नासाध्यं विद्यते किंचित्त्रिषु लोकेषु ते मुने। तस्मात्कुरु प्रतीकारं दुःखितस्य ममाधुना॥६.४.
O sage, nothing is impossible for you in the three worlds. Therefore, please make some remedy for my sorrow now.
सूत उवाच। तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा विश्वामित्रो मुनीश्वरः। वसिष्ठस्पर्धयोवाच मुनिमध्ये व्यवस्थितः॥६.४.
Sūta said: Hearing those words, the great sage Viśvāmitra, standing among the sages and rival to Vasiṣṭha, spoke.
अहं त्वां याजयिष्यामि तेन यज्ञेन पार्थिव। गच्छसि त्रिदिवं येन इष्टमात्रेण तत्क्षणात्॥६.४.
I will perform a sacrifice for you, O king, by which you will go to heaven instantly, with only the desired offering.
त्वमेवं विहितो भूप वासिष्ठैरंत्यजस्तु तैः। मया भूयोऽपि भूपालः कर्तव्यो नात्र संशयः॥६.४.
You have been rejected by the Vasiṣṭhas in this way, O king, but I will make you king again; there is no doubt about this.
तस्मादागच्छ भूपाल तीर्थयात्रां मया सह। कुरु तीर्थप्रभावेण येन त्वं स्याः शुचिः पुनः॥६.४.
Therefore, come, O king, undertake a pilgrimage with me; by the power of the holy places, you will become pure again.
तथा यज्ञक्रियार्हश्च चंडालत्वविवर्जितः। नास्ति तत्पातकं यच्च तीर्थस्नानान्न नश्यति॥६.४.
Thus you will be fit for sacrificial rites and free from the state of a caṇḍāla; there is no sin that does not perish by bathing in holy places.
सूत उवाच। एवं स निश्चयं कृत्वा गाधिपुत्रो मुनीश्वरः। त्रिशंकुं पृष्ठतः कृत्वा तीर्थयात्रामथाव्रजत्॥६.४.
Sūta said: Having resolved thus, the great sage, son of Gādhi, set out on pilgrimage, taking Triśaṃku behind him.
कुरुक्षेत्रं सरस्वत्यां प्रभासे कुरुजांगले। पृथूदके गयाशीर्षे नैमिषे पुष्करत्रये॥६.४.
They went to Kurukṣetra, Sarasvatī, Prabhāsa, Kurujāṅgala, Pṛthūdaka, Gayāśīrṣa, Naimiṣa, and the three Puṣkaras.
वाराणस्यां प्रयागे च केदारे श्रवणे नदे। चित्रकूटे च गोकर्णे शालिग्रामेऽचलेश्वरे॥६.४.
To Vārāṇasī, Prayāga, Kedāra, Śravaṇa river, Citrakūṭa, Gokarṇa, Śāligrāma, and Acaleśvara.
शुक्लतीर्थे सुराज्याख्ये दृषद्वति नदे शुभे। अथान्येषु सुपुण्येषु तीर्थेष्वायतनेषु च॥६.४.
To Śuklatīrtha, called Surājya, the auspicious Dṛṣadvati river, and other supremely holy places and shrines.
एवं तस्य नरेंद्रस्य सार्धं तेन महात्मना। अतिक्रांतो महान्कालो भ्रममाणस्य भूतले॥६.४.
Thus, with that great soul, a long time passed for the king as he wandered over the earth.
मुच्यते न च पापेन चंडालत्वेन स द्विजाः। एवंविधेषु तीर्थेषु स्नातोपि च पृथक्पृथक्॥६.४.
He was not freed from sin or from the state of a caṇḍāla, O twice-born, even though he bathed separately at such holy places.
ततः क्रमात्समायातः सोऽर्बुदं पर्वतं प्रति। तत्रारुह्य समालोक्य पापघ्नमचलेश्वरम्॥६.४.
Then, in due course, he arrived at Mount Arbuda; ascending there, he beheld Acaleśvara, the destroyer of sin.
यावदायतनात्तस्मान्निर्गच्छति मुनीश्वरः। तावत्तेनेक्षितो नाममार्कंडो मुनिसत्तमः॥६.४.
As the great sage was leaving that shrine, he was seen by the illustrious sage Mārkaṇḍeya.
सोऽपि दृष्ट्वा जगन्मित्रं विश्वामित्रं मुनीश्वरम्। प्रोवाचाथ कुतः प्राप्तः सांप्रतं त्वं मुनीश्वर॥६.४.
He too, seeing Viśvāmitra, friend of the world and great sage, spoke: 'From where have you come now, O great sage?'
