प्रार्थना चोपचारैस्तु त्रिरात्रनियमः शुचिः । पारणेन तु संपूज्य जलपात्रं समाचरेत्
With prayers and offerings, maintaining purity for three nights, one should complete the worship with the concluding rite, using a vessel of water.
फलपुष्पैस्तथा विद्वन्स्त्रीभिर्बालैर्नरैरपि । गीतवादित्रसहितैर्नदी कुंभ परिप्लुतैः
With fruits and flowers, O wise one, by women, children, and men, accompanied by song and musical instruments, and with river pots filled with water.
जलेजले समास्थाप्य फलपुष्पैः प्रपूजयेत् । धान्यैर्नानाविधैश्चैव जलप्रक्षेपणैरपि
In every body of water, one should establish and worship with fruits and flowers, with various kinds of grains, and by pouring water as well.
हास्यैर्गीतैश्च नृत्यैश्च गृहमागत्य यत्नतः । सप्तधान्यैः पूरितानि वंशपात्राणि पूजयेत्
With laughter, songs, and dances, having come home with care, one should worship bamboo vessels filled with seven kinds of grains.
सप्त वा पंच वा त्रीणि यथाशक्त्या प्रपूरयेत् । त्रिरात्रं च नदीतोयं न पिबेद्धितमुल्लसन्
Seven, or five, or three—one should fill them according to ability; for three nights, one should not drink river water, even if thirsty.
पारणे तु हविष्यान्नं हृतं वा ह्यन्यथा भवेत् । कृते स्नानार्चने चैव नोपयोज्यं नदीजलम्
At the conclusion, one may eat havis-food, or otherwise as appropriate; after bathing and worship, river water should not be used.
शुच्यन्नानि च भोज्यानि दापयत्त्रितयं तथा । सप्तैव वंशपात्राणि सप्त वै मणिकास्तथा
One should give pure foods to eat, and likewise three, or seven bamboo vessels, and also seven gems.
हविष्यान्नं च भुंजीत कट्वम्लमधुवर्जितम् । माषान्नं च शिलापिष्टं यत्नेन परिवर्जयेत्
One should eat havis-food, avoiding pungent, sour, and honey; one should carefully avoid mashed black gram food ground on stone.
एवं वर्षत्रयं कुर्याद्व्रतमेतद्दिवजोत्तम । वर्षत्रये समाप्यैवं तस्योद्यापनमाचरेत्
Thus, O best of the twice-born, one should observe this vow for three years; at the end of three years, one should perform the concluding rite.
कृष्णां गां कृष्णवस्त्रां च तिलान्दद्याच्च नारद । दंपती परिदाप्यैवं सुवर्णं चापि शक्तितः
One should give a black cow, black cloth, and sesame, O Narada; after clothing a couple, also gold according to ability.
हैमं च वरुणं कुर्यान्नदीरूपेण नारद । मंडलं वारुणं चैव सर्वतोभद्रमेव च
One should make a golden Varuna in the form of a river, O Narada, and also a Varuna mandala, auspicious on all sides.
कुंभं तत्र प्रतिष्ठाप्य सोपहारं प्रतिष्ठितम् । संपूज्य विधिवद्भक्त्या ततो विप्राय दापयेत्
There, one should establish a pot with its offerings properly arranged; having worshipped with due devotion, one should then give it to a Brahmin.
ब्राह्मणान्भोजयेच्छक्त्या यथावित्तानुसारतः । गुरवेर्चितशीलाय सर्वशास्त्ररताय च
One should feed Brahmins according to one's ability and means, especially those devoted to honoring their teachers and engaged in all the scriptures.
एवं कृते तदा विद्वन्परिपूर्णं व्रतं भवेत् । सौभाग्यसुखसंपत्तिः संततिश्चाक्षया भवेत्
When this is done, O wise one, the vow is considered fully accomplished; good fortune, happiness, prosperity, and an unending lineage will result.
न दुर्गतिमवाप्नोति चिरं स्वर्गे महीयते । देवपत्नीभिराचीर्णमृषिपत्नीभिरेव च
One does not fall into misfortune and is honored in heaven for a long time; this vow was practiced by the wives of the gods and the wives of the sages.
