Adhyaya 92

Verse 1

कुंजल उवाच । कालंजरं समासाद्य निवसंति सुदुःखिताः । महापापैस्तु संदग्धा हाहाभूता विचेतनाः

Kuṃjala said: Having reached Kālañjara, they dwell there in extreme misery—burned by great sins, crying “Alas! Alas!”, and bereft of consciousness.

Verse 2

तत्र कश्चित्समायातःसिद्धश्चैव महायशाः । तेन पृष्टाः सुदुःखार्ता भवंतः केन दुःखिताः

Then a certain illustrious Siddha arrived there. Seeing them afflicted with intense sorrow, he asked, “Why are you suffering—what is the cause of your grief?”

Verse 3

स तैः प्रोक्तो महाप्राज्ञः सर्वज्ञानविशारदः । तेषां ज्ञात्वा महापापं कृपां चक्रे सुपुण्यभाक्

Thus addressed by them, that great sage—highly intelligent and skilled in all knowledge—having understood their grievous sin, took compassion upon them, being himself richly endowed with merit.

Verse 4

सिद्ध उवाच । अमासोमसमायोगे प्रयागः पुष्करश्च यः । अर्घतीर्थं तृतीयं तु वाराणसी चतुर्थका

The Siddha said: “At the conjunction of the new-moon day and the Soma observance, Prayāga and also Puṣkara are foremost. Arghatīrtha is the third, and Vārāṇasī is the fourth.”

Verse 5

गच्छंतु तत्र वै यूयं चत्वारः पातकाविलाः । गंगांभसि यदा स्नातास्तदा मुक्ता भविष्यथ

“Go there indeed—all four of you, stained by sin. When you have bathed in the waters of the Gaṅgā, then you will be freed.”

Verse 6

पातकेभ्यो न संदेहो निर्मलत्वं गमिष्यथ । आदिष्टास्तेन वै सर्वे प्रणेमुस्तं प्रयत्नतः

“From sins there is no doubt—you will attain purity.” Thus instructed by him, they all bowed to him with earnest effort.

Verse 7

कालंजरात्ततो जग्मुः सत्वरं पापपीडिताः । वाराणसीं समासाद्य स्नात्वा चै वद्विजोत्तमाः

Then, afflicted by sin, they hurriedly departed from Kālañjara. Reaching Vārāṇasī, those best of the twice-born bathed there.

Verse 8

प्रयागं पुष्करं चैव अर्घतीर्थं तु सत्तम । अमासोमं सुसंप्राप्य जग्मुस्ते च महापुरीम्

O best of the virtuous, having duly reached Prayāga, Puṣkara, and the sacred ford called Arghatīrtha, and also Amāsoma, they then proceeded to the great city.

Verse 9

विदुरश्चंद्रशर्मा च वेदशर्मा तृतीयकः । वैश्यो वंजुलकश्चैव सुरापः पापचेतनः

Vidura, Candraśarmā, and Vedaśarmā as the third; and the Vaiśya named Vañjulaka—an alcoholic, of sinful disposition.

Verse 10

तस्मिन्पर्वणि संप्राप्ते स्नाता गंगांभसि द्विज । स्नानमात्रेण मुक्तास्तु गोवधाद्यैश्च किल्बिषैः

O brāhmaṇa, when that sacred festival-day arrives, one who bathes in the waters of the Gaṅgā is, by that bathing alone, freed from sins—even those beginning with the killing of a cow and other grave transgressions.

Verse 11

ब्रह्महत्या गुरुहत्या सुरापानादि पातकैः । लिप्तानि तानि तीर्थानि परिभ्रमंति मेदिनीम्

Stained by sins such as brahmin-slaying, killing one’s teacher, and drinking intoxicants, those sacred fords (tīrthas) wander about upon the earth.

Verse 12

पुष्करो अर्धतीर्थस्तु प्रयागः पापनाशनः । वाराणसी चतुर्थी तु लिप्ता पापैर्द्विजोत्तम

Puṣkara is counted as a ‘half-tīrtha’; Prayāga is the destroyer of sins. Vārāṇasī, however, is the fourth—yet it is tainted by sins, O best of the twice-born.

