युधिष्ठिर उवाच यद् वरं सर्वतीर्थानां तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह। यत्र चैव परं शौचं तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि॥
Yudhishthira said Tell me, o grandfather of that which is considered as the foremost of all Tirthas. Indeed, you should expound to me what that Tirtha is which conduces to the greatest purity.
भीष्म उवाच सर्वाणि खलु तीर्थानि गुणवन्ति मनीषिणः। यत्तु तीर्थं च शौचं च तन्मे शृणु समाहितः॥
Bhishma said Forsooth, all Tirthas are possessed of merit. Listen, however, with attention to me as I tell you what the Tirtha, the cleanser, is of men gifted with wisdom.
अगाधे विमले शुद्ध सत्यतोये धृतिहदे। स्नातव्यं मानसे तीर्थे सत्त्वमालम्ब्य शाश्वतम्॥
Following eternal Truth one should bathe in the Tirtha called Manasa, which is unfathomable, stainless, and pure, and which has Truth for its waters and the understanding for its lake.
तीर्थशौचमनर्थित्वमार्जवं सत्यमार्दवम्। अहिंसा सर्वभूतानामानृशंस्यं दमः शमः॥
The fruits, in the form of cleansing, that one gains by bathing in the Tirtha, are freedom from cupidity, sincerity, truthfulness, mildness, mercy, abstention from injuring any creature, selfcontrol, and tranquillity.
निर्मला निरहंकारा निर्द्वन्द्वा निष्परिग्रहाः। शुचयस्तीर्थभूतास्ते ये भैक्ष्यमुपभुञ्जते॥
Those men who are freed from attachments, who are shorn of pride, who are above all pairs of opposites, who have no wives and children and houses and gardens, etc., who are gifted with purity, and who live upon the alms given to them by others, are considered as Tirthas.
तत्त्ववित्त्वनहंबुद्धिस्तीर्थप्रवरमुच्यते। शौचलक्षणमेतत् ते सर्वत्रैवान्ववेक्षतः॥
He who knows the truths of all things and who is freed from the idea of mineness, is said to be the highest Tirtha. In finding out the marks of purity, your gaze should ever be directed towards these qualities.
रजस्तमः सत्त्वमथो येषां निधोतमात्मनः। शौचाशौचसमायुक्ताः स्वकार्यपरिमार्गिणः॥ सर्वत्यागेष्वभिरताः सर्वज्ञाः समदर्शिनः। शौचेन वृत्तशौचार्थास्तु तीर्थाः शुचयश्च ये॥
Those persons from whose souls the qualities of goodness, darkness, and ignorance have been washed off, they who, not caring for purity and impurity, pursue the ends they have proposed to themselves, they who have renounced everything, they who are possessed of omniscience and gifted with universal sight, and they who are of pure conduct, are considered as Tirthas possessing the purifying power.
नोदकक्लिन्नगावस्तु स्नात इत्यभिधीयते। स स्नातो यो दमस्नात:स बाह्याभ्यन्तरःशुचिः॥
That man whose limbs only are wet with water is not considered as one that is washed. He, on the other hand, is considered as washed who has washed himself by selfdenial. Even such a person is said to be pure both internally and externally.
अतीतेष्वनपेक्षा ये प्राप्तेष्वर्थेषु निर्ममाः। शोचमेव परं तेषां येषां नोत्पद्यते स्पृहा॥
They who never busy themselves with what is past, they who feel no attachment for present acquisitions, indeed, they who are free from desire, are said to be possessed of the highest purity.
प्रज्ञानं शौचमेवेह शरीरस्य विशेषतः। तथा निष्किंचनत्वं च मनसश्च प्रसन्नता॥
Knowledge is said to form the especial purity of the body. So also freedom from desire, and cheerfulness of mind.
वृत्तशौचं मनःशौचं तीर्थशौचमतः परम्। ज्ञानोत्पन्नं च यच्छौचं तच्छौचं परमं स्मृतम्॥
Purity of conduct forms the purity of the mind. The purity that one acquires by ablutions in sacred waters is considered as inferior. Indeed that purity which originates from knowledge, is considered as the best.
मनसा च प्रदीप्तेन ब्रह्मज्ञानजलेन च। स्नाति यो मानसे तीर्थे तत्स्नानं तत्त्वदर्शिनः॥
Those ablutions which one performs with a burning mind in the waters of the knowledge of Brahma in the Tirtha called Manasa, are the true ablutions for truth knowing persons.
समारोपितशौचस्तु नित्यं भावसमाहितः। केवलं गुणसम्पन्नः शुचिरेव नरः सदा॥
That man who is endued with true purity of conduct and who is always given to the preservation of a proper attitude to wards all, indeed, he who is gifted with attributes and merit, is considered as truly pure.
शरीरस्थानि तीर्थानि प्रोक्तान्येतानि भारत। पृथिव्यां यानि तीर्थानि पुण्यानि शृणु तान्यपि॥
These that I have mentioned have been said to be the Tirthas of the body. Listen to me as I tell you what those sacred Tirthas are that are situate on the Earth also.
शरीरस्य यथोद्देशाः शुचयः परिकीर्तिताः। तथा पृथिव्या भागाश्च पुण्यानि सलिलानि च॥
As special attributes of the body have been said to be sacred, so there are particulars spots on Earth as well, and particular waters, which are considered sacred.
कीर्तनाच्चैव तीर्थस्य स्नानाच्च पितृतर्पणात्। धुनन्ति पापं तीर्थेषु ते प्रयान्ति सुखं दिवम्॥
By reciting the names of the Tirthas, by performing ablutions there, and by offering oblations to the departed Manes in those places, one's sins are dissipated. Those men whose sins are thus dissipated, succeed in acquiring the celestial region, when they leave this world.
परिग्रहाच्च साधूनां पृथिव्याश्चैव तेजसा। अतीव पुण्यभागास्ते सलिलस्य च तेजसा॥
On account of their association with pious persons through the special efficacy of the earth itself, of those spots and of particular waters, there are certain portions of the Earth that have come to be considered as sacred.
मनसश्च पृथिव्याश्च पुण्यास्तीर्थास्तथापरे। उभयोरेव यःस्नायात् स सिद्धिं शीघ्रमाप्नुयात्॥
The mental Tirthas are separate and distinct from those of the Earth. That person who bathes in both acquires success forthwith.
यथा बलं क्रियाहीनं क्रिया वा बलवर्जिता। नेह साधयते कार्य समायुक्ता तु सिध्यति॥ एवं शरीरशौचेन तीर्थशौचेन चान्वितः। शुचिः सिद्धिमवाप्नोति द्विविधं शौचमुत्तमम्॥
As strength without exertion, or exertion without strength can never perform anything, singly, and as these, when combined, can do all things, so one that becomes gifted with the purity that is contributed by the Tirthas in the body as also by that which is contributed by the Tirthas on the Earth, becomes truly pure and acquires success. That purity which is derived from both sources is the best.