नागसिद्धांगनाभिश्च व्रतमेतत्पुरा कृतम् । नदीत्रिरात्रमतुलं किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छसि । सौभाग्यं संततिं चैव निश्चयं प्राप्नुते सदा
This vow was formerly performed by the Nāga maidens and Siddha women as well; this is the peerless three-night river vow—what else do you wish to hear? One always attains good fortune, offspring, and certainty.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे उमापतिनारदसंवादे नदीत्रिरात्रव्रतं नाम सप्ततितमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa, in the section of fifty-five thousand verses, in the Uttarakhaṇḍa, in the dialogue between Umāpati and Nārada, this is the seventieth chapter named 'The Three-Night River Vow.'
ऋषय ऊचुः - सूत जीव चिरं साधो त्वयातिकरुणात्मना । संवादो ह्यद्भुतः प्रोक्तो यश्चासीन्नारदेशयोः
The sages said: Sūta, may you live long, O virtuous one, you who are most compassionate; you have narrated a marvelous conversation that took place between Nārada and Īśa.
भगवन्नाममहिमा नारदेन महात्मना । कीदृक्श्रुतः समाख्याहि श्रद्धया शृण्वतां गुरो
O revered one, tell us in detail what kind of glory of the divine name was heard from the great-souled Nārada, for we listen with faith, O teacher.
सूत उवाच- शृणुध्वं मुनयः सर्वे पुरावृत्तं वदाम्यहम् । यस्मिञ्छ्रुते द्विजश्रेष्ठाः कृष्णे भक्तिर्विवर्द्धते
Sūta said: O sages, listen all of you as I recount an ancient event, upon hearing which, O best of twice-born, devotion to Kṛṣṇa increases.
एकदा नारदो द्रष्टुं पितरं सुसमाहितः । जगाम मेरुशिखरं सिद्धचारणसेवितम्
Once, Nārada, with a focused mind, went to see his father at the peak of Meru, which is attended by Siddhas and Cāraṇas.
तत्र देवं समासीनं ब्रह्माणं जगतां पतिम् । नमस्कृत्याब्रवीद्विप्रा नारदो मुनिसत्तमः
There, having bowed to Brahmā, the lord of the worlds, who was seated, the best of sages, Nārada, spoke to him.
नारद उवाच- नाम्नोऽस्य यावतीशक्तिर्वद विश्वेश्वर प्रभो । कीदृक्तु नाममहिमा अव्ययस्य महात्मनः
Nārada said: O Lord of the Universe, O master, tell me the extent of the power of this name; what is the true greatness of the imperishable, great-souled one’s name?
योऽयं विश्वेश्वरः साक्षादयं नारायणो हरिः । परमात्मा हृषीकेशः सर्वजीवेषु संगतः
This very Lord of the Universe is directly Nārāyaṇa, Hari, the supreme self, Hṛṣīkeśa, who is present in all beings.
मायाविमोहिताः सर्वे भगवंतमधोक्षजम् । नैव जानंत्यसारेऽस्मिन्नरा मूढाः कलौ युगे
All people, deluded by Māyā, do not know the Lord, the transcendent one, in this insubstantial age; men are bewildered in the Kali age.
ब्रह्मोवाच- अस्मिन्कलौ विशेषेण नामोच्चारणपूर्वकम् । भक्तिः कार्या यथा वत्स तथा त्वं श्रोतुमर्हसि
Brahmā said: Especially in this Kali age, devotion should be practiced through the utterance of the name; listen, my child, to how this is to be done.
दृष्टं परेषां पापानामनुक्तानां विशोधनम् । विष्णोर्जिष्णोः प्रयत्नेन स्मरणं पापनाशनम्
It is seen that the remembrance of Viṣṇu, the victorious one, with effort, destroys the sins of others, even those not confessed.
मिथ्या ज्ञात्वा ततः सर्वं हरेर्नामपठन्जपन् । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तो याति विष्णोः परंपदम्
Knowing all else to be false, one who recites and repeats the name of Hari becomes free from all sins and attains the supreme abode of Viṣṇu.
ये वदंति नरा नित्यं हरिरित्यक्षरद्वयम् । तस्योच्चारणमात्रेण विमुक्तास्ते न संशयः
Those men who always say the two syllables 'Hari'—by the mere utterance of that, they are liberated, without doubt.
प्रायश्चित्तानि सर्वाणि कृष्णानुस्मरणं परम् । प्रातर्निशि तथा सायं मध्याह्नादिषु संस्मरन्
All acts of atonement are surpassed by the remembrance of Kṛṣṇa; remembering him in the morning, at night, in the evening, and at midday.