गोग्रासं ये प्रयच्छंति ये शुश्रूषंति गाः सदा । येनारोहंति गोपृष्ठे ते स्वर्लोकनिवासिनः
Those who provide fodder for cows, who always serve the cows, and those by whom cows are made to ascend their backs—these dwellers in heaven.
गर्तमात्रं तु ये चक्रुर्यत्र गौरतृषा भवेत् । यमलोकमदृष्ट्वैव ते यांति स्वर्गतिं नराः
Those who make even a small pit where a cow may quench her thirst—such people, without ever seeing the realm of Yama, attain the path to heaven.
अग्निपूजा देवपूजा गुरुपूजा रताश्च ये । द्विजपूजा रता नित्यं ते विप्राः स्वर्गगामिनः
Those who are devoted to the worship of fire, the gods, the teacher, and who are always devoted to the worship of the twice-born—these wise ones are destined for heaven.
वापीकूपतडागादौ धर्मस्यांतो न विद्यते । पिबंति स्वेच्छया यत्र जलस्थल चरास्तदा
In wells, ponds, and reservoirs, there is no limit to merit; wherever creatures drink water or move about on land as they please.
नित्यं दानपरः सोऽत्र कथ्यते विबुधैरपि । यथायथा च पानीयं पिबंति प्राणिनो भृशम्
He who is always devoted to giving is praised here even by the gods; and as much as living beings drink water, so much is his merit increased.
तथातथाऽक्षयः स्वर्गो धर्मबुद्ध्या विशां वर । प्राणिनां जीवनं वारि प्राणा वारिणि संस्थिताः
In the same measure, O best of men, heaven is inexhaustible for one who acts with righteousness; water is the life of living beings, and their very breath is established in water.
नित्यस्नानेन पूयंते येऽपि पातकिनो नराः । प्रातःस्नानं हरेद्वैश्य बाह्माभ्यंतरजं मलम्
Even sinners are purified by daily bathing; the morning bath removes the inner and outer impurity and filth of a Vaiśya.
प्रातःस्नानेन निष्पापो नरो न निरयं व्रजेत् । स्नानं विना तु यो भुंक्ते मलाशी स सदा नरः
By bathing in the morning, a man becomes free from sin and does not go to hell; but one who eats without bathing is always a consumer of impurity.
अस्नायी यो नरस्तस्य विमुखा पितृदेवताः । स्नानहीनो नरः पापः स्नानहीनो नरोऽशुचिः
The ancestors and gods turn away from a man who does not bathe; a man without bathing is sinful, and a man without bathing is impure.
अस्नायी नरकं भुंक्ते पुंस्कीटादिषु जायते । ये पुनः स्रोतसि स्नानमाचरंतीह पर्वणि
A man who does not bathe experiences hell and is born among insects and worms; but those who bathe in a stream on festival days—
ते नैव नरकं यांति न जायंते कुयोनिषु । दुःस्वप्ना दुष्टचिंताश्च वंध्या भवंति सर्वदा
They do not go to hell, nor are they born in evil wombs; but those who have bad dreams, evil thoughts, or are always barren—
प्रातःस्नानेन शुद्धानां पुरुषाणां विशांवर । तिलांश्च तिलपात्रांश्च तिलप्रस्थं यथाविधि
For those men who are purified by the morning bath, O best of men, sesame seeds, vessels of sesame, and a measure of sesame, as prescribed—
दत्त्वा प्रेतपतेर्भूमौ न व्रजंति नराः क्वचित् । पृथिवीं कांचनं गां च दत्वा दानानि षोडश
Having given these to the lord of the departed on the earth, men never go anywhere (to hell); by giving the earth, gold, and a cow, and the sixteen gifts—
गत्वा न विनिवर्तंते स्वर्गलोकाद्विकुंडल । पुण्यासु तिथिषु प्राज्ञो व्यतीपाते च संक्रमे
Having gone, they do not return from heaven, O one with beautiful earrings; on auspicious lunar days, at eclipses, and at solstices—
स्नात्वा दत्त्वा च यत्किंचिन्नैव मज्जति दुर्गतौ । नैवाक्रामंति दातारो दारुणं रौरवं पथम् । इहलोके न जायंते कुले धनविवर्जिते
By bathing and giving even a little, one does not sink into misfortune; givers do not tread the dreadful path of Raurava, nor are they born in families lacking wealth in this world.
