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.
जनेश्वरे नरः स्नात्वा पिंडं दत्वा यथाविधि । पितरस्तस्य तृप्यंति यावदाभूतसंप्लवम्
At Janeśvara, after bathing and offering the prescribed oblation, a man's ancestors are satisfied until the dissolution of creation.
पर्वतस्य समंतात्तु रुद्रकोटिः प्रतिष्ठिता । स्नानं यः कुरुते तत्र गंधमाल्यानुलेपनम्
On the slopes of the mountain, the Rudrakoṭi is established; whoever bathes there, applies fragrance, garlands, and ointments—
प्रीता तस्य भवेत्सर्वा रुद्रकोटिर्न संशयः । पर्वते पश्चिमस्यांते स्वयं देवो महेश्वरः
All the Rudrakoṭi deities are pleased with him, without doubt; at the western end of the mountain, the god Maheśvara himself resides.
तत्र स्नात्वा शुचिर्भूत्वा ब्रह्मचारी जितेंद्रियः । पितृकार्यं तु कुर्वीत विधिदृष्टेन कर्मणा
There, after bathing, becoming pure, observing celibacy, and controlling the senses, one should perform ancestral rites according to prescribed procedure.
तिलोदकेन तत्रैव तर्पयेत्पितृदेवताः । आसप्तमं कुलं तस्य स्वर्गे तिष्ठति पांडव
There, with sesame water, one should satisfy the ancestors and the deities; up to the seventh generation of his lineage, O Pāṇḍava, dwells in heaven.
षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणि स्वर्गलोके महीयते । अप्सरोगणसंकीर्णो दिव्यस्त्रीपरिवारितः
For sixty thousand years he is honored in the heavenly world, surrounded by hosts of apsarās and attended by celestial women.
दिव्यगंधानुलिप्तश्च दिव्यालंकारभूषितः । ततः स्वर्गात्परिभ्रष्टो जायते विपुले कुले
Anointed with divine fragrances and adorned with celestial ornaments, after falling from heaven, he is born in a noble family.
धनवान्दानशीलश्च धार्मिकश्चैव जायते । पुनः स्मरति तत्तीर्थं गमनं तत्र कुर्वते
He is born wealthy, generous, and righteous; he remembers again his pilgrimage to that sacred place and performs it there.
तारयित्वा कुलशतं रुद्रलोकं स गच्छति । योजनानां शतं साग्रं श्रूयते सरिदुत्तमा
Having liberated a hundred families, he attains the world of Rudra; the supreme river is said to extend a little over a hundred yojanas.
विस्तारेण तु राजेन्द्र योजनद्वयमंतरम् । षष्टितीर्थसहस्राणि षष्टिकोट्यस्तथैव च
In breadth, O king, it spans two yojanas; there are sixty thousand sacred fords and likewise sixty crores.