तीर्थं पुण्यतमं राजन्पावनं लोकविश्रुतम् । यत्र सारस्वतो यातः सिद्धिं स तपसोनिधिः
—the most sacred holy place, O king, purifying and renowned in the world, where Sārasvata went, that treasure of austerity, and attained perfection.
तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा वाजपेयफलं लभेत् । सारस्वतीं मतिं चैव लभते नात्र संशयः
At that holy place, having bathed, one obtains the fruit of a Vājapeya sacrifice, and also attains the wisdom of Sarasvatī—of this there is no doubt.
ततः कन्याश्रमं गत्वा नियतो ब्रह्मचर्यया । त्रिरात्रमुषितो राजन्नुपवासपरायणः
Then, having gone to the hermitage of the maidens, disciplined in celibacy, and having fasted for three nights, O king, devoted to fasting—
लभेत्कन्याशतं दिव्यं बह्मलोकं च गच्छति । ततो गच्छेत धर्मज्ञ तीर्थं संनिहितीमपि
—one obtains a hundred divine maidens and goes to the world of Brahmā; then, O knower of dharma, one should go to the holy place called Sannihitī.
यत्र ब्रह्मादयो देवा ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः । मासि मासि समेष्यंति पुण्येन महतान्विताः
Where Brahmā and the other gods, and the sages rich in austerity, come together month by month, endowed with great merit.
सन्निहित्यामुपस्पृश्य राहुग्रस्ते दिवाकरे । अश्वमेधशतं तेन इष्टं भवति शाश्वतम्
At Sannihitī, having bathed when the sun is seized by Rāhu, one gains the everlasting fruit of a hundred Aśvamedha sacrifices.
पृथिव्यां यानि तीर्थानि अंतरिक्षचराणि च । उदपानाश्च विप्राश्च पुण्यान्यायतनानि च
All the holy places on earth, those moving in the sky, the sacred wells, the learned Brāhmaṇas, and the meritorious shrines—
निःसंशयममावास्यां समेष्यंति नराधिप । मासिमासि नरव्याघ्र सन्निहित्यां जनेश्वर
—without doubt, O king, assemble there on the new moon; month by month, O tiger among men, at Sannihitī, O lord of people.
तीर्थसन्नयनादेव सन्निहिती भुवि विश्रुता । तत्र स्नात्वा च पीत्वा च स्वर्गलोके महीयते
Because all the holy places are brought together there, Sannihitī is renowned on earth; there, having bathed and drunk, one is honored in the world of heaven.
अमावास्यां तथा चैव राहुग्रस्ते दिवाकरे । यः श्राद्धं कुरुते मर्त्यस्तस्य पुण्यफलं शृणु
On the new moon, and also when the sun is seized by Rāhu, if a mortal performs a śrāddha there, hear the merit that results from it.
अश्वमेधसहस्रस्य सम्यगिष्टस्य यत्फलम् । स्नात एव तदाप्नोति श्राद्धं कृत्वा च मानवः
The fruit of performing a thousand perfect Aśvamedha sacrifices is attained by a person who, having bathed, performs a śrāddha rite.
यत्किंचिद्दुष्कृतं कर्म्म स्त्रिया वा पुरुषस्य वा । स्नातमात्रस्य तत्सर्वं नश्यते नात्र संशयः
Whatever sinful deed has been committed, whether by a woman or a man, is entirely destroyed the moment one bathes—of this there is no doubt.
पद्मवर्णेन यानेन ब्रह्मलोकं स गच्छति । अभिवाद्य ततो नाम्ना द्वारपालं मचक्रुकम्
He goes to the world of Brahmā in a vehicle the color of a lotus, after respectfully addressing by name the gatekeeper Macakruka.
गंगाह्रदश्च तत्रैव तीर्थं भरतसत्तम । तत्र स्नायीत धर्मज्ञ ब्रह्मचारी समाहितः
There, O best of the Bharatas, is the sacred pool of Gaṅgā; there, one should bathe with a focused mind, observing celibacy and righteousness.
राजसूयाश्वमेधाभ्यां फलं विंदति मानवः । पृथिव्यां नैमिषं पुण्यमंतरिक्षे च पुष्करम्
A person gains the fruit of both the Rājasūya and Aśvamedha sacrifices; on earth, Naimiṣa is holy, and in the sky, Puṣkara.
