नद्या दशगुणं प्रोक्तं तीर्थस्नानं खगोत्तम
O best of birds, bathing in a river is said to yield ten times the merit.
नदीत्रयस्य संयोगे पुण्यस्यांऽतो न विद्यते
At the confluence of three rivers, there is no limit to the merit.
गोदावरी विपाशा च नर्मदा तमसा मही
The Godāvarī, Vipāśā, Narmadā, and Tamasā rivers, and the earth,
वितस्ता वेदिका शोणो वेत्रवत्यपराजिता
Vitastā, Vedikā, Śoṇa, Vetravatī, and Aparājitā,
वाग्मती च शतद्रुश्च तथा बदरिकाश्रमः
Vāgmatī, Śatadru, and likewise the hermitage of Badarikā,
सर्वेभ्यश्च स्थलेभ्यश्च आर्यावर्तं तु पुण्यदम्
And from all these places, Āryāvarta is indeed the most meritorious.
अनंतसेनवसतिर्वराहक्षेत्रमेव च
The dwelling of Anantasena and the Varāha-kshetra as well,
अवंतिका ततः श्रेष्ठा ततो बदरिकाश्रमः 2.4.4.
Then Avanti is supreme, and after that, the hermitage of Badarikā.
ततः कनखलं तीर्थं ततो मधुपुरी वरा
Then comes the sacred place Kanakhala, and after that, the excellent city of Madhupurī.
यैः स्नातस्ते तु वैकुंठे बहुकालं वसंति हि
Those who have bathed at these places truly dwell in Vaikuṇṭha for a long time.
अतो मधुपुरी श्रेष्ठा यमुना च विशेषतः
Therefore, Madhupurī is the best, and especially the Yamunā.
द्वारावती ततः श्रेष्ठा प्रत्यहं स्नाति केशवः
After that, Dvārāvatī is supreme, where Keśava bathes every day.
द्वारकायां मृत्तिकायास्तिलको येन मस्तके द्वारकास्नानमाहात्म्यं न वक्तुं शक्यते मया
He who marks his forehead with clay from Dvārakā—its greatness as a place of bathing cannot be described by me.
गोविंदार्पितचित्तानां जायते पुण्यभास्करा
For those whose minds are devoted to Govinda, a sun of merit arises.
तस्माद्दशगुणं पुण्यं तीर्थराजेऽत्र जायते
Therefore, tenfold merit is produced here at the king of sacred fords.
कलौ दशसहस्रांऽते विष्णुस्त्यक्ष्यति मेदिनीम्
At the end of ten thousand years in the Kali age, Viṣṇu will leave the earth.
यावत्तिष्ठति गंगाऽत्र तावत्तीर्थानि संति च
As long as the Gaṅgā remains here, so long do the sacred fords exist.
यदैव गंगा नष्टा स्यात्को वा तत्पापमाहरेत् 2.4.4.
When the Gaṅgā is lost, who then can remove that sin?
तस्मान्मुनीश्वराः सर्वे यावत्तिष्ठति जाह्नवी
Therefore, all great sages, as long as the Jāhnavī remains,
समाधिं गृह्य सुदृढां यावत्कृतयुगं भवेत्
Should enter into firm meditation until the age of Kṛta returns.
ततः श्रेष्ठतरा काशी यस्या नाशो न जायते
Then there is Kāśī, the most excellent, whose destruction never occurs.
काशिकाया नैव नाशो ब्रह्मण्यपि मृते सति तस्यां पंचनदं तीर्थं त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम्
There is never any destruction of Kāśī, not even when Brahmā dies; in her is the Pañcanada tīrtha, renowned in the three worlds.
आगते कार्तिके मासि रौरवं नरकं गताः
When the month of Kārtika arrives, those who have gone to the Raurava hell—
कश्चिद्भाग्यवतां श्रेष्ठो गत्वा पंचनदे शुभे
Someone among the most fortunate, having gone to the auspicious Pañcanada—
तीर्थराजादितीर्थानि प्राप्ते कार्तिकमासके
When the month of Kārtika arrives, all the tīrthas, beginning with Tīrtharāja, are present.
कृत्वा तु लक्षपापानि स्नात्वा पंचनदे शुभे
Even having committed a hundred thousand sins, by bathing in the auspicious Pañcanada—
यैः स्नातं कार्तिके मासि सकृत्पंचनदे शुभे
Those who have bathed even once in the auspicious Pañcanada during the month of Kārtika—
तावता वै विमुक्ताऽघो विष्णुसायुज्यमाप्नुयात् ।। 2.4.4.
By that alone, one is freed from sin and attains union with Viṣṇu.
कावेर्य्याश्चैव माहात्म्यं को वदेत्परमुत्तमम्
Who indeed can tell the supreme and excellent greatness of the Kāverī?
कावेर्या विषये ब्रह्मन्सावधानमनाः शृणु
O Brahman, listen attentively concerning the region of the Kāverī.