राक्षस्य ऊचुः । येषु तीर्थेषु विप्रेंद्र त्वया स्नातं वदस्व नः । तानि सर्वाणि पुण्यानि मोचयातः कुजन्मनः । अस्मानतितरां तृष्णा क्षुद्भ्यां दारुणदुःखदात्
The demonesses said: 'O best of brahmins, tell us at which holy places you have bathed. All those are sacred and can liberate those of evil birth. Our suffering from thirst and hunger is exceedingly harsh.'
ब्राह्मण उवाच- अवंतीमाश्रमात्पूर्वमहं हरिपुरीमितः । गतोऽहं द्वारकां तस्मात्स्नात्वा सोमोद्भवा जले
The brahmin said: 'From the hermitage at Avanti, I went to the city of Hari; from there, to Dvaraka, where I bathed in the water born of Soma.'
ततः प्राप्तः प्रभासाख्यं तीर्थं नीरधितीरगम् । तस्मात्सेतुनिबंधेऽहं स्नातः परमपावने
Then I reached the holy place called Prabhasa, on the shore of the ocean; from there, I bathed at the Setu, the supremely pure causeway.'
तस्मादहं महापुण्यां किष्किंधां समुपागतः । हतो यत्र तु रामेण वाली कपिगणेश्वरः
From there, I have come to the greatly sacred Kishkindha, where Vali, lord of the monkeys, was slain by Rama.'
तस्मान्मठं सरस्वत्यानर्मदातीरसंस्थितम् । समागतोऽहं यत्रास्ति भारती सर्वसेविता
Therefore, I came to the monastery situated on the banks of the Sarasvati and Narmada, where Bhāratī is revered by all.
ततोऽहंमावेशंवेणींतांनत्वादक्षिणापथे । शिवकांची विष्णुकांच्यौ दृष्टे तत्र मया पुरौ
Then, I entered Veṇī in the southern region, where I saw the cities of Śiva-Kāñcī and Viṣṇu-Kāñcī.
ययोर्मरणतो जंतुः शिवो विष्णुश्च जायते । ततोऽहंमुत्कलं प्राप्तो यत्रास्ति हरिरीश्वरः
Where, upon death, a creature is born as Śiva or Viṣṇu; from there, I reached Utkala, where Hari and Īśvara reside.
चतुर्वर्गप्रदः साक्षाद्भक्तानामपि कांक्षितम् । तमर्चयित्वा विधिवद्भक्षयित्वा निवेदितम्
He directly grants the four aims of life and is desired by devotees; after worshipping him properly and offering the prescribed food,
प्रसादभूतं तस्यैव गंगासागरसंगमम् । तत्र देवानृषीन्पितॄंस्तर्पयित्वा यथाविधि
Having received his grace, I went to the confluence of the Ganges and the ocean; there, I satisfied the gods, sages, and ancestors according to the rites.
यत्र गंगाशतमुखी जाता तत्राहमागमम् । ततो गयामुपागत्य पिंडान्दत्त्वा यथाविधि
Where the Ganges emerged with a hundred mouths, I arrived there; then, going to Gayā, I offered oblations as prescribed.
पितृभ्यस्तुलसीपुष्पचंदनोदकपूजितान् । कोशलां शरयूं वारिकर्णधारनभस्वता
To the ancestors, I offered tulasi flowers, sandalwood, and water in worship; then, I went to Kośalā and the Sarayū, whose waters are carried by the wind.
पवित्रिताखिलजनांस्पर्शनेनाहमागमम् । तत्रास्ति गोप्रताराख्यं तीर्थं त्रिदशदुर्ल्लभम्
I arrived there, purified by the touch of all the people; there is the sacred ford called Gopratāra, rare even for the gods.
तत्र स्नानादिकं कर्म निशाचर्यः कृतं मया । ततः काशीमहंप्राप्तो राजधानीमुमापतेः
There, I performed bathing and other rites as prescribed; then, I reached Kāśī, the royal city of Umāpati.
नत्वा विश्वेश्वरं देवं बिंदुमाधवमेव च । स्नातं मणिकर्णिकायां ज्ञानवाप्यां च भक्तितः
Having bowed to the lord Viśveśvara and also to Bindumādhava, I bathed with devotion at Maṇikarṇikā and at the well of knowledge.
त्रिरात्रिमुषितस्तत्र प्रयागं पुनरागमम् । पौषशुक्लचतुर्दश्यां साक्षाद्यत्र प्रजापतिः
I stayed there for three nights, then returned again to Prayāga, where Prajāpati is manifest on the fourteenth day of the bright fortnight of Pauṣa.
