अस्ति मे भगवन्कश्चित्तीर्थे यो धर्मसंशयः । तदहं श्रोतुमिच्छामि पृथक्संकीर्तनं त्वया
O revered one, I have a certain doubt regarding dharma at a holy place. I wish to hear it distinctly explained by you.
प्रदक्षिणां यः पृथिवीं करोति द्विजसत्तम । किं फलं तस्य विप्रर्षे तन्मे ब्रूहि तपोधन
O best of twice-born, what is the fruit for one who circumambulates the earth? Tell me, O sage, O possessor of austerity.
वसिष्ठ उवाच-। कथयिष्यामि तदहमृषीणां मत्परायणम् । तदेकाग्रमनास्तात शृणु तीर्थेषु यत्फलम्
Vasiṣṭha said: I shall tell you what is the view of the sages. Listen with focused mind, my son, to the fruit gained at holy places.
यस्य हस्तौ च पादौ च मनश्चैव सुसंयतम् । विद्या तपश्च कीर्तिश्च स तीर्थफलमश्नुते
He whose hands, feet, and mind are well restrained, whose knowledge, austerity, and fame are established, attains the fruit of pilgrimage.
प्रतिग्रहादुपावृत्तः संतुष्टो नियतः शुचिः । अहंकारनिवृत्तश्च स तीर्थफलमश्नुते
He who refrains from accepting gifts, is content, disciplined, pure, and free from pride, attains the fruit of pilgrimage.
अकल्किको निराहारोऽलब्धाहारो जितेंद्रियः । विमुक्तः सर्वदोषैर्यः स तीर्थफलमश्नुते
He who is free from deceit, abstains from food, has not obtained food, has conquered his senses, and is liberated from all faults, attains the fruit of pilgrimage.
अक्रोधनश्च राजेंद्र सत्यशीलो दृढव्रतः । आत्मोपमश्च भूतेषु स तीर्थफलमश्नुते
He who is free from anger, O king, truthful in conduct, firm in vow, and regards all beings as himself, attains the fruit of pilgrimage.
ऋषिभिः क्रतवः प्रोक्ता देवेष्वपि यथाक्रमम् । फलं चैव यथातत्त्वं प्रेत्य चेह च सर्वशः
Sacrifices have been declared by the sages, and among the gods in due order, and their fruits, as is proper, both after death and here, in every way.
न ते शक्या दरिद्रेण यज्ञाः प्राप्तुं महीपते । बहूपकरणा यज्ञा नानासंभारविस्तराः
O king, those sacrifices cannot be accomplished by the poor; sacrifices require many implements and a wide variety of materials.
प्राप्यंते पार्थिवैरेते समृद्धैर्वा नरैः क्वचित् । न निर्धनैर्नरगणैरेकात्मभिरसाधनैः
These are attained by kings or sometimes by prosperous men, not by the poor or by groups of men lacking means and unity.
यो दरिद्रैरपि विधिः शक्यः प्राप्तुं जनेश्वर । तुल्यो यज्ञफलैः पुण्यैस्तं निबोध महीपते
O lord of men, know that which even the poor can attain, which is equal to the fruits and merits of sacrifices.
ऋषीणां परमं गुह्यमिदं धर्म्मभृतां वर । तीर्थाभिगमनं पुण्यं यज्ञैरपि विशिष्यते
O best of those who uphold dharma, this is the supreme secret of the seers: the merit of pilgrimage to holy places surpasses even that of sacrifices.
अनुपोष्य त्रिरात्राणि तीर्थाभिगमनेन च । अदत्वा कांचनं गाश्च दरिद्रो नाम जायते
One who does not fast for three nights, nor visits holy places, nor gives gold or cows, is called poor.
अग्निष्टोमादिभिर्यज्ञैरिष्ट्वा विपुलदक्षिणैः । न तत्फलमवाप्नोति तीर्थाभिगमनेन यत्
Even by performing sacrifices like Agniṣṭoma with abundant gifts, one does not obtain the fruit that comes from pilgrimage to holy places.
नृलोके देवलोकस्य तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम् । पुष्करं तीर्थमासाद्य देवदेवसमो भवेत्
In the world of men, the holy place of Puṣkara, renowned throughout the three worlds, is such that by reaching it, one becomes equal to the Lord of gods.