त्रयाणामपि लोकानां कुरुक्षेत्रं विशिष्यते । पांसवोऽपि कुरुक्षेत्रे वायुनाति समीरिताः
Of all the three worlds, Kurukṣetra is supreme; even the dust particles carried by the wind in Kurukṣetra are sanctified.
अपि दुष्कृतकर्म्माणं नयंति परमां गतिम् । दक्षिणेन सरस्वत्यामुत्तरेण सरस्वतीम्
Even those who have committed sinful deeds are led to the highest state, whether on the southern or northern bank of the Sarasvatī.
ये वसंति कुरुक्षेत्रे ते वसंति त्रिविष्टपे । कुरुक्षेत्रं गमिष्यामि कुरुक्षेत्रे वसाम्यहम्
Those who dwell in Kurukṣetra truly dwell in heaven; 'I will go to Kurukṣetra, I will reside in Kurukṣetra.'
अप्येकां वाचमुत्मृज्य स्वर्गलोके महीयते । ब्रह्मवेद्यां कुरुक्षेत्रं पुण्यं ब्रह्मर्षिसेवितम्
Even by uttering its name once, one is honored in the world of heaven; Kurukṣetra, known to the Vedas, is holy and served by the great sages.
तस्मिन्वसंति ये राजन्न ते शोच्याः कथंचन । तरंडकारंडकयोर्यदंतरं रामह्रदानां च मचक्रुकस्य च । एतत्कुरुक्षेत्र समंतपंचकं पितामहस्योत्तर वेदिरुच्यते
O King, those who dwell there are never to be mourned; the distance between Taraṇḍaka and Araṇḍaka, between the pools of Rāma and Macakruka—this region of Kurukṣetra, called Samaṃtapañcaka, is said to be the northern altar of the Grandsire.
नारद उवाच-। ततो गच्छेत धर्म्मज्ञ धर्म्मतीर्थं पुरातनम् । यत्र धर्मो महाभागस्तप्तवानुत्तमं तपः
Nārada said: Then, O knower of righteousness, one should proceed to the ancient holy place of Dharma, where the illustrious Dharma performed supreme austerity.
तेन तीर्थं कृतं पुण्यं स्वेन नाम्ना च चिह्नितम् । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्धर्मशीलः समाहितः
That holy place was established by him and marked with his own name; there, a person who bathes with a righteous and focused mind, O King,
आसप्तमं कुलं चैव पुनीते नात्र संशयः । ततो गच्छेत धर्मज्ञ कलाप वनमुत्तमम्
Purifies his lineage up to the seventh generation—of this there is no doubt; then, O knower of righteousness, one should go to the excellent forest of Kalāpa.
कृच्छ्रेण महता गत्वा तत्र स्नात्वा समाहितः । अग्निष्टोममवाप्नोति विष्णुलोकं च गच्छति
Having reached there with great difficulty and bathing with concentration, one attains the fruit of the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice and goes to the world of Viṣṇu.
सौगंधिकं वनं राजंस्ततो गच्छेत मानवः । यत्र ब्रह्मादयो देवा ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः
From there, O King, a person should proceed to the Saugaṃdhika forest, where Brahmā and the other gods, as well as the sages rich in austerity, reside.
सिद्धचारणगंधर्वाः किन्नराः स महोरगाः । तद्वनं प्रविशन्नेव सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
Perfected beings, celestial singers, kinnaras, and great serpents are there; merely by entering that forest, one is freed from all sins.
ततो हि सा सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा नदीनामुत्तमा नदी । प्लक्षादेवी स्मृता राजन्महा पुण्या सरस्वती
Then, indeed, is that foremost of rivers, the best among rivers, called Plakṣādevī, O King, the supremely holy Sarasvatī.
तत्राभिषेकं कुर्वीत वल्मीकान्निःसृते जले । अर्चयित्वा पितॄन्देवानश्वमेधफलं लभेत्
There, one should perform ablution in the water emerging from the anthills; after worshipping the ancestors and the gods, one obtains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice.
ईशानाध्युषितं नाम तत्र तीर्थं सुदुर्लभम् । षड्गुणं यन्निपातेषु वल्मीकादिति निश्चयः
There is a most rare sacred place there, known as Īśānādhyuṣita; it is certain that among all the ant-hills, this one possesses sixfold merit.
कपिलानां सहस्रं च वाजिमेधं च विंदति । तत्र स्नात्वा नरव्याघ्र दृष्टमेतत्पुरातनैः
By bathing there, O tiger among men, one attains the merit of a thousand Kapila sacrifices and an Aśvamedha; this has been seen by the ancients.