Chapter 27 - Śrī Veṅkaṭācala Contains All the Tīrthas

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

The sages said:

1. O Sūta, the most excellent one among those conversant with the Purāṇas, how many Tīrthas are there on Veṅkaṭādri of great merit and destructive of all calamities and distresses?

2. Tell us their number. How many of them are important? There too, O excellent sage, tell us the most important among them.

3-4. How many among them produce interest in righteousness? How many are the most important among them? Which are those that bestow knowledge? Which are those that bestow devotion and detachment? Which are those that bestow salvation? Tell us, O sage engaged in holy rites.

Śrī Sūta said:

5. Here, on this excellent mountain, there are sixty-six crores of holy Tīrthas. Among them, O (sages) of holy rites, one thousand and eight are very important.

6-7. There are one hundred and eight Tīrthas that inspire interest in righteousness. They are more important than the other thousand Tīrthas. They are separate from them. Among the one hundred and eight (Tīrthas) sixty are those that bestow devotion and detachment.

[The Time for Holy Bath in the Six Tīrthas Including Svāmipuṣkariṇī^[1]]:—

8-9. There are six Tīrthas on the top of Veṅkaṭācala that bestow salvation, viz. Svāmipuṣkariṇī, Viyadgaṅgā, Pāpavināśa, Pāṇḍutīrtha, Kumāradhārikā Tīrtha and Tuṃbura Tīrtha.

10-12a. On the Full-Moon day in the month of Kuṃbha (when the Sun is in Aquarius), when the constellation Maghā comes in conjunction, O Brāhmaṇa, all the Tīrthas fall into Kumāradhārikā.

He who takes his holy bath there, O eminent Brāhmaṇas, shall acquire the benefit of Rājasūya sacrifice. He shall attain salvation too. There is no doubt about it.

O Brāhmaṇas, one should make gift of food there, along with monetary gifts.

12b-18a. On the Full-Moon day in conjunction with the constellation Uttarāphālgunī, when the Sun is in the Zodiac Pisces, all the Tīrthas come to Tuṃburutīrtha in the afternoon. One who takes the holy bath there, is not re-born (i.e. becomes liberated). Investiture with the sacred thread and marriage rite should be performed there along with a gift of money.

When the Sun is in the Zodiac Aries, on the Full-Mooṇ day in conjunction with the constellation Citrā, (all the Tīrthas) fall into Viyadgaṅgā. By taking his holy bath therein a man immediately derives the benefit of a hundred sacrifices. Gold must be given as gift there. Gift of a virgin (i.e. giving her away in marriage) is particularly (recommended).

O Brāhmaṇas, when the Sun is in Vṛṣabha (Taurus) on the eleventh or twelfth day of the lunar fortnight either in the bright half or in the dark half in conjunction with (i.e. when it is) Tuesday, all the Tīrthas in all the three worlds beginning with Gaṅgā fall into Pāṇḍutīrtha. By taking the holy bath therein and by offering a cow as gift one is liberated from obstacles.

18b-20. On a Sunday in the bright half of the month of Āśvayuj (September-October), on the seventh day (when the Moon is) in conjunction with the constellation Uttarāṣāḍhā or on the twelfth day in conjunction with Uttarābhādrapadā constellation, the devotee shall come to Pāpavināśana and take his holy bath as enjoined (in the scriptures). Thereafter he should make a gift of a Śālagrāma stone. He is liberated from all sins arising from (i.e. committed in) crores of births.

21-24. In the month of Dhanur (when the Sun is in Sagittarius), on the twelfth day in the bright half, during early dawn, all the Tīrthas fall into the waters of Svāmipuṣkariṇī. A man who takes bath therein shall undoubtedly attain salvation instantaneously. One gets the opportunity to take the holy bath only as a result of one’s merit acquired in the course of thousands of births. Other persons who are not self-controlled will never have that chance. One shall make gifts there in accordance with one’s capacity and in accordance with the injunctions. Particularly one should make gifts of a Śālagrāma stone and a cow.

[The Special Merit of Listening to the Purāṇas^[2]]:—

25. Those who always listen to the story of Viṣṇu that sanctifies the universe, do indeed become devotees of Viṣṇu in this world of human beings.

26. If he is not able to listen always to the story that sanctifies the universe, the man should listen to it for a Muhūrta (48 minutes) or for half that time or even for a moment. If a man devoutly listens to the excellent story of Viṣṇu, he does not have any mishap or bad luck.

27. By listening to the Purāṇas once one obtains that merit which one derives from all the Yajñas and all types of charitable gifts.

28. Particularly in Kaliyuga excepting listening to the Purāṇas there is no greater holy rite for men nor there is any greater thing that yields salvation.

29. Listening to the Purāṇas and repeating the names of Viṣṇu—these two alone are the two great fruits of the tree of merits to human beings.

30. By drinking the nectar with great effort only one shall be rid of old age and death. But the nectar of the story of Viṣṇu shall make the entire family free from death and old age.

