प्रयागः पुष्करश्चैव अर्घदीर्घो मनोरथा । वाराणसी महापुण्या ब्रह्महत्या व्यपोहिनी
Prayaga, Pushkara, Arghadirgha, Manoratha, Varanasi—the supremely holy, remover of the sin of killing a Brahmin—
द्वारावती प्रभासश्च अवंती नैमिषस्तथा । चंडकश्च महारत्नो महेश्वरकलेश्वरौ
Dvaravati, Prabhasa, Avanti, Naimisha, Chandaka—the great jewel—Maheshvara and Kaleshvara—
कलिंजरो ब्रह्मक्षेत्रं माथुरो मानवाहकः । मायाकांती तथान्यानि दिव्यानि विविधानि च
Kalinjara, Brahmaksetra, Mathura, Manavahaka, Mayakanti, and other divine and various places—
अष्टषष्टिः सुतीर्थानि नदीनां शतकोटयः । गोदावरीमुखाः सर्वा समायातास्तदाज्ञया
Sixty-eight holy tirthas and hundreds of crores of rivers, all with mouths at the Godavari, have assembled by that command.
द्वीपानां तु समस्तानि सुतीर्थानि महांति च । मूर्तिलिंगधराण्येव सहस्राक्षं सुरेश्वरम्
All the islands and their great holy tirthas, bearing embodied forms and lingas, have come to the thousand-eyed lord of the gods.
समाजग्मुः समस्तानि तदादेशकराणि च । प्रणेमुर्देवदेवेशं नतशीर्षाणि सर्वशः
All these have gathered, acting according to that command; they bowed to the lord of gods, all with their heads lowered.
सूत उवाच- तैः प्रोक्तं तु महातीर्थैर्देवराजं यशस्विनम् । कस्मात्त्वया समाहूता देवदेव वदस्व नः
Sūta said: Then those great tīrthas addressed the illustrious king of the gods, saying, 'O god of gods, tell us, for what reason have you summoned us?'
ब्रूहि नः कारणं सर्वं नमस्तुभ्यं सुराधिप । एवमाकर्ण्य तद्वाक्यं देवराजोभ्यभाषत
Tell us the entire reason, O lord of the gods; we bow to you. Thus, having heard those words, the king of the gods spoke.
कः समर्थो महातीर्थो ब्रह्महत्यां व्यपोहितुम् । गोवधाख्यं महापापं स्त्रीवधाख्यमनुत्तमम्
Who among the great tīrthas is capable of removing the sin of killing a brāhmaṇa, the great sin called cow-slaughter, and the supreme sin called woman-slaughter?
स्वामिद्रोहाच्च संभूतं सुरापानाच्च दारुणम् । हेमस्तेयात्तथा जातं गुरुनिंदा समुद्भवम्
Who can destroy the terrible sin arising from betrayal of one's master, from drinking liquor, from stealing gold, and from reviling one's teacher?
भ्रूणहत्यां महाघोरां नाशयेत्कः समर्थवान् । राजद्रोहान्महापापं बहुपीडाप्रदायकम्
Who is able to destroy the dreadful sin of killing a fetus, the great and terrible sin, and the great sin of treason against the king, which brings much suffering?
मित्रद्रोहात्तथा चान्यदन्यद्विश्वासघातकम् । देवभेदं तथा चान्यं लिंगभेदमतः परम्
And also the sin arising from betraying a friend, and other acts that breach trust, as well as the sin of causing division among the gods, and further, the sin of violating the liṅga.
वृत्तिच्छेदं च विप्राणां गोप्रचारप्रणाशनम् । आगारदहनं चान्यद्गृहदीपनकं तथा
The cutting off of a brāhmaṇa's livelihood, the destruction of cow-pastures, the burning of a house, and the act of setting fire to a home-lamp—
षोडशैते महापापा अगम्यागमनं तथा । स्वामित्यागात्समुद्भूतं रणस्थानात्पलायनात्
These sixteen great sins, and also intercourse with the forbidden, abandonment of one's master, and fleeing from the battlefield—
एतानि नाशयेत्को वै समर्थस्तीर्थउत्तमः । समर्थो भवतां मध्ये प्रायश्चित्तं विना ध्रुवम्
Which among you, O best tīrthas, is able to destroy these? Surely, among you, who is capable, without expiatory rites?
