रथमार्गमिवारोढुं रवेस्तच्छिखरं स्थितम्। वृत्तैस्सपुलकैस्स्निग्धैः स्त्रीणामिव पयोधरैः
That peak seemed to be positioned as if to ascend the chariot path of the sun, rounded and smooth, with soft, raised forms like the breasts of women.
श्रीफलैः शिखरं भाति समन्तात्सुमनोहरैः। गुंजद्भिः षट्पदकुलैः समंतादुपशोभितम्
The peak shone all around with splendid śrī fruits, and was beautifully enhanced everywhere by swarms of humming bees.
कोकिलारावरुचिरं शिखि केका रवाकुलम्। शृंगे मनोहरे तस्मिन्नुद्गतासु मनोरमा
The summit was charming, filled with the delightful calls of cuckoos and the cries of peacocks, and lovely birds had risen up upon it.
पुण्यापुण्यजलोपेता नदीयं ब्रह्मणस्सुता। वंशस्तंबात्सुविपुला प्रवृत्ता चोत्तरामुखी
The river, daughter of Brahma, filled with waters both pure and impure, began from a broad bamboo cluster and flowed northward.
गत्वा ततो नातिदूरात्पुनर्याति पराङ्मुखी। ततः प्रभृति सा देवी प्रसन्ना प्रकटास्थिता
Then, after not going very far, she turned back to flow southward; from that point onward, the goddess remained manifest and serene.
अन्तर्धानं परित्यज्य प्राणिनामनुकम्पया। कनका सुप्रभा चैव नन्दा प्राची सरस्वती
Abandoning concealment out of compassion for living beings, Kanaka, Suprabhā, Nandā, Prācī, and Sarasvatī appeared.
पंचस्रोताः पुष्करेषु ब्रह्मणा परिभाषिता। तस्यास्तीरे सुरम्याणि तीर्थान्यायतनानि च
At Puṣkara, Brahma declared her to have five streams; on her banks are delightful tīrthas and sacred shrines.
संसेवितानि मुनिभिः सिद्धैश्चापि समंततः। तेषु सर्वेषु भविता धर्महेतुः सरस्वती
These are frequented everywhere by sages and accomplished beings; among them all, Sarasvatī will be the cause of righteousness.
हाटकक्षितिगौरीणां तत्तीर्थेषु महोदयम्। दानं दत्तं नरैः स्नातैर्जनयत्यक्षयं फलम्
At those tīrthas of golden-earth goddesses, the gift given by those who have bathed brings inexhaustible reward.
धान्यप्रदानं प्रवरं वदंति तिलप्रदानं च तथा मुनींद्राः । यैस्तेषु तीर्थेषु नरैः प्रदत्तं तद्धर्महेतु प्रवरं प्रदिष्टम्
The great sages say that giving grain and sesame there is supreme; whatever is given by people at those tīrthas is established as the highest cause of righteousness.
प्रायोपवेशं प्रयतः प्रयत्नाद्यस्तेषु कुर्यात्प्रमदा पुमान्वा। तीर्थेपि संयोज्य मनोपि चेत्थं भुंक्ते फलं ब्रह्मगृहे यथेष्टम्
Whoever, with effort and devotion, undertakes fasting unto death there—whether woman or man—joining their mind to the tīrtha, enjoys the desired fruit in Brahma's abode.
तस्योपकंठे म्रियते हि यैस्तु कर्मक्षयात्स्थावरजंगमैश्च। ते चापि सर्वे सकलं प्रसह्य लभंति यज्ञस्य फलं दुरापम्
Whoever dies on its banks, whether from exhaustion of karma, among immobile or mobile beings, all of them forcibly obtain the rare fruit of sacrifice.
ततस्तु सा धर्मफलारणी च जन्मादिदुःखार्दितचेतसां तु। सर्वात्मना चारुफला सरस्वती सेव्या प्रयत्नात्पुरुषैर्महानदी
Therefore, Sarasvatī, the great river, is to be served with effort by people; she is the forest of righteous fruits, the remover of suffering from birth and other woes, and entirely bestows beautiful rewards.
तत्र ये सलिलं पूतं पिबंति सततं नराः। न ते मनुष्या देवास्ते जगत्यामिह संस्थिताः
Those people who continually drink the purified water there are not humans; they are gods established in this world.
यज्ञैर्दानैस्तपोभिश्च यत्फलं प्राप्यते द्विजैः। तदत्र स्नानमात्रेण शूद्रैरपि स्वभावजैः
The fruit obtained by twice-born through sacrifices, gifts, and austerities is, here, gained by mere bathing even by śūdras according to their nature.
