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.
तापी गोदावरी भीमा पयोष्णी कृष्णवेणिका । कावेरी तुंगभद्रा च अन्याश्चापि समुद्रगाः
The Tāpi, Godāvarī, Bhīmā, Payoṣṇī, Kṛṣṇaveṇikā, Kāverī, Tuṅgabhadrā, and other rivers that flow to the ocean—
तासु रेवा परा प्रोक्ता विष्णुलोकप्रदायिनी । रेवा तु प्राप्यते पुण्यैः पूर्वजन्मकृतैर्द्विज । अपुनर्भवदं तत्र मज्जनं मुनिपुत्रक
Among them, the Revā is declared supreme, bestowing the realm of Viṣṇu. The Revā is attained by the merit of deeds from previous births, O twice-born; bathing there brings freedom from rebirth, O son of the sage.
गायंति देवाः सततं दिविष्ठा रेवा कदा दृष्टिगता हि नो भवेत् । स्नाता नरा यत्र न गर्भवेदनां पश्यंति तिष्ठंति च विष्णुसन्निधौ
The gods dwelling in heaven always sing: 'When will the Revā come within our sight? For those who bathe there, no longer do they experience the pain of the womb, and they remain in the presence of Viṣṇu.'
मज्जंति ये प्रत्यहमत्र मानवा रेवासुतो ये बहुपापकंचुकाः । मज्जंति ते नो निरयेषु धर्म्मतः स्वर्गे तु ते चारुचरंति देववत्
Those people who bathe here daily in the Revā, even if covered by many sins, do not fall into hell according to righteousness; rather, they move about in heaven, beautiful like the gods.
तीव्रैर्व्रतैर्दानतपोभिरध्वरैः सार्धं विधात्रा तुलया धृता पुरा । रेवापिशाचाशु तयोर्द्वयोरभूद्रेवा वरा तत्र च मोक्षसाधिका
By intense vows, gifts, austerities, and sacrifices, the Creator once weighed these together on a scale; the Revā surpassed them both, and there, she became the foremost means to liberation.
नारद उवाच- एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचस्तस्य लोमशस्य पिशाचकाः । तेन सार्द्धं ययुः शीघ्रं रेवामज्जनहेतवे
Nārada said: Hearing these words of Lomaśa, the piśācas quickly went with him for the purpose of bathing in the Revā.
ततो दैवात्समुत्पन्नो रेवारोधसि मारुतः । तेषां प्रवाहस्पृष्टानां गात्रे जलकणप्रदः
Then, by divine will, a wind arose on the banks of the Revā, sprinkling drops of water on their bodies as it touched their flow.
रेवाजलकणस्पर्शात्पैशाच्यात्ते विमोचिताः । तत्क्षणाद्दिव्यवपुषः प्रशशंसुश्च नर्मदाम्
By the touch of the Revā’s water-drops, those piśācas were freed; at that very moment, they gained divine forms and praised the Narmadā.
ततो लोमशवाक्येन ताश्च गंधर्वकन्यकाः । परिणीताः सुखं तेन विप्रेण नर्मदातटे
Then, by the words of Lomaśa, those gandharva maidens were happily married by that brāhmaṇa on the banks of the Narmadā.
उवास सुचिरं कालं स्नानपानावगाहनैः । अर्चित्वा नर्मदामत्र विष्णुलोकं गताश्च ते
They dwelled there for a long time, bathing, drinking, and immersing themselves; after worshipping the Narmadā, they attained the world of Viṣṇu.
एवं ते कथितो राजन्नर्मदागुणसंश्रयः । इतिहासो महापुण्यः श्रवणात्पापनाशनः
Thus, O king, has been told to you the account of the virtues of the Narmadā—a most holy legend, which, when heard, destroys sin.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच-। अथान्यानि तु तीर्थानि वसिष्ठोक्तानि मे वद । श्रुत्वा यानि च पापानि विलयं यांति नारद
Yudhiṣṭhira said: Now tell me, Nārada, of the other tīrthas as spoken by Vasiṣṭha, by hearing of which sins are destroyed.
नारद उवाच-। शृणुष्वात्र हि तीर्थानि वसिष्ठोक्तानि पार्थिव । दक्षिणं सिंधुमासाद्य ब्रह्मचारी जितेंद्रियः
Nārada said: Hear now, O king, the tīrthas as spoken by Vasiṣṭha. Approaching the southern ocean, a celibate with controlled senses—
अग्निष्टोममवाप्नोति विमानं चाधिरोहति । चर्मण्वतीं समासाद्य नियतो नियताशनः
—obtains the fruit of the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice and ascends to a celestial chariot; approaching the Carmaṇvatī, with self-restraint and regulated diet—
रंतिदेवाभ्यनुज्ञातो अग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत् । ततो गच्छेत धर्मज्ञ हिमवत्सुतमर्बुदम्
—having received the approval of Rantideva, one attains the fruit of the Agniṣṭoma; then, O knower of dharma, one should go to Arbuda, the son of Himavat.
पृथिव्या यत्र वै छिद्रं पूर्वमासीद्युधिष्ठिर । तत्राश्रमो वसिष्ठस्य त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतं
There, O Yudhiṣṭhira, is the place where once there was a fissure in the earth; there is the hermitage of Vasiṣṭha, renowned in the three worlds.
तत्रोष्य रजनीमेकां गोसहस्रफलं लभेत् । पिंगातीर्थमुपस्पृश्य ब्रह्मचारी नराधिप
Dwelling there for a single night, one obtains the fruit of a thousand cows; touching the Piṅga tīrtha, O king, as a celibate—
कपिलानां नरव्याघ्र शतस्य फलमाप्नुयात् । ततो गच्छेत धर्मज्ञ प्रभासं लोकविश्रुतम्
—one attains the fruit of a hundred Kapila cows, O tiger among men; then, O knower of dharma, one should go to Prabhāsa, famed throughout the worlds.
यत्र सन्निहितो नित्यं स्वयमेव हुताशनः । देवतानां मुखं वीर अनलोऽनिलसारथिः
There, the fire-god is always present of his own accord, O hero, the mouth of the gods, Agni, whose charioteer is the wind.
तस्मिंस्तीर्थवरे स्नात्वा शुचिः प्रयतमानसः । अग्निष्टोमातिरात्राभ्यां फलं प्राप्नोति मानवः
By bathing at that excellent holy place, pure and with a focused mind, a person attains the fruit of the Agniṣṭoma and Atirātra sacrifices.