for aye. There the gods with Brahma at their
head, Rishis endued with wealth of asceticism, the
Adityas, the Vasus, and the Rudras, all adore Janardana,
in that tirtha, and Vishnu of wonderful deeds hath
become known as Salagrama. Approaching the eternal
Vishnu, that lord of the three worlds, that giver of
boons, one obtaineth the merit of the horse-sacrifice,
and goeth to the region of Vishnu. There in that
place, O virtuous one, is a well, capable of destroying
every sin. The four seas are ever present in that
well. He that bathes in it, O king, will have
immunity from misfortune. Beholding (the image
of) the boon-giving, eternal, and fierce Mahadeva who
is there, one shineth, O king, like the moon emerged
from the cloud. Bathing then in Jatismara, with
pure mind and subdued senses, one acquireth, without
doubt, the recollections of his former life. Proceeding
then to Maheswarapura, and worshipping the god having
the bull for his mark, fasting the while, one obtaineth,
without doubt, the fruition of all his desires.
Repairing then to Vamana that destroys every sin, and
beholding the god Hari, one acquireth exemption from
every misfortune. One should next go to the asylum
of Kusika that is capable of removing every sin.
Repairing then to the river Kausika that cleanseth
from even great sins, one should bathe in it.
By this one obtaineth the merit of Rajasuya sacrifice.
One should next, O foremost of kings, proceed to the
excellent woods of Champaka. By spending there
one night, one acquireth the merit of giving away
a thousand kine. Arriving next at Jyeshthila,
that tirtha of rare worth, and passing one night there,
one reapeth the fruit of the gift of a thousand kine.
Beholding there (the image of) Visweswara of great
splendour, with his consort the goddess, a person obtaineth,
O bull among men, the region of Mitra-Varuna.
By fasting there for three nights, a man acquireth
the merit of the Agnishtoma sacrifice. By visiting
Kanya-samvedya, with senses restrained and regulated
fare, one acquireth, O bull among men, the region
of Manu, the lord of creation. Rishis of rigid
vows have said that he that giveth away rice or maketh
any gift at the tirtha called Kanya, rendereth such
gift eternal. Arriving next at Nischira celebrated
over the three worlds, one obtaineth the merit of the
horse-sacrifice and goeth to the legion of Vishnu.
O king, those that give away at the confluence of
the Nischira, ascend to the blessed region of Brahma.
There in that tirtha is the asylum of Vasishtha that
is known over the three worlds. Bathing there,
one obtaineth the merit of the Vajapeya sacrifice.
Proceeding next to Devakuta that is resorted to by
celestial Rishis, one acquireth the merit of the horse-sacrifice,
and also delivereth his race. Then should one,
O king, go to the lake of the Muni Kausika, where
Kusika’s son, Viswamitra, obtained high success.
Bathing there, a person acquireth the merit of the
Vajapeya sacrifice. There, O hero, at Kausika,