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.
यदि तत्र वसेन्मासं शाकाहारो नराधिप । भृगुतुंगं समासाद्य वाजिमेधफलं लभेत्
If he stays there for a month, eating only vegetables, O king, reaching Bhṛgutuṅga, he obtains the fruit of a Vājimedha sacrifice.
गत्वा वीरप्रमोक्षं च सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते । कार्तिकमाघयोश्चैव तीर्थमासाद्य दुर्लभम्
Having gone to Vīrapramokṣa, he is freed from all sins; and in the rare holy place during Kārtika and Māgha,
अग्निष्टोमातिरात्राभ्यां फलं प्राप्नोति पुण्यकृत् । ततः संध्यां समासाद्य विद्यातीर्थमनुत्तमम्
The doer of virtue attains the fruit of Agniṣṭoma and Atirātra sacrifices; then, reaching Saṃdhyā, the supreme holy place of knowledge,
उपस्पृशेत्स विद्यानां सर्वासां पारगो भवेत् । महाश्रमे वसेद्रात्रिं सर्वपापप्रमोचने
Touching the waters there, he becomes accomplished in all knowledge; staying a night in the great hermitage, he is freed from all sins.
एककालं निराहारो लोकान्संवसते शुभान् । षष्ठकालोपवासेन मासमुष्य महालये
Fasting once a day, he dwells among the blessed worlds; by fasting six times a day for a month in the great abode,
तीर्णस्तारयते जंतून्दशपूर्वान्दशापरान् । दृष्ट्वा माहेश्वरं पुण्यं परं सुरनमस्कृतम्
Having crossed over, he delivers ten ancestors before and ten after; seeing the holy Maheśvara, revered by the gods,
कृतार्थः सर्वकृत्येषु न शोचेन्मरणं क्वचित् । सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा विंद्याद्बहुसुवर्णकम्
Having accomplished all duties, he never grieves for death anywhere; his soul purified from all sins, he attains much gold.
अथ वेतसिकां गच्छेत्पितामहनिषेविताम् । अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति गतिं च परमां व्रजेत्
Then, he should go to Vetasikā, honored by the ancestors; he obtains the fruit of an Aśvamedha and attains the highest state.
अथ सुंदरिकां तीर्थं प्राप्य सिद्धनिषेविताम् । रूपस्य भागी भवति दृष्टमेतत्पुरातनैः
Then, reaching the holy Sundarikā, frequented by the perfected beings, he becomes endowed with beauty, as seen by the ancients.
ततो ब्राह्मणिकां गत्वा ब्रह्मचारी समाहितः । पद्मवर्णेन यानेन ब्रह्मलोकं प्रपद्यते
Then, going to Brāhmaṇikā, the devoted celibate, with a vehicle of lotus hue, attains Brahmaloka.
ततश्च नैमिषं गच्छेत्पुण्यं द्विजनिषेवितम् । तत्र नित्यं निवसति ब्रह्मा देवगणैः सह
Then one should go to Naimisha, the sacred place frequented by twice-born men; there, Brahma always resides together with the hosts of gods.
नैमिषं प्रार्थयानस्य पापस्यार्द्धं प्रणश्यति । प्रविष्टमानस्तु नरः सर्वपापात्प्रमुच्यते
For one who desires Naimisha, half of his sin is destroyed; but a man who actually enters it is freed from all sin.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- वाराणस्याश्च माहात्म्यं संक्षेपात्कथितं त्वया । विस्तरेण मुने ब्रूहि तदा प्रीणाति मे मनः
Yudhishthira said: You have briefly described the greatness of Varanasi; O sage, tell it to me in detail, for my mind is delighted by it.
नारद उवाच-। अत्रेतिहासं वक्ष्यामि वाराणस्या गुणाश्रयम् । यस्य श्रवणमात्रेण मुच्यते ब्रह्महत्यया
Narada said: Here I will recount an ancient story, grounded in the virtues of Varanasi; by merely hearing it, one is freed from the sin of killing a Brahmin.
मेरुशृंगे पुरा देवमीशानं त्रिपुरद्विषम् । देवासनगता देवी महादेवमपृच्छत
Once, on the summit of Mount Meru, the goddess seated among the gods questioned Mahadeva, the enemy of Tripura.
देव्युवाच-। देवदेव महादेव भक्तानामार्तिनाशन । कथं त्वां पुरुषो देवमचिरादेव पश्यति
The goddess said: O God of gods, great Lord, destroyer of the suffering of devotees, how does a person quickly behold you, the divine Lord?
सांख्ययोगस्तथा ध्यानं कर्मयोगोऽथ वैदिकः । आयासबहुला लोके यानि चान्यानि शंकर
Sankhya-yoga, meditation, karma-yoga, and Vedic rites—these and other practices, O Shankara, are full of effort in the world.
येन विश्रांतचित्तानां योगिनां कर्मिणामपि । दृश्यो हि भगवान्सूक्ष्मः सर्वेषामथ देहिनाम्
By what means does the subtle Lord become visible to yogis, to those engaged in action, and indeed to all embodied beings whose minds are at rest?
एतद्गुह्यतमं ज्ञानं गूढं शक्रादिसेवितम् । हिताय सर्वभूतानां ब्रूहि कामाग्निनाशनम्
Tell me this most secret knowledge, hidden and served by Indra and others; for the good of all beings, tell me that which destroys the fire of desire.
ईश्वर उवाच-। अवाच्यमत्र विज्ञानं ज्ञानमज्ञैर्बहिष्कृतम् । वक्ष्ये तव यथातत्त्वं यदुक्तं परमर्षिभिः
Ishvara said: This knowledge is not to be spoken here, for it is rejected by the ignorant; yet I will tell you the truth of what the supreme sages have declared.