त्वद्दर्शनेन बालानां निस्तारो नो भविष्यति । सूर्योदये तमस्तोमः किं नु लीयेत पुष्करे
By your sight, deliverance for the girls will occur for us; just as at sunrise, does a mass of darkness dissolve in the lotus pond?
श्रुत्वैतल्लोमशो वाक्यं कृपार्द्रीकृतमानसः । प्रत्युवाच महातेजा दुःखितं तं मुनेः सुतम्
Hearing these words, Lomaśa, his mind softened by compassion, replied to that sorrowful son of the sage, endowed with great radiance.
मत्प्रसादाच्च सर्वेषां स्मृतिः सपदि जायताम् । धर्मे च वर्ततां येन मिथः शापो लयं व्रजेत्
By my grace, let memory arise instantly for all, and let them act according to dharma, so that the mutual curse may dissolve.
पिशाच उवाच- महर्षे कथ्यतां धर्मो मुच्येम येन किल्बिषात् । नायं कालो विलंबस्य शापाग्निर्दारुणो यतः
The Piśāca said: O great sage, tell us the dharma by which we may be freed from sin; this is not the time for delay, for the fire of the curse is fierce.
लोमश उवाच- मया सार्द्धं प्रकुर्वंतु रेवास्नानं विधानतः । शापान्मोक्ष्यति वो रेवा नान्यथा निष्कृतिर्भवेत्
Lomaśa said: Let them perform the prescribed bath in the Revā together with me; Revā will release you from the curse—there is no other expiation.
शृणुष्वावहितो विप्र पापनाशो ध्रुवं नृणाम् । रेवास्नानेन जायेत इति मे निश्चिता मतिः
Listen attentively, O brāhmaṇa: the destruction of sin for people is certain; it arises from bathing in the Revā—this is my firm conviction.
सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं वर्तमानं च पातकम् । रेवास्नानं दहेत्सर्वं तूलराशिमिवानलः
The sin accumulated over seven births, and the present transgression, the Revā bath burns it all, like fire consumes a heap of cotton.
प्रायाश्चित्तं न पश्यंति यस्मिन्पापे पिशाचक । तत्सर्वं नर्मदातोये स्नानमात्रेण नश्यति
Whatever sin for which no expiation is seen, O Piśāca, all of that perishes merely by bathing in the waters of the Narmadā.
ज्ञानकृन्नर्म्मदास्नानमतो मोक्षफला हि सा । हिमवत्पुण्यतीर्थानि सर्वपापहराणि वै
Bathing in the Narmadā with knowledge brings the fruit of liberation; the holy places of Himavat indeed remove all sins.
इंद्रलोकप्रदं हीदं निर्मितं ब्रह्मवादिभिः । सर्वकामफला रेवा मोक्षदा परिकीर्तिता
This grants the world of Indra, established by those versed in Brahman; Revā is proclaimed as granting all desired fruits and liberation.
पापघ्नी पापहारिणी सर्वकामफलप्रदा । विष्णुलोकदआप्लावो नार्मदः पापनाशनः
Revā destroys sin, removes transgressions, and grants all desired fruits; immersion in Narmadā leads to Viṣṇu's world and destroys sin.
यामुनः सूर्यलोकाय भवेदाप्लाव उत्तमः । सारस्वतोघविध्वंसी ब्रह्मलोकफलप्रदः
Yāmuna's immersion leads to the world of the Sun; Sarasvatī's stream destroys obstacles and grants the fruit of Brahman's world.
विशालफलदा प्रोक्ता विशाला हि पिशाचक । पापेंधनदवाग्निस्तु गर्भहेतुक्रियापहः
Viśālā is said to grant vast fruits, O Piśāca; it is like a wildfire for the fuel of sin, removing the causes of rebirth.
विष्णुलोकाय मोक्षाय नार्मदः परिकीर्तितः । सरयूगंडकीसिंधुश्चंद्रभागा च कौशिकी
Narmadā is proclaimed for attaining Viṣṇu's world and liberation; Sarayū, Gaṇḍakī, Sindhu, Candrabhāgā, and Kauśikī likewise.
तापी गोदावरी भीमा पयोष्णी कृष्णवेणिका । कावेरी तुंगभद्रा च अन्याश्चापि समुद्रगाः
Tāpī, Godāvarī, Bhīmā, Payoṣṇī, Kṛṣṇaveṇikā, Kāverī, Tuṅgabhadrā, and others that flow to the ocean.
