अद्य मे सफलं जन्म जीवितं सफलं तथा । अद्य विष्णुः प्रसन्नो मे सनाथोऽद्यास्मि पावनः
"Today my birth is fruitful, my life is likewise fulfilled; today Viṣṇu is pleased with me, today I am protected and purified."
धन्योऽस्म्यद्य गृहं धन्यं धन्या अद्य कुटुंबिनः । ममाद्य पितरो धन्या धन्या गावः श्रुतं धनम्
"Blessed am I today, blessed is my house, blessed are my family members; today my ancestors are blessed, blessed are my cows, learning, and wealth."
यद्दृष्टौ भवतां पादौ तापत्रयहरौ मया । भवतां दर्शनं यस्माद्धन्यस्यैव हरेरिव
"Because I have seen your feet, which remove the threefold suffering; because seeing you is as fortunate as seeing Hari himself."
एवं संपूज्य कृत्वा तु पादप्रक्षालनं तथा । धृतं मूर्ध्नि विशांश्रेष्ठ श्रद्धया परया तदा
Thus, after honoring them and washing their feet, you placed that water on your head with utmost faith, O best of men.
यत्र पादोदकं वैश्य श्रद्धया शिरसा धृतम् । गंधपुष्पाक्षतैर्धूपैर्दीपैर्भावपुरःसरम्
Where the Vaiśya, with faith, holds water for washing feet upon his head, accompanied by fragrant flowers, rice grains, incense, lamps, and sincere devotion—
संपूज्य सुंदरान्नेन भोजिता यतयस्तथा । तृप्ताः परमहंसास्ते विश्रांता मंदिरे निशि
Having honored the ascetics with beautiful food, and fed them likewise, the supreme swans, satisfied, rest in the temple at night.
ध्यायंतश्च परं ब्रह्म यज्ज्योतिर्ज्योतिषां मतम् । तेषामातिथ्यजं पुण्यं जातं यत्ते विशांवर
Meditating on the supreme Brahman, that light regarded as the light of lights, the merit arising from their hospitality has come to you, O best of men.
न तद्वक्त्रसहस्रेण वक्तुं शक्नोम्यहं खलु । भूतानां प्राणिनः श्रेष्ठाः प्राणिनां मतिजीविनः
I am truly unable to speak of it, even with a thousand mouths; among beings, those who live by wisdom are the highest of the living.
मतिमत्सु सुराः श्रेष्ठा नरेषु ब्रह्मजातयः । ब्राह्मणेषु च विद्वांसो विद्वत्सु कृतबुद्धयः
Among the wise, the gods are supreme; among men, those born of Brahma; among Brahmins, the learned; among the learned, those of accomplished intellect.
कृतबुद्धिषु कर्तारः कर्तृषु ब्रह्मवेदिनः । अतएव सुपूज्यास्ते तस्माच्छ्रेष्ठा जगत्त्रये
Among those of accomplished intellect, the creators; among creators, the knowers of Brahman; therefore, they are most worthy of worship and thus the highest in the three worlds.
तत्संगतिर्विशांश्रेष्ठ महापातकनाशिनी । विश्रांता गृहिणो गेहे संतुष्टा ब्रह्मवेदिनः
That association, O best of men, destroys great sins; householders, resting in their homes, are content when accompanied by knowers of Brahman.
आजन्मसंचितं पापं नाशयंतीक्षणेन वै । संचितं यद्गृहस्थस्य पापमामरणांतिकम्
The sin accumulated since birth is destroyed in an instant; whatever sin a householder has gathered up to the time of death—
विनिर्दहति तत्सर्वमेकरात्रोषितो यतिः । स्वभ्रात्रे देहि तत्पुण्यं नरकाद्येन मुच्यते
A monk who stays even one night burns it all away; give that merit to your brother, by which he is freed from hell.
इति दूतवचः श्रुत्वा ददौ पुण्यं स सत्वरम् । हृष्टेन चेतसा भ्राता निरयात्सोऽपि निर्गतः
Having heard the messenger's words, he quickly gave the merit; with a joyful heart, the brother also departed from the hell.
देवैस्तु पुष्पवर्षेण पूजितौ च दिवंगतौ । ताभ्यां संपूजितः सम्यग्गतो दूतो यथागतः
Honored by the gods with a shower of flowers, and worshipped, they ascended to heaven; the messenger, having been properly honored by them, departed as he had come.
