Chapter 187 - Greatness of Prabhāsa Pañcaka

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Īśvara said:

1-4. Thereafter, O great goddess, a pilgrim should go to the holy spot of Prabhāsa Pañcaka that bestows the benefit of all desired objects. The first meritorious holy spot is that which already exists there. The region to the west of it is also called Prabhāsa. To the south thereof and not far off is Vṛddhaprabhāsa. O lady of excellent countenance, to the south thereof is Jalaprabhāsa. Then there are Kṛtasmaraprabhāsa. and that Prabhāsa where there is the Śmaśāna (cremation ground) of Bhairava.

One who devoutly visits these five Prabhāsas goes to the great spot devoid of old age and death.

5. The first Prabhāsa is well-known in all the three worlds. It is difficult for Devas too to obtain it. One does not return (to Saṃsāra) after reaching it.

6-8. It is inaccessible even to Devas. It is destructive of great sins. If one stays in Prabhāsa for a single night on the New-Moon day and takes his bath, he is rid of all sins. He goes to Śivaloka.

The sin committed in the course of seven births becomes destroyed if one bathes at the confluence of Gaṅgā and the ocean.

The sin that a man commits in the course of a thousand births perishes through the holy bath alone in the Salty ocean.

9-10. The devotee should observe fast during the day and night on the fourteenth and fifteenth lunar days, especially on the Amāvāsyā day, and feed Brāhmaṇas within his capacity. He should then gift a cow or gold to them saying, “May Śiva be pleased”. By doing thus, O goddess, a man redeems a hundred generations of his family.

The Devī said:

11. You have just now mentioned five Prabhāsas. How did they originate here? This is my great curiosity.

12. Only one Prabhāsa has been heard of by us from the residents of the holy spot. But, O Lord of Devas, now five Prabhāsas have been enumerated by you.

13. It behoves you to clarify this doubt of mine.

Īśvara said:

14. Listen, O goddess, I shall narrate the sin-destroying story. By listening to this with devotion, a man attains the greatest goal.

15. Formerly Lord Maheśvara roamed over this earth. He was very attractive in his divine form. He was nude and he roamed as he pleased.

16. Sporting about thus, he went to the great hermitage of sages in Dāruka forest. Urged on by curiosity, he entered the same for the sake of alms.

17. On observing his excellent handsome form as he roamed about, those women became distressed with love. All their sense-organs became agitated.

18. They continuously followed him with infatuation. Some of them began to embrace him and some lovingly gazed at him.

19. Others left off their homes and longed for him.

20. Seeing them engaged thus, all the great sages became extremely infuriated. They cursed the Bull-emblemed One.

21. “Since you came to this hermitage in utter nudity fascinating our women and since you do not feel ashamed at all, O Bull-emblemed One, may your Liṅga (penis) fall down.”

22. Thereupon the Liṅga of Śaṅkara fell down instantly. When it fell down on the earth, the entire world quaked.

23. All the oceans became agitated. They transgressed their boundaries. The peaks of the mountains crumbled. All the Heaven-dwellers became frightened.

24-26a. Then Devas, Gandharvas, great serpents and Kinnaras went to Pitāmaha and said: “O Lord, why and what is this? The seas are agitated and they flood the entire earth. The peaks of the mountains crumble down and the earth trembles. Terrible omens are seen foreboding the destruction of the worlds.”

26b-29. On hearing their words Pitāmaha, in the world of Brahmā, meditated for a long time and spoke these words: “O excellent Suras, Śiva’s Liṅga has fallen on the ground due to the curse of the leading sages of the noble-souled Bhārgava clan. When it fell down, all the three worlds including the mobile and immobile beings have come to this plight. Hence we shall go there itself. O Devas, go there along with Viṣṇu and follow his guidance (for the remedy).”

30. Then the Heaven-dwellers beginning with Brahmā went to the Milk Ocean where the Four-armed Lord lies down in unison with Yoganidrā (Yogic slumber).

31. They narrated everything to him and accompanied by him they went to that place where Lord Mahādeva was present short of his Liṅga.

32. All the Heaven-dwellers collectively told him after bowing down:

33. “O Lord, may the Liṅga that has fallen on the ground be lifted up. See these great oceans are flooding the earth.”

The Lord said:

34. O Sureśvaras, it was by the sages that my Liṅga has been made to fall down. It is not possible for me to cause an impediment to those noble-souls.

35. It is the curse of the leading scions of the family of Bhṛgu. Hence let my words be listened to. O ye Suras with Brahmā and Viṣṇu as leaders, worship it.

36. O good ones, all of you will get every desire. All the oceans as well as the mountains will come to normalcy.

37. All of you with concentration take this to the most sacred holy spot.

Thereupon all the Suras lifted it and came to the holy spot of Prabhāsa.

38-42. They placed it there itself and performed its worship. The Liṅga was worshipped by Brahmā, by the powerful Viṣṇu, by Śakra, by Kubera, by Yama and by Varuṇa. After devoutly worshipping the Liṅga, the Devas said: “From to-day we shall devoutly worship Rudra’s Liṅga and become (perfect). There is no doubt about this. So also will the groups of the Pitṛs be. If devoutly men worship this those excellent men will go to the abode of Suras along with their physical bodies. Since this is the first Liṅga that has been installed by us, its name will be Prabhāsa and the holy spot too shall be (called) Prabhāsa.”

43. After saying thus, the excellent Suras went to heaven.

Many of the living beings on the earth went to heaven on

viewing the deity.

44. Thereupon, O my beloved, heaven became occupied by many living beings. On seeing the heaven thus crowded the Thousand-eyed One (Indra) became very miserable.

45. Realizing the power of the Liṅga, Indra came to the surface of the earth and covered it all round by means of his thunderbolt, O lady of excellent countenance.

46. Ever since then, O goddess, human beings do not go to heaven.

Thus the greatness of Prabhāsa has been spoken succinctly. It suppresses all the sins and bestows the benefit of everything desired.