Chapter 3 - The Tīrthas: Svargadvāra, etc.

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Summary: The Tīrthas: Svargadvāra: Candrahari: Conclusion of Candra Sahasra Vrata.

Sūta said:

1-3. On hearing these words of the Pot-born Sage with great respect, the intelligent sage Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana spoke these sweet words:

Vyāsa said:

O holy lord, the glory of this Tīrtha is excellent. On hearing this from you my mind has attained supreme delight. Describe accurately another excellent Tīrtha even as I listen. On listening to you, O sage of good holy rites, my mind is not fully satisfied.

Agastya said:

4. It is always destructive of all sins. Listen, O Brāhmaṇa, I shall describe another excellent Tīrtha well-known as Svargadvāra.^[1]

5. There is none who is competent to describe in detail the glory of Svargadvāra. Hence, O dear one of good holy rites, listen to a brief (description).

6-7. According to experts, the knowers of Purāṇas, Svargadvāra has an extent of six hundred thirty-six Dhanus to the east of Sahasradhārā in the waters of Sarayū.

8. (I aver it thrice) that it is true, it is the truth. My speech is not untrue. There is no other Tīrtha on a par with Svargadvāra in (the whole of) the sphere of the Cosmic Egg (Brahmāṇḍagolaka).

9. All the celestial and terrestrial Tīrthas leave off their (respective places) in the morning and gather together and stay there as their resort, O sage of good holy rites.

10. Hence the holy bath here should be particularly taken in the morning by a person who desires to get the benefit of the holy plunge in all the Tīrthas for himself.

11. The living beings that cast off their lives inside Svargadvāra, O Brāhmaṇa, go to the supreme abode of Viṣṇu. There is no doubt about it.

12. See that this is the entrance to salvation. It is conducive to the attainment of heaven by men. Hence this excellent Tīrtha has become famous as Svargadvāra.

13. Svargadvāra is exceedingly difficult of access even to the Devas. There is no doubt about it that whatever a man desires there, he obtains it.

14. The highest achievement lies in Svargadvāra. The highest goal lies in Svargadvāra. The Japa performed, the charitable gift offered, the Homa done, the things seen, the penance performed there and the meditation, the Vedic study, done there—all shall have everlasting benefit.

15. All the sin accumulated during thousands of his previous births perishes (completely) (ṃe very moment) one enters Svargadvāra.

16-22. Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, Śūdras, mixed castes, worms, barbarians, all sorts of inferior classes of men, insects, ants, animals and birds—that attain death in Svargadvāra in due course of time, shall become persons (equipped) with Kaumodakī (the iron-club of Viṣṇu) in their hands. All the birds will become the Garuḍa-emblemed Lords. Men will become Viṣṇus in the splendid city of Viṣṇu.

Whether he has any desire or has no desire at all, if one goes to the Tīrtha Svargadvāra and forsakes his life, he will be honoured in the world of Viṣṇu.

Sages, Deities, Siddhas, Sādhyas, Yakṣas, groups of Maruts, those who make divisions in the Tīrtha (Com.) only by means of the sacred thread (?) and the groups of Devas are present here at midday. Hence they consider the midday bath with great respect.

Those who have conquered their sense-organs and observe fast at Svargadvāra and those who observe fast for a month go to the supreme abode.

23. Those who are engaged in giving cooked rice, those who give jewels, those men who gift plots of lands, those who distribute (as gift) cows and clothes to Brāhmaṇas—all these go to the abode of Hari.

24. Siddhas, noble-souled sages, Pitṛs—all these go to heaven through this Tīrtha. Hence this is said to be Svargadvāra (‘gateway to Heaven’).

25. Had himself, the Lord of Devas who has split his person into four and sports about here (as Rāma), stays happily along with his brothers.

26. The Four-faced eternal Lord, the grandfather of the worlds, has forsaken the world of Brahmā and he sports about here along with Devas.

27. Śiva, the permanent resident of Kailāsa, is also stationed there (at Svargadvāra) itself.

28. A mass of sins as huge as Meru or Mandara (mountain) becomes completely destroyed on reaching Svargadvāra.

29. The goal that is attained through perfect knowledge and penances and the goal that is obtained by the people who perform Yajñas, that auspicious goal is decreed for ṃose who die in Svargadvāra.

30. Svargadvāra is resorted to by multitude of sages, Devas and Asuras, engaged in Japa and Homa and also by ascetics desirous of salvation.

31. If in Kaliyuga anyone stays in the city of Rāma, the son of Daśaratha, even for (a period of) half a wink, he obtains that benefit which is obtained by staying at Kāśī for sixty thousand years.

32. Merely by taking the holy bath in Sarayū on Hari’s day (i.e. the eleventh lunar day) one attains that goal which is obtained by those endowed with Yogic practice and those who cast off their lives in Vārāṇasī.

