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—
एवं या कुरुते भक्त्या तस्याः पुण्यफलं शृणु । मोदते देवलोकस्था यावदिंद्राश्चतुर्दश
Thus, she who performs this with devotion—hear the merit she gains: dwelling in the realm of the gods, she rejoices for as long as fourteen Indras reign.
अयने वा चतुर्दश्यां संक्रांतौ विषुवे तथा । स्नात्वा तु सोपवासः स निर्जितात्मा समाहितः
On the solstice, the fourteenth day, at the transition, or the equinox, one who bathes, fasting, self-controlled, and focused—
दानं दद्याद्यथाशक्त्या प्रीयेतां हरिशंकरौ । शुक्लतीर्थप्रभावेण सर्वं भवति चाक्षयम्
—should give gifts according to ability and seek the favor of Hari and Shankara; by the power of the sacred white pilgrimage, all becomes inexhaustible.
अनाथं दुर्गतं विप्रं नाथवंतमथापि वा । उद्वाहयति यस्तीर्थे तस्य पुण्यफलं शृणु
One who marries, at the sacred site, a destitute, unfortunate, or even orphaned Brahmin—hear the merit gained by such a deed.
यावत्तद्रोमसंख्या तु तत्प्रसूतिकुलेषु च । तावद्वर्षसहस्राणि शिवलोके महीयते
For as many hairs as are on that person and in their family, for that many thousands of years one is honored in Shiva's realm.
नारद उवाच- ततस्तु नरकं गच्छेत्स्नानं तत्र समाचरेत् । स्नातमात्रो नरस्तत्र नरकं तत्र पश्यति
Narada said: Then one goes to hell; one should bathe there. As soon as one bathes, one sees hell in that place.
अस्यतीर्थस्य माहात्म्यं शृणु त्वं पांडुनंदन । तस्मिंस्तीर्थे तु राजेंद्र यान्यस्थीनि विनिक्षिपेत्
Hear the greatness of this sacred site, O son of Pandu. At that site, O king, whoever deposits bones—
विलयं यांति सर्वाणि रूपवान्जायते नरः । गोतीर्थं तु ततो गच्छेद्दृष्ट्वा पापात्प्रमुच्यते
—all are dissolved, and the person is born beautiful. Then, going to the cow-sacred site, upon seeing it, one is freed from sin.
ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र कपिलातीर्थमुत्तमम् । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्
Then, O king, one should go to the excellent Kapila sacred site. Bathing there, a person attains the merit of a thousand cows.
ज्येष्ठमासे तु संप्राप्ते चतुर्दश्यां विशेषतः । तत्रोपोष्य नरो भक्त्या कपिलां यः प्रयच्छति
When the month of Jyeshtha arrives, especially on the fourteenth day, one who, fasting and devoted, gives a Kapila cow there—