धर्मस्य सत्यमूलस्य क्षयः सर्वात्मना भवेत् । तथैव क्षत्रिया वैश्याः शूद्राश्च धर्मवर्जिताः
The destruction of dharma, which is rooted in truth, occurs entirely; likewise, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, and Śūdras become devoid of dharma.
असत्यवादिनः पापास्तथा वर्णेतराः कलौ । शूद्रधर्मरता विप्राः प्रतिग्रहपरायणाः
In Kali Yuga, they speak untruth, are sinful, and of mixed castes; Brāhmaṇas delight in the dharma of Śūdras and are intent on accepting gifts.
भविष्यन्ति कलौ राजन् युगे वृद्धिं गताः किल । कामचाराः स्त्रियः कामलोभमोहसमन्विताः
In Kali Yuga, when it increases, O king, women will act as they please, filled with desire, greed, and delusion.
पापा मिथ्याभिवादिन्यः सदा क्लेशरता नृप । स्वभर्तृवञ्जका नित्यं धर्मभाषणपण्डिताः
Sinful, speaking falsehood, always delighting in quarrels, O king; ever deceiving their husbands, yet skilled in discoursing on dharma.
भवन्त्येवंविधा नार्यः पापिष्ठाश्च कलौ युगे । आहारशुद्ध्या नृपते चित्तशुद्धिस्तु जायते
Such women, most sinful, will arise in the Kali age; O King, by purity of food, purity of mind is attained.
शुद्धे चित्ते प्रकाशः स्याद्धर्मस्य नृपसत्तम । वृत्तसङ्करदोषेण जायते धर्मसङ्करः
When the mind is pure, O best of kings, the light of righteousness appears; through the fault of mixed conduct, there arises confusion in righteousness.
धर्मस्य सङ्करे जाते नूनं स्याद्वर्णसङ्करः । एवं कलियुगे भूप सर्वधर्मविवर्जिते
When confusion in righteousness arises, surely there is confusion of castes; thus, O King, in the Kali age, all righteousness is abandoned.
स्ववर्णधर्मवार्तैषा न कुत्राप्युपलभ्यते । महान्तोऽपि च धर्मज्ञा अधर्मं कुर्वते नृप
The practice of one's own caste-duties is nowhere to be found; even great and learned men, O King, act unrighteously.
कलिस्वभाव एवैष परिहार्यो न केनचित् । तस्मादत्र मनुष्याणां स्वभावात्पापकारिणाम्
Such is the very nature of Kali; it cannot be avoided by anyone. Therefore, among people here, due to their own sinful nature—
निष्कृतिर्न हि राजेन्द्र सामान्योपायतो भवेत् । जनमेजय उवाच भगवन्सर्वधर्मज्ञ सर्वशास्त्रविशारद
There is truly no expiation, O King of kings, by ordinary means.
कलावधर्मबहुले नराणां का गतिर्भवेत् । यद्यस्ति तदुपायश्चेद्दयया तं वदस्व मे
Janamejaya said: O Lord, knower of all dharma, expert in all scriptures, in this Kali age, full of unrighteousness, what is the fate of men? If there is any means, please tell me out of compassion.
व्यास उवाच एक एव महाराज तत्रोपायोऽस्ति नापरः । सर्वदोषनिरासार्थं ध्यायेद्देवीपदाम्बुजम्
Vyāsa said: O great king, there is only one means here, no other; for the removal of all faults, one should meditate on the lotus feet of the Goddess.
न सन्त्यघानि तावन्ति यावती शक्तिरस्ति हि । नास्ति देव्याः पापदाहे तस्माद्भीतिः कुतो नृप
There are not as many sins as there is power in Her; there is no burning of sin for those devoted to the Goddess, so why fear, O King?
अवशेनापि यन्नाम लीलयोच्चारितं यदि । किं किं ददाति तज्ज्ञातुं समर्था न हरादयः
Even if, without intention, Her name is playfully uttered, who can truly know what She grants? Not even Hara and the others are able.
प्रायश्चित्तं तु पापानां श्रीदेवीनामसंस्मृतिः । तस्मात्कलिभयाद्राजन् पुण्यक्षेत्रे वसेन्नरः
The remembrance of the names of the Goddess is the atonement for sins; therefore, O King, out of fear of Kali, a man should dwell in a holy place.