पश्यतां देवतानां च नारदस्य च पश्यतः । ब्रुवंतु सर्वे संचिंत्य विचार्यैवं सुनिश्चितम्
In the presence of the gods and as Nārada looked on, let all consider and decide, and then speak with certainty.
एवमुक्ते शुभे वाक्ये देवराज्ञामहात्मना । संमंत्र्य तीर्थराजेन प्रोचुः शक्रं सभागतम्
When these auspicious words were spoken by the great-souled king of the gods, after conferring with the king of tīrthas, they addressed Śakra, who was present.
तीर्थान्यूचुः - श्रूयतामभिधास्यामो देवराज नमोस्तु ते । संति वै सर्वतीर्थानि सर्वपापहराणि च
The tīrthas said: 'Listen, O king of the gods, we bow to you. All the tīrthas indeed exist, and they remove all sins.'
ब्रह्महत्यादिकान्यांश्च त्वया प्रोक्तान्सुरेश्वर । महाघोरान्सुदीप्तांश्च नाशितुं नैव शक्नुमः
O lord of the gods, the terrible and blazing sins beginning with brāhmaṇa-killing that you have mentioned—we are not able to destroy them.
प्रयागः पुष्करश्चैव अर्घतीर्थमनुत्तमम् । वाराणसी महाभाग समर्था पापनाशिनी
Prayāga, Puṣkara, the supreme Argha-tīrtha, and Vārāṇasī, O highly fortunate one, are capable of destroying sins.
महापातकनाशार्थे चत्वारोमितविक्रमाः । उपपातकनाशार्थं चत्वारोमितविक्रमाः
For the destruction of great sins, four tīrthas of immense power have been established; for the destruction of lesser sins, four of lesser might.
सृष्टा धात्रा च देवेंद्र पुष्कराद्या महाबलाः । एवमाकर्ण्य तद्वाक्यं तीर्थानां सुरराट् ततः
O Indra, Puṣkara and the others of great might were created by the Creator for this purpose. Having heard these words of the tīrthas, the king of the gods—
हर्षेण महताविष्टस्तेषां स्तोत्रं चकार सः
Overcome with great joy, he composed a hymn of praise for them.
इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने गुरुतीर्थमाहात्म्ये । च्यवनचरित्रे नवतितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the ninetieth chapter, the story of Cyavana, in the section on the greatness of Guru-tīrtha, in the Bhūmikhaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
कुंजल उवाच- ब्रह्महत्याभिभूतस्तु सहस्राक्षो यदा पुरा । गौतमस्य प्रियासंगादगम्यागमनं महत्
Kuñjala said: Once, when Indra was overcome by the sin of killing a Brahmin, due to his union with Gautama's beloved, he committed the great transgression of approaching the forbidden.
संजातं पातकं तस्य त्यक्तो देवैश्च ब्राह्मणैः । सहस्राक्षस्तपस्तेपे निरालंबो निराश्रयः
That sin arose in him, and he was abandoned by the gods and the Brahmins; Indra, bereft of support and shelter, undertook austerities.
तपोंते देवताः सर्वा ऋषयो यक्षकिन्नराः । देवराजस्य पूजार्थमभिषेकं प्रचक्रिरे
At the end of his austerities, all the gods, seers, Yakshas, and Kinnaras performed the consecration ceremony for the king of the gods, to honor him.
देशं मालवकं नीत्वा देवराजं सुतोत्तम । चक्रे स्नानं महाभाग कुंभैरुदकपूरितैः
O best of sons, they brought the king of the gods to the land of Malava and performed his sacred bath with pitchers filled with water.
स्नापितुं प्रथमं नीतो वाराणस्यां स्वयं ततः । प्रयागे तु सहस्राक्ष अर्घतीर्थे ततः पुनः
First, he was taken to Varanasi for bathing, and then again to the Argha Tirtha at Prayaga, O thousand-eyed one.
पुष्करेण महात्मासौ स्नापितः स्वयमेव हि । ब्रह्मादिभिः सुरैः सर्वैर्मुनिवृंदैर्द्विजोत्तम
There, at Pushkara, that great soul was bathed by Brahma and all the other gods, along with groups of sages, O best of twice-born.