Chapter 4 - The Redemption of Puṇḍarīka and Aṃbarīṣa

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Note: This chapter gives inter alia the locations of important sacred spots (deities, tanks) in the conch-shaped Puruṣottama Kṣetra.

Śrī said:

1. The Bull-emblemed Lord who bestows everything dwells on the tip of the holy spot of the shape of a conch on the western border.

2. Nīlakaṇṭha is at the tip of the conch. This spot extending to a Krośa (3 Kms) is the very rare, excellent and sanctifying holy spot of Nārāyaṇa himself.

3. The interior of the conch is flooded with the waters: of the ocean, the Lord of rivers, up to the root of the Banyan tree.

4-10. The ocean at this place attained the status of the chief of all the Tīrthas because of its contact with the Banyan tree.

Just as the Lord, when perceived, is the bestower of salvation, so also this holy spot is conducive to salvation if a person dies here, and the ocean bestows salvation if a person takes his holy bath here.

Formerly out of anger Rudra cut off the fifth head of Brahmā. He could not get rid of that head (which clung to him). Holding it he wandered over all the regions of the Cosmic Egg. It was only after coming here that he could get rid of the skull.

The Liṅga named Kapālamocana is situated in the second Āvarta (turning) of the conch-shaped region (?). One who visits Kapālamocana,^[1] worships it and bows down to it, gets rid of the sins of Brāhmaṇa-murder etc. One who dies in the region on the right side of it, is liberated from worldly existence.

My primordial Śakti named Vimalā^[2] is in the third (turning) of the conch-shaped Kṣetra. O Dharmarāja, know that it bestows the benefits of worldly pleasures and salvation. He who devoutly worships, bows down to and glorifies it, attains everything desired and on death attains salvation.

11-14. These three are stationed in the naval region, viz. the holy pit, the Banyan tree and the Lord. From the (Tīrtha named) Kapālamocana and as far as the place where Ardhāśinī is installed, should be known as the central region of the conch. It is well-protected by the Discus-bearing Lord.

O Dharmarāja, at the beginning of creation, this Śakti of mine drinks up half of the water that was increasingly accumulated at the time of the Great Deluge. So she is known as Ardhāśinī.^[3] He who visits her and bows down to her, enjoys perpetual worldly pleasures.

From the water-front of the seashore to the root on the Banyan tree the region is considered to be the bestower of salvation on insects, birds and human beings on dying here.

15-21. The interior of this sacred place is highly meritorious. It is desired even by Devas. People see all persons dwelling here as holding discus and lotus.

All the Tīrthas together on the earth, in the firmament and in heaven are three and a half crores in number. They bestow heavenly pleasures and liberation.

This holy spot Puruṣottama is glorified as the king of all those Tīrthas. Among all the sacred places that bestow salvation this one is considered to be one which bestows (liberation called) Sāyujya. Those who dwell here do not become afflicted with sorrow due to old age, birth and death.

This holy tank named Rohiṇa^[4] is full of water called mercifulness. It exists permanently. Merely by its contact it bestows liberation from bondage. The water within this increases during the period of dissolution and afterwards it dissolves here itself. Hence it is called Rohiṇa.

So do not feel aggrieved due to the loss to your authority here. O king of the dead, you are not the Lord of those who are entitled for liberation.

After instructing Dharmarāja thus Lakṣmī, the mother of the worlds, spoke courteously to Brahmā who was seated in front:

22-26. “O Lord of the worlds, O Brahmā, everything is known (to you). Declare that this holy spot bestows salvation on all creatures. Perform penance with Kāmākhya (‘one whose name is Kāma’) and Kṣetrapāla (the Guardian of the holy spot) or Vimala in view (Defective Text).

Nṛsiṃha (Man-Lion) to the right of the Lord is the embodiment of Brahman itself. He is refulgent after tearing off the chest of Hiraṇyakaśipu.

By simply seeing this deity all the sins will be destroyed. There is no doubt about it. The devotee will be worthy of enjoyment of worldly pleasures as well as salvation. There is no doubt about it.

A person who forsakes his life in front of this deity, shall attain Sāyujya with Brahman. Whatever holy rite he performs here, shall have crores and crores of times the merit thereof.

