तत्र च स्नानमात्रेण महापापैः प्रमुच्यते । श्रीशैलशिखरं दृष्ट्वा वाराणस्यां मृतौ ध्रुवम्
There, by merely bathing, one is freed from great sins; seeing the peak of Śrīśaila, death in Varanasi is assured.
केदारे ह्युदकं पीत्वा पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते । तापसानां महत्स्थानं योगिनां च तथैव च
Indeed, by drinking the water at Kedara, there is no rebirth; it is a great place for ascetics and likewise for yogis.
तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन दर्शनं तस्य कारयेत् । अयं विज्ञानदेवोऽसौ महापातकनाशनः
Therefore, by every effort, one should seek its vision; this is the Lord of Knowledge, the destroyer of great sins.
सिद्धपुरं च नगरं रम्यं स्वर्गसुखावहम् । नित्यमप्सरसो यत्र गायंति च रमंति च
And there is Siddhapura, a delightful city, bestowing heavenly happiness, where celestial nymphs always sing and rejoice.
अतः पर्वताराजोऽयं दर्शने सौख्यकारकः । तस्य तैर्दर्शनं कार्यं मुक्तिमिच्छंति ये नराः
Therefore, this king of mountains brings happiness by its sight; those men who desire liberation should seek its vision.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशतसहस्रसंहितायां उत्तरखंडे श्रीशैलोपाख्याने एकोनविंशोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the nineteenth chapter, entitled 'The Account of Śrīśaila,' in the Uttarakhaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa, comprising fifty-five thousand verses.
श्रीमहादेवउवाच- हरिद्वारं महापुण्यं शृणु देवर्षिसत्तम । यत्र गंगा वहत्येव तत्रोक्तं तीर्थमुत्तमम्
Śrī Mahādeva said: Hear, O best of divine sages, about Haridwar, the most sacred place, where the Ganga truly flows, and where the supreme holy ford is described.
यत्र देवा वसंतीह ऋषयो मनवस्तथा । यत्र देवः स्वयं साक्षात्केशवो नित्यमाश्रितः
There, the gods dwell, as do the sages and Manus; there, the Lord Keśava himself is eternally present.
पुरा पूर्वं तु भो वत्स तीर्थं जातं महत्तदा । यस्य दर्शनमात्रेण दूरतो याति पातकम्
Long ago, O dear one, that great holy place came into being; by merely seeing it, sin departs from afar.
यत्र गंगा महारम्या जाता पुण्य विशेषतः । विष्णुपादोदकी जाता तच्चरणस्पर्शनात्ततः
There, the most delightful Ganga arose, especially sacred; the water from Vishnu's feet was born there, from the touch of his feet.
भगीरथेन भो विद्वन्नानीता तत्र मार्गतः । उद्धारः पूर्वजानां तु कृतस्तेन महात्मना
O learned one, Bhagiratha brought her here by clearing the path; by that great soul, the ancestors were rescued.
नारदउवाच- कोऽयं देव समाख्यातो भगीरथ महातपाः । येन तीर्थं समानीतं लोकानां हितकारणात्
Narada said: Who is this Bhagiratha, renowned for his great austerity, O Lord, by whom this sacred place was brought for the benefit of the worlds?
गंगातीर्थं महत्पुण्यं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् । लोकाः सर्वे वदंत्येवमेतत्तीर्थोत्तमोत्तमम्
The Ganga's holy place is supremely virtuous, destroying all sins; all people declare this to be the highest of all sacred places.
गंगागंगेति यो ब्रूयाद्योजनानां शतैरपि । मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति
Whoever utters 'Ganga, Ganga,' even from hundreds of yojanas away, is freed from all sins and goes to the realm of Vishnu.
कथं तेन समानीता किं कार्यं वद सुव्रत । महादेव उवाच- येन गंगा यथानीता गंगाद्वारेऽतिशोभने
How was she brought by him? What was done? Tell me, O virtuous one. Mahadeva said: By whom and how Ganga was brought to the splendid Ganga's gate—
तत्सर्वं संप्रवक्ष्यामि क्रमानुक्रमयोगतः । पूर्वमासीद्धरिश्चंद्रस्त्रैलोक्ये सत्यपालकः
I will recount all this in proper order; formerly, Harishchandra existed, the protector of truth in the three worlds.
