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,
कुरुक्षेत्रं तु पुण्यं च राहुग्रस्ते दिवाकरे । दिवा वा यदि वा रात्रौ शुक्लतीर्थं महाफलम्
and the holy Kurukṣetra, when the sun is eclipsed by Rāhu, whether by day or by night—Śuklatīrtha is of great merit.
दर्शनात्स्पर्शनाच्चैव स्नानाद्ध्यानात्तपोर्जनात् । होमाच्चैवोपवासाच्च शुक्लतीर्थफलं महत्
By seeing, touching, bathing, meditating, performing austerity, offering oblations, and fasting, one obtains the great fruit of Śuklatīrtha.
शुक्लतीर्थं महापुण्यं नद्यां तु संव्यवस्थितम् । चाणिक्योनाम राजर्षिः सिद्धिं तत्र समागतः
At the holy and supremely meritorious Śuklatīrtha, situated on the river, the royal sage named Cāṇikya attained perfection there.
एतत्क्षेत्रं समुत्पन्नं योजनावृत्तिसंस्थितम् । शुक्लतीर्थं महापुण्यं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम्
This sacred field, established within a yojana's circumference, is the highly meritorious Śuklatīrtha, destroyer of all sins.
पादपाग्रेण दृष्टेन ब्रह्महत्यां व्यपोहति । अहमत्र ऋषिश्रेष्ठ तिष्ठामि ह्युमया सह
By merely seeing it with the tip of one's foot, one is freed from the sin of killing a Brāhmaṇa; here, O best of sages, I dwell together with Umā.
वैशाखे विमले मासि कृष्णपक्षे चतुर्दशी । कैलासाच्चापि निर्गत्य तत्र संनिहितो ह्यहम्
In the pure month of Vaiśākha, on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight, I come forth from Kailāsa and am present there.
देवकिन्नरगंधर्वाः सिद्धविद्याधरास्तथा । गणाश्चाप्सरसो नागाः सर्वे देवाः समागताः
The gods, kinnaras, gandharvas, siddhas, vidyādharas, hosts of attendants, apsarases, nāgas, and all the deities assemble there.
गगनस्थास्तु तिष्ठंति विमानैः सर्वकामकैः । शुक्लतीर्थे तु राजेंद्र आगता धर्मकांक्षिणः
Those who desire righteousness, O king, come to Śuklatīrtha, and those who dwell in the sky remain in their celestial vehicles, fulfilling all desires.
रजकेन यथा वस्त्रं शुक्लं भवति वारिणा । आजन्मसंचितं पापं शुक्लतीर्थे व्यपोहति
Just as a washerman makes cloth white with water, so too is the sin accumulated since birth washed away at Śuklatīrtha.
स्नानं दानं महापुण्यं मार्कंड ऋषिसत्तम । शुक्लतीर्थात्परं तीर्थं न भूतं न भविष्यति
Bathing and giving gifts here are supremely meritorious, O eminent sage Mārkaṇḍeya; there has never been, nor will there be, a holy place greater than Śuklatīrtha.