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—
तत्राभिषेकं कुर्वाणो गोसहस्रफलं लभेत् । गंगातीर्थं समासाद्य तीर्थसेवी नराधिप
—by performing ablution there, gains the fruit of gifting a thousand cows; by reaching the Gaṅgā tīrtha, the tīrtha-seeking king—
केव्यास्तीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा लभते वीर्यमुत्तमम् (केव्या पाठभेदाः – कन्या, कोट्या, कोत्या, कोन्या)। ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र द्वारपालं लवर्णकम्
—by bathing at the Kevyā tīrtha, obtains the highest vigor; then, O king, one should proceed to the gatekeeper Lavarṇaka.
तस्य तीर्थे सरस्वत्यां यथेंद्रस्य महात्मनः । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्नग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत्
At his tīrtha on the Sarasvatī, as for the great Indra, there by bathing, O king, a man obtains the fruit of the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice.
ततो गच्छेत धर्मज्ञ ब्रह्मावर्तं नराधिप । ब्रह्मावर्ते नरः स्नात्वा ब्रह्मलोकमवाप्नुयात्
Then, O knower of dharma, one should go to Brahmāvarta; by bathing there, a man attains the world of Brahmā.
ततो गच्छेत धर्मज्ञ सुतीर्थकमनुत्तमम् । यत्र सन्निहिता नित्यं पितरो दैवतैः सह
Then, O knower of dharma, one should proceed to the excellent Sutīrtha, where the ancestors are always present together with the gods.
तत्राभिषेकं कुर्वीत पितृदेवार्चने रतः । अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति पितृलोकं च गच्छति
There, performing ablution and being devoted to worship of ancestors and gods, one attains the fruit of the Aśvamedha sacrifice and goes to the world of the ancestors.
ततोऽन्यतीर्थं धर्मज्ञ समासाद्य यथाक्रमम् । काशीश्वरस्य तीर्थेषु स्नात्वा भरतसत्तम
Then, O knower of dharma, by approaching another tīrtha in due order, by bathing at the tīrthas of Kāśīśvara, O best of Bharatas—
सर्वव्याधिविनिर्मुक्तो ब्रह्मलोके महीयते । मातृतीर्थं च तत्रैव यत्र स्नातस्य पार्थिव
—one becomes free from all diseases and is honored in the world of Brahmā; and there itself is the Mātṛtīrtha, where, O king, by bathing—
प्रजा विवर्द्धते राजन्स्वर्गतिं समवाप्नुयात् । ततः शीतवनं गच्छेन्नियतो नियताशनः
—one's progeny increases, O king, and one attains the path to heaven; then, with self-restraint and regulated diet, one should go to Śītavana.
तीर्थं तत्र महाराज महदन्यत्र दुर्लभम् । पुनाति दर्शनादेव दंडेनैकं नराधिप
There is a great tīrtha, O great king, rare elsewhere; it purifies by mere sight, O lord of men, even with a staff.
केशानावप्य वै तस्मिन्पूतो भवति भारत । तत्र तीर्थवरं चान्यत्स्नात लोकार्तिहं स्मृतम्
By shaving the hair there, one becomes purified, O descendant of Bharata; and there is another excellent tīrtha, bathing in which is said to remove worldly suffering.
तत्र विप्रा नरव्याघ्र विद्वांसस्तत्र तत्पराः । गतिं गच्छंति परमां स्नात्वा भरतसत्तम
There, O tiger among men, learned and devoted Brāhmaṇas, after bathing, attain the highest state, O best of the Bharatas.
स्वर्णलोमापनयने तीर्थे भरतसत्तम । प्राणायामैर्निर्हरंति स्वलोमानि द्विजोत्तमाः
At the tīrtha of Svarṇalomāpanayana, O best of the Bharatas, excellent Brāhmaṇas remove their own hair through breath-control practices.
पूतात्मानश्च राजेन्द्र प्रयांति परमां गतिम् । दशाश्वमेधिके चैव तस्मिंस्तीर्थे महीपते
With purified selves, O king, they attain the highest state; and at the Daśāśvamedhika tīrtha there, O lord of the earth—
तत्र स्नात्वा नरव्याघ्र गच्छंति परमां गतिम् । ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र मानुषं लोकविश्रुतम्
There, having bathed, O tiger among men, they attain the highest state; from there, O king, one goes to the renowned human world.
तत्र कृष्णामृगा राजन्व्याधेन शरपीडिताः । विगाह्य तस्मिन्सरसि मानुषत्वमुपागताः
There, O king, black antelopes, struck by the hunter's arrow, after entering that lake, attained human birth.
तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा ब्रह्मचारी समाहितः । सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा स्वर्गलोके महीयते
A man who bathes at that holy place, observing celibacy and with concentrated mind, becomes purified from all sins and is honored in the world of heaven.
मानुषस्य तु पूर्वेण क्रोशमात्रं महीपते । आपगा नाम विख्याता नदी सिद्धनिषेविता
To the east of the human realm, O lord of the earth, at a distance of a krosha, is the famous river called Apagā, frequented by accomplished sages.
श्यामाक भोजनं तत्र यः प्रयच्छति मानवः । देवान्पितॄन्समुद्दिश्य तस्य धर्मफलं महत्
There, whoever offers food made of śyāmāka grain, with devotion to the gods and ancestors, obtains great merit from that act.
एकस्मिन्भोजिते विप्रे कोटिर्भवति भोजिता । तत्र स्नात्वार्चयित्वा च दैवतानि पितॄंस्तथा
When a single brāhmaṇa is fed there, it is as if a crore are fed; having bathed there and worshipped the deities and ancestors,