Chapter 61 - The Fruit of Pilgrimage to Puruṣottama Kṣetra

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

[Note: This chapter has many verses common to the Brahma Purāṇa chapter 65.48ff. to chapter 66.]

Vasu said:

1. Thus, then O daughter of Brahmā, the highly blessed ones filled with joy eulogise Kṛṣṇa in the company of Rāma and Subhadrā.

Devas prayed:

2. “Hail, Hail to you, O protector of the worlds, be victorious, O Padmanābha, O supporter of the earth. Be victorious, be victorious, O primordial Lord, the cause of the universe.

3. Hail, Hail to you O Vāsudeva, Be victorious, O Saccaraṇa (one whose feet are auspicious), O Śatakaraṇa (one whose activities are good). Be victorious, be victorious, O divine Fish. Be victorious, O excellent one among the Devas.

4. Victory to you, O Jalādhiśayana (one who lies down to sleep in the ocean). Hail, Hail to you, O lord of Yogins. Be victorious, O redeemer of the Vedas. Be victorious, be victorious O Viśvamūrti (one whose body is the universe); be victorious O Cakradhara (O wielder of discus).

5. Victory, Victory to you, O lord of living beings, be victorious, O Śrīnivāsa. Hail, Hail to you, O excellent Yogin. Be victorious, be victorious, O Sūryanetra (one who has the sun as one of his eyes); be victorious O lord Varāha (Divine Boar).

6. Be victorious, be victorious, O enemy of Kaiṭabha; be victorious, be victorious, O excellent one (mentioned in or known through) the Vedas. Victory, victory to you O Kūrma- rūpa (one who has assumed the form of the divine Tortoise); be victorious, O excellent Yajña.

7. Be victorious, be victorious O Kamalanābha (one with the lotus in the umbilicus); Victory to the uplifter of the mountain Govardhana. Be victorious, be victorious, O holder of Velocity.

8. Be victorious, be victorious, O Viśvamūrti (who are the embodiment of the universe); be victorious, O wielder of discus. Be victorious, be victorious, O lord of living beings, victory to you, O uplifter of the earth.

9. Be victorious, be victorious, O Śeṣaśāyin (you who lie on the serpent Śeṣa); be victorious, O yellow-robed one. Be victorious O Somakānta (you that shine like the moon). Be victorious, O abode of Yoga; be victorious, be victorious.

10. O Dahanacakra (you whose discus blazes like fire) be victorious. Hail, victory to you, O abode of Dharma, be victorious, be victorious, O receptacle of attributes. Be victorious, O Śrīnivāsa, be victorious, be victorious.

11. O Garuḍāsana (you who are seated on Garuḍa) be victorious. Hail to you, O abode of happiness. Be victorious, be victorious O lover of Dharma. Victory, victory to you O abode of intellect.

12. Be victorious, be victorious, O Gahanagehanivāsa (one whose abode is mysterious). Be victorious, be victorious O Yogigamya (one who are knowable to the Yogins); Hail to you, O abode of sacrifices.

13. Be victorious, be victorious O Vedavedya (one who can be known only through the Vedas); be victorious, O Śānti- kara (O cause of peace and quiescence). Be victorious, be victorious, O Yogicintya (you who are to be contemplated by the Yogins) be victorious, O Puṣṭikara (cause of Grace or nourishment).

24. Be victorious, be victorious, O embodiment of knowledge; be victorious, O mine of good fortune. Be victorious, be victorious, O Bhāvavedya (one who can be comprehended through devotion); be victorious, be victorious, O cause of liberation.

15. Be victorious, O deity whose body is free from impurities; be victorious, be victorious, O abode of Sāttvic qualities. Hail, Hail to you, O Guṇasamūha (you who are endowed with a multitude of attributes). Be victorious, be victorious O Yajñakara the cause of sacrifice.

16. Be victorious, be victorious, O deity devoid of attributes. Be victorious, be victorious, O cause of liberation. Be victorious, be victorious, O Bhūhiraṇya (you who possess lands and gold); be victorious, be victorious, O Kāntiyuta who are endowed with shining splendour).

17. Be victorious, O refuge of the worlds. Be victorious, be victorious, O lord of Lakṣmī, Be victorious O lotus-eyed one; be victorious, be victorious, O cause of creation.

18. Hail to you, O Yogayuta (one endowed with Yoga); be victorious O Atasīkusuma-Śyāma-Deha, (one whose body is dark-complexioned like the flower of Atasī). Glory, glory to you O Samudrāviṣṭadeha (you whose body has penetrated the ocean). Be victorious, O god whose lotus-like body accords pleasure unto Lakṣmī.

