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.
सुगंधां शतकुंभां च पंचयज्ञं च भारत । अभिगम्य नरश्रेष्ठ स्वर्गलोके महीयते
Having approached the fragrant Śatakumbhā and the Pañcayajña, O best of men, one is honored in the heavenly world.
त्रिशूलपात्रं तत्रैव तीर्थमासाद्य दुर्लभम् । तत्राभिषेकं कुर्वीत पितृदेवार्चने रतः
There itself is the most rare sacred place called Triśūlapātra; one devoted to worship of ancestors and gods should perform ablutions there.
गाणपत्यं च लभते देहं त्यक्त्वा न संशयः । ततो राजगृहं गच्छेद्देव्याः स्थानं सुदुर्लभम्
There is no doubt that, having given up the body, one attains the state of Gaṇapatya; then one should go to Rājagṛha, the exceedingly rare abode of the goddess.
शाकंभरीति विख्याता त्रिषुलोकेषु विश्रुता । दिव्यं वर्षसहस्रं च शाकेन किल भारत
She is renowned as Śākambharī, famed in the three worlds; O Bhārata, it is said that for a thousand divine years she sustained herself with vegetables.
आहारं सा कृतवती मासिमासि नराधिप । ऋषयोऽभ्यागतास्तत्र देव्या भक्तास्तपोधनाः
Month after month, O king of men, she made vegetables her food; there, ascetics devoted to the goddess and rich in austerity arrived.
आतिथ्यं च कृतं तेषां शाकेन किल भारत । ततः शाकंभरीत्येवं नाम तस्याः प्रतिष्ठितम्
O Bhārata, she offered them hospitality with vegetables; thus, her name became established as Śākambharī.
शाकंभरीं समासाद्य ब्रह्मचारी समाहितः । त्रिरात्रमुषितः शाकं भक्षयेन्नियतः शुचिः
Approaching Śākambharī, a devoted celibate should, for three nights, eat only vegetables, disciplined and pure.
शाकाहारस्य यत्सम्यग्वर्षैर्द्वादशभिः फलम् । तत्फलं तस्य भवति देव्याश्छंदेन भारत
Whatever is the full fruit of eating only vegetables for twelve years, that fruit is obtained by him, by the goddess's grace, O Bhārata.
ततो गच्छेत्सुवर्णाख्यं त्रिषुलोकेषु विश्रुतम् । यत्र कृष्णः प्रसादार्थं रुद्रमाराधयत्पुरा
Then one should go to the place called Suvarṇa, renowned in the three worlds, where Kṛṣṇa once worshipped Rudra to obtain his favor.
वरांश्च सुबहूँल्लेभे देवैरपि स दुर्ल्लभान् । उक्तश्च त्रिपुरघ्नेन परितुष्टेन भारत
There he obtained many boons, difficult even for the gods to attain, and was addressed by Tripuraghna, who was well pleased, O Bhārata.