अन्नार्थी लभते ह्यन्नं स्मरणादेव नित्यशः । नर्मदां सेव्यते नित्यं स्वयं देवो महेश्वरः । तेन पुण्या नदी ज्ञेया ब्रह्महत्यापहारिणी
One who desires food receives food merely by remembering, always; Maheshvara himself continually serves Narmada. Therefore, know this river as holy, remover of the sin of killing a Brahmin.
नारद उवाच-। तदाप्रभृति ब्रह्माद्या ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः । सेवंते नर्मदां राजन्कामक्रोधविवर्जिताः
Narada said: From that time onward, Brahma and the sages rich in austerity, free from desire and anger, serve Narmada, O King.
तस्मिन्निपति तं दृष्ट्वा शूलं देवस्य भूतले । तस्य पुण्यं समाख्यातं शंकरेण महात्मना
When that spear of the god fell to the earth and was seen, its merit was declared by the great-souled Shankara.
शूलभेदेति विख्यातं तीर्थं पुण्यतमं महत् । तत्र स्नात्वार्च्चयेद्देवं गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्
The holy place called Shulabheda is renowned as most sacred; bathing there and worshipping the deity grants the merit of giving a thousand cows.
त्रिरात्रं कारयेद्यस्तु तस्मिन्तीर्थे नराधिप । अर्चयित्वा महादेवं पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते
Whoever, O King, performs worship for three nights at that holy place, having worshipped Mahadeva, is freed from rebirth.
भीमेश्वरं ततो गच्छेन्नर्मदेश्वरमुत्तमम् । आदित्येश्वरं महापुण्यं तथाऽज्यमधुना सह
Then one should go to Bhimeshvara, and to the excellent Narmadeshvara; also to the highly sacred Adityeshvara, together with Ajyamadhuna.
मल्लिकेश्वरमभ्यर्च्य पर्याप्तं जन्मनः फलम् । वरुणेश्वरं ततः पश्येन्नीराजेश्वरमुत्तमम्
Having worshipped Mallikeshvara, the fruit of birth is fulfilled; then one should see Varuneshvara and the excellent Nirajeshvara.
सर्वतीर्थफलं तस्य पंचायतनदर्शनात् । ततोगच्छेत राजेंद्र युद्धं वै यत्र साधितम्
By seeing the five shrines, one obtains the fruit of all holy places; then, O King, one should go to the place where the battle was accomplished.
कोटितीर्थं तु विख्यातमसुरा यत्र योधिताः । यत्र ते निहता राजन्दानवा बलदर्पिताः
The holy place called Kotitirtha is renowned, where the demons fought; where those arrogant Danavas, O King, were slain.
तेषां शिरांसि गृह्यंते निहतास्ते समागताः । तैस्तु संस्थापितो देवः शूलपाणिर्महेश्वरः
Their heads were taken, those slain ones gathered; by them, the god Maheshvara, wielder of the spear, was established.
कोटिर्विनिहता तत्र तेन कोटीश्वरः स्मृतः । दर्शनात्तस्य तीर्थस्य सदेहः स्वर्गमावहेत्
A crore were slain there, hence he is called Kotishvara; by seeing that holy place, one attains heaven with the body.
तदा इंद्रेण क्षुद्रत्वाद्वज्रकीलेन यंत्रितः । तदाप्रभृति लोकानां स्वर्गमत्वं निवारितम्
Then, by Indra's jealousy, he was restrained with the thunderbolt; from that time, access to heaven was denied to the worlds.
सघृतं श्रीफलं दत्वा दत्वा चांते प्रदक्षिणम् । सर्वतः सह देवेन शिरसादाय धारयेत् । सर्वकामेन संपूर्णो राजा भवति पांडव
By offering coconut with ghee and circumambulating at the end, together with the deity, one should take and bear it upon the head; O Pandava, the king becomes fulfilled in all desires.
मृतो रुद्रत्वमाप्नोति न चेह जायते पुनः । स्वर्गं गत्वा ततो राज्यं कृत्वागत्य ततो दिवम्
Upon death, one attains the state of Rudra and is not born again here; having gone to heaven, then ruling, one returns and then ascends to the divine.
