कपालमोचनं तीर्थं ब्रह्महत्याविनाशनम् । शुक्रेश्वरं महापुण्यमानंदपुरमुत्तमम्
The Kapālamocana tīrtha destroys the sin of killing a Brahmin; Śukreśvara is supremely meritorious, and Ānandapura is excellent.
एवमादीनि तीर्थानि वाराणस्यां स्थितानि वै । न शक्यं विस्तराद्वक्तुं कल्पकोटिशतैरपि
Such holy places as these are established in Vārāṇasī; even in hundreds of millions of aeons, they cannot be fully described.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे स्वर्गखंडे वाराणसीमाहात्म्ये सप्तत्रिंशोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the thirty-seventh chapter, entitled 'The Greatness of Vārāṇasī', in the Svarga-khaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
नारद उवाच- वाराणस्याश्च माहात्म्यं तस्यां तीर्थानि च प्रभो । कथितानि समासेन तीर्थान्यन्यानि संशृणु
Nārada said: O Lord, the greatness of Vārāṇasī and its holy places have been briefly told; now hear of other tīrthas as well.
ततो गयां समासाद्य ब्रह्मचारी समाहितः । अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति गमनादेव भारत
Then, reaching Gayā with focused mind, a celibate attains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice merely by going there, O Bhārata.
यत्राक्षय्यवटो नाम त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतः । पितॄणां तत्र वै दत्तमक्षयं भवति प्रभो
There is the imperishable fig tree, renowned in the three worlds; whatever is offered there to the ancestors, O Lord, becomes inexhaustible.
महानद्यामुपस्पृश्य तर्पयेत्पितृदेवताः । अक्षयान्प्राप्नुयाल्लोकान्कुलं चैव समुद्धरेत्
After bathing in the great river, one should satisfy the ancestors and gods; one attains inexhaustible worlds and uplifts one's lineage.
ततो ब्रह्मसरो गच्छेद्ब्रह्मारण्योपसेवितम् । पुंडरीकमवाप्नोति प्रभातमिव शर्वरी
Then one should go to Brahmasaras, frequented by Brahmā in the forest; one attains Puṇḍarīka, as night gives way to dawn.
सरसि ब्रह्मणा तत्र यूपश्रेष्ठः समुच्छ्रितः । यूपं प्रदक्षिणं कृत्वा वाजपेयफलं लभेत्
There, in the lake of Brahmā, the foremost sacrificial post is raised; by circumambulating the post, one obtains the fruit of a Vājapeya sacrifice.
ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र धेनुकं लोकविश्रुतम् । एकारात्रोषितो राजन्प्रयच्छेत्तिलधेनुकाम्
Then, O king, one should go to Dhenuka, famed in the world; if one stays there for a single night, O king, one should offer a sesame cow.
सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा सोमलोकं व्रजेद्ध्रुवम् । तत्र चिह्नं महाराज अद्यापि हि न संशयः
With all sins cleansed, the soul surely goes to the world of Soma; even today, O great king, the sign remains—there is no doubt.
कपिला सहवत्सा वै पर्वते विचरत्युतः । सवत्सायाः पदान्यस्या दृश्यंतेऽद्यापि भारत
A tawny cow with her calf indeed roams on the mountain; even today, O Bhārata, the footprints of that cow with her calf are seen.
तेषूपस्पृश्य राजेंद्र पदेषु नृपसत्तम । यत्किंचिदशुभं पापं तत्प्रणश्यति भारत
By bathing at those footprints, O best of kings, whatever inauspicious or sinful thing there is, O Bhārata, that is destroyed.
ततो गृध्रवटं गच्छेत्स्थानं देवस्य शूलिनः । स्नायात्तु भस्मना तत्र संगम्य वृषभध्वजम्
Then one should go to Gṛdhravaṭa, the place of the god with the trident; there, after bathing in ashes and meeting the bull-bannered one, one should bathe.
ब्राह्मणेन भवेच्चीर्णं व्रतं द्वादशवार्षिकम् । इतरेषां तु वर्णानां सर्वपापं प्रणश्यति
For a Brāhmaṇa, the twelve-year vow is to be performed there; for people of other classes, all sins are destroyed.
