The Tirtha-Pilgrimage Continues: Rudravarta to Naimisha

Verse 1 (padma.3.32.1)

नारद उवाच । ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र सुगंधंलोकविश्रुतम् । सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा ब्रह्मलोके महीयते ।

nārada uvāca tato gaccheta rājeṁdra sugaṁdhaṁlokaviśrutam sarvapāpaviśuddhātmā brahmaloke mahīyate

Narada said: O lord of kings, one should then go to Sugandha, a tirtha renowned throughout the world; there, with a soul purified of all sin, one attains glory in Brahmaloka.

Verse 2 (padma.3.32.2)

रुद्रावर्तं ततो गच्छेत्तीर्थसेवी नराधिप । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्स्वर्गलोके महीयते ।

rudrāvartaṁ tato gacchettīrthasevī narādhipa tatra snātvā naro rājansvargaloke mahīyate

O lord of men, the pilgrim devoted to holy fords should then go to Rudravarta; there, O king, bathing brings a man glory in Svargaloka.

Verse 3 (padma.3.32.3)

गंगायाश्च नरश्रेष्ठ सरस्वत्याश्च संगमे । स्नातोऽश्वमेधमाप्नोति स्वर्गलोकं च गच्छति ।

gaṁgāyāśca naraśreṣṭha sarasvatyāśca saṁgame snāto'śvamedhamāpnoti svargalokaṁ ca gacchati

O best of men, one who bathes at the confluence of the Ganga and the Sarasvati obtains the fruit of the Ashvamedha sacrifice and goes to Svargaloka.

Verse 4 (padma.3.32.4)

तत्र कर्णह्रदे स्नात्वा देवमभ्यर्च्य शंकरम् । न दुर्गतिमवाप्नोति स्वर्गलोकं च गच्छति ।

tatra karṇahrade snātvā devamabhyarcya śaṁkaram na durgatimavāpnoti svargalokaṁ ca gacchati

Bathing there in Karnahrada and worshipping the god Shankara, one does not fall into an evil state, and goes to Svargaloka.

Verse 5 (padma.3.32.5)

ततः कुब्जाम्रकं गच्छेत्तीर्थसेवी यथाक्रमम् । गोसहस्रमवाप्नोति स्वर्गलोकं च गच्छति ।

tataḥ kubjāmrakaṁ gacchettīrthasevī yathākramam gosahasramavāpnoti svargalokaṁ ca gacchati

Then, in due order, let the pilgrim go to Kubjamraka; obtaining the merit of a thousand cows given in gift, he goes to Svargaloka.

Verse 6 (padma.3.32.6)

अरुंधतीवटं गच्छेत्तीर्थसेवी नराधिप । सामुद्रकमुपस्पृश्य त्रिरात्रोपोषितो नरः ।

aruṁdhatīvaṭaṁ gacchettīrthasevī narādhipa sāmudrakamupaspṛśya trirātropoṣito naraḥ

O lord of men, the pilgrim should go to Arundhativata; touching the Samudraka tirtha and fasting for three nights, a man —

Verse 7 (padma.3.32.7)

गोसहस्रफलं विंद्यात्स्वर्गलोकं च गच्छति । ब्रह्मावर्त्तं ततो गच्छेद्ब्रह्मचारी समाहितः ।

gosahasraphalaṁ viṁdyātsvargalokaṁ ca gacchati brahmāvarttaṁ tato gacchedbrahmacārī samāhitaḥ

obtains the fruit of a thousand cows and goes to Svargaloka. Then let the self-controlled celibate go to Brahmavarta.

Verse 8 (padma.3.32.8)

अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति स्वर्गलोकं च गच्छति । यमुनाप्रभवं गच्छेत्समुपस्पृश्य यामुनम् ।

aśvamedhamavāpnoti svargalokaṁ ca gacchati yamunāprabhavaṁ gacchetsamupaspṛśya yāmunam

There he obtains the fruit of the Ashvamedha and goes to Svargaloka. Then let him go to Yamunaprabhava, the source of the Yamuna, and touch its waters.

