven.'
एवं प्रतिज्ञाय स गाधिपुत्र पुत्रत्वम् आप्तो ऽथ मुनिप्रवीरः गङ्गाम् अभिध्याय पितुश् च लोकान् अनुत्तमान् ईहमानो जगाम
Having thus resolved, the son of Gādhi, who had obtained sonship and was a foremost sage, desiring to attain the highest worlds for his father, set out, meditating on the Ganges.
अशेषदुःखानलधूपितानां निमज्जतां मोहमहासमुद्रे शरीरिणां नान्यद् अहो त्रिलोक्याम् आलम्बनं विष्णुपदीं विहाय
For embodied beings scorched by the fire of endless suffering, sinking in the great ocean of delusion, there is, alas, no other support in the three worlds except the feet of Viṣṇu.
एवं विनिश्चित्य मुनिर् महात्मा समुद्दिधीर्षुः पितरं स दुर्गतेः शुचिस् ततो गौतमीम् आशु गत्वा तत्र स्नात्वा संस्मरञ् छंभुविष्णू
Thus deciding, the great-souled sage, wishing to rescue his father from misfortune, quickly went to the Gautamī (Godāvarī), bathed there, and remembered Śambhu and Viṣṇu.
ददौ जलं प्रेतरूपाय पित्रे पिशाचरूपाय सुदुःखिताय तद्दानमात्रेण तदैव पूतो जीगर्तिर् आवाप वपुः सुपुण्यम्
He offered water to his father, who was in the form of a preta, a piśāca, and greatly distressed; by that very act of offering, Jīgarti was instantly purified and attained a most auspicious form.
विमानयुक्तः सुरसंघजुष्टं विष्णोः पदं प्राप सुतप्रभावात् गङ्गाप्रभावाच् च हरेश् च शंभोर् विधातुर् अर्कायुततुल्यतेजाः
Endowed with a celestial vehicle, attended by hosts of gods, he attained the abode of Viṣṇu by the power of his son, by the power of the Ganges, and by the grace of Hari, Śambhu, and the Creator, shining with the brilliance of ten thousand suns.