अष्टादशपुराणानां श्रवणाद्भारतस्य च । यत्फलं तन्महिम्नस्य शक्रप्रस्थस्य जायते
The merit gained from hearing the eighteen Purāṇas and the Mahābhārata arises from the greatness of Indraprastha.
अरुणोदयवेलायां माघलक्षैकमज्जनात् । यत्फलं तन्महिम्नोस्य श्रवणाच्छ्रद्धया भवेत्
The fruit obtained by bathing at dawn during the auspicious month of Māgha is attained by faithfully hearing of this greatness.
श्रद्धयास्य तु माहात्म्यं यः शृणोति महीपते । तर्पितास्तेन पितरो देवाश्च मुनयस्तथा
O king, whoever listens with faith to this greatness, his ancestors, gods, and sages are satisfied by him.
कृच्छ्रातिकृच्छ्रपाराक चांद्रायण व्रतादिभिः । यत्फलं तन्महिम्नोऽस्य श्रद्धया श्रवणाद्भवेत्
The merit gained from difficult vows such as Kṛcchra, Atikṛcchra, Pārāka, and Cāndrāyaṇa is attained by faithfully hearing of this greatness.
अश्वमेधादियज्ञानां समस्तानां महीपते । यत्फलं तन्महिम्नोऽस्य श्रद्धया श्रवणाद्भवेत्
O king, the fruit of all sacrifices such as the Aśvamedha is attained by faithfully hearing of this greatness.
सूत उवाच- एवं युधिष्ठिरो राजा श्रुत्वा शौनक सौभरेः । इंद्रप्रस्थस्य माहात्म्यं स ययौ हस्तिनं पुरम्
Sūta said: Thus, O Śaunaka, King Yudhiṣṭhira, having heard from Saubhari the greatness of Indraprastha, went to the city of Hastināpura.
ततो विनीय सद्भ्रातॄन्दुर्योधनपुरःसरान् । इंद्रप्रस्थमगात्पुण्यं राजसूयचिकीर्षया
Then, having dismissed his noble brothers led by Duryodhana, he went to the holy Indraprastha with the intention of performing the Rājasūya sacrifice.
द्वारकायाः समागम्य गोविंदं कुलदैवतम् । राजसूयेन यज्ञेन स इयाज महीपतिः
Having come from Dvārakā, the king worshipped Govinda, the family deity, with the Rājasūya sacrifice.
मुक्तिदं तीर्थमेतत्तु शपतोस्याप्यजायत । इति मत्वा हरिस्तत्र शिशुपालं जघान ह
This sacred place grants liberation; even to one who curses it, it brings benefit. Knowing this, Hari there slew Śiśupāla.
शिशुपालोऽपि तस्यैव तीर्थस्य मरणाद्भुवि । सायुज्यमगमत्कृष्णे निखिलार्थप्रदायके
Śiśupāla too, by dying at that very sacred place, attained union with Kṛṣṇa, the bestower of all blessings.
शिशुपालो हतो यत्र विहितो यत्र चक्रतुः । गदया तत्र भीमेन कृतं कुंडं सुविस्तरम्
Where Śiśupāla was slain, and where the duel took place, there Bhīma made a great and spacious pond with his mace.
भीमकुंडं तु विज्ञातं जातं तद्भुविपावनम् । कालिंद्या दक्षिणे भागे गव्यूत्यर्धं महीतले
That Bhīma-kuṇḍa is renowned, born as a purifier of the earth, on the southern bank of the Kālindī, half a cow-pen's distance on the ground.
इंद्रप्रस्थगताया यत्कालिंद्याः स्नानतः फलम् । तत्फलं तत्र कुंडे तु जायते नात्र संशयः
The merit gained by bathing in the Kālindī at Indraprastha is certainly obtained at that pond; there is no doubt about this.
सूत उवाच- यस्मिन्क्षेत्रे स्थितो जंतुस्तं क्षेत्रमनुवत्सरम् । प्रदक्षिणादिभिर्धर्मैः स्वापराधान्क्षमापयतेत्
Sūta said: Whoever dwells in that sacred field for a year, performing circumambulation and other rites, has his faults forgiven.
प्रतिसंवत्सरं चैव परिक्रामति यो नरः । क्षेत्रापराधदोषैश्च न स लिप्येत्तु पातकैः
And the person who circumambulates it every year is not tainted by the faults and sins associated with the field.
प्रदक्षिणमकुर्वाणः क्षेत्रसिद्धिं न विंदति । तस्मात्प्रदक्षिणा तीर्थे दातव्या च फलार्थिभिः
One who does not perform circumambulation does not attain the perfection of the field; therefore, those desiring merit should offer circumambulation at the holy place.