कोऽयं तवानुगो रौद्रो दृश्यते चांत्यजाकृतिः। एतत्सर्वं समाचक्ष्व पृच्छतो मम सन्मुने॥६.४.
Who is this fierce companion of yours, appearing in the form of an outcaste? Tell me all this, O noble sage, as I ask.
विश्वामित्र उवाच। एष पार्थिवशार्दूलस्त्रिशंकुरिति विश्रुतः। वसिष्ठस्य सुतैर्नीतश्चंडालत्वं प्रकोपतः॥६.४.
Viśvāmitra said: This is Triśaṃku, renowned among kings; by the sons of Vasiṣṭha, he was made an outcaste in anger.
मया चास्य प्रतिज्ञातं सप्तद्वीपवतीं महीम्। प्रभ्रमिष्याम्यहं यावन्मेध्यत्वं त्वमुपेष्यसि॥६.४.
I have vowed to him that I will wander the earth with seven continents until you regain purity.
भ्रांतोऽहं भूतले यानि तीर्थान्यायतनानि च। नचैष मेध्यतां प्राप्तः परिश्रांतोस्मि सांप्रतम्॥६.४.
I have wandered across the earth to all the sacred places and shrines, yet I have not attained purity; now I am utterly exhausted.
तस्मात्सर्वां महीं त्यक्त्वा लज्जया परया युतः। द्वीपान्महार्णवांस्त्यक्त्वा संप्रयास्याम्यतः परम्॥६.४.
Therefore, filled with deep shame, I will abandon the entire earth, and even the islands and great oceans, and depart from here.
मा वसिष्ठस्य पुत्राणामुपहासपदं गतः। प्रतिज्ञारहितो विप्र सत्यमेद्ब्रवीम्यहम्॥६.४.
O Brahmin, let me not become an object of ridicule for the sons of Vasiṣṭha, nor be one who breaks his vow; I speak this to you in truth.
श्रीमार्कंडेय उवाच। यद्येवं मुनिशार्दूल कुरुष्व वचनं मम। सप्तद्वीपवतीं पृथ्वीं मा त्यक्त्वा कुत्रचिद्व्रज॥६.४.
Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said: If this is so, O best of sages, then heed my words: do not abandon the earth with its seven continents and go elsewhere.
एतस्मात्पर्वतात्क्षेत्रं हाटकेश्वरसंज्ञितम्। अस्ति नैर्ऋतदिग्भागे देशे चानर्तसंज्ञके॥६.४.
From this mountain, there is a sacred field known as Hāṭakeśvara, located in the southwestern direction, in the land called Anarta.
तत्राद्यं स्थापितं लिंगं हाटकेन सुरोत्तमैः। यत्तत्संकीर्त्यते लोके पाताले हाटकेश्वरम्॥६.४.
There, the first liṅga was established by Hāṭaka and the best of gods; that which is renowned in the world and in the netherworld as Hāṭakeśvara.
पातालजाह्नवीतोयं यत्रैवास्ति द्विजोत्तम। उद्धृते शंभुना लिंगे विनिष्क्रांतं रसातलात्॥६.४.
O best of twice-born, there is the water of the subterranean Jāhnavī, which emerged when Śambhu drew forth the liṅga from the netherworld.
तत्र प्रविश्य यत्नेन पातालं वसुधाधिपः। करोतु जाह्नवीतोये स्नानं श्रद्धासमन्वितः॥६.४.
Entering there with effort, let the king of the earth bathe with faith in the waters of the Jāhnavī in the netherworld.
पश्चात्पश्यतु तल्लिंगं हाटकेश्वरसंज्ञितम्। भविष्यति ततः शुद्धश्चंडालत्वविवर्जितः॥६.४.
Afterwards, let him behold that liṅga called Hāṭakeśvara; then he will become pure, freed from the state of a caṇḍāla.
त्वमपि प्राप्स्यसि श्रेयः परं हृदयसंस्थितम्। ततोन्यदपि यत्किंचित्तत्रैव तपसि स्थितः॥६.४.
You too will attain supreme good, established in your heart; and whatever else you desire, remain there engaged in austerity.
सूत उवाच। तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा विश्वामित्रो मुनीश्वरः। त्रिशंकुना समायुक्तो गतस्तत्र द्रुतं ततः॥६.४.
Sūta said: Hearing these words, the great sage Viśvāmitra, together with Triśaṃku, quickly went there.
पाताले देवमार्गेण प्रविश्य नृपसत्तमम्। त्रिशंकुं स्नापयामास विधिदृष्टेन कर्मणा॥६.४.
Entering the netherworld by the path of the gods, he performed the prescribed rites and bathed the excellent king Triśaṃku.