रोहितस्तस्यपुत्रोऽभूदेको विष्णुपरायणः । तस्यापि च वृकः पुत्रो धर्मिष्ठः सत्पथिस्थितः
His son was Rohita, devoted to Vishnu; and Rohita's son was Vrka, righteous and steadfast in the path of virtue.
तस्य पुत्रः सुबाहुश्च जातोस्मिन्वै कुले तदा । तस्य पुत्रो गरो नाम नात्यंतं धार्मिकोऽभवत्
His son Subahu was born in that lineage at that time; Subahu's son, named Gara, was not exceedingly virtuous.
कदाचित्कालयोगेन दुःखी जातोऽत्र कारणात् । राजा तु तत्र देशेन तर्जितो धर्मकारणात्
Once, through the workings of time, he became sorrowful for a certain reason; the king was threatened in that land because of righteousness.
स्वकुटुंबं गृहीत्वा तु गतोऽसौ भार्गवाश्रमे । रक्षितो भार्गवेणाथ कृपया तत्र वै तदा
Taking his family, he went to the hermitage of Bhargava; there, at that time, he was protected by Bhargava's compassion.
तत्र पुत्रो ह्यभूत्तस्य सगरो नाम वै द्विज । ववृधे चाश्रमे पुण्ये भार्गवेणाभिरक्षितः
There, his son was born, named Sagara, O twice-born; he grew up in the holy hermitage, guarded by Bhargava.
उपवीतादिकं सर्वं क्षत्रियस्य तदा कृतम् । शस्त्राणां च तथाभ्यासो वेदानां तु तथैव च
All rites such as the sacred thread were performed for the Kshatriya then; likewise, he practiced weapons and studied the Vedas.
आग्नेयास्त्रं ततो लब्ध्वा भार्गवात्सगरो नृपः । जघान पृथिवीं गत्वा तालजंघान्सहैहयान्
Then, having obtained the fire weapon from Bhargava, King Sagara went forth and slew the Talajanghas and the Haihayas.
सशकान् पारदांश्चैव जघान स महातपाः । नारद उवाच- माहात्म्यं सगरस्याथ वद शंकर विस्तरात्
He, of great austerity, also slew the Shakas and the Paradas. Narada said: Tell in detail, O Shankara, the greatness of Sagara.
महादेव उवाच- सूर्यवंशी महाराजो विख्यातः स महाबली । गरस्य व्यसने तात हृतं राज्यमभूत्किल
Mahadeva said: The great king of the solar dynasty, renowned and mighty, O dear one, lost his kingdom in Gara's calamity.
हैहयैस्तालजंघाद्यैः शकैः सार्द्धं च नारद । यवनाः पारदाश्चैव कांबोजाः पह्लवास्तथा
By the Haihayas, Talajanghas, Shakas, along with the Yavanas, Paradas, Kambojas, and Pahlavas, O Narada—
एते पंचगणा ब्रह्मन्हैहयार्थे पराक्रमान् । हृतराज्यस्ततो राजा सगरोऽथ वनं ययौ
These five groups, O Brahman, acted for the sake of the Haihayas; thus, the king Sagara, deprived of his kingdom, went to the forest.
पत्न्याचानुगतो दुःखी स वै प्राणानवासृजत् । तस्य पत्नी तु कल्याणी सगर्भा च व्रतान्विता
Followed by his wife, sorrowful, he abandoned his life; his wife, virtuous and pregnant, was devoted to vows.
सपत्न्या भार्गवस्तस्य वृतः पूर्वं सुतेप्सया । सा तु भर्तृचितां कृत्वा वने तं प्ररुरोद ह
Bhārgava, desiring a son, had previously chosen the co-wife; but she, having performed her husband's funeral rites, wept for him in the forest.
और्वस्तां वारयित्वा च गरपत्नीं तु नारद । न्यवेदयत तत्पुत्रं धर्मिष्ठं सात्विकं प्रियम्
Aurva, restraining her, O Nārada, informed the wife of the deceased about that son—righteous, virtuous, and beloved.