तत्र स्थित्वा नरव्याघ्र अग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत् । ततो जयिन्यां राजेंद्र सोमतीर्थं समाविशेत्
By staying there, O tiger among men, one attains the fruit of Agniṣṭoma; then, O King, enter the Soma tīrtha at Jayinī.
स्नात्वा फलमवाप्नोति राजसूयस्य मानवः । एकहंसे नरः स्नात्वा गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्
By bathing, a person attains the fruit of the Rājasūya sacrifice; by bathing at Ekahaṃsa, one gains the merit equal to a thousand cows.
कृतशौचं समासाद्य तीर्थसेवी कुरूद्वह । पुंडरीकमवाप्नोति कृतशौचो भवेच्च सः
Upon reaching Kṛtaśauca, O best of Kurus, the tīrtha devotee attains Puṇḍarīka and becomes purified.
ततो मुंजावटं नाम महादेवस्य धीमतः । तत्रोष्य रजनीमेकां गाणपत्यमवाप्नुयात्
Then, the place called Muṃjāvaṭa of the wise Mahādeva; by staying there for one night, one attains the merit of Gaṇapati.
तत्रैव च महाराज जयां लोकपरिश्रुताम् । स्नात्वाभिगम्य राजेंद्र सर्वकाममवाप्नुयात्
There itself, O great King, at Jayā, famed throughout the worlds, by bathing and approaching, O King, one attains all desires.
कुरुक्षेत्रस्य तद्द्वारं विश्रुतं भरतर्षभ । प्रदक्षिणमुपावृत्य तीर्थसेवी समावृतः
That gateway of Kurukṣetra, renowned, O bull among Bharatas, by circumambulating it, the tīrtha devotee is fulfilled.
संस्मृते पुष्कराणां तु स्नात्वार्च्य पितृदेवताः । जामदग्न्येन रामेण आहूते वै महात्मना
By remembering Puṣkara and bathing, honoring the ancestors and deities, as summoned by the great-souled Rāma, son of Jamadagni—
कृतकृत्यो भवेद्राजन्नश्वमेधं च विंदति । ततो रामह्रदं गच्छेत्तीर्थसेवी नराधिप
One becomes accomplished, O King, and attains the fruit of the horse sacrifice; then, the tīrtha devotee, O ruler of men, should proceed to Rāmahrada.
यत्र रामेण राजेंद्र तरसा दीप्ततेजसा । क्षत्रमुत्सार्य वीर्येण ह्रदाः पंच निषेविताः । पूरयित्वा नरव्याघ्र रुधिरेणेति नः श्रुतम्
Where, O king, by the force and blazing brilliance of Rāma, the warrior class was driven away with his valor, and five lakes were frequented, filled by the blood of men—so we have heard.
पितरस्तर्पिताः सर्वे तथैव प्रपितामहाः । ततस्ते पितरः प्रीताः राममूचुर्महीपते
All the fathers and grandfathers were satisfied there; then, pleased, the ancestors spoke to Rāma, O king.
रामराम महाभाग प्रीताः स्म तव भार्गव । अनया पितृभक्त्या च विक्रमेण च तेऽनघ
O Rāma, O most fortunate, O Bhārgava, we are pleased with you—by your devotion to ancestors and your valor, O sinless one.
वरं वृणीष्व भद्रं ते किमिच्छसि महामते । एवमुक्तः स राजेंद्र रामः प्रवदतां वरः
Choose a boon, may good fortune be yours; what do you desire, O wise one? Thus addressed, the best among speakers, Rāma, O king,
अब्रवीत्प्रांजलिर्वाक्यं पितॄन्स गगने स्थितान् । भवंतो यदि मे प्रीता यद्यनुग्राह्यता मयि
Spoke with joined palms to the ancestors standing in the sky: If you are pleased with me, if I am worthy of your favor,
पितृप्रसादादिच्छेयं तपसाप्यायनं पुनः । यच्च रोषाभिभूतेन क्षत्रमुत्सादितं मया
By the grace of the ancestors, I wish for renewal of my ascetic power; and that warrior class which I destroyed in anger,
ततश्च पापान्मुच्येयं युष्माकं तेजसा ह्यहम् । ह्रदाश्च तीर्थभूता मे भवेयुर्भुवि विश्रुताः
Then, by your radiance, may I be freed from sin; and may these lakes become holy places, renowned on earth.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा शुभं वाक्यं रामस्य पितरस्तदा । प्रत्यूचुः परमप्रीता रामं तोषसमन्विताः
Hearing these auspicious words of Rāma, the ancestors then replied, supremely pleased, to Rāma, filled with satisfaction.
