Chapter 25 - The Greatness of Jābālitīrtha

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Sūta said:

1-2. O ye all ascetics, O residents of the Naimiṣa forest, I shall describe the greatness of Jābālitīrtha on the Veṅkaṭādri of great merit and destructive of all sins. O Brāhmaṇas, (a sinner) named Durācāra became liberated by bathing there.

The sages enquired:

3-4. O Sūta, knower of the exact nature of reality, who was this person named Durācāra? What sin had been committed by that Durācāra, O sage? How was he liberated from the sin, due to the greatness of the bath in this Tīrtha? O sage, we are desirous of hearing this. Relate it to us in detail.

[The Episode of the Brāhmaṇa Named Durācāra Who Lived on the Banks of Kāverī]:—

Śrī Sūta said:

5. O sages, let the sin of that Durācāra be heard. So also (listen) how he was liberated from the sin by taking his holy bath in Jābālitīrtha.

6. There was a certain Brāhmaṇa named Durācāra who had resorted to the banks of Kāverī. This Brāhmaṇa who was a sinner, was always engaged in cruel activities.

7. O Brāhmaṇas, this sinner was defiled due to his frequent associations with Brāhmaṇa-slayers, liquor-drinkers, thieves and defilers of preceptor’s bed. He always lived with them.

8. O excellent Brāhmaṇas, the Brahminical power of this sinner was entirely destroyed on account of the evil of association with great sinners.

9-11. If a Brāhmaṇa eagerly stays with great sinners for one day, one part (i.e. one fourth) of his Brahminhood will undoubtedly be lost at that very moment. By serving them, touching them, seeing them, lying with them and taking food with them in the same row, by remaining for two days with great sinners thus, O Brāhmaṇas, a second part (i.e. one half) of his Brahminhood is undoubtedly lost.

12. If the association lasts for three days a third part (i.e. three fourths) is lost undoubtedly. If it lasts for four days, (the last) fourth part is certainly obliterated.

13. If any person associates with great sinners beyond this period by sitting, lying or taking food with them, he shall become a sinner of (their) equal grade.

14. Therefore, the Brāhmaṇa named Durācāra became completely bereft of Brahminhood. He was haunted by an evil spirit. It was as though he was swallowed by a powerful and terrible snake or beast of prey.

15-21. Excessively afflicted by that vampire, he became distressed. He wandered from country to country and from forest to forest. Due to his previous merit and his good luck, that Brāhmaṇa reached the highly meritorious Veṅkaṭādri (which was) destructive of all sins. He was pursued there by the vampire (the ghost).

[Durācāra and the Vampire Get Rid of Their Sins by Taking Holy Bath in Jābālitīrtha]:—

The Brāhmaṇa closely pursued by the evil spirit came to the mount Veṅkaṭa. The vampire immersed the Brāhmaṇa who was associated with great sinners, in Jābālitīrtha that is destructive of great sins, O great Brāhmaṇas. Within a moment he was released by the vampire and he stood up (free).

Getting out of that holy Tīrtha, O Brāhmaṇas, that Brāhmaṇa regained composure. He pondered, ‘I was residing on the banks of Kāveri. How have I come to a place near Svarṇamukhī?’

With these thoughts agitating him, Durācāra bowed down to the excellent Tīrtha of Jābāli as well as Jābāli, the noble-souled excellent great Yogin. After approaching him he spoke:

22-24. “O holy lord, O Brāhmaṇa, I do not know what this mountain is- Tell me. I am a resident of the banks of Kāveri. My name is Durācāra. Kindly tell me how I happened to come here?”

On being asked thus by Durācāra that sage of good holy rites, the storehouse of mercy, meditated for a short while and spoke to Durācāra:

[Narration of the Defect of Non-Performance of Pārvaṇa Śrāddha as Described by Jābāli]:—

Jābāli told:

25-29. On account of your contact with great sinners formerly, O Durācāra, your Brahminhood got destroyed. Then a vampire seized you. Because you were possessed by him, you became helpless and deluded in your mind. In that confounded state you came here. The vampire immersed you in this extremely sacred Tīrtha. Merely by taking your bath here you became rid of the sins.

If men take their holy bath in Jābālitīrtha, all the heaps of their five types of sins perish. It is true. Merely by the bath in this holy Tīrtha which is the cause of good holy rites, your sin due to your association with great sinners has perished. The vampire that seized you was formerly a Brāhmaṇa.

30-31. He did not perform the Śrāddha rite unto the Manes on the day of death in accordance with the Pārvaṇa rite. So he was cursed by his Manes and he attained the state of vampire.

Due to the power of taking the holy bath in the waters of Jābālitīrtha, he cast off his vampire-hood and attained the world of Viṣṇu.

32. A man who does not perform the Śrāddha unto his father and mother (every year) on the day of death becomes a vampire immediately and falls into hell later.

Śrī Sūta said:

33-34. Merely by taking his holy bath in this Tīrtha, Durācāra, the great sinner, attained the world of Viṣṇu from which no one returned (to Saṃsāra). Thus the holy story of the liberation of Durācāra has been recounted to you all. Hence this Tīrtha is the most sacred (of all Tīrthas). It is auspicious and destructive of all sins.

35-39a. Durācāra was liberated merely by a bath therein. This holy Tīrtha shall destroy even those sins which have no other way of expiation. If a Brāhmaṇa bows to a Liṅga or the idol of Viṣṇu (once) worshipped by a Śūdra no means of expiation has been laid down for him in the Smṛtis by the great sages. But even that sin of his shall perish in the Tīrtha named (after) Jābāli.

There is no means of atonement for those who censure Brāhmaṇas. Similarly there is no expiation for those who commit breach of trust, those who are ungrateful and those who carnally approach the wives of their brothers. But due to their holy bath in Jābālitīrtha they will become pure.

39b-40. Thus, O Brāhmaṇas, the greatness of Jābāli’s Tīrtha has been described to you all. On hearing this men on the earth become liberated from all sins.