अखिलभुवनबोधं देवदूतस्यवाक्यं निगमवचनतुल्यं वैश्यपुत्रो निशम्य । स्वकृतसुकृतदानाद्भ्रातरं तारयित्वा सुरपतिवरलोकं तेन सार्द्धं जगाम
Hearing the words of the divine messenger, which were equal to the statements of scripture and revealed the knowledge of all worlds, the Vaiśya's son, having rescued his brother by giving his own good deeds, went together with him to the excellent realm of the lord of the gods.
इतिहासमिमं राजन्यः पठेच्छृणुयादपि । स गोसहस्रदानस्य विशोको लभते फलम्
Whoever among the royal class reads or hears this history also attains the fruit of giving a thousand cows, free from sorrow.
नारदउवाच- ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र सुगंधंलोकविश्रुतम् । सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा ब्रह्मलोके महीयते
Nārada said: Then, O king, one should go to Sugandha, renowned in the world; purified from all sin, one is honored in the realm of Brahma.
रुद्रावर्तं ततो गच्छेत्तीर्थसेवी नराधिप । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्स्वर्गलोके महीयते
Then, O ruler of men, the devotee of holy places should go to Rudrāvarta; there, having bathed, a man is honored in the heavenly world.
गंगायाश्च नरश्रेष्ठ सरस्वत्याश्च संगमे । स्नातोऽश्वमेधमाप्नोति स्वर्गलोकं च गच्छति
O best of men, at the confluence of the Ganges and Sarasvatī, one who bathes attains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice and goes to the heavenly world.
तत्र कर्णह्रदे स्नात्वा देवमभ्यर्च्य शंकरम् । न दुर्गतिमवाप्नोति स्वर्गलोकं च गच्छति
There, having bathed in the Karṇa lake and worshipped the god Śaṅkara, one does not attain a bad fate and goes to the heavenly world.
ततः कुब्जाम्रकं गच्छेत्तीर्थसेवी यथाक्रमम् । गोसहस्रमवाप्नोति स्वर्गलोकं च गच्छति
Then, according to order, the devotee of holy places should go to Kubjāmraka; he attains the fruit of giving a thousand cows and goes to the heavenly world.
अरुंधतीवटं गच्छेत्तीर्थसेवी नराधिप । सामुद्रकमुपस्पृश्य त्रिरात्रोपोषितो नरः
The king who serves the holy places should go to the Arundhatī grove, touch the Sāmudraka, and, having fasted for three nights,
गोसहस्रफलं विंद्यात्स्वर्गलोकं च गच्छति । ब्रह्मावर्त्तं ततो गच्छेद्ब्रह्मचारी समाहितः
He attains the merit of a thousand cows and goes to heaven; then, a devoted celibate, he should proceed to Brahmāvarta.
अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति स्वर्गलोकं च गच्छति । यमुनाप्रभवं गच्छेत्समुपस्पृश्य यामुनम्
He obtains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice and goes to heaven; he should reach the source of the Yamunā, having touched the waters of the Yamunā.
अश्वमेधफलं लब्ध्वा ब्रह्मलोके महीयते । दर्वीसंक्रमणं प्राप्य तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम्
Having gained the fruit of an Aśvamedha, he is honored in Brahmaloka; reaching the Darvīsaṃkramaṇa, the holy place renowned in the three worlds,
अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति स्वर्गलोकं च गच्छति । सिंधोश्च प्रभवं गत्वा सिद्धगंधर्वसेवितम्
He obtains the fruit of an Aśvamedha and goes to heaven; having reached the source of the Sindhu, attended by Siddhas and Gandharvas,
तत्रोष्य रजनीः पंच दद्याद्बहुसुवर्णकम् । अथ देवीं समासाद्य नरः परमदुर्गमाम्
There, staying for five nights, he should give much gold; then, approaching the most difficult goddess,
अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति गच्छेच्चौशनसीं गतिम् । ऋषिकुल्यां समासाद्य वसिष्ठं चैव भारत
He obtains the fruit of an Aśvamedha and attains the path of Uśanas; reaching the Ṛṣikulyā and Vasiṣṭha, O Bhārata,
वसिष्ठं समतिक्रम्य सर्वे वर्णा द्विजातयः । ऋषिकुल्यां नरः स्नात्वा ऋषिलोकं प्रपद्यते
Having passed Vasiṣṭha, all castes and twice-borns, a man who bathes in the Ṛṣikulyā attains the world of the sages.