एकस्मिन्माघमासे तु स्नानं कृत्वाऽरुणोदये । पुनस्तस्मात्समायातो नैमिषं गोमतीतटे
In the month of Māgha, I bathed at dawn; then, from there, I went to Naimiṣa, on the bank of the Gomati.
यत्र तीर्थानि सर्वाणि वसंति च स्वमायया । ततोऽहं मथुरां प्राप्तो यत्र विश्रांतिसंज्ञकम्
Where all sacred fords exist by their own power; from there, I reached Mathurā, where the place called Viśrānti is found.
तीर्थं तत्सन्निधौ पुण्यमसिकुंडाख्यमुत्तमम् । कृष्णगंगा ध्रुवाक्रूर केशिकालीयतीर्थभृत्
Near that, there is the supreme sacred ford called Asikuṇḍa; Kṛṣṇagaṅgā, Dhruvā, Akrūra, Keśikālīya, and other fords.
यमुनास्ति महापुण्या यत्र सर्वार्थदायिनी । उभयोः कूलयोस्तस्या वनानि द्वादश श्रिया
There is the Yamunā, greatly sacred, granting all desires; on both her banks are twelve forests, resplendent with wealth.
राजमानानि खेचर्यः समस्तार्थकराणि च । संति तेषु नरः स्नात्वा पीत्वा भूयो न जायते
Majestic, traversed by the gods, and fulfilling all purposes; those who bathe and drink there are not born again.
ततोहमागमं पुण्यं हस्तिनापुरमुत्तमम् । यत्र श्रीपतिपादाब्ज जाता गंगा सरिद्वरा
Then, I arrived at the supremely sacred Hastināpura, where the Ganges, the best of rivers, arose from the lotus feet of Śrīpati.
ततो नारायणस्थानं हिमवद्भूमिसंस्थितम् । आगत्य माधवं दृष्ट्वा केदारमहमागमम्
Then, I went to the abode of Nārāyaṇa, situated in the land of the Himalayas; having seen Mādhava, I arrived at Kedāra.
तत्र संपूज्य विश्वेशं पीत्वा हंसोदकं पुनः । हरिद्वारं महापुण्यमागमं जाह्नवीतटे
There, having worshipped the Lord of the Universe and again drunk the water of the Hamsa, I came to the greatly sacred Haridvara on the bank of the Jahnavi.
तत्र स्नात्वापितॄन्देवानृषीन्संतर्प्य चाप्यहम् । समागतः कुरुक्षेत्रे यत्र प्राची सरस्वती
There, after bathing and satisfying the ancestors, gods, and sages, I arrived at Kurukshetra, where the eastern Sarasvati flows.
तत्राप्यहं क्रियाः सर्वाः कृतवान्नियतेंद्रियः । अर्चयित्वा च पादाब्जं श्रीपतेः पुष्करं प्रति
There too, with controlled senses, I performed all the rites, and after worshipping the lotus feet of the Lord of Shri, I set out for Pushkara.
चलितो मार्गमध्ये तु विमलो नाम मे सखा । मिलितो मां व्रजन्गेहमिंद्रप्रस्थात्तु तीर्थतः
While on the way, my friend named Vimala met me, coming from the holy place of Indraprastha to Vraja.
नीतोऽहं तेन राक्षस्यः पुनस्तत्र द्विजन्मना । तीर्थेति मे परावृत्य शक्रप्रस्थेऽखिलार्थदे
By him, a twice-born, I was again led to the place of the Rakshasi; then, turning back from the holy place, I returned to Shakraprastha, the giver of all wishes.
तत्रास्ति द्वारका पुण्या निर्मिता विष्णुना स्वयम् । तत्रावलोकितः साक्षाद्विष्णुर्वाक्यान्नरूपतः
There is the sacred Dvaraka, constructed by Vishnu himself; there, Vishnu was seen directly, in human form, as declared by his words.
तत्राहं स च संस्नातौ विष्णुभक्तिप्रलब्धये । दत्ता सा विष्णुना मह्यं तस्मै च कृष्णमूर्तिना
There, both he and I bathed for the sake of attaining devotion to Vishnu; that devotion was granted to me and to him by Vishnu in the form of Krishna.
श्रुत्वा तत्र हरेर्वाणी न रूपं वै विलोकितम् । भक्तिर्लब्धा ततः स्थानाद्यमहं पुष्करं प्रति
There, I heard the voice of Hari, but did not see his form; from that place I obtained devotion, and then I went towards Pushkara.