नृणां भवति सौख्यानि तथैश्वर्यं तपोऽक्षयम्। त्रीणि शृङ्गाणि शुभ्राणि त्रीणि प्रस्रवणानि च
For men, happiness arises there, as well as prosperity and inexhaustible ascetic merit; three shining peaks and three springs are there.
पुष्कराणि तथा त्रीणि नविद्मस्तत्र कारणम्। कनीयांसं मध्यमं च तृतीयं ज्येष्ठपुष्करम्
Likewise, there are three Pushkaras; we do not know the reason for this—one is the youngest, one is the middle, and the third is the eldest Pushkara.
शृंगशब्दाभिधानानि शुभप्रस्रवणानि च। ब्रह्माविष्णुस्तथा रुद्रो नित्यं सन्निहितास्त्रयः
Named after peaks and auspicious springs, Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra—these three are always present there.
पुष्करेषु महाराजा नातः पुण्यतमं भुवि। विरजं विमलं तोयं त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम्
Among all places on earth, O great king, there is none more holy than Pushkara; its water is pure, spotless, and renowned in the three worlds.
ब्रह्मलोकस्य पन्थानं धन्याः पश्यंति पुष्करं। यस्तु वर्षशतं साग्रमग्निहोत्रमुपासते
Those blessed ones who see Pushkara behold the path to Brahma's world; whoever worships the sacred fire there for a full hundred years—
कार्तिकीं वा वसेदेकां पुष्करे सममेव च। कर्तुम्मया न शकितं कर्मणा नैव साधितम्
Or dwells at Pushkara for a single Kartika month, even so—such deeds I was not able to perform, nor did I accomplish them by action.
तदयत्नात्त्वया तात मृत्युस्सर्वहरो जितः। तत्र दृष्टस्स देवेशो ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः
Therefore, my son, without effort you have conquered death, the taker of all; there, the Lord of gods, Brahma, the Grandfather of the worlds, was seen.
नान्यो मर्त्यस्त्वया तुल्यो भविता जगतीतले। अहं वै तोषितो येन पञ्चवार्षिकजन्मना
No mortal on earth will be equal to you; I am indeed satisfied by you, who were born for five years.
वरेण त्वं मदीयेन उपमां चिरजीविनाम्। गमिष्यसि न सन्देहस्तथाशीर्वचनम्मम
By my boon, you shall attain the status of those who live long—there is no doubt; such is my blessing.
एवं वदन्ति ते सर्वे व्रज लोकान्यथेप्सितान्। एवं लब्धप्रसादेन मृकण्डुतनयेन च
Thus, all of them say: 'Go to whatever worlds you desire.' In this way, by the grace obtained through Mrikandu's son—
आश्रमःस्थापितस्तेन मार्कण्डाश्रम इत्युत। तत्र स्नात्वा शुचिर्भूत्वा वाजपेयफलं लभेत्
An ashram was established by him, known as Markandeya's ashram; there, by bathing and becoming pure, one attains the fruit of a Vajapeya sacrifice.
सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा चिरायुर्जायते नरः। पुलस्त्य उवाच। तथान्यं ते प्रवक्ष्यामि इतिहासं पुरातनम्
A man, purified from all sins, becomes long-lived; Pulastya said: 'Now I shall tell you another ancient history.'
यथा रामेण वै तीर्थं पुष्करं तु विनिर्मितम्। चित्रकूटात्पुरा रामो मैथिल्या लक्ष्मणेन च
How Pushkara, the holy place, was indeed established by Rama; long ago, Rama, with Sita and Lakshmana, departed from Chitrakuta.
अत्रेराश्रममासाद्य पप्रच्छ मुनिसत्तमम्। राम उवाच। कानि पुण्यानि तीर्थानि किं वा क्षेत्रं महामुने
Reaching the ashram of Atri, he questioned the eminent sage; Rama said: 'Which are the holy places, O great sage, and what is the sacred field?'
यत्र गत्वा नरो योगिन्वियोगं सह बंधुभिः। नैव प्राप्नोति भगवन्तन्ममाचक्ष्व सुव्रत1.33.
O noble one, tell me of that sacred place where, having gone, a man does not experience separation from yogins or from his own kin.
