Chapter 32 - Sugandha, Arundhatīvaṭa, Sindhuprabhava etc.

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Nārada said:

1-2, Thence, O best of kings, a man should go to Sugandha, well-known in the world. With his soul freed from all sins, he is honoured in Brahmā’s world. O king, from there a pilgrim should go to Rudravarta. O king, a man having bathed there, is honoured in heaven.

3-4. O best of men, a man who has bathed at the confluence of Gaṅgā and Sarasvatī obtains (the fruit of) a horse sacrifice and goes to heaven. Having bathed at Karṇahrada there and having worshipped Śiva, he does not meet with misery and goes to heaven.

5-7a. Thence the pilgrim should in due succession go to Kubjā. (Thereby) he obtains (the fruit of having given) a thousand cows and goes to heaven. Thence, O king, a pilgrim should go to Arundhatīvaṭa. Having bathed at Samudraka and having fasted for three nights a man would obtain the fruit of (having presented) a thousand cows and goes to heaven.

7b-10a. Being controlled and calm, he should then go to Brahmāvarta. He obtains the (fruit of a) horse sacrifice, and goes to heaven. Having bathed in the water of Yamunā he should go to (the holy place called) Yamunāprabhava. Having obtained the fruit of a horse sacrifice he is honoured in heaven. Having reached the sacred place called Darvīsaṃkramaṇa, well-known in the three worlds, he obtains (the fruit of) a horse sacrifice and goes to heaven.

10b-13a. Then having gone to (the holy place called) Sindhuprabhava, the source of Sindhu, resorted to by siddhas and gandharvas and having stayed there for five nights, he should give much gold. Then having reached (the holy place of) the goddess very difficult to reach a man obtains (the fruit of) a horse sacrifice and would go to the position of Śukra. Having reached Ṛṣikulyā and Vasiṣṭha also, O descendent of Bharata, and having crossed Vasiṣṭha all the castes become (like) brāhmaṇas.

13b-14. A man having bathed at Ṛṣikulyā goes to the world of sages, if, O king, he, subsisting on vegetables, lives there for a month. Having reached Bhṛgutuṅga he would obtain the fruit of a horse sacrifice.

15-17a. O hero, having gone to Pramokṣa he is free from all sins. A pious man having reached (this) holy place difficult to reach in (the months of) Kārtika and Mārgaśīrṣa obtains the fruit of Agniṣṭoma and Atirātra (sacrifices). Thence having reached Sandhyā and the excellent Vidyātīrtha he should bathe (there). He becomes a master of all lores.

17b-18a. Fasting once a day he should stay for a night at Mahāśrama which frees (a man) from all sins. He (thereby) lives in holy worlds.

18b-21. By living for a month at Mahālaya and by taking food once in three days he having himself crossed (the ocean of the mundane existence) emancipates the creatures—ten preceding and ten succeeding (members of his family). Having seen the very auspicious Maheśvara saluted by gods a man having got all his objects, should not at all grieve for death. He with his soul purified from all sins would obtain much gold. Then he should go to Vetasikā resorted to by the Grandsire. (Thereby) he obtains (the fruit of) a horse sacrifice and would go the highest position.

22-23. Then having reached the holy place (called) Sundarikā resorted to by siddhas, he possesses handsomeness (i.e., becomes handsome). This has been observed by the ancients. Then, being controlled and calm, he, having gone to Brāhmaṇikā, goes to Brahmā’s world in a car having the colour of a lotus.

24-29. Thence he should go to Naimiṣa, the auspicious (place) resorted to by brāhmaṇas. Brahmā always resides there with hosts of gods. Half the sin of him who desires (to go to) Naimiṣa, perishes. A man on just entering it is freed from the entire sin. A wise man intent on (visiting) holy places, should stay there—at Naimiṣa—for a month. O descendant of Bharata, whichever holy places are there on the earth are (present) at Naimiṣa. Being restrained and with his diet controlled a man having bathed (i.e. who bathes) there obtains the fruit of a Rājasūya sacrifice, (and), O best among the Bharatas, purifies (the members of) his family up to the seventh (descendant). The wise say that he who wholly devoted to fasting would cast his life at Naimiṣa, would stay in heaven and rejoice there. O best of kings, Naimiṣa is always pure and holy.

30. A man, having gone to Gaṅgodbheda and having stayed there for three nights obtains (the fruit of) a Vājapeya (sacrifice) and would always be one with Brahman.

31. Having reached Sarasvatī he should offer oblations to the deities in the form of his manes. There is no doubt that he rejoices in the worlds of the Sārasvatas.

32. O king, thence a pilgrim should go to (the holy place called) Bāhudā. By staying there for a night he is honoured in heaven.

33a. The man obtains the fruit of a Devasatra sacrifice.

33b-34a. Thence he should go to the holy place (called) Rajanī surrounded by meritorious persons. Engaged in worshipping the manes and deities, he would obtain (the fruit of) a Vājapeya (sacrifice).

34b-39a. Having reached (the holy place called) Vimalāśoka he shines like the moon. Having stayed there for a night he is honoured in heaven. Thence he should go to Gopratāra, an excellent holy place (on the bank) of Sarayū, where (-from) Rāma with his servants, army and vehicles, after having left his house, went to heaven due to the prowess of that holy place. Due to Rāma’s favour and exertion, O king, a man bathing at that holy place, viz. Gopratāra, has his soul purified of all sins and is honoured in heaven. O you descendant of Kuru, a man having bathed at Rāmatīrtha on (the bank of) Gomatī, obtains (the fruit of) a horse sacrifice and purifies his own family.

39b-40. Then, O best of Bharatas, there is a sacred place called Śatasāhasraka. Being restrained and with his diet controlled, a man, having bathed there, obtains the meritorious fruit (of giving away) a thousand cows, O best of Bharatas.

41-42a. Then a pious man should go to the excellent (holy place called) Ūrdhvasthāna. Having bathed at Koṭitīrtha and having worshipped Guha, O king, a man would obtain the fruit of (giving) a thousand cows, and becomes bright.

42b-44. Then having gone to Vārāṇasī and having worshipped the bull-bannered god (i.e. Śiva) and having bathed at Kapilāhrada, he would obtain the fruit of a Rājasūya (sacrifice). O lord of kings, having reached the Mārkaṇḍeya tīrth a difficult to reach, on the confluence of Gomatī and Gaṅgā, well-known in the world, he obtains the fruit of a ho rse sacrifice and would emancipate his (own) family.