आगच्छन्नपि यस्तस्या नाम गृह्णाति मानवः। जीवन्सुखं स आप्नोति मृतो भवति खेचरः
Whoever, while approaching her, utters her name, that person attains happiness in life and, upon death, becomes a celestial being.
तत्र ये शुभकर्माणस्त्यजंति स्वां तनुं नराः। ते विद्याधरराजानो भवंति सुखिनो जनाः
Those men who, having performed virtuous deeds, relinquish their bodies there, become kings among the Vidyādharas and enjoy happiness.
नराणां स्वर्गनिःश्रेणी स्नानात्पानात्सरस्वती। तत्र स्नानं प्रकुर्वन्ति येष्टम्यां सुसमाहिताः
For men, bathing and drinking the waters of Sarasvatī there is the ladder to heaven; those who bathe there with devotion on the prescribed day are especially blessed.
ते मृताः स्वर्गमासाद्य मोदंते सुमनोरमाः। सरस्वती सदा स्त्रीणां तत्र सौभाग्यदायिका
Those who die there, having reached heaven, rejoice in supreme delight; Sarasvatī always bestows good fortune upon women there.
उपोषिता तृतीयायामपि सौभाग्यभाजना। तत्र तद्दर्शनेनापि मुच्यते पापसंचयात्
Fasting on the third day also brings good fortune; even by seeing her there, one is freed from accumulated sin.
स्पृशंति ये नराः केचित्तेपि ज्ञेया मुनीश्वराः। रजतस्य प्रदानेन रूपवान्जायते नरः
Those men who touch her are to be regarded as great sages; by giving silver there, a man is born handsome.
पुण्या पुण्यजलोपेता नदीयं ब्रह्मणः सुता। नंदा नामेति विपुला प्रवृत्ता दक्षिणामुखी
This river, filled with holy waters, is the virtuous daughter of Brahmā, known as Nandā, vast and flowing southward.
गत्वा ततो नातिदूरं पुनर्याता पराङ्मुखी। ततः प्रभृति सा देवी प्रसभं प्रकटा स्थिता
Then, after not going very far, she turned again to face the other direction; from that time, the goddess became manifest and visible.
तस्यास्तटेषु पुण्येषु तीर्थान्यायतनानि च। संसेवितानि मुनिभिः सिद्धैश्चापि समंततः
On her sacred banks are fords and shrines, frequented by sages and perfected beings on all sides.
तेषु सर्वेषु भवति धर्महेतुस्सरस्वती। स्नानात्पानात्प्रदानाद्वा हिरण्यस्य महानदी
In all those places, Sarasvatī is the cause of righteousness; by bathing, drinking, or giving gold in the great river, merit is gained.
हाटकक्षितिगौरीणां नंदातीर्थे महोदयं। दानं दत्तं नरैः स्नातैर्जनयत्यक्षयं फलं
At the Nandā ford, gifts given by men who have bathed there, especially to the golden-complexioned earth goddesses, produce inexhaustible fruit.
धान्यप्रदानं प्रवदंति शस्तं वसुप्रदानं च तथा मुनींद्राः । यैस्तेषु तीर्थेषु नरैः प्रदत्तं तद्धर्महेतुः प्रवरं प्रदिष्टम्
The great sages declare that giving grain and wealth there is praiseworthy; whatever is given by men at those fords is established as the highest cause of righteousness.
प्रायोपवेशं प्रयतः प्रयत्नाद्यस्तत्र कुर्यात्प्रमदा पुमान्वा। तीर्थेषु सायुज्यमवाप्य सोऽयं भुङ्क्ते फलं ब्रह्मगृहे यथेष्टं
Whoever, with discipline and effort, undertakes the vow of fasting unto death there—whether woman or man—attains union with the Divine at the holy places, and then enjoys the fruits in the abode of Brahma as desired.
तस्योपकंठे तु मृतास्तु ये वै कर्मक्षयात्स्थावरजंगमाश्च। तैश्चापि सर्वैः सहसा प्रसह्य लभ्येत यज्ञस्य फलं दुरापम्
And those who have died nearby, whether stationary or moving beings, whose karmas have been exhausted—they too, along with all others, suddenly and forcibly obtain the rare fruit of sacrifice.
ततस्तु सा धर्मफलप्रदा भवेज्जन्मादि दुःखार्दित चेतसां नृणाम्। सर्वात्मना पुण्यफला सरस्वती सेव्या प्रयत्नात्पुरुषैर्महानदी
Therefore, that great river Sarasvati, bestower of the fruits of righteousness, should be diligently served by people whose minds are afflicted by the sufferings of birth and so on; she grants all merit and auspicious results.
