आगत्य संगता देवी सर्वतीर्थमयी नृणाम् ईप्सितानां तथा दात्री प्रभावो ऽस्या विशिष्यते
Having arrived, the goddess, composed of all sacred waters, grants to people their desired wishes; her power is especially distinguished.
एतस्या नाधिकं मन्ये किंचित् तीर्थं जगत्त्रये अस्याश् चैव प्रभावेण भाव्यं यच् च मनःस्थितम्
I do not consider any other pilgrimage in the three worlds to be greater than this; whatever is conceived in the mind is accomplished by her power.
अद्याप्य् अस्या हि माहात्म्यं वक्तुं कैश्चिन् न शक्यते भक्तितो वक्ष्यते नित्यं या ब्रह्म परमार्थतः
Even today, her greatness cannot be fully spoken by anyone; it is always declared with devotion, for she is truly the supreme Brahman.
तस्याः परतरं तीर्थं न स्याद् इति मतिर् मम अन्यतीर्थेन साधर्म्यं न युज्येत कथंचन
My conviction is that there is no pilgrimage higher than hers; it can never be equated in any way with other pilgrimages.
श्रुत्वा मद्वाक्यपीयूषैर् गङ्गाया गुणकीर्तनम् सर्वेषां न मतिः कस्मात् तत्रैवोपरतिं गता इति भाति विचित्रं मे मुने खलु जगत्त्रये
Hearing the praise of Ganga’s virtues, sweet as nectar, from my words, it is strange to me, O sage, that in all three worlds, everyone’s mind ceases only there.
धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणां त्वं वेत्ता चोपदेशकः छन्दांसि सरहस्यानि पुराणस्मृतयो ऽपि च
You are the knower and instructor of dharma, wealth, desire, and liberation; you know the Vedas, their secrets, and the Purāṇas and Smṛtis as well.
धर्मशास्त्राणि यच् चान्यत् तव वाक्ये प्रतिष्ठितम् तीर्थानाम् अथ दानानां यज्ञानां तपसां तथा
Whatever other dharma scriptures are established in your words, and likewise those concerning pilgrimages, gifts, sacrifices, and austerities.
देवतामन्त्रसेवानाम् अधिकं किं वद प्रभो यद् ब्रूषे भगवन् भक्त्या तथा भाव्यं न चान्यथा
Tell me, O lord, what is superior among the worship of deities, mantras, and services; whatever you declare, O blessed one, should be practiced with devotion and not otherwise.
एतं मे संशयं ब्रह्मन् वाक्यात् त्वं छेत्तुम् अर्हसि इष्टं मनोगतं श्रुत्वा तस्माद् विस्मयम् आगतः
O Brahman, you ought to resolve this doubt of mine by your words; having heard what is desired and held in my mind, I have become amazed.
शृणु नारद वक्ष्यामि रहस्यं धर्मम् उत्तमम् चतुर्विधानि तीर्थानि तावन्त्य् एव युगानि च
Listen, O Nārada, I will declare the supreme secret of dharma; there are four kinds of pilgrimages, and just so many ages.
गुणास् त्रयश् च पुरुषास् त्रयो देवाः सनातनाः वेदाश् च स्मृतिभिर् युक्ताश् चत्वारस् ते प्रकीर्तिताः
There are three qualities, three kinds of people, eternal gods, and four Vedas joined with the Smṛtis; these four are proclaimed.
पुरुषार्थाश् च चत्वारो वाणी चापि चतुर्विधा गुणा ह्य् अपि तु चत्वारः समत्वेनेति नारद
There are four aims of life, and speech is also of four kinds; likewise, O Nārada, the qualities are four and equal in nature.
सर्वत्र धर्मः सामान्यो यतो धर्मः सनातनः साध्यसाधनभावेन स एव बहुधा मतः
Dharma is universal everywhere, for dharma is eternal; by the distinction of means and ends, it is regarded as manifold.
तस्याश्रयश् च द्विविधो देशः कालश् च सर्वदा कालाश्रयश् च यो धर्मो हीयते वर्धते सदा
Its basis is twofold: place and time, always; the dharma based on time is diminished or increased continually.
युगानाम् अनुरूपेण पादः पादो ऽस्य हीयते धर्मस्येति महाप्राज्ञ देशापेक्षा तथोभयम्
According to the ages, a quarter of dharma is diminished, O wise one; likewise, both depend on place.
