Svarga-khaṇḍa · Chapter 25
Sourceनारदउवाच-। वितस्तां च समासाद्य संतर्प्य पितृदेवताः । नरः फलमवाप्नोति वाजपेयस्य भारत १। काश्मीरेष्वेव नागस्य भवनं तक्षकस्य च । वितस्ताख्यमिति ख्यातं सर्वपापप्रमोचनम् २। तत्र स्नात्वा नरो नूनं वाजपेयमवाप्नुयात् । सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा गच्छेत परमां गतिम् ३। ततो गच्छेत मलदं त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम् । पश्चिमायां तु संध्यायामुपस्पृश्य यथाविधि ४। चरुं सप्तार्चिषे राजन्यथाशक्ति निवेदयेत् । पितॄणामक्षयं दानं प्रवदंति मनीषिणः ५। गवांशतसहस्रेण राजसूयशतेन च । अश्वमेधसहस्रेण श्रेयान्सप्तार्चिषश्चरुः ६। ततो निवृत्तो राजेंद्र रुद्रास्पदमथाविशेत् । अभिगम्य महादेवमश्वमेधफलं लभेत् ७। मणिमंतं समासाद्य ब्रह्मचारी समाहितः । एकरात्रोषितो राजन्नग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत् ८। अथ गच्छेत राजेंद्र देविकां लोकविश्रुताम् । प्रसूतिर्यत्र विप्राणां श्रूयते भरतर्षभ ९। त्रिशूलपाणेः स्थानं यत्त्रिषुलोकेषु विश्रुतम् । देविकायां नरः स्नात्वा अभ्यर्च्य च महेश्वरम् १०। यथाशक्ति नरस्तत्र निवेद्य भरतर्षभ । सर्वकामसमृद्धस्य यज्ञस्य लभते फलम् ११। कामाख्यं तत्र रुद्रस्य तीर्थं देवर्षिसंमतम् । तत्र स्नात्वा नरः क्षिप्रं सिद्धिमाप्नोति भारत १२। यजनं याजनं गत्वा तथैव ब्रह्मवालकम् । पुष्पन्यास उपस्पृश्य न शोचेन्मरणं ततः १३। अर्द्धयोजनविस्तारां पंचयोजनमायताम् । एतावद्देविकामाहुः पुण्यां देवर्षिसंमताम् १४। ततो गच्छेत धर्मज्ञ दीर्घसत्रं यथाक्रमम् । यत्र ब्रह्मादयो देवाः सिद्धाश्च परमर्षयः १५। दीर्घसत्रमुपासंते दीक्षिता नियतव्रताः । गमनादेव राजेंद्र दीर्घसत्रमरिंदम १६। राजसूयाश्वमेधाभ्यां फलं प्राप्नोति मानवः । ततो विनाशनं गच्छेन्नियतो नियताशनः १७। गच्छंत्यंतर्हिता यत्र मेरुपृष्ठे सरस्वती । चमसे च शिवोद्भेदे नागोद्भेदे च दृश्यते १८। स्नात्वा तु चमसोद्भेदे अग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत् । शिवोद्भेदे नरः स्नात्वा गोसहस्रफलं लभेत् १९। नागोद्भेदे नरः स्नात्वा नागलोकमवाप्नुयात् । शशयानं च राजेंद्र तीर्थमासाद्य दुर्लभम् २०। शशरूपप्रतिच्छन्ना पुष्करा यत्र भारत । सरस्वत्यां महाभाग अनुसंवत्सरंहिते २१। स्नायंते भरतश्रेष्ठ वृत्ता वै कार्त्तिकीं सदा । तत्र स्नात्वा नरव्याघ्र द्योतते शिववत्सदा २२। गोसहस्रफलं चैव प्राप्नुयाद्भरतर्षभ । कुमारकोटिमासाद्य नियतः कुरुनंदन २३। तत्राभिषेकं कुर्वीत पितृदेवार्चने रतः । गवामयुतमाप्नोति कुलं चैव समुद्धरेत् २४। ततो गच्छेत धर्मज्ञ रुद्रकोटिं समाहिताः । पुरा यत्र महाराज ऋषिकोटिः समाहिता २५। वर्षेण च समाविष्टा देवदर्शनकांक्षया । अहंपूर्वमहंपूर्वं द्रक्ष्यामि वृषभध्वजम् २६। एवं संप्रस्थिता राजनृषयः किलभारत । ततो