प्रजावृद्धिकरं भोगयशःस्वर्गसुखप्रदम् । अंत्यं चैव प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु दानं द्विजोत्तम
Such giving increases offspring, grants enjoyment, fame, heavenly happiness, and I will also explain the final kind of gift—listen, O best of the twice-born.
कामस्य संक्षयं ज्ञात्वा जरया परिपीडितः । दद्याद्दानानि यत्नेन कुर्यादाशां न कस्यचित्
Recognizing the decline of desire and afflicted by old age, one should give gifts with effort, and not place hope in anyone.
मृते च मयि मे पुत्रा जायाबांधवसोदराः । कथमेते भविष्यंति मां विना सुहृदो मम
When I am dead, how will my sons, wife, relatives, and brothers fare? How will my friends live without me?
अहं वित्तविहीनो वा कथं जीवन्पुनस्तथा । भविष्यामीति विज्ञाय न ददाति हि किंचन
Or, if I am without wealth, how will I live again? Thinking thus, one gives nothing at all.
आशापाशशतैर्बद्धो भाग्यादेव कुमायया । मृत्युं प्रयाति मूढात्मा रुदंति च ततः सुताः
Bound by hundreds of cords of hope, and by misfortune and ignorance, the deluded soul goes to death, and then his children weep.
दुःखेन पीडिताः किचिंन्मोहेनाकुलचेतसः । स्वल्पमल्पं च वा दानं कथंचित्कल्पयंति ते
Afflicted by sorrow and confused by delusion, with troubled minds, they somehow arrange a small and meager gift.
न तत्रास्मिन्गते काले महादुःखगते सति । विस्मरंति तदा दानं लोभाद्वा न ददत्यपि
But at that time, in the midst of great suffering, they forget about giving, or out of greed, they do not give at all.
मृतोऽयं च पिता ज्ञात्वा स्नेहपाशो निवर्त्तते । योऽसौ मृतो महीदेव मम पाशैर्नियंत्रितः
Knowing that their father is dead, the bond of affection is broken; he who has died, O king, was bound by their ties.
तृष्णा क्षुधा समाक्रांतो बहुदुःखैः प्रपीडितः । पच्यते नरके घोरे चिरकालं न संशयः
Overcome by thirst and hunger, tormented by many sufferings, he is cooked in a dreadful hell for a long time—there is no doubt.
तस्माद्दानं प्रदातव्यं स्वयमेव न संशयः । कस्य पुत्राश्च पौत्राश्च कस्य भार्या धनं च वा
Therefore, one must give gifts oneself, without doubt; whose are sons and grandsons, whose is wife or wealth?
संसारे नास्तिकः कस्य स्वयं तस्मात्प्रदीयते । पानमन्नं च तांबूलमुदकं कांचनं तथा
In this world, who truly belongs to whom? Therefore, one should give oneself: drink, food, betel, water, and gold as well.
वसनं गां च भूमिं च च्छत्रपात्राण्यनेकधा । फलानि भूमिदानानि विविधानि स्वशक्तितः
Clothing, cows, land, umbrellas, various vessels, fruits, and gifts of land in many forms, according to one's ability.
दातव्यानि महीदेव नात्र कार्या विचारणा । तीर्थानां लक्षणं विप्र प्रवक्ष्यामि तवाग्रतः
These should be given, O king; there should be no hesitation here. Now, O Brahmin, I will explain to you the characteristics of holy places.
सुतीर्थानि इयं गंगा भाति पुण्या सरस्वती । रेवा च यमुना तापी नदी चर्मण्वती तथा
The holy Ganga shines, and the sacred Sarasvati; also Reva, Yamuna, Tapi, and the river Carmanvati.
सरयू च वरा वेणी पूर्णा पापप्रणाशिनी । कावेरी कपिला चान्या विशल्या विश्वतारिणी
Sarayu, the excellent Veni, Purna, destroyer of sins; Kaveri, Kapila, and others—Vishalya, Vishvatarini.
गोदावरी समाख्याता तुंगभद्रा च गंडकी । पापानां भीतिदा नित्यं नदी भीमरथी स्मृता
Godavari is renowned, as are Tungabhadra and Gandaki; Bhimarathi is always remembered as a river that brings fear to sinners.