27. This is the shade of the Kalpa tree. It is illuminated by the Sun Nṛsiṃha. On death therein Avidyā (Nescience) perishes with or without perfect knowledge.

28. Without the perfect knowledge resulting from Śravaṇa (listening) and other things prescribed by the Vedānta texts, which is very difficult for the ignorant people to acquire, O Brāhmaṇa, liberation is possible (to them) here.

29. In Avimukta (Vārāṇasī) the great Lord Śiva, the storehouse of mercy, whispers the knowledge of Brahman into the ears of the person who is desirous of salvation. He imparts the means of enlightenment also.

30. By means of that, by practising it intelligently, one shall attain salvation gradually (by degress). Thanks to the greatness of the instructor, his knowledge does not become deficient.

31. Those who give up their lives here shall instantaneously attain liberation from their own forms. O Yama, you need not entertain any doubt in this regard.

32. Those persons of confused minds who are bound by Karmas and those who are subject to coming into and departing from (this world), O son of Vivasvān, never get any faith in this matter.

33. They are as much confounded in their minds as a thirsty person who forsakes the sweet, cool water of Gaṅgā free from impurities and goes to a puddle.

34. (Defective Text) Those who leave this excellent holy place and wander over to Other holy spots are like those who are satisfied with the sweet smell of a Palāśa flower (merely). The only result they get is weariness.

35. This ocean bestows salvation through holy bath. The Lord bestows salvation through his vision; the Kalpa-tree bestows salvation through its shade and the holy spot bestows salvation on men on their death anywhere (in it).

36. A man is liberated by means of that in which he has devout faith. There is no other Tīrtha like this.

37. He who abandons this Tīrtha and entertains interest in another Tīrtha is certainly deceived by the Māyā of Viṣṇu because he is too greedy and covetous.

38-41. There is no need of giving you more advice. You have directly, experienced thus (when) the crow assumed the form of Viṣṇu.

Eight Śaktis have been glorified for the protection of the interior^[5] of the shrine and the sacred spot. Formerly for the sake of a wife I was meditated upon by Rudra by (undertaking) a severe penance. Gaurī who is going to he his wife has been created by me. She is the abode of all beauty and she came out from my body. At the titne she was commanded by me: ‘O gentle lady, do something pleasing to me in accordance with my suggestion. Protect the interior of the body shrine all round me by means of your Mūrtis (different forms).’

42-45. Out of love for me she stands in the quarters in eight forms: Maṅgalā stands at the root of the Banyan tree. In West stands Vimalā. Sarvamaṅgalā stands in the posterior of the conch (Kṣetra). In North Ardhāśinī and Laṃbā are stationed. Kālarātri stands in South and Marīcikā is in East. Caṇḍarūpā is well established behind Kālarātri. This holy spot is guarded by these Śaktis of very fierce forms. This is indeed very difficult of access to a man deficient in merits.

46-50. By visiting and glorifying these eight Śaktis all the sins will perish. One shall obtain the benefit of a horse-sacrifice.

On seeing the eight different forms of Rudrāṇī Rudra, Śaṅkara, split himself into eight forms and began worshipping the great Lord.

After propitiating Viṣṇu by means of penance he requested for an excellent boon: ‘I shall stay very happily and comfortably wherever you stay, O Lord. Excepting you, O Lord of Kamalā, there is no other cause of bliss and salvation. O Lord, you are my immanent soul. Without you whence is a physical body? Those foolish persons who do not know you, take delight in unclean worldly pleasures,.1 have sought refuge in you who are like pure (cloudless) sky.’”

Jaimini said:

51-57. The Lord stationed himself in the middle and established Rudra as Kṣetrapāla all round. There are eight Liṅgas of Māheśvara (around), viz. Kapālamocana, Kṣetrapāla, Yameśvara, Mārkaṇḍeya, Īśāna, Bilveśa, Nīlakaṇṭha and Vaṭeśa at the root of the Banyan tree. By visiting, touching and worshipping these Liṅgas one becomes liberated.

Yama has no jurisdiction over those persons who die here in the holy spot. Achieve that object elsewhere, the object for which you came here. Yet the Lord of the universe is willing to dedicate himself to a devotee.

