तृप्यंति पितरस्तावद्यावत्तिष्ठति मेदिनी । ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र सिद्धेश्वरमनुत्तमम्
The ancestors are satisfied as long as the earth endures; then, O king, one should proceed to the supreme Siddheśvara.
तत्र गत्वा तु राजेंद्र गणपत्यंतिकं व्रजेत् । ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र लिंगो यत्र जनार्दनः
Having gone there, O king, one should approach the place of Gaṇapati; then, O king, proceed to where Janārdana is present as a liṅga.
तत्र स्नात्वा तु राजेंद्र विष्णुलोके महीयते । नर्मदादक्षिणेकूले तीर्थं परमशोभनम्
There, having bathed, O king, one is honored in Viṣṇu's world; on the southern bank of the Narmadā is a most beautiful sacred ford.
कामदेवः स्वयं तत्र तपस्तप्यत्यसौ महान् । दिव्यं वर्षसहस्रं तु शंकरं पर्युपासते
There, Kāma himself, the great one, performed austerities; for a divine thousand years, he worshipped Śaṃkara.
समाधिपर्वदग्धस्तु शंकरेण महात्मना । श्वेतपर्वोपमश्चैव हुताशः शुक्लपर्वणि
Burned by the mountain of meditation by the great-souled Śaṃkara, and like the white mountain, the fire blazed on the bright fortnight.
एते दग्धास्तु ते सर्वे कुसुमेश्वरसंस्थिताः । दिव्यवर्षसहस्रेण तुष्टस्तेषां महेश्वरः
All those who were burned remained at Kusumeśvara; after a divine thousand years, Maheśvara was pleased with them.
उमया सहितो रुद्रस्तेषां तुष्टो वरप्रदः । विमोक्षयित्वा तान्सर्वान्नर्म्मदातटमास्थितान्
Rudra, together with Umā, being pleased, granted them boons; having liberated all those who dwelt on the bank of the Narmadā.
तस्य तीर्थप्रभावेण पुनर्देवत्वमागतः । त्वत्प्रसादान्महादेव तीर्थं च भवतूत्तमम्
By the power of that sacred ford, they again attained divinity; by your grace, O great god, may this ford be supreme.
अर्धयोजनविस्तीर्णं तीर्थं दिक्षु समंततः । तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा उपवासपरायणः
The sacred ford extends half a yojana in all directions; at that ford, a man who bathes and is devoted to fasting—
कुसुमायुधरूपेण रुद्रलोके महीयते । वैश्वानरे यमेनैव कामदेवेन वायवे
—is honored in Rudra's world in the form of the flower-armed one, along with Vaiśvānara, Yama, Kāma, and Vāyu.
तपस्तप्त्वा तु राजेंद्र तत्रैव च पुरागतैः । अंधोनस्य समीपे तु नातिदूरे तु तस्य वै
Having performed austerities there, O king, together with those who came before, near Andhona, not far from it—
स्नानं दानं च तत्रैव भोजनं पिंडपातनम् । अग्निवेशे जले वापि अथवापि अनाशने
There, bathing, giving gifts, eating, and offering ancestral cakes—whether in fire, in water, or even by fasting—
अनिवर्तिका गतिस्तस्य मृतस्याप्यर्द्धयोजने । त्रैयंबकेण तोयेन स्नापयेन्नरपुंगवः
The path for one who dies there, even within half a yojana, does not turn back; with water from the Triambaka, the best of men should bathe.
अंधोनमूले दत्वा तु पिंडं चैव यथाविधि । पितरस्तस्य तृप्यंति यावच्चंद्र दिवाकरौ
Having offered the ancestral cake at the root of Andhona, as prescribed, his ancestors are satisfied as long as the moon and sun endure.
उत्तरायणे तु संप्राप्ते तत्र स्नानं करोति यः । पुरुषो वापि स्त्री वापि वसेदायतने शुचिः
When the northern course of the sun arrives, whoever bathes there—whether man or woman—and remains pure in the sanctuary,
सिद्धेश्वरस्य देवस्य प्रभाते पूजनान्नरः । स तां गतिमवाप्नोति न तां सर्वैर्महामखैः
and worships the god Siddheśvara in the morning, that person attains that state which cannot be reached even by all the great sacrifices.
