तस्य स्वरूपं वक्ष्यामि यत्नेन शृणु नारद पुरा दाशरथी रामो रावणं लोकरावणम्
I will describe its true nature with care—listen, O Nārada. Long ago, Rāma, son of Daśaratha, killed Rāvaṇa, the terror of the worlds.
किष्किन्धावासिभिः सार्धं जघान रणमूर्धनि सपुत्रं सबलं हत्वा सीताम् आदाय शत्रुहा
Together with the dwellers of Kiṣkindhā, he slew Rāvaṇa on the battlefield, along with his sons and army; having slain his enemy, he retrieved Sītā.
भ्रात्रा सौमित्रिणा सार्धं वानरैश् च महाबलैः विभीषणेन बलिना देवैः प्रत्यागतो नृपः
With his brother Saumitri, the mighty monkeys, and the powerful Vibhīṣaṇa, the king returned, accompanied by the gods.
कृतस्वस्त्ययनः श्रीमान् पुष्पकेण विराजितः यद् आसीद् धनराजस्य कामगेनाशुगामिना
Having performed auspicious rites, glorious Rāma shone in the celestial Puṣpaka chariot, which once belonged to the lord of wealth and moved at will with great speed.
अयोध्याम् अगमन् सर्वे गच्छन् गङ्गाम् अपश्यत रामो विरामः शत्रूणां शरण्यः शरणार्थिनाम्
They all journeyed to Ayodhyā; as they went, Rāma, the refuge of those seeking shelter and destroyer of enemies, beheld the Gaṅgā.
गौतमीं तु जगत्पुण्यां सर्वकामप्रदायिनीम् मनोनयनसंतापनिवारणपरायणाम्
He saw the Gautamī, purifier of the world, bestower of all desires, devoted to removing the sorrows of mind and eyes.
तां दृष्ट्वा नृपतिः श्रीमान् गङ्गातीरम् अथाविशत् तां दृष्ट्वा प्राह नृपतिर् हर्षगद्गदया गिरा हरीन् सर्वान् अथामन्त्र्य हनुमत्प्रमुखान् मुने
Seeing her, the glorious king entered the bank of the Gaṅgā; beholding her, the king spoke with a voice choked with joy, addressing all the monkeys, led by Hanumān, O sage.
अस्याः प्रभावाद् धरयो यो ऽसौ मम पिता प्रभुः सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तस् ततो यातस् त्रिविष्टपम्
By her power, O monkeys, my father, the lord, was freed from all sins and then attained heaven.
इयं जनित्री सकलस्य जन्तोर् भुक्तिप्रदा मुक्तिम् अथापि दद्यात् पापानि हन्याद् अपि दारुणानि कान्यानयास्त्य् अत्र नदी समाना
She is the mother of all beings, giver of enjoyment, and even grants liberation; she destroys even the most terrible sins. There is no other river here equal to her.
हतानि शश्वद् दुरितानि चैव अस्याः प्रभावाद् अरयः सखायः विभीषणो मैत्रम् उपैति नित्यं सीता च लब्धा हनुमांश् च बन्धुः
By her power, enemies and misfortunes are always destroyed; Vibhīṣaṇa attains constant friendship, Sītā was recovered, and Hanumān became a kinsman.
लङ्का च भग्ना सगणं हि रक्षो हतं हि यस्याः परिसेवनेन यां गौतमो देववरं प्रपूज्य शिवं शरण्यं सजटाम् अवाप
Lankā was destroyed, the hosts of demons slain, by serving her. Gautama, having worshipped the best of gods, attained Śiva, the refuge, with matted locks.
सेयं जनित्री सकलेप्सितानाम् अमङ्गलानाम् अपि संनिहन्त्री जगत्पवित्रीकरणैकदक्षा दृष्टाद्य साक्षात् सरितां सवित्री
She is the mother who grants all desired things, the destroyer even of inauspiciousness, the sole expert in purifying the world, the manifest source of all rivers, the Savitrī.
एतत् समाकर्ण्य वचो नृपस्य तत्राप्लवन् हरयः सर्व एव पूजां चक्रुर् विधिवत् ते पृथक् च पुष्पैर् अनेकैः सर्वलोकोपहारैः
Hearing these words of the king, all the monkeys at once plunged in there and performed worship according to rule, each with many flowers and offerings from all the worlds.
संपूज्य शर्वं नृपतिर् यथावत् स्तुत्वा वाक्यैः सर्वभावोपयुक्तैः ते वानरा मुदिताः सर्व एव नृत्यं च गीतं च तथैव चक्रुः
Having duly worshipped Śarva, the king praised him with words suited to every feeling; all the monkeys, delighted, then danced and sang as well.
सुखोषितस् तां रजनीं महात्मा प्रियानुयुक्तः संवृतः प्रेमवद्भिः दुःखं जहौ सर्वम् अमित्रसंभवं किं नाप्यते गौतमीसेवनेन
That great soul, surrounded by loving companions filled with affection, spent that night in happiness; all sorrow arising from enemies vanished—what suffering remains for one who serves the Gautamī?
सविस्मयः पश्यति भृत्यवर्गं गोदावरीं स्तौति च संप्रहृष्टः संमानयन् भृत्यगणं समग्रम् अवाप रामः कमपि प्रमोदम्
With wonder, he gazed upon his assembly of attendants and joyfully praised the Godāvarī; honoring his entire group of servants, Rāma attained a happiness beyond compare.
