Bathing there, O king, one obtaineth the merit of
giving away a thousand kine. One should then
proceed, O king, to that celebrated and sacred tirtha
where the Saraswati uniteth with the Aruna. One
that batheth there, having fasted for three nights,
is cleansed of even the sin of slaying a Brahmana,
and obtaineth also merit that is superior to that of
either the Agnishtoma or Atiratra sacrifice, and rescueth
his race to the seventh generation up and down.
There in that tirtha is another, O perpetuator of
the Kuru race, that is called Ardhakila. From
compassion for the Brahmanas, that tirtha was made
by Darbhi in days of old. Without doubt, by vows,
by investiture of the sacred, by fasts, by rites and
by Mantras, one becometh a Brahmana. O bull among
men, it hath been seen, however, by learned 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