Chapter 354 - Greatness of Kardamāla

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Īśvara said:

1. Thereafter, O great goddess, one should go to the excellent Tīrtha Kardamāla famous in all the three worlds as destroyer of all sins.

2-3. In that terrible expanse of one ocean everywhere, the mobiles and immobiles got destroyed. The Moon, the Sun and fire disappeared and all heavenly luminaries became extinct. God Janārdana saw that the Earth has submerged in Rasātala. He assumed the form of a (divine) Boar and lifted up the Earth with the tip of his tusk and with his head he placed the Earth in her original position.

4. After lifting her up, Lord Viṣṇu spoke these words:

5. “O goddess, by staying at this very place you were lifted up by me. Hence, my permanent residence shall be here forever.

6. Those who propitiate their Pitṛs in Kardamālaya, O lady of excellent face, their Pitṛs get satisfied for a period of a Kalpa. There is no doubt about it.

7. Performing Śrāddha with greens, roots and fruits here is as good as the Śrāddha performed in all the Tīrthas, O auspicious lady.

8. A man who after taking bath in this Tīrtha, views me and even insects, birds and men who die here, go to heaven with this merit like Brāhmaṇas (with their meritorious acts.)

9-10. Then they are born in (different) continents in excellent, affluent families. A man who takes his bath in the water that comes out of your body pierced by the tusk, will never be born in non-human species, O goddess!”

Īśvara said:

11. Listen, O goddess, to the factual account of the miracles that happened there formerly. A group of deer extremely harrassed by hunters entered the Kardamāla Tīrtha and was transformed into human beings.

12. The hunters witnessed this with their eyes blooming with wonder and became embarrassed. They asked those mortal beings, O excellent lady:

13-14. “Which way has the group of deer which arrived here escaped?” They replied: “We who had the form of deer have obtained human form. We did not know the efficacy of this Tīrtha for ourselves.”

Then the hunters abandoned their bows and arrows, took bath therein and became absolved of all sins, O highly fortunate lady.

Pārvatī said:

15. O Lord, tell me in detail the extent, greatness, its creation, the boundaries of the Kṣetra Kardamāla and the procedures to be followed.

Īśvara said:

16. O goddess, listen to the esoteric importance of the creation of Kardamāla. It is mysterious, and in exclusive possession of Brāhmaṇa-sages. It should not be given to anybody by you.

17-18. Formerly it was a terrible (one) expanse of water (sea) only, where mobiles and immobiles were destroyed. Then the Moon, Sun and Wind disappeared and heavenly luminaries merged (became destroyed). God Brahma saw that the whole world had become one expanse of water and the Earth sank down and reached the bottom of Pātāla.

(The Boar form of Viṣṇu is identified with sacrifice. The sacrifice in the form of a Boar extricated the Earth out of Pātāla.)

19. Then that Boar transformed his body as sacrifice and lifted up the entire Earth with the tip of his (protruding) tusk, O lady of excellent countenance.

(Sacrifice-Boar Identification)

20. He had the (four) Vedas as the feet; the sacrificial post was the (protruding) tusk; the Kratu was his teeth, the mouth was the ladle (for offering oblations); the fire was his tongue and the Darbha grass the hair (on its body); his head was Brahmā of great penance.

21. Day and night were the vigilant eyes (of the Boar); Vedāṅgas were ear-ornaments; clarified butter for oblations was his nose; Sruva (a kind of spoon in sacrifice) was his mouth; his voice was the loud chanting of Sāmaveda.

22. Prāg-vaṃśa^[1] was his body. The lustrous one was covered with Mātrā-dīkṣā. Dakṣiṇā (sacrificial fee) was his heart. The great Yogī has the refulgence of a great sacrifice (extending over a long duration).

23. Upākarma (commencement of sacrifice by reading the Vedas) was the golden ornament and Pravargya (a ceremony introductory to a Soma sacrifice) was an ornament of jewels. His path of going consisted of various Chandas (Vedic metres) and his course (of going) was as spoken (laid down by Brahmā).

24. After becoming Yajña-Varāha (sacrifice in the form of a boar) he lifted the Earth. While he was extricating the Earth upwards a tip of his teeth fell out.

25. That tip of the tooth smeared with mud fell in the Prābhāsika Kṣetra. Hence, O Devī, it is remembered as Kardamāla.

26. Daṇḍodbheda is a great Kuṇḍa where the fangs are securely deposited. The water that is brought upwards by that fang is like ten million Gaṅgā rivers (for ablutions).

27. There the ancient Viṣṇu Kṣetra is of the extent of a Gavyūti. Those who have gone to another country but die in Daṇḍodbheda go to the region of Viṣṇu for a period of a thousand Kalpas.

28. O great goddess, he who sees the Boar (Viṣṇu) in Kardamāla attains the supreme region although he may be burdened with ten million Hiṃsās (injury to living beings).

29a. O dear one, by his very sight, sins committed during ten births perish.

29b-30a. Whatever sins have been perpetrated during a thousand previous births get instantly perished as soon as the Boar (Viṣṇu) is viewed.

30b-31a. The merit that accrues by gifting thousands of crores of gold (coins) and by gifting away hundred of crores of cows, is obtained by viewing the Boar but once only.

31bc. No salvation can be obtained in this very terrible Kali Age anywhere except at this Kṣetra of Varāha.

32. O goddess, this brief statement (of the greatness of the Kṣetra) which destroys all sins is made for your sake.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Prāg-vaṃśa—The room in which the family of the sacrificer assemble.—MW 704.ii.