Chapter 80 - The holy Pāśupata rite (pāśupatavrata-māhātmya)

The sages said:—

1. How is the liberation of the Paśu (Individual soul) from the Pāśa (bondage) effected on seeing Paśupati? It behoves you to tell us how Devas eschewed their Paśutva?

Sūta said:

2-5. Thanks to the grace of omniscient lord, formerly Devas came to him as he had stationed in his city culled Bhogya^[1] on the peak of the Kailāsa, for the welfare of Devas, Lord Viṣṇu, mounted on the wings of Garuḍa, came along with Brahmā. He approached the lord, of Devas along with Devas. Along with Yama, Indra and the Sādhyas, they came to the splendid and excellent mountain and bowed down to the excellent mountain as well as to the lord. The Garuḍa-bannered lord Viṣṇu got down from Garuḍa and climbed the Meru along with the foremost Devas.

6-7. Meru was devoid of all sins. It bestowed each and every object of desire. It was the. chief means of enjoyment. The flocks of sparrows rejoiced therein. Herds of elephants made it resonant. There was sweet rattling music. Even the darkness was welcome to people. The region of the forest was well laid with footsteps. The waters at the borderland were sparkling and the wind was attractive. It consisted of hundreds and thousands of abodes resembling suns. It was blended with the flocks of swans adept in elegant movements. It contained trees, such as Dhava, Khadira, Palāśa, sandal, etc. and groups and flocks of excellent birds, such as the cuckoo etc. and also the bees.

8. In some places it abounded in divine trees. There were Kurabaka, Priyaka and Tilaka trees. The excellent mountain had many Kadamba trees and was surrounded by the creepers of Tamāla. The mountain had many peaks.

9. The city of lord Śiva was built by Viśvakarman on the top of this mountain for the sports of lord Śiva.

10. Devas including Indra and Viṣṇu saw that city and with great concentration and attention they bowed down from a great distance due to the power of the trident-bearing lord.

11. The great primordial lord went to the mountain Kailāsa, a part of the Meru, which is as refulgent as thousand suns, and which is great and which has thousands of virtues blended with it.

12. Then Brahmā and Viṣṇu the destroyer of Asuras reached the gateway of the city which resembled the lofty mountain and which abounded in women, horses, elephants, chariots, Gaṇas and their chiefs.

13. It was surrounded by big mansions full of gold and bedecked in jewels. It contained lofty palaces of various shapes and also ramparts.

14-20. On seeing the exterior of the city of lord Śiva along with Devas including Brahmā, Viṣṇu with beaming face became delighted in his mind. He then entered the city which had great palaces and mansions with lofty upper storeys. The second city of the lord of Devas was also splendid. It had four entrances. It was encompassed by diamonds, lapis lazuli, rubies and clusters of jewels and hanging swings. It was bedecked with bells and chowries, and resonant with musical instruments, such as Mṛdaṅga, Muraj a, Vīṇā and Veṇu. It was surrounded by dancing Apsarases and Bhūtas (goblins). There were mansions charming to the eyes. They resembled the abodes of the leaders of Devas. On the tops of these palaces thousands of lady citizens stood with flowers, fruits and Akṣatas (raw rice grains) in their hands. As on the head of lord Śiva they strew these on the head of Viṣṇu from all directions. On seeing Viṣṇu, the women rejoiced immediately, danced and sang. Their eyes were roving due to inebriation and they had ample buttocks. On seeing Viṣṇu some women wore smiling faces; their garments became loosened; their waistbands and girdles dropped. They sang passionate songs.