[An Expounder of the Purāṇas Worthy of Being Worshipped by All]:—

31. Whether he be a boy or a young man or an old man, whether he be poor or wretched, a man conversant with the Purāṇas should always be respected by meritorious persons.

32. One should never think about a person conversant with the Purāṇas to be mean or lowly, since the word that comes out from his mouth is a (veritable) wish-yielding cow (Kāmadhenu) unto all embodied beings.

33. It is he who grants the chance of never returning (to the world) to those persons who have become dejected and distressed by frequent compulsion to take thousands and crores of births. Who else can be a better, a greater preceptor?

34. When a Brāhmaṇa-expounder of the Purāṇas occupies the seat of Vyāsa, he shall not bow down to anyone till the conclusion of the story or discourse.

35. The intelligent one shall not expound the holy story (of Purāṇas) in a place infested with vicious men, Śūdras or beasts of prey, or in a gambling house.

36. The intelligent one should sermonize the (Purāṇa) story in a good village peopled by good men, a holy spot, a temple or on the sacred banks of rivers.

37. The listeners who are endowed with faith and devotion, who are not hankering after any other activity, who are restrained in their speech, are pure and are not unduly excited shall earn merit.

38. If vile and mean persons listen to the holy story without devotion, they will never have the merit. They will be miserable in every birth.

39. Those who honour and adore a Purāṇa by means of offerings of Tāṃbūla (betel leaves) etc. and then listen to the story with devotion, shall never be poor or sinners.

40. If men go out elsewhere while a Purāṇa is being expounded, their wives and wealth shall perish in the midst of their enjoyment.^[3]

41. Those who listen to the holy story (Purāṇas) with a turban on their heads, will be born as foolish sinners, the meanest of men.

42. Those who listen to the sacred story even as they chew betel leaves, shall fall indeed into a hell and swallow the filthy ordure of dogs.

43. Those hypocrites who listen to the story while occupying a higher seat, shall undergo everlasting tortures in hells and then will be reborn as crows.

44. Those who sit on their hams in the posture of Vīrāsana, and those who occupy thrones and listen to the holy story shall become Arjuna trees.

45. Those who begin to listen without bowing down at the outset, shall become poisonous trees. Those who listen to the story while lying down, shall become pythons.

46. He who listens to the story while occupying a seat on a level with that of the expounder, shall incur a sin on a par with that of defiling the preceptor’s bed and fall into a hell.

47. Those men who censure a person conversant with the Purāṇas or the holy story that dispels sins, shall indeed be reborn as dogs a hundred times.

48. Those who make impertinent remarks while the discourse is being held, shall be reborn as donkeys and chameleons thereafter.

49. Those men who never listen to the holy story, undergo tortures in hell and are reborn as wild pigs.

50. Those who create disturbance while the story is being told, undergo the tortures of hells for a crore of years and are reborn as village pigs.

51. Excellent men who encourage the narration of holy stories, shall attain the imperishable eternal region, even if they do not listen.

52. Those men who expound the holy story of the Purāṇas (to others), dwell in the region of Brahmā for more than hundred crores of Kalpas.

53-54. Those men who give a seat to a person conversant with the Purāṇas, or give him blankets, deerskins, clothes or a couch, shall attain heaven after enjoying all desirable pleasures. After residing in the world of Brahmā and others they go to a place devoid of ailment (i.e. salvation).

55-57. Those who offer excellent and new thread (to tie) a Purāṇa, shall enjoy pleasures in every birth and become endowed with perfect knowledge.

Those who have committed major sins, those who have committed minor sins—all these attain the highest region only through listening to the Purāṇas.

After hearing about the greatness of Veṅkaṭādri those sages worshipped and duly honoured Sūta who was richly endowed with the favour of Vyāsa and was the most excellent one among those conversant with the Purāṇas. They derived matchless delight.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

There are six important Tīrthas on the Veṅkaṭa hill. Their special important days are mentioned below:

Tīrtha—Important day
1. Svāmipuṣkariṇī—Bright half, 12th day of Mārgaśīrṣa;
2. Viyad (Ākāśa-) gaṅgā—Full-Moon day of Caitra (with the Sun in the Zodiac Aries);
3. Pāpavināśa—Sunday, bright half of Āśvina, 7th day when the Moon is with Uttarāṣāḍhā and 12th day when the Moon is with Uttarābhādrapadā;
4. Pāṇḍu Tīrtha—Tuesday or 11th or 12th day of Vaiśākha (both in dark and bright half with the Sun in Taurus);
5. Kumāradhārikā—Full-Moon day of Māgha (with the Sun in the Zodìac Aquarius);
6. Tuṃburu—Full-Moon day of Phālguna (with the Sun in the Zodiac Pisces).

[2]:

VV 27-30 describe the benefits derived from listening to Purāṇas.

[3]:

VV 40-50 describe the restriction on the listeners of Purāṇas.