दशकोटिसहस्राणि तीर्थानां वै महीपते । सान्निध्यं पुष्करे येषां त्रिसंध्यं सूर्यवंशज
O descendant of the solar dynasty, in Puṣkara there is the presence of ten billion thousand holy places at the three junctions of the day.
आदित्या वसवो रुद्रा साध्याश्च समरुद्गणाः । गंधर्वाप्सरसश्चैव तत्र सन्निहिताः प्रभो
O lord, there are present there the Ādityas, Vasus, Rudras, Sādhyas with their hosts, as well as Gandharvas and Apsarases.
यत्र देवास्तपस्तप्त्वा दैत्या ब्रह्मर्षयस्तथा । दिव्ययोगा महाराज पुण्येन महता द्विजाः
O great king, there the gods, demons, and Brahmarṣis performed austerities, and the twice-born attained divine union through great merit.
मनसाप्यभिकामस्य पुष्कराणि मनीषिणः । पूयंते सर्वपापानि नाकपृष्ठे च पूज्यते
For the wise who even mentally desire Puṣkara, all sins are purified, and they are honored in the highest heaven.
अस्मिंस्तीर्थे महाभाग नित्यमेव पितामहः । उवास परमप्रीतो देवदानवसंमतः
O greatly fortunate one, at this holy place, the Grandfather (Brahmā), ever delighted and honored by gods and demons, always resided.
पुष्करेषु महाभाग देवाः सर्षिपुरोगमाः । सिद्धिं परमिकां प्राप्ताः पुण्येन महतान्विताः
O greatly fortunate one, at Puṣkara, the gods led by the sages attained the highest accomplishment, endowed with great merit.
तत्राभिषेकं यः कुर्यात्पितृदेवार्चने रतः । अश्वमेधाद्दशगुणं प्रवदंति मनीषिणः
Those who perform ablutions there, devoted to worship of ancestors and gods, are said by the wise to gain ten times the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice.
अप्येकं भोजयेद्विप्रं पुष्करारण्यमाश्रितः । तेनैति पूजिताँल्लोकान्ब्रह्मणः सदने स्थितान्
Even one who feeds a single Brāhmaṇa while dwelling in the Puṣkara forest attains the honored worlds that abide in the abode of Brahmā.
सायंप्रातः स्मरेद्यस्तु पुष्कराणि कृतांजलि । उपस्पृष्टं भवेत्तेन सर्वतीर्थेषु पार्थिव
O king, whoever remembers Puṣkara at dawn and dusk with joined palms becomes as if purified at all holy places.
जन्मप्रभृति यत्पापं स्त्रियो वा पुरुषस्य वा । पुष्करे गतमात्रस्य सर्वमेव प्रणश्यति
Whatever sin has been committed by a woman or a man from birth, all of it is destroyed merely by going to Puṣkara.
यथा सुराणां सर्वेषामादिस्तु मधुसूदनः । तथैव पुष्करो राजन्तीर्थानामादिरुच्यते
Just as Madhusūdana is the foremost among all the gods, so too is Puṣkara regarded as the foremost among holy places, O king.
उष्ट्वा द्वादशवर्षाणि पुष्करे नियतः शुचिः । क्रतून्सर्वानवाप्नोति ब्रह्मलोकं च गच्छति
One who, self-controlled and pure, resides at Puṣkara for twelve years attains the fruit of all sacrifices and goes to the world of Brahmā.
यस्तु वर्षशतं पूर्णमग्निहोत्रमुपाश्नुते । कार्तिकीं वा वसेदेकां पुष्करे सममेव तत्
He who performs Agnihotra for a full hundred years, or dwells for a single Kārtikā month at Puṣkara, attains the same result.
दुष्करं पुष्करे गंतुं दुष्करं पुष्करे तपः । दुष्करं पुष्करे दानं वस्तुं चैव सुदुष्करम्
It is difficult to go to Puṣkara, difficult to perform austerities at Puṣkara, difficult to give gifts at Puṣkara, and indeed, to dwell there is most difficult.
त्रीणि शृंगाणि शुभ्राणि त्रीणि प्रस्रवणानि च । पुष्कराण्यादि तीर्थानि न विद्मस्तत्र कारणम्
There are three shining peaks and three springs; these are the foremost tīrthas of Puṣkara, but we do not know the reason for this.