पार्वत्युवाच- गंगायाश्चैव माहात्म्यं पुनर्वद महामते । यच्छ्रुत्वा मुनयः सर्वे वीतरागाः पुनः पुनः
Pārvatī said: O wise one, speak again of the greatness of the Gaṅgā, hearing which all the sages repeatedly become free from passion.
माहात्म्यं कीदृशं चैव तस्याः सर्वेश्वर प्रभो । उत्पत्तिश्च श्रुता पूर्वं महिमा न श्रुतो मया । त्वमाद्यः सर्वभूतानां त्वं देवश्च सनातनः
O Lord of all, O master, what is the nature of her greatness? Her origin has been heard before, but her glory I have not heard. You are the first among all beings, you are the eternal deity.
महादेव उवाच- बृहस्पतिसमं बुद्ध्या शक्रतुल्यपराक्रमम् । शरतल्पगतं भीष्मं ऋषयो द्रष्टुमाययुः
Mahādeva said: The sages, equal to Bṛhaspati in wisdom and to Indra in prowess, came to see Bhīṣma, who lay upon a bed of arrows.
अत्रिर्वसिष्ठश्च भृगुः पुलस्त्यः पुलहः क्रतुः । अंगिरावगौतमोऽगस्त्यः सुमतिस्त्वापुरात्मवान्
Atri, Vasiṣṭha, Bhṛgu, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Aṅgirā, Gautama, Agastya, Sumati, and the self-controlled one arrived.
विश्वामित्रः स्थूलशिराः सर्वज्ञः प्रमथाधिपः । रैभ्यो बृहस्पतिर्व्यासः पावनः कश्यपो ध्रुवः
Viśvāmitra, Sthūlaśirā, the all-knowing, the lord of the Pramathas, Raibhya, Bṛhaspati, Vyāsa, Pāvana, Kaśyapa, and Dhruva.
दुर्वासा जमदग्निश्च मार्कंडेयोऽथ गालवः । उशनाथ भरद्वाजः क्रतुरास्तीक एव च
Durvāsā, Jamadagni, Mārkaṇḍeya, Gālava, Uśanas, Bharadvāja, Kratu, and Āstīka also.
स्थूलाक्षः सर्वलोकाक्षः कण्वो मेधातिथिः कुशः । नारदः पर्वतश्चैव सुधन्वा च्यवनो द्विजः
Sthūlākṣa, Sarvalokākṣa, Kaṇva, Medhātithi, Kuśa, Nārada, Parvata, Sudhanvā, and Cyavana the twice-born.
मतिभूर्भुवनो धौम्यः शतानंदोकृतव्रणः । जामदग्न्योऽथ रामश्च ऋचीकश्चैवमादयः
Matibhū, Bhuvana, Dhaumya, Śatānanda, Kṛtavraṇa, Jāmadagnya, Rāma, Ṛcīka, and others likewise.
तान्प्रणम्य यथान्यायं धर्मपुत्रः सहानुजः । पूजयामास विधिवज्जगत्पूज्यांस्तु तेजसः
Having properly saluted them, Dharmaputra, together with his brothers, worshipped those worthy of veneration in the world, according to the prescribed rites.
ते पूजिता महात्मानः सुखासीनास्तपोधनाः । भीष्माश्रिताः कथाश्चक्रुर्दिव्यधर्माश्रितास्तथा
Those great-souled ascetics, having been worshipped, sat comfortably, rich in austerity; they, along with Bhīṣma, engaged in discussions rooted in divine dharma.
कथांते तु ततस्तेषां ऋषीणां भावितात्मनाम् । प्रणम्य शिरसा भीष्मं पप्रच्छेदं युधिष्ठिरः
At the end of the discourse, those sages of purified mind, having bowed their heads to Bhīṣma, Yudhiṣṭhira questioned him.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- के देशास्तु महापुण्याः के शैलाः केऽपिचाश्रमाः । सेव्या धर्मार्थिभिर्नित्यं तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह
Yudhiṣṭhira said: Which regions are most holy, which mountains, and which hermitages? Which should always be served by those seeking dharma? Tell me this, O grandfather.
भीष्म उवाच- अत्रैवोदाहरंतीममितिहासं नरोत्तम । शिलोंछवृत्तेः संवादं सिद्धस्य च युधिष्ठिर
Bhishma said: Here, O best of men, they cite an ancient tale — the conversation between a sage who lived by gleaning and a perfected being, O Yudhishthira.
कश्चित्सिद्धः परिक्रम्य समस्तां पृथिवीमिमाम् । उंछवृत्तेः शिबेराजन्गृहं प्राप्तो महात्मनः
A certain siddha, having wandered over the whole earth, came to the house of the great-souled Shibi, who lived by gleaning.
