Sugandha, Arundhativata, Sindhuprabhava etc.

Narada said:

1-2, Thence, O best of kings, a man should go to Sugandha, well-known in the world. With his soul freed from all sins, he is honoured in Brahma's world. O king, from there a pilgrim should go to Rudravarta. O king, a man having bathed there, is honoured in heaven.

3-4. O best of men, a man who has bathed at the confluence of Ganga and Sarasvati obtains (the fruit of) a horse sacrifice and goes to heaven. Having bathed at Karnahrada there and having worshipped Shiva, he does not meet with misery and goes to heaven.

5-7a. Thence the pilgrim should in due succession go to Kubja. (Thereby) he obtains (the fruit of having given) a thousand cows and goes to heaven. Thence, O king, a pilgrim should go to Arundhativata. Having bathed at Samudraka and having fasted for three nights a man would obtain the fruit of (having presented) a thousand cows and goes to heaven.

7b-10a. Being controlled and calm, he should then go to Brahmavarta. He obtains the (fruit of a) horse sacrifice, and goes to heaven. Having bathed in the water of Yamuna he should go to (the holy place called) Yamunaprabhava. Having obtained the fruit of a horse sacrifice he is honoured in heaven. Having reached the sacred place called Darvlsarhkramana, well-known in the three worlds, he obtains (the fruit of) a horse sacrifice and goes to heaven.

10b-13a. Then having gone to (the holy place called) Sindhuprabhava, the source of Sindhu, resorted to by siddhas and gandharvas and having stayed there for five nights, he should give much gold. Then having reached (the holy place of) the goddess very difficult to reach a man obtains (the fruit of) a horse sacrifice and would go to the position of Shukra. Having reached Rsikulya and Vasishtha also, O descendent of Bharata, and having crossed Vasishtha all the castes become (like) brahmanas.

13b-14. A man having bathed at Rsikulya goes to the world of sages, if, O king, he, subsisting on vegetables, lives there for a month. Having reached Bhrigutunga he would obtain the fruit of a horse sacrifice.

15-17a. O hero, having gone to Pramoksa he is free from all sins. A pious man having reached (this) holy place difficult to reach in (the months of) Kartika and Margaslrsa obtains the fruit of Agnistoma and Atiratra (sacrifices). Thence having reached Sandhya and the excellent Vidyatlrtha he should bathe (there). He becomes a master of all lores.

17b-18a. Fasting once a day he should stay for anight at Mahashrama which frees (a man) from all sins. He (thereby) lives in holy worlds.

18b-21. By living for a month at Mahalaya and by taking food once in three days he having himself crossed (the ocean of the mundane existence) emancipates the creatures — ten preceding and ten succeeding (members of his family). Having seen the very auspicious Mahesvara saluted by gods a man having got all his objects, should not at all grieve for death. He with his soul purified from all sins would obtain much gold. Then he should go to Vetasika resorted to by the Grand sire. (Thereby) he obtains (the fruit of) a horse sacrifice and would go the highest position.

22-23. Then having reached the holy place (called) Sundarika resorted to by siddhas, he possesses handsomeness (i.e., becomes handsome). This has been observed by the ancients. III.32.24-39a

1465 Then, being controlled and calm, he, having gone to Brahmanika, goes to Brahma's world in a car having the colour of a lotus.

24-29. Thence he should go to Naimisa, the auspicious (place) resorted to by brahmanas. Brahma always resides there with hosts of gods. Half the sin of him who desires (to go to) Naimisa, perishes. A man on just entering it is freed from the entire sin. A wise man intent on (visiting) holy places, should stay there — at Naimisa — for a month. O descendant of Bharata, whichever holy places are there on the earth are (present) at Naimisa. Being restrained and with his diet controlled a man having bathed (i e. who bathes) there obtains the fruit of a Rajasuya sacrifice, (and), O best among the Bharatas, purifies (the members of) his family up to the seventh (descendant). The wise say that he who wholly devoted to fasting would cast his life at Naimisa, would stay in heaven and rejoice there. O best of kings, Naimisa is always pure and holy.

30. A man, having gone to Gangodbheda and having stayed there for three nights obtains (the fruit of) a Vajapeya (sacrifice) and would always be one with Brahman.

31. Having reached Sarasvati he should offer oblations to the deities in the form of his manes. There is no doubt that he rejoices in the worlds of the Sarasvatas.

32. O king, thence a pilgrim should go to (the holy place called) Bahuda. By staying there for a night he is honoured in heaven.

33a. The man obtains the fruit of a Devasatra sacrifice.