देविका कृष्णगंगा च अन्या याः सरितांवराः । एतास्तु पुण्यकालेषु संति तीर्थान्यनेकशः
Devikā, Kṛṣṇagaṅgā, and other eminent rivers—these, at auspicious times, are indeed numerous sacred places.
ग्रामे वा यदि वारण्ये नद्यः सर्वत्र पावनाः । तत्र तत्रैव कर्त्तव्याः स्नानदानादिकाः क्रियाः
Whether in a village or in the forest, rivers are purifying everywhere; there, one should always perform acts such as bathing and giving charity.
यदा न ज्ञायते नाम तस्य तीर्थस्य भो द्विज । तत्रेत्युच्चारणं कार्यं विष्णुतीर्थमिदं महत्
O twice-born, when the name of a sacred place is not known, one should declare upon arrival: 'This is the great Viṣṇu tīrtha.'
तीर्थस्य देवता विष्णुःस र्वत्रापि न संशयः । नारायणेति यन्नाम स्मरेत्तीर्थेषु साधकः
Viṣṇu is the deity of every sacred place, without doubt; the practitioner should remember the name Nārāyaṇa at tīrthas.
तस्य तीर्थफलं सम्यग्विष्णुनाम्नैव जायते । अज्ञातानां च तीर्थानां देवतानां न संशयः
The full fruit of the tīrtha arises solely by the name of Viṣṇu; and for unknown tīrthas and deities, there is no doubt.
विष्णुनाम्नैव नामानि मानवः परिकीर्तयेत् । सर्वास्तु सिद्धयः पुण्यास्तीर्थभूतास्तु सागरः
A person should recite names in the name of Viṣṇu; all attainments and merits, and even the ocean, are sacred places.
सरांसि मानसादीनि निर्झराः पल्वलादयः । स्वल्पा नद्योऽपि सर्वास्तास्तीर्थानि हरिनामतः
Lakes like Mānas and others, waterfalls, ponds, and even small rivers—all these become tīrthas through the name of Hari.
पर्वतास्तीर्थरूपाश्च यज्ञो यज्ञमही तथा । ब्राह्मणा यत्र विद्वांसः कौतुकेनाप्यवस्थिताः
Mountains are also in the form of tīrthas, as are sacrifices and the land of sacrifice; wherever learned Brāhmaṇas are present, even with delight.
तदेव तीर्थं सुमहत्सर्वपापहरं स्मृतम् । श्राद्धं च श्राद्धभूमिश्च देवशाला च होमभूः
That alone is remembered as a great tīrtha, destroyer of all sins: the place of śrāddha, the śrāddha ground, the temple, and the site of sacrifice.
यत्र वेदध्वनिः सम्यग्यत्र विष्णुकथाः शुभाः । स्वगृहं पुण्यसंयुक्तं गोस्थानमपि पावनम्
Where the sound of the Veda is proper, where auspicious tales of Viṣṇu are told; one's own home, endowed with merit, and even a cowshed are purifying.
यत्राश्वत्थ तरु वने यत्रागारोपि पावनः । एवमादीनि तीर्थानि पिता माता तथैव च
Where there is an Aśvattha tree in the forest, where a cowshed is also purifying; such places are tīrthas, as are father and mother likewise.
पच्यते यत्र धर्मार्थं स्वयं तत्र गुरुः स्थितः । साध्वी यत्रास्ति वै भार्या तत्र तीर्थं न संशयः
Where, for the sake of dharma and wealth, the teacher himself resides; where a virtuous wife exists, there is certainly a tīrtha.
यत्र धर्मरतिर्नित्यं विद्वान्पुत्रः प्रवर्तते । तत्र तस्य हि तत्तीर्थं तारणाय प्रतिष्ठितम्
Where a learned son is always devoted to dharma; there, for him, that place is established as a tīrtha for deliverance.
इत्येवमादि तीर्थानि राजवेश्म तथैव च । एवमादिषु तीर्थेषु पर्वयोगाद्विशेषतः
Thus, places like these are tīrthas, as is the royal palace; especially at conjunctions of festivals, in such tīrthas.