33. No one who dies in Svargadvāra sees hell. Blessed by Keśava all of them attain the greatest goal.

34-38. O excellent Brāhmaṇa, this Tīrtha excels all the Tīrthas (which exist) on the earth, in firmament and in heaven.

If people adopt devotion to Viṣṇu and confidently rejoice therein, if they restrain in accordance with their capacity their lustful ardour for sensual objects, if they gather together all their power and engage themselves in penance, they will never return even in hundreds and crores of Kalpas.

Even if a learned man who stays here is killed with hundreds of weapons, he goes to that great region. After going to that place no one bewails.

If anyone dies in Svargadvāra, he attains the greatest goal. There is no question at all whether the period of death is during the Northern Transit of the Sun or the Southern Transit.

39. All times are auspicious to those who resort to Svargadvāra. Merely by taking bath here sins of embodied beings perish.

40. To all the people on the earth who commit whatever amount of sins with their bodies, Ayodhyā has been mentioned as the greatest abode (for the purpose of removing them).

41. It is laid down by Devas that the annual festival of Lord Candrahari is to be celebrated especially on the fifteenth day in the bright half of the month of Jyeṣṭha.

42. On that day the Udyāpana rite (concluding rite) should be performed by those who have observed the holy vow called Candrasahasra. O Brāhmaṇa, it should be performed with scrupulous care. It is conducive to a benefit that is superior to the benefit of all Yajñas.

43. If that is performed, men will obtain heavenly abode because the great sins perish (thereby).

Śrī Vyāsa requested:

44. O holy lord, recount (to me) accurately the highly auspicious origin of Candrahari and also the procedure of the concluding rite (Udyāpana) of the holy vow called Candravrata.

Agastya said:

45-47. After bowing down to Viṣṇu, the resident of Ayodhyā, Moon-god, the storehouse of nectar, was eager to witness personally the glory of the Tīrtha. After coming here Moon-god performed the pilgrimage.

Capable of performing different kinds of miraculous acts, he propitiated Viṣṇu in accordance with the injunctions and in the proper order and by means of penance very difficult to perform.

He obtained his (Lord’s) favour. He installed Hari with his own name prefixed (as ‘Candra-Hari’). Therefore he (the lord) is known as Candrahari.^[2]

48-51. With the favour of Vāsudeva that spot became a miraculous one. Indeed, O sage of good holy rites, that spot of Vāsudeva, the lord of all living beings, became an exceedingly secret (sacred) spot for the purpose of attaining salvation.

In this (holy spot), O Brāhmaṇa, Siddhas have always observed the holy vow of Govinda.

They hold different types of symbols. They are desirous of the world of Viṣṇu. Those (Yogins) who have subdued their sense-organs and are liberated souls, practice the highest type of Yoga (here).

In other places one does not secure as much merit as in this Tīrtha. Charitable gifts, Vratas and Homas—all these shall become infinite in benefit.

52. Living beings always attain their cherished desires and benefits (here). Hence charitable gifts etc., the worship of Brāhmaṇas and particularly of couples, should be performed here by all living beings with great effort and in due order.

53-54. By visiting this, living beings attain all that benefit and the merit which men obtain by visiting all the Deities, by taking the holy bath in all the Tīrthas and by performing all the Yajñas of superior benefits. Hence this is extolled as a great holy spot in Purāṇas etc.

55. The rite of Udyāpana should be performed here with the guidance of Brāhmaṇas in the presence of Candrahari. The Vrata is called Candrasahasra Vrata.^[3]

56-57. (According to the reckoning of the Lunar months) when two years, six months, five (?) fortnights and two and one-eighth days pass by there is one intercalary month.

When eighty-three years and four months definitely pass there will be a thousand Moons.^[4] If a man lives up to that age he should celebrate the Udyāpana (of this Vrata) and (perform) the pilgrimage with effort.

58. The merit that is declared (as acquired by) performers of continuous sacrifices, by the (life-long) speakers of the truth and donors of gold, that merit is acquired by persons who live (long enough to see a thousand moons).

[The Procedure of Udyāpana]:—

59-64. A meritorious Vrata like that which yields all happiness is described here. On the fourteenth day the devotee should clean his teeth, take his holy bath and remain pure. He should observe restraint in speech, body and mind and take to the vow of celibacy. He should do the same on the full-moon day also and then perform the worship of the Moon.

At the outset the Mothers should be worshipped in the order of Gaurī and others. He should then devoutly worship the Ṛtviks and perform Vṛddhi Śrāddha. The pure devotees should get the replicas of the lunar sphere made. They should be a thousand in number, half of it or one-fourth of it, or in accordance with one’s own means it may be still half of it or even one-fourth of it. Thereafter the worship should be performed as one’s own faith and means permit.

Or sixteen auspicious replicas should be made carefully. Thereafter he should perform the worship of Moon-god in accordance with the injunctions of the Āgamas. Everyone of the auspicious replicas should be made of sixteen Māṣas (of gold etc.).

65. The Homa should be performed with the Soma Mantras in accordance with one’s riches. He should install the images and recite the Soma Mantras.