हरेर्नाम निसंजल्पन्प्रकरोति प्रदक्षिणाम् । पदेपदे स लभते कपिलादानजं फलम्
Reciting the name of Hari without distraction, as one circumambulates, at every step one obtains the merit of giving a Kapila cow.
चैत्रकृष्णचतुर्दश्यां शक्रप्रस्थप्रदक्षिणाम् । यः करोति नरो धन्यः सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
Whoever, on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of Caitra, circumambulates Śakraprastha, that blessed person is freed from all sins.
इति श्रीपाद्मेमहापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे कालिंदीमाहात्म्ये इंद्रप्रस्थगत काशीगोकर्णशिवकांचीतीर्थसप्तक भीमकुंडवर्णनोनाम द्वाविंशत्यधिकद्विशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the two hundred and twenty-second chapter, called 'Description of the Seven Holy Places—Kāśī, Gokarṇa, Śiva, Kāñcī, and Bhīma-kuṇḍa at Indraprastha,' in the section on the greatness of the Kālindī, in the Uttara-khaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa, comprising fifty-five thousand verses.
शंकर उवाच - न्यासेवाप्यर्चने वापि मंत्रमेकांतिनः श्रयेत् । अवैष्णवोपदिष्टेन मंत्रेण न परा गतिः
Śaṅkara said: Whether in service or worship, one devoted to mantra should rely on a proper mantra; with a mantra taught by a non-Vaiṣṇava, there is no supreme attainment.
अवैष्णवोपदिष्टंचेत्पूर्वमंत्रवरंद्वयम् । पुनश्च विधिना सम्यक्वैष्णवाद्ग्राहयेद्गुरोः
If previously a mantra was received from a non-Vaiṣṇava, then one should properly receive the two principal mantras again from a Vaiṣṇava guru, according to the prescribed method.
सहस्रशाखाध्यायी वा सर्वयज्ञेषु दीक्षितः । कुले महति जातोऽपि न गुरुः स्यादवैष्णवः
Even if someone has studied a thousand branches of the Veda, is initiated in all sacrifices, or is born in a great family, a non-Vaiṣṇava is not to be considered a guru.
यस्तु मंत्रद्वयं सम्यगध्यापयति वैष्णवः । स आचार्यस्तु विज्ञेयो भवबंधविदारकः
But the Vaiṣṇava who properly teaches the two mantras is to be known as the ācārya, the one who cuts the bonds of worldly existence.
आचार्यं संश्रयित्वाथ वत्सरं सेवयेद्दिवजः । तस्य वृत्तिं परिज्ञात्वा मंत्रमध्यापयेद्गुरुः
Having taken refuge in the ācārya, the twice-born should serve him for a year; after understanding his conduct, the guru should teach him the mantra.
कृत्वा तापादिसंस्कारान्पश्चान्मंत्रमुदीरयेत् । तापं पुंड्रं तथा नाम कृत्वा वै विधिना गुरुः
After performing the purificatory rites such as tāpa, the guru should then pronounce the mantra; he should properly perform tāpa, puṇḍra, and naming.
पश्चादध्यापयेन्मंत्रं शिष्यं निर्मलचेतसम् । चक्रेण विधिना तप्तं ताप इत्यभिधीयते
Afterwards, the guru should teach the mantra to the disciple whose mind is pure; the branding with the disc, performed according to rule, is called tāpa.
पुंड्रमूर्द्ध्वं तथा प्रोक्तं नाम वैष्णवमुच्यते । ततो मंत्रं विधानेन शिष्यमध्यापयेद्गुरुः
The upright mark is called puṇḍra, and the Vaiṣṇava name is so designated; then, according to the proper method, the guru should teach the mantra to the disciple.
न्यासमष्टाक्षरं मंत्रमन्यं वा वैष्णवं मनुम् । न्यासमेवात्र परमं वैष्णवानां शुभानने
The eight-syllabled nyāsa mantra or another Vaiṣṇava mantra should be imparted; among Vaiṣṇavas, nyāsa is considered supreme, O auspicious one.
तस्मात्तु न्यासमेवैषामतिरिक्तमिहोच्यते । न्यासविद्यापरो यस्तु ब्राह्मणः श्रेष्ठ उच्यते
Therefore, here only the rite of nyāsa is declared as superior for them; the Brāhmaṇa who is devoted to the knowledge of nyāsa is said to be the best.
न्यासात्परतरं नास्ति मन्त्रं सत्यं ब्रवीमि ते । न्यासं द्वयं प्रपत्तिः स्यात्पर्यायेण निबोध मे
There is no mantra higher than nyāsa; I speak the truth to you. Understand from me that nyāsa is twofold, and surrender is its alternate form.