भीष्म उवाच। पुष्करस्य च नंदायाः श्रुतं माहात्म्यमुत्तमं। ऋषिकोटिर्यदायाता पुष्करे मुखदर्शनात्
Bhishma said: I have heard the supreme glory of Pushkara and Nanda; when the multitude of sages arrived at Pushkara, merely by seeing its face—
सर्वैः सुरूपता लब्धा सर्वमेतन्मया श्रुतं। यज्ञोपवीतैर्भक्तानि यानि तानि वदस्व मे
They all attained perfect beauty; all this I have heard. Tell me now about the sacred threads and the acts of devotion performed there.
कथं तीर्थविभागस्तु कृतस्तैस्सु महात्मभिः। आश्रमे यानि तीर्थानि कृतान्यपि महर्षिभिः
How was the division of the holy places made by those great souls? And which sacred places were established in the hermitage by the great seers?
पदन्यासः कृतः पूर्वं विष्णुना यज्ञपर्वते। नागैस्तत्र पंचतीर्थं कृतं तैस्तु महाविषैः
Long ago, Vishnu made his footprints on Yajña Mountain; and there, the mighty serpents created the fivefold holy place with their great venom.
पिंडप्रदानवापी च केन पूर्वं विनिर्मिता। उदङ्मुखी भूमिगता कथं गंगासरस्वती
By whom was the pond for offering ancestral cakes first constructed? And how did the northward-flowing Ganga and Sarasvati come to be underground?
ब्राह्मणैर्वेदविद्वद्भिः कथं यात्रा त्रिपुष्करे। कर्तव्या यत्फलं तस्या जायते तद्वदस्व मे
How should the pilgrimage at Tripushkara be performed by Brahmins learned in the Vedas? Tell me what fruit arises from that.
पुलस्त्य उवाच। प्रश्नभारो महानेष भवता परिकल्पितः। तदेकाग्रमना भूत्वा शृणु तीर्थ महाफलं
Pulastya said: You have posed a great and weighty question. Therefore, focus your mind and listen to the great fruits of the holy places.
यस्य हस्तौ च पादौ च मनश्चैव सुसंयतं। विद्यातपश्च कीर्तिश्च स तीर्थफलमश्नुते
One whose hands, feet, and mind are well-controlled, who possesses knowledge, austerity, and fame—such a person attains the fruit of pilgrimage.
प्रतिग्रहादुपावृत्तः संतुष्टो येनकेन चित्। अहंकारनिवृत्तश्च स तीर्थफलमश्नुते
One who refrains from accepting gifts, is content with whatever comes, and is free from pride—such a person attains the fruit of pilgrimage.
अक्रोधनश्च राजेंद्र सत्यशीलो दृढव्रतः। आत्मोपमश्च भूतेषु स तीर्थफलमश्नुते
O king, one who is free from anger, truthful in conduct, firm in vows, and regards all beings as oneself—such a person attains the fruit of pilgrimage.
ऋषीणां परमं गुह्यमिदं भरतसत्तम। पूर्वं यत्र महाराज सत्रे पैतामहे तथा
O best of the Bharatas, this is the supreme secret of the sages—where, in ancient times, O great king, at the ancestral sacrifice—
यतीनामुग्रतपसां येषां कोटिः समागता। मुखदर्शनमाश्रित्य स्थितास्ते ज्येष्ठपुष्करे
A multitude of ascetics, fierce in their austerities, numbering in the crores, gathered and, relying on the sight of the face, remained at the chief Pushkara.
सुरूपतां परां लब्ध्वा प्रीतास्ते मुनिसत्तमाः। हर्षेण महताविष्टा ब्रह्मदर्शनकांक्षिणः
Having attained supreme beauty, those foremost sages became delighted, filled with great joy, longing for a vision of Brahma.
यज्ञोपवीतैस्ते भूमिं माप्य सर्वे चतुर्द्दिशं। कृत्वा तीर्थं विभागं च स्थिता भक्तिपरायणाः
With sacred threads, they measured the earth in all four directions, established the divisions of the holy places, and remained devoted to worship.
आसन्नश्च ततस्तेषां तदा तुष्टः पितामहः। कोटिं कृत्वा तदा तेषां मानं दृष्ट्वा मनीषिणां
Then, as they stood nearby, the Grandsire was pleased with them; seeing the multitude of those wise ones, he honored them.