ततश्चाचम्य विधिवद् आलिखेत्पद्ममग्रतः अक्षताभिः सपुष्पाभिः सजलारुणचन्दनम् अर्घ्यं दद्यात्प्रयत्नेन सूर्यनामानि कीर्तयेत्
Then, having sipped water as prescribed, one should draw a lotus in front, and with unbroken rice, flowers, water, and red sandalwood, offer arghya with care, and recite the names of the Sun.
नमस्ते विष्णुरूपाय नमो विष्णुमुखाय वै सहस्ररश्मये नित्यं नमस्ते सर्वतेजसे
Salutations to the one of Vishnu's form, salutations to the one with Vishnu's face, to the thousand-rayed, eternal one, salutations to the all-radiant.
नमस्ते शिव सर्वेश नमस्ते सर्ववत्सल जगत्स्वामिन्नमस्ते ऽस्तु दिव्यचन्दनभूषित
Salutations to Shiva, lord of all, salutations to the one affectionate to all, master of the world, salutations to you adorned with divine sandalwood.
पद्मासन नमस्ते ऽस्तु कुण्डलाङ्गदभूषित नमस्ते सर्वलोकेश जगत्सर्वं विबोधसे
Salutations to you seated on the lotus, adorned with earrings and armlets, salutations to the lord of all worlds, you awaken all the universe.
सुकृतं दुष्कृतं चैव सर्वं पश्यसि सर्वग सत्यदेव नमस्ते ऽस्तु प्रसीद मम भास्कर
You see all good and evil deeds, O all-pervading one, O god of truth, salutations to you; be gracious to me, O Bhaskara.
दिवाकर नमस्ते ऽस्तु प्रभाकर नमो ऽस्तु ते एवं सूर्यं नमस्कृत्य त्रिः कृत्वाथ प्रदक्षिणम् द्विजं गां काञ्चनं स्पृष्ट्वा ततो विष्णुगृहं व्रजेत्
Salutations to Divakara, salutations to Prabhakara; thus, having saluted the Sun three times and circumambulated, one should touch a Brahmin, a cow, and gold, then proceed to Vishnu's abode.
अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि प्रयागस्योपवर्णनम् मार्कण्डेयेन कथितं यत्पुरा पाण्डुसूनवे
Next, I shall describe the account of Prayaga, as told by Markandeya to the son of Pandu in ancient times.
भारते तु यदा वृत्ते प्राप्तराज्ये पृथासुते एतस्मिन्नन्तरे राजा कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः
When the events in the Bharata had occurred and the son of Pritha had attained the kingdom, at that time, King Yudhishthira, son of Kunti,
भ्रातृशोकेन संतप्तश् चिन्तयन्स पुनः पुनः आसीत्सुयोधनो राजा एकादशचमूपतिः
Tormented by grief for his brothers, pondering again and again, sat with King Suyodhana, commander of eleven armies.
अस्मान्संताप्य बहुशः सर्वे ते निधनं गताः वासुदेवं समाश्रित्य पञ्च शेषास्तु पाण्डवाः
Having caused us much suffering, all those have perished; relying on Vasudeva, the five Pandavas alone remain.
हत्वा भीष्मं च द्रोणं च कर्णं चैव महाबलम् दुर्योधनं च राजानं पुत्रभ्रातृसमन्वितम्
Having slain Bhishma, Drona, Karna of great might, and King Duryodhana accompanied by sons and brothers,
राजानो निहताः सर्वे ये चान्ये शूरमानिनः किं नो राज्येन गोविन्द किं भोगैर्जीवितेन वा
All the kings have been killed, and others who considered themselves heroes; O Govinda, what use is the kingdom to us, what use are pleasures or even life?
धिक् कष्टमिति संचित्य राजा वैक्लव्यभागतः निर्विचेष्टो निरुत्साहः किंचित् तिष्ठत्यधोमुखः
Thinking 'Alas, how terrible,' the king, overcome by distress, remained motionless and dispirited, standing for a while with his head bowed.
लब्धसंज्ञो यदा राजा चिन्तयन्स पुनः पुनः कतरो विनियोगो वा नियमं तीर्थमेव च
When the king regained consciousness, pondering again and again, he considered which observance or pilgrimage should be undertaken.
येनाहं शीघ्रम् आमुञ्चे महापातकिकिल्बिषात् यत्र स्थित्वा नरो याति विष्णुलोकमनुत्तमम्
By which I may swiftly be released from the stain of great sin, and by abiding there, a man attains the supreme realm of Vishnu.
