गङ्गाबिन्द्वभिषेकस्य कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम्
They do not attain even a sixteenth part of the merit of bathing with a drop of Ganga.
सो ऽपि मुच्येत पापेभ्यः किमु गङ्गाभिषेकवान्
Even he is freed from sins—how much more so one who bathes in the Ganga?
संसेव्या मुनिभिर्देवः किं पुनः पामरैर्जनै
The god is to be served by sages—how much more, then, by ordinary people?
तत्रैव नेत्रं विज्ञेयं विध्यर्द्धाधः समुज्ज्वलत्
There itself, the eye is to be known, shining below the half of the altar.
सारुप्यदायकं विष्णोः किमस्मात्कथ्यते परम
What more can be said than this: it grants resemblance to Vishnu.
महद्विमानमारुढाः प्रयान्ति परमं पदम्
Mounted on a great celestial vehicle, they attain the supreme abode.
सहस्राणि समुद्धृत्य विष्णुलोके व्रजन्ति वै
Lifting up thousands, they truly go to the world of Vishnu.
पुण्यक्षेत्रेषु सर्वेषौ स्थितवान्नात्र संशयः
He has stood in all the sacred fields—of this there is no doubt.
मदङ्गस्पर्शेमात्रेण देवानामाधपो भवेत्
By the mere touch of my body, one becomes equal to the gods.
गङ्गोद्भवा तु मृल्लोकान्नयत्यच्युतरुपताम्
Indeed, the earth born of Ganga leads to the form of the Imperishable.
अत्यन्तदुर्ल्लभा नॄणां भक्तिर्द्धर्मप्रवक्तरि
Devotion to the proclaimer of dharma is exceedingly rare among men.
मूलोद्भवां भक्तियुतो मनुष्यो धृत्वा शिरस्येति पदं च विष्णोः
A man, endowed with devotion, taking the root-born on his head, attains the abode of Vishnu.
वाञ्च्छत्यपि च यो ह्येवं सो ऽपि विष्णुपदं व्रजेत्
Even one who merely desires in this way also attains the abode of Vishnu.
न शक्यते विष्णुनापि किमन्यैर्बहुभाषितैः
Not even Vishnu is able—what then can others do with many words?
यतो वै नरकं यान्ति गङ्गानात्रि स्थिते ऽपि हि
For indeed, people go to hell even while staying at the confluence of the Ganga and the Yamuna.
तथा तुलस्या भक्तिश्च हरिकीर्तिप्रवक्तरि
Likewise, devotion to Tulasi and to the one who proclaims the glories of Hari—
सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तो विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति
Freed from all sins, he attains the world of Vishnu.
सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः सूर्यलोकं समेति हि
Freed from all sins, he indeed reaches the world of the Sun.
मेषतौलिमृगाकर्षु पावयत्यखिलं जगत्
The Aries, Taurus, and Capricorn transits purify the entire world.
तुङ्गभद्रा च कावेरी कालिंन्दी बाहुदा तथा
Tungabhadra, Kaveri, Kalindi, and Bahuda as well—
एवमादिषु तीर्थेषु गङ्गा मुख्यतमा स्मृता
Among such sacred places, the Ganga is remembered as the foremost.
तथेयं व्यापिनी गङ्गा सर्वपापप्रणाशिनी
In the same way, this all-pervading Ganga destroys all sins.
पुनाति पावनीत्येषा न कथं सेव्यते नृभिः
She purifies; she is the purifier—why then is she not served by people?
वाराणसीति विख्यातं सर्वदेवनिषेवितम्
Varanasi is renowned, attended by all the gods.
इह श्रुतिमतां पुंसां काशी याभ्यां श्रुतासकृत्
Here, for those who have heard the scriptures, Kashi has been repeatedly praised.
निर्धूतसर्वपापास्ते शिवलोकं व्रजन्ति वै
Having shaken off all sins, they indeed go to the world of Shiva.
बहुपातकपूर्णो ऽपि पदं गच्छत्यनामयम्
Even one filled with many sins attains the state free from affliction.
सो ऽपि पापविनिर्मुक्तः शैवं पदमवान्पुयात्
He too, freed from sin, may attain the Shaiva state.
पृथिव्यामेकराडू भूत्वा काशीं प्राप्य च मुक्तिभाक्
Having become the sole sovereign on earth, and having reached Kashi, one obtains liberation.
नामापि गृह्णातां काश्याश्चतुर्वर्गो न दूरतः
For those who even utter the name of Kashi, the four aims of life are not far off.