योगीश्वरेणापि योगमास्थाय भूपते २७। तेषां मन्युप्रशांत्यर्थमृषीणां भावितात्मनाम् । सृष्टा तु कोटिरुद्राणामृषीणामग्रतः स्थिता २८। मया पूर्वं हरो दृष्टो इति ते मेनिरे पृथक् । तेषां तुष्टो महादेव ऋषीणामुग्रतेजसाम् २९। भक्त्या परमया राजन्वरं तेषां प्रदत्तवान् । अद्यप्रभृति युष्माकं धर्मवृद्धिर्भविष्यति ३०। तत्र स्नात्वा नरव्याघ्र रुद्रकोट्यां नरः शुचिः । अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति कुलं चैव समुद्धरेत् ३१। ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र संगमं लोकविश्रुतम् । सरस्वत्यां महापुण्यमुपासीत जनार्दनम् ३२। यत्र ब्रह्मादयो देवा ऋषयः सिद्धचारणाः । अभिगच्छंति राजेंद्र चैत्रशुक्लचतुर्दशीम् ३३। तत्र स्नात्वा नरव्याघ्र विंदेद्बहुसुवर्णकम् । सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा शिवलोकं च गच्छति ३४। ऋषीणां यत्र सत्राणि समाप्तानि नराधिप । तत्रावसानमासाद्य गोसहस्रफलं लभेत् ३५। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे स्वर्गखंडे पंचविंशोऽध्यायः २५
nāradauvāca-| vitastāṃ ca samāsādya saṃtarpya pitṛdevatāḥ | naraḥ phalamavāpnoti vājapeyasya bhārata 1| kāśmīreṣveva nāgasya bhavanaṃ takṣakasya ca | vitastākhyamiti khyātaṃ sarvapāpapramocanam 2| tatra snātvā naro nūnaṃ vājapeyamavāpnuyāt | sarvapāpaviśuddhātmā gaccheta paramāṃ gatim 3| tato gaccheta maladaṃ triṣu lokeṣu viśrutam | paścimāyāṃ tu saṃdhyāyāmupaspṛśya yathāvidhi 4| caruṃ saptārciṣe rājanyathāśakti nivedayet | pitṝṇāmakṣayaṃ dānaṃ pravadaṃti manīṣiṇaḥ 5| gavāṃśatasahasreṇa rājasūyaśatena ca | aśvamedhasahasreṇa śreyānsaptārciṣaścaruḥ 6| tato nivṛtto rājeṃdra rudrāspadamathāviśet | abhigamya mahādevamaśvamedhaphalaṃ labhet 7| maṇimaṃtaṃ samāsādya brahmacārī samāhitaḥ | ekarātroṣito rājannagniṣṭomaphalaṃ labhet 8| atha gaccheta rājeṃdra devikāṃ lokaviśrutām | prasūtiryatra viprāṇāṃ śrūyate bharatarṣabha 9| triśūlapāṇeḥ sthānaṃ yattriṣulokeṣu viśrutam | devikāyāṃ naraḥ snātvā abhyarcya ca maheśvaram 10| yathāśakti narastatra nivedya bharatarṣabha | sarvakāmasamṛddhasya yajñasya labhate phalam 11| kāmākhyaṃ tatra rudrasya tīrthaṃ devarṣisaṃmatam | tatra snātvā naraḥ kṣipraṃ siddhimāpnoti bhārata 12| yajanaṃ yājanaṃ gatvā tathaiva brahmavālakam | puṣpanyāsa upaspṛśya na śocenmaraṇaṃ tataḥ 13| arddhayojanavistārāṃ paṃcayojanamāyatām | etāvaddevikāmāhuḥ puṇyāṃ devarṣisaṃmatām 14| tato gaccheta dharmajña dīrghasatraṃ yathākramam | yatra brahmādayo devāḥ siddhāśca paramarṣayaḥ 15| dīrghasatramupāsaṃte dīkṣitā niyatavratāḥ | gamanādeva