Chapter 36 - The Greatness of Naradīpa

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

1-4. Why is Mahākāla called Śivapada? What is the reason that Koṭīśvara is called Pāvaka? Why Vaṭamātṛs are second to(?) Naradīpa? Why is Abhayeśvara known as Śaṅkhoddhāraṇa? Of what purpose is Naradīpa (unto) the second set of Vaṭamātṛs. Why is it called Abhayeśvara? Why Śaṅkhoddharaṇa? Why is Śuleśvara called Oṃkāra? Why is it called Dhūtapāpeśvara? Why is it called Aṅgāreśvara? How is it that Ujjayinī city is remembered as divine and extending (in period) to seven Kalpas. O excellent sage, narrate to me all its names.

Sanatkumāra replied:

5. Listen, O Vyāsa, how the city Kuśasthalī is famous as the divine city, the most excellent one by name and activity, and how it extends to seven Kalpas.

6-9^[1]. In the original first Kalpa it was called Svarṇaśṛṅga; in the second, Kuśasthalī; in the third, it is called Avantikā; in the fourth Amarāvatī. It is famous in the fifth Kalpa as the Cūḍāmaṇi city; it is to be known as Padmāvatī in the sixth and in the seventh it is the city of Ujjayinī. Again at the end of that Kalpa it is (will be) to be remembered as Svarṇaśṛṅga etc. He who gets up early in the morning and recites these seven names is rid of sins committed in the course of seven births. There is no doubt about this.

Formerly there was a king named Andhaka in Ujjayinī.^[2]

10. He had an excessively valorous son named Kanaka Dānava. That powerful one challenged Indra for a fight.

11-13. Fighting in the battle, he was beaten down by Indra angrily. After killing the Dānava, Śakra became afraid of Andhāsura. He went to Kailāsa, the abode of Śaṅkara, in search of Śaṅkara. After seeing the Lord of Devas he bowed down to the Crescent-crested Lord. His eyes welled up with tears. He was extremely frightened. He submitted to the Lord, “O Lord, grant me freedom from fear of the demon Andhaka.”

14-19. On hearing these words of Śakra, the Lord, gracious unto his devotees, granted him freedom from fear saying, “Do not be afraid of Andhaka.”

Mahādeva assumed a very terrible cosmic form with serpents of ferocious nature moving about sportingly. They (serpents) had sharp fangs and they were excessively poisonous. They appeared like the cavities of the nether worlds and hissed angrily and terribly. The Lord had thousands of arms holding many weapons. He was clad in the hide of a lion and that of a tiger used as his upper garment. He displayed the hide of an elephant prominently. The moon, the sun and fire constituted his eyes. His calves resembled huge mountains. He caused everything to be agitated and trembled to the bottom of the nether worlds. After assuming such a form as caused the fright to Danujas and Daityas, Śaṅkara, the terrible one, descended to the earth with one of his legs.

20. A pool was formed there itself. It was bowed down to by all the Devas. Since the Lord pressed with his foot, the place is called Śivapada.

21. A crore of sins were torn (destroyed) by means of the big toe of the foot. Hence it is famous as Koṭi Tīrtha. It is destructive of all sins.

22. The Koṭi (tip, ten million) of the Tīrthas was determined (ascertained) by Agastya. Hence too this auspicious Tīrtha is remembered always as Koṭi Tīrtha.

23. All the Devas visited it and took the holy bath therein with a desire for welfare. The form was manifested by the great Kāla (Time, god of Death). Hence the deity is remembered as Mahākāla.

24. The demon Andhāsura became overwhelmed with the darkness of wrath on hearing that his son was killed. He caused the war trumpets, drums etc. to be sounded.

25. Accompanied by his army, he set off and reached the place where the Devas were stationed along with a vast army consisting of chariots and elephants.

26. On seeing the Dānavas getting prepared for the great battle, they (gods) trembled, though they were well-prepared. They sought refuge in Śaṃbhu.

27. The Three-eyed Lord said to the Devas “Do not fear.” He seized a trident and angrily bit his lip with the curved fanglike teeth.

