"Vaisampayana said, 'That perpetuator of Kuru's race, viz., Yudhishthira
the son of Pandu, desirous of obtaining such good as is destructive of
sins, questioned Bhishma who was lying on a bed of arrows, (in the
following words).'
"'Yudhishthira said, "What, indeed, is beneficial for a person in this
world? What is that by doing which one may earn happiness? By what may
one be cleansed of all one's sins? Indeed, what is that which is
destructive of sins?"'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'In this connection, the royal son of Santanu, O
foremost of men, duly recited the names of the deities unto Yudhishthira
who was desirous of hearing.'
"'Bhishma said, "O son, the following names of the deities with those of
the Rishis, if duly recited morning, noon, and evening, become
efficacious cleansers of all sins. Acting with the aid of one's senses
(or knowledge and action), whatever sins one may commit by day or by
night or by the two twilights, consciously, or unconsciously one is sure
to be cleansed therefrom and become thoroughly pure by reciting these
names. One that takes those names has never to become blind or deaf;
indeed, by taking those names, one always succeeds in attaining to what
is beneficial. Such a man never takes birth in the intermediate order of
beings, never goes to hell, and never becomes a human being of any of the
mixed castes. He has never to fear the accession of any calamity. When
death comes, he never becomes stupefied. The master of all the deities
and Asuras, resplendent with effulgence, worshipped by all creatures,
inconceivable, indescribable, the life of all living beings, and unborn,
is the Grandsire Brahma, the Lord of the universe. His chaste spouse is
Savitri. Then comes that origin of the Vedas, the creator Vishnu,
otherwise called Narayana of immeasurable puissance. Then comes the
three-eyed Lord of Uma; then Skanda the generalissimo of the celestial
forces; then Visakha; then Agni the eater of sacrificial libations; then
Vayu the god of wind; then Chandramas; then Aditya the god of the sun,
endued with effulgence; then the illustrious Sakra the lord of Sachi; and
Yama with his spouse Dhumorna; and Varuna with Gauri; Kuvera the lord of
treasures, with his spouse Riddhi; the amiable and illustrious cow
Surabhi; the great Rishi Visravas; Sankalpa, Ocean, Ganga; the other
sacred Rivers; the diverse Maruts; the Valkhilyas crowned with success of
penances; the island-born Krishna; Narada; Parvata; Viswavasu; the Hahas;
the Huhus; Tumvuru; Chitrasena; the celestial messenger of wide
celebrity; the highly blessed celestial maidens, the celestial Apsaras,
Urvasi, Menaka, Rambha; Misrakesi, Alamvusha, Viswachi, Ghritachi,
Panchachuda, Tilottama; the Adityas, the Vasus, the Aswins, the Pitris;
Dharma (Righteousness); Vedic lore, Penances, Diksha, Perseverance (in
religious acts), the Grandsire, Day and Night, Kasyapa the son of
Marichi, Sukra, Vrihaspati, Mangala the son of Earth, Vudha, Rahu,
Sanischara, the Constellations, the Seasons, the Months, the Fortnights,
the Year, Garuda, the son of Vinata, the several Oceans, the sons of
Kadru, viz., the Snakes, Satadru, Vipasa, Chandrabhaga, Saraswati,
Sindhu, Devika, Prabhasa, the lakes of Pushkara, Ganga, Mahanadi, Vena,
Kaveri, Narmada, Kulampuna Visalya, Karatoya, Amvuvahini, Sarayu,
Gandaki, the great river Lohita, Tamra, Aruna, Vetravati, Parnasa,
Gautami, the Godavari, Vena, Krishnavena, Dwija, Drishadvati, Kaveri,
Vankhu, Mandakini Prayaga, Prabhasa, the sacred Naimisha, the spot sacred
to Visweswara or Mahadeva, viz., Kasi, that lake of crystal water,
Kurukshetra full of many sacred waters, the foremost of oceans (viz., the
ocean of milk), Penances, Gifts, Jamvumarga, Hiranwati, Vitasta, the
river Plakshavati, Vedasmriti, Vedavati, Malava, Aswavati, all sacred
spots on Earth, Gangadwara, the sacred Rishikulya, the river Chitravaha,
the Charmanwati, the sacred river Kausiki, the Yamuna, the river
Bhimarathi, the great river Vahuda, Mahendravani, Tridiva Nilika,
Saraswati, Nanda, the other Nanda, the large sacred lake, Gaya,
Phalgutirtha Dharmarayana (the sacred forest) that is peopled with the
deities, the sacred celestial river, the lake created by the Grandsire
