The Great Epic of the Bhārata dynasty 3.81.137

3.81.137

tato gaccheta rājendra tīrthaṃ śatasahasrakam |
sāhasrakaṃ ca tatraiva dve tīrthe lokaviśrute || 137 ||

"After visiting Saraswata, one should proceed to Ausanasa celebrated over the three worlds. There, O Bharata, the gods with Brahma at their head, and Rishis endued with wealth of asceticism, and the illustrious Kartikeya, were ever present during two twilights and the mid-day, impelled by the desire of doing good to Bhargava. There in that tirtha is another called [paragraph continues] Kapalamochana, which cleanseth from every sin. O tiger among men, bathing there one is cleansed from every sin. One should then proceed to the tirtha called Agni. Bathing there, O bull among men, one obtaineth the regions of agni and raiseth his own race (from lower regions). There in that tirtha is another, O chief of the Bharatas, that belongeth to Viswamitra. Bathing there, O best of men, one obtaineth the status of a Brahmana. Proceeding next to Brahmayoni in purity of body and with subdued soul, one obtaineth, O tiger among men, by bathing there, the abode of Brahma, and sanctifieth, without doubt, his own race to the seventh generation up and down. One should next proceed, O king, to the tirtha celebrated over the three worlds, which is called Prithudaka, belonging to Kartikeya. One should bathe there and occupy oneself in the worship of the Pitris and the gods. Whatever evil hath been committed, knowingly or unknowingly, by man or woman, impelled by human motives, is all destroyed, O Bharata, by a bath in that tirtha. Bathing there one obtaineth, too, the merit of the horse-sacrifice and heaven also. The learned have said that Kurukshetra is holy; that holier than Kurukshetra is the Saraswati; that holier than the Saraswati are all the tirthas together, and that holier than all the tirthas together is Prithudaka. He that engaged in the recitation of prayers casteth off his body at Prithudaka, which is the best of all tirthas, becometh an immortal. It hath been sung by Sanatkumara and by the high-souled Vyasa, and it is in the Vedas also, that one should, O king, go to Prithudaka, with subdued soul. O son of Kuru race, there is no tirtha which is superior to Prithudaka. Without doubt, that tirtha is purifying, holy and sin-destroying. O best of men, it hath been said by learned persons that men, however sinful, by bathing in Prithudaka, go to heaven. O best of the Bharatas, there in that tirtha is another called Madhusrava. Bathing there, O king, one obtaineth the merit of giving away a thousand kine. One should then proceed, O king, to that celebrated and sacred tirtha where the Saraswati uniteth with the Aruna. One that batheth there, having fasted for three nights, is cleansed of even the sin of slaying a Brahmana, and obtaineth also merit that is superior to that of either the Agnishtoma or Atiratra sacrifice, and rescueth his race to the seventh generation up and down. There in that tirtha is another, O perpetuator of the Kuru race, that is called Ardhakila. From compassion for the Brahmanas, that tirtha was made by Darbhi in days of old. Without doubt, by vows, by investiture of the sacred, by fasts, by rites and by Mantras, one becometh a Brahmana. O bull among men, it hath been seen, however, by learned persons of old that even one destitute of rites and Mantras, by only bathing in that tirtha becometh learned and endued with the merit of vows. Darbhi had also brought hither the four oceans. O best of men, one that batheth here, never meeteth with distress hereafter and obtaineth also the merit of giving away four thousand kine. One should next repair, O virtuous one, to the tirtha called Satasahasraka.

[paragraph continues] Near to this is another called Sahasraka. Both are celebrated, and one that batheth in them, obtaineth the merit of giving away a thousand kine. Fasts and gifts there multiply a thousandfold. One should next proceed, O king, to the excellent tirtha called Renuka. One should bathe there and worship the Pitris and the gods. By this, cleansed from every sin, he obtaineth the merit of the Agnishtoma sacrifice. Bathing next in the tirtha called Vimochana with passions and senses under control, one is cleansed from all the sins generated by the acceptance of gifts. With senses under control and practising the Brahmacharya mode of life, one should next repair to the woods of Panchavati. By a sojourn thither, one earneth much virtue and becometh adored in the regions of the virtuous. One should next go to the tirtha of Varuna called Taijasa, blazing in effulgence of its own. There in that tirtha is the lord of Yoga, Sthanu himself, having for his vehicle the bull. He that sojourneth there, obtaineth success by worshipping the god of gods. It was there that the gods with Brahma at their head and Rishis endued with wealth of asceticism, installed Guha as the generalissimo of the celestials. To the east of that tirtha is another, O perpetuator of Kuru race, that is called Kuru tirtha. With senses under control and leading a Brahmacharya mode of life, he that bathes in Kuru-tirtha, becometh cleansed of all his sins and obtaineth the region of Brahma.