28-31. When the Three-eyed Lord became wrathful, the entire sky was filled with flames. Ten million unbearable arrows were discharged by the furious Andhaka. The army of the Devas was reduced to the plight of locusts and perished. Discharging flames of fire the Pināka-wielding Lord split them (arrows) into hundreds of pieces and struck him with his own arrows. With the weapons slipping down, Andhaka became feeble; hence he was restrained (and covered) by Śaṃbhu by means of arrows like a lotus by means of bees. His army also was hit by his Gaṇas who fought in the battlefield.

32-38. The army was killed by the excellent warriors of gods who had resorted to Sthāṇu. On seeing his army struck down by the Suras and himself hit and pierced by Maheśa by means of crores of arrows, Andhaka whose body was split up became afraid. Expert in hundreds of types of Māyā (deceitful acts) he then adopted the Tāmasika Māyā. The Lord of Devas hidden by that Māyā went to the north. Śaṃbhu apparently was afraid on being hit in the heart. He wandered all over the earth. The Daitya too pursued the Lord along the path by which he was gone. ‘He is not seen; where has the wicked one gone?’ Andhaka uttered a sound and then Maheśvara said something. A Tīrtha took shape there, well-known as ‘Vāgandhaka’. A person should take his holy dip therein and be clean. On the ninth day in the bright half of Mārgaśīrṣa, he should offer any gift along with sugarcandy. That gift shall have everlasting benefit. The donor shall go to Śivapura.

39. With the Pitṛs in view, anything can be offered devoutly unto Śiva. They will be satiated and remain so till the annihilation of all living beings.

40. The Devas were enveloped in darkness and they became agitated. With the minds utterly confused they could not think about anything.

41.^[3] In the meanwhile, O Vyāsa, Narāditya rose up by means of his own self and refulgence in the form of a man dispelling the darkness of the quarters.

42. When the darkness was dispelled and the Daitya was brought into the light, the Devas became delighted on seeing Nara by means of their own eyes.

43-51. They eulogized Divākara (Sun-god) in the form of Nara with different kinds of hymns and prayers. Since Divākara rose up in the form of a Nara and became illuminated, the Devas named him Naradīpa.

A man who devoutly visits Divākara named Naradīpa is liberated from all sins, even if he happens to be slayer of a Brāhmaṇa.

A devotee should visit the deity, O Brāhmaṇa, on the sixth lunar day coinciding with a Sunday. He should observe fast on the seventh lunar day.

On a day when the moon changes at the beginning or end of a half day (dinacchidra), on the day of the transit of the sun, on the day of the equinox, a man should take his holy bath in the Kuṇḍa, remain clean, control his mind, utter the divine names and see the deity Naradīpa. He should recite the prayers accompanied with the play on auspicious instruments of music. He should worship by means of sweet scents, incense, lights and Naivedya offerings. With the accompaniment of musical instruments and songs, he should bow down with the Aṣṭāṅgas (eight limbs touching the ground). He should circumambulate in the morning, midday and in the afternoon. He shall become liberated from all the sins committed in the course of seven births.

By means of aerial chariots which are covetable to all and which shine like crores of suns, he shall quickly go to the world of the Sun inaccessible even to the Devas.

Since this deity was installed by Nara himself as a favour, this is called Naradīpa. It was from Śakra that the deity, the Sun, was procured and installed here. Therefore, O Vyāsa, the procedure for the Yātrā has been drawn up by Śakra.

52-54. The Lord said: “O Pārtha (i.e. Nara), I shall come here, in Naradīpa, with due consideration, along with the Devas, on the second day in the bright half of Jyeṣṭha. The advent of mine should be known from the showering by the god.”

Thereafter the Devas came from heaven and visited the brightly illuminated Naradīpa occupying the chariot thus and performed the Yātrā duly. Thereafter they moved about in divine vehicles.

55. A man who devoutly visits Naradīpa seated in chariot, shall become liberated from all sins. He is honoured in the world of the Sun.

56. O sage, I shall describe the procedure of the Rathayātrā of Naradīpa and also the merit acquired thereby as laid down and proclaimed by the sages.

57. On the second lunar day in the bright half of Jyeṣṭha, the Sun (Divākara) seated on the chariot is taken round in Kuśasthalī by excellent Brāhmaṇas who pull him along with their hands.