निरन्तरं पराम्बाया नामसंस्मरणं चरेत् । छित्त्वा भित्त्वा च भूतानि हत्वा सर्वमिदं जगत्
He should constantly remember the names of the Supreme Mother; even if he destroys, breaks, or kills all beings in the world—
देवीं नमति भक्त्या यो न स पापैर्विलिप्यते । रहस्यं सर्वशास्त्राणां मया राजन्नुदीरितम्
He who bows to the Goddess with devotion is not stained by sins; O King, I have spoken the secret of all the scriptures.
विमृश्यैतदशेषेण भज देवीपदाम्बुजम् । अजपां नाम गायत्रीं जपन्ति निखिला जनाः
Reflect thoroughly on this, and worship the lotus feet of the Goddess; all people recite the unuttered Gāyatrī by name.
महिमानं न जानन्ति मायाया वैभवं महत् । गायत्रीं ब्राह्मणाः सर्वे जपन्ति हृदयान्तरे
They do not know the greatness, the vast power of Māyā; all Brāhmaṇas recite the Gāyatrī within their hearts.
महिमानं न जानन्ति मायाया वैभवं महत् । एतत्सर्वं समाख्यातं यत्पृष्टं तत्त्वया नृप । युगधर्मव्यवस्थायां किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि
They do not know the greatness, the vast power of Māyā; all this has been explained, O King, as you asked. In the arrangement of the dharma of the ages, what more do you wish to hear?
हरिश्चन्द्रस्य जलोदरव्याधिपीडावर्णनम् राजोवाच तीर्थानि भुवि पुण्यानि ब्रूहि मे मुनिसत्तम । गम्यानि मानवैर्देवैः क्षेत्राणि सरितस्तथा
Description of Hariścandra's affliction with abdominal dropsy.
फलं च यादृशं यत्र तीर्थेषु स्नानदानतः । विधिं तु तीर्थयात्रायां नियमांश्च विशेषतः
The king said: O best of sages, tell me of the holy places on earth, the fields and rivers to be visited by men and gods, and the fruits obtained there from bathing and giving, as well as the rules and special observances for pilgrimage.
व्यास उवाच शृणु राजन् प्रवक्ष्यामि तीर्थानि विविधानि च । येषु तीर्थेषु देवीनां प्रशस्तान्यायनानि च
Vyasa said: Listen, O King, I will tell you of the various sacred places, and also of the excellent observances for the goddesses at those holy sites.
नदीनां जाह्नवी श्रेष्ठा यमुना च सरस्वती । नर्मदा गण्डकी सिन्धुर्गोमती तमसा तथा
Among rivers, the best is the Ganges, then Yamuna and Sarasvati, Narmada, Gandaki, Sindhu, Gomati, and also Tamasā.
कावेरी चन्द्रभागा च पुण्या वेत्रवती शुभा । चर्मण्वती च सरयूस्तापी साभ्रमती तथा
Kaveri and Candrabhaga are holy, as are the auspicious Vetravati, Carmaṇvati, Sarayu, Tapi, and also Sabravati.
एताश्च कथिता राजन्नन्याश्च शतशः पुनः । तासां समुद्रगाः पुण्याः स्वल्पपुण्या ह्यनब्धिगाः
These have been mentioned, O King, and there are hundreds of others as well; among them, those that flow to the ocean are meritorious, while those not reaching the sea have lesser merit.
समुद्रगानां ताः पुण्याः सर्वदौघवहास्तु याः । मासद्वयं श्रावणादौ ताश्च सर्वा रजस्वलाः
Of the rivers that reach the sea, those that carry all streams are holy; but for two months, beginning with Sravana, all of them become impure.
भवन्ति वृष्टियोगेन ग्राम्यवारिवहास्तथा । पुष्करं च कुरुक्षेत्रं धर्मारण्यं सुपावनम्
Due to the rains, they carry village water as well; also holy are Pushkara, Kurukshetra, and the supremely pure Dharmaranya.
प्रभासं च प्रयागं च नैमिषारण्यमेव च । विश्रुतं चार्बुदारण्यं शैलाश्च पावनास्तथा
Prabhasa, Prayaga, and also Naimisharanya are renowned, as is the famous Arbudaranya, and the sacred mountains as well.
श्रीशैलश्च सुमेरुश्च पर्वतो गन्धमादनः । सरांसि चैव पुण्यानि मानसं सर्वविश्रुतम्
Sri Shaila, Sumeru, and the Gandhamadana mountain, and also the holy lakes, especially the widely celebrated Manasa.