The Glory of the Gandaki Tirtha

Verse 1 (padma.6.75.1)

महादेव उवाच- गंडिकायास्तु माहात्म्यं वक्ष्ये देवि विधानतः । यथा गंगा तथा सा च कथिता नगनंदिनि

mahādeva uvāca- gaṁḍikāyāstu māhātmyaṁ vakṣye devi vidhānataḥ yathā gaṁgā tathā sā ca kathitā naganaṁdini

Mahadeva said: O goddess, now I shall tell the glory of the Gandaki according to the rite. O daughter of the mountain, it is declared to be equal to the Ganga itself.

Verse 2 (padma.6.75.2)

शालग्रामशिला यत्र जायते बहुधा तथा । माहात्म्यं चैव तस्याश्च कथितं मुनिसत्तमैः

śālagrāmaśilā yatra jāyate bahudhā tathā māhātmyaṁ caiva tasyāśca kathitaṁ munisattamaiḥ

There, where the Shaligrama stone arises in many forms, its glory too has been told by the most excellent sages.

Verse 3 (padma.6.75.3)

अंडजा उद्भिजा यत्र स्वेदजाश्च जरायुजाः । यस्या दर्शनमात्रेण पुण्यरूपास्तु पार्वति

aṁḍajā udbhijā yatra svedajāśca jarāyujāḥ yasyā darśanamātreṇa puṇyarūpāstu pārvati

Where creatures born from eggs, from the earth, from sweat, and from the womb, O Parvati, become themselves of the very form of merit by the mere sight of it.

Verse 4 (padma.6.75.4)

उत्तरे सा तु संभूता गंडिका तु महानदी । संस्मृता संस्मृता नूनं पापं हंत्यगनंदिनि

uttare sā tu saṁbhūtā gaṁḍikā tu mahānadī saṁsmṛtā saṁsmṛtā nūnaṁ pāpaṁ haṁtyaganaṁdini

That great river, arisen in the northern region, is the Gandaki; the mere remembrance of it, O daughter of the mountain, certainly removes sin.

Verse 5 (padma.6.75.5)

यत्र नारायणो देवो नित्यं तिष्ठति भूतिदः । शंखचक्रधरास्तस्य समीपे निवसंति ये

yatra nārāyaṇo devo nityaṁ tiṣṭhati bhūtidaḥ śaṁkhacakradharāstasya samīpe nivasaṁti ye

Where the god Narayana, the bestower of prosperity, ever dwells; those who bear the conch and discus and dwell in its vicinity,

Verse 6 (padma.6.75.6)

ते मृत्युं समनुप्राप्य दिव्यरूपाश्चतुर्भुजाः । ऋषयस्तत्र तिष्ठंति देवाश्चैवं विशेषतः

te mṛtyuṁ samanuprāpya divyarūpāścaturbhujāḥ ṛṣayastatra tiṣṭhaṁti devāścaivaṁ viśeṣataḥ

upon attaining death, become of divine form and four-armed; there sages and gods dwell in particular.

Verse 7 (padma.6.75.7)

रुद्रा नागास्तथा यक्षा नात्र कार्या विचारणा । तस्याः समीपे ह्येकोऽयं स्थलो वै विष्णुरूपधृक्

rudrā nāgāstathā yakṣā nātra kāryā vicāraṇā tasyāḥ samīpe hyeko'yaṁ sthalo vai viṣṇurūpadhṛk

Rudras, nagas, and yakshas too - there is no need for doubt on this. Near it lies a certain site that bears the very form of Vishnu.

Verse 8 (padma.6.75.8)

स्थलेऽस्मिन्वर्तते मूर्तिर्बहुरूपातिमुक्तिदा । चतुर्विंशतिभूतानां जातयः संति तत्र वै

sthale'sminvartate mūrtirbahurūpātimuktidā caturviṁśatibhūtānāṁ jātayaḥ saṁti tatra vai

In this site there resides an image, of many forms, most liberating; there too exist the twenty-four species of created beings.

