तत्र जागरणं कृत्वा चतुर्दश्यामुपोषिताः
Keep vigil there, having fasted on the fourteenth day.
ब्रह्मांडोदर मध्ये तु यानि तीर्थानि सर्वतः 4.2.74.
Within the middle of the cosmic egg are all the sacred places everywhere.
सर्वाण्यायतनान्याशु साब्धीनि स गिरीण्यपि ।। 4.2.74.
All the shrines, the seas, and even the mountains are there.
ये निंदंति महादेवं क्षेत्रं निंदंति येऽधियः 4.2.74.
Those who revile Mahādeva, and those learned ones who revile the sacred place,
ओंकारसदृशं लिंगं न क्वचिज्जगतीतले
Nowhere on the surface of the world is there a liṅga like the one resembling the syllable Oṃ.
इममध्यायमाकर्ण्य नरस्तद्गतमानसः
A person who listens to this chapter with a mind absorbed in it,
स्कंद देव्यै समाख्यातं तदाख्याहि कृपां कुरु
Skanda, tell this to the goddess; show mercy and relate it.
आकर्णय महाप्राज्ञ यथा देवेन भाषितम्
Listen, O wise one, to what was spoken by the god.
वृत्रं निहत्य वृत्रारिर्ब्रह्महत्यामवाप्तवान्
Having slain Vṛtra, the enemy of Vṛtra incurred the sin of killing a Brāhmaṇa.
अपानुनुत्सुस्तद्याहि काशीं विश्वेशपालिताम्
He went to Kāśī, protected by Viśveśa, to remove that sin.
नान्यत्किंचित्क्वचिद्दृष्टं ब्रह्महत्यामहौषधम्
Nowhere else has any remedy for the sin of killing a Brāhmaṇa been seen.
भैरवस्यापिहस्ताग्रादपतद्वैधसं शिरः
From the tip of Bhairava's hand, the head of the sacrificial victim fell.
सीमानमपि संप्राप्य शक्रानंदवनस्य हि
Having reached the boundary of the Indra's pleasure grove,
अन्येषामपि पापानां महापापजुषामपि
Even for others who are sinful, and for those who indulge in great sins,
महापातकतो मुक्तिः काश्यामे व शतक्रतो
Liberation from great transgressions is attained in Kāśī, O Indra.
निर्वाणनगरी काशी काशी सर्वाघसंघहृत् ।। 4.2.81.
Kāśī is the city of liberation; Kāśī removes all clusters of sins.
ब्रह्महत्याभयं यस्य यस्य संसारतो भयम्
For whom there is fear of killing a Brāhmaṇa, and fear from the cycle of existence,
जंतूनां कर्मबीजानां यत्र देहविसर्जने
Where, at the abandonment of the body, the seeds of karma of creatures,
तां काशीं प्राप्य वृत्रारे वृत्रहत्यापनुत्तये
Having reached that Kāśī, O slayer of Vṛtra, for the removal of the sin of killing Vṛtra,
बृहस्पतेरिति वचो निशम्य स सहस्रदृक्
Hearing the words of Bṛhaspati, he of a thousand eyes,
स्नात्वोत्तरवहायां च धर्मेशं परितः स्थितः
Having bathed in the Uttara Vahā, he stood all around Dharmesha.
महारुद्रजपासक्तः सुत्रामाथ त्रिलोचनम्
Absorbed in the recitation of the great Rudra, he then praised the three-eyed one with threads (of hymns).
पुनस्तुष्टाव वेदोक्तै रुद्रसूक्तैरनेकधा
Again he extolled Rudra many times with hymns from the Vedas.
शचीपते प्रसन्नोस्मि वरं वरय सुव्रत
O lord of Śacī, I am pleased; choose a boon, O virtuous one.
श्रुत्वेति देवदेवस्य स प्रेमवचनं हरिः
Having heard these loving words of the god of gods, Hari,
ततस्तत्कृपयानुन्नो धर्मपीठनिषेवणात् 4.2.81.
Then, moved by his compassion, and by service at the seat of Dharma,
तत्रेंद्रः स्नानमात्रेण दिव्यगंधोऽभवत्क्षणात्
There, by bathing alone, Indra instantly became fragrant with divine scent.
तदाश्चर्यमथो दृष्ट्वा मुनयो नारदादयः
Then, seeing this wonder, the sages, beginning with Nārada,
अतर्पयन्पितॄन्दिव्यान्व्यधुः श्राद्धानि श्रद्धया
They satisfied the divine ancestors and performed śrāddha rites with faith.
तदा प्रभृति तत्तीर्थं धर्मांधुरिति विश्रुतम्
From that time onward, that sacred place became renowned as Dharmāṃdhura.