कामाख्यं तत्र रुद्रस्य तीर्थं देवर्षिसंमतम् । तत्र स्नात्वा नरः क्षिप्रं सिद्धिमाप्नोति भारत
There is Kāmakhya, the sacred place of Rudra, esteemed by divine sages; bathing there, a man quickly attains perfection, O Bhārata.
यजनं याजनं गत्वा तथैव ब्रह्मवालकम् । पुष्पन्यास उपस्पृश्य न शोचेन्मरणं ततः
Going to the place of worship and the Brahmavālaka, and touching the flowers offered, one need not grieve death thereafter.
अर्द्धयोजनविस्तारां पंचयोजनमायताम् । एतावद्देविकामाहुः पुण्यां देवर्षिसंमताम्
Devikā is said to be holy and esteemed by divine sages, spanning half a yojana in width and five yojanas in length.
ततो गच्छेत धर्मज्ञ दीर्घसत्रं यथाक्रमम् । यत्र ब्रह्मादयो देवाः सिद्धाश्च परमर्षयः
Then, O knower of dharma, proceed in due order to the long sacrificial session, where Brahma and other gods, siddhas, and supreme sages gather.
दीर्घसत्रमुपासंते दीक्षिता नियतव्रताः । गमनादेव राजेंद्र दीर्घसत्रमरिंदम
At the long sacrificial session, the initiated, observing strict vows, assemble; merely by going there, O king, to the long session, O subduer of foes,
राजसूयाश्वमेधाभ्यां फलं प्राप्नोति मानवः । ततो विनाशनं गच्छेन्नियतो नियताशनः
A man attains the fruit of the royal and horse sacrifices; then, with discipline and regulated food, he should go to Vināśana.
गच्छंत्यंतर्हिता यत्र मेरुपृष्ठे सरस्वती । चमसे च शिवोद्भेदे नागोद्भेदे च दृश्यते
There, where the Sarasvatī disappears on the summit of Meru, she is seen at the Camasa, at the emergence of Śiva, and at the emergence of Nāga.
स्नात्वा तु चमसोद्भेदे अग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत् । शिवोद्भेदे नरः स्नात्वा गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्
Bathing at the emergence of Camasa, one obtains the fruit of the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice; bathing at the emergence of Śiva, a man attains the merit of a thousand cows.
नागोद्भेदे नरः स्नात्वा नागलोकमवाप्नुयात् । शशयानं च राजेंद्र तीर्थमासाद्य दुर्लभम्
Bathing at the emergence of Nāga, a man attains the world of Nāgas; and, O king, reaching the rare tīrtha called Śaśayāna,
शशरूपप्रतिच्छन्ना पुष्करा यत्र भारत । सरस्वत्यां महाभाग अनुसंवत्सरंहिते
Where the lotus pond is concealed by the form of a hare, O Bhārata, and the Sarasvatī is united with the annual cycle,
स्नायंते भरतश्रेष्ठ वृत्ता वै कार्त्तिकीं सदा । तत्र स्नात्वा नरव्याघ्र द्योतते शिववत्सदा
There, O best of the Bharatas, people always bathe during the Kartikī period; bathing there, O tiger among men, one shines always like Śiva's devotee.
गोसहस्रफलं चैव प्राप्नुयाद्भरतर्षभ । कुमारकोटिमासाद्य नियतः कुरुनंदन
And, O bull among the Bharatas, one attains the merit of a thousand cows; reaching Kumārakoṭi with discipline, O descendant of Kuru.
तत्राभिषेकं कुर्वीत पितृदेवार्चने रतः । गवामयुतमाप्नोति कुलं चैव समुद्धरेत्
There, one should perform an abhiṣeka, devoted to honoring ancestors and gods; he attains the merit of ten thousand cows and uplifts his lineage.
ततो गच्छेत धर्मज्ञ रुद्रकोटिं समाहिताः । पुरा यत्र महाराज ऋषिकोटिः समाहिता
Then, those who know righteousness should proceed, with focused mind, to Rudrakoṭi, O King, where in ancient times a multitude of seers gathered in concentration.
वर्षेण च समाविष्टा देवदर्शनकांक्षया । अहंपूर्वमहंपूर्वं द्रक्ष्यामि वृषभध्वजम्
Year after year, filled with longing to see the divine, each would think, 'I will be the first, I will be the first to behold the Bull-bannered One.'