Verse 13

कृष्णत्वं पेदिरे सर्वे हंसरूपेण बभ्रमुः । सर्वेष्वेव सुतीर्थेषु स्नानं चक्रुर्द्विजोत्तमाः

All of them attained Kṛṣṇa’s state, and, assuming the form of swans (haṃsa), they wandered. In every excellent tīrtha, those best of the twice-born performed the ritual bath.

Verse 14

कृष्णत्वं नैव गच्छेत तेषां पापेन चागतम् । सुतीर्थेषु महाराज स्नाताः सर्वेषु वै पुनः

O great king, that dark stain brought about by their sin would never come upon him, for he has again bathed in all the excellent tīrthas.

Verse 15

यं यं तीर्थं प्रयांत्येते सर्वे तीर्था द्विजोत्तम । हंसरूपेण वै यांति तैः सार्द्धं तु सुदुःखिताः

O best of the twice-born, to whatever tīrtha these beings go, all the tīrthas go there as well—indeed in the form of swans—and, accompanying them, remain exceedingly distressed.

Verse 16

भार्याः पातकरूपाश्च भ्रमंति परितस्तथा । अष्टषष्टिसु तीर्थानि हंसरूपेण बभ्रमुः

Likewise, the wives—assuming the forms of sins—wandered about on every side; and the sixty-eight tīrthas roamed around in the form of swans.

Verse 17

तैः सार्द्धं सु महाराज महातीर्थैः समं पुनः । मानसं चागतास्ते च पातकाकुलमानसाः

Along with them, O noble great king, they again came to Mānasā together with the great tīrthas; yet their minds were still disturbed and crowded with sin.

Verse 18

तत्र स्नाता महाराज न जहाति च पातकः । लज्जयाविष्टमनसा मानसो हंसरूपधृक्

O great king, even after bathing there, sin does not depart at once. The one born of Mānasarovara—assuming the form of a swan—remains, his mind seized by shame.

Verse 19

संजातः कृष्णकायस्तु यं त्वं वै दृष्टवान्पुरा । रेवातीरं ततो जग्मुरुत्तरं पापनाशनम्

He became dark-bodied—the very one whom you had seen before. Then they went northward to the bank of the Revā, the holy place that destroys sin.

Verse 20

कुब्जायाः संगमे ते तु सुरसिद्धनिषेविते । स्नानमात्रेण मुक्तास्ते पापेभ्यो द्विजसत्तम

But at the confluence of the Kubjā—frequented by devas and siddhas—they were freed from sins by bathing alone, O best of the twice-born.

Verse 21

विहाय वर्णमेवैतं सुकृतं प्रतिजग्मिरे । यं यं तीर्थं प्रयांत्येते हंसाः स्नानं प्रचक्रमुः

Abandoning that very coloration, they returned to their former merit; and whichever tīrtha they went to, those swans began the sacred act of bathing there.

Verse 22

जहसुस्ताः स्त्रियो दृष्ट्वा पातकं नैव गच्छति । तोयानलेन कुब्जायाः पातकं वरमेव च

Seeing her, those women laughed; yet sin does not depart. Even at Kubjā, sin is truly removed only by water and fire, through purificatory rites indeed.

Verse 23

भस्मावशेषं संजातं तदा मृतास्तु ताः स्त्रियः । ब्रह्महत्या गुरोर्हत्या सुरापानागमागमाः

Only ashes remained; and at that time those women died. (The account speaks of grave sins such as) slaying a brāhmaṇa, slaying one’s teacher, drinking liquor, and illicit union.

Verse 24

भस्मीभूतास्तु संजाता रेवायाः कुब्जया हताः । तास्तु हता महाभाग या मृतास्तु सरित्तटे

They were reduced to ashes—slain by Kubjā of the Revā. O fortunate one, those who were killed, who died upon the riverbank,

Verse 25

अष्टषष्टि सुतीर्थानां हंसरूपेण तानि तु । सार्द्धं हंसः समायातो विद्धि तं त्वं तु मानसम्

Those sixty-eight excellent sacred fords (tīrthas) came in the form of swans; together the Swan also arrived—know that (swan) to be the Mānasatīrtha (Mānasa).