Verse 9 (padma.6.75.9)

एका वै मत्स्यरूपा च कृष्णरूपातिमुक्तिदा । अन्या च या बुधैः प्रोक्ता स्थले वै विष्णुसंज्ञके

ekā vai matsyarūpā ca kṛṣṇarūpātimuktidā anyā ca yā budhaiḥ proktā sthale vai viṣṇusaṁjñake

One is of fish-form, dark in hue, most liberating; and another, which the wise have declared to exist in that site named for Vishnu,

Verse 10 (padma.6.75.10)

कल्किनाम्नी तथा पुण्या कपिला या मयोदिता । अन्यास्तु विविधाकारा दृश्यंते बहुधा अपि

kalkināmnī tathā puṇyā kapilā yā mayoditā anyāstu vividhākārā dṛśyaṁte bahudhā api

named Kalki, and likewise the meritorious Kapila too, which I have described; other forms too, various in shape, are seen there in many ways.

Verse 11 (padma.6.75.11)

तिष्ठंति मूर्त्तयः सर्वा नानारूपा ह्यनेकशः । सा गंगा महती पुण्या धर्मकामार्थमुक्तिदा

tiṣṭhaṁti mūrttayaḥ sarvā nānārūpā hyanekaśaḥ sā gaṁgā mahatī puṇyā dharmakāmārthamuktidā

There all these images, of manifold forms, remain established; that great and meritorious Ganga-like river bestows dharma, desire, wealth, and liberation.

Verse 12 (padma.6.75.12)

यस्यां भूमौ हृषीकेशो नियमेन समन्वितः । वर्त्ततेऽद्यापि तत्रैव मया सह न संशयः

yasyāṁ bhūmau hṛṣīkeśo niyamena samanvitaḥ varttate'dyāpi tatraiva mayā saha na saṁśayaḥ

Upon that ground where Hrishikesha dwells according to his own discipline, he remains established there together with me even today - of this there is no doubt.

Verse 13 (padma.6.75.13)

भ्रूणहत्या बालहत्या गोहत्या च विशेषतः । यस्याः स्पर्शनमात्रेण मुच्यते सर्वकिल्बिषात्

bhrūṇahatyā bālahatyā gohatyā ca viśeṣataḥ yasyāḥ sparśanamātreṇa mucyate sarvakilbiṣāt

From the sin of killing the unborn, killing a child, and especially killing a cow too - by the mere touch of which a man becomes freed from every sin -

Verse 14 (padma.6.75.14)

ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रिया वैश्याः शूद्राश्चैवान्यजातयः । सर्वे ते वै विमुच्यंते दर्शनाद्गंडिकांबुनः

brāhmaṇāḥ kṣatriyā vaiśyāḥ śūdrāścaivānyajātayaḥ sarve te vai vimucyaṁte darśanādgaṁḍikāṁbunaḥ

brahmins, kshatriyas, vaishyas, shudras, and people of other castes as well - all of them become freed by the mere sight of the Gandaki's waters.

Verse 15 (padma.6.75.15)

इयं वेणी समा पुण्या पापिनां तु विशेषतः । मुच्यते ब्रह्महा यत्र इतरेषां तु का कथा

iyaṁ veṇī samā puṇyā pāpināṁ tu viśeṣataḥ mucyate brahmahā yatra itareṣāṁ tu kā kathā

This is as meritorious as the river Veni, especially for sinners; where even a killer of a brahmin becomes free, what then to say of others?

Verse 16 (padma.6.75.16)

सर्वदा सर्वकाले तु अहं गच्छामि पार्वति । तीर्थानां तीर्थराजोऽयं ब्रह्मणा भाषितः किल

sarvadā sarvakāle tu ahaṁ gacchāmi pārvati tīrthānāṁ tīrtharājo'yaṁ brahmaṇā bhāṣitaḥ kila

O Parvati, I go there always, at every time; Brahma has declared it to be the very king of sacred crossings.

Verse 17 (padma.6.75.17)

तत्र स्नानं च दानं च मुनिभिः परिकल्पितम् । आषाढे पुण्यकाले तु तत्र गच्छामि सुंदरि

tatra snānaṁ ca dānaṁ ca munibhiḥ parikalpitam āṣāḍhe puṇyakāle tu tatra gacchāmi suṁdari

There the rite of bathing and giving has been established by the sages. O beautiful one, in the meritorious season of Ashadha I go there.

Verse 18 (padma.6.75.18)

मासैकविधिना चैव स्नानं तत्र करोम्यहम् । तारकं तत्र विशदं जपामि तु निरंतरम्

māsaikavidhinā caiva snānaṁ tatra karomyaham tārakaṁ tatra viśadaṁ japāmi tu niraṁtaram

For a full month, according to due rite, I bathe there; there I ceaselessly and clearly chant the Taraka mantra [the name of Rama].