Verse 9 (padma.3.32.9)

अश्वमेधफलं लब्ध्वा ब्रह्मलोके महीयते । दर्वीसंक्रमणं प्राप्य तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम् ।

aśvamedhaphalaṁ labdhvā brahmaloke mahīyate darvīsaṁkramaṇaṁ prāpya tīrthaṁ trailokyaviśrutam

Having gained the fruit of the Ashvamedha, he is glorified in Brahmaloka. Reaching Darvi-sankramana, a tirtha renowned throughout the three worlds —

Verse 10 (padma.3.32.10)

अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति स्वर्गलोकं च गच्छति । सिंधोश्च प्रभवं गत्वा सिद्धगंधर्वसेवितम् ।

aśvamedhamavāpnoti svargalokaṁ ca gacchati siṁdhośca prabhavaṁ gatvā siddhagaṁdharvasevitam

he obtains the fruit of the Ashvamedha and goes to Svargaloka. Going to the source of the river Sindhu, frequented by Siddhas and Gandharvas —

Verse 11 (padma.3.32.11)

तत्रोष्य रजनीः पंच दद्याद्बहुसुवर्णकम् । अथ देवीं समासाद्य नरः परमदुर्गमाम् ।

tatroṣya rajanīḥ paṁca dadyādbahusuvarṇakam atha devīṁ samāsādya naraḥ paramadurgamām

and dwelling there for five nights, one should give abundant gold in offering. Then, having reached the goddess who is supremely difficult to attain —

Verse 12 (padma.3.32.12)

अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति गच्छेच्चौशनसीं गतिम् । ऋषिकुल्यां समासाद्य वसिष्ठं चैव भारत ।

aśvamedhamavāpnoti gaccheccauśanasīṁ gatim ṛṣikulyāṁ samāsādya vasiṣṭhaṁ caiva bhārata

he obtains the fruit of the Ashvamedha and attains the state of Ushanas (Shukra). O Bharata, reaching Rishikulya, and Vasishtha's tirtha as well —

Verse 13 (padma.3.32.13)

वसिष्ठं समतिक्रम्य सर्वे वर्णा द्विजातयः । ऋषिकुल्यां नरः स्नात्वा ऋषिलोकं प्रपद्यते ।

vasiṣṭhaṁ samatikramya sarve varṇā dvijātayaḥ ṛṣikulyāṁ naraḥ snātvā ṛṣilokaṁ prapadyate

having passed beyond Vasishtha's tirtha, people of every varna attain the state of the twice-born; bathing in Rishikulya, a man attains the world of the sages.

Verse 14 (padma.3.32.14)

यदि तत्र वसेन्मासं शाकाहारो नराधिप । भृगुतुंगं समासाद्य वाजिमेधफलं लभेत् ।

yadi tatra vasenmāsaṁ śākāhāro narādhipa bhṛgutuṁgaṁ samāsādya vājimedhaphalaṁ labhet

O lord of men, if one dwells there a month, living on greens alone, then reaching Bhrigutunga he obtains the fruit of the horse-sacrifice.

Verse 15 (padma.3.32.15)

गत्वा वीरप्रमोक्षं च सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते । कार्तिकमाघयोश्चैव तीर्थमासाद्य दुर्लभम् ।

gatvā vīrapramokṣaṁ ca sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate kārtikamāghayoścaiva tīrthamāsādya durlabham

Going to Vira-pramoksha, he is freed from all sins. And reaching that hard-to-attain tirtha in the months of Kartika and Magha —

Verse 16 (padma.3.32.16)

अग्निष्टोमातिरात्राभ्यां फलं प्राप्नोति पुण्यकृत् । ततः संध्यां समासाद्य विद्यातीर्थमनुत्तमम् ।

agniṣṭomātirātrābhyāṁ phalaṁ prāpnoti puṇyakṛt tataḥ saṁdhyāṁ samāsādya vidyātīrthamanuttamam

the doer of merit obtains the fruit of the Agnishtoma and Atiratra sacrifices. Then, reaching Sandhya, the unsurpassed tirtha of learning —

Verse 17 (padma.3.32.17)

उपस्पृशेत्स विद्यानां सर्वासां पारगो भवेत् । महाश्रमे वसेद्रात्रिं सर्वपापप्रमोचने ।

upaspṛśetsa vidyānāṁ sarvāsāṁ pārago bhavet mahāśrame vasedrātriṁ sarvapāpapramocane

touching its waters there, he becomes master of every branch of learning. Let him spend one night at Mahashrama, the place that frees one from all sin.

