यत्र नारायणो देवो नित्यं तिष्ठति भूतिदः । शंखचक्रधरास्तस्य समीपे निवसंति ये
There, where the god Nārāyaṇa, bestower of existence, always abides, those who dwell near him bear the conch and discus.
ते मृत्युं समनुप्राप्य दिव्यरूपाश्चतुर्भुजाः । ऋषयस्तत्र तिष्ठंति देवाश्चैवं विशेषतः
Having reached death, they attain divine forms with four arms; sages and especially the gods reside there.
रुद्रा नागास्तथा यक्षा नात्र कार्या विचारणा । तस्याः समीपे ह्येकोऽयं स्थलो वै विष्णुरूपधृक्
Rudras, nāgas, and yakṣas as well—there is no need for doubt here; near her, indeed, is a place where Viṣṇu himself abides.
स्थलेऽस्मिन्वर्तते मूर्तिर्बहुरूपातिमुक्तिदा । चतुर्विंशतिभूतानां जातयः संति तत्र वै
In this place, a form exists, bestowing supreme liberation in many manifestations; there, the births of the twenty-four elements are found.
एका वै मत्स्यरूपा च कृष्णरूपातिमुक्तिदा । अन्या च या बुधैः प्रोक्ता स्थले वै विष्णुसंज्ञके
One is in the form of a fish, granting supreme liberation in the form of Kṛṣṇa; another, as declared by the wise, is called Viṣṇu at that place.
कल्किनाम्नी तथा पुण्या कपिला या मयोदिता । अन्यास्तु विविधाकारा दृश्यंते बहुधा अपि
Another, named Kalki, is also meritorious, and the Kapilā I have described; others of various forms are seen there in many ways.
तिष्ठंति मूर्त्तयः सर्वा नानारूपा ह्यनेकशः । सा गंगा महती पुण्या धर्मकामार्थमुक्तिदा
All these forms stand there, of many shapes and countless kinds; that great and holy Gaṅgā bestows righteousness, desire, and liberation.
यस्यां भूमौ हृषीकेशो नियमेन समन्वितः । वर्त्ततेऽद्यापि तत्रैव मया सह न संशयः
On whose ground Hṛṣīkeśa, endowed with discipline, still abides there today with me—of this there is no doubt.
भ्रूणहत्या बालहत्या गोहत्या च विशेषतः । यस्याः स्पर्शनमात्रेण मुच्यते सर्वकिल्बिषात्
By merely touching her, one is freed from all sins, especially the killing of embryos, children, or cows.
ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रिया वैश्याः शूद्राश्चैवान्यजातयः । सर्वे ते वै विमुच्यंते दर्शनाद्गंडिकांबुनः
Brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, śūdras, and other castes—all of them are released by the sight of the water of Gaṇḍikā.
इयं वेणी समा पुण्या पापिनां तु विशेषतः । मुच्यते ब्रह्महा यत्र इतरेषां तु का कथा
This Veṇī is equally holy, especially for sinners; even a brahmin-killer is freed here—what need to speak of others?
सर्वदा सर्वकाले तु अहं गच्छामि पार्वति । तीर्थानां तीर्थराजोऽयं ब्रह्मणा भाषितः किल
At all times, O Pārvatī, I go there; this is the king of holy places, so declared by Brahmā.
तत्र स्नानं च दानं च मुनिभिः परिकल्पितम् । आषाढे पुण्यकाले तु तत्र गच्छामि सुंदरि
Bathing and giving gifts there have been prescribed by sages; in the auspicious month of Āṣāḍha, O beautiful one, I go there.
मासैकविधिना चैव स्नानं तत्र करोम्यहम् । तारकं तत्र विशदं जपामि तु निरंतरम्
There, I bathe according to the monthly rite, and I constantly recite the clear Tāraka mantra.
अतोऽहं वैष्णवो जातो विष्णुक्षेत्रे यतोगतः । विष्णुना निर्मितं पूर्वं क्षेत्रं तत्तु महत्तरम्
Therefore, I have become a devotee of Viṣṇu, having gone to the field of Viṣṇu; that field, created by Viṣṇu in ancient times, is truly great.
वैष्णवानां च गतिदं पावनं परमं स्मृतम् । भवेऽस्मिन्मानुषे जन्म दुर्लभं देवि सर्वदा
It is remembered as the supreme purifier, granting the path to the devotees of Viṣṇu; O goddess, human birth in this world is always difficult to obtain.
