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.
विश्वामित्रो बकस्तत्र जातः परमतापसः । शप्तः स तु वसिष्ठेन हरिश्चन्द्रस्य कारणात्
There, Viśvāmitra became a crane, a great ascetic; he was cursed by Vasiṣṭha because of Hariścandra.
कौशिकेन वसिष्ठोऽपि शस्त्वाडीदेहभाक्कृतः । शापादाडीबकौ जातौ तौ मुनी विशदप्रभौ
Vasiṣṭha too was cursed by Kauśika (Viśvāmitra) and became a crane; by the curse, both those illustrious sages became cranes.
निवासं प्रापतुस्तीरे सरसो मानसस्य च । चक्रतुर्दारुणं युद्धं नखचञ्चुप्रताडनैः
They took up residence on the shore of Lake Mānasa and fought a fierce battle, striking each other with their beaks and claws.
वर्षाणामयुतं यावत्तावृषी रोषसंयुतौ । युयुधाते मदोन्मत्तौ सिंहाविव परस्परम्
For ten thousand years, those two sages, filled with anger and intoxicated with pride, fought each other like lions.
राजोवाच कथं तौ मुनिशार्दूलौ तापसौ धर्मतत्परौ । परस्परं वैरपरौ सञ्जातौ केन हेतुना
The king said: How did those two eminent sages, devoted to asceticism and righteousness, come to bear mutual enmity, and for what reason?
शापं परस्परं केन कारणेन महामती । दत्तवन्तौ मिथः क्लेशकारकौ दुःखदौ नृणाम्
For what cause did those wise ones inflict curses upon each other, bringing suffering and hardship to themselves and others?
व्यास उवाच हरिश्चन्द्रो नृपश्रेष्ठस्त्रिशंकुतनयः पुरा । बभूव रविवंशीयो रामचन्द्रस्य पूर्वजः
Vyāsa said: Once there was a foremost king named Hariścandra, son of Triśaṅku, of the solar dynasty, and elder to Rāmacandra.
अनपत्यः स राजर्षिर्वरुणाय महाक्रतुम् । प्रतिजज्ञे पुत्रकामो नरमेधं दुरासदम्
That royal sage, being childless, desiring a son, vowed to Varuṇa to perform the difficult human sacrifice.
वरुणस्तस्य सन्तुष्टो यज्ञस्य नियमे कृते । दधार गर्भं राज्ञस्तु भार्या परमसुन्दरी
Varuṇa, being pleased with the observance of the sacrifice, caused the king's supremely beautiful wife to conceive.
राजा बभूव सन्तुष्टो दृष्ट्वा भार्यां सदोहदाम् । चकार विधिवत्कर्म गर्भसंस्कारकारकम्
The king was delighted to see his wife experiencing the signs of pregnancy, and he performed, according to the prescribed rites, the ceremony for sanctifying the embryo.