महादेवं तथोपास्य त्रयोदश्यां हि मानवः । स्नातमात्रो नरस्तत्र सर्वयज्ञफलं लभेत्
By worshipping Mahadeva thus on the thirteenth day, a person who bathes there immediately obtains the fruit of all sacrifices.
ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र तीर्थं परमशोभनम् । नराणां पापनाशाय अगस्त्येश्वरमुत्तमम्
Then, O King, one should go to the most beautiful holy place, the excellent Agastyeshvara, for the destruction of sins of men.
तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्मुच्यते ब्रह्महत्यया । कार्तिकस्य तु मासस्य कृष्णपक्षचतुर्दशी
There, O King, by bathing, a man is freed from the sin of killing a Brahmin, especially on the fourteenth day of the dark half of the month of Kārtika.
घृतेन स्नापयेद्देवं समाधिस्थो जितेंद्रियः । एकविंशकुलोपेतो न मुच्येदैश्वरात्पदात्
Immersed in meditation and self-controlled, one should bathe the deity with ghee; accompanied by twenty-one families, he is not released from the divine state.
धेनवोपानहंच्छत्रं तथा दद्याच्च कंबलम् । भोजनं चैव विप्राणां सर्वं कोटिगुणं भवेत्
He should give cows, footwear, an umbrella, and likewise a blanket, and food to Brāhmaṇas; all this yields a crore-fold result.
ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र रविस्तवमनुत्तमम् । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्सिंहासनगतिर्भवेत्
Then, O King, he should proceed to the most excellent place of the Sun; there, by bathing, a man attains the status of one seated on a lion-throne.
नर्मदा दक्षिणे कूले तीर्थं शक्रस्य विश्रुतम् । उपोष्य रजनीमेकां स्नानं तत्र समाचरेत्
On the southern bank of the Narmadā is the renowned holy place of Indra; after fasting for one night, one should bathe there.
स्नानं कृत्वा यथान्यायमर्च्चयेत्तु जनार्दनम् । गोसहस्रफलं तस्य विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति
Having bathed properly, one should worship Janārdana; he obtains the merit of giving a thousand cows and goes to the world of Viṣṇu.
ऋषितीर्थं ततो गच्छेत्सर्वपापहरं नृणाम् । स्नातमात्रो नरस्तत्र शिवलोके महीयते
Then one should go to the Ṛṣi-tīrtha, which removes all sins of men; merely by bathing there, a man is honored in the world of Śiva.
नारदस्य च तत्रैव तीर्थं परमशोभनम् । स्नातमात्रो नरस्तत्र गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्
There, too, is the most beautiful holy place of Nārada; merely by bathing there, a man obtains the merit of giving a thousand cows.
देवतीर्थं ततो गच्छेद्ब्रह्मणा निर्मितं पुरा । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्ब्रह्मलोके महीयते
Then one should go to the Deva-tīrtha, established long ago by Brahmā; by bathing there, O King, a man is honored in the world of Brahmā.
अमरकंटकं ततो गच्छेदमरस्थापितं पुरा । स्नातमात्रो नरस्तत्र गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्
Then one should go to Amarakaṇṭaka, established long ago by the immortals; merely by bathing there, a man obtains the merit of giving a thousand cows.
ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र वामनेश्वरमुत्तमम् । तत्र वामनकं दृष्ट्वा मुच्यते ब्रह्महत्यया
Then, O King, one should go to the excellent Vāmaneśvara; there, by seeing Vāmana, one is freed from the sin of killing a Brahmin.
ऋषितीर्थं ततो गच्छेदीशानेशं पुमान्ध्रुवम् । वटेश्वरं ततो दृष्ट्वा पर्य्याप्तं जन्मनः फलम्
Then one should go to Ṛṣi-tīrtha and to Īśāneśa, O man, certainly; then, by seeing Vaṭeśvara, the fruit of birth is fulfilled.
भीमेश्वरं ततो गच्छेत्सर्वव्याधिविनाशनम् । स्नातमात्रो नरो राजन्सर्वदुःखात्प्रमुच्यते
Then one should go to Bhīmeśvara, destroyer of all diseases; merely by bathing there, O King, a man is freed from all suffering.
ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र वारणेश्वरमुत्तमम् । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्सर्वदुःखात्प्रमुच्यते
Then, O King, one should go to the excellent Vāraṇeśvara; there, by bathing, a man is freed from all suffering.