सुरासुरस्य जगतो गतिस्त्वमसि शूलधृक् । त्वया सृष्टमिदं विश्वं त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम्
You are the refuge of gods, demons, and the world, O bearer of the trident. By you, this universe, the three worlds with all that moves and is still, was created.
त्वामेव भगवन्सर्वे प्रविशंति युगक्षये । देवैरपि न शक्यस्त्वं परिज्ञातुं कुतो मया
At the end of each age, O Lord, all beings enter into you alone. Even the gods cannot fully comprehend you—how could I?
त्वयि सर्वेश दृश्यंते सुराः शक्रादयोऽनघ । सर्वस्त्वमसि लोकानां कर्ता कारयितान्वहम्
In you, O Lord of all, the gods such as Indra are seen, O sinless one. You are the creator and sustainer of all worlds at all times.
त्वत्प्रसादात्सुराः सर्वे मोदंतीहाकुतोभयाः । एवं स्तुत्वा महादेवं स ऋषिः प्रणतोऽब्रवीत्
By your grace, all the gods rejoice here, free from fear. Thus praising Mahadeva, the sage, bowing, spoke.
त्वत्प्रसादान्महादेव तपो मे न क्षरेत वै । ततो देवः प्रहृष्टात्मा ब्रह्मर्षिमिदमब्रवीत्
By your grace, O Mahadeva, may my austerity never be lost. Then the delighted Lord spoke to the Brahmin sage.
तपस्ते वर्द्धतां विप्र मत्प्रसादात्सहस्रधा । आश्रमे चेह वत्स्यामि त्वया सार्द्धं महामुने
May your austerity increase a thousandfold by my grace, O sage. I will remain here in your hermitage together with you, O great sage.
सप्तसारस्वते स्नात्वा अर्चयिष्यंति ये तु माम् । न तेषां दुर्लभं किंचिदिह लोके परत्र वा
Those who bathe in the seven Sarasvati waters and worship me, nothing is unattainable for them in this world or the next.
गच्छेत्सारस्वतं चापि लोकं नास्त्यत्र संशयः । एवमुक्त्वा महादेवस्तत्रैवांतरधीयत
They will attain the Sarasvati world—there is no doubt about this. Having spoken thus, Mahadeva vanished there.
ततस्त्वौशनसं गच्छेत्त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम् । यत्र ब्रह्मादयो देवा ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः
Then one should go to the renowned Aushanasa, known in the three worlds, where Brahma and other gods, and sages rich in austerity, reside.
कार्तिकेयश्च भगवांस्त्रिसंध्यां किल भारत । सान्निध्यमकरोत्तत्र भार्गवप्रियकाम्यया
And Kartikeya, O Bharata, at the three junctions of the day, indeed made his presence there, out of affection for the Bhargava.
कपालमोचनं तीर्थं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् । तत्र स्नात्वा नरव्याघ्र सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
The holy place called Kapalamocana destroys all sins. There, O tiger among men, bathing frees one from all sins.
अग्नितीर्थं ततो गच्छेत्स्नात्वा च भरतर्षभ । अग्निलोकमवाप्नोति कुलं चैव समुद्धरेत्
Then one should go to the Agni tirtha and bathe, O best of Bharatas. One attains the world of Agni and also uplifts one's lineage.
विश्वामित्रस्य तत्रैव तीर्थं भरतसत्तम । तत्र स्नात्वा महाराज ब्राह्मण्यमभिजायते
There is the holy place of Vishvamitra, O best of Bharatas. Bathing there, O great king, one attains the status of a Brahmin.
ब्रह्मयोनिं समासाद्य शुचिः प्रयतमानसः । तत्र स्नात्वा नरव्याघ्र ब्रह्मलोकं प्रपद्यते
Having reached the womb of Brahma, pure and with a disciplined mind, bathing there, O tiger among men, one attains the world of Brahma.
पुनात्या सप्तमं चैव कुलं नास्त्यत्र संशयः । ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम्
One purifies even the seventh generation of one's lineage—there is no doubt about this. Then, O king, one should go to the holy place renowned throughout the three worlds.
पृथूदकमिति ख्यातं कार्तिकेयस्य व्नृप । तत्राभिषेकं कुर्वीत पितृदेवार्चने रतः
Known as Prithudaka, belonging to Kartikeya, O king, there one should perform ablutions, devoted to worshipping ancestors and gods.
