एतासामपो भारत्यः प्रजा नामभिरेव पुनन्तीनामात्मना चोपस्पृशन्ति. चन्द्रवसा ताम्रपर्णी अवटोदा कृतमाला वैहायसी कावेरी वेणी पयस्विनी शर्करावर्ता तुङ्गभद्रा कृष्णावेण्या भीमरथी गोदावरी निर्विन्ध्या पयोष्णी तापी रेवा सुरसा नर्मदा चर्मण्वती सिन्धुरन्धः शोणश्च नदौ महानदी वेदस्मृतिरृषिकुल्या त्रिसामा कौशिकी मन्दाकिनी यमुना सरस्वती दृषद्वती गोमती सरयू रोधस्वती सप्तवती सुषोमा शतद्रूश्चन्द्रभागा मरुद्वृधा वितस्ता असिक्नी विश्वेति महानद्यः. ॥ १८ ॥
etasam apo bharatyah praja namabhir eva punantinam atmana
copasprsanti. candravasa tamraparni avatoda krtamala vaihayasi kaveri
veni payasvini sarkaravarta tuṅgabhadra krsnavenya bhimarathi
godavari nirvindhya payosni tapi reva surasa narmada carmanvati
sindhur andhah sonas ca nadau mahanadi vedasmrtir rsikulya trisama
kausiki mandakini yamuna sarasvati drsadvati gomati sarayu rodhasvati
saptavati susoma satadrus candrabhaga marudvrdha vitasta asikni
visveti maha-nadyah.
etasam-of all these; apah-water; bharatyah-of Bharata-varsa (India); prajah-the residents; namabhih-by the names; eva-only; punantinam-are purifying; atmana-by the mind; ca-also; upasprsanti-touch; candra-vasa-Candravasa; tamra-parni-Tamraparni; avatoda-Avatoda; krta-mala-Krtamala; vaihayasi-Vaihayasi; kaveri-Kaveri; veni-Veni; payasvini-Payasvini; sarkaravarta-Sarkaravarta; tuṅga-bhadra-Tuṅgabhadra; krsna-venya-Krsnavenya; bhima-rathi-Bhimarathi; godavari-Godavari; nirvindhya-Nirvindhya; payosni-Payosni; tapi-Tapi; reva-Reva; surasa-Surasa; narmada-Narmada; carmanvati-Carmanvati; sindhuh-Sindhu; andhah-Andha; sonah-Sona; ca-and; nadau-two rivers; maha-nadi-Mahanadi; veda-smrtih-Vedasmrti; rsi-kulya-Rsikulya; tri-sama-Trisama; kausiki-Kausiki; mandakini-Mandakini; yamuna-Yamuna; sarasvati-Sarasvati; drsadvati-Drsadvati; gomati-Gomati; sarayu-Sarayu; rodhasvati-Rodhasvati; saptavati-Saptavati; susoma-Susoma; sata-druh-Satadru; candrabhaga-Candrabhaga; marudvrdha-Marudvrdha; vitasta-Vitasta; asikni-Asikni; visva-Visva; iti-thus; maha-nadyah-big rivers.
Two of the rivers-the Brahmaputra and the Sona-are called nadas, or main rivers. These are other great rivers that are very prominent: Candravasa, Tamraparni, Avatoda, Krtamala, Vaihayasi, Kaveri, Veni, Payasvini, Sarkaravarta, Tuṅgabhadra, Krsnavenya, Bhimarathi, Godavari, Nirvindhya, Payosni, Tapi, Reva, Surasa, Narmada, Carmanvati, Mahanadi, Vedasmrti, Rsikulya, Trisama, Kausiki, Mandakini, Yamuna, Sarasvati, Drsadvati, Gomati, Sarayu, Rodhasvati, Saptavati, Susoma, Satadru, Candrabhaga, Marudvrdha, Vitasta, Asikni and Visva. The inhabitants of Bharata-varsa are purified because they always remember these rivers. Sometimes they chant the names of these rivers as mantras, and sometimes they go directly to the rivers to touch them and bathe in them. Thus the inhabitants of Bharata-varsa become purified.
All these rivers are transcendental. Therefore one can be purified by remembering them, touching them or bathing in them. This practice is still going on.