दर्शनात्पुष्करस्यापि महापातकिनोपि ये। तेपि तत्पापनिर्मुक्ताः स्वर्गं यांति तनुक्षये
Even those who are great sinners, upon seeing Puṣkara, are freed from their sins and, when their bodies perish, ascend to heaven.
तत्रोपवासी यज्ञस्य पुंडरीकस्य यत्फलम्। तत्प्राप्नोति नरः क्षिप्रमल्पायासेन पुष्करे
There, a person who observes a fast at the yajña of Puṇḍarīka attains its fruit swiftly and with little effort at Puṣkara.
माघमासे तिलान्यस्तु प्रयच्छति च स द्द्विजे। यथाशक्ति च भक्त्या च स विष्णुभवने वसेत्
Whoever, in the month of Māgha, gives sesame seeds to a twice-born, according to their ability and with devotion, dwells in the abode of Viṣṇu.
तत्रोपवासं स्नानं च पंचगव्याशनं तथा। यः करोति नरः सोपि देहांते स्वर्गमाप्नुयात्1.32.
Whoever performs fasting, bathing, and the eating of pañcagavya there, that person too attains heaven at the end of their body.
वसंति तत्समीपस्था येपि तस्करजातयः। तेपि तस्यानुभावेन स्वर्यांति च न संशयः
Even those nearby, who are of the lineage of thieves, by his influence, also go to heaven—there is no doubt.
ये पुनः शूद्रवृत्तिस्थास्त्रिरात्रोपोषिता नराः। प्रयच्छंति द्विजेष्वर्थं ब्रह्मशक्तिसमन्विताः
Those men who live by the ways of the Śūdra, who have fasted for three nights and give wealth to the twice-born, endowed with the power of Brahma—
ते मृता यानमारूढाः पद्मासनचतुर्भुजाः। ब्रह्मणा सह सायुज्यं प्राप्नुवंत्यपुनर्भवम्
When they die, mounted on vehicles, seated on lotus thrones with four arms, they attain union with Brahma and are not born again.
गंगोद्भेदं यत्र गंगा संप्राप्ता सरितां वराम्। सरस्वतीं द्रष्टुकामा सांत्वार्थे प्रोद्गतांऽबरात्
Where the Gaṅgā, the best of rivers, reaches the Gaṅgodbheda, Sarasvatī, desiring to see her, emerges from the sky for consolation.
तत्र गत्वा पयःपूतं सुरसिद्धनिषेवितम्। सारस्वतं च विमलं विद्याधरगणार्चितम्
Having gone there, purified by water, served by gods and siddhas, the pure Sarasvatī, worshipped by hosts of vidyādharas, is to be known.
पीतमेकांजलिमितं येनाप्तं तेन तत्परं। अवलोक्य दिशं पूर्वामाह गंगे सखि त्वया
Whoever has drunk a single handful there, having attained that supreme, looked toward the eastern direction and said, 'Gaṅgā, friend, by you—'
एकाकिनी वियुक्तास्मि क्व यास्येहमबांधवा। तां विज्ञाय ततो गंगा रुदंतीं शोककर्शिताम्
'I am alone, separated; where shall I go, without kin?' Understanding her, then Gaṅgā saw her weeping, distressed by sorrow.
पूर्वदेशात्समायाता द्रष्टुं तां दीनमानसाम्। दृष्ट्वा च तां महाभागां परिष्वज्य तु पीडिताम्
Coming from the eastern region to see her, whose mind was afflicted, seeing that noble one, Gaṅgā embraced her, who was suffering.
नेत्रे प्रमृज्य चैतस्याः प्राह गंगा वचस्तदा। मा रोदीस्त्वं महाभागे दुःष्करं ते कृतं सखि
Wiping her eyes, Gaṅgā then spoke these words: 'Do not weep, O noble one; you have accomplished a difficult task, friend.'
देवकार्यं यदन्येन कर्तुं शक्येत नैव हि। एतस्मात्ते महाभागे द्रष्टुं देवाः समागताः
The work of the gods could not be done by another; therefore, O noble one, the gods have assembled here to see you.
एषां च क्रियतां पूजा वाङ्मनः काय कर्मणा। सरस्वती सुरेंद्राणां कृत्त्वा पूजा विधिक्रमम्
Let worship be performed for them by speech, mind, body, and action; Sarasvatī, having worshipped the lords of the gods according to the prescribed manner—