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.
सरस्वती नदीं प्राप्य न स्नाने नियमः क्वचित्। भुक्ते वा न च वा भुक्ते दिवा वा यदि वा निशि
Upon reaching the Sarasvati river, there is no restriction for bathing—whether one has eaten or not, whether by day or by night.
तत्तीर्थं सर्वत्तीर्थानां प्राचीनं प्रवरं स्मृतत्। पापघ्नं पुण्यजननं प्राणिनां परिकीर्तितम्
That holy place is remembered as the foremost among all holy places in the east; it is proclaimed as destroyer of sin and generator of merit for living beings.
ये पुनर्भावितात्मानस्तत्र स्नात्वा जनार्दनम्। पूजयन्ति यथाशक्ति ते प्रयांति त्रिविष्टपम्
Those whose minds are purified, who bathe there and worship Janardana according to their ability, they go to heaven.
देवानां प्रवरो विष्णुस्तेन यत्र सरस्वती। सेविता तत्परं तीर्थं क्षितौ ब्रह्मसुतोऽब्रवीत्
Among the gods, Vishnu is foremost; where Sarasvati is served by him, that supreme holy place on earth was declared by the son of Brahma.
ततस्तस्मान्महातीर्थं मन्यमाना महोदयम्। मंदाकिनीमुदीक्षंती स्थिता तत्र सरस्वती
Therefore, considering that great holy place as Mahodaya, Sarasvati stands there, looking toward the Mandakini.
तत्तीर्थं सर्वतीर्थानां परं स्वायंभुवोऽब्रवीत्। मंदाकिन्यासमं यत्र प्राप्य पुण्यसमागमम्
That holy place is declared by Svayambhu as supreme among all holy places, where one attains the congregation of merit equal to Mandakini.
तत्रस्थाने स्थिता देवैः स्तुता देवी सरस्वती। मत्वा चैकाकिनीं तां तु दीनास्यां दीनमानसां
At that place, the goddess Sarasvati, praised by the gods, stood, thinking herself alone, with a sad face and sorrowful mind.
सखीं तदाऽसृजद्ब्रह्मा रूपिणीं विमलेक्षणाम्। हरिणीं हरिरप्याशु जज्ञे कमललोचनाम्
Then Brahma created a companion for her, beautiful and pure-eyed; Hari also quickly appeared as a doe, lotus-eyed.
वज्रिणीमपि देवेशो वज्रपाणिर्विसृष्टवान्। सुकुरंगरुचिं देवो नीलकंठो वृषध्वजः1.32.
The lord of the gods, bearer of the thunderbolt, also created a companion, radiant as gold; the god with blue throat, bull-bannered, did likewise.
सखीं संजनयामास सरस्वत्यास्त्रिलोचनः। विलोक्यमाना सा राजन्सखीभिः सुरसुंदरी
The three-eyed one generated a companion for Sarasvati; being observed by her companions, she, O king, shone among the divine beauties.