वृत्रेण च कृतः कूपो महागंभीरसंज्ञकः । कूपात्सा निःसृता देवी महापापौघनाशिनी
By Vritra, a well was made, known as the very deep; from the well, the goddess emerged, destroyer of great masses of sin.
यथा गंगा तथेयं च सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा सुरोत्तमे । अस्या दर्शनमात्रेण पापौघाः शमयंति च
Just as the Ganga, so too is this, the best among rivers, O excellent goddess; merely by seeing her, masses of sins are pacified.
शृणु देवि प्रवक्ष्यामि इतिहासं पुरातनम् । यच्छ्रुत्वा पापिनो दोषैर्विमुक्ताः कर्मबंधनात्
Hear, O Goddess, I shall tell you an ancient tale; by hearing it, sinners are freed from faults and from the bondage of karma.
चंपके नगरे चैव राजा राज्यं करोति सः । सदा दुष्टो दुष्टरूपो जनानां स प्रपीडकः
In the city of Campaka, there was a king who ruled; he was always wicked, of evil nature, and an oppressor of the people.
अधर्मो धर्मरूपश्च विष्णुनिंदापरायणः । देव द्विज निहंता च आश्रमाणां विदूषकः
He was unrighteous, though appearing righteous, devoted to reviling Vishnu; a slayer of gods and Brahmins, and a defiler of hermitages.
वेदनिंदापरः श्रीमान्मूर्खो वा निर्घृणः शठः । असच्छास्त्रेषु निरतः परदाराभिमर्शकः
He was intent on reviling the Vedas, wealthy, foolish, cruel, and deceitful; engaged in false scriptures and a violator of others' wives.
विदारुणेति नामा च संजातो मूर्ख एव च । कदाचिद्दैवयोगेन आगतस्तां नदीं प्रति
His name was Vidaruna, and he was indeed a fool; once, by the force of fate, he came to that river.
आखेटकसमायुक्तः स्वयं कुष्ठी सुरेश्वरि । महापापादयं जातो ब्राह्मणानां च निंदनात्
Engaged in hunting, he himself was a leper, O Lady of the Gods; this great sinner was born so because of his reviling of Brahmins.
वृथावादी दुरात्मा च शठो वै निर्घृणः पशुः । वेदनिंदारतो नित्यं गोशास्त्राणां प्रदूषकः
He was a vain talker, wicked-minded, truly deceitful, merciless like a beast; always intent on reviling the Vedas and corrupting the scriptures of cows.
एवंविधो वने भ्राम्यंस्तृषार्तः स सुहृद्वृतः । अश्वादुत्तीर्य राजाऽसौ जलं पीत्वा गृहं गतः
Such a one, wandering in the forest, tormented by thirst and accompanied by friends, dismounted from his horse, drank water, and returned home.
तेनैवोदकपानेन गतं कुष्ठं न संशयः । बुद्धिस्तु निर्मला जाता तस्य राज्ञो विशेषतः
By drinking that very water, his leprosy was gone, without doubt; and his mind became especially pure, O King.
विष्णौ भक्तिः समुत्पन्ना तदा तस्य सुरेश्वरि । ततः प्रभृति कालेन स्नानं वै कृतवान्सदा
Then, O Lady of the Gods, devotion to Vishnu arose in him; from that time onward, he always bathed regularly.
निर्मलो बहुरूपाढ्यो जातस्तत्र सुरेश्वरि । इहलोके सुखं भुक्त्वा कृत्वा यज्ञाननेकशः
He became pure, possessed of many forms of wealth, O Lady of the Gods; enjoying happiness in this world, performing many sacrifices.
विप्रेभ्यो दक्षिणां दत्वा स गतो वैष्णवं पदम् । इति ज्ञात्वा तु भो देवि वेत्रवत्यां विशेषतः
Giving gifts to Brahmins, he attained the Vaishnava abode; thus, O Goddess, know this especially about the Vetravati.
स्नानं कुर्वंति ये विप्रास्ते मुक्ता नगनंदिनि । राजन्यो वाथ वैश्यो वा शूद्रो वा सुरसत्तमे
Those Brahmins who bathe there, O delight of the mountain, are liberated; whether they are Kshatriya, Vaishya, or Shudra, O best of the gods.