Verse 19 (padma.6.75.19)

अतोऽहं वैष्णवो जातो विष्णुक्षेत्रे यतोगतः । विष्णुना निर्मितं पूर्वं क्षेत्रं तत्तु महत्तरम्

ato'haṁ vaiṣṇavo jāto viṣṇukṣetre yatogataḥ viṣṇunā nirmitaṁ pūrvaṁ kṣetraṁ tattu mahattaram

For this very reason I became a Vaishnava, because I went to the field of Vishnu; that field, created long ago by Vishnu himself, is a most great and sacred field.

Verse 20 (padma.6.75.20)

वैष्णवानां च गतिदं पावनं परमं स्मृतम् । भवेऽस्मिन्मानुषे जन्म दुर्लभं देवि सर्वदा

vaiṣṇavānāṁ ca gatidaṁ pāvanaṁ paramaṁ smṛtam bhave'sminmānuṣe janma durlabhaṁ devi sarvadā

It is declared to grant the supreme destination to Vaishnavas, and to be most purifying. O goddess, in this worldly existence, birth as a human being is ever hard to attain.

Verse 21 (padma.6.75.21)

दुर्लभं गण्डिकातीर्थं विष्णुक्षेत्रं तु दुर्लभम् । अतो ह्याषाढमासे तु गंतव्यं द्विजसत्तमैः

durlabhaṁ gaṇḍikātīrthaṁ viṣṇukṣetraṁ tu durlabham ato hyāṣāḍhamāse tu gaṁtavyaṁ dvijasattamaiḥ

The Gandaki sacred crossing is rare, and the field of Vishnu too is rare. Therefore excellent brahmins should surely go there in the month of Ashadha.

Verse 22 (padma.6.75.22)

तत्र गत्वा विशेषेण शंखचक्रादिधारणम् । कर्त्तव्यं तु द्विजश्रेष्ठैः पवित्रं परमं स्मृतम्

tatra gatvā viśeṣeṇa śaṁkhacakrādidhāraṇam karttavyaṁ tu dvijaśreṣṭhaiḥ pavitraṁ paramaṁ smṛtam

Having gone there, one should in particular bear [the marks of] the conch, discus, and the like; this is held by excellent brahmins to be supremely purifying.

Verse 23 (padma.6.75.23)

शंखतीर्थं तु वामे वै दक्षिणे चक्रचिह्नितम् । द्विजानां मुक्तिदं प्रोक्तं धारितव्यं प्रयत्नतः

śaṁkhatīrthaṁ tu vāme vai dakṣiṇe cakracihnitam dvijānāṁ muktidaṁ proktaṁ dhāritavyaṁ prayatnataḥ

The Shankha-tirtha lies to the left, and to the right it is marked by the discus; this is declared to grant liberation to brahmins, and should be borne with careful diligence.

Verse 24 (padma.6.75.24)

ब्राह्मणैश्च विशेषेण शंखचक्रादिधारणं । धृते सति महादेवि वैष्णवास्ते हि मानवाः

brāhmaṇaiśca viśeṣeṇa śaṁkhacakrādidhāraṇaṁ dhṛte sati mahādevi vaiṣṇavāste hi mānavāḥ

The bearing of the conch, discus, and the like should be undertaken by brahmins in particular; O great goddess, when it is thus borne, those men certainly become Vaishnavas.

Verse 25 (padma.6.75.25)

न गण्डिका समं तीर्थं न व्रतं द्वादशीसमम् । न देवः केशवादन्यो भूयोभूयो वरानने

na gaṇḍikā samaṁ tīrthaṁ na vrataṁ dvādaśīsamam na devaḥ keśavādanyo bhūyobhūyo varānane

There is no sacred crossing equal to the Gandaki, there is no vow equal to Dvadashi; there is no deity greater than Keshava, O fair-faced one - this I say again and again.

Verse 26 (padma.6.75.26)

गंडिकायास्तु माहात्म्यं ये शृण्वंति नरोत्तमाः । इहलोके सुखं भुक्त्वा विष्णुलोके हि यांति ते

gaṁḍikāyāstu māhātmyaṁ ye śṛṇvaṁti narottamāḥ ihaloke sukhaṁ bhuktvā viṣṇuloke hi yāṁti te

Those excellent men who hear the glory of the Gandaki, having enjoyed happiness in this world, go to the very realm of Vishnu.