19. Glory, glory to you O Bhaktibhāvana (O efficient cause of Devotion), O Lokageya (one worthy of being sung about by the world). Be victorious, O lover of the worlds. Be victorious O extremely quiescent one.

20. Be victorious, be victorious, O the highest essence; be victorious, O wielder of the discus; be victorious, O one resting on the serpent; be victorious, O blue-robed one.

21-22. Be victorious, be victorious, O deity with eyes like the petals of the lotus, Be victorious, O bestower of the desired benefit. Glory to the Deity whose chest is covered with garlands, Be victorious, O wielder of discus and iron club.

23a. Be victorious, O lord of Lakṣmī, be victorious O Viṣṇu; obeisance be to you.

23b-24. After eulogising thus, Śakra and other Devas were delighted in their minds. The Sidḍhas, Cāraṇas, Gandharvas and other heaven-dwellers visited, eulogised and made obeisance to Kṛṣṇa, Rāma and Subhadrā with their mind fully turned towards them. Then they went back to their respective residences.

25-26a. By visiting Kṛṣṇa seated on the cushioned sofa in the company of Halāyudha (Balarāma), one attains that benefit which is derived by making a gift of a hundred cows, tawny-coloured variety in the holy centre of Puṣkara.

26b-27a. By visiting Kṛṣṇa seated on the cushioned couch a man obtains that benefit which is cited to result from the gift of a hundred virgins.

27b-31. By visiting Rāma and Kṛṣṇa along with Subhadrā seated in the cushioned sofa, one obtains the following benefits viz. the gift of a hundred gold coins; the gift of lands; the gift of cooked rice; hospitability extended to every one; the rite of duly discharging the Vṛṣa (Bull); the gift of water during the summer; the gift of Tiladhenu (replica of cow in gingelly seeds); the gift of elephants, horses and chariots; the rite of Cāndrāyaṇa; observance of fast for a month; pilgrimage to all holy centres and holy rites and religious gifts. Hence a man or a woman must visit Puruṣottama. O Mohinī, when duly bathed with the water that remains after Kṛṣṇa has been duly bathed, the barren woman, the lady whose progeny is dead, unfortunate wretched persons, those who are affected by evil planets, those who are possessed by Rākṣasas and others and those who are affected by ailments attain purity immediately. They attain desired benefits. O lady of good lustre, they attain other things they desire, if they perform ablutions as per injunctions.

32. All other sacred waters on the earth do not deserve even the sixteenth part of the remainder of water after the ablution of Kṛṣṇa.

33. Hence the devotee should sprinkle limbs (of his body) with the sacred water that is left over after the ablution of the deity lying down in the waters. It is the sacred water that bestows all desired benefits.

34. There is no doubt about this that those who visit Kṛṣṇa who goes towards the south after ablution, are liberated from even the murder of a Brāhmaṇa and other sins.

35. By visiting Kṛṣṇa facing the south, a man obtains that benefit which is mentioned in the scriptures as the result of circumambulating the earth three times.

36. By visiting Kṛṣṇa proceeding to the south, one attains the benefit cited as the result of pilgrimages in the whole of the earth.

37-41. By visiting Kṛṣṇa proceeding to the south one attains that benefit which is derivable from the holy bath at Gaṅgādvāra, Kubjāmra, Kurukṣetra during the solar eclipse, at Puṣkara and other sacred waters. Of what avail is much talk? By visiting Subhadrā, Balarāma and Keśava facing the south, one attains the benefit mentioned in the Vedas, scriptures, Purāṇas, Mahābhārata, Saṃhitās and other works, as the fruits of meritorious rites.

42. Those who see Kṛṣṇa seated in the chariot along with Subhadrā and Balarāma and proceed to Guṇḍicā^[1] Maṇḍapa go to the abode of Hari.

43. By undertaking pilgrimage even once, at the time of journey to Guṇḍicā, at the time of equinox in the month of Phālguna, a man goes to the world of Viṣṇu.

44. It is certain that a man will stay in the world of Viṣṇu for as many Kalpas as the number of pilgrimages he undertakes to Śrīpuruṣottama.

45. O daughter of Brahmā, when twelve pilgrimages are completed, the devotee shall perform the rite of installation in accordance with the injunctions. It will be destructive of sins.

