Chapter 58 - Prayāgeśvara (prayāga-īśvara-liṅga)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Note: While King Priyavrata was performing a penance at Badarī, Nārada came to him and told him how at the sight of Sāvitrī he had lost his knowledge of the Vedas. He then performed a penance at Prayāga. Prayāga assumed a human form and led him to Mahākālavana where at the sight of the Liṅga, he recovered his Knowledge. Priyavrata then was merged in the Siddheśvara Liṅga.

Īśvara said:

1-8a. Know that the fifty-eighth deity is the Liṅga named Prayāgeśvara. It is excessively conducive to the attainment of all desires.

Formerly in the first Kalpa, there was Svāyaṃbhuva Manu whose son Priyavrata was extremely pious. He performed many Yajñas. After performing many Yajñas at the conclusion of which he distributed monetary gifts in all the seven continents, O my beloved, he begot Bharata and other sons. He then went to the extensive holy spot Badarī and performed a great penance. After a long time Nārada came there. King Priyavrata offered him a seat and Arghya and honoured him duly. After the adoration, he asked Nāraḍa: “What miracle have you seen? Tell me.”

Thereupon, the excellent sage began to narrate:

(Nārada said:)

In the Śveta Dvīpa, O king, a girl was seen by me in a lake. She was asked (by me): “O girl of wide eyes, why do you stay in this desolate place? Who are you, O fair one? How do you do? What is your job here? O splendid girl beautiful in every limb, tell me what you intend to do here.”

8b-15. On being asked thus, she looked at me and then recollecting something she stayed silent with eyes closed till I found myself bereft of (my) excellent knowledge. All the Vedas and Śāstras were forgotten by me. I was dismayed and worried. I sought refuge in herself, O king, and looking at her, a divine person in her body was seen by me. In the heart of that man there was a second man. In his heart in turn another one was stationed. Then somehow I asked that girl of divine origin: “O dear girl, I have forgotten all my Vedic knowledge. What is the reason? Tell me.”

The Girl said:

I am the mother of all Vedas. My name is Sāvitri. It is because you do not know me that the Vedas were taken away from you.

When this was said, O king, I asked her in surprise: “O sinless one, you are indeed the mother of the Vedas. Tell me: Who are these three men, O goddess, in your heart?”

The Girl said:

16-26. This being of splendid limbs, beautiful and graceful, stationed in my body is named Ṛg Veda. The second one is Yajur Veda. The third one is Sāma Veda. The three Vedas are abiding in me. O Brāhmaṇa, the three fires and the three Devas are also staying in my person.

After saying this, O king, even as I was watching, that girl vanished suddenly. So I became surprised. ‘What shall I do? Where shall I go? Which Lord am I to seek refuge in? How will the Vedas and Śāstras manifest themselves now? Prayāga is cited in the Veda as the king of holy spots fulfilling desires. I shall go there. I will regain knowledge there. Excellent Siddhi has been achieved there by Raibhya who had forgotten the Vedas. It is reported that in the vicinity of the Akṣayyavaṭa Sāvitrī is present.’

I thought thus in my mind, O excellent king, and went to the holy spot Prayāga that fulfils all desires and is bowed to by all the Devas. Severe penance extremely difficult for others to perform was performed by me there. Then, O eminent king, Prayāga in a personified form came there. He lovingly told me: “O Nārada, O son of Brahmā, I am Prayāga. Do not scorch me (with your penance). I have been terrified by your penance. O sage, I have come to your side through affection. O holy Sir, you are blessed in every respect, especially so through your penance. O holy Sir, unhesitatingly you must accompany me to the beautiful Mahākālavana. There, undoubtedly, you will regain excellent knowledge. By fame too will become everlasting and steady.”

27-34. Even as Prayāga was speaking thus, O excellent king, the yellow-robed Janārdana appeared before us suddenly in the sky seated on Garuḍa and holding the conch, discus and club in the hands. Lord Puruṣottama spoke these words in a voice as majestic as the thunder of a cloud: “Come, Nārada, we shall go where Prayāga goes.”

On hearing the words of Kṛṣṇa, I spoke to Janārdana: “O Lord of Devas, grant me knowledge. How can I who am bereft of knowledge of Vedas, go to Mahākālavana?” On being requested thus, O king, Śrīdhara took me to Mahākālavana in a trice accompanied by Prayāga. Even as I was watching, O king, Prayāga worshipped that eternal, beginningless Liṅga in the form of refulgence (situated) to the east of Ghaṇṭeśvara and to the south of Navanadī.

The delighted Liṅga asked: “Why have you come here, O Prayāga, with full restraint and purity? I am always pleased with you. Visiting me will never be fruitless.”

35-44. On being told thus by the Liṅga, he made a quest for my sake: “Grant knowledge unto this noble-souled Brāhmaṇa, Nārada. O Lord, because he did not know Sāvitrī, Vedas and Śāstras became lost unto him.” Thereupon, Brahmā came out of the Liṅga accompanied by the Vedas together with the six ancillary treatises, occult treatises and the Purāṇas as well. Then, O excellent king, I was told thus by Goddess Sāvitrī: “By the power of this Liṅga, O Nārada, the Vedas and Dharmaśāstras will manifest themselves to you as requested by Prayāga.” When these words were uttered, O king, the Vedas were regained by me along with the different kinds of Śāstras and the knowledge of the six Aṅgas. O eminent king, with the acquisition of the knowledge I spoke these words: “The deity has been adored by Prayāga for the sake of knowledge unto me. Hence the deity will become well-known in all the worlds by the name Prayāgeśvara.

From then, that Liṅga surrounded by hundreds of crores of Tīrthas has yielded the benefits of heavenly pleasures and salvation. O excellent king, of what avail is the performance of a horse-sacrifice? By visiting that Liṅga one derives the benefits of a hundred horse-sacrifices. Of what avail is penance even if it is perfectly practised? Indeed it causes pain unto the body. One can get the desired thing immediately by visiting Prayāgeśvara.

Īśvara said,:

45-50. On hearing the words of Nārada, O great goddess, King Priyavrata, the son of Svāyaṃbhuva, went to Mahākālavana and visited that Liṅga there to the south of Navanadī.

After that he came to my vicinity. O goddess, he was duly honoured by me and made the Lord of Gaṇas. Those who devoutly visit the deity Prayāgeśvara are blessed ones in the human world. Others undergo sufferings unnecessarily. By perceiving Prayāgeśvara properly one gets that goal which belongs to a learned one of Sattva quality practising Yogic Sādhanā. Those men who are able to see Prayāgeśvara in the month of Māgha will get the benefit of a horse-sacrifice at every step.

Thus the sin-destroying power of Prayāgeśvara Deva has been recounted to you. Listen to the story of great Siddheśvara.