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.
आहारं सा कृतवती मासिमासि नराधिप । ऋषयोऽभ्यागतास्तत्र देव्या भक्तास्तपोधनाः
Month by month, she prepared food from vegetables, O king of men; the sages, devoted to the goddess and rich in austerity, arrived there.
आतिथ्यं च कृतं तेषां शाकेन किल भारत । ततः शाकंभरीत्येवं नाम तस्याः प्रतिष्ठितम्
She offered them hospitality with vegetables, O Bhārata; thus the name Śākaṃbharī became established for her.
शाकंभरीं समासाद्य ब्रह्मचारी समाहितः । त्रिरात्रमुषितः शाकं भक्षयेन्नियतः शुचिः
Having approached Śākaṃbharī, a celibate, focused, should eat vegetables for three nights, disciplined and pure.
शाकाहारस्य यत्सम्यग्वर्षैर्द्वादशभिः फलम् । तत्फलं तस्य भवति देव्याश्छंदेन भारत
The fruit gained from properly eating vegetables for twelve years is obtained by him, by the grace of the goddess, O Bhārata.
ततो गच्छेत्सुवर्णाख्यं त्रिषुलोकेषु विश्रुतम् । यत्र कृष्णः प्रसादार्थं रुद्रमाराधयत्पुरा
Then he should go to the place called Suvarṇa, renowned in the three worlds, where Kṛṣṇa once worshipped Rudra for favor.
वरांश्च सुबहूँल्लेभे देवैरपि स दुर्ल्लभान् । उक्तश्च त्रिपुरघ्नेन परितुष्टेन भारत
He obtained many boons there, difficult even for the gods to attain, and was addressed by Tripuraghna, who was fully satisfied, O Bhārata.
अपि चात्माप्रियतरो लोके कृष्ण भविष्यसि । त्वन्मुखं च जगत्कृत्स्नं भविष्यति न संशयः
Moreover, O Krishna, you will become dearer than oneself in the world; and your face will become the entire universe, without doubt.
तत्राभिगम्य राजेंद्र पूजयित्वा वृषध्वजम् । अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति गाणपत्यं च विंदति
There, approaching and worshipping the Bull-bannered One, O king, one attains the fruit of the Ashvamedha sacrifice and obtains the favor of Ganesha.
धूमावतीं ततो गच्छेत्त्रिरात्रमुषितो नरः । मनसा प्रार्थितान्कामाँल्लभते नात्र संशयः
Then, if a man stays for three nights at Dhumavati, he certainly obtains all the desires he has wished for in his mind—of this there is no doubt.
देव्यास्तु दक्षिणार्धे नरथावर्त्तो नराधिप । तत्रागत्य तु धर्मज्ञ श्रद्दधानो जितेंद्रियः
On the southern side of the goddess, O king, is Narathavarta; there, O knower of righteousness, one who arrives with faith and controlled senses—