66. He should read out (the portion of the story narrating) the origin of Soma and recite the Somasūkta carefully. Thereafter he shall perform the worship of Candra (Moon) in accordance with the injunctions of the Āgamas.

67. He should perform the Nyāsa (symbolical assignment of the part of the body to the deity) rite of the Moon and of the Kalās (digits) in the disc of the Moon. Similarly he shall perform the Nyāsa rite of the eleven organs (including organs of sense and of action) duly. There shall be water kept in the mystic diagram.

68-73. The mystic diagram should resemble the lunar disc. It should be made with auspicious rice grains. The Kalaśa (Pot) shall be placed in the middle and it should be filled with cow’s milk. In the four comers of the square outside, the devotee should place the full Kalaśas.

The worship of the Moon should be performed in the Maṇḍala (mystic diagram) in the order of the names:

“Obeisance to Himāṃśu. Obeisance to Śomacandra. Obeisance to Candra, to Vidhu always; obeisance to Kumuda-bandhu (‘the kinsman of lilies’); obeisance to Soma, to Sudhāṃśu (‘Nectar-rayed’); obeisance to Oṣadhīśa (‘lord of medicinal herbs’); obeisance to Abja (‘born of water’); to Mṛgāṅka (‘one marked by the image of a deer’); obeisance to the storehouse of Kalās (‘digits’); obeisance to Nakṣatranātha (‘lord of the stars’); obeisance to Śarvarīpati (‘lord of the night’); to Jaivātṛka (‘ṃe long-lived one’); perpetual obeisance to Dvijarāja (‘king of the twice-born’)”.

Thus the Moon should be worshipped by means of the sixteen names in order.

74. Then the pure devotee should duly offer the water of a conchshell along with the requisite Mantra. He should take the conchshell water along with flowers, fruits and sandal-paste.

75-79. “Obeisance to you, O Śaśāṅka (‘having the hare for a mark’) who are born again and again at the end of every month; do accept my Arghya along with Rohiṇī.”

After duly worshipping Moon-god, the devotee should bow down to him. Sixteen other Kalaśas filled with milk and covered with cloths along with jewels should be given to a Brāhmaṇa for the sake of peace.

Then he should perform the rite of ablution by means of milk and water. The minds of the Ṛtviks should be propitiated in accordance with one’s riches. He should feed a Brāhmaṇa, particularly one with a (large) family. A Brāhmaṇa couple should be worshipped then by means of clothes with great care. Thereafter ample and excellent monetary gift should be made.

80-83. The replicas should be given to Brāhmaṇas along with cows, gold, silver, clothes and cooked rice in particular. All these should be gladly given to a Brāhmaṇa for the propitiation of Moon-goḍ.

The intelligent devotee should spend the rest of the day by observing fast. On the next day he should perform the worship of the Lord. He should take food along with kinsmen. He need not observe the restraints further.

If a person performs this excellent Candra-sahasra-vrata, even if he is a Brāhmaṇa-slayer, drink-addict, thief, or a defiler of the preceptor’s bed, he shall become a purified soul by this Vrata.

The man shall go to the world of the Moon. Whatever he was before, O Brāhmaṇa, he shall become a favourite of Nārāyaṇa. If a man performs the Vrata like this regularly, he shall become blessed and contented.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

This Tīrtha is to the east of Sahasradhārā in the waters of Sarayū. It is 636 Dhanus in extent.

[2]:

The deity called Candra-Hari was installed by Candra (v 47). Its annual festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the bright half of Jyeṣṭha.

[3]:

VV 55-83 describe the Udyāpana (conclusion) of the Candra-Sahasra-Vrata. It is to be done after seeing one thousand full moons i.e. after 83 years and 4 months (v 57).

Though it is called a Vrata, it is a Śānti. The procedure given in this Purāṇa is different from what is current now-a-days. Vayovasthābhidha-Śānti-Samuccaya (collection of śantis—pacificatory rites at certain stages of life) by Nārāyaṇa Śāstri Ānjarlekar (K.B. Davale Pub. Bombay) pp. 46-51 give the following procedure for this:

Sahasra-Candra. It is to be performed after the completion of 79 (Lunar) years. The main deity is the Moon to whom 1008 or 108 (or according to one’s capacity) ghee oblations are to be offered with the Mantra ‘navo navo bhavati’. The next Adhidevatā is Tryambaka whom 108 or 28 (or as per one’s capacity) ghee oblations are to be offered with the Mantra tryambakaṃ yajāmahe; the next deity to be propitiated is Sun-god (Kāla-svarūpa sūrya) to whom 28 or 8 (or as per one’s capacity) ghee-oblations are to be offered with the Mantra ākṛṣṇena. Lastly the Nakṣatra-devatā, the star or Nakṣatra under which the Yajamāna is born is to be propitiated with 28 or 8 ghee oblations.

[4]:

According to calculation of the Solar Year this reconciles the previous statement.