तस्यामुद्धरणार्थाय जन्ममृत्युजरातिगा । या दुस्तरा दुष्कृतिभिः सर्वप्राणिभयापहा
For the purpose of deliverance from birth, death, and old age, in that river which is hard to cross for sinners, remover of fear for all creatures.
यस्यां भयात्प्रमज्जंति प्राणिनो यातनापराः । तर्तुकामस्तु तां घोरं जया देवि नमोनमः
Because of fear in her, beings sink, suffering extreme torments; whoever wishes to cross that dreadful river, O goddess, I bow to you.
तस्यां देवाधितिष्ठंति या सा वैतरणी नदी । सा चापि पूजिता भक्त्या प्रीत्यर्थं केशवस्य च
In that river, the gods reside; that Vaitaraṇī river, when worshipped with devotion, is for the pleasure of Keśava as well.
यस्यास्तटे प्रविशंति ऋषयः पितरस्तथा । सा चापि सिंधुरूपेण पूजिता पापहारिका
On whose banks sages and ancestors enter; she, in the form of a river, is worshipped as the remover of sin.
तरीतुं तां प्रदास्यामि सर्वपापविमुक्तये । पुण्यार्थं संप्रवक्ष्यामि तुभ्यं वैतरणी नदीम्
To cross her, I shall give for the liberation from all sin; for the sake of merit, I will explain to you the river Vaitaraṇī.
मयासि पूजिता भक्त्या प्रीत्यर्थं केशवस्य च । कृष्णकृष्णजगन्नाथ संसारादुद्धरस्व माम्
I have worshipped you with devotion for the pleasure of Keśava; O Krishna, Krishna, Lord of the Universe, lift me up from worldly existence.
नामग्रहणमात्रेण सर्वं पापं हरस्व मे । यज्ञोपवीतं परमं कारितं नवतंतुभिः
By merely uttering your name, remove all my sin; the sacred thread, supreme, has been made with ninety threads.
प्रतिगृह्णीष्व देवेश प्रीतो यच्छ ममेप्सितम् । इदं तव च तांबूलं यथाशक्त्या सुशोभनम्
Accept, O Lord of the gods, with pleasure grant me what I desire; here is your betel, beautiful and given to the best of my ability.
प्रतिगृह्णीष्व देवेश मामुद्धर भवार्णवात् । पंचवर्ती प्रदीपोऽयं देवेशारार्तिकं तव
Accept, O Lord of the gods, lift me up from the ocean of worldly existence; this five-wicked lamp is your worship, O Lord.
मोहांधकारद्युमणे भक्तियुक्तो भवार्तिहृत् । परमान्नं सुपक्वान्नं समस्तरससंयुतम्
O sun dispelling the darkness of delusion, endowed with devotion, remover of worldly suffering; supreme food, well-cooked, with all flavors combined.
निवेदितं मया भक्त्या भगवन्प्रतिगृह्यताम् । द्वादशाक्षरमंत्रेण यथासंख्य जपेन च
Offered by me with devotion, O Lord, may you accept it; with the twelve-syllable mantra, and by reciting it the prescribed number of times.
प्रीयतां मे श्रियःकांतः प्रीतो यच्छतु वांछितम् । पंच गावः समुत्पन्ना मथ्यमाने महोदधौ
May Śriyaḥkānta be pleased with me, and kindly grant what is desired; five cows arose when the great ocean was churned.
तासां मध्ये तु या नंदा तस्यै धेन्वै नमोनमः । गां संपूज्य विधानेन अर्घ्यं दद्यात्समाहितः
Among them, to that cow named Nandā, I offer repeated salutations. Having duly worshipped the cow, one should offer arghya with a focused mind.
सर्वकामदुघे देवि सर्वांतकनिवारिणी । आरोग्यं संततिं दीर्घां देहि नंदिनि मे सदा
O goddess, wish-fulfilling and remover of all death, always grant me health and long progeny, O Nandinī.
पूजिता च वसिष्ठेन विश्वामित्रेण धीमता । कपिले हर मे पापं यन्मया पूर्वसंचितम्
Worshipped by Vasiṣṭha and the wise Viśvāmitra, O Kapilā, remove the sins I have accumulated in the past.