rājeṃdra dīrghasatramariṃdama 16| rājasūyāśvamedhābhyāṃ phalaṃ prāpnoti mānavaḥ | tato vināśanaṃ gacchenniyato niyatāśanaḥ 17| gacchaṃtyaṃtarhitā yatra merupṛṣṭhe sarasvatī | camase ca śivodbhede nāgodbhede ca dṛśyate 18| snātvā tu camasodbhede agniṣṭomaphalaṃ labhet | śivodbhede naraḥ snātvā gosahasraphalaṃ labhet 19| nāgodbhede naraḥ snātvā nāgalokamavāpnuyāt | śaśayānaṃ ca rājeṃdra tīrthamāsādya durlabham 20| śaśarūpapraticchannā puṣkarā yatra bhārata | sarasvatyāṃ mahābhāga anusaṃvatsaraṃhite 21| snāyaṃte bharataśreṣṭha vṛttā vai kārttikīṃ sadā | tatra snātvā naravyāghra dyotate śivavatsadā 22| gosahasraphalaṃ caiva prāpnuyādbharatarṣabha | kumārakoṭimāsādya niyataḥ kurunaṃdana 23| tatrābhiṣekaṃ kurvīta pitṛdevārcane rataḥ | gavāmayutamāpnoti kulaṃ caiva samuddharet 24| tato gaccheta dharmajña rudrakoṭiṃ samāhitāḥ | purā yatra mahārāja ṛṣikoṭiḥ samāhitā 25| varṣeṇa ca samāviṣṭā devadarśanakāṃkṣayā | ahaṃpūrvamahaṃpūrvaṃ drakṣyāmi vṛṣabhadhvajam 26| evaṃ saṃprasthitā rājanṛṣayaḥ kilabhārata | tato yogīśvareṇāpi yogamāsthāya bhūpate 27| teṣāṃ manyupraśāṃtyarthamṛṣīṇāṃ bhāvitātmanām | sṛṣṭā tu koṭirudrāṇāmṛṣīṇāmagrataḥ sthitā 28| mayā pūrvaṃ haro dṛṣṭo iti te menire pṛthak | teṣāṃ tuṣṭo mahādeva ṛṣīṇāmugratejasām 29| bhaktyā paramayā rājanvaraṃ teṣāṃ pradattavān | adyaprabhṛti yuṣmākaṃ dharmavṛddhirbhaviṣyati 30| tatra snātvā naravyāghra rudrakoṭyāṃ naraḥ śuciḥ | aśvamedhamavāpnoti kulaṃ caiva samuddharet 31| tato gaccheta rājeṃdra saṃgamaṃ lokaviśrutam | sarasvatyāṃ mahāpuṇyamupāsīta janārdanam 32| yatra brahmādayo devā ṛṣayaḥ siddhacāraṇāḥ | abhigacchaṃti rājeṃdra caitraśuklacaturdaśīm 33| tatra snātvā naravyāghra viṃdedbahusuvarṇakam | sarvapāpaviśuddhātmā śivalokaṃ ca gacchati 34| ṛṣīṇāṃ yatra satrāṇi samāptāni narādhipa | tatrāvasānamāsādya gosahasraphalaṃ labhet 35| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe svargakhaṃḍe paṃcaviṃśo'dhyāyaḥ 25
English translation
Nārada said :
1-3. O descendant of Bharata , a man after having reached Vitastā , and after having offered oblations to the manes and deities , gets the fruit of (having performed) a Vājapeya sacrifice . In Kāśmīra itself is the abode of Nāga and also of Takṣaka known as Vitastā and removing all sins. A man having bathed there would indeed obtain the fruit of (having performed) a Vājapeya sacrifice. Being free from all sins, he would go to the highest position.