On being devoutly propitiated by Yama the Lord who dispels the distress of those who seek refuge in him, will cover up his Māyā by means of his discus Sudarśana.

In this excellent holy spot covered with golden sands, which could not be abandoned, she deceived Yama and made him proceed to his own abode. She considered it good and thereafter spoke to Brahma who was present in front.

Śrī said:

58. There will be a king named Indradyumna in Satya Yuga. He will be a follower of Viṣṇu and a knower of sacred texts. He will perform all (types of) Yajñas.

59-62. That excellent king will come here and perform great worship. For the propitiation of the Lord he will perform a thousand horse-sacrifices. The Lord of the subjects will do everything for the sake of his blessings.

One tree will split into four. Viśvakarmā will make the idols out of the wooden pieces. Propitiated by Indradyumna you will be the person who will install them. O grandfather, there will be the installation of idols resembling us.

63. On hearing these words of Śrī the Four-faced Lord and Yama went back to their respective cities with great joy.

64. Remembering the greatness of the holy spot repeatedly they had their hair standing on end all over the body on account of amazement and delight.

65-66. Now, O sages, the Lord still dwells there for the sake of helping the world. He is accompanied by Bala and Subhadrā. It is the same Lord who was propitiated by Indradyumna, the glorious Lord holding the conch and the discus, who resembles a dark-blue cloud and resides in a cave of mount Nīla and has wooden physical body.

67-74. The Lord who destroys the distresses of those who bow down to him, the ocean of mercifulness, is equipped with the discus Sudarśana made of wood.

By visiting him one will be relieved from the strong bondage of sins.

O excellent sages, it is as though all the good and meritorious actions of those who see the Lord (who dispels) the threefold distress like the Moon that dispels heat, have come to fruition simultaneously.

Indeed there are many incarnations of Viṣṇu, both divine and human. (His) wonderful deeds and greatness have been described. On account of great familiarity Suras do not honour human beings (?).

O Brāhmaṇas, the minds of Devas, Asuras, human beings, Gandharvas, Serpents, Rākṣasas and lower orders of beings dwell on Hari in that wooden idol. He is the soul of everyone and he causes happiness unto everyone.

They sustain themselves by this happiness of the Lord having a unique form. One experiences there what the Vedic words of Brahman have said, viz. “It dispels all the miseries of worldly existence and gives imperishable happiness. Therefore Brahman is sung about in the Upaniṣads as ‘Dārumaya’ (Brahman made of wood). Indeed the idol of wood will never bestow salvation anywhere.

75. O Brāhmaṇas, a natural state cannot be obtained through an artificial one. Salvation is not an artificial one. How can it be the effect of an artificial wood?

76. The blessedness and prosperity of Brahman cannot be achieved without any basis. This excellent abode of Viṣṇu is a great mystery.

77. That idol is supramundane. It was revealed as though it was a worldly one. Where has it been heard or seen that an idol speaks?

78-82. At that time the Lord with wooden idol granted boon to Indradyumna. O sages, seek refuge in Han, the Lord, without (seeking) anyone else as your shelter. He is the sole asylum for the wretched and helpless ones. He takes us across the ocean of worldly existence.

His feet always deserve to be saluted by the mobile and immobile beings. He is the ultimate resort. Nārāyaṇa is the source of origin of the universe. He is the cause of creation and annihilation. He liberates (us) from all sins. He dispels all miseries. He enhances prosperity and glory. He is the protector of all Yogins. He nourishes all the creatures. He holds up and sustains ail the worlds. He is the speech of all the languages. He condemns all the wicked ones. He dries up all marshes (i.e. sins). He resorts to the Nīla Mountain, O sages, seek refuge in the all-pervading Lord, the only support of all.

83. Though he is motionless and wooden-formed, he indulges in graceful divine sports. Even if there is only very little of devotion, he forgives a hundred offences of men.

84. In this connection I shall narrate to you a story of the Supreme Soul abiding in a wooden body out of sport, O sages. That story absolves (one) of sins.

85. There was a Brāhmaṇa and a Kṣatriya who hailed from Kurukṣetra.^[6] They became loving friends who moved about taking food together and playing together.

