Chapter 15 - The Greatness of Amarakaṇṭaka

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Nārada said:

1-7a. O son of Kuntī, listen to (me telling you) and understand what you ask me about. In the meanwhile Rudra remained on the bank of Narmadā. The place is called Hareśvara, and is well-known in the three worlds. At that place Mahādeva, thinking about Tripura’s murder, (stayed,) making Mandara the bow, making Vāsuki the bow-string, standing with his feet a span apart, making Viṣṇu the best arrow, putting fire in the fore; Vāyu was put at the mouth; (making) the four Vedas the horses, (he made) the chariot full of all gods. The two gods, Aśvins, were on the wheels; the disc-holder himself was the axle; Indra himself was at the end of the bow; Vaiśravaṇa remained on the arrow. Yama was on the right hand and the terrible Kāla on the left. Gandharvas, well-known in the worlds, were placed on the radius of the wheels. Of this best chariot Prajāpati Brahmā was the charioteer.

7b-9. The lord of gods, making a chariot like this full of all gods, remaining stable, waited there for a thousand years. When the three cities, moving in the sky, came together, he pierced them with an arrow. Rudra, at that time, discharged an arrow towards Tripura.

10-11a Women lost their lusture, and their strength decayed. Thousands of portents appeared in the city. To destroy Tripura he took up the form of Kāla (i. e. god of death).

11b-14a. Similarly wooden figures laughed loudly. The paintings closed and opened their eyes. (The citizens) saw themselves decorated with (i. e. clad in) red garments in a dream. They also saw unusual things foreboding calamity. People that were at that place (i.e. in the city) saw these portents. Their strength and their intellect were destroyed by Śiva’s anger.

14b-24. A great (i.e. strong) wind, greatest among winds, and resembling the one at the end of a yuga and called Saṃvartaka was discharged and it troubled their heads. The trees there burnt, and summits fell down. Everything was disturbed and there were lamentations, and loss of consciousness. All the gardens were shattered and were quickly burning. With blazing flames he (i.e. Fire) burnt it all. Trees, parks, houses of various kinds (were burnt). The blazing fire spread into the ten directions. Then stones were hurled into each of the ten directions. The very fierce flames of the fires were burning in thousands. The entire city that was burning looked like kiṃśuka (a tree with red blossoms). The (columns of) smoke could not go from one house to another. The Tripura city, burnt by Śiva’s anger, crying, very unhappy and blazing was burning in all directions. The tops of the palaces were shattered in thousands. Many palaces varigated with many gems and beautiful houses were burnt in various ways by the blazing fire. (The flames) destroyed the groves of trees and places of worship as well. In all temples they blazed and burnt. (People) touched (i.e. burnt) by fire sank into despondency and lamented in various tones. There the heaps of charcoal appeared like mountain-peaks.

25-26a. They praised the god of gods: ‘O lord, protect me.’ The demons, who, harassed by fire, had embraced one another were burnt there in hundreds and thousands.

26b-27. The gardens in the city were parched by fire, and the large lakes crowded with swans and ducks, and with lotus plants and lotuses were being burnt. They, extending up to hundreds of yojanas, were covered with fresh lotuses.

28. Palaces, decorated with gems and resembling mountain-peaks (in height), fell down, being completely burnt by fire, like waterless clouds.

29-31. The fire impelled by Śiva’s anger cruelly burnt young and old along with women, birds and horses. Many men that had slept (alone, or) had slept with their wives, or in a close embrace with their sons, were burnt by the enemy of Tripura. In that city blazing with fire women resembling celestial nymphs, being struck by the flames of fire, fell on the ground.

32-34. A young woman of broad eyes and adorned with a necklace, who was blinded by smoke, and afflicted by flames, awoke; and thinking about her son, she fell on the ground. Some (other woman), having golden complexion, adorned with sapphires, blinded by smoke, fell down on the ground. Another friend (of her) who had held her hand, was burnt with children.

35-38. Due to this another female of a celestial form was seen to be perplexed by insanity. Joining the palms of her hands and putting them on her head, she requested Fire: “If you desire (i.e. harbour) enmity towards men who have harmed you, why do you offend women—the cuckoos in the cage in the form of the house? O sinner, O cruel one, O shameless one, what makes you angry with females? You do not possess chivalry, you do not have a feeling of shame, you are without purity; rich in beauty and complexion of various kinds, they are available. Tell us: Have you not heard in the world that women are not to be killed?

39-45. But these have become virtues for you—oppressing women, O Fire, and not having compassion, sympathy or courtesy towards them. O Fire, even Mlecchas are kind to women, when they see them. You are worse than Mlecchas, you are irresistible and senseless. O Fire, these are your virtues (leading you) to destroy. O you wicked one, why do you drop (yourself) on these women? O wicked Fire, O cruel and shameless one, O you unfortunate one, O you hopeless one, O you cruel one, you (that are) wicked are burning children.” In this way they lamented and talked in many voices. Others, bewildered due to the grief for their (dead) children, were angry, and cried. The cruel and angry Fire burnt (everything) like an enemy. There were flames in the lakes, water, and in wells also. (The women cried:) “O Mleccha, by burning us, what condition will you reduce us to?” When they were crying like this, Fire said (these) words:

Vaiśvānara said:

46-62. I am not destroying on my own. I only do what is ordered, and am not the one who can favour. Overcome with anger, I am here moving by chance.

