तत्र तीर्थं समुत्पन्नं विष्णुः प्रीतो भवेदिह । अहोरात्रोपवासेन ब्रह्महत्यां व्यपोहति
There the tirtha arose, and Vishnu is pleased here; by fasting day and night, one removes the sin of killing a Brahmin.
ततो गच्छेत्तु राजेंद्र तापसेश्वरमुत्तमम् । अमोहकमिति ख्यातं पितॄन्यस्तत्र तर्पयेत्
Then, O king, one should go to the supreme Tapaseshvara, known as Amohaka, and offer oblations to the ancestors there.
पौर्णमास्याममावास्यां श्राद्धं कुर्याद्यथाविधि । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्पितृपिंडं तु दापयेत्
On the full moon and new moon, one should perform the prescribed shraddha; after bathing there, O king, a man should offer the ancestral cake.
गजरूपाः शिलास्तत्र तोयमध्ये प्रतिष्ठिताः । तस्मिंस्तु दापयेत्पिंडं वैशाखे तु विशेषतः
There, stones in the shape of elephants are established in the water; one should offer the cake there, especially in the month of Vaishakha.
तृप्यंति पितरस्तावद्यावत्तिष्ठति मेदिनी । ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र सिद्धेश्वरमनुत्तमम्
The ancestors are satisfied as long as the earth endures; then, O king, one should go to the supreme Siddheshvara.
तत्र गत्वा तु राजेंद्र गणपत्यंतिकं व्रजेत् । ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र लिंगो यत्र जनार्दनः
Having gone there, O king, one should approach the place of Ganapati; then, O king, one should go to the linga where Janardana is.
तत्र स्नात्वा तु राजेंद्र विष्णुलोके महीयते । नर्मदादक्षिणेकूले तीर्थं परमशोभनम्
There, O King, one who bathes is honored in the world of Vishnu; on the southern bank of the Narmada is a most beautiful sacred place.
कामदेवः स्वयं तत्र तपस्तप्यत्यसौ महान् । दिव्यं वर्षसहस्रं तु शंकरं पर्युपासते
There, the great Kamadeva himself performed austerities; for a thousand divine years he worshipped Shankara.
समाधिपर्वदग्धस्तु शंकरेण महात्मना । श्वेतपर्वोपमश्चैव हुताशः शुक्लपर्वणि
Burned by the mountain of concentration by the great-souled Shankara, and like the white fortnight, the fire blazed like the bright half of the moon.
एते दग्धास्तु ते सर्वे कुसुमेश्वरसंस्थिताः । दिव्यवर्षसहस्रेण तुष्टस्तेषां महेश्वरः
All those who were burned remained established with the Lord of Flowers; after a thousand divine years, Maheshvara was pleased with them.
उमया सहितो रुद्रस्तेषां तुष्टो वरप्रदः । विमोक्षयित्वा तान्सर्वान्नर्म्मदातटमास्थितान्
Rudra, together with Uma, being pleased, granted them boons; having liberated all those dwelling on the bank of the Narmada.
तस्य तीर्थप्रभावेण पुनर्देवत्वमागतः । त्वत्प्रसादान्महादेव तीर्थं च भवतूत्तमम्
By the power of that sacred place, he regained divinity; by your grace, O Great God, may this sacred place be supreme.
अर्धयोजनविस्तीर्णं तीर्थं दिक्षु समंततः । तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा उपवासपरायणः
The sacred place extends half a yojana in all directions; whoever bathes there, devoted to fasting,
कुसुमायुधरूपेण रुद्रलोके महीयते । वैश्वानरे यमेनैव कामदेवेन वायवे
Is honored in the world of Rudra in the form of the Lord of Flowers; by Agni, by Yama, by Kamadeva, and by Vayu.
तपस्तप्त्वा तु राजेंद्र तत्रैव च पुरागतैः । अंधोनस्य समीपे तु नातिदूरे तु तस्य वै
Having performed austerities there, O King, along with those who came before, near Andhona, not far from it,
स्नानं दानं च तत्रैव भोजनं पिंडपातनम् । अग्निवेशे जले वापि अथवापि अनाशने
Bathing, giving gifts, eating, and offering rice balls are to be done there, whether in the presence of fire, in water, or even by fasting.