86-88. They deviated from decent behaviour. They ate forbidden things and got deluded. They did not study the Vedas, nor ever uttered Vaṣaṭ (i.e. never performed holy rites). They were devoid of Svāhā and Svadhā (i.e. they gave up sacrificial rites and Śrāddha to Pitṛs). They became ineligible for the practice of religious rites. They were defiled by great sins. They imbibed liquor and rejoiced in the company of harlots. Thought about the next world never occurred to them even in dreams. Behaving in this way they spent half of their life.

89-90. Once in the course of their wanderings they came to a place enclosed for sacrifice. Hearing from afar the hymns and the fascinating words of the scriptures and seeing all those holy rites prescribed in the Śrutis, O Brāhmaṇas, those two irreligious ones developed some faith in the path of piety.

91. They remembered their caste. Puṇḍarīka and Aṃbarīṣa censured their own evil deeds and spoke to each other:

92-93. “How will we cross this vast ocean of our sins inclined by us in this very birth and that too knowingly. It cannot fade away. Even the sacred treatises do not know what extremely rare expiation for the terrible sins that we two have heaped up is available.

94. Still let us ask these Brāhmaṇas in the sacrificial assembly about the redemption. They are well-versed in the Vedas and they have realized Brahman. They will accept us on our prostrating (in front of them).”

95. After deciding thus, they paid their respects to those Brāhmaṇas. They repeatedly confessed their sinful crimes and asked them (about the modes of atonement).

96-99. On hearing their words, those excellent Brāhmaṇas kept their eyes closed. They did not say anything. With great surprise visible on their faces they looked at one another (as though they wanted to say), “Alas, extremely terrible sins have been accumulated by these vicious ones. The sacred texts cannot step in to suggest a suitable atonement. Therefore we are not competent to redeem them.”

Among them there was a prominent devotee of Viṣṇu who was the chief of the Assembly. He had destroyed all sins due to the greatness of his devotion to the Lord. He was the most excellent one among those conversant with apt utterances. He laughingly spoke to them:

The Vaiṣṇava said:

100. O Brāhmaṇa, O Kṣatriya, if you desire liberation from the terrible heap of sins, go immediately to Puruṣottama.

101-107. It is the most excellent one among holy spots. It is there that Puruṣottama of wooden idol is present. The Lord had blessed the saintly king Indradyumna on account of his devotion. By propitiating that Lord of the universe, the wielder of conch, discus and iron club you will certainly attain the destruction of your sins or you will get liberation as you please.

He is like a forest-fire unto the mass of cotton (in the form) of the terrible evil deeds. This (mass of sins) cannot be wiped off by means of penance even in the course of crores of births. On seeing that Lord all the sins will be instantaneously destroyed. So do not delay. Go there quickly. Seek refuge in the Lord whose abode is on the peak of the Nīla mountain in the holy land of Utkala (Orissa) on the shores of the southern sea. That Lord, the storehouse of mercy, will grant you the accomplishment of what you desire.

On being directed thus, the Brāhmaṇa and the Kṣatriya became delighted. O Brāhmaṇas, they started towards Puruṣottama by that very path.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

A Tīrtha called Kapālamocana with a similar legend of dropping of a sticking skull is found in many other sacred places in India.

[2]:

This deity existed before the composition of MtP as it refers to its existence as ‘vimalāpuruṣottame’ (MtP 13.35). Its temple was built circa CE 740-940 during the reign of Kara dynasty (H.K. Mahtab, Odisā Itihāsā).

[3]:

A popular etymology of the name of the goddess.

[4]:

In Oriya language ‘Rohiṇa’ means a banyan tree (Vaṭa). Its association with the Banyan tree called ‘Kalpa Vṛkṣa’ gave it the name Rohiṇa. This tank is in the compound of the Jagannātha Temple.

[5]:

Antarvedī is the area between the sea and the Banyan tree. It is the sacred-most spot in Puruṣottama Kṣetra.

[6]:

As stated in v 91 below, their names were Puṇḍarīka and Ambarīṣa. These are imaginary. They are in no way connected with the great royal sage and the Brahmin ascetic of the same name mentioned in the old Purāṇas.

As described in the next chapter, these confirmed sinners were liberated at the sight of Jagannātha. Such is the great merit of merely seeing the Lord.