धौम्य उवाच उदीच्यां राजशार्दूल दिशि पुण्यानि यानि वै। तानि ते कीर्तयिष्यामि पुण्यान्यायतनानि च।॥ शृणुष्वावहितो भूत्वा मम मन्त्रयतः प्रभो। कथाप्रतिग्रहो वीर श्रद्धां जनयते शुभाम्॥
Dhaumya said : O foremost of men, I shall (now) describe those Tirthas and sacred spots that lie in the northern country. O lord, hear of them with all attention. O hero, hearing this narrative one obtains reverence which does him much good.
सरस्वती महापुण्या ह्रदिनी तीर्थमालिनी। समुद्रगा महावेगा यमुना यत्र पाण्डव॥
O son of Pandu, here flows the greatly sacred Sarasvati abounding in Tirthas and banks, easy of ascent. Here also flows the ocean going and impetuous Yamuna.
यत्र पुण्यतरं तीर्थं प्लक्षावतरणं शुभम्। यत्र सारस्वतैरिष्टवा गच्छन्त्यवभृथैर्द्विजाः॥
And here is also the very sacred and auspicious Tirtha called Plakshavatarana where the Brahmanas after performing the Sarasvati sacrifice made their ablutions.
पुण्यं चाख्यायते दिव्यं शिवमग्निशिरोऽनघ। सहदेवोऽयजद् यत्र शम्याक्षेपेण भारत॥
O sinless one, O descendant of Bharata, here is also the celebrated celestials and auspicious Tirtha called Agnisshira, where Sahadeva performed a sacrifice by measuring out the ground by a throw of Shamya.
एतस्मिन्नेव चार्थेऽसाविन्द्रगीता युधिष्ठिर। गाथा चरति लोकेऽस्मिन् गीयमाना द्विजातिभिः॥
O Yudhishthira, it is for this reason Indra sang the praises (of Sahadeva) in a verse which is still current in the world and sung by the Brahmanas.
अग्नयः सहदेवेन सेविता यमुनामनु। ते तस्य कुरुशार्दूल सहस्रशतदक्षिणा:॥
O foremost of the Kurus, on the Yamuna, Agni was worshipped by Sahadeva when Dakshinas (gifts) in hundreds and thousands were made.
तत्रैव भरतो राजा चक्रवर्ती महायशाः। विंशतिः सप्त चाष्टौ च हयमेधानुपाहरत्॥
Here the greatly illustrious king, the emperor Bharata performed thirty five horse-sacrifices.
कामकृद् यो द्विजातीनां श्रुतस्तात यथा पुरा। अत्यन्तमाश्रमः पुण्यः शरभङ्गस्य विश्रुतः॥
O child, we have heard that Sharabhanga who in the days of yore used to gratify much the Brahmanas, had his sacred and celebrated hermitage here.
सरस्वती नदी सद्भिः सततं पार्थ पूजिता। बालखिल्यैर्महाराज यत्रेष्टमृषिभिः पुरा॥
O son of Pritha, O great king, here is also the river Sarasvati which is ever worshipped by the pious and (on the bank of which) the Balkhilayas performed sacrifices in the days of yore.
दृषद्वती महापुण्या यत्र ख्याता युधिष्ठिर। न्यचोधाख्यस्तु पुण्याख्यः पाञ्चाल्यो द्विपदांवर॥ दाल्भ्यघोषश्च दाल्भ्यश्चधरणीस्थो महात्मनः। कौन्तेयानन्तयशसः सुव्रतस्यामितौजसः॥ आश्रमः ख्यायते पुण्यस्त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतः।
O Yudhishthira, O foremost of men, here is also the highly sacred and greatly famous Drishadvati. Here are Nyagrodhya, Panchalya, Punya, Dalbhayaghosa and Dalbhya which are the sacred hermitage on earth of the illustrious Anantasas of excellent vows and great energy and which are all celebrated over the three worlds.
एतावर्णाववर्णौ च विश्रुतौ मनुजाधिप॥
O ruler of men, here also the celebrated Etavarna and Avavarna.
वेदज्ञौ वेदविद्वांसौ वेदविद्याविदावुभौ। ईजाते क्रतुभिर्मुख्यैः पुण्यैर्भरतसत्तम॥
Learned in the Vedas, versed in the Vedic lore and proficient in Vedic rites, O best of the Bharata race, performed many sacred and best sacrifices.
समेत्य बहुशो देवाः सेन्द्राः सवरुणाः पुरा। विशाखयूपेऽतप्यन्त तेन पुण्यतमश्च सः॥
Here is also Vishakhayupa to which in the days of yore came the celestials with Indra and Varuna and practised asceticism; and thus it became so sacred.
ऋधिर्महान् महाभागो जमदग्निर्महायशाः। पलाशकेषु पुण्येषु रम्येष्वयजत प्रभुः॥
Here also is the sacred and charming Palasaka where the greatly exalted, the highly illustrious great Rishi lord Jamadagni performed sacrifices.
यत्र सर्वाः सरिच्छेष्ठाः साक्षात् तमृषिसत्तमम्। स्वं स्वं तोयमुपादाय परिवार्योपतस्थिरे॥
Here all the chief rivers in their embodied forms, taking their respective waters, stood round that foremost of Rishis.
