A Description of ShriSaila

Yudhishthira said:

1. О Narada, where is that charming mountain SrlSaila? Which is the holy place there? Which god is worshipped there? Tell me now in which direction it is said to lie in the world.

Narada said:

2-9. О king, listen; I shall describe the best mountain Shrisaila, hearing about which people are free from such sins as killing a child. The grove on the mountain is charming and is resorted to by sages. It is full of many trees and creepers adorned with various kinds of flowers. It is resounding with the notes of swans and cuckoos. The mountain grove is made fragrant with shri trees, kapittha trees, sirisa and raja trees. So also with parijataka flowers and with kadambas and udumbaras, with many fragrant flowers. It is very much resorted to by all the wives of the sages with their disciples. Some are engaged in studies and some in lectures. Some there have raised their hands; others are standing on their toes. Some are engrossed in meditation upon Shiva; others are devoted to Vishnu. Some are not eating any­thing; some are given to eating leaves. Some eat bulbs, roots and fruits; others have observed the vow of silence. Some are standing on one foot; some are sitting in the Padmasana1 posture. Some, eating no food, have practised very difficult penance.

10-13. There are auspicious hermitages and various beautiful rivers. There are many natural ponds and many tanks. О great king, all around is indeed seen the mountain, on which, О king, Mallikarjuna always remains. On top of the mountain is the charming peak, on merely seeing which peak (one gets) salvation. There is no doubt about it. Resorting to ( i.e. in ) the south stands the best mountain. Here is very beautiful Patalagaiiga.

14-18. Merely by bathing there (i.e. in it) a man is free from great sins. On seeing the peak of iShrisaila, on dying at Varanasi and on drinking water atKedara certainly there is no rebirth. It is a great place of the ascetics and meditating saints. There­fore, with every effort one should see it. This is Vijnanadeva (god of wisdom). He destroys great sins. There is the charming city Siddhapura giving divine pleasures, in which celestial damsels sing and rejoice. Therefore, this best mountain gives joy on seeing it. Those men who desire salvation, should see it.

1. Padmasana: A particular posture in religious meditation. In it the left foot is placed on the right thigh. Then the right foot is placed on the left thigh.

 

CHAPTER TWENTY

The Story of Sagara

Shri Mahadeva said:

1-5. О best divine sage, hear about the very auspicious Haridvara. Ganga flows there (i.e. by it); and it is said to be the best holy place. There gods, sages and men dwell. (So also) there god Vishnu himself always takes resort (i.e. lives). О child, this great holy place came about in ancient days. On merely seeing it sin goes away. Here due to special religious merit Ganga has become very holy. Due to her touching Vishnu’s feet she has the water of (i.e. coming from) the feet of Vishnu. О wise one, Bhagiratha brought her along the path. The magnanimous one (thus) emancipated his ancestors.

Narada said:

6-9a. О god, who is the Bhagiratha of great penance to whom you have referred, who brought the holy (water) for the good of the people? The holy place on Ganga is very auspicious and destroys all sins. All people say like this that it is the best holy place. He who, even from (a distance of) hundreds of yojanas would say ‘Ganga, Ganga’, is freed from all sins, and goes to Vishnu’s world. How did he bring it? What (was his) act? Tell that, О you of a good vow.

Mahadeva said:

9b-16. Who brought Ganga, how he brought it at the very beautiful Gangadvara — all that I shall tell you in due order. Formerly there lived Hariscandra, (the only one) observing truth in the three worlds. He had a son, Rohita, solely devoted to Vishnu. He too had a son, called Vrka, most righteous and established on a good path. In his family was born his son Subahu. His son was Gara by name. He was extremely righteous. Some time, for (some) reason, the king became extremely unhappy due to fate. For religious reasons he was not censured in his country. Taking his family he went to Bhargava’s hermitage. Through compassion he was then protected by Bhargava there. О brahmana, there a son named Sagara was born to him.

Looked after by Bhargava, he then grew in the holy hermitage. He performed all (sacraments like) thread-ceremony of (i.e. befitting) a ksatriya. He learnt (the use of) weapons and studied the Vedas.

17-24. Having received the missile of (i.e. presided over by) Agni, king Sagara moved on the earth and killed Talajanghas with Haihayas. He, of a great penance, also killed Paradas with Sakas.

Narada said:

О Shankara, tell in detail the greatness of Sagara. The very powerful great king of the solar dyansty is well-known.

Mahadeva said:

Due to a calamity of (i.e. befalling) Gara, his kingdom was taken away by Haihayas, Talajanghas and Sakas, О Narada. These tribes — Yavanas, Paradas, Kambojas and Sakas (showed) valour. That king Gara whose kingdom was snatched, then went to a forest. The distressed one followed by his wife, died (there). His auspicious wife was pregnant and observing a vow. Formerly, he with his wife had chosen (i.e. gone to) Bhargava with a desire for a son. She, having arranged the funeral pyre of her husband in the forest, wept. Aurva (the family preceptor) pre­vented Gara’s wife, О Narada. He told her about that son (of her) most righteous, good and dear (to all).

25-28. When she was told about the son, she refrained from dying. Then after two months he rose (i.e. was born) in Aurva’s hermitage. Aurva performed his sacraments like the birth-rite. О great sage, thread-ceremony etc. took place there. Due to his contact with Aurva, he studied everything like Veda etc. Having taught him Vedas and sacred texts, he taught him (the use of) the missile of (i.e. presided over by) Agni, difficult to bear even for gods, О glorious one. He was endowed with that power of spiritual life in the battle.

29-36. Being angry, he quickly killed Haihayas with his might. He captivated them and obtained fame in the (three) worlds. Then those Sakas with Yavanas, so also Kambojas and Pallavas, being struck by him, sought the shelter of Vasishtha. Vasishtha, the very lustrous one, having made an agreement kept away king Sagara after granting them protection ffom fear. Sagara, keeping his pledge and the preceptor’s words, struck them righteously, and made them deformed. He half-shaved the heads of Sakas and sent them away. He completely shaved the heads of Yavanas and also of Kambojas. Paradas are clean-shaved; Pallavaskeep moustache. Having thus vanquish­ed all he collected religious merit. Having conquered this earth, the all-righteous victorious king quickly prepared for (the per­formance of) a horse-sacrifice. His horse, moving near the south­east ocean, was taken away near the shore and was taken into the (interior of the) earth.

37-42. Then through his sons he got that region dug up everywhere. They digging there did not find the horse in the great ocean. They who were in a hurry, saw there an ancient man — the ancient man was Kapila, the lord of the worlds. The fire produced from the eyes of him getting awake, burnt sixty thousand of them; (only) four of them remained (unburnt). О brahmana, (the four) continuing his family (were: ) Hrslketu, Suketu, the other one Dharmaratha, and the brave Pancajana. The revered lord Vishriu himself gave him five boons: (continua­tion of) family, salvation, good fame, ocean and son. Due to that act he got the state of ocean. He obtained that sacrificial horse from the ocean. He, of a great fame, performed a hundred horse sacrifices.

 

CHAPTER TWENTYONE

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