Verse 18 (padma.3.32.18)

एककालं निराहारो लोकान्संवसते शुभान् । षष्ठकालोपवासेन मासमुष्य महालये ।

ekakālaṁ nirāhāro lokānsaṁvasate śubhān ṣaṣṭhakālopavāsena māsamuṣya mahālaye

Eating only once a day, a man comes to dwell in auspicious worlds. By keeping the sixth-period fast and dwelling a month at Mahalaya —

Verse 19 (padma.3.32.19)

तीर्णस्तारयते जंतून्दशपूर्वान्दशापरान् । दृष्ट्वा माहेश्वरं पुण्यं परं सुरनमस्कृतम् ।

tīrṇastārayate jaṁtūndaśapūrvāndaśāparān dṛṣṭvā māheśvaraṁ puṇyaṁ paraṁ suranamaskṛtam

he crosses over himself and carries across ten generations before him and ten after; and having beheld that sacred image of Maheshvara, worshipped by the gods —

Verse 20 (padma.3.32.20)

कृतार्थः सर्वकृत्येषु न शोचेन्मरणं क्वचित् । सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा विंद्याद्बहुसुवर्णकम् ।

kṛtārthaḥ sarvakṛtyeṣu na śocenmaraṇaṁ kvacit sarvapāpaviśuddhātmā viṁdyādbahusuvarṇakam

he becomes fulfilled in all his undertakings and never grieves over death; with a soul purified of all sin, he obtains the fruit of giving abundant gold.

Verse 21 (padma.3.32.21)

अथ वेतसिकां गच्छेत्पितामहनिषेविताम् । अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति गतिं च परमां व्रजेत् ।

atha vetasikāṁ gacchetpitāmahaniṣevitām aśvamedhamavāpnoti gatiṁ ca paramāṁ vrajet

Then let him go to Vetasika, frequented by the Grandsire Brahma; there, obtaining the fruit of the Ashvamedha, he attains the supreme goal.

Verse 22 (padma.3.32.22)

अथ सुंदरिकां तीर्थं प्राप्य सिद्धनिषेविताम् । रूपस्य भागी भवति दृष्टमेतत्पुरातनैः ।

atha suṁdarikāṁ tīrthaṁ prāpya siddhaniṣevitām rūpasya bhāgī bhavati dṛṣṭametatpurātanaiḥ

Then, reaching the tirtha of Sundarika, frequented by Siddhas, one becomes possessed of beauty — this has been witnessed by men of ancient times.

Verse 23 (padma.3.32.23)

ततो ब्राह्मणिकां गत्वा ब्रह्मचारी समाहितः । पद्मवर्णेन यानेन ब्रह्मलोकं प्रपद्यते ।

tato brāhmaṇikāṁ gatvā brahmacārī samāhitaḥ padmavarṇena yānena brahmalokaṁ prapadyate

Then the self-controlled celibate, going to Brahmanika, attains Brahmaloka riding in a lotus-hued chariot.

Verse 24 (padma.3.32.24)

ततश्च नैमिषं गच्छेत्पुण्यं द्विजनिषेवितम् । तत्र नित्यं निवसति ब्रह्मा देवगणैः सह ।

tataśca naimiṣaṁ gacchetpuṇyaṁ dvijaniṣevitam tatra nityaṁ nivasati brahmā devagaṇaiḥ saha

Then let him go to Naimisha, the sacred place frequented by the twice-born; there Brahma dwells eternally, together with the hosts of gods.

Verse 25 (padma.3.32.25)

नैमिषं प्रार्थयानस्य पापस्यार्द्धं प्रणश्यति । प्रविष्टमानस्तु नरः सर्वपापात्प्रमुच्यते ।

naimiṣaṁ prārthayānasya pāpasyārddhaṁ praṇaśyati praviṣṭamānastu naraḥ sarvapāpātpramucyate

For one who merely longs to go to Naimisha, half his sin is destroyed already; and the man who actually enters it is freed from every sin.