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.
अपि चात्माप्रियतरो लोके कृष्ण भविष्यसि । त्वन्मुखं च जगत्कृत्स्नं भविष्यति न संशयः
And he said, 'Kṛṣṇa, you will become dearer than your own self in the world, and the whole world will become your manifestation, without doubt.'
तत्राभिगम्य राजेंद्र पूजयित्वा वृषध्वजम् । अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति गाणपत्यं च विंदति
Having come there, O king, and having worshipped Vṛṣadhvaja, one attains the merit of an Aśvamedha and obtains the Gaṇapatya state.
धूमावतीं ततो गच्छेत्त्रिरात्रमुषितो नरः । मनसा प्रार्थितान्कामाँल्लभते नात्र संशयः
Then, after staying for three nights, one should go to Dhūmāvatī; whatever desires are wished for in the mind are obtained there, without doubt.
देव्यास्तु दक्षिणार्धे नरथावर्त्तो नराधिप । तत्रागत्य तु धर्मज्ञ श्रद्दधानो जितेंद्रियः
On the southern side of the goddess is the place called Narathāvarta, O king; having arrived there, one who knows righteousness, who is faithful and self-controlled—
महादेवप्रसादेन गच्छेत परमां गतिम् । प्रदक्षिणमुपावृत्य गच्छेत भरतर्षभ
By the grace of Mahādeva, he attains the supreme state; having circumambulated, he should depart, O best of the Bharatas.
नारदउवाच-। ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र कालिंदीतीर्थमुत्तमम् । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्न दुर्गतिमवाप्नुयात्
Nārada said: Thereafter, O king, one should go to the excellent sacred place of Kālimdī; having bathed there, O king, a man does not meet with misfortune.
पुष्करे तु कुरुक्षेत्रे ब्रह्मावर्त्ते पृथूदके । अविमुक्ते सुवर्णाख्ये यत्फलं लभते नरः
In Puṣkara, Kurukṣetra, Brahmāvarta, Pṛthūdaka, Avimukta, and Suvarṇa—whatever fruit a man obtains there,
तत्फलं समवाप्नोति यमुनायां नरोत्तम । स्वर्गभोगेतिरागो वै येषां मनसि वर्तते
that very fruit is attained by the best of men at the Yamunā, if their minds are free from attachment to heavenly pleasures and enjoyments.
यमुनायां विशेषेण स्नानदानेन सत्तम । आयुरारोग्यसंपत्तौ रूपयौवनता गुणे
Especially by bathing and giving gifts at the Yamunā, O noble one, one attains long life, health, wealth, beauty, youth, and virtue.
येषां मनोरथस्तैस्तु न त्याज्यं यमुनाजलम् । ये बिभ्यति नरकादेर्दारिद्र्योऽत्र संति च
For those whose heart’s desire is for these, the water of the Yamunā should never be abandoned; those who fear hell and poverty should remain here.