कालेन चाश्रितो धर्मो देशे नित्यं प्रतिष्ठितः युगेषु क्षीयमाणेषु न देशेषु स हीयते
Dharma based on time is always established in place; when the ages decline, it is not diminished in places.
उभयत्र विहीने च धर्मस्य स्याद् अभावता तस्माद् देशाश्रितो धर्मश् चतुष्पात् सुप्रतिष्ठितः
When both are lacking, dharma ceases to exist; therefore, dharma based on place is firmly established in its fourfold form.
स चापि धर्मो देशेषु तीर्थरूपेण तिष्ठति कृते देशं च कालं च धर्मो ऽवष्टभ्य तिष्ठति
And that dharma, in places, remains in the form of pilgrimage; in the Krita age, dharma stands firmly, holding both place and time.
त्रेतायां पादहीनेन स तु पादः प्रदेशतः द्वापरे चार्धतः काले धर्मो देशे समास्थितः
In the Treta age, Dharma stands with one foot less, and that foot is diminished by a measure; in Dvapara, Dharma remains in the land with half its strength.
कलौ पादेन चैकेन धर्मश् चलति संकटम् एवंविधं तु यो धर्मं वेत्ति तस्य न हीयते
In Kali, Dharma moves precariously with only one foot; yet, one who knows such Dharma does not suffer loss.
युगानाम् अनुभावेन जातिभेदाश् च संस्थिताः गुणेभ्यो गुणकर्तृभ्यो विचित्रा धर्मसंस्थितिः
Through the influence of the ages, differences among castes are established; from qualities and their agents arises a diverse foundation of Dharma.
गुणानाम् अनुभावेन उद्भवाभिभवौ तथा तीर्थानाम् अपि वर्णानां वेदानां स्वर्गमोक्षयोः
By the influence of qualities, there is both emergence and overcoming; so too for holy places, castes, Vedas, and for heaven and liberation.
तादृग्रूपप्रवृत्त्या तु तद् एव च विशिष्यते कालो ऽभिव्यञ्जकः प्रोक्तो देशो ऽभिव्यङ्ग्य उच्यते
Through such forms and activities, distinction arises; time is said to be the revealer, and place is called the revealed.
यदा यदा अभिव्यक्तिं कालो धत्ते तदा तदा तद् एव व्यञ्जनं ब्रह्मंस् तस्मान् नास्त्य् अत्र संशयः
Whenever time brings forth manifestation, then that very manifestation occurs, O Brahman; therefore, there is no doubt in this.
युगानुरूपा मूर्तिः स्याद् देवानां वैदिकी तथा कर्मणाम् अपि तीर्थानां जातीनाम् आश्रमस्य तु
The form of the gods, according to the age, is Vedic; likewise for actions, holy places, castes, and the order of life.
त्रिदैवत्यं सत्ययुगे तीर्थं लोकेषु पूज्यते द्विदैवत्यं युगे ऽन्यस्मिन् द्वापरे चैकदैविकम्
In the Satya age, holy places are revered in the world with three deities; in another age, with two deities; in Dvapara, with one deity.
कलौ न किंचिद् विज्ञेयम् अथान्यद् अपि तच् छृणु दैवं कृतयुगे तीर्थं त्रेतायाम् आसुरं विदुः
In Kali, nothing is to be known, and now hear something else; in Krita, the holy place is divine, in Treta, it is known as asuric.
आर्षं च द्वापरे प्रोक्तं कलौ मानुषम् उच्यते अथान्यद् अपि वक्ष्यामि शृणु नारद कारणम्
In Dvapara, it is said to be rishi-like; in Kali, it is called human. Now I will tell you something else, listen, O Narada, to the reason.
गौतम्यां यत् त्वया पृष्टं तत् ते वक्ष्यामि विस्तरात् यदा चेयं हरशिरः प्राप्ता गङ्गा महामुने
What you asked about the Gautami, I will explain to you in detail; when the Ganga, having received Shiva's head, arrived, O great sage.
तदा प्रभृति सा गङ्गा शंभोः प्रियतराभवत् तद् देवस्य मतं ज्ञात्वा गजवक्त्रम् उवाच सा
From that time, the Ganga became dearest to Shambhu; knowing the mind of the god, she spoke to the elephant-faced one.