अनिवर्तिका गतिस्तस्य मृतस्याप्यर्द्धयोजने । त्रैयंबकेण तोयेन स्नापयेन्नरपुंगवः
Even for one who has died within half a yojana, the path is irreversible; the best of men should bathe him with the water of Triambaka.
अंधोनमूले दत्वा तु पिंडं चैव यथाविधि । पितरस्तस्य तृप्यंति यावच्चंद्र दिवाकरौ
By offering the rice ball properly at the root of Andhona, his ancestors are satisfied as long as the moon and sun endure.
उत्तरायणे तु संप्राप्ते तत्र स्नानं करोति यः । पुरुषो वापि स्त्री वापि वसेदायतने शुचिः
When the northern solstice arrives, whoever bathes there—man or woman—and dwells in the holy abode with purity,
सिद्धेश्वरस्य देवस्य प्रभाते पूजनान्नरः । स तां गतिमवाप्नोति न तां सर्वैर्महामखैः
By worshipping the god Siddheshvara in the morning, a person attains that state which cannot be gained by all the great sacrifices.
यदा च तीर्थकालेन रूपवान्सुभगो भवेत् । मर्त्ये भवति राजासावासमुद्रांतगोचरे
When, at the proper time for the sacred place, one becomes handsome and fortunate, that king is born among mortals within the bounds of the ocean.
क्षेत्रपालं न पश्येच्च दंडपालं महाबलम् । वृथा तस्य भवेद्यात्रा अदृष्ट्वा कर्णकुंडलम्
If he does not see the field-guardian or the mighty rod-bearer, his pilgrimage is in vain, not seeing the one with ear-ornaments.
एतत्तीर्थफलं ज्ञात्वा सर्वेदेवाः समागताः । मुंचंति पुष्पवृष्टिं तु स्तुवंति कुसुमेश्वरम्
Knowing this fruit of the sacred place, all the gods assemble, showering a rain of flowers and praising the Lord of Flowers.
नारद उवाच- भार्गवेशं ततो गच्छेद्भक्त्या यत्र च विष्णुना । हुंकारितास्तु देवेन दानवाः प्रलयं गताः
Narada said: Then one should go with devotion to Bhargavesha, where the demons, rebuked by the god Vishnu, met their destruction.
तत्र स्नात्वा तु राजेंद्र सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते । शुक्लतीर्थस्य चोत्पत्तिं शृणु त्वं पांडुनंदन
There, O King, by bathing, one is freed from all sins; now hear from me, O son of Pandu, the origin of the holy place called Shukla Tirtha.
हिमवच्छिखरे रम्ये नानाधातुविचित्रिते । तरुणादित्यसंकाशे तप्तकांचनसंनिभे
On the beautiful peak of the Himalayas, adorned with various minerals, shining like the rising sun, and resembling molten gold,
वज्रस्फटिकसोपाने चित्रपट्टशिलातले । जांबूनदमये दिव्ये नाना पद्मोपशोभिते
With steps of crystal and diamond, on a floor of intricately patterned stone, made of divine Jambunada gold, and embellished with many kinds of lotuses,
तत्रासीनं महादेवं सर्वज्ञं प्रभुमव्ययम् । लोकानुग्राहकं शांतं गणवृंदैः समावृतम्
There sat the great god Mahadeva, the all-knowing, the eternal Lord, the benefactor of the worlds, peaceful, surrounded by hosts of attendants.
स्कंदनंदिमहाकालैर्वीरभद्र गणादिभिः । उमया सहितं देवं मार्कंडः परिपृच्छति
With Skanda, Nandi, Mahakala, Virabhadra, and other attendants, together with Uma, the god was questioned by Markandeya.
देवदेव महादेव इन्द्र कामादि संस्तुत । संसारभवभीतोहं सुखोपायं ब्रवीहि मे
"O God of gods, great Lord, praised by Indra and others for fulfilling desires, I am afraid of the suffering of worldly existence—tell me the means to happiness."