Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

हिमवद्गिरिजा गंगा पुण्या शतमुखा नदी तत्तीरे चैव काश्यादिपुण्यक्षेत्राण्यनेकशः

The Ganga, daughter of the Himalayas, is a holy river with a hundred mouths; on its banks too are many sacred places, beginning with Kāśī.

तत्र तीरं प्रशस्तं हि मृगबृहस्पतौ शोणभद्रो दशमुखः पुण्योभीष्टफलप्रदः

There, the bank is indeed excellent at the time of Mrigabrihaspati; the Shonabhadra, with ten mouths, is holy and grants the fruits of one's desires.

तत्र स्नानोपवासेन पदं वैनायकं लभेत् चतुर्वींशमुखा पुण्या नर्मदा च महानदी

There, by bathing and fasting, one attains the station of Ganesha; the Narmada, with twenty-four mouths, is holy and a great river.

तस्यां स्नानेन वासेन पदं वैष्णवमाप्नुयात् तमसा द्वादशमुखा रेवा दशमुखा नदी

By bathing and dwelling there, one attains the station of Vishnu; the Tamasa, with twelve mouths, and the Reva, the ten-mouthed river.

गोदावरी महापुण्या ब्रह्मगोवधनाशिनी एकविंशमुखा प्रोक्ता रुद्रलोकप्रदायिनी

The Godavari, greatly holy, destroys the sins of Brahmin-slaughter and cow-killing; it is said to have twenty-one mouths and grants the world of Rudra.

कृष्णवेणी पुण्यनदी सर्वपापक्षयावहा साष्टादशमुखाप्रोक्ता विष्णुलोकप्रदायिनी

The Krishnaveni, a holy river, brings about the destruction of all sins; it is said to have eighteen mouths and grants the world of Vishnu.

तुंगभद्रा दशमुखा ब्रह्मलोकप्रदायिनी सुवर्णमुखरी पुण्या प्रोक्ता नवमुखा तथा

The Tungabhadra, with ten mouths, grants the world of Brahma; the Suvarnamukhari, holy and said to have nine mouths, likewise.

तत्रैव सुप्रजायंते ब्रह्मलोकच्युतास्तथा सरस्वती च पंपा च कन्याश्वेतनदी शुभा

There, indeed, good offspring are born, as well as those fallen from Brahma's world; Sarasvati, Pampa, Kanya, and the auspicious Shvetanadi.

एतासां तीरवासेन इंद्रलोकमवाप्नुयात् सह्याद्रिजा महापुण्या कावेरीति महानदी

By dwelling on the banks of these, one attains the world of Indra; the Kaveri, a great and holy river from the Sahyadri mountain.

सप्तविंशमुखा प्रोक्ता सर्वाभीष्टं प्रदायिनी तत्तीराः स्वर्गदाश्चैव ब्रह्मविष्णुपदप्रदाः

It is said to have twenty-seven mouths and grants all desired things; those banks grant heaven, and the stations of Brahma and Vishnu.

शिवलोकप्रदा शैवास् तथा ऽभीष्टफलप्रदाः नैमिषे बदरे स्नायान्मेषगे च गुरौ रवौ

The Shaiva banks grant the world of Shiva and bestow the fruits of one's desires; one should bathe at Naimisha, Badari, Meshaga, Guru, and Ravi.

ब्रह्मलोकप्रदं विद्यात्ततः पूजादिकं तथा सिंधुनद्यां तथा स्नानं सिंहे कर्कटगे रवौ

Know that it grants the world of Brahma, and so also worship and the like; likewise, bathing in the Sindhu river when the sun is in Leo or Cancer.

केदारोदकपानं च स्नानं च ज्ञानदं विदुः गोदावर्यां सिंहमासे स्नायात्सिंहबृहस्पतौ

Drinking the water of Kedara and bathing there is known to grant knowledge; one should bathe in the Godavari during the month of Simha, when Jupiter is in Leo.

शिवलोकप्रदमिति शिवेनोक्तं तथा पुरा यमुनाशोणयोः स्नायाद्गुरौ कन्यागते रवौ

It is said by Shiva that this grants the world of Shiva; one should bathe in the Yamuna and Shona when Jupiter is in Virgo and the sun is there.

