अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति दैवतैः सह मोदते । तत्र सिद्धमवाप्नोति भृगुस्तु मुनिपुंगवः । अवतारः कृतस्तेन शंकरेण महात्मना
He attains the fruit of an Aśvamedha and rejoices with the gods; there, the sage Bhṛgu, foremost among sages, attained perfection; an incarnation was accomplished by the great-souled Śaṃkara.
नारद उवाच- ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र विहगेश्वरमुत्तमम् । दर्शनात्तस्यराजेंद्र मुच्यते सर्वपातकैः
Nārada said: Then, O king, one should go to the supreme Vihageśvara; by seeing it, O king, one is freed from all sins.
ततो गच्छेत राजेन्द्र नर्मदेश्वरमुत्तमम् । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्स्वर्गलोके महीयते
Then, O king, one should go to the supreme Narmadeśvara; bathing there, O king, a man is honored in the heavenly realm.
अश्वतीर्थं ततो गच्छेत्स्नानं तत्र समाचरेत् । सुभगो दर्शनीयश्च भोगवान्जायते नरः
Then one should go to Aśva tīrtha and bathe there; a man becomes fortunate, attractive, and enjoys pleasures.
पितामहं ततो गच्छेद्ब्रह्मणा निर्मितं पुरा । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो भक्त्या पितृपिंडं तु दापयेत्
After that, one should go to Pitāmaha, created long ago by Brahmā; there, bathing with devotion, a man should offer the ancestral ball.
तिलदर्भविमिश्रं तु उदकं तु प्रदापयेत् । तस्य तीर्थप्रभावेण सर्वं भवति चाक्षयम्
He should offer water mixed with sesame and darbha grass; by the power of that tīrtha, everything becomes imperishable.
सावित्री तीर्थमासाद्य यस्तु स्नानं समाचरेत् । विधूय सर्वपापानि ब्रह्मलोके महीयते
Upon reaching the Sāvitrī tīrtha, whoever bathes there, having washed away all sins, is honored in the world of Brahmā.
मनोहरं च तत्रैव तीर्थं परमशोभनम् । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्पितृलोके महीयते
There too is a charming and supremely beautiful tīrtha; bathing there, O king, a man is honored in the world of ancestors.
ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र मानसं तीर्थमुत्तमम् । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्रुद्रलोके महीयते
Then, O king, one should go to the supreme Mānasa tīrtha; bathing there, O king, a man is honored in Rudra's world.
ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र क्रतुतीर्थमनुत्तमम् । विख्यातं सर्वलोकेषु सर्वपापप्रणाशनम्
Then, O king, one should go to the supreme Kratu tīrtha; renowned in all worlds, it destroys all sins.
यान्यान्प्रार्थयते कामान्पशुपुत्रधनानि च । प्राप्नुयात्तानि सर्वाणि तत्र स्नात्वा नराधिप
Whatever desires one seeks—be it cattle, children, or wealth—a king, having bathed there, obtains them all.
ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र त्रिदशद्योति विश्रुतम् । तत्र ता ऋषिकन्यास्तु तपस्तप्यंति सुव्रताः
Then, O king, let him proceed to the renowned radiance of the gods; there, the daughters of sages, steadfast in vows, practice austerities.
भर्त्ता भवतु सर्वासामीश्वरः प्रभुरव्ययः । प्रीतस्तेषां महादेवश्चंडरूपधरो हरः
For all of them, the husband is the imperishable Lord, the master; Mahadeva, bearing a fierce form, is pleased with them.
विकृतानन बीभत्सस्तच्च तीर्थमुपागतः । तत्र कन्या महाराज वराय परमेश्वरः
With a distorted face, dreadful in appearance, that Supreme Lord arrives at the holy place; there, O great king, the maiden seeks a boon from him.
कन्याऋद्धिं च यः सेवेत्कन्यादानं प्रयच्छति । तीर्थं तत्र महाराज दशकन्येति विश्रुतम्
Whoever serves the prosperity of the maidens and gives them in marriage, O great king, that holy place is famed as 'Ten Maidens.'