Then that very lustrous Bāṇa seeing Tripura ablaze, and remaining on his seat, said to the god: “I am destroyed by gods. The weak and wicked ones (mis) informed the god. Without investigating properly, I am burnt by magnanimous Śiva. Except Maheśvara no other enemy is (able) to strike me.” Taking the Phallus (called) Tribhuvaneśvara on his head, he got up. Leaving his friends, very beautiful gems, women of various kinds, and taking the Phallus on his head kept in the city, he praised Śiva, the god of gods, the lord of three worlds. “O Hara, if I have been tormented by you, you deserve to be killed. O Mahādeva, let my Phallus (i.e. which I am worshipping) not perish due to your grace. O Mahādeva, I have always worshipped it with great devotion. Even if I am to be killed by you, may my Phallus not perish. O Mahādeva, let me seize your feet. O Mahādeva, existence after existence, I am devoted to your feet.” He (then) worshipped the highest god with the Toṭaka metre: “Om, Śiva, Śaṅkara, my salutation to Sarvakāra (i.e. who brings about everything). My salutation to Śiva, O Bhava, O Bhīma, O Maheśa. O you destroyer of the body of Madana (i.e. Cupid), O you destroyer of Tripura, O you who crushed Andhaka, O you dear to women, O you who destroyed Kāma (i.e. Cupid), my salutations to you who are saluted by the hosts of gods and siddhas, and by (your) attendants having the faces of horse, monkey, lion, lord of elephants and having very short and very long faces. You were not vexed by the demons difficult to be found out; (on the contrary) you were saluted by many of them. O revered lord, you who like great devotion, O you stable one, O you who hold the digit of the moon (i.e. the crescent moon on your head), O god, I salute you. O Jaya, always give me hosts of sons and wives and wealth. With many, hundreds of bodies, I am tormented. You have today put me on the path of a great (i.e. fearful) hell. My sinful course is not turning away; he abandons me, pure due to pure deeds; (but) he takes pity on me; the direction is revolving; this delusion is rambling; he keeps off bad intentions.” To him who, being controlled and of a pure mind, would recite this divine Toṭaka, Rudra would grant boons as he gave to Bāṇa. Hearing this very divine hymn lord Maheśvara was himself pleased with him at that time.

The lord said:

63-64a. O child, you should not be afraid. O demon, with your sons, grandsons, wives, and servants, remain in a golden (mansion). O Bāṇa, from today you will not be killed (i.e. will be immune from death) even by gods.

64b-66. O Pāṇḍava, the god of gods, again granted him a boon. Being fearless, indestructible and immutable he moved in the world. Then Rudra withdrew the seven-crested one, i.e., Fire. Magnanimous Śiva protected his third (city). By virtue of Rudra’s lustre it always moves in the sky.

67-71a. Thus, Tripura burnt by the magnanimous Śiva fell on the ground blazing with rows of flames. He knocked down one on Śrīśaila near Tripura. He knocked the other one on Amarakaṇṭaka mountain. When Tripura was burnt, O king, Rudrakoṭi stood firm. The burning one was caused to fall there. Therefore, he is known as Jvāleśvara. His divine flame, going upwards, went to heaven. There was then great lamentation among gods, demons and kinnaras. Rudra arrested that arrow in the best Maheśvara city.

71b-79a. O son of Pāṇḍu, he who, like this, would go to the mountain Amarakaṇṭaka, having well enjoyed the fourteen worlds for a thousand and thirty crore years and then having reached the earth, becomes a righteous king. There is no doubt that he enjoys as a sovereign emperor on the earth. O great king, this Amarakaṇṭaka is holy on all sides. The wise say that he who would go to Amarakaṇṭaka at the time of a lunar or solar eclipse, has tenfold (the merit) of a horse sacrifice. Seeing Maheśvara there, he obtains heaven. When the sun is eclipsed by Rāhu they will come together. That is the great merit of (performing) the Puṇḍarīka sacrifice. On Amarakaṇṭaka lives Jvāleśvara. Bathing there, men go to heaven. Those that die there, are not reborn. O great king, listen to the fruit which one gets by casting one’s life at the lunar or solar eclipse at Jvāleśvara.

79b-82. Gods called Amara stay on Amarakaṇṭaka. (One who bathes) in the water on the slope of (Amarakaṇṭaka-) god Amareśvara, obtains (i.e. lives in) Rudra’s heaven till deluge. Crores of gods, of good vows practise penance there. O king, the holy place Amarakaṇṭaka extends upto a yojana on all sides. A man, entertaining or not entertaining desire, having bathed in the holy water of Amarakaṇṭaka, would be freed from sins, and he goes to Rudra’s worlds.