Gayd and Other Holy Places

Narada said:

1. O lord, I have described to you in brief the greatness of Varanasi, and the holy places (situated) in it. (Now) listen to (the description of) other holy places.

2-4. O descendant of Bharata, a man being restrained and calm, having gone to Gaya, obtains (the fruit of) a horse sacrifice merely by going there. There is (a place) named Aksayavata known in the three worlds. O lord, oblations offered to the manes at that place become inexhaustible. Having bathed in the Mahanadi he should offer oblations to manes and deities. (By doing so) he would obtain (i.e. go to) the imperishable worlds and would liberate his family.

5-6. Then he should goto Brahmasaras served by (i.e. in) Brahmaranya. (Thereby) he obtains (the fruit of) Pundarika (sacrifice) as the night obtains the dawn. Brahma has raised (i.e. put up) the best sacrificial post in the lake. By circumambulating the sacrificial post he would obtain the fruit of a Vajapeya sacrifice.

7-10. Thence, O lord of kings, he should go to Dhenuka, well-known in the world. Living there even for a night and offering a Sheshamum-cow he with his soul purified of all sins, would certainly go to Soma's world. There is, O great king, even now the mark: A tawny cow along with her calf still roams over the mountain. The foot-prints of the cow with her calf are seen even now. Having bathed in (the water collected at) those foot-prints, O lord of kings, O best king, little sin that is (left) perishes, O descendant of Bharata.

11-12. Thence he should go to Grdhravata, the place of the god, viz. the trident-holder (i.e. Shiva). He should bathe there and (apply) ashes after meeting (i.e. visiting) the bull-bannered god. A brahmana, thereby, would have observed a vow for twelve years. All the sin of other castes perishes.

13-18. Thence he should go to the high mountain resounding with music. O best among the Bharatas, the place sacred to Savitri is seen there. A brahmana with a severe vow should offer the sandhya(-prayer) there. By (doing) that he would have offered the sandhya(-prayer) for twelve years. O best of Bharatas, Yonidvara is there only. Having gone there a man is freed from the danger of (being conceived in) a womb. O king, a man who would live in Gaya for both the bright and dark fortnights (of a month), purifies his family up to the seventh (descendant). There is no doubt about this. Many sons would be desired by him (i.e. he would have many sons) even if he would go to Gaya all alone. He might perform a horse sacrifice or give a dark blue bull. Then O king, O lord of men, a pilgrim should go to Phalgu. (By doing so) he obtains (the fruit of) a horse sacrifice and would reach (i.e. get) the highest well-being.

19-20a. Thence, being tranquil he should, O lord of kings, go to Dharmaprstha where, O Yudhisthira, Dharma (i.e. Righteousness) always lives. Having seen Dharma, he would obtain (the fruit of) a horse sacrifice.

20b-23. Thence, O lord of kings, he should go to the excellent holy place of Brahma. Having gone there and having been settled in a vow he should worship Brahma. O descendant of Bharata, (thereby) he obtains the fruit of Rajasuya and horse sacrifices. Thence, O king, a pilgrim should go to Rajagrha. Having bathed there he rejoices like Kakshivat.1 The food is (there) regularly offered to Yaksini. The sacred Fire-Man formerly lived there. By the favour of Yaksini he is freed from (the sin) of killing a brahmana.

24-25. Thence he should go to Maninaga. He would (thereby) obtain the fruit (of the gift) of a thousand cows. O king, the poison of the bite of a serpent does not affect him who enjoys the food regularly offered to Mariinaga. Having stayed there for a night he is freed from all sins.

26-29a. O king, thence he should go to the grove of Gautama, the brahmanic sage. Having bathed in the pool of Ahalya he would reach the highest position. Reaching ari, he gets excellent wealth. O pious one, there is a tank well-known in the three worlds. He should bathe there. (Thereby) he would obtain (the fruit of) a horse-sacrifice. The tank of the royal sage Janaka is honoured by gods. Having bathed there he would obtain Vishnu's heaven.

29b-30a. Thence he should go to (the holy place called) Vinasana which frees (a man) from all sins. (Thereby) he obtains (the fruit of) a horse sacrifice and goes to Soma's world.

30b-36a. (Then) he should go to Gandaki produced from the water of all sacred places. (Thereby) he obtains (the fruit of) a Vajapeya sacrifice and goes to the Sun's world. Thence, O pious one, having entered the penance-grove of Dhruva he undoubtedly rejoices among guhyakas, O noble one. Having reached the river Karmada resorted to by siddhas he obtains (the fruit of) Pundarika (sacrifice) and goes to Soma's world. Thence having reached the river Visala, well-known in the three worlds, he obtains (the fruit of) Agnistoma (sacrifice) and goes to heaven. Then O king, having reached Dhara of (i.e. sacred to) Mahesvara he obtains (the fruit of) a horse sacrifice and would liberate his family. A pure man having reached the lake of the residents of heaven does not meet with a disaster and obtains (the fruit of) a Vajapeya (sacrifice).

