The Sacred Places of the West

Verse 1 (3.87.1)

अवन्तीषु प्रतीच्यां वै कीर्तयिष्यामि ते दिशि । यानि तत्र पवित्राणि पुण्यान्यायतनानि च ॥

avantīṣu pratīcyāṃ vai kīrtayiṣyāmi te diśi | yāni tatra pavitrāṇi puṇyānyāyatanāni ca

Now I shall tell you of the western region, in the land of the Avantis, and of the purifying and holy shrines there.

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (तत्रपवित्राणि → तत्र पवित्राणि).

Verse 2 (3.87.2)

प्रियङ्ग्वाम्रवणोपेता वानीरफलमालिनी । प्रत्यक्स्रोता नदी पुण्या नर्मदा तत्र भारत ॥

priyaṅgvāmravaṇopetā vānīraphalamālinī | pratyaksrotā nadī puṇyā narmadā tatra bhārata

There, O Bharata, flows the holy Narmada, running westward, lined with groves of priyangu and mango and garlanded with fruiting cane.

Note on the text: वानीरफलमालिनी for vānīravanamālinī is a variant and is kept.

Verse 3 (3.87.3)

त्रैलोक्ये यानि तीर्थानि पुण्यान्यायतनानि च । सरिद्वनानि शैलेन्द्रा देवाश्च सपितामहाः ॥

trailokye yāni tīrthāni puṇyānyāyatanāni ca | saridvanāni śailendrā devāśca sapitāmahāḥ

All the fords and holy shrines in the three worlds, the rivers, forests and lordly mountains, and the gods with the Grandsire,

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); it appears in the apparatus as 3.87.2d*0464, lines 1–2.

Verse 4 (3.87.4)

नर्मदायां कुरुश्रेष्ठ सहसिद्धर्षिचारणैः । स्नातुमायान्ति पुण्यौधैः सदा वारिषु भारत ॥

narmadāyāṃ kuruśreṣṭha sahasiddharṣicāraṇaiḥ | snātumāyānti puṇyaudhaiḥ sadā vāriṣu bhārata

come in holy throngs, together with the Siddhas, seers and Charanas, O best of the Kurus, always to bathe in the waters of the Narmada, O Bharata.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); it appears in the apparatus as 3.87.2d*0464, lines 3–4.

Verse 5 (3.87.5)

निकेतः श्रूयते पुण्यो यत्र विश्रवसो मुनेः । जज्ञे धनपतिर्यत्र कुबेरो नरवाहनः ॥

niketaḥ śrūyate puṇyo yatra viśravaso muneḥ | jajñe dhanapatiryatra kubero naravāhanaḥ

There, it is said, is the holy dwelling of the sage Vishravas, where Kubera, lord of wealth, who rides upon men, was born.

Note on the text: Corrected निरेतः → निकेतः (misprint in Wikisource; र for क; the critical edition reads niketaḥ). श्रूयते for khyāyate is a variant and is kept.

Verse 6 (3.87.6)

वैडूर्यशिखरो नाम पुण्यो गिरिवरः शिवः । नित्यपुष्पफलास्तत्र पादपा हरितच्छदाः ॥

vaiḍūryaśikharo nāma puṇyo girivaraḥ śivaḥ | nityapuṣpaphalāstatra pādapā haritacchadāḥ

There is the holy and auspicious best of mountains called Vaiduryashikhara, where the trees are green-leaved and ever in flower and fruit.

Note on the text: Corrected वैढूर्य → वैडूर्य (misprint in Wikisource; ढ for ड; the critical edition reads vaiḍūrya, as Wikisource itself spells it in the previous adhyaya). शिवः and नित्य- for śubhaḥ and divya- are variants and are kept.

Verse 7 (3.87.7)

तस्य शैलस्य शिखरे सरः पुण्यं महीपते । फुल्लपद्मं महाराज देवगन्धर्वसेवितम् ॥

tasya śailasya śikhare saraḥ puṇyaṃ mahīpate | phullapadmaṃ mahārāja devagandharvasevitam

On the summit of that mountain, lord of the earth, is a holy lake of blooming lotuses, great king, frequented by gods and Gandharvas.

Note on the text: Wikisource's wording of both lines differs from the critical edition's 3.87.5 (saras tatra ca dhīmataḥ / praphullanalinaṃ rājan); a variant, kept.

Verse 8 (3.87.8)

बह्वाश्चर्यं महाराज दृश्यते तत्र पर्वते । पुण्ये स्वर्गोपमे चैव देवर्षिगणसेविते ॥

bahvāścaryaṃ mahārāja dṛśyate tatra parvate | puṇye svargopame caiva devarṣigaṇasevite

Many wonders are seen on that mountain, great king, holy and like heaven, frequented by hosts of divine seers.

Verse 9 (3.87.9)

ह्रदिनी पुण्यतीर्था च राजर्षेस्तत्र वै सरित् । विश्वामित्रेण तपसा निर्मिता सर्वपावनी ॥

hradinī puṇyatīrthā ca rājarṣestatra vai sarit | viśvāmitreṇa tapasā nirmitā sarvapāvanī

There is a royal seer's river, full of pools and holy fords, made by Vishvamitra through his austerity and purifying all.

Note on the text: Corrected विश्चामित्रेण → विश्वामित्रेण (misprint in Wikisource; च for व). The second line differs from the critical edition's (viśvāmitranadī pārā …); a variant, kept.

