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.
शरण्यं शरणं च त्वामाहुः सेन्द्रा महर्षयः । ऋक्सामश्रेष्ठो वेदात्मा शतजिह्वो महर्षयः
The gods along with Indra and the great sages call you the refuge and the shelter; best of the Ṛk and Sāma, the essence of the Vedas, hundred-tongued, O great sage.
त्वं यज्ञस्त्वं वषट्कारस्त्वमोंकारः परंतपः । शतधन्वा वसुः पूर्वं वसूनां त्वं प्रजापतिः
You are the sacrifice, you are the vaṣaṭ-call, you are the sacred syllable Oṃ, O subduer of foes; wielder of a hundred bows, you are Vasu of old, and among the Vasus, you are the lord of creatures.
त्रयाणामपि लोकानां आदिकर्ता स्वयंप्रभुः । रुद्राणामष्टमो रुद्रः साध्यानामपि पंचमः
Of the three worlds, you are the original creator, the self-luminous lord; among the Rudras, you are the eighth Rudra, and among the Sādhyas, the fifth.
आश्विनौ चापि कर्णौ ते सूर्यचंद्रौ च चक्षुषी । अंते चादौ च मध्ये च दृश्यसे त्वं परंतपः
The Aśvins are your ears, the Sun and Moon your eyes; at the end, at the beginning, and in the middle, you are seen, O subduer of foes.
प्रभवो निधनं चास्य न विदुः को भवानिति । दृश्यसे सर्वलोकेषु गोषु च ब्रह्मणेषु च
No one knows your origin or end, nor who you truly are; yet you are seen in all worlds, among cows and among Brahmins.
दिक्षु सर्वासु गगने पर्वतेषु गुहासु च । सहस्रनयनः श्रीमाञ्छतशीर्षः सहस्रपात्
In all directions, in the sky, on mountains, and in caves, you appear as the thousand-eyed, glorious one, with a hundred heads and a thousand feet.
त्वं धारयसि भूतानि वसुधां च सपर्वताम् । अंतःपृथिव्यां सलिले सर्वसत्वमहोरगः
You uphold all beings and the earth with its mountains; within the earth and in the waters, you are the great serpent of all creatures.
त्रींल्लोकान्धारयन्नास्ते देवगंधर्वदानवान् । अहं ते हृदयं राम जिह्वा देवी सरस्वती
You support the three worlds, along with gods, gandharvas, and demons; I am your heart, O Rama, and Sarasvati, the goddess, is your tongue.
देवा रोमाणि गात्रेषु निर्मितास्ते स्वमायया । निमिषस्ते स्मृता रात्रिरुन्मेषो दिवसस्तथा
The gods are the hairs on your body, created by your own maya; your closing of the eyes is called night, and their opening is called day.
संस्कारस्ते भवेद्देहो न तदस्ति विना त्वया । जगत्सर्वं शरीरे तत्स्थैर्यं च वसुधातलम्
Your body is the result of sacred rites; nothing exists without you. The whole world abides in your body, and the earth's firmness is yours.