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.
ततो गत्वा सरस्वत्याः सागरस्य च संगमम् । गोसहस्रफलं प्राप्य स्वर्गलोके महीयते
Then, going to the confluence of the Sarasvatī and the ocean, one obtains the merit of a thousand cows and is honored in the heavenly world.
दीप्यमानोऽग्निवन्नित्यं प्रभया भरतर्षभ । तीर्थे सलिलराजस्य स्नात्वा प्रयतमानसः
Always shining like fire with radiance, O best of the Bharatas, by bathing with a concentrated mind at the holy place of the king of waters—
त्रिरात्रमुषितस्तत्र तर्पयेत्पितृदेवताः । विराजति यथा सोमो वाजिमेधं च विंदति
Having stayed there for three nights, one should offer oblations to the ancestors and gods; he shines like the moon and obtains the fruit of a Vājimedha sacrifice.
वरदानं ततो गच्छेत्तीर्थं भरतसत्तम । विष्णोर्दुर्वाससा यत्र वरो दत्तो युधिष्ठिर
Then one should go to the holy place called Varadāna, O best of the Bharatas, where Viṣṇu granted a boon to Durvāsas, O Yudhiṣṭhira.
वरदाने नरः स्नात्वा गोसहस्रफलं लभेत् । ततो द्वारवतीं गच्छेन्नियतो नियताशनः
By bathing at Varadāna, a person gains the merit of a thousand cows; then, with self-restraint and regulated diet, he should proceed to Dvāravatī.
पिंडारके नरः स्नात्वा लभेद्बहुसुवर्णकम्
By bathing at Piṇḍāraka, a person obtains much gold.
तस्मिंस्तीर्थे महाराज पद्मलक्षणलक्षिताः । अद्यापि मुद्रा दृश्यंते तदद्भुतमरिंदम
At that holy place, O great king, marks bearing the sign of the lotus are still seen even today; that is a wonder, O subduer of enemies.
त्रिशूलांकानि पद्मानि दृश्यंते कुरुनंदन । महादेवस्य सान्निध्यं तत्रैव भरतर्षभ
Trident marks and lotuses are seen there, O delight of the Kurus; the presence of Mahādeva is right there, O best of the Bharatas.
सागरस्य च सिंधोश्च संगमं प्राप्य भारत । तीर्थे सलिलराजस्य स्नात्वा प्रयतमानसः
Having reached the confluence of the ocean and the river Sindhu, O Bhārata, and bathing with a concentrated mind at the holy place of the king of waters—
तर्पयित्वा पितॄन्देवानृषींश्च भरतर्षभ । प्राप्नोति वारुणं लोकं दीप्यमानः स्वतेजसा
Having satisfied the ancestors, gods, and sages, O best of the Bharatas, one attains the world of Varuṇa, shining with his own brilliance.