Chapter 65 - Vāṇīsaṅgama and other Holy Centres

Brahmā said:

1. The holy centre Vāṇīsaṅgama is (to be) mentioned (next). The lord there is Hara (Śiva) Vāgīśvara (the lord of speech). That holy centre rids one of all sins. It bestows all cherished desires.

2-5. By taking holy dip and offering charitable gifts there one can dispel even the sin of Brahmin-slaughter.

There had started a dispute between Brahmā and Viṣṇu as to who was superior. In their middle Mahādeva appeared like a column of fiery flame. Dear son, a splendid divine voice spoke to them as they were arguing “I am great”, “I am great.”

“He who sees the limit to this (column of light) is superior (to the other one). Hence, it does not behove you to quarrel and argue over it.” At its instance, Viṣṇu went below and I went up.

6. Then Viṣṇu returned quickly and sat near the column of light. Unable to reach the limit, O sage, I went farther and farther.

7-8. Then I became tired and returned to lord Īśa. At that time this thought occurred to me repeatedly. “The limit of this lord has been seen by me. Hence my superiority over Viṣṇu shall be clear.”

Again, O highly intelligent one, I thought as follows:

9. “Even though I am afflicted how shall I tell a lie through the truthful mouths. Among the different kinds of sins there is no greater sin than telling a lie.

10-14. How will I tell an untruthful word?” I thought thus and created a fifth face terrible to look at like the face of a donkey. “With that I shall speak an untruthful word”. After meditating thus for a long time. I told Viṣṇu, the lord of the worlds, who was seated there:

“The extremity of this (fiery column) has been seen by me, O Janārdana. Hence my superiority”. Even as I was saying thus, both of them, Hari and Śaṅkara assumed a single form like the sun and the moon. On seeing them I was surprised and frightened. I eulogized both of them. Then the infuriated lords of the world spoke to Vāc (the divine voice) as follows:

Hari and Hara said:

O evil lady, you shall become a river. There is no greater sin than falsehood.

Brahmā said:

15. Then she became agitated and assumed the form of a river. On seeing it I was surprised and afraid. Then I told her thus.

16. “Since you uttered a lie, though stationed in the voice of Brahmā you shall become invisible. Undoubtedly you are sinful.”

17. On realizing this curse, she bowed down to those two lords and eulogized them again and again pleading for freedom from the curse.

18. Those two lords of Devas who had been honoured by Devas and requested (by her) became pleased. Out of affection, Hari and Hara spoke to Vāc thus:

Hari and Hara said:

19. O gentle lady, the sanctifier of the worlds, O splendid one, when you get merged in Gaṅgā, your body shall become pure once again.

Brahmā said:

20-23. Saying “So be it” that divine voice joined Gaṅgā. That divine lady attained her own body after joining Bhāgīrathī and Gautamī. This was an achievement difficult even for gods. That bestower of merit is well known by the name Vāṇī when she joins Gautamī. In the Bhāgīrathī the same divine lady is called Sarasvatī. In both the places the confluence is well known and is honoured by the whole world, viz., the Sarasvatīsaṅgama and the Vāṇīsaṅgama. The divine (river) joined to Gautamī is the Vāṇī. Otherwise it is Sarasvatī.

24-27. The place where the divine voice worshipped lord Śiva, lord of Devas, and got rid of her curse is a holy centre honoured everywhere. Brahmā shook off his wickedness accrued to him due to his (untruthful) speech and went back to his residence.

Hence, a person who remains pure and takes a holy bath in the confluence and visits Lord Vāgīśvara shall attain salvation merely due to that. He who performs a holy rite such as charitable gift, Homa, fasting in the holy confluence, shall not be born again in the world. There are one thousand nine hundred holy centres on either side (of the holy river). They dispel sins accumulated in the course of different births.