Chapter 75 - Manifestation of Trilocana

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Note: Trilocana is one of the oldest and most famous of Liṅgas. Its temple is just above Trilocana Ghāṭ (BCL 231).

Agastya said:

1. O Viśākha, I am not fully satiated after listening to the story of Oṃkāra that, dispels great sins. Narrate the story of Triviṣṭapa.

2. O Six-faced One, O highly intelligent one, how was the highly meritorious manifestation of Trilocana narrated to the Goddess by the Lord of the Devas?

Skanda said:

3. Listen, O sage, I shall narrate the story that dispels fatigue—the story of Triviṣṭapa, in the manner in which it has been narrated by the Lord.

4. That Pīṭha (Seat of holiness) is called Viraja. The Liṅga there is Triviṣṭapa. By visiting that Pīṭha, a man becomes rid of Rajas.

5. O Pot-born One, three streams have their confluence there. All the three dispel sins. (They flow) to the south of Trilocana.

6-7. Sarasvatī, Kālindī and Narmadā who gives excessive happiness assume the forms of the streams for the purpose of bathing the Liṅga directly. All those three rivers with pitchers in their hands bathe the Liṅga Triviṣṭapa of great refulgence, three times a day.

8. All-round, Liṅgas named after themselves have been installed by them. By visiting them, men will obtain the benefit of holy ablution in them.

9. Sarasvatīśvara Liṅga is to the south of Triviṣṭapa. On being seen, it accords the region of Sarasvatī. On being touched, it dispels sluggishness.

10. Yamuneśa is to the west. If devoutly worshipped by men, even if they be sinners, this prevents (falling into) the world of Yama.

n. Seen to the east of Trilocana, Narmadeśa accords excellent welfare. By adoring that Liṅga, men’s further (likelihood of) staying within the womb is prevented.

12. A devotee who takes his holy bath in the Pilipilā Tīrtha near Triviṣṭapa and visits Trilocana Liṅga need not bewail anything further.

13. Even by recollecting Triviṣṭapa Liṅga, a man will become the Lord of Triviṣṭapa (heaven). One should not bother about that.

14. Those who visit Triviṣṭapa shall undoubtedly become the creators (of the world). They alone are contented and blessed. They alone are men of great intellect.

15-21 There is no doubt about this that those devotees will be free from the sins accumulated in the course of seven births, if the Triviṣṭapa Liṅga in Ānandakānana is bowed down to by them; if those persons of pure intellect had heard even the name of Trilocana.

If Triviṣṭapa is visited in Kāśī, one shall get that benefit which is attained when all the Liṅgas all-over the earth have been visited.

He will instantaneously be rid of all sins. He will never be reborn in any womb. He is (to be considered as) one who has bathed in all the Tīrthas. He is one who has performed all valedictory baths (after sacrifices).

The devotee shall take his holy bath in the waters of the north-flowing river (Gaṅgā) in the Pilipilā Tīrtha, where those highly meritorious rivers always stay. If one performs Śrāddha etc. what will he do in Gayā? The devotee who takes his holy bath in the Pilipilā Tīrtha, offers balls of rice and visits Triviṣṭapa Liṅga, shall obtain the benefit of crores of Tīrthas.

The sin that has been acquired elsewhere shall vanish on visiting Kāśī.

22-26. A sin committed in Kāśī gives the state of a Piśāca (vampire, evil spirit). If someone commits a sin in Ānandakānana due to ignorance, he should visit Triviṣṭapa Liṅga. He will get rid of that sin. Ānandakānana is the most excellent (place) in the whole of the earth.

There too all the Tīrthas are superior. Still superior is the place of Oṃkāra. Trilocana is in the form of ultimate Śreyas (welfare). It is more excellent than the excellent Liṅga Oṃkāra that illuminates the path of salvation.

Just as the Sun is the best among the luminaries, just as the Moon is the best among things worthy of being seen, so also the Trilocana Liṅga is the greatest among all Liṅgas.