गावो ममाग्रतः संतु गावो मे संतु पृष्ठतः । नाके मामुपतिष्ठंतु हेमशृंगी पयोमुचः
May cows be before me, may cows be behind me; may the golden-horned, milk-giving cows attend me in heaven.
सुरभ्यः सौरभेयाश्च सरितः सागरा यथा । सर्वदेवमये देवि सुभद्रे भक्तवत्सले
O Surabhi and her descendants, like rivers and oceans, O goddess composed of all the gods, auspicious one, lover of devotees.
एवं संपूज्य विधिवद्दद्याद्गोषु गवाह्निकम् । सौरभेयः सर्वहिताः पवित्राः पापनाशनाः
Thus, having worshipped properly, one should give the daily offering to the cows; the descendants of Surabhi are beneficial to all, pure, and destroy sin.
प्रतिगृह्णंतु मे ग्रासं गावस्त्रैलोक्यमातरः । गंगदायै नमो भूत्यै सर्वपापप्रहाणये
May the cows, mothers of the three worlds, accept my offering; salutations to Gaṅgā, to prosperity, to the destruction of all sins.
अनेनैव तु मंत्रेण गदां वैधारयेद्बुधः । पं नमः पद्मनाभाय पद्मं वै धारयेत्सुधीः
With this very mantra, the wise should ward off disease; 'Paṃ, salutations to Padmanābha,' the wise should bear the lotus.
चं चक्ररूपिणे विष्णो धारणं चक्रजं स्मृतम् । शं शंखरूपिणे तुभ्यं नमोऽस्तु सुखकारिणे
'Caṃ'—to Viṣṇu in the form of the discus, bearing the discus is remembered; 'Śaṃ'—to you in the form of the conch, salutations to the bringer of happiness.
मंत्रेणानेन वै दूता धारणं शंखजं स्मृतम् । चतुर्णामायुधानां तु धारणं मुनिभिः स्मृतम्
With this mantra, O messenger, bearing the conch is remembered; the bearing of all four weapons is remembered by the sages.
अग्निहोत्रं यथा नित्यं वेदस्याध्ययनं तथा । ब्राह्मणस्य तथैवेदं तप्तमुद्रादि धारणम्
Just as agnihotra is daily, and the study of the Veda as well, so too for a brāhmaṇa is the bearing of heated marks and the like.
चंदनेन सुगंधेन गोपिकाचंदनेन तु । धारणं च विशेषेण ब्राह्मणैर्वेदपारगैः
With fragrant sandalwood, and especially with gopikā-sandal, the bearing of marks is especially for brāhmaṇas learned in the Veda.
चांडालोऽपि भवेच्छुद्धो धारणाच्च न संशयः । ऊर्ध्वं पुंड्रमृजुं सौम्यं सचिह्नं धारयेद्यदि
Even a caṇḍāla becomes pure by bearing them, there is no doubt; if he bears the upright, gentle, marked ūrdhva-puṇḍra.
स चांडालोऽपि शुद्धात्मा पूज्य एव सदा द्विजैः । चांडालानां गृहे दूतास्तुलसी यत्र दृश्यते
Even that caṇḍāla, pure in soul, is always to be honored by twice-born; in the houses of caṇḍālas, where tulasī is seen, messengers dwell.
तत्रत्या तुलसी ग्राह्या भक्तिभावेन चेतसा
The tulasī found there should be accepted with a mind full of devotion.
महादेव उवाच- पप्रच्छाहं जगन्नाथं व्रतानामुत्तमं व्रतम् । पुत्रपौत्रविवृद्ध्यर्थं सुखसौभाग्यदायकम्
Mahādeva said: I asked the Lord of the universe about the supreme vow among vows, which brings increase of sons and grandsons, and bestows happiness and good fortune.
तवाग्रे संप्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु सुंदरि सांप्रतम् । इदं कथानकं दिव्यमृषीणां व्रतमुत्तमम्
I shall now declare to you, O beautiful one, this divine story, the supreme vow of the sages.
रजस्वला तु या नारी सहसा पापरूपिणी । कृतेन च व्रतेनैव महापापैः प्रमुच्यते । पितॄणामक्षयं देयं धर्मकामार्थसाधनम्
A woman who is menstruating is considered suddenly sinful; yet by performing this vow, she is freed from great sins. It should be given unfailingly to the ancestors, as it accomplishes righteousness, desire, and wealth.