Kanyatlrtha, Saptasarasvata, Prithudaka, Sannihiti, etc.

Narada said:

1-11. O you pious one, then a man should go to the excellent holy place (called) Kanyatlrtha. A man having bathed at Kanyatlrtha would obtain the fruit of Agnistoma (sacrifice). Thence, O best among men, a man should go to the excellent place of Brahma. Having bathed there a man of a low caste obtains brahman ahood; and a brahmana, with his soul purified, would go to the highest position. Thence, O best among men, a man should go to the excellent Somatirtha. Having bathed there, O king, a man would obtain (i.e., go to) Soma's world. Thence, O king, he should go to the holy place (called) Saptasarasvata where (lived) Mankanaka, a siddha, a brahmanic sage, famous in the world. O king, it is heard that formerly Mankanaka was injured on his hand by the tip of Kusha(i.e., darbha). From it vegetable juice flowed. The brahmanic sage of a great penance seeing that vegetable juice and being full of great joy and with his eyes dilated due to amazement, danced. Then, when he danced, all that was immovable and movable, both, being deluded by his lustre, danced. O king, gods like Brahma, and also sages with penance as their wealth, requested Mahadeva (i.e., Shiva) for the sake of the sage, " O god, please act in such a way that this (sage) would not dance." Then the god seeing the sage dancing with his mind full of joy said, with a desire for the good of the deities, to the sage:

''O pious, great sage, why are you dancing? O best sage, what is the cause of your joy today? " The sage said:

12-24a. O best brahmana, O brahman, do you not see that from this wound incurred by me, an ascetic following the righteous path, vegetable juice has flowed, seeing which, I, full of great joy, have been dancing? Laughing at the sage overwhelmed by emotion the god said: " O brahmana, I am not amazed. Look at me." O best among men, having said so, Mahadeva, at that time, struck his thumb with the tip of his finger, O sinless one. From his wound ashes resembling snow came out. O king, seeing it, the sage, being ashamed, fell at (Shiva's) feet. (The sage said: ) " I do not think there is anything superior to god Rudra. 0 you trident-holder, you are the refuge of the world (consisting) of the gods and the demons. You have created this universe — the three worlds with the mobile and the immobile. At the end of the yuga all enter you only. Even gods cannot know you. How (then) can I? O you sinless one, in you are seen all gods like Indra. You always are the all-in-all and you fashion and get fashioned the worlds. Through your grace the gods, having no fear from anywhere, rejoice here." Having praised Mahadeva like this, the sage bowed (before him) and said: ''O Mahadeva, by your favour my penance does not perish." Then the god, with his mind pleased, said to the brahmanic sage: " O brahmana, by my grace may your penance grow thousandfold. O great sage, I shall stay with you in this hermitage. For those who have bathed at (the holy place called) Saptasarasvata, nothing will be difficult to be obtained in this or in the next world. They would go to the world of Sarasvati. There is no doubt about this."

24b-31a. Having spoken like this Mahadeva disappeared there only. Thence (a man) should go to (the holy place called) Ausanasa well-known in the three worlds, where gods like Brahma and sages with penance as their wealth (dwell), and where the revered Kartikeya lived for doing good (to his devotees), O Bhargava. (Then there is) the holy place called Kapalamocana which destroys all sins. O best of men, having bathed

1436 Padma Purana there a man is freed from all sins. Thence he should go to Agnitlrtha. O best of Bharatas, having bathed there he obtains (i.e., goes to) Agni's world, and would liberate his family. O best among Bharatas, the tlrtha of (i.e., sacred to) Visvamitra is there only. O great king, having bathed there, he is born in a brahmana family. With a pure and controlled mind he should go to Brahmayoni. O best of men, having bathed there he goes to Brahma's heaven and undoubtedly purifies his family up to the seventh (descendant).

