The Four Sinners Freed at the Reva-Kubja Confluence

Verse 1 (padma.2.92.1)

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

kuṁjala uvāca- kālaṁjaraṁ samāsādya nivasaṁti suduḥkhitāḥ mahāpāpaistu saṁdagdhā hāhābhūtā vicetanāḥ

Kunjala said: "Having reached Kalanjara, they dwelt there in great sorrow - scorched by their great sins, crying out in woe, senseless."

Verse 2 (padma.2.92.2)

तत्र कश्चित्समायातःसिद्धश्चैव महायशाः । तेन पृष्टाः सुदुःखार्ता भवंतः केन दुःखिताः

tatra kaścitsamāyātaḥsiddhaścaiva mahāyaśāḥ tena pṛṣṭāḥ suduḥkhārtā bhavaṁtaḥ kena duḥkhitāḥ

"There a certain Siddha of great renown arrived; he asked those sorely afflicted ones: 'By what are you so afflicted?'"

Verse 3 (padma.2.92.3)

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

sa taiḥ prokto mahāprājñaḥ sarvajñānaviśāradaḥ teṣāṁ jñātvā mahāpāpaṁ kṛpāṁ cakre supuṇyabhāk

"Addressed by them, that greatly wise one, skilled in all knowledge, having learned of their great sin, that most meritorious one showed compassion."

Verse 4 (padma.2.92.4)

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

siddha uvāca- amāsomasamāyoge prayāgaḥ puṣkaraśca yaḥ arghatīrthaṁ tṛtīyaṁ tu vārāṇasī caturthakā

Siddha said: "At the conjunction of the new moon with Monday, there is Prayaga, and Pushkara, and the third, the Arghya-tirtha, and the fourth, Varanasi."

Verse 5 (padma.2.92.5)

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

gacchaṁtu tatra vai yūyaṁ catvāraḥ pātakāvilāḥ gaṁgāṁbhasi yadā snātāstadā muktā bhaviṣyatha

"Go there, all four of you, tainted with sin; when you have bathed in the waters of the Ganga, then you shall be freed."

Verse 6 (padma.2.92.6)

पातकेभ्यो न संदेहो निर्मलत्वं गमिष्यथ । आदिष्टास्तेन वै सर्वे प्रणेमुस्तं प्रयत्नतः

pātakebhyo na saṁdeho nirmalatvaṁ gamiṣyatha ādiṣṭāstena vai sarve praṇemustaṁ prayatnataḥ

"'There is no doubt you shall become free from sin, and attain purity.'" Thus instructed by him, all of them bowed to him with great effort.

Verse 7 (padma.2.92.7)

कालंजरात्ततो जग्मुः सत्वरं पापपीडिताः । वाराणसीं समासाद्य स्नात्वा चै वद्विजोत्तमाः

kālaṁjarāttato jagmuḥ satvaraṁ pāpapīḍitāḥ vārāṇasīṁ samāsādya snātvā cai vadvijottamāḥ

From Kalanjara they then went, swiftly, afflicted with sin; having reached Varanasi, and having bathed, those best of brahmins -

Verse 8 (padma.2.92.8)

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

prayāgaṁ puṣkaraṁ caiva arghatīrthaṁ tu sattama amāsomaṁ susaṁprāpya jagmuste ca mahāpurīm

- O worthy one, [went to] Prayaga, Pushkara, and the Arghya-tirtha too; having reached the conjunction of the new moon and Monday, they went to that great city.

Verse 9 (padma.2.92.9)

विदुरश्चंद्रशर्मा च वेदशर्मा तृतीयकः । वैश्यो वंजुलकश्चैव सुरापः पापचेतनः

viduraścaṁdraśarmā ca vedaśarmā tṛtīyakaḥ vaiśyo vaṁjulakaścaiva surāpaḥ pāpacetanaḥ

Vidura, and Chandrasharma, and the third, Vedasharma, and the sinful-minded vaishya Vanjula too, that drinker of liquor -

Verse 10 (padma.2.92.10)