तपस्ते वर्द्धतां भूयः पितृभक्त्या विशेषतः । यच्च रोषाभिभूतेन क्षत्रमुत्सादितं त्वया
May your ascetic power increase further, especially through your devotion to ancestors; and as for the warrior class destroyed by you in anger,
ततश्च पापान्मुक्तस्त्वं निहतास्ते स्वकर्म्मणा । ह्रदाश्च तव तीर्थत्वं गमिष्यंति न संशयः
Then you will be freed from sin; those slain have met their own fate. Your lakes will indeed attain the status of holy places—there is no doubt.
ह्रदेष्वेतेषु यः स्नात्वा पितॄन्संतर्पयिष्यति । पितरस्तस्य वै प्रीता दास्यंति भुवि दुर्ल्लभम्
Whoever bathes in these lakes and satisfies the ancestors, his ancestors, pleased, will grant him rare blessings on earth.
ईप्सितं मनसः कामं स्वर्गलोकं सशाश्वतम् । एवं दत्त्वा वरं राजन्रामस्य पितरस्तदा । आमंत्र्य भार्गवं प्रीतास्तत्रैवांतर्दधुस्ततः
Whatever desire he holds in his heart, and the eternal heavenly realm—thus granting the boon, O king, the ancestors, pleased, addressed Bhārgava and then vanished there.
एवं रामह्रदाः पुण्या भार्गवस्य महात्मनः । स्नात्वा ह्रदेषु रामस्य ब्रह्मचारी शुभव्रतः
Thus, the Rāma lakes are holy, belonging to the great-souled Bhārgava; bathing in Rāma's lakes, the celibate of pure vow,
राममभ्यर्च्य राजेंद्र लभेद्बहुसुवर्णकम् । वंशमूलं समासाद्य तीर्थसेवी कुरूद्वह
Worships Rāma, O king, and obtains much gold; having reached the root of his lineage, the devotee of the holy place, O best of the Kurus,
स्ववंशमुद्धरेद्राजन्स्नात्वा वै वंशमूलके । कायशोधनमासाद्य तीर्थं भरतसत्तम
Raises his own lineage, O king, by bathing at the root of the lineage; attaining purification of the body, O best of the Bharatas, at the holy place,
शरीरशुद्धिमाप्नोति स्नातस्तस्मिन्न संशयः । शुद्धदेहस्तु संयाति शुभाँल्लोकाननुत्तमान्
He attains bodily purity by bathing there, without doubt; and with a purified body, he goes to the most auspicious, highest worlds.
ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यदुर्लभम् । लोका यत्रोद्धृताः पूर्वं विष्णुना प्रभविष्णुना
Then, O king, he should go to the holy place, rare even in the three worlds, where the worlds were once uplifted by mighty Viṣṇu.
लोकोद्धारं समासाद्य तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम् । स्नात्वा तीर्थवरे राजन्लोकानुद्धरते स्वकान्
Having attained the uplifting of the worlds, the holy place famed throughout the three worlds; bathing in that supreme holy place, O king, he uplifts his own ancestors.
श्रीतीर्थं च समासाद्य विंदते श्रियमुत्तमाम् । कपिलातीर्थमासाद्य ब्रह्मचारी समाहितः
By approaching the sacred place of Śrī, one attains supreme prosperity; by coming to the Kapilā tīrtha, a devoted celibate gains merit.
तत्र स्नात्वार्चयित्वा च देवानिह पितॄंस्तथा । कपिलानां सहस्रस्य फलं विंदति मानवः
There, after bathing and worshipping the gods as well as the ancestors, a person obtains the fruit of offering a thousand Kapilā cows.
सूर्यतीर्थं समासाद्य स्नात्वा नियतमानसः । अर्चयित्वा पितॄन्देवानुपवासपरायणः
By reaching the Sūrya tīrtha, bathing with a controlled mind, worshipping the ancestors and gods, and being devoted to fasting—
अग्निष्टोममवाप्नोति सूर्यलोकं च गच्छति । गवांभवनमासाद्य तीर्थसेवी यथाक्रमम्
—one attains the fruit of the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice and goes to the world of the Sun; by coming to the abode of cows, the tīrtha-seeker, in due order—