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.
पूर्वे वयसि कर्माणि कृत्वा पापानि मानवः । अहोरात्रोपवासेन शुक्लतीर्थे व्यपोहति
A man who has committed sins in his earlier years removes them at Śuklatīrtha by fasting day and night.
तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण यज्ञैर्दानेन वा पुनः । देवदानेन या पुष्टिर्न सा क्रतुशतैरपि
The prosperity gained by austerity, celibacy, sacrifices, or gifts—even by gifts to the gods—is not attained by hundreds of sacrifices.
कार्तिकस्य च मासस्य कृष्णपक्षे चतुर्दशी । घृतेन स्नापयेद्देवमुपोष्य परमेश्वरम्
On the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight in the month of Kārtika, one should bathe the supreme Lord with ghee, having fasted.
एकविंशत्कुलोपेतो न च्यवेच्चैश्वरात्पदात् । शुक्लतीर्थं परं तीर्थमृषिसिद्धनिषेवितम्
One who is accompanied by twenty-one generations does not fall from the divine state; Śuklatīrtha is the supreme holy place, frequented by sages and perfected beings.
तत्र स्नात्वा ततो राजन्पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते । स्नात्वा वै शुक्लतीर्थेपि अर्चयेद्वृषभध्वजम्
Having bathed there, O king, one is not born again; and after bathing at Śuklatīrtha, one should worship the Lord who bears the bull-banner.
जागरं कारयेत्तत्र नृत्यगीतादिमंगलैः । प्रभाते शुक्लतीर्थे तु स्नानं वै देवतार्चनम्
One should keep vigil there with auspicious songs and dances; in the morning, one should bathe at Śuklatīrtha and worship the deities.
आचार्यं भोजयेत्पश्चाच्छिवव्रतपरः शुचिः । भोजनं च यथाशक्त्या वित्तशाठ्यं न कारयेत्
Afterwards, one devoted to the vow of Śiva, pure, should feed the teacher; and one should offer food according to one's means, not with deceit regarding wealth.
प्रदक्षिणं ततः कृत्वा शनैर्देवांतिकं व्रजेत् । एवं वै कुरुते यस्तु तस्य पुण्यफलं शृणु
Then, having circumambulated, one should slowly approach the deity; hear now the meritorious result for one who acts thus.
दिव्ययानसमारूढस्तूयमानोऽप्सरोगणैः । शिवतुल्यबलोपेतस्तिष्ठत्याभूतसंप्लवम्
Mounted on a divine vehicle, praised by hosts of apsarases, endowed with strength equal to Śiva, he remains until the dissolution of the world.
शुक्लतीर्थे तु या नारी ददाति कनकं शुभम् । घृतेन स्नापयेद्देवं कुमारं चाभिपूजयेत्
A woman who gives auspicious gold at Śuklatīrtha, bathes the deity with ghee, and worships Kumāra as well—