क्रमेण ब्रह्मजा पश्चात्संगता तु सखीजनम्। ज्येष्ठमध्यमयोर्मध्ये संगमो लोकविश्रुतः
Then, the daughter of Brahma, after that, joined her circle of friends; among the eldest and the middle, their meeting is renowned in the world.
पश्चान्मुखी ब्रह्मसुता जाह्नवी तु उदङ्मुखी। ततस्ते विबुधाः सर्वे पुष्करं ये समागताः
The daughter of Brahma faced west, while Jāhnavī faced north; then all the gods who had assembled at Puṣkara—
विदित्वा दुष्करं कर्म तस्या स्तुतिमकारयन्। त्वं बुद्धिस्त्वं मतिर्लक्ष्मीस्त्वं विद्या त्वं गतिः परा
Knowing her difficult deed, they praised her: 'You are wisdom, you are understanding, you are Lakṣmī, you are knowledge, you are the supreme path.'
त्वं श्रद्धा त्त्वं परा निष्ठा बुद्धिर्मेधा रतिः क्षमा। त्वं सिद्धिस्त्वं स्वधा स्वाहा त्वं पवित्रं मतं महत्
'You are faith, you are the highest steadfastness, wisdom, intelligence, delight, and patience; you are accomplishment, you are svadhā, svāhā, you are the great sacred doctrine.'
संध्या रात्रिः प्रभा भूतिर्मेधा श्रद्धा सरस्वती। यज्ञ विद्या महाविद्या गुह्यविद्या च शोभना
Twilight, night, radiance, prosperity, intelligence, faith, Sarasvati, sacrifice, knowledge, great knowledge, and secret knowledge, all these are splendid.
आन्वीक्षिकी तु या वार्ता दंडनीतिश्च कथ्यते। नमोस्तु ते पुण्यजले नमः सागरगामिनि
That which is called inquiry, livelihood, and the science of governance—salutations to you, O sacred waters; homage to you, O one who flows to the ocean.
नमस्ते पापनिर्मोके नमो देवि जगत्प्रिये। एवं स्तुता हि सा देवी दिव्या स्वार्थपरायणैः
Homage to you, O remover of sin; homage to you, O goddess beloved of the world. Thus praised, that divine goddess by those devoted to their own purpose—
एवं सा प्राङ्मुखी तत्र स्थिता देवी सरस्वती। सर्वतीर्थमयी देवी सर्वामरसमन्विता
Thus, facing east, the goddess Sarasvati stood there, the goddess embodying all sacred fords, accompanied by all the immortals.
प्राची सेति बुधैर्ज्ञेया ब्रह्मणो वचनं तथा। तत्र शुद्धावटंनाम तीर्थं पैतामहं स्मृतम्
She is to be known by the wise as Prācī, and so is the word of Brahma. There is the holy place called Śuddhāvaṭa, remembered as the ancestral ford.
दर्शनेनापि वै तस्य महापातकिनोपि ये। भोगिभोगान्समश्नंति विशुद्धा ब्रह्मणोंतिके
Even those who are great sinners, by merely seeing it, enjoy pleasures like the enjoyers of pleasure, purified near Brahma.
प्रायोपवेशं ये तत्र प्रकुर्वंति नरोत्तमाः। ते मृता ब्रह्मयानेन दिवं यांत्यकुतोभयाः
Those excellent men who undertake a fast unto death there, when they die, ascend to heaven by the vehicle of Brahma, free from all fear.
तत्राल्पमपि यैर्दानं दत्तं ब्रह्मविदात्मनाम्। जन्मांतरशतं तेषां तैर्दत्तं भावितात्मनाम्
Whatever small gift is given there by those whose souls know Brahman, for a hundred lifetimes, those thoughtful souls enjoy the fruit of their gift.
खण्डस्फुटितसंस्कारं तत्र कुर्वन्ति ये नराः। ते ब्रह्मलोकमासाद्य मोदन्ते सुखिनस्सदा
Those men who perform the rites for broken or scattered bones there, having attained the world of Brahma, always rejoice happily.
योऽत्र पूजाजपोहोमः कृतो भवति देहिनाम्। अनन्तं तत्फलं सर्वं ब्रह्मभक्तिरतात्मनाम्
Whatever worship, recitation, or offering is performed there by embodied beings, all its results are endless for those devoted to Brahma.
तत्र दीपप्रदानेन ज्ञानचक्षुरतींद्रियः। प्राप्नोति धूपदानेन स्थानं ब्रह्मनिषेवितम्
By offering a lamp there, one attains wisdom surpassing the senses; by offering incense, one attains a place attended by Brahma.