33b-34a. Thence he should go to the holy place (called) Rajani surrounded by meritorious persons. Engaged in worshipping the manes and deities, he would obtain (the fruit of) a Vajapeya (sacrifice).

34b-39a. Having reached (the holy place called) Vimalasoka he shines like the moon. Having stayed there for a night he is honoured in heaven. Thence he should go to Gopratara, an excellent holy place (on the bank) of Sarayii, where (-from) Rama with his servants, army and vehicles, after having left his house, went to heaven due to the prowess of that holy place. Due to Rama's favour and exertion, O king, a man bathing at that holy place, viz. Gopratara, has his soul purified of all sins and is honoured in heaven. O you descendant of Kuru, a man having bathed at Ramatlrtha on (the bank of) Gomati, obtains (the fruit of) a horse sacrifice and purifies his own family.

39b-40. Then, O best of Bharatas, there is a sacred place called shatasahasraka. Being restrained and with his diet controlled, a man, having bathed there, obtains the meritorious fruit (of giving away) a thousand cows, O best of Bharatas.

41-42a. Then a pious man should go to the excellent (holy place called) CFrdhvasthana, Having bathed at Kotitlrtha and having worshipped Guha, O king, a man would obtain the fruit of (giving) a thousand cows, and becomes bright.

42b-44. Then having gone to Varanasi and having worshipped the bull-bannered god (i.e. Shiva) and having bathed at Kapilahrada, he would obtain the fruit of a Rajasuya (sacrifice). O lord of kings, having reached the Markandeya tirtha difficult to reach, on the confluence of Gomati and Ganga, well-known in the world, he obtains the fruit of a horse sacrifice and would emancipate his (own) family.

 

CHAPTER THIRTYTHREE

The Merits of Varanasi

Yudhisthira said:

1. O sage, you have described in brief the importance of Varanasi. (Please) tell it in detail. Then (only) my mind is (i.e. would be) pleased. Narada said:

2. Now I shall tell you the account based on the merits of Varanasi, merely by hearing which a man is absolved of (the sin of) killing a brahmana.

3. Formerly, goddess (ParvatI) having gone to the seat of the lord asked Mahadeva, the enemy of Tripura, on the peak of Meru:

The goddess said:

4-7. O Mahadeva, god of gods, remover of the affliction of your devotees, how can a man see you soon (i.e. in a short time)? O Shankara, in the world (the path) of Samkhya or Yoga or (of) meditation or Karmayoga laid down in the Vedas are full of great exertion; so also are other (means). Tell me this most secret knowledge which is practised by Indra and others and which destroys the fire of passion, for the good of all beings, by which you, the revered one, who are (so) subtle, can be seen by human beings, the meditating saints with tranquil minds, and those who practise the path of duty. The lord said:

8-26. I shall now tell you the knowledge which is properly explained by the great sages, which special knowledge is excluded by the ignorant and which should not be told. The city VaranasI is my most secret holy place. It helps all the beings to cross the ocean of the worldly existence. O great goddess, the magnanimous ones observing great restraint live there devoutly practising my vow (i.e. a vow sacred to me). That holy place Avimukta is best among all holy places, is best among all abodes, is thy best knowledge among all (kinds of) knowledge. There are other holy places and sacred abodes situated in crematory and found in divine land. My abode is not at all connected with the world; it is in the Intermediate Space. Those that are not liberated see there; those that are liberated see mentally. This is a famous crematory well-known as Avimukta. O beautiful lady, being Kala (the god of death) I destroy this world. O goddess, this place is dearer to me of all secrets. My devotees go there and enter me only. Whatever is given there, muttered there, offered or performed there, whichever penance is practised there, and also meditation, study or knowledge (gained) there becomes inexhaustible. All the sin of a man collected in the former thousands of births perishes when he enters Avimukta. Men — brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas, s" udras, mixtures of castes, women, mlecchas, other mixed tribes of low birth, insects, ants, other beasts and birds, when they die at the proper time at Avimukta, O beautiful lady, are born in my auspicious city as having crescent moon on their heads, three eyes, and having great bulls as their vehicles. No sinner who dies at Avimukta goes to hell. Being favoured by the lord all of them go to the highest position. A man thinking that salvation is difficult to obtain and realising that the mundane existence is extremely terrible, having broken his feet with stone, should live in Varanasi. O goddess, the path liberating from the mundane existence one who dies here or there is difficult to be obtained even by penance. O daughter of the (Himalaya) Mountain, by my favour (everything) takes place duly. Those who are immature do not see as they are deluded by my illusory power. They again and again live in feces, urine and semen. A learned man, though smitten by hundreds of dangers, goes to the highest place, going where he is not unhappy. He goes to diva's abode free from birth, death and old age.