तस्मिन्पर्वणि संप्राप्ते स्नाता गंगांभसि द्विज । स्नानमात्रेण मुक्तास्तु गोवधाद्यैश्च किल्बिषैः

tasminparvaṇi saṁprāpte snātā gaṁgāṁbhasi dvija snānamātreṇa muktāstu govadhādyaiśca kilbiṣaiḥ

- O brahmin, when that sacred occasion arrived, having bathed in the waters of the Ganga, by that bathing alone they were freed from sins such as cow-killing -

Verse 11 (padma.2.92.11)

ब्रह्महत्या गुरुहत्या सुरापानादि पातकैः । लिप्तानि तानि तीर्थानि परिभ्रमंति मेदिनीम्

brahmahatyā guruhatyā surāpānādi pātakaiḥ liptāni tāni tīrthāni paribhramaṁti medinīm

- but the sins of killing a brahmin, killing a guru, and drinking liquor, and other such sins clung to those very tirthas, which then wandered the earth.

Verse 12 (padma.2.92.12)

पुष्करो अर्धतीर्थस्तु प्रयागः पापनाशनः । वाराणसी चतुर्थी तु लिप्ता पापैर्द्विजोत्तम

puṣkaro ardhatīrthastu prayāgaḥ pāpanāśanaḥ vārāṇasī caturthī tu liptā pāpairdvijottama

O best of the twice-born, Pushkara, the Arghya-tirtha, Prayaga the destroyer of sin, and the fourth, Varanasi - all became tainted by that sin.

Verse 13 (padma.2.92.13)

कृष्णत्वं पेदिरे सर्वे हंसरूपेण बभ्रमुः । सर्वेष्वेव सुतीर्थेषु स्नानं चक्रुर्द्विजोत्तमाः

kṛṣṇatvaṁ pedire sarve haṁsarūpeṇa babhramuḥ sarveṣveva sutīrtheṣu snānaṁ cakrurdvijottamāḥ

All of them took on blackness, and wandered about in the form of swans; those excellent tirthas bathed in every holy place.

Verse 14 (padma.2.92.14)

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

kṛṣṇatvaṁ naiva gaccheta teṣāṁ pāpena cāgatam sutīrtheṣu mahārāja snātāḥ sarveṣu vai punaḥ

But that blackness, which had come upon them through sin, would not depart from them. O great king, even after bathing again in all the holy tirthas -

Verse 15 (padma.2.92.15)

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

yaṁ yaṁ tīrthaṁ prayāṁtyete sarve tīrthā dvijottama haṁsarūpeṇa vai yāṁti taiḥ sārddhaṁ tu suduḥkhitāḥ

- O best of the twice-born, wherever these tirthas went, they went in the form of swans; and, together with them, sorely afflicted -

Verse 16 (padma.2.92.16)

भार्याः पातकरूपाश्च भ्रमंति परितस्तथा । अष्टषष्टिसु तीर्थानि हंसरूपेण बभ्रमुः

bhāryāḥ pātakarūpāśca bhramaṁti paritastathā aṣṭaṣaṣṭisu tīrthāni haṁsarūpeṇa babhramuḥ

- their wives too, in the form of that very sin, wandered about likewise. Through the sixty-eight tirthas they wandered in the form of swans.

Verse 17 (padma.2.92.17)

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

taiḥ sārddhaṁ su mahārāja mahātīrthaiḥ samaṁ punaḥ mānasaṁ cāgatāste ca pātakākulamānasāḥ

O great king, together with them, together with those great tirthas, their minds troubled by sin, they came again to Lake Manasa.

Verse 18 (padma.2.92.18)

तत्र स्नाता महाराज न जहाति च पातकः । लज्जयाविष्टमनसा मानसो हंसरूपधृक्

tatra snātā mahārāja na jahāti ca pātakaḥ lajjayāviṣṭamanasā mānaso haṁsarūpadhṛk

O great king, having bathed there too, the sin still would not leave them. That Manasa-swan, its mind filled with shame, bearing the form of a swan -

Verse 19 (padma.2.92.19)

संजातः कृष्णकायस्तु यं त्वं वै दृष्टवान्पुरा । रेवातीरं ततो जग्मुरुत्तरं पापनाशनम्

saṁjātaḥ kṛṣṇakāyastu yaṁ tvaṁ vai dṛṣṭavānpurā revātīraṁ tato jagmuruttaraṁ pāpanāśanam