सत्यवादी सदा मौनी प्रियवादी च यो नरः । अक्रोधनः समाचारो नातिवाद्यनसूयकः
A man who always speaks the truth, is always silent, speaks pleasantly, is free from anger, of good conduct, not excessively talkative, and not envious—
सदा दाक्षिण्यसंपन्नः सदा भूतदयान्वितः । गोप्ता च परमर्माणां वक्ता परगुणस्य च
Who is always endowed with generosity, always compassionate to beings, a protector of confidences, and a speaker of others' virtues—
परस्वं तृणमात्रं च मनसापि न यो हरेत् । न पश्यंति विशांश्रेष्ठ ह्येते नरकयातनाम्
Who does not take even a blade of grass belonging to another, not even in thought—such men, O best of men, do not see the torments of hell.
परापवादी पाखंडः पापेभ्योऽपि मतोऽधिकः । पच्यते नरके तावद्यावदाभूतसंप्लवम्
One who slanders others and is a heretic is considered worse even than sinners; he is tormented in hell until the dissolution of the world.
वक्ता परुषवाक्यानां मंतव्यो नरकागतः । संदेहो न विशांश्रेष्ठ पुनर्याति च दुर्गतिम्
He who utters harsh words is to be regarded as one who has gone to hell; there is no doubt, O best of men, that he again attains a miserable state.
न तीर्थैर्न तपोभिश्च कृतघ्नस्यास्ति निष्कृतिः । सहते यातनां घोरां स नरो नरके चिरम्
For the ungrateful, there is no atonement through holy places or austerities; such a man endures terrible torment in hell for a long time.
पृथिव्यां यानि तीर्थानि तेषु मज्जति यो नरः । जितेंद्रियो जिताहारो न स याति यमालयम्
A man who bathes in the holy places on earth, with his senses and diet controlled, does not go to the abode of Yama.
न तीर्थे पातकं कुर्यान्न च तीर्थोपजीवनम् । तीर्थे प्रतिग्रहस्त्याज्यस्त्याज्यो धर्मस्य विक्रयः
One should not commit sin at a holy place, nor make a livelihood from holy places; accepting gifts at a holy place must be abandoned, as must the sale of righteousness.
दुर्जरं पातकं तीर्थे दुर्जरश्च प्रतिग्रहः । तीर्थे च दुर्जरं सर्वमेतत्किन्नरकं व्रजेत्
Sin committed at a holy place is hard to overcome, and so is accepting gifts there; all such acts at a holy place are difficult to expiate and lead to hell.
सकृद्गंगांभसि स्नातः पूतो गांगेयवारिणा । न नरो नरकं याति अपि पातकराशिकृत्
A man who bathes even once in the waters of the Ganga is purified by the water of the daughter of Ganga; he does not go to hell, even if he has committed heaps of sins.
व्रतदानतपो यज्ञाः पवित्राणीतराणि च । गंगाबिंद्वभिषिक्तस्य न समा इति नः श्रुतम्
Vows, gifts, austerities, sacrifices, and other purifying acts are not equal, as we have heard, to one who is anointed with even a drop of Ganga water.
अन्यतीर्थसमां गंगां यो ब्रवीति नराधमः । स याति नरकं वैश्य दारुणं रौरवं महत्
The lowest of men who says that the Ganga is equal to any other holy place goes, O Vaisya, to the dreadful and great hell called Raurava.
धर्मद्रवं ह्यपां बीजं वैकुंठचरणच्युतम् । धृतं मूर्ध्नि महेशेन यद्गांगममलं जलम्
The essence of righteousness, the seed of waters, fallen from the feet of Vaikuntha, is the pure Ganga water held on the head by Mahesha.
तद्ब्रह्मैव न संदेहो निर्गुणं प्रकृतेः परम् । तेन किं समतां गच्छेदपि ब्रह्मांडगोचरे
That is indeed Brahman, without doubt—formless, beyond nature; how can anything within the universe be considered equal to it?
गंगागंगेति यो ब्रूयाद्योजनानां शतैरपि । नरो न नरकं याति किं तया सदृशं भवेत् । नान्येन दह्यते सद्यः क्रिया नरकदायिनी
Whoever, even from hundreds of yojanas away, recites 'Ganga, Ganga,' does not go to hell; what can compare with her? No other act instantly destroys the giver of hell.