तासु रेवा परा प्रोक्ता विष्णुलोकप्रदायिनी । रेवा तु प्राप्यते पुण्यैः पूर्वजन्मकृतैर्द्विज । अपुनर्भवदं तत्र मज्जनं मुनिपुत्रक
Among them, Revā is declared supreme, granting Viṣṇu's world; Revā is attained by merits from previous births, O twice-born; bathing there brings freedom from rebirth, O sage's son.
गायंति देवाः सततं दिविष्ठा रेवा कदा दृष्टिगता हि नो भवेत् । स्नाता नरा यत्र न गर्भवेदनां पश्यंति तिष्ठंति च विष्णुसन्निधौ
The gods in heaven always sing: 'When will Revā come within our sight?' Where people bathe, they do not experience the pain of birth and remain in the presence of Viṣṇu.
मज्जंति ये प्रत्यहमत्र मानवा रेवासुतो ये बहुपापकंचुकाः । मज्जंति ते नो निरयेषु धर्म्मतः स्वर्गे तु ते चारुचरंति देववत्
Those who bathe daily here in Revā, even those covered in many sins, do not fall into hell by dharma, but instead move beautifully in heaven like gods.
तीव्रैर्व्रतैर्दानतपोभिरध्वरैः सार्धं विधात्रा तुलया धृता पुरा । रेवापिशाचाशु तयोर्द्वयोरभूद्रेवा वरा तत्र च मोक्षसाधिका
In ancient times, Revā was weighed by the Creator against intense vows, gifts, austerities, and sacrifices; Revā was found superior to both, and there it is most conducive to liberation.
नारद उवाच- एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचस्तस्य लोमशस्य पिशाचकाः । तेन सार्द्धं ययुः शीघ्रं रेवामज्जनहेतवे
Nārada said: Hearing these words of Lomaśa, the Piśācas quickly went with him for the purpose of bathing in the Revā.
ततो दैवात्समुत्पन्नो रेवारोधसि मारुतः । तेषां प्रवाहस्पृष्टानां गात्रे जलकणप्रदः
Then, by divine will, a wind arose on the banks of the Reva, sprinkling their bodies with drops of water carried by its current.
रेवाजलकणस्पर्शात्पैशाच्यात्ते विमोचिताः । तत्क्षणाद्दिव्यवपुषः प्रशशंसुश्च नर्मदाम्
Touched by the drops of the Reva, those afflicted by demonic possession were freed; in that very moment, adorned with celestial forms, they praised the Narmada.
ततो लोमशवाक्येन ताश्च गंधर्वकन्यकाः । परिणीताः सुखं तेन विप्रेण नर्मदातटे
Then, by the words of Lomasha, those Gandharva maidens were happily wed by that Brahmin on the banks of the Narmada.
उवास सुचिरं कालं स्नानपानावगाहनैः । अर्चित्वा नर्मदामत्र विष्णुलोकं गताश्च ते
He dwelled there for a long time, bathing, drinking, and immersing himself; after worshipping the Narmada, they attained the world of Vishnu.
एवं ते कथितो राजन्नर्मदागुणसंश्रयः । इतिहासो महापुण्यः श्रवणात्पापनाशनः
Thus, O King, has been told to you the story of the virtues of the Narmada—a sacred history, greatly meritorious, which destroys sin when heard.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच-। अथान्यानि तु तीर्थानि वसिष्ठोक्तानि मे वद । श्रुत्वा यानि च पापानि विलयं यांति नारद
Yudhishthira said: Now tell me, O Nārada, of other sacred places as spoken by Vasiṣṭha, by visiting which sins are destroyed, once they are heard.
नारद उवाच-। शृणुष्वात्र हि तीर्थानि वसिष्ठोक्तानि पार्थिव । दक्षिणं सिंधुमासाद्य ब्रह्मचारी जितेंद्रियः
Nārada said: Hear now, O King, of those sacred places described by Vasiṣṭha; a celibate with controlled senses, reaching the southern Sindhu—
अग्निष्टोममवाप्नोति विमानं चाधिरोहति । चर्मण्वतीं समासाद्य नियतो नियताशनः
—obtains the fruit of the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice and ascends to a celestial chariot; reaching the Carmaṇvatī, disciplined and moderate in food—
रंतिदेवाभ्यनुज्ञातो अग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत् । ततो गच्छेत धर्मज्ञ हिमवत्सुतमर्बुदम्
—having received the approval of Rantideva, he attains the fruit of the Agniṣṭoma; then, O knower of dharma, he should go to Arbudā, daughter of the Himalaya.
पृथिव्या यत्र वै छिद्रं पूर्वमासीद्युधिष्ठिर । तत्राश्रमो वसिष्ठस्य त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतं
There, O Yudhishthira, was formerly a fissure in the earth; there is the hermitage of Vasiṣṭha, renowned in the three worlds.