- became black-bodied - this is the very one you saw before. They then went to the northern bank of the sin-destroying Reva,

Verse 20 (padma.2.92.20)

कुब्जायाः संगमे ते तु सुरसिद्धनिषेविते । स्नानमात्रेण मुक्तास्ते पापेभ्यो द्विजसत्तम

kubjāyāḥ saṁgame te tu surasiddhaniṣevite snānamātreṇa muktāste pāpebhyo dvijasattama

to the confluence with the Kubja, frequented by gods and siddhas; O best of the twice-born, by that bathing alone they were freed from those sins.

Verse 21 (padma.2.92.21)

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

vihāya varṇamevaitaṁ sukṛtaṁ pratijagmire yaṁ yaṁ tīrthaṁ prayāṁtyete haṁsāḥ snānaṁ pracakramuḥ

Having abandoned that very blackness, they returned in a purified state. Wherever these tirthas, as swans, went, they performed their bathing there;

Verse 22 (padma.2.92.22)

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

jahasustāḥ striyo dṛṣṭvā pātakaṁ naiva gacchati toyānalena kubjāyāḥ pātakaṁ varameva ca

- those women, seeing that the sin would not depart, laughed at it. But by the water of the Kubja and its power, the sin, however great -

Verse 23 (padma.2.92.23)

भस्मावशेषं संजातं तदा मृतास्तु ताः स्त्रियः । ब्रह्महत्या गुरोर्हत्या सुरापानागमागमाः

bhasmāvaśeṣaṁ saṁjātaṁ tadā mṛtāstu tāḥ striyaḥ brahmahatyā gurorhatyā surāpānāgamāgamāḥ

- was reduced to mere ashes; then those women died. The sins of killing a brahmin, killing a guru, drinking liquor, and approaching a forbidden woman -

Verse 24 (padma.2.92.24)

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

bhasmībhūtāstu saṁjātā revāyāḥ kubjayā hatāḥ tāstu hatā mahābhāga yā mṛtāstu sarittaṭe

- were reduced to ashes, destroyed by the confluence of the Reva and the Kubja. O most fortunate one, those women who died on the river's bank were thus destroyed -

Verse 25 (padma.2.92.25)

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

aṣṭaṣaṣṭi sutīrthānāṁ haṁsarūpeṇa tāni tu sārddhaṁ haṁsaḥ samāyāto viddhi taṁ tvaṁ tu mānasam

- they had wandered with the sixty-eight holy tirthas in the form of swans; know that the swan who came together with them was that very Manasa-swan.

Verse 26 (padma.2.92.26)

चत्वारः कृष्णहंसाश्च तेषां नामानि मे शृणु । प्रयागः पुष्करश्चैव अर्घतीर्थमनुत्तमम्

catvāraḥ kṛṣṇahaṁsāśca teṣāṁ nāmāni me śṛṇu prayāgaḥ puṣkaraścaiva arghatīrthamanuttamam

There were four black swans - hear their names from me: Prayaga, and Pushkara, the unsurpassed Arghya-tirtha,

Verse 27 (padma.2.92.27)

वाराणसी चतुर्थी च चत्वारः पापनाशनाः । ब्रह्महत्याभिभूतानि चत्वारि परिबभ्रमुः

vārāṇasī caturthī ca catvāraḥ pāpanāśanāḥ brahmahatyābhibhūtāni catvāri paribabhramuḥ

and the fourth, Varanasi - four destroyers of sin. Overcome by the sin of killing a brahmin, those four wandered about,

Verse 28 (padma.2.92.28)

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

tīrthānyetāni duḥkhena tīrtheṣu ca mahāmate na gataṁ pātakaṁ ghoraṁ teṣāṁ tu bhramatāṁ suta

O wise one, these tirthas wandered in sorrow, even among the tirthas - my son, the terrible sin of those wandering ones did not depart,

Verse 29 (padma.2.92.29)

