नारद उवाच-। ततो गच्छेत धर्मज्ञ कन्यातीर्थमनुत्तमम् । कन्यातीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा अग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत्
Nārada said: Then, O knower of dharma, one should go to the excellent Kanyā-tīrtha; by bathing at Kanyā-tīrtha, a person obtains the fruit of an Agniṣṭoma sacrifice.
ततो गच्छेन्नरव्याघ्र ब्रह्मणः स्थानमुत्तमम् । तत्र वर्णावरः स्नात्वा ब्राह्मण्यं लभते नरः
Then, O tiger among men, one should go to the supreme place of Brahmā; there, by bathing, a person of any class attains the state of a Brāhmaṇa.
ब्राह्मणस्तु विशुद्धात्मा गच्छेत परमां गतिम् । ततो गच्छेन्नरव्याघ्र सोमतीर्थमनुत्तमम्
A Brāhmaṇa, with a purified heart, attains the highest state; then, O tiger among men, one should go to the excellent Soma-tīrtha.
तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्सोमलोकमवाप्नुयात् । सप्तसारस्वतं तीर्थं ततो गच्छेन्नराधिप
By bathing there, O king, a person attains the world of Soma; then, O lord of men, one should go to the Saptasārasvata ford.
यत्र मंकणकः सिद्धो ब्रह्मर्षिर्लोकविश्रुतः । पुरा मंकणको राजन्कुशाग्रेणेति विश्रुतम्
There, the accomplished sage Maṅkaṇaka, renowned among the worlds, once, it is said, pierced his hand with a blade of kuśa grass.
क्षतः किल करे राजन्तस्य शाकरसोऽस्रवत् । स वै शाकरसं दृष्ट्वा हर्षाविष्टो महातपाः
From his hand, O king, sap of śāka flowed; seeing that sap, the great ascetic was filled with joy.
ननर्त किल विप्रर्षिर्विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचनः । ततस्तस्मिन्प्रनृत्ते वै स्थावरं जंगमं च यत्
Then, the Brāhmaṇa sage, his eyes wide with wonder, began to dance; and as he danced, all that was moving and unmoving—
प्रनृत्तमुभयं वीर तेजसा तस्य मोहितम् । ब्रह्मादिभिस्ततो देवैर्ऋषिभिश्च तपोधनैः
—danced as well, O hero, bewildered by his energy; then, by Brahmā and the other gods, and by the sages rich in austerity—
विज्ञप्तो वै ऋषेरर्थे महादेवो नराधिप । नायं नृत्येद्यथा देव तथा त्वं कर्तुमर्हसि
O king, Mahadeva was requested by the sage for a purpose; you should act as the god does, and not dance here.
ततो देवो मुनिं दृष्ट्वा हर्षाविष्टेन चेतसा । नृत्यंतमब्रवीच्चैनं स्थिराणां हितकाम्यया
Then, seeing the sage, the god spoke to him with a mind filled with joy, desiring the welfare of the steadfast.
अहो महर्षे धर्मज्ञ किमर्थं नृत्यते भवान् । हर्षस्थानं किमर्थं वा तवाद्य मुनिपुंगव
O great sage, knower of dharma, for what reason are you dancing? What is the cause of your joy today, O foremost among sages?
ऋषिरुवाच-। तपस्विनो धर्म्मपथस्थितस्य द्विजसत्तम । किं न पश्यसि मे ब्रह्मन्क्षताच्छाकरसं सृतम्
The sage said: O best of twice-born, O Brahman, do you not see the stream of ashes flowing from my body, as I stand on the path of dharma in asceticism?
यं दृष्ट्वा संप्रनृत्तोऽहं हर्षेण महता वृतः । तं प्रहस्याब्रवीद्देव ऋषिं रागेण मोहितम्
Seeing that, I began to dance, overwhelmed with great joy; the god, smiling, spoke to the sage, who was captivated by passion.
अहं तु विस्मयं विप्र न गच्छामीह पश्य माम् । एवमुक्त्वा नरश्रेष्ठ महादेवेन वै तदा
But I do not feel wonder, O Brahman; look at me here. Having spoken thus, O best of men, Mahadeva then—
अंगुल्यग्रेण राजेंद्र स्वांगुष्ठस्ताडितोऽनघ । तस्य भस्मक्षताद्राजन्निःसृतं हिमसंनिभम्
With the tip of his finger, O sinless king, he struck his own thumb; from it, ashes flowed out, white as snow.