Brahma which is sacred and celebrated over the three worlds, and
auspicious and capable of cleansing all sins, the Himavat mountain endued
with excellent herbs, the Vindhya mountain variegated with diverse kinds
of metals, containing many Tirthas and overgrown with medicinal herbs,
Meru, Mahendra, Malaya, Sweta endued with silver, Sringavat, Mandara,
Nila, Nishada, Dardurna, Chitrakuta, Anjanabha, the Gandhamadana
mountains; the sacred Somagiri, the various other mountains, the cardinal
points of the compass, the subsidiary points, the Earth, all the trees,
the Viswedevas, the Firmament, the Constellations, the Planets, and the
deities,--let these all, named and unnamed, rescue and cleanse us! The
man who takes the names of these becomes cleansed of all his sins. By
hymning their praises and gratifying them, one becomes freed from every
fear. Verily, the man who delights in uttering the hymns in praise of the
deities becomes cleansed of all such sins as lead to birth in impure
orders. After this recital of the deities, I shall name those learned
Brahmanas crowned with ascetic merit and success and capable of cleaning
one of every sin. They are Yavakrita and Raibhya and Kakshivat and
Aushija, and Bhrigu and Angiras and Kanwa, and the puissant Medhatithi,
and Varhi possessed of every accomplishment. These all belong to the
eastern region. Others, viz., Unmuchu, Pramuchu, all highly blessed,
Swastyatreya of great energy, Agastya of great prowess, the son of Mitra
and Varuna; Dridhayu and Urdhavahu, those two foremost and celebrated of
Rishis,--these live in the southern region. Listen now to me as I name
those Rishis that dwell in the western region. They are Ushango with his
uterine brothers, Parivyadha of great energy, Dirghatamas, Gautama,
Kasyapa, Ekata, Dwita, Trita, the righteous-souled son of Atri (viz.,
Durvasa), and puissant Saraswat. Listen now to me as I name those Rishis
that worship the deities in sacrifices, dwelling in the northern region.
They are Atri, Vasishtha, Saktri, Parasara's son Vyasa of great energy;
Viswamitra, Bharadwaja, Jamadagni, the son of Richika, Rama, Auddalaka,
Swetaketu, Kohala, Vipula, Devala, Devasarman, Dhaumya, Hastikasyapa,
Lomasa, Nachiketa, Lomaharsana, Ugrasravas, and Bhrigu's son Chyavana.
This is the tale of Rishis possessed of Vedic lore. They are primeval
Rishis, O king, whose names, if taken, are capable of cleansing one of
every sin. After this I shall recite the names of the principal kings.
They are Nriga, Yayati, Nahusha, Yadu, Puru of great energy, Sagara,
Dhundhumara, Dilipa of great prowess, Krisaswa, Yauvanaswa, Chitraswa,
Satyavat, Dushmanta, Bharata who became an illustrious Emperor over many
kings, Yavana, Janaka, Dhrishtaratha, Raghu, that foremost of kings,
Dasaratha, the heroic Rama, that slayer of Rakshasas, Sasavindu.
Bhagiratha, Harischandra, Marutta, Dridharatha, the highly fortunate
Alarka, Aila, Karandhama, that foremost of men, Kasmira, Daksha,
Amvarisha, Kukura, Raivata of great fame, Kuru, Samvarana, Mandhatri of
unbaffled prowess, the royal sage Muchukunda, Jahnu who was much favoured
by Janhavi (Ganga), the first (in point of time) of all kings, viz.,
Prithu the son of Vena, Mitrabhanu, Priyankara, Trasadasyu, Sweta that
foremost of royal sages, the celebrated Mahabhisha, Nimi Ashtaka, Ayu,
the royal sage Kshupa, Kaksheyu, Pratardana, Devodasa, Sudasa,
Kosaleswara, Aila, Nala, the royal sage Manu, that lord of all creatures,
Havidhara, Prishadhara, Pratipa, Santanu, Aja, the senior Varhi, Ikshwaku
of great fame, Anaranya, Janujangha, the royal sage Kakshasena, and many
others not named (in history). That man who rising at early dawn takes
the names of these kings at the two twilights, viz., at sunset and
sunrise, with a pure body and mind and without distracted attention,
acquires great religious merit. One should hymn the praises of the
deities, the celestial Rishis, and the royal sages and say, 'These lords
of the creation will ordain my growth and long life and fame! Let no
calamity be mine, let no sin defile me, and let there be no opponents or
enemies of mine! Without doubt, victory will always be mine and an
auspicious end hereafter!'"'"