जन्मप्रभृति यत्पापं स्त्रियो वा पुरुषस्य वा । पुष्करे गतमात्रस्य सर्वमेव प्रणश्यति
Whatever sin has been committed by a woman or a man from birth onwards, all of it is destroyed upon merely arriving at Puṣkara.
यथा सुराणां सर्वेषामादिस्तु मधुसूदनः । तथैव पुष्करो राजन्तीर्थानामादिरुच्यते
Just as Madhusūdana is the foremost among all the gods, so too, O King, is Puṣkara said to be the foremost among sacred places.
उष्ट्वा द्वादशवर्षाणि पुष्करे नियतः शुचिः । क्रतून्सर्वानवाप्नोति ब्रह्मलोकं च गच्छति
Having dwelt for twelve years at Puṣkara with discipline and purity, one attains the fruit of all sacrifices and goes to the world of Brahmā.
यस्तु वर्षशतं पूर्णमग्निहोत्रमुपाश्नुते । कार्तिकीं वा वसेदेकां पुष्करे सममेव तत्
Whoever performs the Agnihotra for a full hundred years, or dwells for a single Kārtikā month at Puṣkara, gains the same result.
दुष्करं पुष्करे गंतुं दुष्करं पुष्करे तपः । दुष्करं पुष्करे दानं वस्तुं चैव सुदुष्करम्
It is difficult to go to Puṣkara, difficult to perform austerity at Puṣkara, difficult to give gifts at Puṣkara, and most difficult to dwell there.
त्रीणि शृंगाणि शुभ्राणि त्रीणि प्रस्रवणानि च । पुष्कराण्यादि तीर्थानि न विद्मस्तत्र कारणम्
Three shining peaks and three springs—these are the original sacred places of Puṣkara; we do not know the reason for this.
उष्ट्वा द्वादशवर्षाणि नियतो नियताशनः । स मुक्तः सर्वपापेभ्यो सर्वक्रतुफलं लभेत्
Having dwelt for twelve years with discipline and regulated food at Puṣkara, one is freed from all sins and attains the fruit of all sacrifices.
वसिष्ठ उवाच- प्रदक्षिणमुपावृत्तो जंबूमार्गे समाविशेत् । जंबूमार्गं समाविश्य पितृदेवर्षिपूजितम्
Vasiṣṭha said: Having completed the circumambulation, one should enter the Jambū path; entering the Jambū path, honored by ancestors and sages.
अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति विष्णुलोकं च गच्छति । तत्रोष्य रजनीः पंच षष्ठकालेश्नुवन्नरः
He attains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice and goes to the world of Viṣṇu; staying there for five nights, observing the sixth period, O King.
न दुर्गतिमवाप्नोति सिद्धिं चाप्नोत्यनुत्तमाम् । जंबुमार्गादुपावृत्तो गच्छेत्तु दुलिकाश्रमम्
He does not meet with misfortune and attains supreme success; departing from the Jambū path, he should go to the Dulikā hermitage.
न दुर्गतिमवाप्नोति स्वर्गलोके च पूज्यते । अगस्त्याश्रममासाद्य पितृदेवार्चने रतः
He does not meet with misfortune and is honored in the heavenly world; reaching the hermitage of Agastya, devoted to worship of ancestors and gods.
त्रिरात्रोपोषितो राजन्नग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत् । शाकवृत्तिः फलैर्वापि कौमारं विंदते परम्
Having fasted for three nights, O King, he attains the fruit of an Agniṣṭoma sacrifice; living on vegetables or fruits, he obtains supreme youthfulness.
कन्याश्रमं समासाद्य श्रीपुष्टं लोकपूजितम् । धर्मारण्यं हि तत्पुण्यमाद्यं च पार्थिवर्षभ
Reaching the hermitage of Kanyā, resplendent and honored by the world, that forest of righteousness is indeed sacred and foremost, O best of kings.
यत्र प्रविष्टमात्रो वै पापेभ्यो विप्रमुच्यते । अर्चयित्वा पितॄन्देवान्प्रयतो नियताशनः
There, upon merely entering, one is freed from sins; having worshipped ancestors and gods with purity and regulated food.
सर्वकामसमृद्धस्य यज्ञस्य फलमश्नुते । प्रादक्षिण्यं ततः कृत्वा ययातिपतनं व्रजेत्
He attains the fruit of a sacrifice that fulfills all desires; having performed circumambulation there, he should proceed to Yayāti’s descent.