27-28. The position of those who desire salvation is the same as of those who do not die again, and reaching which, the learned think, one is blessed. The position that is obtained on (reaching salvation) is not obtained by gifts, penance, sacrifices or knowledge.

29-35. The wise know that Avimukta is a great medicine for the people of various castes or having no castes, the candalas that are condemned, with their bodies filled with blemishes and big sins. Avimukta is great knowledge; Avimukta is a great seat; Avimukta is a great fact; Avimukta is highly auspicious. I give them who, having firm dedication, live at Avimukta, that highest knowledge, that highest position. Prayaga, Naimisaranya, Shrisaila, Mahabala, Kedara, Bhadrakarna, Gaya and Puskara, also Kuruksetra, Bhadrakoti, Narmada, Mratakesvari, Salagrama, Kubjamra, the excellent Kokamukha, Prabhasa, Vijayesana, Gokarna and Bhadrakarna — these holy places are well-known in the three worlds. Men who die (here) do not go to the highest principle as those who die at Varanasi.

36-56. If a man enters (i.e. bathes in) Ganga, flowing in three streams, especially at Varanasi, it would destroy the sin committed in hundreds of his former births. Ganga'is easy to reach at other places. Sraddha, gifts, penance, muttering (of a deity's names), vows — all this is very difficult to be found at Varanasi. A man living at Varanasi would mutter (names of deities), would offer oblations, gives gifts everyday, worships gods, always eats (i.e. subsists upon) air. Even if a man is a sinner or a rogue, he purifies the entire family on reaching Varariasi. Those, who worship and extol Mahadeva at Varanasi, are free from all sins and should be known as the lord of Shiva's attendants. At other places the highest place is reached only after a hundred births by means of the practice of yoga (i.e. deep meditation), knowledge or othar things. But O you wife of the lord of gods, those devotees who stay at Varariasl, obtain the best salvation in one birth only. Where the path of yoga and the path of knowledge (are combined), salvation is obtained in one birth only. A man having reached Avimukta would not desire (to go to) any other penance-grove Since I have not abandoned it, it is said to be Avimukta. That is the secret of secrets. This is said to be wisdom. O you beautiful one, that position which is got by those that are devoted to knowledge or ignorance, and are desirous of the highest joy, is obtained by him who dies at Avimukta. Varanasi is more holy than all the places that are seen in the body of Avimukta where the lord Mahadeva himsslf explained for Avimukta the liberating Brahman. A man would obtain in Varanasi, that which is said to be the higher principle Avimukta, in (just) one birth. As between the two eye-brows, as in the navel, in the heart or the head, in the sun, so Avimukta is well-established in Varanasi. Varanasi city is (situated) between Varana and Asi. There only is well settled the principle of Avimukta. There was never, or there never will be a higher place than Varanasi, where (live) god Narayana, and Mahadeva, the lord in heaven. There gods with gandharvas, yaksas, serpents and demons always worship him, (who is) the god of gods, the grandsire. O goddess, the great sinners, those who are greater sinners than they are, go to the highest position after having come to Varanasi. Therefore, he who desires salvation, should, being restrained, stay at Varanasi till death. Getting knowledge from Mahadeva he is liberated. But difficulties may come up in the case of one whose mind is smitten with sin. Therefore one should not commit a sin by body, mind or speech. O you of a good vow, this is the secret of gods and Puranas. Nobody truly knows (i.e. has) the knowledge about Avimukta.

Narada said:

57-65. The god of gods told the entire (account) that destroys all sins to the deities and sages and the spiritual teachers that were listening. As Vishnu is the greatest among the gods, as Shiva is the greatest among lords, so is this place the best of all places. Those who have propitiated Rudra in a former birth, obtain (i.e. visit) the great holy place Avimukta, the abode of Shiva. Those whose mind is taken away due to having been born in Kali age, are not able to know that great place of the spiritual teacher. The sin of those who always remember and talk about this city, quickly perishes in this world and the next. God Shiva having time as his body would destroy all those sins which those who have taken an abode here commit. A man should come to (i.e. visit) this place resorted to by those who desire salvation; those who die would not be again born in the ocean of the mundane existence. Therefore by all efforts a man, whether he is a yogi or no yogi, whether a sinner or the most virtuous one, should live in Varanasi. The thought about (visiting) Avimukta should not be changed even by the words of the people, or of the father, or of the preceptor.

 

CHAPTER THIRTYFOUR

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