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.
पर्वतस्य समंतात्तु तिष्ठंत्यमरकंटके । ब्रह्मचारी शुचिर्भूत्वा जितक्रोधो जितेंद्रियः
Around the mountain Amarakāṇṭaka, they stand; being a celibate, pure, with anger subdued and senses controlled,
सर्वहिंसानिवृत्तश्च सर्वभूतहिते रतः । एवं सर्वसमाचारः क्षेत्रपालान्परिव्रजेत्
Having renounced all violence and devoted to the welfare of all beings, thus conducting himself in every way, he should approach the guardians of the sacred place.
तस्य पुण्यफलं राजन्शृणुष्वावहितो हि मे । शतं वर्षसहस्राणां स्वर्गे मोदेत पांडव
Hear from me, O king, with attention, the fruit of his merit: for a hundred thousand years, O Pāṇḍava, he rejoices in heaven.
अप्सरोगणसंकीर्णे दिव्यस्त्रीपरिचारिते । दिव्यगंधानुलिप्तश्च दिव्यालंकारभूषितः
Surrounded by hosts of apsarās and attended by celestial women, anointed with divine fragrances and adorned with celestial ornaments,
क्रीडते देवलोके तु दैवतैः सह मोदते । ततः स्वर्गात्परिभ्रष्टो राजा भवति वीर्यवान्
He sports in the world of the gods and delights with the deities; then, after falling from heaven, he becomes a king endowed with valor.
नारद उवाच- नर्मदा तु नदीश्रेष्ठा पुण्या पुण्यतमा त्रिषु । मुनिभिस्तु महाभागैर्विभक्ता धर्मकांक्षिभिः
Nārada said: The Narmadā is the best of rivers, most holy among the three; it has been divided by the great and blessed sages, desirous of righteousness.
यज्ञोपवीतमात्राणि प्रविभक्तानि पांडव । तेषु स्नात्वा तु राजेंद्र सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
The divisions are as many as the sacred threads, O Pāṇḍava; by bathing in them, O king, one is freed from all sins.
जलेश्वरं च यत्तीर्थं त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम् । तस्योत्पत्तिं कथयतः शृणु पांडवनंदन
And the holy place called Jaleśvara, renowned in the three worlds—hear, O delight of the Pāṇḍavas, the account of its origin as I relate it.
पुरा मुनिगणाः सर्वे सेन्द्राश्चैव मरुद्गणाः । स्तुवंति ते महात्मानं देवदेवं महेश्वरम्
Once, all the hosts of sages, along with Indra and the Maruts, praised that great-souled Lord of gods, Maheśvara.
स्तुवमानास्तु संप्राप्ता यत्र देवो महेश्वरः । विज्ञापयंति देवेशं सेंद्राश्चैव मरुद्गणाः । भयोद्विग्नान्विरूपाक्ष परित्रायस्व नः प्रभो
While praising, they arrived where the god Maheśvara was; Indra and the Maruts made their supplication to the Lord of gods: 'O three-eyed one, we are troubled by fear—protect us, O Lord.'