यत्र स्नानं प्रकुर्वंति ते मुक्ताः पापबंधनात् । कार्तिके वाऽथ माघे वा बाह्यो वा वेदनिंदकः
Wherever they perform bathing, they are freed from the bonds of sin; whether in Kartika or Magha, even an outcaste or reviler of the Vedas.
सरितां संगमे स्नात्वा मुच्यते देवि किल्बिषात् । साभ्रमत्याः समं यत्र तस्याः संगः प्रदृश्यते
By bathing at the confluence of rivers, one is freed from sin, O Goddess; wherever the confluence with Sabravati is seen.
तत्र स्नात्वा विशेषेण मुच्यते ब्रह्महा सदा । खेटकं नगरं दिव्यं स्वर्गरूपं तु वाऽनघे
By bathing there especially, even a slayer of Brahmins is always freed; the city of Khetaka is divine, resembling heaven, O sinless one.
ब्रह्मणा तत्र वै देवि योगाश्च बहवः कृताः । तत्र स्नात्वा च भुक्त्वा च पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते
There, O Goddess, many yogas were performed by Brahma; by bathing and eating there, there is no rebirth.
सा द्वितीया स्मृता गंगा कलौ देवि विशेषतः । ये नराः सुखमिच्छंति धनमिच्छंति ये नराः
That is remembered as the second Ganga, especially in the Kali age, O Goddess; those men who desire happiness, those men who desire wealth—
स्वर्गमिच्छंति ये लोकास्ते वै स्नात्वा पुनःपुनः । इहलोके सुखं भुक्त्वा यांति विष्णोः सनातनम्
Those people who desire heaven, after bathing again and again, enjoy happiness in this world and then attain the eternal abode of Viṣṇu.
सूर्यवंशे च ये जाताः सोमवंशे तथैव च । आगता वेत्रवत्यां तु स्नात्वा निर्वृतिमागताः
Those born in the Solar dynasty and likewise in the Lunar dynasty, having come to the Vetravatī and bathed there, have attained supreme contentment.
दर्शनाद्धरते दुःखं स्पर्शनान्मानसं ह्यघम् । स्नात्वा भुक्त्वा तथा देवि मुक्तिभागी न संशयः
By seeing it, suffering is removed; by touching it, mental sin is surely destroyed; and, O goddess, after bathing and eating there, one undoubtedly becomes eligible for liberation.
स्नानाज्जपात्तथाहोमादनंतं फलमश्नुते । गत्वा वाराणसीतीर्थं भक्त्या चांद्रायणं चरेत्
By bathing, reciting, and offering oblations, one attains endless reward; having gone to the holy place of Vārāṇasī, one should perform the Cāndrāyaṇa vow with devotion.
तत्र गत्वा महत्पुण्यं तत्पुण्यं सुरसत्तमे । वेत्रवत्यां विशेषेण पंचत्वं यदि गच्छति
Having gone there, O best of gods, one obtains great merit; especially at Vetravatī, if one meets death there.
स वै चतुर्भुजो भूत्वा याति विष्णोः परं पदम् । पृथिव्यां यानि तीर्थानि ये देवाः पितरस्तथा
He, becoming four-armed, goes to the supreme abode of Viṣṇu; all the holy places on earth, the gods, and the ancestors as well—
ते सर्वे च वसंतीह वेत्रवत्यां सुरेश्वरि । किमन्यद्बहुनोक्तेन भूयो भूयो वरानने
All of them, O queen of the gods, reside here at Vetravatī; what more need be said again and again, O beautiful-faced one?
वेत्रवत्याः समं तीर्थं पृथिव्यां न सनातनि । अहं विष्णुस्तथा ब्रह्मा देवाश्च परमर्षयः
There is no holy place on earth equal to Vetravatī, O eternal one; I, Viṣṇu, as well as Brahmā, the gods, and the supreme sages—
तिष्ठंति देवताः सर्वे वेत्रवत्यां महेश्वरि । एककालं द्विकालं वा त्रिकालं च विशेषतः
All the deities dwell at Vetravatī, O great goddess; whether at one time, two times, or especially three times—
स्नानं कुर्वंति ये तत्र ते वै मुक्ता न संशयः
Those who bathe there are indeed liberated, without doubt.