अपि चात्र महाराज स्वयं विश्वांवसुर्जगौ। इमं श्लोकं तदा वीर प्रेक्ष्य दीक्षां महात्मनः॥
O great king, O hero, here also Vibhavasu (fire) himself, going there and seeing that highsouled Rishis' initiation, recited the following sloka.
यजमानस्य वै देवाञ्जमदग्नेर्महात्मनः। आगम्य सरितो विप्रान् मधुना समतर्पयन्॥
"When the illustrious Jamadagni was worshipping the celestials, the rivers, coming to the Brahmanas, offered them honey."
गन्धर्वयक्षरक्षोभिरप्सरोभिश्च सेवितम्। किरातकिन्नरावासं शैलं शिखारेणां वरम्॥ विभेद तरसा गङ्गा गङ्गाद्वारं युधिष्ठिर। पुण्यं तत् ख्यायते राजन् ब्रह्मर्षिगणसेवितम्॥
O Yudhishthira, the spot where the Ganga rushes onward clearing that foremost of mountains (the Himalayas) frequented by the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, the Rakshasas, the Apsaras and inhabited by the Kiratas and the Kinnaras is called Gangadvara. O king this spot frequented by the celestials Rishis is considered very sacred.
सनत्कुमारः कौरव्य पुण्यं कनखलं तथा। पवर्तश्च पुरुर्नाम यत्र यातः पुरूरवाः॥
O descendant of Kuru, by Sanatkumar, as also the sacred Kankhala. Here is also the mountain called Puru on which was born Pururava,
भृगुर्यत्र तपस्तेपे महर्षिगणसेविते। राजन् स आश्रमः ख्यातो भृगुतुङ्गो महागिरिः॥
And where Bhrigu practised his austerities. O king that hermitage has thus become known by the name of mountain Bhrigutunga.
यः स भूतं भविष्यच्च भवच्च भरतर्षभ। नारायणः प्रभुर्विष्णुः शाश्वतः पुरुषोत्तमः॥ तस्यातियशसः पुण्यां विशालां बदरीमनु। आश्रमः ख्यायते पुण्यस्त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतः॥
O best of Bharata race, here is the sacred and extensive Badari, celebrated all over the worlds, which is the highly holy hermitage of him who is the Present, the Past and the Future, who is called Narayana, the lord Vishnu, who is eternal and who is the foremost of Purushas.
उष्णतोयवहा गङ्गां शीततोयवहा पुरा। सुवर्णसिकता राजन् विशालां बदरीमनु॥
O king, near Badari the cool waters of Ganga were formerly hot and her banks were over-spread with sands of gold.
ऋषये यत्र देवाश्च महाभागा महौजसः। प्राप्य नित्यं नमस्यन्ति देवं नारायणं प्रभुम्॥ यत्र नारायणो देवः परमात्मा सनातनः। तत्र कृत्स्नं जगत् सर्वं तीर्थान्यायतनानि च।॥
Here the greatly exalted and highly effulgent Rishis and the celestials come daily to worship the deity, the lord Vishnu. The whole universe, with all its Tirthas and sacred places is there where dwells the deity Narayana, the eternal Supreme soul.
तत् पुण्यं परमं ब्रह्म तत् तीर्थं तत् तपोवनम्। तत् परं परमं देवं भूतानां परमेश्वरम्॥
He is virtue, he is the supreme Brahma, he is the Tirtha, he is the ascetic retreat, he is the first, he is the foremost of gods, he is the great lord of all creatures.
शाश्वतं परमं चैवधातारं परमं पदम्। यं विदित्वा न शोचन्ति विद्वांसः शास्त्रदृष्टयः॥ तत्र देवर्षयः सिद्धाः सर्वे चैव तपोधनाः।
He is the great creator, he is the highest state. By knowing him, learned men versed in the Shastras never meet with grief. The celestials Rishis, the Siddhas, may all the ascetics live ther.
आदिदेवो महायोगी यत्रास्ते मधुसूदनः॥ पुण्यानामपि तत् पुण्यमत्र ते संशयोऽस्तु मा। एतानि राजन् पुण्यानि पृथिव्यां पृथिवीपते॥ कीर्तितानि नरश्रेष्ठ तीर्थान्यायतनानि च। एतानि वसुभिः साध्यैरादित्यैर्मरुदश्विभिः॥ ऋषिभिर्देवकल्पैश्च सेवितानि महात्मभिः। चरन्नेतानि कौन्तेय सहिता ब्राह्मणर्षभैः। भ्रातृभिश्च महाभागैरुत्कण्ठां विहरिष्यसि॥
Where the primeval deity, that Supreme Yogi, the slayer of Madhu lives. O king, let not any doubt come to your mind about the sacredness of that place. O ruler of earth, these are the sacred spots on earth and the Tirthas that I have mentioned to you. O foremost of men, they are all frequented by the Vasus, the Sadhyas, the Adityas, the Marutas, the Ashvins and the high-souled. Celestialss like Rishis. O son of Kunti, visit all these (Tirthas) with the Brahmanas and with your greatly exalted brothers and thus be relieved from all anxiety.