58. He who sees the Divaspati (the Sun-god) coming to the northern quarter acquires the entire benefits of Agniṣṭoma Yajña.

59. A man who returns from Keśavārka and sees the chariot is on a par with one who performs the Yātrā of Śuṇḍīrasvāmin (i.e. Kārttikeya^[4]). There is no doubt in this regard.

60. He who pulls the chariot drawing the rope, O sage, redeems the ancestors of his family, the fathers and grand-fathers.

61. O excellent Brāhmaṇa, those with self-control who see Naradīpa proceeding towards the south go to heaven.

62. He who covers the holy spot, the chariot and the deity by means of thread, obtains all desired things and becomes highly meritorious.

63. If men devoutly circumambulate the Sun deity, they are on a par with those who have circumambulated the earth with the seven continents.

64-68. A person should get up early at dawn and silently approach the Sun (deity), O excellent Brāhmaṇa. He sees the deity through the eastern doorway and bows down. Entering through the southern doorway he worships the wheel of the chariot. He should come out through the same doorway, bow down and go away. After resorting to western doorway he should worship the Sun seated in the chariot. He should offer chowries, awning bells and other things. A cow should be gifted at the eastern door; a horse at the southern door; an elephant in the west and in the northern one the chariot itself. The man who performs Yātrā unto Naradīpa thus, attains all the desires and becomes one who has acquired merits.

69-71. He attains the heavenly world of the divine Gau (Cow), Sūrya, Śiva and Śakra. O sage, it will be as though the circumambulation of the great Meru was carried out by him. If a man makes a gift of thousand cows in the course of a hundred Vyatīpātas, or a thousand horses the same benefit is obtained by the performance of the Yātrā^[5] of Naradīpa.

A person never gets bereft of Śrī (glory, wealth) if he performs the rite of Vapana (‘shaving off the hairs on the head’) when Naradīpa has mounted the chariot. He is honoured in the world of the Sun.

72. In the tank in front of Sūrya, the river Sarasvatī is present for the whole of a month. If a man views it everyday, evil dreams will cease to afflict him.

73-75. O Vyāsa, he who sees Naradīpa devoutly everyday, attains the excellent region accompanied by sons and grandsons. He sports about along with kinsmen. On death he goes to the city of Sūrya.

O Brāhmaṇa, when the darkness was dispelled and light spread everywhere, when Andhaka was killed by Maheśa with the trident, all the Suras, the chiefs of whom were Brahmā and Indra, became delighted.

76. At that time, with a desire for the welfare of the Suras, Viṣṇu blew the conch. There the Tīrtha named Śaṅkhoddhāraṇa emerged.

77-81. To the southern side of the deity, very near the Liṅga that has four faces, Viṣṇu is present, stabilized there with the trident.

Those persons with the sense-orgaṇs subdued shall have all the masses of their sins exhausted. They will attain the greatest goal.

He who duly offers oblation unto the Yoginīs is never harassed by Bhūtas (spirits), ghosts, vampires etc.

A person should observe fast on the Dvādaśī day and take his holy bath. He shall thereafter visit Lord Janārdana, the Lord having the conch-shell. He shall thereby attain the Acyuta (eternal) region.

82. Obeisance to that Puruṣottama who has subtle and gross forms and who clearly manifests himself, who is identical with all yet not identical, from whom this world has originated and who is the cause of the universe.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

VV 6-9 give the seven names of Ujjayinī per Kalpa.

[2]:

The story how demon Andhaka became a Gaṇanāyaka of god Śiva extends to chapter 38.32. It is interspersed with many non-relevant matters. That is the Purāṇic way of story-telling.

[3]:

VV 41-75 describe the Sun-cult then prevalent at Ujjayinī.

[4]:

Avasthi notes that the correct name is ‘Muṇḍīra-Svāmī’ and it was one of the great temples of the Sun-god. Studies in the Skanda Purana (p. 142, Note 4).

[5]:

yad-yāvāt seems to be misprint for yātrāyām, a reading found in the Gurumaṇḍal Ed. (XX) 8.122.