Chapter 29 - The Greatness of the Confluence of Kāverī and Narmadā

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Note: Kāveri is a small tributary of Narmadā and not the famous river of Karnatak. The attainment of the Kingship of Yakṣas is attributed to the sacred efficacy of the confluence of Kāverī and Narmadā.

Yudhiṣṭhira said:

1-5. O excellent one, Kāveri [Kāverī?] is well known in the three worlds. O Mārkaṇḍa, I wish to listen to her real greatness. What is the mode of visiting that river? O Lord, what is the benefit of the touch thereof? O Sage, what benefit accrues from ablution, Japa, Dāna and Upavāsa (observance of fast there at the confluence of Kāverī)? Do narrate, O highly esteemed one. I have heard that any holy rite heard, seen, narrated, performed or approved of does sanctify one. It is the Vedic statement, O sage, that as in the case of Dharma, so in that of heaven and hell too.

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:

6-14. Excellent! Excellent! O highly esteemed one, since you have asked me, listen with concentration to the excellent benefit of Kāverī. There is a Yakṣa of great intrinsic strength, well-known by the name Kubera. By the power of the Tīrtha, O king, he became the king of Yakṣas.

Hence listen to it along with the proper procedure (of bath etc.) with great devotion, O king of great esteem. He attained Siddhi through (the merit accrued from bath in) the confluence of Kāverī.

In the confluence, well-known in the world, of Kāverī and Narmada, Kubera who was really valourous, took his holy bath and became clean. He duly observed all the restraints (and instructions) based on the injunctions of the sacred scriptures, O excellent one among men. He propitiated the eternal Mahādeva with single-minded concentration. He spent a month taking food once a day. Then he spent some time taking food on the sixth day only? Then he spent some time, O excellent'king, by observing fast for a fortnight. The sensible one, thereafter, spent some time by taking in only roots, greens and fruits. Then for some time he stayed in the Tīrtha with moss for his foo.cl. He spent some time with the observance of expiations called Parāka and Kṛcchra, O honoured one. Then (he spent) some time with the observance of Cāndrāyaṇa and then some time with wind and water as food. Thus, O excellent one among men, eschewing lust and attachment, he stayed there for more than a hundred years torturing his body and making it emaciated.

15-25. At the end of a hundred years, Maheśvara, the Lord of Devas, became pleased with his great devotion and spoke to him smilingly: “O Yakṣa of great strength and excellent holy rites, choose a boon. I have become pleased with your devotion. I shall grant you what you wish.”

The Yakṣa said:

If you are pleased, O Lord of Devas along with Umā, O Śaṅkara, let me be the Lord of all the Yakṣas from to-day without an end and free from any change and reduction, with devotion unto you duly kept before me. O Parameśvara, grant unto me the inclination for righteous actions.

Īśvara said:

What has been requested for by you is the fruit of your own righteousness? The same is granted.

After saying this Hara vanished.

He too had his holy ablution in accordance with the injunctions. He propitiated the Pitṛs and deities. Taking leave of the Tīrtha, he went home with his objects achieved. Honoured by Yakṣas, he had his coronation in accordance with the injunctions. He ruled over the extensive excellent kingdom.

O sinless one, there many other Suras, Siddhas, Yakṣas, Gandharvas, Kṛnnaras, groups of celestial damsels and sages have attained spiritual perfection. Hence they know that the confluence of Kāverī is destructive of all sins. It is the gateway unto all heavenly worlds, O Yudhiṣṭhira. If people take their holy bath in the Kāverī confluence and offer libations with gingelṭy seeds, they are blessed. They are noble-souled and they have led their life excellently, O dear one. Ten earlier and ten later generations on the mother’s side as well as those on the father’s side of the devotee are redeemed by him from the hellish ocean.

26-37. Hence, a man must make every effort to have his holy ablution there. He should worship Lord Īśvara if he seeks the eternal state (i.e. Mokṣa). O king, Snāna, Dāna and Arcana (adoration) performed devoutly by men (there) have more benefit than a horse-sacrifice, O excellent one among men. Everlasting heavenly pleasure is obtained through Homa; the life-span gets increased due to Japa; one attains the eternal region characterised by Śivakalā(?) through meditation.

O Lord of men, one who enters fire in that Tīrtha, shall stay in Agniloka until the annihilation of all living beings.

O excellent one among men, listen to the meritorious benefit of that person who observes the rite of fasting in the Tīrtha. He will rejoice with deities in an aerial chariot resembling the sun and fully occupied by Ganḍharvas and Apsarās. He will be fanned by excellent women.

For sixty-thousand years and sixty centuries he sports about stationed in Rudraloka. At the end he comes to the earth born as a king enjoying all pleasures and engaged in munificent gifts. Freed from anguish and grief, he shall live for a hundred years.

O king, River Rāverī has all these good qualities. She is well-known in all the three worlds at the confluence of Narmadā. Those who have controlled their speech, body and mind and those who are engaged in the meditation on one worthy of being meditated upon, at the confluence of Kāverī, O dear one, shall also attain salvation.

Listen, O excellent king, I shall recount another miraculous thing. What other (river) is on a par with the river in all the three worlds?

There is no doubt about this that those who have reached Narmadā, those who circumambulate her, and those who drink her water are meritorious.

38-43. For another fifteen births there will not be any break in the line of their succession. Their sin gets dissolved like snow at the time of sunrise. A man who takes his holy ablution in Kāverī obtains the benefit usually attained at the confluence of Gaṅgā and Yamunā. It is remembered as eight times more beneficial when Tuesday coincides with the fourteenth lunar day, during Vyatīpāta, during the transit of the Sun and when Rāhu and the Moon come in conjunction (lunar eclipse).

If at the confluence of Gaṅgā and Yamunā the merit of ablution is equal to the weight of Yavas (barley grains) eighty in number, at the confluence of Kāverī and Narmadā the same is remembered as eight times more. Gaṅgā is honoured by sixty thousand Kṣetrapālas (Guardians of holy shrines). Other Tīrthas are guarded by half that number. There is no doubt about it. The confluences of the rivers mentioned in Amareśvara are guarded by eighty thousand Kṣetrapālas.

44-48. So also to the south of Amareśvara, two Liṅgas guard the Tīrtha, one being Liṅga Capaleśvara and the second Caṇḍahasta. They were formerly installed by Śiva as the guardians of Kāverī etc. The divine Narmadā existing over many Kalpas, is guarded by a hundred thousand (Kṣetrapālas). The mountain is guarded by a hundred thousand Oṃkāras, the persons engaged by Īśa and equipped with sixty bows. A sin committed in other places perishes in this holy spot. A sin committed in this Tīrtha becomes fixed forever.

Thus O dear one, Kāverī, the most excellent one among rivers, has been recounted to you. She has originated from Rudra’s body. Hence this most excellent river is meritorious.