31b-40. Then, O lord of kings, he should go to the holy place well-known in the three worlds as Prithudaka and said to be of (i.e., sacred to) Kartikeya. Engaged in the worship of the deities and manes, he should bathe there. O descendant of Bharata, all the bad deeds done by a man or a woman knowingly or unknowingly through (limited) human intelligence, perish by just bathing there. He (or she) obtains the fruit of a horse sacrifice and heaven also. Kuruksetra is said to be holy. SarasvatI is said to be (holier) than Kuruksetra. The holy places are superior to Sarasvati. Prithudaka is superior to the holy places. He who intent upon muttering (the names of the lord) casts his body at Prithutlrtha, the best of all holy places, would not have birth and rebirth. It is sung (praised) by Sanatkumara and by the noble Vyasa also, and also, O king, it is ordained by the Veda (that a man) should go to Prithudaka. O best of men, there is no auspicious place better than Prithudaka. It is sacred, pure and purifying. There is no doubt about this. Even sinful persons go to heaven after having bathed there, i.e., at Prithudaka. Thus the wise say, O best of men. Just there is a holy place (called) Madhusrava, O best of Bharatas. O king, having bathed there a man would obtain the fruit of (having given) a thousand cows.

41-47. Thence, O best among men, he should, according to the order, go to the place of (i.e., sacred to) the goddess, i.e. to the confluence of SarasvatI and Aruna, which is well-known in the world. Having fasted (there) for three nights and having bathed (there), he is absolved of (the sin of) the murder of a brahmana. Also he sanctifies his family up to the seventh (member). There is no doubt about this. O you who perpetuate the Kuru-family, there only is a holy place called Avakirna, which was formerly fashioned for the sake of brahmanas by Darbhin. By (practising) III.27.48-58a

1437 vows (and undergoing) thread ceremony, fasting, a twice-born undoubtedly becomes a brahmana endowed with (i.e., knowing) rites and hymns. It is an ancient observation that a brahmana who is without any rite or (sacred) hymns would become a brahmana who has observed vows. Darbhin also brought together the four oceans. O best of men, having bathed there, a man would not have (i.e., meet with) misfortune; and he obtains the fruits of (having donated) four thousand cows.

48-49. Thence, O lord of kings, he should go to the holy place (called) ^atasahasraka. (A holy place called) Sahasraka is there only. (These) two holy places are well-known in the world. A man having bathed at (these) two (holy places) would obtain the fruit of (having given) a thousand cows. A gift (given here) or a fast (observed at these holy places) would be thousandfold (effective).

50-52a. From there, O lord of kings, he should go to the excellent (place called) Renukatlrtha. Engaged in worshipping manes and deities he should bathe there. With manes and deities he should bathe there. With his soul freed from all sins, he would obtain the fruit of an Agnistoma sacrifice. With his anger subdued (i.e., not being excitable) and his senses controlled, he, having (i.e., he who has) bathed at (the holy place called) Vimocana, is completely free from sins born of receiving donations.

52b-58a. Thence, being chaste and with his senses controlled, he should go to Pancavata. Being endowed with great religious merit, he is honoured in heaven. Here, Sthanu (i.e., Shiva) the lord of the meditating saints having the bull for his banner, himself (resides). (Then) there is the holy place which is sacred to Varuna called Taijasa shining with its own lustre, where at that (i.e., old) time gods like Brahma and others and sages with penance as their wealth, consecrated Guha (i.e., Kartikeya) as the general (of the army of gods). O you perpetuating the Kuru family, to the east of Taijasa is Kurutlrtha. A chaste man who has controlled his senses, has his soul purified of all sins after bathing at Kurutirtha. Being restrained and with his diet controlled he should thence go to Svargadvara. He obtains (the fruit of) an Agnistoma (sacrifice) and obtains (i.e., goes to) the world of Brahma.

58b-62a. Thence, O lord of men, a pilgrim should go to the holy place (called) Anaraka. O king, having bathed there a man would not obtain (i.e., meet with) misfortune. Brahma himself is always honoured there with gods. O best among men, with those whose origin is the highest Narayana, he remains at the Rudravedl, O you who perpetuate the Kuru family. Having approached that goddess, he would not get (i.e., meet with) misfortune. Having gone to Mahadeva, the master of the world and the lord of Uma (who resides) there only, he is freed from all sins.

62b-68a. O you who subdue your enemies, the man having gone to Padmanabha Narayana, shines, and goes to Vishnu's heaven. O lord of men, a man who has simply bathed at the places holy to all deities, gets free from all his miseries and always shines like Shiva. Thence, O king, a pilgrim should go to Asthipura. Having reached (that) purifying holy place, he should offer oblations to the manes and deities. O descendant of Bharata, he obtains the fruit of an Agnistoma sacrifice. There is the (holy place called) Gangahrada, the pool, O best among the Bharatas. In that pool there are three crores of holy places. O king, a man bathing there is honoured and goes to Brahma's world. A man having bathed in the river and having worshipped the great god (i.e., Shiva), gets the highest position and would liberate his family also.

