Chapter 29 - The Glory of Sarvatīrtha: Sucarita Attains Sāyujya

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Note: Sarvatīrtha is in the inner courtyard of Rameswaram shrine. — The story of Sucarita is the special contribution of this Purāṇa for the glorification of this Tīrtha.

Śrī Sūta said:

1. After taking the holy bath in Sādhyāmṛtatīrtha which redeemed the king from a curse, the man observing restraints should go to Sarvatīrtha.

2-8. Sarvatīrtha is extremely meritorious. It is destructive of great sins. One who is defiled by great sins or all sorts of sins, shall becomes pure instantaneously by taking the holy plunge in Sarvatīrtha. O sages of good holy rites, all the sins stay in the body only until the sinning man takes his holy bath in this Sarvatīrtha. On seeing a man going to Sarvatīrtha for the sake of taking the holy bath in it, O Brāhmaṇas, all the sins begin to tremble thinking, ‘Our ruin is certain.’

A man suffers from the miseries of staying in the womb and the like as long as he does not take his holy bath in this Sarvatīrtha, O eminent Brāhmaṇas. By taking his holy bath here a man obtains the benefit that is usually obtained by performing great sacrifices, by resorting to Tīrthas, by performing the Japa of Gāyatrī and of other great Mantras, by observance of all restraints, by recitation of all the Vedas a hundred times, by the devout worship of the deities (like Śiva, Viṣṇu and others), and by observing fast on Ekādaśī (eleventh) and other Tithis.

The sages said:

9. O Sūta, how did this Tīrtha come to be famous by the name Sarvatīrtha? Describe this meritorious thing in detail to us who are listening to it (eagerly).

Śrī Sūta said:

10-16. Formerly a sage called Sucarita, born in the family of Bhṛgu, was congenitally blind and was distressed due to old age. He strictly adhered to the observance of restraints. Due to his blindness he was unable to go on a pilgrimage, O Brāhmaṇas.

The great sage who was desirous of taking bath in all holy Tīrthas went to the sacred mountain Gandhamādana on the shore of the southern ocean. Reaching there he performed a difficult penance with God Śiva in view (hoping thereby to realize his desire to take bath in all holy Tīrthas). He controlled his passions and observed fasts. He worshipped Śaṃbhu thrice (everyday). He took the holy plunge three times everyday. He honoured the guests. He stayed in water during winter and stood amidst five fires in summer. During rainy season he used to endure torrential downpour. (Sometimes) he had only water or wind as diet. He always applied Bhasma all over his body or applied Tripuṇḍra marks on his forehead as per instructions mentioned in Jābāla Upaniṣad. He regularly wore Rudrākṣa rosaries. Thus that Brāhmaṇa performed a severe penance for ten years.

17. Being pleased with the penance of that Sage Sucarita, O Brāhmaṇas, that moon-crested Lord Śaṅkara appeared before the sage.

18. The Lord was riding on his great Bull. He was attended upon by multitudes of Bhūtas (goblins and spirits). Half of his body was that of the Daughter of the Mountain. The Trident-bearing Lord had the lustre of a crore of Suns.

19-21. With his refulgence he brightened all the quarters and made them free from darkness. All his limbs were grey on account of the application of the holy ash (Bhasma). He was embellished with clusters of matted hair. He was adorned with ornaments in the form of Ananta and other great serpents.

Appearing before him, Śaṃbhu, Śaṅkara, the consort of Pārvatī (Daughter of the Mountain) granted him two eyes, the power of vision, so that he could see him (God Śaṃbhu). On seeing the great Īśāna (Śiva), O Brāhmaṇas, Sucarita, to whom a pair of eyes had been given by Śaṃbhu, eulogized the Lord with delighted mind.

