त्रिरात्रोपोषितश्चैव भवेत्तुल्यो नराधिप । इंद्रमार्गं समासाद्य तीर्थसेवी नराधिप
Having fasted for three nights, O king, he becomes equal; the devotee of holy places attains the path of Indra.
अहोरात्रोपवासेन स्वर्गलोके महीयते । एकरात्रं समासाद्य एकरात्रोषितो नरः
By fasting day and night, he is glorified in the world of heaven; having attained one night, a man who has fasted for one night.
नियतः सत्यवादी च ब्रह्मलोके महीयते । तथा गछेच्च राजेंद्र तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम्
Disciplined and truthful, he is honored in the world of Brahma; likewise, O king, he should go to the holy place renowned in the three worlds.
आदित्यस्याश्रमो यत्र तेजोराशेर्महात्मनः । तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा पूजयित्वा विभावसुम्
Where is the hermitage of the sun, the great soul, the mass of brilliance; at that holy place, having bathed, he should worship the radiant one.
आदित्यलोकं व्रजति कुलं चैव समुद्धरेत् । सोमतीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा तीर्थसेवी कुरूद्वह
He attains the world of the sun and also uplifts his lineage; having bathed at the Soma holy place, O best of Kurus, the devotee of holy places.
सोमलोकमवाप्नोति नरो नास्त्यत्र संशयः । ततो गच्छेत धर्मज्ञ दधीचस्य नराधिप
He attains the world of Soma, O man, there is no doubt here; then, O knower of dharma, the king should go to the holy place of Dadhīca.
तीर्थं पुण्यतमं राजन्पावनं लोकविश्रुतम् । यत्र सारस्वतो यातः सिद्धिं स तपसोनिधिः
O king, the most sacred and purifying holy place, renowned in the world; where Sarasvata went, that treasury of austerity attained perfection.
तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा वाजपेयफलं लभेत् । सारस्वतीं मतिं चैव लभते नात्र संशयः
Having bathed at that holy place, a man obtains the fruit of the Vājapeya sacrifice; and he attains the intellect of Sarasvati, there is no doubt about this.
ततः कन्याश्रमं गत्वा नियतो ब्रह्मचर्यया । त्रिरात्रमुषितो राजन्नुपवासपरायणः
Then, having gone to the hermitage of Kanyā, disciplined in celibacy; fasting for three nights, O king, devoted to fasting.
लभेत्कन्याशतं दिव्यं बह्मलोकं च गच्छति । ततो गच्छेत धर्मज्ञ तीर्थं संनिहितीमपि
He obtains a hundred divine maidens and also goes to the world of Brahma; then, O knower of dharma, he should go to the nearby holy place.
यत्र ब्रह्मादयो देवा ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः । मासि मासि समेष्यंति पुण्येन महतान्विताः
Where Brahma and the other gods, and sages rich in austerity, come together month after month, endowed with great merit.
सन्निहित्यामुपस्पृश्य राहुग्रस्ते दिवाकरे । अश्वमेधशतं तेन इष्टं भवति शाश्वतम्
When the sun is eclipsed by Rahu, one who bathes at the sacred gathering achieves the everlasting fruit of a hundred horse sacrifices.
पृथिव्यां यानि तीर्थानि अंतरिक्षचराणि च । उदपानाश्च विप्राश्च पुण्यान्यायतनानि च
All the holy places on earth, those that move in the sky, the sacred wells, the learned Brahmins, and the virtuous shrines—
निःसंशयममावास्यां समेष्यंति नराधिप । मासिमासि नरव्याघ्र सन्निहित्यां जनेश्वर
Without doubt, O king, they assemble at the new moon each month; O tiger among men, at the sacred gathering, month after month.
तीर्थसन्नयनादेव सन्निहिती भुवि विश्रुता । तत्र स्नात्वा च पीत्वा च स्वर्गलोके महीयते
Because of the bringing together of holy places, the sacred gathering is renowned on earth; one who bathes and drinks there is honored in the heavenly world.
अमावास्यां तथा चैव राहुग्रस्ते दिवाकरे । यः श्राद्धं कुरुते मर्त्यस्तस्य पुण्यफलं शृणु
Likewise, on the new moon when the sun is eclipsed by Rahu, if a mortal performs the ancestral rite, hear the merit that results for him.