46. On the eleventh day in the bright half of the month of Jyeṣṭhā, the devotee should go to the sacred waters, pure in mind and body. He should perform the rite of Ācamana therein.

47. After invoking the holy Tīrthas and meditating on Nārāyaṇa, he should take holy bath in the manner indicated in the sacred precepts.

48. After the bath in a decent manner, the devotee should perform Tarpaṇa rite for the Devas, sages, and Pitṛs with the due utterance of their names and Gotras.

49-50. After coming out of the water he should wear two pure clothes and perform the Ācamana rite as well as the due worship of Bhāskara the sun. He should then repeat Gāyatrī, the holy Mantra, the mother of the Vedas, one hundred and eight times: and also other Mantras pertaining to the sun. He should circumambulate three times and then bow to the sun.

51-53. The procedure for the holy dip and the repetition of Japas is, in regard to the three castes, the same as mentioned in the Vedas. O fair lady, in regard to the Śūdras and the women the repetition of the Vedic texts is to be avoided. Thereafter, he should, with devotion, go to Śrī Puruṣottama installed in the temple. According to the injunctions, he should wash his hands and feet and perform the Ācamana rite. He should bathe the lord with ghee and thereafter with milk.

54. He should then bathe deity with honey, fragrant water and the water from the Tīrtha mixed with the sandal paste. Thereafter, the devotee should clothe the deity with excellent pair of clothes.

55 He should smear deity with sandal paste, agallochum, camphor and saffron. He should worship Puruṣottama by means of lotuses, with great devotion.

56-57. After thus worshipping Hari, the lord of the universe the bestower of worldly pleasures and salvation, the devotee should burn incense mixed with agallochum. He should burn Guggula (aromatic resin) of the pure variety along with ghee. With devotion he should light the lamp with ghee in accordance with his capacity.

58. With great concentration, he should light twelve other lamps, O goddess, with cow’s ghee or with gingelly oil.

59-60. The devotee then offers the following as Naivedyas viz; milk-pudding, friend pie, coiled baked pie, circular fried coils, sweet meats, molasses and fruits. After completing the worship of Puruṣottama by means of the fivefold services, the devotee should perform hundred and eight times the Japa of the Mantra—“Om obeisance to Puruṣottama”.

61. Thereafter, he should propitiate the lord by bowing down and prostrating before him like a staff. Thereafter, he should honour the preceptor with devotion, with flowers, garments and unguents.

62-63. O daughter of Brahmā, (the preceptor should be honoured) since there is no difference between these two (i.e. the preceptor and the lord).

With concentration and purity of mind, the devotee should erect the ceremonial hall (Maṇḍapa) over the lord. The zone in front should be brilliant and variegated with flowers. After making an emphatic determination at the outset, the devotee should keep awake at night.

64. The learned devotee should cause the discourse on Vāsudeva conducted and songs sung about him. He should spend the night meditating, reading and eulogising the lord.

65-66a. Then, after the Dvādaśī has dawned splendidly, the devotee should invite twelve Brāhmaṇas who are life-long students of the Vedas, who have taken a holy bath after holy rites, are well conversant with the Itihāsa and the Purāṇas, have learned the Vedas and have restrained their sense-organs.

66b-68. After duly completing holy bath, the devotee should wear washed cloth and restrain and conquer the senseorgans. He should then bathe Puruṣottama who is stationed there, with devotion as before. He shall propitiate the lord of the universe with scents, fragrant flowers, presents, offerings of food, lamps, many kinds of reverential services, salutations, circumambulations, Japas, eulogies, prostrations, pleasant songs and instrumental music.

69-70a. Then he should honour the Brāhmaṇas, He should give them twelve cows, gold, an umbrella, a pair of sandals and bellmetal vessel with devotion.

70b-73. He should, thereafter, feed the Brāhmaṇas with milkpudding at the outset. Afterwards different edibles and foodstuffs, cooked rice with jaggery and sugarcanḍy shall be offered to them. When the Brāhmaṇas are satisfied after the meal and have had their rest mentally (and physically), he should offer them twelve water pots along with sweets. O daughter of Brahmā, he should give them monetary gifts too according to his capacity. The learned devotee should worship them on a par with Viṣṇu by means of gold, clothes, cows, foodgrains, and other articles. After making obeisance to them, he should repeat this Mantra.

74. (Mantra) “May the omnipresent lord who is the master of the universe, who wields conch, discus and iron club, may Puruṣottama, the lord devoid of beginning anḍ. death, be pleased”.