1. Kakshivan — He was a famous sage and was credited with the authorship of a few Vedic hymns. He was the son of Usij and DIrghatamas.36b-39. Then being restrained and calm he should go to (the sacred place called) Mahesapada. Having bathed atMahesapada he would obtain (the fruit of) a horse sacrifice. O best among the Bharatas, there is a well-known, excellent sacred place taken away by the mighty Vishnu when, O lord of kings, it was being seized by a wicked demon Kurmarupa. O king, a man should bathe at that excellent holy place Tirthakoti; (thereby) he obtains (the fruit of) a Pundarika sacrifice and goes to Vishnu's heaven.

40-46. Thence, O best of men, he should go to the best place of Narayana, where, O descendant of Bharata, Vishnu always lives in the vicinity and where gods like Brahma and others, sages with penance as their wealth, and also Adityas, Vasus and Rudras wait upon Vishnu. The place of (i.e. sacred to) Vishnu of wonderful deeds is known as Salagrama. Having gone to the imperishable Vishnu, the lord of the three worlds and the giver of boons, a man obtains (the fruit of) a horse sacrifice and goes to Vishnu's heaven. O pious one, there is a pool freeing (a man) from all sins. In that pool all the four oceans are always present. Having bathed there, O lord of kings, a man would not meet with misery. Having gone to the everlasting, great god Vishriu, the giver of boons, he being free from debts, shines like Soma (i.e. the moon). Having approached Jatismara, he, pure and with his mind controlled, obtains the faculty of recollecting his former births after bathing there. There is no doubt about this.

47-48. Having gone to Vatesvarapura and having worshipped Kesava (there) a man obtains (i.e. goes to) desired worlds by fasting there. There is no doubt about this. Thence, having gone to (the sacred place called) Vamana, which destroys all sins and having worshipped Vishnu, he would not meet with a disaster.

49-50a. Having gone to Bharata's hermitage freeing (a man) from all sins he should there resort to Kausiki destroying great sins. A man (thereby) obtains the fruit of a Rajasiiya sacrifice.

50b-59. Thence, O pious one, he should go to the excellent Campakaranya. Having stayed there for a night he would obtain the fruit of giving away a thousand cows. Then having reached the sacred place (called) Govinda liked by the best ones and having fasted there for a night, he would obtain the fruit of Agnistoma (sacrifice). O best among the Bharatas, having seen there the very lustrous lord of the world along with the goddess he would obtain (i.e. go to) the worlds of Mitra and Varuna. Having fasted there for three nights he would obtain the fruit of an Agnistoma (sacrifice). Then, being controlled and with his diet controlled he having reached Kanyavasatha obtains (i.e. goes to) the worlds of Manu Prajapati, O best of the Bharatas. Sages of severe vows say that even the smallest gift which men give at Kanyavasatha becomes inexhaustible. Having reached Nisthavasa, well-known in the three worlds, he obtains (the fruit of) a horse sacrifice and goes to Vishnu's heaven. O best among men, those men who give gifts at the confluence ofNistha, go to the good world of Brahma. There is Vasishtha's hermitage well-known in the three worlds. A man who bathes there obtains (the fruit of) a Vajapeya (sacrifice). Having reached Devakuta resorted to by hosts of divine sages he obtains (the fruit of) a horse sacrifice and would liberate his family.

60-73. Thence, O lord of kings, he should go to the lake of the sage Kausika, where Visvamitra, the son of Kausika, obtained the highest welfare. O best among the Bharatas, the wise one should live for a month there, i.e. at Kausiki. After a month he obtains the religious merit which is due to a horse sacrifice. He who would stay at Mahahrada, the best among all holy places, does not meet with a disaster and would obtain much gold. Having (then) gone to Kumara staying in VIras" rama he obtains (the fruit of) a horse sacrifice and goes to Indra's world. O you who perpetuate the Kuru-family, having gone to the lake at Nandini resorted to by gods he obtains that fruit which is due to a human sacrifice. Having bathed at Kalikasangama^the confluence of Kausiki and Aruni, and having fasted there for three nights a wise man is freed from all sins. A wise man having reached Urvasi-tirtha and having bathed in Kumbhakarnas" rama, is honoured in the world. Similarly, being restrained and calm he having bathed at Kokamukha gets the faculty of recollecting his former existence. This has been observed by the ancients. Reaching Sakrt river a brahmana becomes blessed. With his soul freed from all sins he goes to heaven. Having reached Rsabhadvlpa he should resort to Krauncanisudana. Having bathed at SarasvatI he seated in an aeroplane shines. O great king, Audyanaka is a great holy place resorted to by sages. He should bathe there. (By doing so) he is freed from all sins. There is no doubt that a man reaching the holy Brahmatfrtha resorted to by brahmanic sages obtains (the fruit of) a Vajapeya sacrifice. Then having reached Campa and having bathed in BhagfrathI and having reached Dandarpana he would obtain the fruit of (having given away) a thousand cows. Thence a man should go to the auspicious Lavidhika resorted to by the holy ones. (By that) he obtains (the fruit of) a Vajapeya sacrifice and seated in an aeroplane he is honoured.

 

CHAPTER THIRTYNINE

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