अनुरक्तेषु भक्तेषु मित्रेषु द्रोहकारिणः । पुंसो लोकोभयोः सौख्यं नाशमेतीति नः श्रुतम्
It is heard that happiness is destroyed in both worlds for a man who betrays those who love, are devoted, or are friends.
तस्मात्त्वमपि नः शापात्पिशाचो भव सत्वरम् । इत्युक्त्वापि च ता बाला निःश्वसंत्यः क्रुधाकुलाः
Therefore, you too, because of our curse, become a piśāca at once! Saying this, the girls, agitated with anger, sighed deeply.
तदेवान्योन्यसंरंभात्तस्मिन्सरसि पार्थिव । ताः कन्या ब्रह्मचारी च सर्वे पैशाच्यमागताः
Then, due to their mutual anger, in that very lake, O king, all those maidens and the brahmacārin became piśācas.
स पिशाचः पिशाच्यस्ताः क्रंदमानाः सुदारुणम् । क्षपयंति विपाकांस्तान्पूर्वोपात्तस्य कर्म्मणः
He became a piśāca, and they became piśācis, wailing terribly; they experience the results of their previous actions.
स्वकाले प्रभवत्येव पूर्वोपात्तं शुभाशुभम् । स्वच्छायामिव दुर्वारं देवानामपि पार्थिव
At its proper time, the good or bad previously committed surely bears fruit, O king, as inescapable as one's own shadow, even for the gods.
क्रंदंति पितरस्तासां मातरस्तत्र तत्र च । भ्रातरश्चैव बालानां दैवं हि दुरतिक्रमम्
The fathers and mothers of those girls, and their brothers too, cry out here and there; for fate is hard to overcome.
अतऊर्ध्वं पिशाचास्ते आहारार्थं सुदुःखिताः । इतस्ततश्च धावंतो वसंति सरसस्तटे
From then on, those piśācas, greatly distressed for food, roam here and there and dwell on the shore of the lake.
नारद उवाच- एवं बहुतिथे काले लोमशो मुनिसत्तमः । आगतश्च महाभागस्तत्र यादृच्छिको मुनि
Nārada said: After a long time had passed, the eminent sage Lomaśa, greatly fortunate, arrived there by chance.
तं दृष्ट्वा ब्राह्मणं सर्वे पिशाचाः क्षुत्समाकुलाः । धावंतो ह्यत्तुकामास्ते मिलित्वा यूथवर्तिनः
Seeing that brāhmaṇa, all the piśācas, tormented by hunger, rushed together in a group, desiring to eat.
दह्यमानास्तु तीव्रेण तेजसा लोमशस्य तु । असमर्थाः पुरः स्थातुं ते सर्वे दूरतः स्थिताः
But, scorched by the intense radiance of Lomaśa, they were unable to stand before him and all stood at a distance.
तत्र पूर्वकर्मबलात्पिशाचः सह वै द्विजः । समीक्ष्य लोमशं राजन्साष्टांगं प्रणिपत्य च
Then, by the power of previous karma, the piśāca along with the brāhmaṇa, O king, seeing Lomaśa, prostrated himself with eight limbs.
उवाच सूनृतां वाचं बद्ध्वा शिरसि चांजलिम् । महाभाग्योदये विप्र साधूनां संगतिर्भवेत्
He spoke gentle words, joining his hands on his head: 'O brāhmaṇa, when great fortune arises, the company of the virtuous occurs.'
गंगादिपुण्यतीर्थेषु यो नरः स्नाति सर्वथा । यः करोति सतां संगं तयोः सत्संगमो वरः
Among those who bathe at the sacred fords of the Ganges and other holy rivers, and those who associate with the virtuous, the company of the good is superior.
गुरूणां संगमो विप्र दृष्टादृष्टफलो भुवि । स्वर्गदो रोगहारी च किं तमोपहरो मतः
O Brahmin, the association with teachers yields visible and invisible results on earth; it grants heaven, removes disease, and is considered to dispel darkness.
इत्युक्त्वा कथयामास पूर्ववृत्तांतमद्भुतम् । इमा गंधर्वकन्यास्ता मुने सोऽहं द्विजात्मजः
Having spoken thus, he began to recount a wondrous tale from the past: 'O sage, I am the son of a twice-born, and these are Gandharva maidens.'