अनेन वनवासेन राज्ञस्तु मरणेन च। भरतस्य वियोगेन परितप्ये ह्यहं त्रिभिः
Through this exile in the forest, the king's death, and separation from Bharata, I am tormented by these three sorrows.
तद्वाक्यं राघवेणोक्तं श्रुत्वा विप्रर्षभस्तदा। ध्यात्वा च सुचिरं कालमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्
Hearing these words spoken by Rāghava, the foremost of Brahmins, after meditating for a long time, spoke these words.
अत्रिरुवाच। साधु पृष्टं त्वया वीर रघूणां वंशवर्धन। मम पित्रा कृतं तीर्थं पुष्करं नाम विश्रुतम्
Atri said: Well asked, O hero, enhancer of the Raghus' line; my father established a renowned tīrtha called Puṣkara.
पर्वतौ द्वौ च विख्यातौ मर्यादा यज्ञपर्वतौ। कुंडत्रयं तयोर्मध्ये ज्येष्ठमध्यकनिष्ठकम्
There are two famous mountains, the boundary-sacrifice mountains, and between them are three sacred pools: the eldest, the middle, and the youngest.
तेषु गत्वा दशरथं पिंडदानेन तर्पय। तीर्थानां प्रवरं तीर्थं क्षेत्राणामपि चोत्तमम्
Go there and satisfy Daśaratha with the offering of ancestral cakes; it is the foremost of holy places and the best of all sacred fields.
अवियोगा च सुरसा वापी रघुकुलोद्वह। तथा सौभाग्यकूपोन्यः सुजलो रघुनंदन
O best of the Raghu line, there is also the delightful Aviyogā well, and another auspicious well with pure water, O joy of the Raghus.
तेषु पिंडप्रदानेन पितरो मोक्षमाप्नुयुः। आभूतसंप्लवं कालमेतदाह पितामहः
By offering ancestral cakes in those places, the fathers attain liberation; this was declared by the Grandsire at the time of the great flood.
तत्र राघव गच्छस्व भूयोप्यागमनं क्रियाः। तथेति चोक्त्वा रामोपि गमनाय मनो दधे
Go there, O Rāghava, and perform the rites repeatedly; having said, 'So be it,' Rāma set his mind on going.
ऋक्षवंतमभिक्रम्य नगरं वैदिशं तथा। चर्मण्वतीं समुत्तीर्य प्राप्तोसौ यज्ञपर्वतम्
Crossing the Ṛkṣa mountains, then the city of Vaidīśa, and fording the river Carmaṇvatī, he reached the Yajña mountain.
तमतिक्रम्य वेगेन मध्यमे पुष्करे स्थितः। पितॄन्संतर्पयामास अद्भिर्देवांश्च सर्वशः
Swiftly passing beyond that, he stood at the middle Puṣkara, and there he satisfied his ancestors with water and all the gods as well.
स्नानावसाने रामेण मार्कंडो मुनिपुंगवः। आगच्छन्शिष्यसंयुक्तो दृष्टस्तत्रैव धीमता
At the end of his bath, Rāma, the wise one, saw the eminent sage Mārkaṇḍeya arriving there with his disciples.
गत्वा वै संमुखं तस्य प्रणिपत्य च सादरम्। पृष्टोऽवियोगदः कूपः कतमस्यां दिशि प्रभो
Approaching him face to face, bowing respectfully, he asked: 'O lord, in which direction is the well that grants freedom from separation?'
सुतो दशरथस्याहं रामो नाम जनैः स्मृतः। सौभाग्यवापीं तां द्रष्टुमहं प्राप्तोत्रिशासनात्
I am the son of Daśaratha, known among men as Rāma; I have come by Atri's instruction to see that well of good fortune.
तत्स्थानं तौ च वै कूपौ भगवान्प्रब्रवीतु मे। एवमुक्तश्च रामेण मार्कंडः प्रत्युवाच ह
May the blessed one tell me the location of that place and those wells; thus addressed by Rāma, Mārkaṇḍeya replied.
मार्कंडेय उवाच। साधु राघव भद्रं ते सुकृतं भवता कृतम्। तीर्थयात्राप्रसंगेन यत्प्राप्तोसीह सांप्रतम्
Mārkaṇḍeya said: Well done, O Rāghava, may you be blessed; you have acted righteously in coming here now on pilgrimage to the holy places.