अज्ञानाज्ज्ञानतो वापि स्त्रिया वा पुरुषेण वा । यत्किंचिदशुभं कर्म कृतं मानुषबुद्धिना
Whether through ignorance or knowledge, by a woman or a man, whatever unwholesome act is done with a human mind—
तत्सर्वं नश्यते तत्र स्नातमात्रस्य भारत । अश्वमेधफलं चापि लभते स्वर्गमेव च
All that is destroyed there, O Bhārata, for one who has just bathed; and he attains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice and also heaven.
पुण्यमाहुः कुरुक्षेत्रं कुरुक्षेत्रात्सरस्वतीम् । सरस्वत्याश्च तीर्थानि तीर्थेभ्यश्च पृथूदकम्
They call Kurukṣetra holy, and holier than Kurukṣetra is Sarasvatī; holier than Sarasvatī are her sacred fords, and holier than the fords is Pṛthūdaka.
उत्तमे सर्वतीर्थानां यस्त्यजेदात्मनस्तनुम् । पृथूदके जप्यपरो नैव संसरणं लभेत्
Among all the sacred places, whoever gives up his body at the best—Pṛthūdaka—devoted to recitation, does not attain rebirth.
गीतं सनत्कुमारेण व्यासेन च महात्मना । वेदे च नियतं राजन्नभिगच्छेत्पृथूदकम्
This has been sung by Sanatkumāra and by the great Vyāsa, and is established in the Veda, O King: one should approach Pṛthūdaka.
पृथूदकात्पुण्यतमं नान्यत्तीर्थं नरोत्तम । एतन्मेध्यं पवित्रं च पावनं च न संशयः
There is no other ford more holy than Pṛthūdaka, O best of men; this is pure, sanctifying, and cleansing—of this there is no doubt.
तत्र स्नात्वा दिवं यांति अपि पापकृतो जनाः । पृथूदके नरश्रेष्ठमाहुरेवं मनीषिणः
There, even those who have committed sins ascend to heaven after bathing; thus have the wise declared Pṛthūdaka to be the best among men.
मधुस्रवं च तत्रैव तीर्थं भरतसत्तम । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्
There, O best of the Bharatas, is also the ford called Madhusrava; bathing there, a man, O King, obtains the fruit of giving a thousand cows.
ततो गच्छेन्नरश्रेष्ठ तीर्थं देव्या यथाक्रमम् । सरस्वत्यारुणायाश्च संगमं लोकविश्रुतम्
Then, O best of men, one should go in order to the ford of the Goddess, to the famous confluence of Sarasvatī and Aruṇā.
त्रिरात्रोपोषितः स्नात्वा मुच्यते ब्रह्महत्यया । अग्निष्टोमातिरात्राभ्यां फलं चैव समश्नुते
Fasting for three nights and bathing there, one is freed from the sin of killing a Brāhmaṇa, and attains the fruit of both Agniṣṭoma and Atirātra sacrifices.
पुनात्यासप्तमं चैव कुलं नास्त्यत्र संशयः । अवकीर्णं च तत्रैव तीर्थं कुरुकुलोद्वह
He purifies up to the seventh generation of his family—of this there is no doubt; and there, O best of the Kurus, is also the ford called Avakīrṇa.
विप्राणामनुकंपार्थं दर्भिणा निर्मितं पुरा । व्रतोपनयनाभ्यां चाप्युपवासेन वा द्विजः
Long ago, for the sake of compassion for the Brāhmaṇas, it was made of darbha grass; by vow, by initiation, or by fasting, a twice-born may approach.
क्रियामंत्रैश्च संयुक्तो ब्राह्मणः स्यान्न संशयः । क्रियामंत्रविहीनोऽपि तत्र स्नात्वा नरर्षभ
Endowed with ritual mantras, a Brāhmaṇa is assuredly so; but even without ritual mantras, O best of men, bathing there—
चीर्णव्रतो भवेद्विप्रो दृष्टमेतत्पुरातनम् । समुद्राश्चापि चत्वारः समानीताश्च दर्भिणा
A Brāhmaṇa who has observed vows becomes accomplished; this is seen from ancient times. And the four oceans were also brought there with darbha grass.