नाद्यापि तृप्तास् तु भवाम तीर्थे कंचिच् च कालं निवसाम चात्र वत्स्याम चात्रैव पराश् चतस्रो रात्रीर् अथो याम वृतास् त्व् अयोध्याम्
Still unsatisfied at this holy place, let us remain here for some time; let us stay here itself for another four nights, then afterwards we shall return to Ayodhyā.
तस्याथ वाक्यं हरयो ऽनुमेनिरे तथैव रात्रीर् अपराश् चतस्रः संपूज्य देवं सकलेश्वरं तं भ्रातृप्रियं तीर्थम् अथो जगाम
The monkeys agreed to his words, and likewise, after worshipping the Lord, the ruler of all, for four more nights, they went to the sacred place dear to his brother.
सिद्धेश्वरं नाम जगत्प्रसिद्धं यस्य प्रभावात् प्रबलो दशास्यः एवं तु पञ्चाहम् अथोषिरे ते स्वं स्वं प्रतिष्ठापितलिङ्गम् अर्च्य
There is the renowned Siddheśvara, famous in the world, by whose power the mighty ten-headed one was subdued; thus, they spent five days there, each worshipping the liṅga they had established.
शुश्रूषणं तत्र करोति वायोः सुतो ऽनुगामी हनुमान् नृपस्य गच्छन् नृपेन्द्रो हनुमन्तम् आह लिङ्गानि सर्वाणि विसर्जयस्व
There, Hanumān, son of the wind, followed the king, performing service; as they departed, the king said to Hanumān: 'Remove all the liṅgas.'
मत्स्थापितान्य् उत्तममन्त्रविद्भिस् तथेतरैः शंकरकिंकरैश् च नोद्वास्य पूजां परशंकरेण बाह्यं समायोज्यम् अहो भवस्य
Those installed by me, by knowers of excellent mantras, and by other attendants of Śaṃkara, should not be removed; worship of Paraśaṃkara must not be neglected, nor should external rites be mingled with the worship of Bhava.
तिष्ठन्ति सुस्थास् तदनादरेण ते खड्गपत्त्रादिषु संभवन्ति ये ऽश्रद्दधानाः शिवलिङ्गपूजां विधाय कृत्यं न समाचरन्ति
Those who, out of disregard, fail to perform the proper worship of the Śivaliṅga, though they may appear well, are born among swords and leaves—those faithless ones do not fulfill their duties.
यथोचितं ते यमकिंकरैर् हि पच्यन्त एवाखिलदुर्गतीषु रामाज्ञया वायुसुतो जगाम दोर्भ्यां न चोत्पाटयितुं शशाक
By order of Rāma, those people are cooked as is fitting by the servants of Yama in all manner of miseries; the son of the wind then went, but could not uproot the liṅga with his arms.
ततः स्वपुच्छेन ग्रहीतुकामः संवेष्ट्य लिङ्गं तु विसृष्टकामः नैवाशकत् तन् महद् अद्भुतं स्यात् कपीश्वराणां नृपतेस् तथैव
Then, wishing to seize it with his tail, Hanumān wrapped around the liṅga, intending to remove it, but was unable; such a great and wondrous thing occurred for the lord of monkeys and the king alike.
कश् चालयेल् लब्धमहानुभावं महेशलिङ्गं पुरुषो मनस्वी तन् निश्चलं प्रेक्ष्य महानुभावो नृपप्रवीरः सहसा जगाम
Who could move the liṅga of great power, established by Maheśa, once obtained? Seeing it unmoved, the mighty and noble king departed at once.
विप्रान् अथामन्त्र्य विधाय पूजां प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य च रामचन्द्रः शुद्धातिशुद्धेन हृदाखिलैस् तैर् लिङ्गानि सर्वाणि ननाम रामः
Then, after inviting the brāhmaṇas and performing worship, circumambulating, Rāmacandra, with a heart supremely pure, bowed to all those liṅgas along with his companions.
किष्किन्धवासिप्रवरैर् अशेषैः संसेवितं तीर्थम् अतो बभूव अत्राप्लवाद् एव महान्ति पापान्य् अपि क्षयं यान्ति न संशयो ऽत्र
Thus, the sacred place became attended by all the foremost residents of Kiṣkindhā; here, by merely bathing, even great sins are destroyed—of this there is no doubt.
पुनश् च गङ्गां प्रणनाम भक्त्या प्रसीद मातर् मम गौतमीति जल्पन् मुहुर् विस्मितचित्तवृत्तिर् विलोकयन् प्रणमन् गौतमीं ताम्
Again, with devotion, he bowed to the Gaṅgā, saying, 'Be gracious, Mother, to me, O Gautamī,' and, repeatedly amazed in mind, he gazed upon and bowed to her.
ततः प्रभृत्य् एतद् अतीव पुण्यं किष्किन्धतीर्थं विबुधा वदन्ति पठेत् स्मरेद् वापि शृणोति भक्त्या पापापहं किं पुनः स्नानदानैः
From that time, the gods call this Kiṣkindhā-tīrtha supremely holy; whoever recites, remembers, or hears it with devotion is freed from sin—how much more so by bathing or giving gifts there!
व्यासतीर्थम् इति ख्यातं प्राचेतसम् अतः परम् नातः परतरं किंचित् पावनं सर्वसिद्धिदम्
Next is the tīrtha known as Vyāsa-tīrtha, belonging to the son of Pracetas; nothing is more sacred or grants all accomplishments beyond this.