कथं पृच्छामि वै कृष्णं येनेदं कारितो ऽस्म्यहम् धृतराष्ट्रं कथं पृच्छे यस्य पुत्रशतं हतम्
How shall I ask Krishna, by whom I have been made to do this? How shall I question Dhritarashtra, whose hundred sons have been slain?
व्यासं कथमहं पृच्छे यस्य गोत्रक्षयः कृतः एवं वैक्लव्यमापन्नो धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः रुदन्ति पाण्डवाः सर्वे भ्रातृशोकपरिप्लुताः
How shall I ask Vyasa, whose lineage has been destroyed? Thus, King Yudhishthira, overcome by distress, and all the Pandavas, overwhelmed by grief for their brothers, are weeping.
ये च तत्र महात्मानः समेताः पाण्डवाः स्मृताः कुन्ती च द्रौपदी चैव ये च तत्र समागताः भूमौ निपतिताः सर्वे रुदन्तस्तु समन्ततः
And those great souls gathered there—the Pandavas remembered, Kunti and Draupadi too, and all those assembled—have fallen to the ground, all weeping everywhere.
वाराणस्यां मार्कण्डेयस् तेन ज्ञातो युधिष्ठिरः यथा वैक्लव्यमापन्नो रुदमानस्तु दुःखितः
In Varanasi, Markandeya was known to Yudhishthira, who, having fallen into distress, was weeping and afflicted.
अचिरेणैव कालेन मार्कण्डेयो महातपाः सम्प्राप्तो हास्तिनपुरं राजद्वारे ह्यतिष्ठत
Very soon, Markandeya, the great ascetic, arrived at Hastinapura and stood at the royal gate.
द्वारपालो ऽपि तं दृष्ट्वा राज्ञः कथितवान्द्रुतम् त्वां द्रष्टुकामो मार्कण्डेयो द्वारि तिष्ठत्यसौ मुनिः त्वरितो धर्मपुत्रस्तु द्वारमागादतः परम्
The gatekeeper, seeing him, quickly informed the king: 'Markandeya wishes to see you; the sage stands at the door.' Hastily, Dharmaputra went to the gate thereafter.
स्वागतं ते महाभाग स्वागतं ते महामुने अद्य मे सफलं जन्म अद्य मे तारितं कुलम्
Welcome to you, O highly fortunate one! Welcome to you, O great sage! Today my birth is fruitful; today my lineage is saved.
अद्य मे पितरस्तुष्टास् त्वयि दृष्टे महामुने अद्याहं पूतदेहो ऽस्मि यत्त्वया सह दर्शनम्
Today my ancestors are pleased, having seen you, O great sage. Today I am purified in body, for I have beheld you.
सिंहासने समास्थाप्य पादशौचार्चनादिभिः युधिष्ठिरो महात्मा वै पूजयामास तं मुनिम्
Yudhishthira, the great soul, seated the sage upon the throne and honored him with foot-washing and other rites.
ततः स तुष्टो मार्कण्डः पूजितश्चाह तं नृपम् आख्याहि त्वरितं राजन् किमर्थं रुदितं त्वया केन वा विक्लवीभूतः का बाधा ते किमप्रियम्
Then Markandeya, pleased and worshipped, spoke to the king: 'Tell me quickly, O king, why you are weeping, by what cause you are distressed, what afflicts you, and what displeases you?'
अस्माकं चैव यद्वृत्तं राज्यस्यार्थे महामुने एतत्सर्वं विदित्वा तु चिन्तावशमुपागतः
O great sage, having learned all that has happened to us for the sake of the kingdom, I have fallen under the sway of anxiety.
शृणु राजन्महाबाहो क्षत्रधर्मव्यवस्थितम् नैव दृष्टं रणे पापं युध्यमानस्य धीमतः
Hear, O king of mighty arms, the established law of warriors: No sin is seen in battle for the wise who fight.
किं पुना राजधर्मेण क्षत्रियस्य विशेषतः तदेवं हृदयं कृत्वा तस्मात्पापं न चिन्तयेत्
What then, especially for a king, for a Kshatriya? Thus, keeping your heart firm, you should not grieve over sin.
ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा प्रणम्य शिरसा मुनिम् पप्रच्छ विनयोपेतः सर्वपातकनाशनम्
Then King Yudhishthira, bowing his head to the sage, asked with humility about the destruction of all sins.
पृच्छामि त्वां महाप्राज्ञ नित्यं त्रैलोक्यदर्शिनम् कथय त्वं समासेन येन मुच्येत किल्बिषात्
I ask you, O great wise one, who always sees the three worlds: tell me briefly by what means one is freed from sin.