75. After uttering this and respectfully circumambulating the Brāhmaṇas three times, the devotee should bow down his head and bid them farewell with the preceptor.

76-78. He should follow the Brāhmaṇas upto boundary line of his village with devotion. After following the Brāhmaṇas, he should bow to them once again and return. Having returned home, he should silently take food in the company of his kins and relatives. By doing thus, the man or the woman devotee shall derive the benefit of a thousand horse-sacrifices and a hundred Rājasūyas. The excellent man shall uplift a hundred previous ancestors.

79-82. O gentle lady, he will uplift a hundred successors as well. He will be assuming the divine unchanging form. He will be endowed with all auspicious characteristics. He will be bedecked in all ornaments. He will be flourishing with all desires in the mind realized. He will be blessed with good attributes, comeliness and youthful age (or longevity). He will be eulogised by Gandharvas and Apsaras all round. He will be going to the world ofViṣṇu by means of an aerial chariot that has the brilliance of the sun, which can go as he pleases, is steady, fitted with flags and banners and which has the lustre of a hundred suns. He will be brightening all the quarters thereby in the firmament. He will be devoid of exhaustion. He will become a youth of great strength and intelligence. Thus he will go to the world of Viṣṇu.

83. There he enjoys desired pleasures for the period of a hundred Kalpas. O gentle lady, he will stay there eulogised by excellent sages. He will be devoid of ailments.

84. O gentle lady, just as the lord of the universe, the wielder of the conch, discus and iron club rejoices after assuming the four-armed form, so this devotee will be rejoicing in that form.

85. O chaste lady, after enjoying excellent pleasures there and after sporting there for a long time, at the end thereof, he goes to the abode of Brahmā that yields all desires.

86. It is the abode that is rendered splendid by the Siddhas, Vidyādharas, Devas and Kinnaras.

87. After enjoying happiness there for the period of ninety Kalpas, the man goes to the world of Rudra that bestows happiness and that is resorted to by Devas, Siddhas, Vidyādharas and Yakṣas. It is adorned by Daityas and Dānavas.

88. After enjoying happiness there for the period of eighty Kalpas, the man at the end of that period, goes to Goloka equipped with all means of pleasures.

89-91. It is a place rendered splendid by Devas, Siddhas and Apsaras. It is charming. He enjoys desired pleasures there for the period of seventy Kalpas. Thereafter, he goes to the excellent world of Prajāpati. Joyously he experiences different kinds of happiness there for the period of sixty kalpas. At the end of that period, he shall go to Śakra’s abode containing different kinds of wonderful features. There the man enjoys happiness for the period of fifty Kalpas. He then goes to the abode of immortal ones, embellished with aerial chariots.

92-96. He enjoys rare pleasures there for the period of forty Kalpas. Then he goes to the stellar world equipped with different kinds of happiness and enjoys there excellent pleasures as desired, for the period of thirty Kalpas. O daughter of Brahmā, from there he goes to the lunar world where stays the moon adorned by the Devas. After enjoying rare pleasures for the period of twenty Kalpas, he goes over to the world of the sun god worshipped by Devas. After enjoying splendid pleasures there for the period of ten Kalpas, he becomes contented and delighted; thence he goes to the abode of Gandharvas that is very inaccessible.

97. There he enjoys all kinds of pleasures upto satiety for the period of a Kalpa. Then he comes over to the earth and is born as a righteous king.

98. He becomes an emperor of great prowess. He is bedecked in all attributes. He rules over the kingdom righteously anḍ performs Yajñas with liberal monetary gifts.

99. At the end of that period, he goes to the world of yogin that is auspicious and that bestows salvation. As long as all living beings are not dissolved, he enjoys excellent pleasures there.

100-101. Coming therefrom he is born in the family of Yogins, in an excellent family of devotees of Viṣṇu, difficult of access and received with approbation by the good. O chaste lady, he becomes an excellent Brāhmaṇa, a master of four Vedas, devoted to the performance of Brahmayajña.

102-103. By adopting Yoga pertaining to Viṣṇu, he shall attain liberation. Thus the benefit of the pilgrimage to Puruṣottama has been recounted to you. It yields both worldly pleasures and salvation unto men. What else do you wish to hear?

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Guṇḍicā (Guṇḍivā in the Brahma Purāṇa) is the summer ‘palace’ of Jagannātha (Puruṣottama). It is at a distance of about 1 mile from the Jagannātha temple at Purī.