Chapter 144 - Brahmavallī and Khaṇḍatīrtha

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Mahādeva said:

1-10. O chief goddess, a man should then go to the great holy place (called) Brahmavallī. O best goddess, listen to the actual nature of that holy place. That Brahmatīrtha where the water of Sābhramatī joins the water of Brahmavallī, is said to be equal to Prayāga. By offering piṇḍas there the dead ancestors are gratified for twelve years—as this is the statement of Brahmā. Knowing that the religious merit due to a śrāddha offered there is equal to that of a śrāddha at Gayā, men offer it, and the dead ancestors would (thereby) be pleased. A gift particularly at Brahmavallī has religious merit equal to that due to the gift of a cow, of land or of food also. Here only Sanaka and others having bathed according to the precept, obtained Viṣṇu’s world by meditating upon the position of the highest Brahman. O chief goddess, a man obtains particularly that fruit at Brahmavallī which he obtains by going to Puṣkara, (bank of) Gaṅgā, and the holy place Amarakaṇṭaka. Men obtain that fruit at Brahmavallī which (they get when) they give gifts at the lunar or solar eclipse, O chief goddess. Those who have divine forms and hold conches, discs and maces, also go to heaven on bathing (here), O chief goddess. A man, holding a rosary made of Tulasī(-wood), and remembering Viṣṇu, goes to the divine Vaikuṇṭha, the highest position (full of) bliss.

Thus is the greatness of Brahmavallī-tīrtha.

11-12. From there a man should go to Vṛṣatīrtha well-known as Khaṇḍatīrtha. Having formerly bathed there the cows went to Goloka. The cows, the mothers of the world, that had fallen due to a curse were protected by Dharma in the form of Khaṇḍa; therefore it is called Khaṇḍatīrtha.

Pārvatī said:

13. Who formerly gave a curse to the cows, the mothers of the world? How did they fall from (their) world? How were they protected by Dharma?

Mahādeva said:

14-29. Formerly Vṛṣa, playing with the mothers in Goloka, discharged feces and urine. That fell on the head of Hara. So, due to their fault Hara gave a curse: “O cows, losing your intellect, you will go to the earth.” The cows cursed by the lord, again went to Hara, and requested the god: “May we obtain (i.e. go back to) our world.” “When you will bathe in the pool called Khaṇḍa near Brahmavallī at the holy place on (the bank of) Sābhramatī, you will certainly obtain heaven.” Then the cows having bathed with the lord of cows in the pool, (became) most pure (and) went to heaven near Mahādeva. A man having bathed in Gohrada, and having offered oblations to his dead ancestors, obtains Goloka free from heat and destruction The man, who, living there without food, offers piṇḍas to cows, would obtain happiness as long as the fourteen Indras (rule). There is no doubt that a man obtains that fruit at Khaṇḍatīrtha which he certainly gets by the gift of a crore of cows. Taking a bull’s urine, one who drinks the holy water gets purified at that moment only. There is no doubt about it. There was not and there will not be a holy place superior to Khaṇḍatīrtha. Those men, O best goddess, who go there, are meritorious. Having gone there, a man should worship cows, O best goddess. Then having bathed and being composed he should worship Vṛṣabha. Undoubtedly by worshipping him he would live in Goloka for a long time. Those men who, having gone there, particularly offer a golden (image of a) cow enjoy happiness as long as the fourteen Indras (rule). A man, who having fashioned (golden images of) ten cows gives them to a brāhmaṇa at Khaṇḍatīrtha—that is said (to give) infinite fruit, O best goddess. Having gone there the wise should plant a pippala tree. Having done so, O chief goddess, he goes to the world of the dead ancestors. Those who plant five āmalakī trees, enjoy happiness in this world and go to Viṣṇu’s world.