उपवासपरो यस्तु तत्रैका रजनीं नयेत् 7.3.6.
Whoever, intent on fasting, spends a single night there—
त्रिरात्रिं कुरुते यस्तु वसिष्ठाग्रे समाहितः
Whoever, with focused mind, observes a three-night vow before Vasiṣṭha—
यस्तु मासोपवासं च वसिष्ठाग्रे करोति च
Whoever undertakes a month-long fast before Vasiṣṭha—
श्रावणस्य सिते पक्षे पौर्णमास्यां समाहितः
Whoever, with focused mind, on the full moon of the bright fortnight of Śrāvaṇa—
वसिष्ठस्याग्रतो यस्तु गायत्र्यष्टशतं जपेत्
Whoever recites the Gāyatrī mantra eight hundred times before Vasiṣṭha—
वामदेवं यजेत्तत्र यदि श्रद्धासमन्वितः
Whoever, endowed with faith, performs the Vāmadeva sacrifice there—
तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन द्रष्टव्योऽसौ महामुनिः
Therefore, by every effort, that great sage should be seen.
तस्मात्सर्वात्मना राजन्वामदेवं च पूजयेत्
Therefore, O king, Vāmadeva should be worshipped with one's whole being.
पुलस्त्य उवाच ततो गच्छेन्नृपश्रेष्ठ सुपुण्यमचलेश्वरम्
Pulastya said: Then, O best of kings, one should go to the supremely holy Acaleśvara.
तत्र कृष्णचतुर्दश्यां यः श्राद्धं कुरुते नरः
There, whoever performs śrāddha on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight—
यस्तु पूजयते भक्त्या दक्षिणां दिशमास्थितः
But whoever worships, with devotion, while standing in the southern direction—
पंचामृतेन यस्तत्र तर्पणं कुरु ते नरः
—and there, offers libation with the five nectars, that person—
प्रदक्षिणांते यस्तस्य प्रणामं कुरुते नरः
—and at the end of the circumambulation, bows down to it—
तत्राश्चर्यमभूत्पूर्वं तत्त्वं शृणु महामते
There was once a wondrous event there; listen to that truth, O wise one.
तत्र पूर्वं शुको नीडं वृक्षे चैवाकरोद्द्विजः
There, long ago, a parrot made its nest in a tree, O twice-born one.
न च भक्त्या महाराज पक्षियोनिसमुद्भवः
But, O great king, not by devotion did he arise from the womb of birds.
संजातः पार्थिवे वंशे राजा वेणुरिति स्मृतः
He was born in the earthly royal line, and is remembered as King Vena.
स तं स्मृत्वा प्रभावं हि प्रदक्षिणासमुद्भवम् 7.3.7.
Remembering that power, indeed, which arose from circumambulation—
नक्तं दिनं महाराज नान्यत्किंचित्करोति सः
Day and night, O great king, he does nothing else.
न पुष्पे धूपदाने च प्रदक्षिणापरः सदा
Not with flowers or offering incense, but always with circumambulation.
नारदः शौनकश्चैव हारीतो देवलस्तथा
Nārada, Śaunaka, Hārīta, and Devala as well—
एते चान्ये च बहवो देवव्रतपरायणाः
—and many others devoted to vows for the gods—
अन्ये च विविधां पूजां जपमन्ये समाहिताः
Others perform various worships, and some, concentrated, recite prayers.
बलिमन्ये प्रयच्छंति स्तुतिं कुर्वंति चापरे
Some offer oblations, while others utter praises.
परं कौतुकमापन्ना वाक्यमेतदथाब्रुवन्
Filled with great curiosity, they then spoke these words:
ऋषय ऊचुः कस्मात्त्वं पार्थिवश्रेष्ठ प्रदक्षिणापरः सदा
The sages said: Why are you, O best of kings, always devoted to circumambulation?
न ददासि जलं लिंगे प्रभूतं सुमनोहरम्
You do not offer abundant, delightful water to the liṅga—
समर्थोऽसि तथान्येषां दानानां त्वं महीपते 7.3.7.
Yet, O lord of the earth, you are capable of giving other gifts as well.
पूर्वदेहांतरे वृत्तं सर्वं सत्यं विशेषतः
All that occurred in my previous body is entirely true, especially so.
प्रासादेऽस्मिन्पुरा पक्षी शुकोऽहं स्थितवांस्तदा
Formerly, in this very palace, I dwelt as a bird—a parrot—at that time.