Sucarita said:

22-28. Be victorious, O Lord Maheśāna, be victorious. O Śaṅkara, O Dhūrjaṭi, be victorious, O lord, worthy of being worshipped by Brahmā and others, O slayer of the three Puras, O annihilator of Yama; be victorious, O lord of Umā, O Mahādeva, O slayer of Kāma; be victorious, O lord devoid of impurities. Be victorious, O physician (who cures people of the disease) of worldly existence, O protector of the Bhūtas, O immutable Śiva. Obeisance to you, O three-eyed one, O lord always readily engaged in protecting the devotees. Bow to you, O sky-tressed one. Be victorious, O lord, O mercy incarnate. Obeisance to you, O blue-throated lord. Be victorious, O lord releasing the devotee from worldly chaos. Hail to you, O Maheśvara, O personification of the greatest bliss. Obeisance to you, O holder of Gaṅgā, O lord of the universe, O Mṛḍa. O immutable one, obeisance to Lord Vāsudeva, to Saṃbhu. Bow to Śarva, Ugra, Garbha. Obeisance to the lord of Kailāsa. Protect me, O ocean of mercy, with your benign glance. Do not mind my conduct. Kindly protect me, O Hara.

Śrī Sūta said:

29. On being eulogized thus, Mahādeva, the ocean of mercy, the lord of Umā, said thus to Sage Sucarita, O Brāhmaṇas.

Mahādeva said:

30. O Sage Sucarita, choose whatever you desire as your boon. It is to grant you the boon that I have come to this splendid and meritorious hermitage.

On being told thus, the sage spoke to Mahādeva, the storehouse of mercy:

Sucarita said:

31-33. O Moon-crested Lord, if you are pleased with me, I shall choose as boon what I desire. My body has been afflicted with old age. I am unable to go anywhere. I eagerly desire to take my holy bath in all the Tīrthas. Hence tell me the means of attaining that merit which a man obtains by taking the holy bath in all the Tīrthas.

Mahādeva said:

34-41. I shall invoke all the Tīrthas here on this Gandhamādana mountain that has been sanctified by Rāma’s Setu.

After saying this, the excellent Lord Mahādeva invoked the Tīrthas on Mountain Gandhamādana to please the sage. Thereafter Śaṅkara, the storehouse of mercifulness, said to Sucarita:

“O Sage Sucarita, this Tīrtha is destructive of all great sins. Since all the Tīrthas are present herein, it is remembered by the name Sarvatīrtha. Since all the Tīrthas have been drawn by me mentally, this Tīrtha will get the name Mānasatīrtha. It bestows worldly pleasures and salvation. Hence, O Sucarita, bathe here for the sake of immediate salvation. It has the refulgence on a par with a forest-fire to burn down all the masses of great sins. It is destructive of lust, delusion, fear, anger, greed, ailment, etc. It is the cause of immediate salvation without a perfect knowledge of Vedānta. It takes (the devotee) across the ocean of worldly existence full of crocodiles in the form of birth, death, etc. It is destructive of all the hells such as Kuṃbhīpāka, etc.”

42. On being told thus by Śaṃbhu, the enemy of Madana, O Brāhmaṇas, Sucarita took his holy bath in Sarvatīrtha in the presence of Mahādeva.

43. When Sucarita took his holy plunge and came out, he appeared to all the men extremely handsome and free from old age and grey hair.

44. On observing the handsome features of his own body, Sage Sucarita praised that Tīrtha. The other ascetics too praised it in diverse ways.

45-47. Thereafter, Mahādeva spoke to Sucarita: “O Brāhmaṇa Sucarita, stay on the banks of this Tīrtha. Take the holy bath regularly remembering me, the bestower of salvation. O excellent Brāhmaṇa, do not go to the Tīrthas in the other lands. Thanks to the glory of this Tīrtha, you will certainly attain me in the end. Others too, O Brāhmaṇa, who will take their bath here will attain me.

48-50. After saying this, Lord Īśa vanished there itself. After Rudra had vanished, Sage Sucarita lived for a long time on the banks of Sarvatīrtha. Strictly adhering to the observance of restraints, he regularly took his holy bath in the Tīrtha (named) Mānasa. At the end of the body (on death) he was liberated from all bondage. He attained Śaṅkara. By the power of Sarvatīrtha he attained Sāyujya.

51. Thus, O Brāhmaṇas, the glory and power of Sarvatīrtha has been recounted to you. He who reads this or listens to this, is liberated from all sins.