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?
सर्वविघ्नकरा ह्येते तपस्तीर्थव्रतेषु च । अहिंसा सत्यमस्तेयं शौचमिन्द्रियनिग्रहः
These are indeed the causes of all obstacles in austerities, pilgrimages, and vows: nonviolence, truthfulness, non-stealing, purity, and control of the senses.
स्वधर्मपालनं राजन् सर्वतीर्थफलप्रदम् । नित्यकर्मपरित्यागान्मार्गे संसर्गदोषतः
O King, the observance of one's own duty bestows the fruit of all pilgrimages; by abandoning prescribed daily duties, one incurs the fault of deviation from the path.
व्यर्थं तीर्थाधिगमनं पापमेवावशिष्यते । क्षालयन्ति हि तीर्थानि सर्वथा देहजं मलम्
Undertaking pilgrimages in vain leaves only sin behind; for pilgrimages can cleanse the physical impurities of the body in every way.
मानसं क्षालितुं तानि न समर्थानि वै नृप । शक्तानि यदि चेत्तानि गङ्गातीरनिवासिनः
But, O King, those places are not capable of cleansing the mind; if they were, then those dwelling on the banks of the Ganges would be able to do so.
मुनयो द्रोहसंयुक्ताः कथं स्युर्भावितेश्वराः । वसिष्ठसदृशाः प्रह्वा विश्वामित्रादयः किल
How could sages living on the Ganges, if filled with malice, be considered perfected beings? Even those like Vasiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra, though humble, were not exempt.
रागद्वेषरताः सर्वे कामक्रोधाकुलाः सदा । चित्तशुद्धिमयं तीर्थं गङ्गादिभ्योऽतिपावनम्
All are subject to passion and hatred, always disturbed by desire and anger; the pilgrimage of mental purity is more sanctifying than the Ganges and other holy places.
यदि स्याद्दैवयोगेन क्षालयत्यान्तरं मलम् । विशेषेण तु सत्सङ्गो ज्ञाननिष्ठस्य भूपते
If by divine arrangement it does cleanse inner impurity, O King, it is especially through the company of the good for one established in knowledge.
न वेदा न च शास्त्राणि न व्रतानि तपांसि न । न मखा न च दानानि चित्तशुद्धेस्तु कारणम्
Neither the Vedas, nor the scriptures, nor vows, nor austerities, nor sacrifices, nor gifts are the cause of purity of mind.
वसिष्ठो ब्रह्मणः पुत्रो वेदविद्याविशारदः । रागद्वेषान्वितः कामं गङ्गातीरसमाश्रितः
Vasiṣṭha, son of Brahmā, expert in Vedic knowledge, though residing on the bank of the Ganges, was still afflicted by passion and hatred.
आडीबकं महायुद्धं विश्वामित्रवसिष्ठयोः । जातं निरर्थकं द्वेषाद्देवानां विस्मयप्रदम्
A great and pointless battle of cranes arose between Viśvāmitra and Vasiṣṭha out of enmity, astonishing even the gods.