हयमेधस्य यज्ञस्य फलमाप्नोति तत्र वै । महाकालमतो गच्छेन्नियतो नियताशनः
There, he attains the fruit of the horse sacrifice; then, with discipline and regulated food, he should go to Mahākāla.
कोटितीर्थमुपस्पृश्य हयमेधफलं लभेत् । ततो गच्छेत धर्मज्ञ स्थानं तीर्थमुमापतेः
By touching the waters of Koṭitīrtha, one attains the fruit of a horse-sacrifice; then, O knower of dharma, proceed to the place of the sacred site of Umāpati.
नाम्ना भद्रवटं नाम त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम् । तत्राभिगम्य चेशानं गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्
By name, it is called Bhadravaṭa, renowned in the three worlds; upon approaching Īśāna there, one obtains the merit equal to giving a thousand cows.
महादेवप्रसादाच्च गाणपत्यमवाप्नुयात् । समृद्धमसपत्नं तु श्रियायुक्तं नरोत्तम
By the grace of Mahādeva, one attains the status of Gaṇapati, prosperous, without rival, and endowed with fortune, O best of men.
नर्मदां तु समासाद्य नदीं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुताम् । तर्पयित्वा पितॄन्देवानग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत्
Upon reaching the Narmadā river, famed throughout the three worlds, and offering oblations to ancestors and gods, one gains the fruit of an Agniṣṭoma sacrifice.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- वसिष्ठेन दिलीपाय कथितं तीर्थमुत्तमम् । नर्मदेति च विख्यातं पापपर्वतदारणम्
Yudhiṣṭhira said: The supreme sacred site, called Narmadā and famed for destroying the mountain of sin, was described to Dilīpa by Vasiṣṭha.
भूयश्च श्रोतुमिच्छामि तन्मे कथय नारद । नर्मदायाश्च माहात्म्यं वसिष्ठोक्तं द्विजोत्तम
I wish to hear more, O Nārada; tell me, O best of twice-born, the greatness of Narmadā as spoken by Vasiṣṭha.
कथमेषा महापुण्या नदी सर्वत्र विश्रुता । नर्मदानाम विख्याता तन्मम ब्रूहिनारद
How did this river, of great merit, become renowned everywhere? Tell me, O Nārada, how the name Narmadā became famous.
नारद उवाच-। नर्मदा सरितां श्रेष्ठा सर्वपापप्रणाशिनी । तारयेत्सर्वभूतानि स्थावराणि चराणि च
Nārada said: Narmadā is the foremost among rivers, destroyer of all sins; she delivers all beings, both stationary and moving.
नर्मदायास्तु माहात्म्यं वसिष्ठोक्तं मया श्रुतम् । तदेतद्धि महाराज सर्वं हि कथयामि ते
I have heard from Vasiṣṭha the greatness of Narmadā; O king, I will recount it all to you.
पुण्या कनखले गङ्गा कुरुक्षेत्रे सरस्वती । ग्रामे वा यदि वारण्ये पुण्या सर्वत्र नर्म्मदा
The Ganges is sacred at Kanakhala, Sarasvatī at Kurukṣetra; whether in village or forest, Narmadā is sacred everywhere.
त्रिभिः सारस्वतं तोयं सप्ताहेन तु यामुनम् । सद्यः पुनाति गांगेयं दर्शनादेव नार्मदम्
The water of Sarasvatī purifies in three days, that of Yamunā in seven; but the water of the Ganges purifies instantly, and Narmadā purifies merely by sight.
कलिंग देशे पश्चार्द्धे पर्वतेऽमरकंटके । पुण्या च त्रिषु लोकेषु रमणीया मनोरमा
In the western part of Kaliṅga country, on the mountain Amarakāṇṭaka, she is sacred in the three worlds, delightful and charming.
सदेवासुरगंधर्वा ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः । तपस्तप्त्वा महाराज सिद्धिं च परमां गताः
With gods, demons, gandharvas, and sages rich in austerity, having performed penance, O king, they attained supreme accomplishment.
तत्र स्नात्वा महाराज नियमस्थो जितेंद्रियः । उपोष्य रजनीमेकां कुलानां तारयेच्छतम्
There, O king, by bathing, observing discipline, and controlling the senses, and fasting for one night, one delivers a hundred families.