persons of old that even one destitute of rites and
Mantras, by only bathing in that tirtha
becometh learned and endued with the merit of vows.
Darbhi had also brought hither the four oceans.
O best of men, one that batheth here, never meeteth
with distress hereafter and obtaineth also the merit
of giving away four thousand kine. One should
next repair, O virtuous one, to the tirtha
called Satasahasraka. Near to this is another
called Sahasraka. Both are celebrated,
and one that batheth in them, obtaineth the merit
of giving away a thousand kine. Fasts and gifts
there multiply a thousandfold. One should next
proceed, O king, to the excellent tirtha called
Renuka. One should bathe there and worship
the Pitris and the gods. By this, cleansed
from every sin, he obtaineth the merit of the Agnishtoma
sacrifice. Bathing next in the tirtha
called Vimochana with passions and senses under
control, one is cleansed from all the sins generated
by the acceptance of gifts. With senses under
control and practising the Brahmacharya mode of life,
one should next repair to the woods of Panchavati.
By a sojourn thither, one earneth much virtue and
becometh adored in the regions of the virtuous.
One should next go to the tirtha of Varuna
called Taijasa, blazing in effulgence of its
own. There in that tirtha is the lord of
Yoga, Sthanu himself, having for his vehicle the bull.
He that sojourneth there, obtaineth success by worshipping
the god of gods. It was there that the gods with
Brahma at their head and Rishis endued with wealth
of asceticism, installed Guha as the generalissimo
of the celestials. To the east of that tirtha
is another, O perpetuator of Kuru race, that is called
Kuru tirtha. With senses under control
and leading a Brahmacharya mode of life, he that bathes
in Kuru-tirtha, becometh cleansed of all his
sins and obtaineth the region of Brahma. With
subdued senses and regulated diet one should next proceed
to Svargadwara. Sojourning thither, one
obtaineth the merit of the Agnishtoma sacrifice
and goeth to the abode of Brahma. The pilgrim
should then, O king, proceed to the tirtha called
Anaraka. Bathing there, O king, one never
meeteth with distress hereafter. There, O king,
Brahma himself with the other gods having Narayana
at their head, is ever present, O tiger among men!
And, O royal son of the Kuru race, the wife also of
Rudra is present there. Beholding the goddess,
one never meeteth with distress hereafter. There
in that tirtha O king, is also (an image of)
Visweswara, the lord of Uma. Beholding
the god of gods there, one is cleansed of all his
sins. Beholding also (the image of) Narayana
from whose navel had sprung the lotus, one blazeth
forth, O royal represser of all foes, and goeth to
the abode of Vishnu. O bull among men, he that
batheth in the tirthas of all the gods, is exempted