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.
तथा बिन्दुसरः श्रेष्ठमच्छोदं नाम पावनम् । आश्रमास्तु तथा पुण्या मुनीनां भावितात्मनाम्
Likewise, the excellent Bindusara, the pure lake called Acchoda, and the holy hermitages of sages of purified mind.
विश्रुतस्तु सदा पुण्यः ख्यातो बदरिकाश्रमः । नरनारायणौ यत्र तेपाते तौ मुनी तपः
The always renowned and holy Badarikashrama is famous, where the two sages Nara and Narayana performed their austerities.
वामनाश्रम आख्यातः शतयूपाश्रमस्तथा । येन यत्र तपस्तप्तं तस्य नाम्नातिविश्रुतः
There is the hermitage called Vamana, and also Shatayupa's hermitage; wherever austerity was performed, it is well known by that name.
एवं पुण्यानि स्थानानि ह्यसंख्यातानि भूतले । मुनिभिः परिगीतानि पावनानि महीपते
Thus, there are countless holy places on earth, O King, praised by sages and purifying in nature.
एषु स्थानेषु सर्वत्र देवीस्थानानि भूपते । दर्शनात्पापहारीणि वसन्ति नियमेन च
In all these places, O King, there are abodes of the Goddess; by seeing them, sins are removed, and they are always present by rule.
कथयिष्यामि तान्यग्रे प्रसङ्गेन च कानिचित् । तीर्थानि नृप दानानि व्रतानि च मखास्तथा
I will describe some of these further on, as occasion arises—O King, the holy places, gifts, vows, and also sacrifices.
तपांसि पुण्यकर्माणि सापेक्षाणि महीपते । द्रव्यशुद्धिं क्रियाशुद्धिं मनःशुद्धिमपेक्ष्य च
Austerities and meritorious acts, O King, all require purity of materials, purity of actions, and purity of mind.
पावनानि हि तीर्थानि तपांसि च व्रतानि च । कदाचिद्द्रव्यशुद्धिः स्यात्क्रियाशुद्धिः कदाचन
Indeed, holy places, austerities, and vows are purifying; sometimes there is purity of materials, sometimes purity of actions.
दुर्लभा मनसः शुद्धिः सर्वेषां सर्वदा नृप । मनस्तु चञ्चलं राजन्ननेकविषयाश्रितम्
But purity of mind is always difficult to attain for all, O King; for the mind is fickle and attached to many objects.
कथं शुद्धं भवेद्राजन्नानाभावसमाश्रितम् । कामक्रोधौ तथा लोभो ह्यहङ्कारो मदस्तथा
How can the mind become pure, O King, when it is subject to various states—desire and anger, greed, ego, and pride?