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.
उष्ट्वा द्वादशवर्षाणि नियतो नियताशनः । स मुक्तः सर्वपापेभ्यो सर्वक्रतुफलं लभेत्
One who, observing discipline and regulated food, stays there for twelve years, is freed from all sins and obtains the fruit of all sacrifices.
वसिष्ठ उवाच- प्रदक्षिणमुपावृत्तो जंबूमार्गे समाविशेत् । जंबूमार्गं समाविश्य पितृदेवर्षिपूजितम्
Vasiṣṭha said: Turning to the right, one should enter the Jambū path; entering the Jambū path, honored by ancestors and sages.
अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति विष्णुलोकं च गच्छति । तत्रोष्य रजनीः पंच षष्ठकालेश्नुवन्नरः
He attains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice and goes to Viṣṇu's world; if a man stays there for five nights, observing the six periods.
न दुर्गतिमवाप्नोति सिद्धिं चाप्नोत्यनुत्तमाम् । जंबुमार्गादुपावृत्तो गच्छेत्तु दुलिकाश्रमम्
He does not meet with misfortune and attains supreme accomplishment; turning from the Jambū path, he should go to Dulikāśrama.
न दुर्गतिमवाप्नोति स्वर्गलोके च पूज्यते । अगस्त्याश्रममासाद्य पितृदेवार्चने रतः
He does not meet with misfortune and is honored in the world of the gods; reaching Agastya's hermitage, devoted to worship of ancestors and gods.
त्रिरात्रोपोषितो राजन्नग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत् । शाकवृत्तिः फलैर्वापि कौमारं विंदते परम्
O King, fasting for three nights, he obtains the fruit of an Agniṣṭoma sacrifice; living on vegetables or fruits, he attains supreme youthfulness.
कन्याश्रमं समासाद्य श्रीपुष्टं लोकपूजितम् । धर्मारण्यं हि तत्पुण्यमाद्यं च पार्थिवर्षभ
Reaching the hermitage of Kanyā, splendid and revered in the world, that sacred forest is indeed the foremost, O best of kings.
यत्र प्रविष्टमात्रो वै पापेभ्यो विप्रमुच्यते । अर्चयित्वा पितॄन्देवान्प्रयतो नियताशनः
There, merely by entering, one is freed from sins; worshipping ancestors and gods with purity and regulated food.
सर्वकामसमृद्धस्य यज्ञस्य फलमश्नुते । प्रादक्षिण्यं ततः कृत्वा ययातिपतनं व्रजेत्
He enjoys the fruit of a sacrifice that fulfills all desires; after making a circumambulation there, he should go to Yayāti's descent.
हयमेधस्य यज्ञस्य फलमाप्नोति तत्र वै । महाकालमतो गच्छेन्नियतो नियताशनः
There, he attains the fruit of the horse sacrifice; then, with discipline and regulated food, he should go to Mahākāla.
कोटितीर्थमुपस्पृश्य हयमेधफलं लभेत् । ततो गच्छेत धर्मज्ञ स्थानं तीर्थमुमापतेः
Touching the Koṭitīrtha, he obtains the fruit of the horse sacrifice; then, O knower of dharma, he should go to the place, the tīrtha of Umāpati.
नाम्ना भद्रवटं नाम त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम् । तत्राभिगम्य चेशानं गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्
By name, it is called Bhadravaṭa, renowned in the three worlds; arriving there and approaching Īśāna, one obtains the fruit of a thousand cows.
महादेवप्रसादाच्च गाणपत्यमवाप्नुयात् । समृद्धमसपत्नं तु श्रियायुक्तं नरोत्तम
And by the grace of Mahādeva, he attains the state of Gaṇapati; abundant, without rival, and endowed with prosperity, O best of men.
नर्मदां तु समासाद्य नदीं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुताम् । तर्पयित्वा पितॄन्देवानग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत्
Reaching the Narmadā river, famed throughout the three worlds, and offering libations to ancestors and gods, he obtains the fruit of an Agniṣṭoma sacrifice.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- वसिष्ठेन दिलीपाय कथितं तीर्थमुत्तमम् । नर्मदेति च विख्यातं पापपर्वतदारणम्
Yudhiṣṭhira said: Vasiṣṭha told Dilīpa about the supreme tīrtha, known as Narmadā, which destroys the mountain of sin.
भूयश्च श्रोतुमिच्छामि तन्मे कथय नारद । नर्मदायाश्च माहात्म्यं वसिष्ठोक्तं द्विजोत्तम
I wish to hear more about this; tell me, O Nārada, the greatness of Narmadā as spoken by Vasiṣṭha, O best of twice-born.
कथमेषा महापुण्या नदी सर्वत्र विश्रुता । नर्मदानाम विख्याता तन्मम ब्रूहिनारद
How did this supremely meritorious river, renowned everywhere, come to be known as Narmadā? Tell me this, O Nārada.
नारद उवाच-। नर्मदा सरितां श्रेष्ठा सर्वपापप्रणाशिनी । तारयेत्सर्वभूतानि स्थावराणि चराणि च
Nārada said: Narmadā is the best of rivers, destroyer of all sins; she delivers all beings, both immobile and mobile.
नर्मदायास्तु माहात्म्यं वसिष्ठोक्तं मया श्रुतम् । तदेतद्धि महाराज सर्वं हि कथयामि ते
I have heard the greatness of Narmadā as spoken by Vasiṣṭha; O great king, I will now tell you all of it.
पुण्या कनखले गङ्गा कुरुक्षेत्रे सरस्वती । ग्रामे वा यदि वारण्ये पुण्या सर्वत्र नर्म्मदा
The Gaṅgā is holy at Kanakhala, Sarasvatī at Kurukṣetra; but whether in village or forest, Narmadā is holy everywhere.