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.
सौगंधिकं वनं राजंस्ततो गच्छेत मानवः । यत्र ब्रह्मादयो देवा ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः
Then, O king, a man should go to the Saugaṃdhika forest, where Brahmā and other gods, as well as sages rich in austerity, reside.
सिद्धचारणगंधर्वाः किन्नराः स महोरगाः । तद्वनं प्रविशन्नेव सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
Siddhas, Cāraṇas, Gandharvas, Kinnaras, and great serpents dwell there; merely entering that forest, one is freed from all sins.
ततो हि सा सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा नदीनामुत्तमा नदी । प्लक्षादेवी स्मृता राजन्महा पुण्या सरस्वती
Then, O king, that river, the best among rivers, is known as Plakṣādevī, the highly sacred Sarasvatī.
तत्राभिषेकं कुर्वीत वल्मीकान्निःसृते जले । अर्चयित्वा पितॄन्देवानश्वमेधफलं लभेत्
There, one should perform ablutions in the water emerging from anthills, and after worshipping ancestors and gods, obtains the fruit of the Aśvamedha sacrifice.
ईशानाध्युषितं नाम तत्र तीर्थं सुदुर्लभम् । षड्गुणं यन्निपातेषु वल्मीकादिति निश्चयः
There is a holy place called Īśānādhyuṣita, very difficult to attain, where the merit is sixfold in the spots where anthills are found—this is certain.
कपिलानां सहस्रं च वाजिमेधं च विंदति । तत्र स्नात्वा नरव्याघ्र दृष्टमेतत्पुरातनैः
One obtains the merit of a thousand Kapila sacrifices and a Vājimedha; having bathed there, O tiger among men, this has been witnessed by those of old.
सुगंधां शतकुंभां च पंचयज्ञं च भारत । अभिगम्य नरश्रेष्ठ स्वर्गलोके महीयते
Having approached the fragrant Śatakumbhā and the five sacrifices, O best of men, one is honored in the heavenly world.
त्रिशूलपात्रं तत्रैव तीर्थमासाद्य दुर्लभम् । तत्राभिषेकं कुर्वीत पितृदेवार्चने रतः
There, at the rare holy place called Triśūlapātra, one should perform ablutions, engaged in the worship of ancestors and gods.
गाणपत्यं च लभते देहं त्यक्त्वा न संशयः । ततो राजगृहं गच्छेद्देव्याः स्थानं सुदुर्लभम्
He attains the Gāṇapatya state after abandoning the body, without doubt; then he should go to the royal residence, the exceedingly rare abode of the goddess.
शाकंभरीति विख्याता त्रिषुलोकेषु विश्रुता । दिव्यं वर्षसहस्रं च शाकेन किल भारत
She is renowned as Śākaṃbharī, celebrated in the three worlds; for a thousand divine years, she sustained herself with vegetables, O Bhārata.