Verse 26

चत्वारः कृष्णहंसाश्च तेषां नामानि मे शृणु । प्रयागः पुष्करश्चैव अर्घतीर्थमनुत्तमम्

There are four sacred ‘Kṛṣṇa-haṃsas’; hear their names from me: Prayāga, Puṣkara, and the unsurpassed Argha-tīrtha,

Verse 27

वाराणसी चतुर्थी च चत्वारः पापनाशनाः । ब्रह्महत्याभिभूतानि चत्वारि परिबभ्रमुः

Vārāṇasī is the fourth; these four are destroyers of sin. Overpowered by the sin of brahma-hatyā (slaying a brāhmaṇa), four beings wandered about.

Verse 28

तीर्थान्येतानि दुःखेन तीर्थेषु च महामते । न गतं पातकं घोरं तेषां तु भ्रमतां सुत

O wise one, these tīrthas are reached only through hardship; yet for those who merely wander from one tīrtha to another, O son, their dreadful sin does not depart.

Verse 29

कुब्जायाः संगमे शुद्धा विमुक्ताः किल्बिषात्किल । तीर्थानामेव सर्वेषां पुण्यानामिह संमतः

At the confluence of the Kubjā, one is purified and indeed freed from sin. This place is regarded here as the meritorious essence among all tīrthas.

Verse 30

राजा प्रयागः संजात इंद्रस्य पुरतः किल । तावद्गर्जंतु तीर्थानि यावद्रेवा न दृश्यते

Indeed, Prayāga became the king—the foremost of the tīrthas—before Indra. Let the tīrthas roar in acclaim, so long as the Revā (Narmadā) is not yet seen.

Verse 31

ब्रह्महत्यादि पापानां विनाशाय प्रतिष्ठिता । कपिलासंगमे पुण्ये रेवायाः संगमे तथा

It is established for the destruction of sins beginning with brahmahatyā (the slaying of a brāhmaṇa), at the sacred confluence of Kapilā, and likewise at the confluence of the Revā.

Verse 32

मेघनादसमायोगे तथा चैवोरुसंगमे । महापुण्या महाधन्या रेवा सर्वत्रदुर्लभा

At the confluence with Meghanāda, and likewise at the sacred meeting with the river Uru, the Revā (Narmadā) is exceedingly holy and greatly bestowing of prosperity—yet rare to attain everywhere.

Verse 33

सा च ओंकारे भृगुक्षेत्रे नर्मदाकुब्जसंगमे । दुःप्राप्या मानवै रेवा माहिष्मत्यां सुरोत्तमैः

That very Revā (the Narmadā) is found at Oṃkāra, in Bhṛgu’s sacred region, at the confluence with Kubjā; she is hard for human beings to attain, yet at Māhiṣmatī she is accessible even to the most excellent of the gods.

Verse 34

विटंकासंगमे पुण्या श्रीकंठे मंगलेश्वरे । सर्वत्र दुर्लभा रेवा सुरपुण्यसमाकुला

At the confluence with Viṭaṃkā, the Revā is supremely sacred; so too at Śrīkaṇṭha and Maṅgaleśvara. Everywhere, the Revā is hard to attain—abounding in the accumulated merit of the gods.

Verse 35

तीर्थमाता महादेवी अघराशिविनाशिनी । उभयोः कूलयोर्मध्ये यत्र तत्र सुखी नरः

The great Goddess, Mother of the tīrthas, destroyer of heaps of sin—wherever a man dwells between her two banks, there he lives happily.

Verse 36

अश्वमेधफलं भुंक्ते स्नानेनैकेन मानवः । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यत्त्वया परिपृच्छितम्

By a single ritual bath, a person attains merit equal to that of the Aśvamedha sacrifice. Thus I have explained to you everything that you asked.

Verse 37

सर्वपापापहं पुण्यं गतिदं चापिशृण्वताम् । एवमुक्त्वा महाप्राज्ञ तृतीयं पुत्रमब्रवीत्

“It removes all sins; it is meritorious; and it grants the highest goal even to those who merely hear it.” Having said thus, the great sage spoke to his third son.

Verse 92

इति श्रीपद्मपुराणे भूमिखंडे वेनोपाख्याने गुरुतीर्थे च्यवनचरित्रे द्विनवतितमोऽध्यायः

Thus ends the ninety-second chapter in the Bhūmi-khaṇḍa of the holy Padma Purāṇa, in the narrative of Vena, concerning Guru-tīrtha, and the account of Cyavana.