Verse 10 (3.87.10)

यस्यास्तीरे सतां मध्ये ययातिर्नहुषात्मजः । पपात स पुनर्लोकाँल्लेभे धर्मान्सनातनान् ॥

yasyāstīre satāṃ madhye yayātirnahuṣātmajaḥ | papāta sa punarlokām̐llebhe dharmānsanātanān

On its bank, in the midst of the virtuous, Yayati son of Nahusha fell, and won back the worlds and the eternal rewards of dharma.

Verse 11 (3.87.11)

तत्र पुण्यो ह्रदः ख्यातो मैनाकश्चैव पर्वतः । बहुमूलफलोपेतस्त्वमितो नाम पर्वतः ॥

tatra puṇyo hradaḥ khyāto mainākaścaiva parvataḥ | bahumūlaphalopetastvamito nāma parvataḥ

There is a famous holy lake, and the mountain Mainaka, and the mountain called Amita, rich in roots and fruits.

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (तत्रपुण्यो → तत्र पुण्यो). अमितो for the critical edition's asito is kept as Wikisource's reading of the mountain's name.

Verse 12 (3.87.12)

आश्रमः कक्षसेनस्य पुण्यस्तत्र युधिष्ठिर । च्यवनस्याश्रमश्चैव विख्यातस्तत्र पाण्डव । तत्राल्पेनैव सिद्ध्यन्ति मानवास्तपसा विभो ॥

āśramaḥ kakṣasenasya puṇyastatra yudhiṣṭhira | cyavanasyāśramaścaiva vikhyātastatra pāṇḍava | tatrālpenaiva siddhyanti mānavāstapasā vibho

There, Yudhishthira, is the holy hermitage of Kakshasena, and there too, Pandava, the famous hermitage of Chyavana. There men attain perfection with little austerity, my lord.

Note on the text: Corrected युधिष्ठिरः → युधिष्ठिर (misprint in Wikisource; a stray visarga turns the vocative into a nominative; the critical edition reads yudhiṣṭhira) and restored two missing word spaces (तत्रयुधिष्ठिर → तत्र युधिष्ठिर, विख्यातस्तत्रपाण्डव → विख्यातस्तत्र पाण्डव).

Verse 13 (3.87.13)

जम्बूमार्गो महाराज ऋषीणां भावितात्मनाम् । आश्रमः शाम्यतां श्रेष्ठ मृगद्विजनिषेवितः ॥

jambūmārgo mahārāja ṛṣīṇāṃ bhāvitātmanām | āśramaḥ śāmyatāṃ śreṣṭha mṛgadvijaniṣevitaḥ

There, great king, is Jambumarga, the hermitage of tranquil seers of purified spirit, O best of men, frequented by beasts and birds.

Note on the text: Corrected आश्रम → आश्रमः (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped visarga; the critical edition reads āśramaḥ).

Verse 14 (3.87.14)

ततः पुण्यतमा राजन्सततं तापसैर्युता । केतुमाला च मेध्या च गङ्गाद्वारं च भूमिप । ख्यातं च सैन्धवारण्यं पुण्यं द्विजनिषेवितम् ॥

tataḥ puṇyatamā rājansatataṃ tāpasairyutā | ketumālā ca medhyā ca gaṅgādvāraṃ ca bhūmipa | khyātaṃ ca saindhavāraṇyaṃ puṇyaṃ dvijaniṣevitam

Beyond it, O king, are the most holy Ketumala and Medhya, ever thronged by ascetics, and Gangadvara, lord of the earth, and the famous Saindhava forest, holy and frequented by brahmins.

Note on the text: गङ्गाद्वारं for gaṅgāraṇyaṃ is a variant and is kept (Wikisource's own note records gaṅgāraṇyaṃ as another reading).

Verse 15 (3.87.15)

पितामहसरः पुण्यं पुष्करं नाम नामतः । वैखानसानां सिद्धानामृषीणामाश्रमः प्रियः ॥

pitāmahasaraḥ puṇyaṃ puṣkaraṃ nāma nāmataḥ | vaikhānasānāṃ siddhānāmṛṣīṇāmāśramaḥ priyaḥ

There is the holy lake of the Grandsire, Pushkara by name, the beloved hermitage of the Vaikhanasas, the Siddhas and the seers.

Verse 16 (3.87.16)

अप्यत्र संश्रयार्थाय प्रजापतिरथो जगौ । पुष्करेषु कुरुश्रेष्ठ गाथां सुकृतिनां वर ॥

apyatra saṃśrayārthāya prajāpatiratho jagau | puṣkareṣu kuruśreṣṭha gāthāṃ sukṛtināṃ vara

And here, O best of the Kurus, best of the righteous, Prajapati once sang a verse about dwelling at Pushkara:

Note on the text: Restored a missing word space (सुकृतिनांवर → सुकृतिनां वर). संश्रयार्थाय for saṃstavārthāya is a variant and is kept.

Verse 17 (3.87.17)

मनसाऽप्यभिकामस्य पुष्कराणि मनस्विनः । विप्रणश्यन्ति पापानि नाकपृष्ठे च मोदते ॥

manasā'pyabhikāmasya puṣkarāṇi manasvinaḥ | vipraṇaśyanti pāpāni nākapṛṣṭhe ca modate

"For the wise man who even in his mind longs to go to Pushkara, his sins perish, and he rejoices on the vault of heaven."

Note on the text: Corrected मनखिनः → मनस्विनः (misprint in Wikisource; स्व misprinted as ख; the critical edition reads manasvinaḥ). The order of the third quarter differs from the critical edition's; a variant, kept.