27. Salvation, the sole treasure of supreme bliss, is not out of reach of the. worshippers of Trilocana.

28-31. By worshipping other Liṅgas throughout the life, one cannot attain the good that is obtained by worshipping Trilocana once.

Persons of great intellect who worship Trilocana Liṅga at Kāśī should be worshipped by the dwellers of the three worlds who desire to get my favour.

Why should men be afraid if even after having renounced everything and performed Pāśupata Vrata they have deviated from the regulations, when the great Liṅga (named) Triviṣṭapa exists, which dispels masses of great sins, is the heap of merit and is the pawnshop of salvation?

52. By worshipping even once the great Trilocana Liṅga, one is rid of all sins acquired in the course of hundreds of births.

33-40. All these great sinners can have redemption from sins by bowing down to Trilocana Liṅga: Sinners such as a Brāhmaṇa-slayer, a liquor-drinker, a thief, a defiler of the preceptor’s bed, one who associates with the preceding persons (sinners) for a year and hence becomes a great sinner, one who carnally approaches another man’s wife, one who is interested in committing violence to others, one who habitually reviles at others, one who betrays trust, an ungrateful wretch, a destroyer of foetus, paramour of a Śūdra woman, one who forsakes parents and preceptors, one guilty of arson, one who administers poison, a cow-slayer, a woman-slayer, a Śūdra-slayer, a violator of a virgin, a cruel one, one indulging in scandal, one who is averse to one’s own Dharma, a censurer, an atheist, one who persistently indulges in perjury, one who eats prohibited things, one who sells prohibited articles. All these with the sole exception of a slanderer of Śiva, attain expiation from sins by bowing down to Trilocana Liṅga.

A deluded fool engaged in censuring Śiva, a censurer of Śaivite scriptures—there is no expiation for him. No such redemption is seen in any scripture by anyone. He who performs the act of censuring Śiva should be known as a soul-killer, a murderer of the three worlds. He is baser than the basest. He should not be talked to.

41. Those who are engaged in censuring Śiva in the midst of the devotees of Śiva, fall into the terrible hell as long as the Sun and the Moon (shine).

42. Followers of Śiva should be carefully adored in Kāśī by those who desire salvation. Even when they are adored, Śiva undoubtedly becomes delighted.

43-45. With a desire for the expiation of all the sins committed here, the following words should be unhesitatingly uttered by those who believe in authority. If you are desirous of making a beginning, if you are afraid of sins, if you consider our words true on the authority of scriptures, then forsake everything, make up your mind and go to Ānandakānana where Viśveśvara himself is present.

46-53. If men enter the holy spot with such a definite resolve within themselves, no mass of sins harasses them. The greatest virtue is attained. The devotees should take their holy ablution in the great Tīrtha, in the triple stream devoid of impurities, in the meritorious Tīrtha named Pilipilā served by three rivers, where the great sins have been hurled off by the glance of the eyes of the Three-eyed Lord. They must offer libations to those who should be offered them in accordance with the injunctions in the Gṛhya Sutras. They must make monetary gifts without any dishonesty in the matter of spending but in accordance with their capacity. They should visit Triviṣṭapa Liṅga and adore it with great devotion with all these necessary requisites, namely sweet scents, different kinds of garlands, Pañcāmṛta, incense, lamps, Naivedya (food) offerings, clothes, ornaments, necessary articles of adoration, bells, mirrors, chowries, flags and banners of diverse colours, dances, musical instruments, excellent songs, Japa, joyous circumambulations and prostrations to the fullest satisfaction of the attendants. After adoring thus, he should say “I am free from sins.” He should then request the Brāhmaṇas to make the proclamatory utterance. A wise man who does these shall instantly become sinless.

54. Then he should take his bath in Pañcanada and next perform ablution in the pool Maṇikarṇikā. Thereafter he should worship Viśveśa whereby he attains great merit.

55. This expiatory rite is cited as one that purifies great sins. This should not be mentioned to an atheist who downgrades the greatness of Kāśī.

56. One who performs this auspicious expiatory rite giving monetary gifts avariciously, goes to hell. It is true; it is true, O Pot-born One.