अथ किं बहुनोक्तेन संगमे यत्प्रदीयते। तदनंतफलं प्रोक्तं जीवतो वा मृतस्य च
Then, why speak at length? Whatever is given at the confluence is said to yield endless fruit, whether for the living or the dead.
स्नानाज्जपात्तथा होमादनंतफलसाधकम्। रामेणागत्य वै तत्र पिंडं दशरथस्य च
Bathing, recitation, and offering oblations there accomplish endless results. There, Rama came and offered the funeral cake for Dasharatha.
दत्तं श्राद्धं तत्र तेन मार्कंडेयेन दर्शिते। तत्र वापी चतुःकोणा तत्र पिंडप्रदा नराः
There, the funeral rite was performed by him, as shown by Markandeya. There is a four-sided pond, and men offer the funeral cake there.
हंसयुक्तेन यानेन सर्वे यांति त्रिविष्टपम्। तस्यां वाप्यां तु वै ब्रह्मा पितृमेधं चकार ह
All those who offer the funeral cake there travel to heaven in a vehicle yoked with swans. In that pond, Brahma himself performed the ancestral rite.
यज्ञं यज्ञविदां श्रेष्ठः समाप्तवरदक्षिणम्। वसवः पितरो ज्ञेया रुद्राश्चैव पितामहाः
The best of those who know sacrifice performed a sacrifice there, complete with the best gifts. The Vasus, the ancestors, and the Rudras are to be known as the forefathers.
आदित्याश्च ततस्तेषां विहिताः प्रपितामहाः। त्रिविधा अपि आहूय पुनरुक्ता विरिंचिना
And the Adityas, they are their great-grandfathers. All three groups, having been summoned, were again addressed by Virinchi.
भवद्भिः पिंडदानाद्यं ग्राह्यमत्र स्थितैस्सदा। यत्कृतं पितृकार्यं च तदनंतफलं भवेत्
By you, the offering of the funeral cake and other rites should always be accepted here. Whatever ancestral rite is performed here yields endless fruit.
वृत्यर्थं पितरस्तेषां तुष्टाश्चैव पितामहाः। लभंते तर्पणात्तृप्तिं पिंडदानात्त्रिविष्टपम्
For the sake of sustenance, their fathers and grandfathers, satisfied, receive fulfillment from the offering of oblations and attain heaven through the gift of rice balls.
तस्मात्सर्वं परित्यज्य प्राचीने पिंडदो भवेत्। दत्वा पुत्रः प्रयत्नेन पितॄन्सर्वांश्च तर्पयेत्
Therefore, abandoning everything, one should become a giver of rice balls in the east; having given, the son should diligently satisfy all the ancestors.
प्राचीनेश्वरदेवस्य पुरोभूतं प्रतिष्ठितम्। आदितीर्थं तदित्युक्तं दर्शनादपि मुक्तिदम्
Before the lord of the east, established there, is the original holy place, so it is said; even by seeing it, liberation is granted.
स्पृष्ट्वा तु सलिलं तत्र मुच्यते जन्मबंधनात्। अवगाहनाद्ब्रह्मणोऽसौ भवत्यनुचरः सदा
By touching the water there, one is freed from the bondage of birth; by immersion, one always becomes an attendant of Brahma.
आदितीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा यः प्रदद्यात्समाधिना। अन्नमल्पमपि प्रायः प्रायशस्स्वर्गमाप्नुयात्
Whoever bathes at the original holy place and gives even a little food with concentration, he generally attains heaven.
यस्तत्र ब्रह्मभक्तानां नरः स्नात्वा ददेद्धनम्। कृसेरणापि हेम्ना च स स्वर्गे मोदते सुखी
Whoever, having bathed there, gives wealth to devotees of Brahma—even a small amount or gold—he rejoices happily in heaven.
प्राचीसरस्वती तत्र नरैः किं मृग्यते परम्। तस्यां स्नानात्फलं तृप्त्यै तपोयज्ञादिलक्षणम्
Why do men seek anything higher at the eastern Sarasvati? The fruit of bathing there is satisfaction, equal to the results of austerity, sacrifice, and the like.
ये पिबंति नराः पुण्यां प्राचीं देवीं सरस्वतीम्। न ते नराः सुरा ज्ञेया मार्कंडेयर्षिरब्रवीत्
Those men who drink the sacred eastern goddess Sarasvati are not to be regarded as mere mortals, so said the sage Markandeya.