कुब्जायाः संगमे शुद्धा विमुक्ताः किल्बिषात्किल । तीर्थानामेव सर्वेषां पुण्यानामिह संमतः

kubjāyāḥ saṁgame śuddhā vimuktāḥ kilbiṣātkila tīrthānāmeva sarveṣāṁ puṇyānāmiha saṁmataḥ

- until at the Kubja's confluence they became pure, freed from that sin. Among all the holy and meritorious tirthas here, this is agreed -

Verse 30 (padma.2.92.30)

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

rājā prayāgaḥ saṁjāta iṁdrasya purataḥ kila tāvadgarjaṁtu tīrthāni yāvadrevā na dṛśyate

- that Prayaga became the king of tirthas, before Indra himself. Let the tirthas roar with pride, only until the Reva comes into view -

Verse 31 (padma.2.92.31)

ब्रह्महत्यादि पापानां विनाशाय प्रतिष्ठिता । कपिलासंगमे पुण्ये रेवायाः संगमे तथा

brahmahatyādi pāpānāṁ vināśāya pratiṣṭhitā kapilāsaṁgame puṇye revāyāḥ saṁgame tathā

- for she is established for the destruction of sins such as killing a brahmin. At the holy confluence with the Kapila, and likewise at the confluence with the Reva,

Verse 32 (padma.2.92.32)

मेघनादसमायोगे तथा चैवोरुसंगमे । महापुण्या महाधन्या रेवा सर्वत्रदुर्लभा

meghanādasamāyoge tathā caivorusaṁgame mahāpuṇyā mahādhanyā revā sarvatradurlabhā

at the conjunction with the Meghanada, and likewise at the Uru-confluence - the Reva is greatly holy, greatly blessed, and everywhere hard to attain.

Verse 33 (padma.2.92.33)

सा च ॐकारे भृगुक्षेत्रे नर्मदाकुब्जसंगमे । दुःप्राप्या मानवै रेवा माहिष्मत्यां सुरोत्तमैः

sā ca oṁkāre bhṛgukṣetre narmadākubjasaṁgame duḥprāpyā mānavai revā māhiṣmatyāṁ surottamaiḥ

And at Omkara, at Bhrigu-kshetra, at the confluence of the Narmada and Kubja - the Reva is hard to attain for men, and even for the finest gods, at Mahishmati.

Verse 34 (padma.2.92.34)

विटंकासंगमे पुण्या श्रीकंठे मंगलेश्वरे । सर्वत्र दुर्लभा रेवा सुरपुण्यसमाकुला

viṭaṁkāsaṁgame puṇyā śrīkaṁṭhe maṁgaleśvare sarvatra durlabhā revā surapuṇyasamākulā

At the holy confluence of Vitanka, at Shrikantha, at Mangaleshvara - the Reva is everywhere hard to attain, filled with the merit of the gods.

Verse 35 (padma.2.92.35)

तीर्थमाता महादेवी अघराशिविनाशिनी । उभयोः कूलयोर्मध्ये यत्र तत्र सुखी नरः

tīrthamātā mahādevī agharāśivināśinī ubhayoḥ kūlayormadhye yatra tatra sukhī naraḥ

She, the mother of tirthas, the great goddess, destroyer of the mass of sin - between her two banks, wherever a man may be, he is happy;

Verse 36 (padma.2.92.36)

अश्वमेधफलं भुंक्ते स्नानेनैकेन मानवः । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यत्त्वया परिपृच्छितम्

aśvamedhaphalaṁ bhuṁkte snānenaikena mānavaḥ etatte sarvamākhyātaṁ yattvayā paripṛcchitam

a man enjoys the fruit of the Ashvamedha sacrifice through a single bathing. All this I have told you, that which you asked me -

Verse 37 (padma.2.92.37)

सर्वपापापहं पुण्यं गतिदं चापिशृण्वताम् । एवमुक्त्वा महाप्राज्ञ तृतीयं पुत्रमब्रवीत्

sarvapāpāpahaṁ puṇyaṁ gatidaṁ cāpiśṛṇvatām evamuktvā mahāprājña tṛtīyaṁ putramabravīt

- this merit removes all sin and grants the highest goal even to those who merely hear it. Having said this, that greatly wise one spoke to his third son.