यं दृष्ट्वा व्रीडितो राजन्स मुनिः पादयोर्गतः । नान्यं देवादहं मन्ये रुद्रात्परतरं महत्
Seeing that, the sage became ashamed, O king, and fell at the god's feet; I do not consider anyone greater than Rudra among the gods.
सुरासुरस्य जगतो गतिस्त्वमसि शूलधृक् । त्वया सृष्टमिदं विश्वं त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम्
O wielder of the trident, you are the refuge of gods, demons, and the world; by you this universe, the three worlds with all that moves and is still, has been created.
त्वामेव भगवन्सर्वे प्रविशंति युगक्षये । देवैरपि न शक्यस्त्वं परिज्ञातुं कुतो मया
At the end of the age, O Lord, all enter into you; even the gods cannot fully know you, so how could I?
त्वयि सर्वेश दृश्यंते सुराः शक्रादयोऽनघ । सर्वस्त्वमसि लोकानां कर्ता कारयितान्वहम्
In you, O Lord of all, the gods such as Indra are seen; you are the creator and the constant maker of all worlds.
त्वत्प्रसादात्सुराः सर्वे मोदंतीहाकुतोभयाः । एवं स्तुत्वा महादेवं स ऋषिः प्रणतोऽब्रवीत्
By your grace, all the gods rejoice here, free from fear; thus, having praised Mahadeva, the sage spoke, bowing.
त्वत्प्रसादान्महादेव तपो मे न क्षरेत वै । ततो देवः प्रहृष्टात्मा ब्रह्मर्षिमिदमब्रवीत्
By your grace, O Mahadeva, may my asceticism never be lost; then the god, with a delighted heart, spoke to the Brahmarshi.
तपस्ते वर्द्धतां विप्र मत्प्रसादात्सहस्रधा । आश्रमे चेह वत्स्यामि त्वया सार्द्धं महामुने
May your asceticism increase a thousandfold, O Brahman, by my grace; I will stay here in your hermitage together with you, O great sage.
सप्तसारस्वते स्नात्वा अर्चयिष्यंति ये तु माम् । न तेषां दुर्लभं किंचिदिह लोके परत्र वा
Those who bathe in the seven Sarasvatis and worship me, nothing is unattainable for them in this world or the next.
गच्छेत्सारस्वतं चापि लोकं नास्त्यत्र संशयः । एवमुक्त्वा महादेवस्तत्रैवांतरधीयत
They will go to the Sarasvata world, there is no doubt about this; having spoken thus, Mahadeva vanished right there.
ततस्त्वौशनसं गच्छेत्त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम् । यत्र ब्रह्मादयो देवा ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः
Then one should go to the renowned Aushanasa, in the three worlds, where Brahma and other gods, and sages rich in asceticism, reside.
कार्तिकेयश्च भगवांस्त्रिसंध्यां किल भारत । सान्निध्यमकरोत्तत्र भार्गवप्रियकाम्यया
And Kartikeya, the blessed one, at the three junctions of the day, O Bharata, made his presence there, desiring the favor of Bhargava.
कपालमोचनं तीर्थं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् । तत्र स्नात्वा नरव्याघ्र सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
The holy place Kapālamocana destroys all sins; there, O tiger among men, one who bathes is freed from all sins.
अग्नितीर्थं ततो गच्छेत्स्नात्वा च भरतर्षभ । अग्निलोकमवाप्नोति कुलं चैव समुद्धरेत्
From there, one should go to Agnitīrtha and bathe, O best of the Bharatas; one attains the world of Agni and also uplifts one's lineage.
विश्वामित्रस्य तत्रैव तीर्थं भरतसत्तम । तत्र स्नात्वा महाराज ब्राह्मण्यमभिजायते
There too is the holy place of Viśvāmitra, O best of the Bharatas; bathing there, O great king, one is born into the state of a Brāhmaṇa.
ब्रह्मयोनिं समासाद्य शुचिः प्रयतमानसः । तत्र स्नात्वा नरव्याघ्र ब्रह्मलोकं प्रपद्यते
Having reached Brahmayoni, with a pure and concentrated mind, O tiger among men, one who bathes there attains the world of Brahmā.