68b-69a. Thence he should go to Sthanuvata, well-known in the three worlds. Having bathed there and having stayed there for anight, he would obtain (i.e., go to) Rudra's world.

69b-73a. Then he should go to the grove of badails, and then to Vasishtha's hermitage, where a man having fasted for three nights, eats badari (fruits). A man who eats badarl (fruits) for twelve years and he who fasts for three nights are on par, O king. Having reached Indramarga, O king, a pilgrim is honoured in Brahma's heaven.

73b-76a. Thence, O lord of kings, a man should go to the holy place well-known in the three worlds, where there is the hermitage of Aditya (i.e., the Sun) who, the magnanimous one, is the mass of lustre. A man having bathed there and worshipped the Sun, goes to the Sun's heaven, and would also liberate his family. O you who perpetuate the Kuru family, a man bathing at the Somatlrtha undoudtedly obtains (i.e., goes to) Soma's world.

76b-80a. O you pious one, O king, a man should thence go to the auspicious, holy place of Dadhici, which is purifying and which is well-known in the world, where SarasvatI, the treasure of penance, obtained perfection. Having bathed at that holy place, a man would obtain the fruit of a Vajapeya sacrifice. There is no doubt that he also has a mind (to reach) goddess SarasvatI. Being controlled and chaste and devoutly observing a fast he should go to Kanyashrama, and having stayed there for three nights he would obtain a hundred daughters and he goes to Brahma's world.

80b-85. Thence, O pious one, he should go to the holy place (called) Sannihiti where gods like Brahma and sages having penance as their treasure, endowed with great merit, gather every month. Having bathed at Sannihiti when the sun is eclipsed by Rahu (i.e., on the day of solar eclipse), he thereby gets (the fruit of) a hundred horse sacrifices and desired objects eternally. O lord of men, whichever holy places there are on the earth or in the sky, and also wells and brahmanas and auspicious abodes, all those, Oking, undoubtedly will come (i.e., come) onthenewmoon day in every month to Sannihiti, O best among men. (The holy place) is well-known on the earth as Sannihiti because of the presence of holy places (there). Having bathed and drunk (water) there, a man is honoured in heaven.

86-89a. (Now) listen to the meritorious fruit of the Sraddha that a man performs on a new moon day or when the sun is eclipsed by Rahu. A man who has just bathed there and who performs a sraddha (there) obtains the fruit of a thousand horse sacrifices properly performed. There is no doubt that whatever bad deed of (i.e., is done by) a woman or a man, all that perishes merely by bathing (there). He goes to Brahma's world in a car having lotus-like colour.

89b-91. Then with (the announcement of) his name he should (salute) Macakruka. O best of Bharatas, the pool of Gangais there only. O you pious one, a man being restrained and calm should bathe there. (Such) a man obtains the fruit of Rajasuya and Asvamedha (sacrifices). On the earth Naimisa is holy and Puskara in the sky.

92-96. In the three worlds Kuruksetra is distinguished. Even the particles of dust greatly shaken by wind take even a sinful person to the best position (i.e., salvation). Those who live in Kuruksetra on the northern (bank) of Sarasvati and to the south of (the holy place called) Sarasvati, live in heaven. Even by just uttering these words: " I shall go to kuruksetra; I shall stay at Kuruksetra", a man is honoured in heaven. O king, auspicious Kuruksetra resorted to by brahmanic sages, is at BrahmavedJ. Those who live there, are not to be grieved over. The five on the boundary of Kuruksetra — -the distance between Taranda and Karandaka, between the pools of (i.e., sacred to) Parasurama and Macakruka — are called the Uttaravedi of the Grandsire. CHAPTER TWENTYEIGHT Dharmatirtha, Sakambhari, Rathavartta, etc. Narada said: l-3a. O pious one, thence he should go to the ancient (holy place called) Dharmatirtha where formerly the illustrious Dharma practised excellent penance. He fashioned that holy place known by his name. O king, a religious and tranquil man having bathed there purifies his family up to the seventh (generation). There is no doubt about it.

