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.
यस्य दर्शनमात्रेण नरा यान्ति परां गतिम्
By merely seeing him, people attain the highest state.
पुनाति स्त्रानपानाद्यैर्नयन्तीन्द्रपुरं जगत्
He purifies the world through acts such as bathing and drinking, leading it to Indra's city.
लिङ्गरुपीं कथं तस्या महिमा परिकीर्त्यते
How can the greatness of his form as the liṅga be fully described?
ईषदप्यन्तरं नास्ति भेदकृच्चानयोः कुधीः
There is not even the slightest difference between the two; only those of misguided intellect create division.
अज्ञानसागरे मग्ना भेदं कुर्वन्ति पापिनः
Those immersed in the ocean of ignorance, sinful ones, make distinctions.
युगान्ते निगदन्त्येतद्रुद्ररुपधरो हरिः
At the end of the age, Hari is said to assume the form of Rudra.
ब्रह्मरुपेण सृजति प्रान्तेः हयेतत्रयं हरः
He creates with the form of Brahma; at the end, Hara dissolves these three.
भेदं करोति सो ऽभ्येति नरकं भृशदारुणम्
One who creates division comes to a most terrible hell.
स याति परंमानन्दं शास्त्राणामेष विष्वयः
He attains supreme bliss; this is the essence of the scriptures.
नित्यं संनिहितस्तत्र लिङ्गरुपी जनार्दनः
Janardana is always present there in the form of the liṅga.
तं दृष्ट्वा परमं ज्योतिराप्रोति मनुजोत्तमः
Having seen him, the best of men attains the supreme light.
सत्पद्वीपासाब्धिशैला भूः परिक्रमितामुना
By him, the earth, with its holy islands, oceans, and mountains, has been circled.
शिवस्य वाच्युतस्यापि तासु संनिहितो हरिः
In those places, Hari is present, whether as Shiva or as Achyuta.
पुराणपठनं यत्र यत्र संनिहितो हरिः
Wherever the Purāṇa is recited, Hari is present there.
तद्भक्तिं कुर्वतां नॄणां गङ्गास्त्रानां दिने दिने
For those who practice devotion to him, the Ganges is a means of protection day by day.
तद्वक्तरि च या भक्तिः सा प्रयागोपमा स्मृता
The devotion shown to the speaker of those texts is regarded as equal to Prayāga.
संसारसागरे मग्नं स हरिः परिकीर्तितः
Hari is praised as the one who rescues those immersed in the ocean of worldly existence.
नास्ति विष्णुसमं दैवं नास्ति तत्त्वं गुरोः परम्
There is no deity equal to Vishnu, nor any truth higher than the guru.
यथा पयोधिः सिन्धूनां तथा गङ्गा परा स्मृता
Just as the ocean is supreme among rivers, so too is the Ganga regarded as the highest.
नास्ति मोक्षात्परो लाभो नास्ति गङ्गासमा नदी
There is no gain greater than liberation, and there is no river equal to the Ganga.