57. At the time of Pradoṣa (dusk of the thirteenth lunar day), if a devotee circumambulates seven times the Trilocana shrine, he attains that merit which is acquired after completely circumambulating the whole of the earth.

58. If a devotee visits in Kāśī the Triviṣṭapa Liṅga girdled by a serpent but dies elsewhere, he will become liberated in the next birth.

59. Elsewhere, in the case of all the Liṅgas, a time of meritorious significance is specified, but at Triviṣṭapa night and day are equally meritorious times for men.

60. The Liṅgas, the chief of whom is Oṃkāra, are of adequate power of destroying sins, but, O Pārvatī, the power of Trilocana is something very unique.

61. O Aparṇā, listen to the reason why this Liṅga is superior to all the other Liṅgas. I shall tell. Retain it in the ear.

62. Formerly as I was absorbed in Yoga, this great Liṅga pierced through the seven nether worlds from beneath the earth and issued forth in front of me.

63. I was stationed well-concealed in this Liṅga formerly and I gave unto you, O Gaurī, three eyes and you saw the excellent Liṅga.

64. Ever since then, O Goddess of Devas, this Liṅga is praised as Trilocana, the bestower of vision of knowledge, by people residing within the three worlds.

65. Those who are the devotees of Trilocana are all themselves three-eyed; they are my attendants; they are indeed liberated ones even while living.

66. O Maheśānī, no one fully understands the greatness of Trilocana Liṅga; it has been kept well-concealed by me alone.

67-70. The devotees should take their holy bath in the Pilipilā whirlpool on the third day in the bright half of Vaiśākha, observe fast devoutly and keep awake at night. They should take bath again there itself in the morning and worship Trilocana. After worshipping the Liṅga, they should offer Dharma-ghaṭas i.e. ‘pots offered for merit’ filled with cooked rice along with monetary gifts. They should joyously do this keeping in view their ancestors, O Goddess. They should then break the fast in the company of the devotees of Śiva. After casting off their earthly bodies (later on), O Goddess, they will invariably become my Gaṇas going ahead (in processions etc.) as a result of that merit.

71. Devas, men and the great serpents wander in their worldly life (of birth followed by death), O Gaurī, only till they see Trilocana Liṅga in Kāśī.

72. By seeing Triviṣṭapa once, after taking bath in the Pilipilā pool, a creature never sucks at the breasts of a mother here (i.e. gets Mokṣa).

73. Every month on the eighth and the fourteenth days, O fair lady, all the Tīrthas come to see Lord Triviṣṭapa.

74. Taking bath in the waters of Pilipilā to the south of Triviṣṭapa and offering Sandhyā prayers once, one shall attain the merit of performing Rājasūya.

75. There itself, there is a well named Pādoḍaka which destroys sins. Drinking its water a man is not born again as a man.

76. At the side of that Liṅga, there are many Liṅgas according salvation on being seen and touched.

77. Śāntanava (installed by Śantanu) Liṅga has been installed on the banks of Gaṅgā. By seeing it a man distressed by worldly existence attains peace.

78. To the south of it, O Sage, there is the great Liṅga named Bhīṣmeśa. If it is seen neither Kali nor Kāla (Death) nor Kāma (lust) harasses men.

79. To the west of it there is the great Liṅga renowned as Droṇeśa. By worshipping that Liṅga, Droṇa assumed the form of a luminary again.

80. In front of it is the Aśvatthāmeśvara Liṅga that accords great merit. It is due to the worship thereof that the son of Droṇa does not fear even Kāla.

81. To the north-west of Droṇeśa is the great Vālakhilyeśvara Liṅga. By visiting it with great faith one shall obtain the merit of performing all Yajñas.

82. To the left thereof the Liṅga named Vālmīkeśvara can be seen. By seeing it, a man becomes rid of all grief.

83. I shall narrate another incident that happened here itself, O Pot-born One. The greatness of Triviṣṭapa has been recounted to the Goddess by the Lord.