किं बहूक्तेन सुश्रोणि कृतंयेन व्रतं त्विदम्
Why speak at length, O lovely-hipped one? Whoever has performed this vow,
श्रुत्वा धीमान्कथां पुण्यां पुनस्तद्गतमानसः
Having heard this sacred story, the wise one, with mind again absorbed in it,
स्कंद देव्यै समाख्यातं तदाख्याहि कृपां कुरु
O Skanda, tell the goddess what has been related; show your compassion.
आकर्णय महाप्राज्ञ यथा देवेन भाषितम्
Listen, O greatly wise one, to what was spoken by the god.
वृत्रं निहत्य वृत्रारिर्ब्रह्महत्यामवाप्तवान्
Having slain Vritra, the enemy of Vritra incurred the sin of killing a Brahmin.
अपानुनुत्सुस्तद्याहि काशीं विश्वेशपालिताम्
To remove that, he went to Kashi, protected by the Lord of All.
नान्यत्किंचित्क्वचिद्दृष्टं ब्रह्महत्यामहौषधम्
Nowhere has any remedy for the sin of killing a Brahmin been seen.
भैरवस्यापिहस्ताग्रादपतद्वैधसं शिरः
Even from Bhairava’s very hand, the severed head of the Brahmin fell.
सीमानमपि संप्राप्य शक्रानंदवनस्य हि
Having reached even the boundary of Indra’s pleasure-grove,
अन्येषामपि पापानां महापापजुषामपि
For other sins as well, even for those who have committed great sins,
महापातकतो मुक्तिः काश्यामे व शतक्रतो
There is liberation from the greatest sins in Kāśī, O slayer of Vṛtra.
निर्वाणनगरी काशी काशी सर्वाघसंघहृत् ।। 4.2.81.
Kāśī is the city of liberation; Kāśī removes all masses of sin.
ब्रह्महत्याभयं यस्य यस्य संसारतो भयम्
Whoever has fear of Brahmin-murder, whoever has fear of worldly existence,
जंतूनां कर्मबीजानां यत्र देहविसर्जने
For living beings, whose bodies are the seeds of karma, at the time of death,
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 these words of Bṛhaspati, the thousand-eyed one,
स्नात्वोत्तरवहायां च धर्मेशं परितः स्थितः
Having bathed in the northern current, he stood around the Lord of Dharma.
महारुद्रजपासक्तः सुत्रामाथ त्रिलोचनम्
Absorbed in reciting the great Rudra hymns, he then praised the three-eyed one.
पुनस्तुष्टाव वेदोक्तै रुद्रसूक्तैरनेकधा
Again and again he praised Rudra with Vedic hymns, in many ways.
शचीपते प्रसन्नोस्मि वरं वरय सुव्रत
O lord of Śacī, I am pleased; choose a boon, O steadfast one.
श्रुत्वेति देवदेवस्य स प्रेमवचनं हरिः
Hearing these loving words of the god of gods, Hari,
ततस्तत्कृपयानुन्नो धर्मपीठनिषेवणात् 4.2.81.
Then, being moved by his compassion and by service at the seat of Dharma,
तत्रेंद्रः स्नानमात्रेण दिव्यगंधोऽभवत्क्षणात्
There, by merely bathing, 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 by performing śrāddha rites with faith.
तदा प्रभृति तत्तीर्थं धर्मांधुरिति विश्रुतम्
From that time onward, that sacred place became renowned as Dharmāṃdhura.
यत्फलं तीर्थराजस्य स्नानेन परिकीर्त्यते
The fruit that is proclaimed to result from bathing at the king of sacred fords—
गंगाद्वारे कुरुक्षेत्रे गंगासागरसंगमे
—at Gaṅgādvāra, Kurukṣetra, or the confluence of Gaṅgā and the ocean,
नर्मदायां सरस्वत्यां गौतम्यां सिंहगे गुरौ
—at Narmadā, Sarasvatī, Gautamī, Siṃhagā, or at Guru,
मानसे पुष्करे चैव द्वारिके सागरे तथा
—at Mānasasaras, Puṣkara, Dvārakā, or at the ocean as well,