Chapter 54 - Visit to Kṛṣṇa Shrine

Brahmā said:

1. O brahmins, henceforth, I shall recount the mode of visiting the five Tīrthas (holy centres) and the benefit derived from holy dips, charitable gifts and visits to the deities.

2. The pure man should go to the eddy called Mārkaṇḍeya Hrada and dive therein facing the north. He should take the holy dips thrice and repeat this Mantra.

3-4. “O Enemy of Tripuras, O destroyer of the eyes of Bhaga, save me. I am immersed in the ocean of worldly existence. I have been seized by sins and rendered unconscious.

Obeisance to Śiva, the calm one, the dispeller of sins. O lord of Devas, I am having my holy ablution. May my sins perish”.

5. After taking the holy dip in the water of depth upto the umbilicus, the intelligent devotee should duly perform Tarpaṇa of Devas, sages, manes, and others by means of water mixed with gingelly seeds.

6-7. After bath and Ācamana, the devotee shall go to the temple of Śiva. He shall enter the shrine of deity and circumambulate thrice. After worshipping the lord by the root Mantra, O Brahmins, he shall bow down and propitiate the lord by the Aghora Mantra.

8. O three-eyed lord, obeisance be to you. O Moon-ornamented lord, obeisance to you; O Virūpākṣa, save me. O Mahādeva, obeisance be to you.

9. By taking the holy dip in the eddy of Mārkaṇḍeya Hrada, thus, and by visiting Śaṅkara, the man obtains the benefit of ten horse-sacrifices.

10-11. Liberated from all sins, he goes to the world of lord Śiva. There he enjoys excellent pleasures till the ultimate dissolution of all living beings. He then returns to this world and is born as a brahmin of vast learning and renown. He adopts Yoga pertaining to Śaṅkara and attains salvation.

12. Thereafter, the devotee should go to the holy fig tree on a par with the Kalpa tree, circumambulate it thrice and worship the banyan tree with great devotion, repeating the following Mantra:—

13-14. “Oṃ obeisance be to the holy banyan tree of unmanifest form, cause of the great dissolution, permeated by the great tasty juice.

O banyan tree, you are immortal, surviving all through the Kalpa. You are the abode of Viṣṇu. O banyan tree, dispel my sin. O Kalpa tree! obeisance to you”.

15. By devoutly circumambulating and bowing down to the Banyan tree resembling the Kalpa tree the man is immediately liberated from sins like the serpent that is rid of its old and decaying slough.

16. O brahmins, even by passing through the shadow of this Kalpa tree, a man eschews the sin of brahmin slaughter. What doubt is there in regard to other sins?

17-18. By visiting Viṣṇu in the form of the banyan tree that has originated from the body of Kṛṣṇa and that is a great being consisting of splendour of the Brahman and by bowing to it, O brahmins, the devotee derives a benefit that is superior to the benefit of Rājasūya and horse-sacrifice. Redeeming the members of his family he goes to the world of Viṣṇu.

19. By making obeisance to Vainateya, Garuḍa son of Vinatā who is stationed in front of Kṛṣṇa, the devotee shall become liberated from all sins. He shall then go to the city of Viṣṇu.

20. He who visits Puruṣottama, Saṃkarṣaṇa and Subhadrā after visiting the banyan tree and Vainateya, attains the greatest goal.

21. After entering the shrine of Viṣṇu and circumambulating the lord thrice he should worship and propitiate Saṅkarṣaṇa and Subhadrā, repeating their own Mantra:—

22-23. Obeisance to you, O Rāma holding the ploughshare. Obeisance to you, O deity with the iron club as the weapon. Obeisance to you, O lover of Revatī.^[1] Obeisance to you, (O deity) favourably disposed towards devotees. Obeisance to you, O excellent one among strong persons. Obeisance to you, the holder of the earth. O enemy of Pralamba, Obeisance be to you. Save me, O elder brother of Kṛṣṇa.

24-26. By propitiating lord Balarāma thus, the man will derive the desired benefit. The lord is worshipped by Devas. He is invincible. He has the size and shape of the peak of the mountain Kailāsa. His face is lovelier than the moon. The lord wears blue robes; his head is hideous on account of hoods. He holds the plough. He has great strength. He is bedecked with single ear-ring. He who devoutly propitiates the son of Rohiṇī^[2] is liberated from all sins. He goes to the world of lord Viṣṇu.

27-28. The man enjoys happiness there until the dissolution of all living beings. When the merit dwindles down he returns to the earth, here in the excellent family of Yogins. He becomes an excellent brahmin, the master of all scriptures. He derives perfect knowledge and attains salvation that is difficult of access to others.

29. After worshipping the ploughshare-bearing lord thus, the clever devotee shall worship Kṛṣṇa with great concentration uttering the twelve-syllabled Mantra.

30. The self-possessed bold persons who devoutly worship Puruṣottama by reciting the twelve-syllabled Mantra attain Salvation.

31. O brahmins, neither Devas nor Yogins, nor the Chanters of Sāman hymns attain that goal which those who are devoted to the twelve-syllabled Mantra attain.