आत्मविद्यासु तत्वज्ञः सर्वदा स जितेंद्रियः । रागद्वेषपरित्यक्तः कुशली ज्ञानकर्मसु
He was always self-controlled, a knower of the truth of the self, skilled in the knowledge and practice of the self, free from attachment and aversion, and adept in knowledge and action.
वैष्णवेषु सदा श्रेष्ठो विष्णुधर्मपरायणः । अनिंदको वैष्णवानां सदा धर्मपरायणः
He was always foremost among Vaishnavas, devoted to the duties of Vishnu, never speaking ill of Vaishnavas, and ever dedicated to righteousness.
योगाभ्यासरतो नित्यं शंखचक्रविधारकः । त्रिकालपूजा तत्वज्ञः श्रीकंठेऽनुरतः सदा
Constantly engaged in the practice of yoga, bearing the conch and discus, he was a knower of the truth, always devoted to Shri Kanta, and performed worship three times a day.
वेदविद्यासु विदुषो धर्माधर्मविचारकः । वेदपाठव्रतो नित्यं नित्यं चातिथिपूजकः
Learned in the Vedas and their branches, he discerned righteousness and unrighteousness, was devoted to reciting the Vedas daily, and always honored guests.
सतीर्थमतियुक्तस्तु शिलोंछेषु स्थितः सदा । चतुर्वेदेषु यद्ध्यानं गीतं यद्यत्स्वयंभुवा
Firmly established among those who lived by gleaning, endowed with a mind set on holy places, he meditated on whatever was sung by the self-born in the four Vedas.
तत्सर्वं स च जानाति द्विजो विष्णुस्वरूपधृक् । नानाधर्मार्थविशदो ह्यव्ययेष्टमतिः सदा
That twice-born, who embodied the form of Vishnu, knew all of this — whatever meditation and songs were in the four Vedas — and was always clear in various matters of righteousness and wealth, with a mind fixed on the imperishable.
एकस्मिन्नेव काले तु गतोऽसौ वै शिबेर्गृहम् । तं दृष्ट्वा विधिवच्चैव कृत्वातिथ्यं महामनाः
At one time, he went to the house of Shibi; seeing him, Shibi, with great mind, duly performed the rites of hospitality.
शिबिः संपृच्छयामास देशानां हितकारणम्
Shibi began to ask him about the welfare of the regions.
उंछवृत्तिरुवाच- के देशाः के जनपदाः के शैलाः केऽपि चाश्रमाः । पुण्या द्विजवर प्रीत्या मह्यं निर्देष्टुमर्हसि
The gleaner said: Which lands, which peoples, which mountains, and which hermitages, O best of twice-born, are holy? Out of affection, you should point them out to me.
सिद्ध उवाच- ते देशास्ते जनपदास्ते शैलास्तेऽपि चाश्रमाः । पुण्यास्त्रिपथगा येषां मध्ये नित्यं सरिद्वरा
The siddha said: Those lands, those peoples, those mountains, and those hermitages are holy in whose midst the triple-flowing, best of rivers, always abides.
तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण यज्ञैस्त्यागेन वा पुनः । गतिं तां न लभेज्जंतुर्गंगां संसेव्य यां लभेत्
By austerity, by celibacy, by sacrifices, or by giving, a creature does not attain that state which is attained by serving the Ganga.
स्नातानां तत्र पयसि गांगेये नियतात्मनाम् । तुष्टिर्भवति या पुंसां न सा क्रतुशतैरपि
The satisfaction that arises in men of disciplined self who have bathed in the waters of the Ganga is not produced even by a hundred sacrifices.
अपहृत्य तमस्तीव्रं यथा भात्युदये रविः । तथापहृत्य पाप्मानं भाति गंगाजलाप्लुतः
Just as, when the sun rises, it dispels intense darkness, so too, one who is bathed in Ganga water shines, having cast off sin.
अग्निं प्राप्य यथा विप्र तूलराशिर्विनश्यति । तथा गंगावगाहश्च सर्वं पापं व्यपोहति
Just as a heap of cotton is destroyed when it meets fire, so too, immersion in the Ganga removes all sin.
यस्तु सूर्यांशुसंतप्तं गांगेयं सलिलं पिबेत् । स गोनीहारनिर्मुक्तः पावकाद्धि विशिष्यते
Whoever drinks Ganga water heated by the sun's rays is freed from the sin of killing a cow and surpasses even fire in purity.
चांद्रायणसहस्रं तु पादेनैकेन यः पुमान् । संप्लुतश्चापि गंगायां यो नरः स विशिष्यते
A man who, with even one foot, bathes in the Ganga surpasses the merit of a thousand Chandrayana vows.