एवं संप्रस्थिता राजनृषयः किलभारत । ततो योगीश्वरेणापि योगमास्थाय भूपते
Thus, O King, the sages set out, O Bhārata; then, even the Lord of Yogis, having entered into yoga, O ruler of men—
तेषां मन्युप्रशांत्यर्थमृषीणां भावितात्मनाम् । सृष्टा तु कोटिरुद्राणामृषीणामग्रतः स्थिता
For the appeasement of the anger of those sages of purified minds, a crore of Rudras was created, standing before the sages.
मया पूर्वं हरो दृष्टो इति ते मेनिरे पृथक् । तेषां तुष्टो महादेव ऋषीणामुग्रतेजसाम्
Each thought separately, 'I saw Hara first.' Pleased with those sages of fierce energy, the great god Mahādeva—
भक्त्या परमया राजन्वरं तेषां प्रदत्तवान् । अद्यप्रभृति युष्माकं धर्मवृद्धिर्भविष्यति
By their supreme devotion, O King, he granted them a boon: 'From this day forward, your righteousness will increase.'
तत्र स्नात्वा नरव्याघ्र रुद्रकोट्यां नरः शुचिः । अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति कुलं चैव समुद्धरेत्
There, after bathing at Rudrakoṭi, a pure man attains the merit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice and uplifts his lineage.
ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र संगमं लोकविश्रुतम् । सरस्वत्यां महापुण्यमुपासीत जनार्दनम्
Then, O King of Kings, one should go to the renowned confluence, and on the sacred Sarasvatī, worship Janārdana.
यत्र ब्रह्मादयो देवा ऋषयः सिद्धचारणाः । अभिगच्छंति राजेंद्र चैत्रशुक्लचतुर्दशीम्
There, O King, Brahmā and the other gods, sages, siddhas, and celestial beings gather on the fourteenth day of the bright half of Caitra.
तत्र स्नात्वा नरव्याघ्र विंदेद्बहुसुवर्णकम् । सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा शिवलोकं च गच्छति
There, after bathing, O tiger among men, one obtains much gold; with all sins cleansed, he attains the world of Śiva.
ऋषीणां यत्र सत्राणि समाप्तानि नराधिप । तत्रावसानमासाद्य गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्
Where the sacrifices of the sages are completed, O lord of men, by reaching the conclusion there, one obtains the fruit of a thousand cows.
नारदउवाच-। ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र कुरुक्षेत्रमभिष्टुतम् । पापेभ्यो विप्रमुच्यंते तद्गताः सर्वजंतवः
Nārada said: Then, O King, one should go to the celebrated Kurukṣetra; all beings who go there are freed from sins.
कुरुक्षेत्रं गमिष्यामि कुरुक्षेत्रे वसाम्यहम् । य एवं सततं ब्रूयात्सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
If one says, 'I will go to Kurukṣetra, I will dwell in Kurukṣetra,' with such constant intent, he is freed from all sins.
तत्र मासं वसेद्धीरः सरस्वत्यां नराधिप । यत्र ब्रह्मादयो देवा यत्र ब्रह्मर्षिचारणाः
There, a steadfast man should reside for a month on the Sarasvatī, O lord of men, where Brahmā and the other gods, and the seers and celestial beings dwell.
गंधर्वाप्सरसो यक्षाः पन्नगाश्च महीपते । ब्रह्मक्षेत्रं महापुण्यमभिगच्छंति भारत
Gandharvas, apsarases, yakṣas, and serpents, O King, all go to that supremely holy Brahma-kshetra, O Bhārata.
मनसाप्यभिकामस्य कुरुक्षेत्रे युधिष्ठिर । पापानि विप्रणश्यंति ब्रह्मलोकं च गच्छति
Even one who desires it only in his mind, O Yudhiṣṭhira, has his sins destroyed at Kurukṣetra and attains the world of Brahmā.
गत्वा हि श्रद्धया युक्तः कुरुक्षेत्रं कुरूद्वह । वाजपेयाश्वमेध्याभ्यां फलं प्राप्नोति मानवः
Having gone there with faith, O best of the Kurus, a man attains the fruit of both the Vājapeya and Aśvamedha sacrifices.