The Skanda Purana

by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words

This page describes Pishacamocana Tirtha which is chapter 53b of the English translation of the Skanda Purana, the largest of the eighteen Mahapuranas, preserving the ancient Indian society and Hindu traditions in an encyclopedic format, detailling on topics such as dharma (virtous lifestyle), cosmogony (creation of the universe), mythology (itihasa), genealogy (vamsha) etc. This is the zeroth chapter 53b of the Avantikshetra-mahatmya of the Avantya-khanda of the Skanda Purana.

Chapter 53b - Piśācamocana Tīrtha

Note: Now follows the description of Piśācamocana Tīrtha. As usual with such stories, a part of the bone of the Piśāca of Devala fell into the Tīrtha and he entered the Liṅga of Maheśvara.

25-27. The merit of Sundara Kuṇḍa has been proclaimed. Listen to another thing, O Vyāsa. Once a Piśāca that had fallen among sinful creatures on account of many sins attained salvation. He went away assuming the form of Śiva. Even if one happens to be slayer of a Brāhmaṇa, one becomes rid of all sins by taking the holy bath in Piśācamocana and seeing Maheśvara.

Vyāsa said:

28-29. Who is this that became notorious as a Piśāca? What sin was committed by him whereby he attained the state of a ghost? O excellent Brāhmaṇa, how did it chance that he came to be in the holy spot? O foremost among the knowers of Brahman, I wish to know this from you.

Sanatkumāra said:

30. Listen, O Vyāsa, to the great narrative of the excellent greatness of the Tīrtha, merely by listening to which all sins will be destroyed.

31-34. There was a base Brāhmaṇa of south named Devala. He was always engaged in sinful activities. He was very avaricious. He committed perjury. He was lascivious. He was a roguish gamester hating his own preceptor. He killed elders. He defiled the bed of his preceptor. He stole gold, imbibed liquor, killed Brāhmaṇas. He was disloyal and rebellious to his master. He used to eat forbidden food. He neglected the study of Vedas and scriptures. His sins got accumulated in the course of many births. He was estranged from all righteous activities. He was treacherous, proud and desirous of associating with thieves. He was a rogue and dull-witted. He went to other countries in order to achieve his objective by committing theft.

35. On the way many living beings were killed by that man of sinful activities. Due to association with other sinners, that wicked fellow went to Magadha.

36. There was a great Brāhmaṇa who had mastered the Vedas and Vedāṅgas. He was self-controlled and he regularly performed sacrifices with the holy fire. He possessed pure Sattva quality and was engrossed in all Brāhmaṇical rites.

37. His wife was in his father-in-law’s house. He took that lady of spotless fame and proceeded ahead seated in a vehicle, but he was killed by this sinful Brāhmaṇa.

38-41. His wife was very beautiful with excellent features. She was chaste and of noble qualities. She used to smile pleasantly. She was of firm mental resolve. When her husband was killed, she became miserable. She was badly distressed due to the separation from her husband. She was left in the lurch in the terrible forest. The beautiful woman gathered fuel and twigs together and kindled the funeral pyre which she ascended along with her husband. She was mentally pleased in doing so.

The other wicked fellow collected together all the means of sustenance of this Brāhmaṇa and fled. But he was arrested by the king’s servants on the way. He was bound over along with the stolen stuff and taken to the palace. The king was duly reported.

42. A rope was tied round his neck and he was thrown into the hollow of a tree. He was crushed and pounded on the ground and dragged here and there by Cāṇḍālas, the dog-eaters.

43. As a result of ḥīs evil actions, he went to the Raurava hell. Then for sixty thousand years he lived as a worm in faeces.

44. By the executors of the order of Yama he was taken to another hell named Asipatravana where iron arrows (blades of swords) were made red hot.

45. He was struck with iron hammers and dragged with iron chains by the servants (of Yama). He began to cry when he reached Kumbhīpāka and was excessively tortured in Vaitaraṇī.

46. After experiencing the fall thus into pits and chasms of diverse and new types of hells, the sinful one attained the state of a Preta (ghost) for seventy-five Yugas.

47-51. He had a huge body. His voice was loud. His stomach was huge and his face was pointed like a needle. Overwhelmed with hunger and thirst, he resorted to a desert region. After experiencing pains and difficulties, he assumed the body of a Pīśāca. He was crooked and wicked-intentioned. He was nude and perpetrated wicked actions. Faeces, urine, foul, stinking and stale leavings of other’s foodstuffs constituted his food. He lived in cremation grounds eating the remnants of other’s food. He used to wear hides of animals. He was bereft of eyesight. He always liked to live in tanks and lakes, in ruins, withered dry trees, dry, waterless regions, ramparts, moats, vacant houses, banks of rivers etc. He liked to live in nooks and corners and joints. When many Yugas elapsed thus, he went to Mahākālavana.

52-58. It was the place where the Liṅga of Maheśvara and also the beautiful and excellent Sundara Kuṇḍa are present. As soon as he stayed there, he was attacked and caused to fall down by a lion. After killing that sinner, the hungry lion desirous of drinking water entered the Kuṇḍa. From its mouth the bone (of the Piśāca) that had got entangled with his curved tooth fell into the water. By the power of that meritorious thing, all his sins perished. After death the Liṅga came to his vision. He abandoned the ghostly body and a fiery lamination (from his body) entered the Liṅga. Ever since then, O Vyāsa, the Tīrtha became known as Piśācamocana.

The deity became famous as Piśācamocaneśa since then. As long as one does not reach the Piśācamocana Tīrtha of the river Śiprā the sins roar like elephants maddened in rut. O Vyāsa, after taking the holy bath in Piśācamocana, one should be clean and mentally concentrated; worshipping, Lord Piśācamocana duly, one becomes rid of all sins. There is no doubt about this.

59-60. O Vyāsa, one should make great gifts at Piśācamocana. He will never return from Śivaloka.

One who reads and listens to the sacred story of Piśācamocana that dispels sins, shall attain the merit of a horse-sacrifice.

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