गच्छेत तत उद्यंतं पर्वतं गीतनादितम् । सावित्रं तु पदं तत्र दृश्यते भरतर्षभ
Then one should go to the rising mountain, resounding with song; there, O best of Bhāratas, the Sāvitra step is seen.
तत्र संध्यामुपासीत ब्राह्मणः संशितव्रतः । उपास्ताहि भवेत्संध्या तेन द्वादशवार्षिकी
There, a Brāhmaṇa of firm vows should perform the evening worship; by worshipping there, the twelve-year evening rite is fulfilled.
योनिद्वारं च तत्रैव विश्रुतं भरतर्षभ । तत्राभिगम्य मुच्येत पुरुषो योनिसंकटात्
There too is the renowned 'womb-gate', O best of Bhāratas; by approaching there, a person is freed from the distress of the womb.
शुक्लकृष्णावुभौ पक्षौ गयायां यो वसेन्नरः । पुनात्यासप्तमं राजन्कुलं नास्त्यत्र संशयः
O King, a man who dwells at Gayā during both the bright and dark fortnights purifies up to the seventh generation of his family—there is no doubt about this.
एष्टव्या बहवः पुत्रा यद्यप्येको गयां व्रजेत् । यजेत वाश्वमेधेन नीलं वा वृषमुत्सृजेत्
Though many sons are to be desired, if even one goes to Gayā, or performs an Aśvamedha sacrifice, or releases a blue bull, he fulfills the duty.
ततः फल्गुं व्रजेद्राजंस्तीर्थसेवी नराधिप । अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति सिद्धिं च परमां व्रजेत्
Then, O King, one should go to the Phalgu river; serving at the holy place, a man attains the fruit of the Aśvamedha and reaches the highest perfection.
ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र धर्मपृष्ठं समाहितः । यत्र धर्मो महाराज नित्यमास्ते युधिष्ठिर
After that, O King, one should go with a focused mind to Dharmapṛṣṭha, where Dharma himself always resides, O Yudhiṣṭhira.
धर्म्मं तत्राभिसंगम्य वाजिमेधफलं लभेत् । ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र ब्रह्मणस्तीर्थमुत्तमम्
Having met Dharma there, one obtains the fruit of the Aśvamedha; then, O King, one should go to the supreme holy place of Brahmā.
तत्राभिगम्य ब्रह्माणमर्चयेन्नियतव्रतः । राजसूयाश्वमेधाभ्यां फलं प्राप्नोति भारत
There, approaching Brahmā and worshipping him with disciplined vows, one attains the fruit of both the Rājasūya and Aśvamedha sacrifices, O Bhārata.
ततो राजगृहं गच्छेत्तीर्थसेवी नराधिप । उपस्पृश्य ततस्तत्र कक्षीवानिव मोदते
Then, the king who serves the holy places should go to Rājagṛha; after bathing there, he rejoices like Kakṣīvān.
यक्षिण्या नैत्यकं तत्र प्रागग्निपुरुषः शुचिः । यक्षिण्यास्तु प्रसादेन मुच्यते ब्रह्महत्यया
There, the pure man, facing east, should perform the daily rite for Yakṣiṇī; by her grace, he is freed from the sin of killing a Brāhmaṇa.
मणिनागं ततो गच्छेद्गोसहस्रफलं लभेत् । नैत्यकं भुंजते यस्तु मणिनागस्य मानवः
Then, one should go to Maṇināga and obtains the fruit of giving a thousand cows; whoever partakes of the daily rite for Maṇināga enjoys this reward.
दष्टस्याशीविषेणास्य न विषं क्रमते नृप । तत्रोष्य रजनीमेकां सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
If bitten by a venomous snake, its poison does not affect him, O King; and by staying there for one night, he is freed from all sins.
ततो गच्छेत ब्रह्मर्षेर्गौतमस्य वनं नृप । अहल्याया ह्रदे स्नात्वा व्रजेत परमां गतिम्
Then, O King, one should go to the forest of the sage Gautama; by bathing in the pool of Ahalyā, one attains the highest state.
अभिगम्य श्रियं राजन्विंदते श्रियमुत्तमाम् । तत्रोदपानो धर्म्मज्ञ त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतः
Having approached Śrī there, O King, one obtains the highest prosperity; there, the sacred bath is renowned in the three worlds, O knower of Dharma.