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.
एवं ज्ञात्वा नरश्रेष्ठो गंगास्नायी पुनःपुनः । स्नानमात्रेण भो राजन्मुच्यते किल्बिषादतः
Thus knowing, O best of men, the bather in the Ganga, again and again, is freed from sin merely by bathing, O king.
देवानां प्रवरो विष्णुर्यज्ञानां चाश्वमेधकः । अश्वत्थः सर्ववृक्षाणां नदी भागीरथी सदा
Among the gods, Vishnu is supreme; among sacrifices, the Ashvamedha; among all trees, the Ashvattha; and among rivers, always Bhagirathi.
इति श्रीपाद्मेमहापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे उमापतिनारदसंवादे गंगामाहात्म्यंनामैकाशीतितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the eighty-first chapter, named 'The Glory of Ganga,' in the dialogue between Umāpati and Nārada, in the Uttarakhaṇḍa of the revered Padma Mahāpurāṇa, comprising fifty-five thousand verses.
महादेव उवाच- अस्मिन्वै चैत्रमासे तु कार्यो दमनकोत्सवः । द्वादश्यां तु तथा सम्यग्विधिः कार्यो विशेषतः
Mahadeva said: In this very month of Chaitra, the festival of Damanaka should be performed; and especially, the proper rite should be observed on the twelfth day.
वैष्णवैः श्रद्धया पुण्यो जनतानंदवर्द्धनः । देवानंदसमुद्भूता दिव्या दमनमंजरी
By Vaishnavas, with faith, this holy festival increases the joy of the people; the divine Damanaka blossom arose from the joy of the gods.
निवेद्या वैष्णवैर्भक्तैः सर्वपूजाफलेप्सुभिः । चैत्रे तु शुक्लपक्षे तु द्वादश्यां नगनंदिनि
It should be offered by devoted Vaishnavas who desire the fruit of all worship, on the twelfth day of the bright half of Chaitra, O Nagānandinī.
कारयेत्परया भक्त्या महोत्सवमनास्तथा । तत्रादौ च स्वयं गत्वा आरामं प्रति चानघे
With supreme devotion, one should arrange the great festival, with a mind intent; and first, O sinless one, going oneself to the garden.
गुर्वाज्ञया प्रकर्त्तव्यं पूजनं रतिना सह । कामदेव नमस्तेऽस्तु विश्वमोहनकारक
With the guru's command, worship should be performed together with Rati: 'O Kāma, obeisance to you, enchanter of the universe.'
विष्णोरर्थे विचेष्यामि कृपां कुरु ममोपरि । गीतवादित्रनिर्घोषैरानेतव्यो गृहं प्रति
For the sake of Viṣṇu I shall seek; show mercy upon me. With the sounds of singing and instruments, he should be brought home.
एकादश्यां सुरश्रेष्ठि ह्यधिवासनपूर्वकम् । कर्त्तव्यं पूजनं तत्र रात्रौ भक्त्या तु वैष्णवैः
On Ekādaśī, O best of the gods, after the preliminary consecration, worship should be performed there at night by the Vaiṣṇavas with devotion.