यदा च तीर्थकालेन रूपवान्सुभगो भवेत् । मर्त्ये भवति राजासावासमुद्रांतगोचरे
At the time of the holy bathing, one becomes handsome and fortunate among mortals, and that king rules within the bounds of the ocean.
क्षेत्रपालं न पश्येच्च दंडपालं महाबलम् । वृथा तस्य भवेद्यात्रा अदृष्ट्वा कर्णकुंडलम्
If one does not see the powerful guardian of the field, the mighty enforcer, then the journey is in vain, without seeing the one with earrings.
एतत्तीर्थफलं ज्ञात्वा सर्वेदेवाः समागताः । मुंचंति पुष्पवृष्टिं तु स्तुवंति कुसुमेश्वरम्
Knowing this fruit of the holy place, all the gods assemble, shower flowers, and praise the Lord of Flowers.
नारद उवाच- भार्गवेशं ततो गच्छेद्भक्त्या यत्र च विष्णुना । हुंकारितास्तु देवेन दानवाः प्रलयं गताः
Nārada said: Then one should go with devotion to Bhārgaveśa, where the demons were destroyed by Viṣṇu, the god, with a roar.
तत्र स्नात्वा तु राजेंद्र सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते । शुक्लतीर्थस्य चोत्पत्तिं शृणु त्वं पांडुनंदन
O king, by bathing there, one is freed from all sins; now listen, O son of Pāṇḍu, to the origin of Śuklatīrtha.
हिमवच्छिखरे रम्ये नानाधातुविचित्रिते । तरुणादित्यसंकाशे तप्तकांचनसंनिभे
On the beautiful peak of Himavat, adorned with various minerals, shining like the rising sun, resembling molten gold,
वज्रस्फटिकसोपाने चित्रपट्टशिलातले । जांबूनदमये दिव्ये नाना पद्मोपशोभिते
with steps of crystal and diamond, on a floor of variegated stone, divine and made of Jāmbūnada gold, adorned with various lotuses,
तत्रासीनं महादेवं सर्वज्ञं प्रभुमव्ययम् । लोकानुग्राहकं शांतं गणवृंदैः समावृतम्
there sits the great god, all-knowing, the imperishable Lord, benefactor of the worlds, peaceful, surrounded by hosts of attendants.
स्कंदनंदिमहाकालैर्वीरभद्र गणादिभिः । उमया सहितं देवं मार्कंडः परिपृच्छति
With Skanda, Nandī, Mahākāla, Vīrabhadra, and other attendants, the god is together with Umā; Mārkaṇḍeya approaches and asks him.
देवदेव महादेव इन्द्र कामादि संस्तुत । संसारभवभीतोहं सुखोपायं ब्रवीहि मे
O god of gods, great god, praised by Indra and others for fulfilling desires, I am afraid of worldly existence—tell me the means to happiness.
भगवन्भूतभव्येश सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् । तीर्थानां परमं तीर्थं तद्वदस्व महेश्वर
O Lord, master of past and future, destroyer of all sins, tell me, O great god, which is the supreme holy place among all holy places.
ईश्वर उवाच- शृणुविप्र महाभाग सर्वशास्त्रविशारद । स्नानादि कुरु गच्छ त्वं ऋषिसंघैस्समावृतः
The Lord said: Listen, O fortunate sage, expert in all scriptures; perform bathing and other rites, go with the assembly of seers.
मन्वत्रि याज्ञवल्क्याश्च काश्यपश्चैव अंगिराः । यमापस्तंब संवर्ताः कात्यायनबृहस्पती
Manu, Atri, Yājñavalkya, Kāśyapa, Aṅgiras, Yama, Apastamba, Saṃvarta, Kātyāyana, and Bṛhaspati—
नारदो गौतमश्चैव पृच्छंति धर्मकांक्षिणः । गंगाकनखले पुण्या प्रयागं पुष्करं गया
Nārada and Gautama also, desiring righteousness, ask about the holy places: Gaṅgā at Kanakhala, Prayāga, Puṣkara, and Gayā,