कूर्मरूपेण राजेंद्र असुरेण दुरात्मना । ह्रियमाणा हृता राजन्विष्णुना प्रभविष्णुना
In the form of a tortoise, O king, the wicked asura seized them; but, O king, they were taken by the mighty Viṣṇu.
तत्राभिषेकं कुर्वीत तीर्थकोट्यां नराधिप । पुंडरीकमवाप्नोति विष्णुलोकं च गच्छति
There, O lord of men, one should perform ablution at the multitude of fords; he attains Puṇḍarīka and goes to the world of Viṣṇu.
ततो गच्छेन्नरश्रेष्ठ स्थानं नारायणस्य च । सदा सन्निहितो यत्र हरिर्वसति भारत
Then, O best of men, he should go to the place of Nārāyaṇa, where Hari always dwells, ever present, O Bhārata.
यत्र ब्रह्मादयो देवा ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः । आदित्यावसवोरुद्रा जनार्दनमुपासते
Where Brahmā and the other gods, and the sages rich in austerity, the Ādityas, Vasus, and Rudras worship Janārdana.
शालग्राम इति ख्यातो विष्णोरद्भुतकर्मणः । अभिगम्य त्रिलोकेशं वरदं विष्णुमच्युतम्
That place is known as Śālagrāma, famed for Viṣṇu's wondrous deeds; approaching Viṣṇu, the lord of the three worlds, the bestower of boons, the imperishable one—
अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति विष्णुलोकं च गच्छति । तत्रोदपानो धर्मज्ञ सर्वपापप्रमोचनः
He attains the Aśvamedha sacrifice and goes to the world of Viṣṇu; there, O knower of dharma, the water absolves all sins.
समुद्रास्तत्रचत्वारः कूपे सन्निहिताः सदा । तत्रोपस्पृश्य राजेंद्र न दुर्गतिमवाप्नुयात्
There, the four oceans are always present in a well; having bathed there, O king, one does not meet with misfortune.
अभिगम्य महादेवं वरदं विष्णुमव्ययम् । विराजते यथा सोम ऋणैर्मुक्तो युधिष्ठिर
Having approached the great god, the bestower of boons, the imperishable Viṣṇu, one shines like Soma, freed from debts, O Yudhiṣṭhira.
जातिस्मरं उपस्पृश्य शुचिः प्रयतमानसः । जातिस्मरत्वं प्राप्नोति स्नात्वा तत्र न संशयः
Touching the Jātismara, pure and with concentrated mind, one attains remembrance of past births by bathing there, without doubt.
वटेश्वरपुरं गत्वा अर्चयित्वा च केशवम् । ईप्सिताँल्लभते लोकानुपवासान्न संशयः
Going to Vaṭeśvarapura and worshipping Keśava, one attains the desired worlds through fasting, without doubt.
ततस्तु वामनं गत्वा सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् । अभिवाद्य हरिं देवं न दुर्गतिमवाप्नुयात्
Then, going to Vāmana, the destroyer of all sins, and having saluted Hari, the god, one does not meet with misfortune.
भरतस्याश्रमं गत्वा सर्वपापप्रमोचनम् । कौशिकीं तत्र सेवेत महापातकनाशिनीम्
Going to the hermitage of Bharata, which frees from all sins, there one should serve the Kauśikī, destroyer of great sins.
राजसूयस्य यज्ञस्य फलं प्राप्नोतिमानवः । ततो गच्छेत धर्मज्ञ चंपकारण्यमुत्तमम्
A man obtains the fruit of the Rājasūya sacrifice there; then, O knower of dharma, he should go to the excellent forest of Campaka trees.
तत्रोष्य रजनीमेकां गोसहस्रफलं लभेत् । अथ गोविंदमासाद्य तीर्थं परमसम्मतम्
Staying there for one night, he obtains the fruit of a thousand cows; then, reaching Govinda, the most highly esteemed sacred ford—
उपोष्य रजनीमेकामग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत् । तत्र विश्वेश्वरं दृष्ट्वा देव्या सह महाद्युतिम्
By fasting for a single night, one attains the fruit of an Agniṣṭoma sacrifice; there, beholding Viśveśvara of great splendor together with the Goddess.