सर्वे पिशाचरूपेण मिथः शापविमोहिताः । दीनाननास्सुतिष्ठामस्तवाग्रे मुनिसत्तम
All of us, bewildered by a curse, have taken the form of spirits; with sorrowful faces, we stand before you, O best of sages.
त्वद्दर्शनेन बालानां निस्तारो नो भविष्यति । सूर्योदये तमस्तोमः किं नु लीयेत पुष्करे
By your sight, deliverance will come for us, O noble one; just as a mass of darkness vanishes at sunrise, so shall our affliction dissolve.
श्रुत्वैतल्लोमशो वाक्यं कृपार्द्रीकृतमानसः । प्रत्युवाच महातेजा दुःखितं तं मुनेः सुतम्
Hearing these words, Lomaśa, his heart softened with compassion, replied to the grieving son of the sage, radiant in his ascetic power.
मत्प्रसादाच्च सर्वेषां स्मृतिः सपदि जायताम् । धर्मे च वर्ततां येन मिथः शापो लयं व्रजेत्
By my grace, may memory arise instantly for all of you; by abiding in righteousness, may the curse among you come to an end.
पिशाच उवाच- महर्षे कथ्यतां धर्मो मुच्येम येन किल्बिषात् । नायं कालो विलंबस्य शापाग्निर्दारुणो यतः
The spirit said: 'Great sage, tell us the righteous act by which we may be freed from sin; this is no time for delay, for the fire of the curse is terrible.'
लोमश उवाच- मया सार्द्धं प्रकुर्वंतु रेवास्नानं विधानतः । शापान्मोक्ष्यति वो रेवा नान्यथा निष्कृतिर्भवेत्
Lomaśa said: 'Let them perform, together with me, the prescribed bath in the Revā; the Revā will release you from the curse—there is no other expiation.'
शृणुष्वावहितो विप्र पापनाशो ध्रुवं नृणाम् । रेवास्नानेन जायेत इति मे निश्चिता मतिः
Hear attentively, O Brahmin: the destruction of sin for people is certain; it arises from bathing in the Revā—this is my firm conviction.
सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं वर्तमानं च पातकम् । रेवास्नानं दहेत्सर्वं तूलराशिमिवानलः
The sin accumulated over seven births, and present wrongdoing as well, bathing in the Revā burns it all away, as fire consumes a heap of cotton.
प्रायाश्चित्तं न पश्यंति यस्मिन्पापे पिशाचक । तत्सर्वं नर्मदातोये स्नानमात्रेण नश्यति
O spirit, for those sins for which no expiation is seen, all of them are destroyed merely by bathing in the waters of the Narmadā.
ज्ञानकृन्नर्म्मदास्नानमतो मोक्षफला हि सा । हिमवत्पुण्यतीर्थानि सर्वपापहराणि वै
Therefore, bathing in the Narmadā, performed with knowledge, yields the fruit of liberation; the holy fords of Himavat are indeed removers of all sins.
इंद्रलोकप्रदं हीदं निर्मितं ब्रह्मवादिभिः । सर्वकामफला रेवा मोक्षदा परिकीर्तिता
This place, granting the world of Indra, was established by the knowers of Brahman; the Revā is renowned as bestower of all desires and giver of liberation.
पापघ्नी पापहारिणी सर्वकामफलप्रदा । विष्णुलोकदआप्लावो नार्मदः पापनाशनः
The Narmadā destroys sin, removes evil, grants all desired fruits; bathing in her gives the world of Viṣṇu, for she is the destroyer of sin.
यामुनः सूर्यलोकाय भवेदाप्लाव उत्तमः । सारस्वतोघविध्वंसी ब्रह्मलोकफलप्रदः
Bathing in the Yamunā leads to the world of the Sun; it destroys the floods of Sarasvatī and grants the fruit of the world of Brahmā.
विशालफलदा प्रोक्ता विशाला हि पिशाचक । पापेंधनदवाग्निस्तु गर्भहेतुक्रियापहः
The Viśālā is said to grant great rewards, O spirit, for she is vast indeed; she is like a forest fire consuming the fuel of sin, removing the effects of actions leading to rebirth.
विष्णुलोकाय मोक्षाय नार्मदः परिकीर्तितः । सरयूगंडकीसिंधुश्चंद्रभागा च कौशिकी
The Narmadā is renowned as granting the world of Viṣṇu and liberation; and so too are the Sarayū, Gaṇḍakī, Sindhu, Candrabhāgā, and Kauśikī.