Chapter 15 - The Greatness of Rāmakṛṣṇa Tīrtha

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Sūta said:

1-3. Listen with great concentration (of mind) to the greatness of Kṛṣṇa Tīrtha located on the mountain named Veṅkaṭa that is highly meritorious and destructive of all sins.

By merely taking the bath here even an ungrateful person will be liberated (from sins). All those persons who insult and dishonour fathers, mothers, preceptors and elders, those who are deluded, those who are wicked in their minds, and others who are ungrateful and shameless, become purified merely by bathing in this Kṛṣṇa Tīrtha.

4-5. Formerly there lived a sage named Kṛṣṇa on the mountain named Veṅkaṭa. He was engaged in penance. He meditated on Viṣṇu with great concentration. It was he who made a Tīrtha for the purpose of bathing. It is an excellent Tīrtha. By taking bath there even once even an ungrateful man becomes liberated.

6. In this connection I shall recount the ancient legend that is destructive of sins. Merely by listening to it a man attains salvation.

7-8. Formerly there was a prominent Brāhmaṇa named Rāmakṛṣṇa. He was a great sage. He was of good conduct and habits. He was truthful and eloquent. He was endowed with kindness for all living beings. He behaved impartially towards enemies as well as friends. He had perfect control over his sense-organs. He was an ascetic who had conquered his senses. He was an expert in the knowledge of the Supreme Brahman. He resorted solely to Brahman.

9-12a. That sage of such a magnanimity performed a very severe penance. He was motionless in every limb wherever he stood on the surface of the earth. He did not move even to the extent of an atom from his position.

He stood there and performed penance for many hundreds of years. An anthill was formed over him and it covered all his body. Though the whole of his body was thus covered by the anthill, Rāmakṛṣṇa, the great sage, went on with his penance and was not aware of the anthill.

12b-15. While he was performing the penance, Vāsava (the Rain-god) let loose groups of clouds and showered heavily on the great sage. Thus he continuously showered for seven days. Though he was showered with great torrential downpour, the sage received that shower (quietly) with closed eyes. Deafening the ears with loud rattling and rumbling of the clouds, a great thunderbolt fell upon the anthill.

[The Lord Delighted by the Penance of the Great Sage Rāmakṛṣṇa Appears Before Him]:—

16-18. While the Lord of Clouds showered rain unbearable due to cool winds etc., the top of the anthill crumbled on being struck by the thunderbolt. Then the Lord holding the conch, the discus and the iron club manifested himself. He was seated on Garuḍa and was adorned with garlands of sylvan flowers. Being pleased with the penance of Rāmakṛṣṇa, he spoke these words:

19-21a. “O Rāmakṛṣṇa, O storehouse of penance, O master of the contents of the Vedas and Śāstras (scriptural texts), an excellent man who takes bath (in the Tīrtha) on the day of my manifestation (attains great merit). The benefit and merit that he gets cannot be recounted even by Śeṣa. It is laid down that the time for the holy bath, O Brāhmaṇa, is when the Sun is in the Zodiac Capricorn, on the great lunar day of Full Moon in conjunction with the constellation Puṣya.

21b-24. A man of great intellect who bathes in Kṛṣṇatīrtha on that day shall get rid of all sins. He shall obtain all desires. Devas, human beings and all the Guardians of the Quarters with great prowess arrive there in order to take their holy bath in the auspicious waters of Kṛṣṇatīrtha and for the sake of washing off their sins.

All these noble souls gain lustre similar to that of crores of suns. Indeed they all become purified through the bath in this Tīrtha.

25. This great Tīrtha shall be named after you. It will become very famous in the world.”

After saying this Śrīnivāsa vanished there itself.

26-27. Of such power is that Tīrtha. It dispels great sins. It bestows purity of intellect on men. It grants all prosperity and magnificence.

Thus, O Brāhmaṇas, the greatness of Kṛṣṇatīrtha has beeṅ recounted to you. It enables those who listen to and read this (account) to attain the world of Viṣṇu.