तत्र स्नात्वार्च्चयेद्देवं सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते । ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र स्वर्गबिंदुरिति श्रुतम्
Having bathed there and worshipped the deity, one is freed from all sins; then, O king, let him proceed to the place known as 'Svarga Bindhu.'
तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्दुर्गतिं च न पश्यति । अप्सरेशं ततो गच्छेत्स्नानं तत्र समाचरेत्
Having bathed there, O king, a man does not encounter misfortune; then let him go to Apsaresha and perform ablutions there.
क्रीडते नागलोकस्थोऽप्सरोभिः सह मोदते । ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र नरकं तीर्थमुत्तमम्
Dwelling in the realm of serpents, he plays and delights with the apsaras; then, O king, let him proceed to the excellent holy place called Naraka.
तत्र स्नात्वार्च्चयेद्देवं नरकं च न गच्छति । भारभूतं ततो गच्छेदुपवासपरायणः
Having bathed there and worshipped the deity, he does not go to Naraka; then let him proceed to Bharabhuta, devoted to fasting.
एतत्तीर्थं समासाद्य अवतारं तु शांभवम् । अर्चयित्वा विरूपाक्षं रुद्रलोके महीयते
Having reached this holy place, the descent of Shambhu, and worshipped Virupaksha, one is honored in the world of Rudra.
तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा भारभूते महात्मनः । यत्रतत्र मृतस्यापि ध्रुवं गाणेश्वरी गतिः
At that holy place, having bathed at Bharabhuta, O great-souled one, wherever one dies, the path to Ganesha is assured.
कार्तिकस्य तु मासस्य अर्चयित्वा महेश्वरम् । अश्वमेधाच्छतगुणं प्रवदंति मनीषिणः
In the month of Kartika, having worshipped Maheshvara, the wise declare that the merit is a hundred times that of an Ashvamedha sacrifice.
दीपकानां शतं कृत्वा घृतपूर्णं तु दापयेत् । विमानैः सूर्यसंकाशैर्व्रजते यत्र शंकरः
By making a hundred lamps filled with ghee and giving them, one travels in aerial chariots shining like the sun to the place where Shankara dwells.
वृषभं यः प्रयच्छेत शंखकुंदेंदु संनिभम् । वृषयुक्तेन यानेन रुद्रलोकं स गच्छति
Whoever gives a bull resembling a conch, a lotus, or the moon, travels to Rudra's world in a vehicle drawn by bulls.
चरुमेकं तु यो दद्यात्तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नराधिप । पायसं मधुसंयुक्तं भक्ष्याणि विविधानि च
Whoever offers a single oblation at that holy place, O king—rice pudding mixed with honey and various foods—
यथाशक्त्यनुराजेंद्र भोजयेत्सहदक्षिणम् । तस्यतीर्थप्रभावेण सर्वं कोटिगुणं भवेत्
According to his ability, O king, he should feed others with gifts; by the power of that holy place, all merit becomes multiplied a crore-fold.
नर्मदाया जलं सिक्त्वा अर्चयित्वा वृषध्वजम् । दुर्गतिं च न पंश्यंति तस्य तीर्थप्रभावतः
By sprinkling water from the Narmada and worshipping the bearer of the bull, one does not see misfortune, owing to the power of that holy place.
एतत्तीर्थं समासाद्य यस्तुप्राणान्परित्यजेत् । सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा व्रजते यत्र शंकरः
Whoever, having reached this holy place, gives up his life, with a soul purified from all sins, goes to the abode where Shankara resides.
जलप्रवेशं यः कुर्यात्तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नराधिप । हंसयुक्तेन यानेन रुद्रलोकं स गच्छति
O king, whoever enters the water at that sacred place, in a vehicle drawn by swans, goes to the world of Rudra.
यावच्चंद्रश्च सूर्यश्च हिमवांश्च महोदधिः । गंगाद्याः सरितो यावत्तावत्स्वर्गे महीयते
As long as the moon, the sun, the great Himalaya, the vast ocean, and rivers like the Ganga exist, so long is one honored in heaven.