32. Hence, one should devoutly worship Kṛṣṇa, the preceptor of the universe, by reciting that Mantra alone. After worshipping with scents, fragrant flowers, etc. he should bow to the deity and propitiate him.

33-37. Be victorious O Kṛṣṇa, O lord of the universe. Be victorious O destroyer of all sins. Be victorious O slayer of Cāṇūra and Keśin. Be victorious O slayer of Kaṃsa.

Be victorious O lotus-petal-eyed lord. Be victorious O holder of discus and iron club. Be victorious O deity dark in complexion like the blue cloud. Be victorious O bestower of happiness on all.

Be victorious O lord worthy of being worshipped by the universe. Be victorious O destroyer of the world. Be victorious O Viṣṇu worthy of being worshipped by the worlds. Be victorious, O bestower of desired benefit.

O excellent lord, O Puruṣottama, I am immersed in the terrible ocean of worldly existence. It is significant. Miseries are like foams therein. It is terrible with wrath making it agitated as if through crocodiles. The objects of sense-organs, constitute the flooding waters therein. The different ailments are like its waves and foams. It is impassable due to the whirlpools of delusion. O lord, save me.

38-41. O brahmins, by worshipping Kṛṣṇa thus the devotee attains the benefit of thousands of horse-sacrifices. Kṛṣṇa is the lord of Devas. He is the bestower of boons. He is favourably disposed towards his devotees. He is the bestower of all benefits. He has two arms and stout shoulders. His eyes are large as the petals of the lotus. His chest and arms are large. His face is splendid. He is clad in yellow robes. He holds conch, discus and ironclub in his hands. He has a coronet and shoulderlets as ornaments. He is endowed with all noble characteristics. Ho is adorned by the garlands of sylvan flowers. After visiting him the man shall join his palms in reverence and prostrate in front of him like a rod. He derives the benefit of thousands of horse-sacrifices.

42. By visiting and bowing to Kṛṣṇa the man obtains that benefit which has been glorified as the result of holy dip and charitable gifts in the holy centres.

43. By visiting and bowing to Kṛṣṇa a man obtains that benefit which results from a sacrifice where much gold is distributed together with precious stones and other valuables.

44. By making obeisance to Kṛṣṇa a man obtains that benefit which has been glorified as the result of sacrifices and the Vedas.

45. By visiting and bowing to Kṛṣṇa a man obtains that benefit which is attained by all charitable gifts, holy rites and observances.

46. By visiting and bowing to Kṛṣṇa a man obtains that benefit which has been cited as the benefit accruing from different sorts of severe austerities.

47. By visiting and bowing to Kṛṣṇa a man obtains that benefit which is glorified as the result of the vow of celibacy perfectly practised.

48. By visiting and bowing to Kṛṣṇa a man obtains the benefit of a householder who strictly adheres to the disciplined conduct of life.

49. By visiting and bowing to Kṛṣṇa a man obtains the benefit glorified as the result of life in the forest led by (forest-dweller).

50. By visiting and bowing to Kṛṣṇa, a man obtains the benefit cited as the result of renunciation as mentioned before.

51. O brahmins, of what avail is much talk in regard to the greatness of that lord. By devoutly visiting Kṛṣṇa a man obtains salvation which is most difficult to obtain.

52-53. The man will be liberated from sins accumulated in the course of crores of Kalpas. He will be endowed with the greatest glory. He will be endued with good qualities. He will redeem twenty-one generations of his family. He will go to the city of Viṣṇu on a very brilliant aerial chariot flourishingly endowed with all desirable things.

54-55. For a period of hundred Kalpas he will enjoy pleasures pleasant to the mind along with Gaṇḍharvas and Apsaras like the four-armed Viṣṇu.

Falling off from that world he comes here to the earth and is born as one conversant with Dharma, master of Vedas and devoid of malice in the excellent family of brahmins.

56. He will be engaged in the performance of his own duty. He will be quietly controlling his sense organs. He will be engaged in the welfare of all living beings. Attaining perfect knowledge pertaining to Viṣṇu, he will attain salvation,

57. Thereafter, O brahmin, he shall worship Subhadrā, favourably disposed towards her devotees by reciting the requisite Mantra. He shall then propitiate her by bowing to her with palms joined in reverence.

58. Obeisance to you O omnipresent Goddess. Obeisance to you the bestower of auspicious happiness. Save me, O Goddess with eyes like the petals of a lotus. O Kātyāyanī, obeisance be to you, Subhadrā.

59-61. By thus propitiating that Goddess, who creates the universe, who is beneficial to the universe, who was the sister of lord Baladeva, who is the bestower of boons and who is auspicious, the man goes to the abode of Viṣṇu, on an aerial chariot that can go at one’s own sweet will. Till the dissolution of the world he sports there like a Deva. Then he comes here and attains the state of a human being. He shall become a brahmin conversant with the Vedas. After attaining Yoga pertaining to Lord Viṣṇu he attains liberation.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Revatī—Wife of Balabhadra or Balarāma.

[2]:

Rohiṇī: mother of Balabhadra. She was the second wife of Vasudeva, the ether being Devakī, mother of Śrīkṛṣṇa.