कालाग्निं रुद्रदेवेशं नमस्ये कृत्तिवाससम्
I bow to Kalagni, to Rudra, the lord of the gods, and to the one clad in hides.
सहस्राक्षं कोकनदं नमस्ये हरिशङ्करम्
I bow to the thousand-eyed, to Kokanada, and to Hari-Shankara.
सनातनं च ब्रह्माणं नमस्ये ब्रह्मतत्परम्
I bow to the eternal Brahma, and to the one who is supreme in Brahman.
नमस्ये धर्मराजानं देवं गरुडवाहनम्
I bow to Dharmaraja, the god who rides Garuda.
महायोगिनमव्यक्तं नमस्ये पापनाशनम्
I bow to the great yogi, the unmanifest, the destroyer of sin.
नमस्ये पापहन्तारं शरण्यं शरणं व्रजे
I bow to the destroyer of sin, the refuge, to whom I take shelter.
ध्न्यं यशस्यं बहुपापनाशनं संकर्तनात् स्मारणात् संश्रवाच्च
By reciting, remembering, and hearing, one attains blessedness, fame, and the destruction of many sins.
कुरुक्षेत्रं समभ्यागाद् यष्टुं वैरोचनो वलिः
Vali, son of Virocana, came to Kurukshetra to perform a sacrifice.
शुक्रो द्विजातिप्रवरानामन्त्रयत् भार्गवान्
Shukra, of the Bhargava lineage, summoned the foremost of the twice-born.
कौशिकाङ्गिरसश्चैव तत्यजुः कुरुजाङ्गलान्
The Kaushikas and Angirasas then left the lands of Kuru and Jangala.
शातद्रवे जले स्नात्वा विपाशां प्रययुस्ततः
After bathing in the waters of the Śātadru, they proceeded to the Vipāśā.
प्रजग्मुः किरणां पुण्यां दिनेशकिरणच्युताम्
They reached the sacred Kiraṇā, flowing with the rays of the sun.
ऐरावतीं सुपुण्योदां स्नात्वा जग्मुरथेश्वरीम्
Having bathed in the Airāvatī, whose waters are supremely pure, they went to Atheśvarī.
अवतीर्णा मुने स्नातुमात्रेयाद्याः शुभां नदीम्
O sage, Maitreya and the others descended to bathe in the auspicious river.
अन्तर्जले द्विजश्रेष्ठ महदाश्चर्यकारकम्
Within the water, O best of twice-born, a great and wondrous event occurred.
ततः स्नात्वा समुत्तीर्णा ऋषयः सर्व एव हि
Then, having bathed, all the sages emerged from the water.
चिन्तयन्तश्च सततं किमेतदिति विस्मिताः
Constantly pondering, 'What is this?' they were astonished.
वनं हरगलश्यामं खगध्वनिनिनादितम्
They saw a forest dark as the neck of a peacock, resounding with the calls of birds.
विस्तृताभिर्जटाभिस्तु अन्तर्भूमिञ्च नारद
With spreading matted locks, O Nārada, they entered the earth itself.
दशार्द्धवर्णैः सुखदैर्नभस्तारागणैरिव
With ten and a half pleasing colors, like the hosts of stars in the sky.
तद्वत् कोकनदैर्व्याप्तं वनं पद्मवनं यथा
In the same way, the forest was filled with kokanada lotuses, like a lake of lotuses.
विविशुः प्रीतमनसो हंसा इव महासरः
They entered, their minds delighted, like swans into a great lake.
प्रतीच्यभिमुखं ब्रह्मन् अर्थस्येक्षुवनावृतम्
O brāhmaṇa, facing west, covered with forests of wealth.
उदङ्मुखं च मोक्षस्य शुद्धस्फटिकवर्चसम्
Facing north, shining with the pure luster of crystal, for liberation.
आश्रम्यर्थो द्वापरान्ते तिष्यादौ धर्म आश्रमी
At the end of Dvāpara, at the beginning of Tiṣya, the āśrama for dharma was established for the sake of the āśrama.
तत्रैव च रतिं चक्रुरखण्डे सलिलाप्लुते
There itself they found joy, in the unbroken, water-filled place.
चतुर्मुर्तिर्जगन्नाथः पुर्वमेव प्रतिष्ठितः
The Lord of the universe, in four forms, had already been established there.
शुश्रूषयाथ तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण नारद
Through service, austerity, and celibacy, O Nārada.
असुरेभ्यस्तदा भीताः स्वाश्रित्याखण्डपर्वतम्
Then, out of fear of the asuras, they took refuge in the unbroken mountain.
स्नात्वा जले हि कालिन्द्याः प्रजग्मुर्दक्षिणामुखाः
Having bathed in the waters of the Kalindi, they proceeded facing south.