तदाऽऽजगाम भगवानात्मा श्रीकृष्ण ईश्वरः
Then the blessed Lord, the Self, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, arrived.
स च तुष्टाव तां ब्रह्मा चाज्ञया परमात्मनः 2.5.
And Brahmā praised her as commanded by the Supreme Self.
यदाऽप्यनन्तं पप्रच्छ ज्ञानमेकं वसुन्धरा
When the earth asked the infinite one for a single knowledge,
तदा त्वां च स तुष्टाव संत्रस्तः कश्यपाज्ञया
Then, by Kaśyapa's command, he too praised you, being afraid.
व्यासः पुराणसूत्रं च समपृच्छत वाल्मिकिम्
Vyāsa questioned Vālmīki regarding the Purāṇa-sūtra.
तदा चकार सिद्धान्तं त्वद्वरेण मुनीश्वरः
Then, by your boon, the lord of sages composed the treatise.
पुराणसूत्रं श्रुत्वा स व्यासः कृष्णकलोद्भवः तदा त्वत्तो वरं प्राप्य स कवीन्द्रो बभूव ह
Having heard the Purāṇa-sūtra, Vyāsa, born in the age of Kṛṣṇa, then, having obtained a boon from you, became the foremost of poets.
तदा वै वेदभागं च पुराणानि चकार ह
Then he composed the divisions of the Veda and the Purāṇas.
क्षणं त्वामेव संचिन्त्य तस्यै ज्ञानं ददौ विभुः
Having meditated upon you for a moment, the Lord granted her knowledge.
दिव्यं वर्षसहस्रं च स त्वां दध्यौ च पुष्करे उवाच शब्दशास्त्रं च तदर्थं च सुरेश्वरम्
For a thousand divine years he meditated upon you at Puṣkara, and he taught the science of words and its meaning to the lord of the gods.
अध्यापिताश्च यैः शिष्या यैरधीतं मुनीश्वरैः
Those disciples who were taught, and those great sages who studied,
त्वं संस्तुता पूजिता च मुनीन्द्रमनुमानवैः 2.5.
You are praised and worshipped by the foremost sages, Manu, and the descendants of Manu.
जडीभूतः सहस्रास्यः पञ्चवक्त्रश्चतुर्मुखः
The thousand-headed, five-faced, and four-faced ones became stupefied.
इत्युक्त्वा याज्ञवल्क्यश्च भक्तिनम्रात्मकन्धरः
Having spoken thus, Yājñavalkya, with his neck bent in devotion,
तदा ज्योतिस्त्वरूपा सा तेनादृष्टाऽप्युवाच तम्
Then she, in the form of light, though unseen by him, spoke to him.
याज्ञवल्क्यकृतं वाणीस्तोत्रं यः संयतः पठेत्
Whoever, with self-restraint, recites this hymn to Vāṇī composed by Yājñavalkya,
महामूर्खश्च दुर्मेधा वर्षमेकं च यः पठेत्
Even a great fool or one of dull intellect, if he recites it for one year,
नारायण उवाच गङ्गाशापेन कलया कलहाद्भारते सरित्
Nārāyaṇa said: Because of Gaṅgā's curse, because of quarrels, and because of conflict, O river of Bhārata—
पुण्यदा पुण्यजननी पुण्यतीर्थस्वरूपिणी
She is the giver of merit, the mother of virtue, and the very embodiment of sacred pilgrimage sites.
तपस्विनां तपोरूपा तपस्याकाररूपिणी
Among ascetics, she is the form of austerity, and she takes the shape of penance itself.
ज्ञाने सरस्वतीतोये गतं यैर्मानवैर्भुवि
In knowledge, she is Sarasvatī; in water, she is present; those humans who have attained her on earth—
भारते कृतपापश्च स्नात्वा तत्रैव लीलया
—even those in Bhārata who have committed sins, by bathing there playfully, are purified.
चतुर्दश्यां पौर्णमास्यामक्षयायां दिनक्षये
On the fourteenth day, on the full moon, on the imperishable day at the end of the day—
अनुषङ्गेण यः स्नाति हेलया श्रद्धयाऽपि वा
—whoever bathes there, whether casually, with indifference, or even with faith—
सरस्वतीमन्त्रकं च मासमेकं तु यो जपेत्
—and whoever recites the Sarasvatī mantra for one month—
नित्यं सरस्वतीतोये यः स्नात्वा मुण्डयेन्नरः
—whoever daily bathes in the waters of Sarasvatī and shaves his head—
इत्येवं कथितं किंचिद्भारतीगुणकीर्त्तनम् 2.6.
Thus, a little has been told about the praise of Bhārata’s virtues.
सौतिरुवाच पुनः पप्रच्छ सन्देहच्छेदं शौनक सत्वरम्
Sauti said: Again, O Śaunaka, he quickly asked to dispel his doubt.
नारद उवाच कलया कलहेनैव समभूत्पुण्यदा सरित्
Nārada said: By a portion and by quarrel, the river that bestows merit came to be.
श्रवणे श्रुतिसाराणां वर्द्धते कौतुकं मम
In hearing the essence of these sacred stories, my curiosity increases.