दुर्लभं गण्डिकातीर्थं विष्णुक्षेत्रं तु दुर्लभम् । अतो ह्याषाढमासे तु गंतव्यं द्विजसत्तमैः
The Gaṇḍikā tīrtha is difficult to attain, and the sacred place of Viṣṇu is even more so; therefore, in the month of Āṣāḍha, the best of twice-born should go there.
तत्र गत्वा विशेषेण शंखचक्रादिधारणम् । कर्त्तव्यं तु द्विजश्रेष्ठैः पवित्रं परमं स्मृतम्
Having gone there, especially, the wearing of the conch and discus and such is to be performed by the foremost of twice-born; it is regarded as supremely pure.
शंखतीर्थं तु वामे वै दक्षिणे चक्रचिह्नितम् । द्विजानां मुक्तिदं प्रोक्तं धारितव्यं प्रयत्नतः
At the Śaṅkha tīrtha on the left, and the mark of the discus on the right, it is said to grant liberation to twice-born men and must be worn with care.
ब्राह्मणैश्च विशेषेण शंखचक्रादिधारणं । धृते सति महादेवि वैष्णवास्ते हि मानवाः
Especially by brāhmaṇas, the wearing of the conch, discus, and so on—when this is done, O great goddess, those people are indeed Vaiṣṇavas.
न गण्डिका समं तीर्थं न व्रतं द्वादशीसमम् । न देवः केशवादन्यो भूयोभूयो वरानने
There is no tīrtha equal to Gaṇḍikā, no vow equal to the Dvādaśī, and no god other than Keśava, O beautiful-faced one.
गंडिकायास्तु माहात्म्यं ये शृण्वंति नरोत्तमाः । इहलोके सुखं भुक्त्वा विष्णुलोके हि यांति ते
Those excellent men who hear of the greatness of Gaṇḍikā, after enjoying happiness in this world, go to the world of Viṣṇu.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे उमापतिनारदसंवादे गंडिकातीर्थमाहात्म्यंनाम पंचसप्ततितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the seventy-fifth chapter, called 'The Greatness of Gaṇḍikā Tīrtha,' in the dialogue between Umāpati and Nārada, in the Uttara-khaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa, comprising fifty-five thousand verses.
महादेव उवाच- शृणु सुंदरि वक्ष्यामि स्तोत्रं चाभ्युदयं ततः । यच्छ्रुत्वा मुच्यते पापी ब्रह्महा नात्र संशयः
Mahādeva said: Listen, O beautiful one, I will declare a hymn and its auspicious result; by hearing it, even a great sinner or a slayer of a brāhmaṇa is freed—of this there is no doubt.
धाता वै नारदं प्राह तदहं तु ब्रवीमि ते । तमुवाच ततो देवः स्वयंभूरमितद्युतिः
The Creator spoke to Nārada, and I now tell you that; then the self-born god, radiant with immeasurable light, spoke to him.
प्रगृह्य रुचिरं बाहुं स्मारयेच्चौर्ध्वदेहिकम् । भगवान्नारायणः श्रीमान्देवश्चक्रायुधोहरिः
Having raised his beautiful arm, one should remember the supreme afterlife; the blessed Nārāyaṇa, the glorious god, wielder of the discus, Hari.
शार्ङ्गधारी हृषीकेशः पुराणपुरुषोत्तमः । अजितः खड्गभृज्जिष्णुः कृष्णश्चैव सनातनः
Holder of the Śārṅga bow, Hṛṣīkeśa, the ancient supreme person, unconquered, sword-bearer, victorious, Kṛṣṇa, the eternal one.
एकशृंगो वराहस्त्वं भूतभव्यभवात्मकः । अक्षरं ब्रह्म सत्यं तु आदौ चांते च राघवः
You are the one-tusked boar, the essence of past, present, and future; the imperishable Brahman, the true, and at the beginning and end, Rāghava.
लोकानां तु परो धर्मो विष्वक्सेनश्चतुर्भुजः । सेनानी रक्षणस्त्वं च वैकुंठस्त्वं जगत्प्रभुः
You are the supreme dharma of the worlds, Viṣvaksena, four-armed; the commander, the protector, Vaikuṇṭha, the lord of the universe.
प्रभवश्चाव्ययस्त्वं च उपेंद्रो मधुसूदनः । पृश्निगर्भो धृतार्चिस्त्वं पद्मनाभो रणांतकृत्
You are the origin and the imperishable, Upendra, Madhusūdana; Pṛśnigarbha, radiant, Padmanābha, destroyer of enemies.