4-6. Thence he should go to Malada which is well-known in the three worlds . At the time of the last evening prayer , O king , he should after having duly bathed offer an oblation of rice , barley and pulse boiled together [1] to fire according to his capacity. The wise say that offerings made to the manes is inexhaustible. An offering of the oblation of rice, barley and pulse boiled together to Fire is superior to (the donation of) a thousand cows , or a hundred Rājasūya sacrifices or a thousand horse sacrifices.
7-8. Returning from there, O lord of kings , he should enter the abode of Rudra . Having gone to Mahādeva , he would obtain the fruit of a horse sacrifice. O king, a controlled and calm man having reached Maṇimanta and having stayed there for a night , would get the fruit of an Agniṣṭoma sacrifice.
9-11. Thence O best of kings, he should go to Devikā well-known in the world, where the progeny of brāhmaṇas is heard (to exist), O best of the Bharatas , and where Śiva ’s abode is known in the three worlds. A man having bathed at Devikā and having worshipped Maheśvara and having offered presents (to deities) according to his capacity, gets the fruit of a sacrifice rich in all desired objects.
12-14. There is Rudra’s holy place called Kāmākhya liked by gods and sages . O descendant of Bharata, having bathed there a man quickly gets liberation . Then going to Yājana and also to Brahmavālaka and having bathed at Puṣpanyāsa, he would not be worried about death . The pious Devikā liked by gods and sages is said to be half a yojana wide and five yojanas in length.
15-17a. Then O righteous one, he should, according to the order, go to Dīrghasatra where gods like Brahmā , siddhas , great sages , getting initiated and controlled in vows, resort to a prolonged sacrificial session. O lord of kings, O you who control your enemies , by just going there a man obtains the fruit of Rājasūya and horse sacrifice.
17b-20a. Then restrained and with his diet controlled he should go to Vinaśana , where Sarasvatī concealed under the slope of Meru goes (i.e. flows). She is seen at Camasa , Śivodbheda and at Nāgodbheda . He would obtain the fruit of Agniṣṭoma sacrifice on bathing at Camasodbheda ; a man having bathed at Śivodbheda would get the fruit of (having offered) a thousand cows. A man bathing at Nāgodbheda would obtain (i.e. go to) the world of Nāgas .
20b-24. Then O descendant of Bharata, O lord of kings, he should reach the excellent holy place Śaśayāna where Puṣkara is hidden in the form of a hare. They, O glorious one, O best of Bharatas, every year live there on the full moon day of Kārtika and bathe in Sarasvatī. O best among men, having bathed there he always shines like Śiva. O best among the Bharatas, he would obtain the fruit of (having offered) a thousand cows. O descendant of Kuru , having reached Kumārakoṭi and being controlled he engaged in worshipping gods, would bathe there. He obtains a myriad of cows and would liberate his own family .
25-31. Then being calm, O pious one, he should go to Rudrakoṭi , where, O great king, a crore sages were brought together. Overcome with rain they, desiring to see the god, (said:) “I shall see Śiva first, I shall see Śiva first.” Thus, O king, the sages started, O descendant of Bharata. Then, O king, the lord of the meditating saints, having resorted to deep meditation , created, for pacifying the distress of the pure sages, a crore Rudras who stood before the sages. They separately (i.e. each one of them) thought: ‘I have seen Śiva first.’ Mahādeva was pleased due to the great devotion of the sages of strong lustre and gave them a boon: “From today righteousness in you will increase.” O best among man, a man having bathed there at Rudrakoṭi and (thus being) pure, obtains (the fruit of) Aśvamedha and would liberate his family.
32-34. Thence, O lord of kings, he should go to the confluence well-known in the world. He should worship the very meritorious Viṣṇu on (the bank of) Sarasvatī where gods, like Brahmā, sages, siddhas and cāraṇas go on the fourteenth day of the bright half of Caitra . Having bathed there, O best of men, a man would obtain much gold . With his soul purified of all sins he goes to Śiva’s heaven . He would obtain the fruit of (having donated) a thousand cows if he dies there where the sacrificial sessions of the sages were accomplished.
[1]: [1] : Caru : An oblation of rice, barley and pulse boiled for presentation to gods or manes.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 14814, revision 332854 (2022-02-21T03:40:38Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365244.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.