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.
लंबेदधःशिरा यस्तु वर्षाणामयुतं नरः । मासमेकं तु गंगांभः सेवते यो नरोत्तमः
If a man hangs with his head downward for ten thousand years, or if the best of men serves the water of the Ganga for just one month—
ब्रह्महत्याविनिर्मुक्तो याति विष्णोरनामयम् । इयं वेणीसमा पुण्या पवित्रा पापनाशिनी
He is freed from the sin of killing a Brahmin and attains the sinless state of Vishnu; this Veṇī is indeed holy, pure, and destroyer of sins.
यस्याः स्मरणमात्रेण बालहा मुच्यते क्षणात् । स प्रयागस्तीर्थराजो वैष्णवानां हि दुर्ल्लभः
By merely remembering her, even a child-killer is instantly released; this king of holy places, Prayaga, is truly rare among Vaishnavas.
स्नात्वा यत्र नरश्रेष्ठ वैकुंठे सत्वरं व्रजेत् । प्रियाप्रिये न जानाति धर्माधर्मौ न विंदति
Having bathed there, O best of men, one quickly goes to Vaikuntha; he knows neither friend nor foe, nor does he perceive righteousness or unrighteousness.
स्नात्वा चैव तु गंगायां महापापात्प्रमुच्यते
And by bathing in the Ganga, one is freed from great sins.
गंगागंगेति यो ब्रूयाद्योजनानां शतैरपि । मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति
Whoever says 'Ganga, Ganga,' even from hundreds of yojanas away, is freed from all sins and goes to the world of Vishnu.
ब्रह्महा चैव गोघ्नो वा सुरापी बालघातकः । मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो दिवं याति च सत्वरम्
Even a Brahmin-killer, a cow-slayer, a drinker of liquor, or a child-murderer is freed from all sins and swiftly ascends to heaven.
दर्शनं माधवस्याथ वरस्य दर्शनं तथा । वेण्यां स्नानं प्रकुर्वाणो वैकुंठं प्रति गच्छति
Beholding Madhava, or seeing the Lord, and bathing in the Veṇī, one proceeds toward Vaikuntha.
उदिते च यथा सूर्ये विलयं याति वै तमः । तथैव तस्यां पापानि नश्यंति स्नानमात्रतः
Just as darkness vanishes at sunrise, so too do sins perish merely by bathing there.
गंगाद्वारे कुशावर्ते गल्लिके(बिल्वके?) नीलपर्वते । स्नात्वा कनखले तीर्थे पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते
By bathing at Gangadvara, Kushavarta, Gallika (or Bilvaka?), Nilaparvata, or at the holy place Kanakhala, there is no further rebirth.