अश्वमेधसहस्रस्य सम्यगिष्टस्य यत्फलम् । स्नात एव तदाप्नोति श्राद्धं कृत्वा च मानवः
The fruit of a thousand properly performed horse sacrifices is obtained simply by bathing and performing the ancestral rite at that time.
यत्किंचिद्दुष्कृतं कर्म्म स्त्रिया वा पुरुषस्य वा । स्नातमात्रस्य तत्सर्वं नश्यते नात्र संशयः
Whatever evil deed, whether by woman or man, all of it is destroyed merely by bathing; there is no doubt about this.
पद्मवर्णेन यानेन ब्रह्मलोकं स गच्छति । अभिवाद्य ततो नाम्ना द्वारपालं मचक्रुकम्
He goes to the world of Brahma in a vehicle of lotus hue, and then, after saluting by name, approaches the gatekeeper Macakruka.
गंगाह्रदश्च तत्रैव तीर्थं भरतसत्तम । तत्र स्नायीत धर्मज्ञ ब्रह्मचारी समाहितः
There, O best of Bharatas, is the Ganga pool, a holy place; there, one should bathe, O knower of dharma, the devoted student.
राजसूयाश्वमेधाभ्यां फलं विंदति मानवः । पृथिव्यां नैमिषं पुण्यमंतरिक्षे च पुष्करम्
A person attains the fruit of the royal consecration and the horse sacrifice; on earth, Naimisha is holy, and in the sky, Pushkara.
त्रयाणामपि लोकानां कुरुक्षेत्रं विशिष्यते । पांसवोऽपि कुरुक्षेत्रे वायुनाति समीरिताः
Kurukshetra surpasses all three worlds; even the dust blown by the wind in Kurukshetra—
अपि दुष्कृतकर्म्माणं नयंति परमां गतिम् । दक्षिणेन सरस्वत्यामुत्तरेण सरस्वतीम्
Even those with evil deeds are led to the highest state, south of Sarasvati and north of Sarasvati.
ये वसंति कुरुक्षेत्रे ते वसंति त्रिविष्टपे । कुरुक्षेत्रं गमिष्यामि कुरुक्षेत्रे वसाम्यहम्
Those who dwell in Kurukshetra dwell in heaven; I will go to Kurukshetra, I will reside in Kurukshetra.
अप्येकां वाचमुत्मृज्य स्वर्गलोके महीयते । ब्रह्मवेद्यां कुरुक्षेत्रं पुण्यं ब्रह्मर्षिसेवितम्
Even uttering a single word there, one is honored in heaven; Kurukshetra, known by the Vedas, holy and served by Brahmin sages.
तस्मिन्वसंति ये राजन्न ते शोच्याः कथंचन । तरंडकारंडकयोर्यदंतरं रामह्रदानां च मचक्रुकस्य च । एतत्कुरुक्षेत्र समंतपंचकं पितामहस्योत्तर वेदिरुच्यते
Those who dwell there, O king, are never to be mourned; the space between Taranda and Karandaka, between Rama's pool and Macakruka—this is Kurukshetra's Samantapanchaka, called the northern altar of the grandsire.
नारद उवाच-। ततो गच्छेत धर्म्मज्ञ धर्म्मतीर्थं पुरातनम् । यत्र धर्मो महाभागस्तप्तवानुत्तमं तपः
Narada said: Then, O knower of dharma, one should go to the ancient holy place of Dharma, where Dharma, greatly fortunate, performed supreme austerity.
तेन तीर्थं कृतं पुण्यं स्वेन नाम्ना च चिह्नितम् । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्धर्मशीलः समाहितः
That holy place was made sacred by him and marked with his own name; there, after bathing, a man, O king, devoted to dharma and concentrated, attains merit.
आसप्तमं कुलं चैव पुनीते नात्र संशयः । ततो गच्छेत धर्मज्ञ कलाप वनमुत्तमम्
He purifies his lineage up to the seventh generation; there is no doubt about this. Then, O knower of dharma, he should proceed to the excellent Kalapa forest.
कृच्छ्रेण महता गत्वा तत्र स्नात्वा समाहितः । अग्निष्टोममवाप्नोति विष्णुलोकं च गच्छति
Having reached there with great difficulty and bathing with concentration, he attains the fruit of the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice and goes to the world of Viṣṇu.