मित्रावरुणयोर्लोकान्प्राप्नुयाद्भरतर्षभ । त्रिरात्रोपोषितस्तत्र अग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत्
O best of the Bharatas, one obtains the worlds of Mitra and Varuṇa; by fasting there for three nights, one attains the fruit of an Agniṣṭoma sacrifice.
कन्यावसथमासाद्य नियतो नियताशनः (आवसथ्य)। मनोः प्रजापतेर्लोकानाप्नोति भरतर्षभ
Approaching the dwelling of the maiden, disciplined and restrained in food, one attains the worlds of Manu, the lord of progeny, O best of the Bharatas.
कन्यायां ये प्रयच्छंति दानमण्वपि भारत । तदक्षयमिति प्राहुरृषयः संशितव्रताः
O Bhārata, whatever gift is given at the place of the maiden, even the smallest, the sages devoted to vows declare that it is imperishable.
निष्ठावासं समासाद्य त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम् । अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति विष्णुलोकं च गच्छति
Reaching the abode called Niṣṭhā, renowned in the three worlds, one attains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice and goes to the world of Viṣṇu.
ये तु दानं प्रयच्छंति निष्ठायाः संगमे नराः । ते यांति नरशार्दूल ब्रह्मलोकमनामयम्
But those men who give gifts at the confluence of Niṣṭhā, O tiger among men, they go to the flawless world of Brahmā.
तत्राश्रमो वसिष्ठस्य त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतः । तत्राभिषेकं कुर्वाणो वाजपेयमवाप्नुयात्
There is the hermitage of Vasiṣṭha, famed in the three worlds; performing an abhiṣeka there, one attains the fruit of a Vājapeya sacrifice.
देवकूटं समासाद्य देवर्षिगणसेवितम् । अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति कुलं चैव समुद्धरेत्
Reaching Devakūṭa, attended by hosts of divine sages, one attains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice and uplifts one's lineage.
ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र कौशिकस्य मुनेर्ह्रदम् । तत्र सिद्धिं परां प्राप विश्वामित्रोऽथ कौशिकः
Then, O king, one should go to the lake of the sage Kauśika; there Viśvāmitra, also called Kauśika, attained supreme accomplishment.
यत्र मासं वसेद्धीरः कौशिक्यां भरतर्षभ । अश्वमेधस्य यत्पुण्यं तन्मासेनाधिगच्छति
Where a steadfast person dwells for a month on the Kauśikī, O best of the Bharatas, he attains the merit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice in that month.
सर्वतीर्थवरं चैव यो वसेत महाह्रदम् । न दुर्गतिमवाप्नोति विंद्याद्बहुसुवर्णकम्
And whoever dwells at the great lake, the best of all holy places, does not fall into misfortune and finds much gold.
कुमारमभिगम्याथ वीराश्रमनिवासिनम् । अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति शक्रलोकं स गच्छति
Approaching the Kumāra, who dwells in the hermitage of heroes, one attains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice and goes to the world of Indra.
नंदिन्यां च समासाद्य कूपं त्रिदशसेवितम् । नरमेधस्य यत्पुण्यं तत्प्राप्नोति कुरूद्वह
And reaching the well at Nandinī, attended by the gods, one obtains the merit of a human sacrifice, O best of the Kurus.
कालिकासंगमे स्नात्वा कौशिक्यारुणयोर्यतः । त्रिरात्रोपोषितो विद्वान्सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
Bathing at the confluence of Kālikā, Kauśikī, and Araṇya, and fasting for three nights, the wise person is freed from all sins.
उर्वशीतीर्थमासाद्य तथा सोमाश्रमं बुधः । कुंभकर्णाश्रमे स्नात्वा पूज्यते भुवि मानवः
Approaching the holy place of Urvaśī and likewise the hermitage of Soma, and bathing at the hermitage of Kumbhakarṇa, a person is honored on earth.
तथा कोकामुखे स्नात्वा ब्रह्मचारी समाहितः । जातिस्मरत्वं प्राप्नोति दृष्टमेतत्पुरातनैः
Likewise, bathing at Kokāmukha, a devoted celibate attains remembrance of past births; this has been witnessed by the ancients.