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.
अनाराध्य हृषीकेशं सर्वदं सर्वदेहिनाम् । कोपि क्वापि किमप्यत्र न लभेतेति निश्चितम्
Without worshipping Hṛṣīkeśa, the giver of all to all beings, no one, anywhere, can obtain anything here—this is certain.
अपत्यं द्रविणं दारास्तारहर्म्यं हया गजाः । सुखानि स्वर्गमोक्षौ च न दूरे हरिभक्तितः
Children, wealth, wives, horses, palaces, elephants, pleasures, heaven, and liberation—all are not far from devotion to Hari.
नारायणः परो देवः सत्यरूपो जनार्दनः । त्रिधात्मानंसभगवान्ससर्जपरमेश्वरः
Nārāyaṇa is the supreme god, Janārdana, whose form is truth; the blessed Lord, with threefold nature, created all as the supreme ruler.
रजस्तमोभ्यांयुक्तोऽभूद्रजःसत्वाधिकंविभुः । ससर्जनाभिकमलेब्रह्माणंकमलासनम्
Endowed with rajas and tamas, the mighty one became predominantly rajas and sattva; from the lotus of his navel, he created Brahmā, the lotus-seated.
रजसा तमसा जुष्टं स रुद्रमसृजद्विभुः । सत्वं रजस्तमश्चैव त्रितयं चैतदुच्यते
The Lord created Rudra, endowed with rajas and tamas; sattva, rajas, and tamas—this triad is thus spoken of.
सत्वेन मुच्यते जंतुः सत्वं नारायणात्मकम् । रजसा सत्वयुक्तेन भवेच्छ्रीमान्यशोधिकः
By sattva a being is liberated; sattva is of the nature of Nārāyaṇa. Through rajas joined with sattva, one becomes prosperous and surpasses others.
यद्वेदवाक्यं धर्मस्य समुद्दिश्योपसेवते । तद्रुद्रमिति विख्यातं विशिष्टं गदितं नृणाम्
Whatever Vedic statement is practiced with reference to dharma, that is renowned as Rudra, and is declared to be distinguished among men.
तेन राजा भवेल्लोके रजसा तमसा पुनः । यद्धीनं रजसा धर्मं केवलं तामसं च यत्
By that, a king is produced in the world through rajas and tamas; whatever dharma is deficient in rajas, and whatever is purely tāmasic—
तच्च दुर्गतिदं नॄणामिहलोके परत्र च । यो विष्णुः स स्वयं ब्रह्मा यो ब्रह्मा स स्वयं हरः
That brings misfortune to people in this world and the next. He who is Viṣṇu is himself Brahmā; he who is Brahmā is himself Hara.
देवास्त्रयोपि यज्ञेऽस्मिन्निज्या देवेषु नित्यशः । यो भेदं कुरुते तेषां त्रयाणां द्विजसत्तमः
The three gods are always worshipped in sacrifice among the gods. O best of twice-born, whoever creates division among these three—