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.
नागैर्वृक्षैर्नागसर्पैर्गंधर्वैस्तु सकिन्नरैः । स्नापितो देवराजस्तु वेदमंत्रैः सुसंस्कृतः
The king of the gods was bathed with Vedic mantras, well-prepared, by Nagas, trees, serpent-nagas, Gandharvas, and Kinnaras.
मुनिभिः सर्वपापघ्नैस्तस्मिन्काले द्विजोत्तम । शुद्धे तस्मिन्महाभागे सहस्राक्षे महात्मनि
At that time, O best of Brahmins, he was bathed by sages who destroy all sins; thus, that great and mighty Indra was purified.
ब्रह्महत्या गता तस्य अगम्यागमनं तथा । ब्रह्महत्या ततो नष्टा अगम्यागमनेन च
His sin of Brahmin-killing departed from him, as did the sin of approaching the forbidden; thus, both sins were destroyed in him.
पापेन तेन घोरेण सार्द्धमिंद्रस्य भूतले । सुप्रसन्नः सहस्राक्षस्तीर्थेभ्यो हि वरं ददौ
Freed from that terrible sin, Indra became well-pleased and granted boons to the sacred bathing places on earth.
भवंतस्तीर्थराजानो भविष्यथ न संशयः । मत्प्रसादात्पवित्राश्च यस्मादहं विमोक्षितः
"You shall become the foremost of sacred places, without doubt; by my grace, you shall be pure, for I have been released here."
सुघोरात्किल्बिषादत्र युष्माभिर्विमलैरहम् । एवं तेभ्यो वरं दत्वा मालवाय वरं ददौ
"From this most dreadful sin, I have been cleansed by you, O pure ones; having granted them this boon, he then gave a boon to Malava."
यस्मात्त्वया मलं मेऽद्य विधृतं श्रमदायकम् । तस्मात्त्वमन्नपानैश्च धनधान्यैरलंकृतः
"Because you have today borne my impurity, which brought great exhaustion, therefore you shall be adorned with abundant food, drink, wealth, and grain."
भविष्यसि न संदेहो मत्प्रसादान्न संशयः । सुदुःकालैर्विना त्वं तु भविष्यसि सुपुण्यवान्
"By my grace, you shall certainly become so, without doubt; except in times of great distress, you shall be most virtuous."
एवं तस्मै वरं दत्वा देवराजः पुरंदरः । क्षेत्राणि सर्वतीर्थानि देशो मालवकस्तथा
Thus, having granted him this boon, the king of the gods, Purandara, returned to his own place, along with Akhandala, after bestowing all the sacred fields and the land of Malava.
आखंडलेन सार्द्धं ते स्वस्थानं प्रतिजग्मिरे । सूत उवाच- तदाप्रभृति चत्वारः प्रयागः पुष्करस्तथा
Sūta said: From that time onward, Prayaga, Pushkara, Varanasi, and Argha Tirtha became supremely eminent.