21-35. Viṣṇu then went beyond those excellent cities (one within the other) the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth. Then he reached the highly-splendid city of Śiva. It was perfectly circular and very splendid, stationed on the auspicious peak of Kailāsa. It was adorned with, lofty mansions resembling the sphere of the sun. In different quarters it contained crystal Maṇḍapas and splendid platforms made of gold and different jewels. The ornamental gateways were adorned with different kinds of jewellery and many jewel-studded Sarvatobhadras (temples with openings on all the four sides). There were twentyeight fort walls of different forms and shapes. There were side doors and main doors in the interstices of the quarters, all firmly built and of diverse kinds. There were hidden apartments and houses. There were splendid abodes of Guha. O highly blessed ones, they were built in the rural model and other types. There were charming pearls too. The divine abodes of the leaders of Gaṇas were full of rubies. There were many splendid flower gardens of various shapes with sandal trees in them. There were many lakes and tanks with golden, rows of steps. They were frequented by swans that had been defeated by the gaits of women. The tanks had divine and nectarine water and the water fouls (Kāraṇḍas), peacocks, cuckoos and ruddy geese heightened their splendour. There were thousands of Rudrakanyās (virgins) who were bedecked in all ornaments, who were adepts in conversation and elocution, who stooped down due to the weight of their heavy breasts, whose eyes were roving due to inebriation and who were engaged in singing and playing on instruments. There were groups of dancing nymphs. The lakes contained full blown lotuses difficult of access even to Devas. There were excellent birds of all kinds. There were the womenfolk of Rudras lustrous as rubies, engaged in aquatic sports. There were groups of women engaged in amorous festivals of great elegance. They were passionately fond of rural notes and strains of music. On seeing these things in the abode of lord Śiva the great lord of Devas stood in surprise.

36. There itself they saw Rudragaṇas and thousands of their heroic leaders.

37. They saw the crystalline aerial chariots, lofty palaces bedecked in diamonds, lapis lazuli and golden steps.

38-41. On the tops of palaces there were delighted women with lotus-like eyes, and ample buttocks. There were Yakṣas, Gandharvas and Apsarases, Kinnaris, Kinnaras, serpents, and siddha girls. They had different kinds of dresses. They were bedecked in different ornaments. They had diverse efficiency. They were fond of pleasure and amorous dalliance. They had the lustre of the blue lotus petals. They had eyes as large as the petals of lotus. They looked resplendent by their upper garments resembling the flames of lotus. They were bedecked in bangles, anklets, necklaces and umbrellas of—variegated colours as well as attractive garments. They were fond of embellishments and they were bedecked in various ornaments also.

42. On seeing these beautiful women of the chiefs of Gaṇas, the leading Devas—Indra and others went to the mansion of the destroyer of Tripuras.

43. On seeing the first palace of the lord, that had the colour of a thousand rising suns, in the middle of the city, the groups of Devas and Siddhas beginning with Indra halted there.

44. Then all Devas with Indra at their head saw Nandin, the lord of Gaṇas standing at the doorway of the palace.

45. On seeing Nandin the leader of Gaṇas, Devas bowed down to him and said “Be Victorious”. On seeing them the leader of Gaṇas replied:—

46. “O highly blessed Devas, why have you come here? O persons of good holy rites, you who have shaken off your sins, ye the lord of all worlds, it behoves you to say.

47. They then spoke to the lord, the bestower of boons, the lord having the lustre of a lordly elephant. “For our liberation from the bondage of Paśus kindly show lord Maheśvara to us.

48. Formerly in order to bum the three cities, the Paśutva was stipulated. O you of good holy rites, now we are worried -over this Paśutva.

49. The holy rite Pāśupata was mentioned by lord Śiva. O leader of Bhūtas, thanks to this holy rite, the state of Paśu ceases to exist.

50-53. By performing this excellent Vrata for twelve years, or for twelve months or for twelve days, all Paśus are liberated from the bondage of worldly existence.” Nandin, the son of Śilāda, the leader of the Bhūtas showed the lord to all Devas including Viṣṇu. On seeing lord Śiva the unchanging deity accompanied by Ambā and Gaṇas, Devas were thrilled with pleasure. They bowed to the lord and eulogised him. After submitting to lord Śiva, their desire for liberation from bondage, Devas stood in front of lord Śiva bowing again and again.

54-57. After glancing at them and purifying their souls, the full-bannered lord of Devas, the great lord taught the Pāśupata Vrata to them. He then seated himself along with Umā and the sages.

Since then, all Devas are known as Pāśupatas (belonging to Paśupati). All those who consider the lord of Paśus as their direct deity are said to be Pāśupatas. Thereafter, Devas performed penance again.

58-60. The excellent Devas performed penance for twelve years and became free from bondage. They went back with Brahmā and Viṣṇu. Thus everything that had been heard from Brahmā has been mentioned to you. It had been heard by Sanat and by Vyāsa from him. The man who remains pure and hears this or narrates this to the brahmins attains a different body and is liberated from the bondage of Paśus.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Bhogya or Bhogyā. The city is located on the mountain Kailāsa.