धर्मलोके दंतिलोके महाभोगप्रदं विदुः कावेर्यां च तथास्नायात्तुलागे तु रवौ गुरौ

It is known to grant the world of Dharma and Danti, and great enjoyments; likewise, one should bathe in the Kaveri when the sun and Jupiter are in Libra.

विष्णोर्वचनमहात्म्यात्सर्वाभीष्टप्रदं विदुः वृश्चिके मासि संप्राप्ते तथार्के गुरुवृश्चिके

By the greatness of Vishnu's words, it is known to grant all desired things; when the month of Scorpio arrives, and likewise when the sun and Jupiter are in Scorpio.

नर्मदायां नदीस्नानाद्विष्णुलोकम्वाप्नुयात् सुवर्णमुखरीस्नानं चापगे च गुरौ रवौ

By bathing in the Narmada river, one attains the world of Vishnu; and by bathing in the Suvarnamukhari and other rivers when Jupiter and the sun are present.

शिवलोकप्रदमिति ब्राह्मणो वचनं यथा मृगमासि तथा स्नायाज्जाह्नव्यां मृगगे गुरौ

It is said by the Brahmin that this grants the world of Shiva; likewise, one should bathe in the Jahnavi during the month of Mriga, when Jupiter is in Mriga.

शिवलोकप्रदमिति ब्रह्मणो वचनं यथा ब्रह्मविष्ण्वोः पदे भुक्त्वा तदंते ज्ञानमाप्नुयात्

It is said by Brahma that this grants the world of Shiva; after enjoying the stations of Brahma and Vishnu, one attains knowledge at the end.

गंगायां माघमासे तु तथाकुंभगते रवौ श्राद्धं वा पिंडदानं वा तिलोदकमथापिवा

In the month of Māgha, when the sun enters Aquarius, performing śrāddha, offering piṇḍa, or pouring water mixed with sesame in the Gaṅgā, is prescribed.

वंशद्वयपित्ःणां च कुलकोट्युद्धरं विदुः कृष्णवेण्यां प्रशंसंति मीनगे च गुरौ रवौ

Such acts are known to uplift countless generations of ancestors; they are praised at Kṛṣṇaveṇī, especially when the sun is in Pisces.

तत्तत्तीर्थे च तन्मासि स्नानमिंद्रपदप्रदम् गंगां वा सह्यजां वापि समाश्रित्य वसेद्बुधः

Bathing at each sacred site during its designated month grants the status of Indra; the wise should reside near the Gaṅgā or the Sahyā-born rivers.

तत्कालकृतपापस्य क्षयो भवति निश्चितम् रुद्रलोकप्रदान्येव संति क्षेत्राण्यनेकशः

At that time, the destruction of sins committed is certain; there are many fields that bestow the world of Rudra.

ताम्रपर्णी वेगवती ब्रह्मलोकफलप्रदे तयोस्तीरे हि संत्येव क्षेत्राणि स्वर्गदानि च

Tāmraparṇī and Vegavatī grant the fruit of Brahma's world; on their banks, there are indeed fields that bestow heaven.

संति क्षेत्राणि तन्मध्ये पुण्यदानि च भूरिशः तत्र तत्र वसन्प्राज्ञस्तादृशं च फलं लभेत्

Among them, there are many fields that grant merit; the wise, dwelling at each, obtain the corresponding fruit.

सदाचारेण सद्वृत्त्या सदा भावनयापि च वसेद्दयालुः प्राज्ञो वै नान्यथा तत्फलं लभेत्

By constant good conduct, virtuous behavior, and continual contemplation, the wise and compassionate should reside; otherwise, the fruit is not attained.

पुण्यक्षेत्रे कृतं पुण्यं बहुधा ऋद्धिमृच्छति पुण्यक्षेत्रे कृतं पापं महदण्वपि जायते

Merit performed in a sacred field yields abundant prosperity; sin committed in a sacred field becomes greatly magnified.

तत्कालं जीवनार्थश्चेत्पुण्येन क्षयमेष्यति पुण्यमैश्वर्यदं प्राहुः कायिकं वाचिकं तथा

If, at that time, one seeks life through merit, destruction will come; merit is said to grant prosperity, whether physical or verbal.

मानसं च तथा पापं तादृशं नाशयेद्द्विजाः मानसं वज्रलेपं तु कल्पकल्पानुगं तथा

Mental sin, likewise, is destroyed by the twice-born; mental sin, like a diamond coating, persists for aeons.