3b-4. Thence, O pious one, he should go to the excellent (holy place called) Kalapavana. Having gone there with a great difficulty and being calm and having bathed there he obtains (the fruit of) an Agnistoma (sacrifice) and goes to Vishnu's heaven.

5-10. Thence, O king, a man should go to Saugandhika grove where gods like Brahma and sages with penance as their treasure, siddhas, caranas, gandharvas, kinnaras with great serpents (dwell). As soon as he enters the grove, he is free from all sins. From there the very auspicious, excellent river, greatest among the rivers, i.e., Sarasvati is known as Plaksadevi, O king. He should bathe therein the water flowing out from a hillock. Having worshipped the manes and deities there, he would obtain the fruit of a horse sacrifice. There is a holy place called Isanadhyusita which is very difficult to reach. It is certain that the water that goes to it from the hillock is six times (more). O best of men, having bathed there, a man gets (the fruit of having donated) a thousand tawny cows and (of) a horse sacrifice. The ancient people have observed this. ll-13a. O best of men, having gone to Sugandha, Satakumbha, and Paficayajna, a man is honoured in heaven, O descendent of Bharata. Then having reached the holy place Trisulapatra, difficult to reach, he should bathe there and be engaged in worshipping manes and deities. There is no doubt that after casting his body he obtains the headship of the attendants of Shiva.

13b-18. Then he should go to Rajagrha, the place of the goddess, which is very difficult to reach. She is known as Sakambhari, and is famous in the three worlds. O descendant of Bharata, for a thousand divine years she subsisted on vegetables. The sages, treasures of penance, and the devotees of that goddess, every month went there, O king. O descendant of Bharata, she welcomed them with (i.e., by offering them) vegetables. Therefore she is famous as Sakambhari. Having reached (the holy place of) Sakambhari, he being chaste and tranquil (should) stay there for three nights and being controlled and pure, should eat vegetables. O descendant of Bharata, by the desire of the goddess, the fruit of that is the same as that of duly eating vegetables for twelve years.

19-22. Thence he should go to (the holy place called) Suvarnakhya, well-known in the three worlds, where formerly Krishna propitiated Rudra for his favour and obtained (from him) many boons difficult to be obtained even by gods; and, O descendant of Bharata, was thus told by Tripura's destroyer pleased with him: " O Krishna, in the world you will be a dearer soul (i.e., people will love you more than their own soul) and undoubtedly the entire world will be your mouth." O lord of kings, having gone there and having worshipped the bull-banneied god, he obtains (the fruit of) a horse sacrifice and the headship of Shiva's attendants.

23-26. Having stayed there for three nights, a man should go to Umavati from there. There is no doubt that he gets the objects desired by his mind. To the southern half of (the holy place of) the goddess, there is (the holy place called) Rathavartta, O king. Having reached there, O pious one, a man having faith and with his senses controlled goes to the highest position (i.e., salvation) by the grace of Mahadeva. O best of the Bharatas, he should proceed after turning to the right to (the holy place called) Dhara which destroys all sins, O you highly intelligent one. O king, having bathed theie, a man is never unhappy.

27-31a. Then, O best of men, having saluted the great mountain, he should go to Gangadvara, which is undoubtedly equal to the gate to heaven. Being calm he should bathe there at the Kotitlrtha. (Thereby) he obtains (i.e. reaches) Pundarika, and would liberate his own family. Having stayed there for a night he would obtain the fruit of (having given away) a thousand cows. At Saptaganga, Triganga and Sakravartta he should duly offer oblations to deities and manes. (By doing this) he is honoured in the world of the meritorious. Then, a man having bathed at Kanakhala and having fasted for three nights obtains (the fruit of) a horse sacrifice and goes to heaven.

31b-33. Then a pilgrim should go to (the holy place called) Kapilavata, O king. A man by staying there for a night obtains the fruit of (having given) a thousand cows. O best among the Kurus, (then there is) the holy place of the magnanimous Kapila, the king of Nagas. O lord of kings, it is well-known in all the worlds. O king, a man should bathe there at the Nagatirtha. (Thereby) he obtains the fruit of (having given) a thousand tawny cows.

34. Thence a man should go to Lalitaka, the excellent holy place of Santanu. O king, having bathed there a man would not meet with disaster. III.29.1-18

 

CHAPTER TWENTYNINE

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