Chapter 43 - The Greatness of Vimaleśvara (vimala-īśvara-tīrtha)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:

1-8. From there, O great king, a pilgrim should go to the excellent Vimaleśvara. There the divine rock (Devaśilā, the divine slab) is beautiful, made by Devas themselves. The person should take his holy bath there with devotion and adore Brāhmaṇas. O king, even with the least of Dana he will gain much. There is no limit thereto.

Yudhiṣṭhira said:

O great Brāhmaṇa, what are those Dānas considered praiseworthy in the world, on offering which devoutly a man becomes liberated from all sins?

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:

Gold, silver, copper, jewels, pearls, plots of land and cows gifted liberate a man from inauspiciousness.

He who abandons his life in that Tīrtha shall reside in Rudraloka as long as the ultimate destruction of all living beings.

From there he should go to Puṣkariṇī that is destructive of all sins. After taking the holy bath there, he should adore Lord Divākara (Sun-god), a mass of splendour.

He should recite a Ṛk or a Sāman hymn. He shall attain the benefit of reciting Sāmaveda.

By uttering a Mantra of Yajurveda or Ṛgveda he will attain the benefit of reciting (the whole of) Yajurveda or Ṛgveda similarly.

Meditating on Divākara he should recite the Mantra or even a syllable thereof. By the Japa of Ādityahṛdaya one is liberated from all sins.

9-18. The devotee should take his holy bath in that Tīrtha and duly adore Brāhmaṇas. His merit becomes a crore times more. There is no doubt about it.

One who dies in that Tīrtha through abstention from food-intake, or by entering fire, or falling into the waters or by jumping from the rocky precipice attains the great goal (Mokṣa). O excellent king, a Brāhmaṇa, or a Kṣatriya, or a Vaiśya or a Śūdra performing the duties laid down, shall attain the greatest goal (Mokṣa).

Yudhiṣṭhira said:

Tell me the means whereby all the different Varṇas (castes) become freed from all sins after knowing ailments, loss of energy and delusion.

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:

A Brāhmaṇa devoid of lust and anger, forsaking his life through fasts, obtains the goal of the good by making use of gingelly seeds mixed with water (for libation) and gingelly oil for head bath. A Kṣatriya shall attain the goal of the good by courting death in battle. In case there is no war, O highly intelligent one, he shall obtain the same through service. One suffering from a chronic illness or under the adverse influence of evil Planets or a very old man or one whose sense-organs have been impaired, should burn himself in fire duly and obtain the goal of the good.

A Vaiśya too abandoning his life in this manner shall attain auspiciousness. With purity of feelings, he should abandon himself into the waters and attain the status of Śiva.

A Śūdra too obtains good goal by serving Brāhmaṇas and propitiating Maheśvara. Otherwise he is not liberated. The sinner falls certainly into hell.

Or if he is unable to make use of Praṇava, or to offer gifts to Brāhmaṇas as well as the preceptor, he should dry up his body in the five fires after taking leave of excellent Brāhmaṇas.

19-26. He should take leave of Brāhmaṇas who are quiescent, have self-control, have controlled anger and who have mastered scriptures and are very efficient. He should prepare Karīṣāgni (fire of dry cow-dung) with their advice (to burn himself).

Thus the Varṇas-become deluded by arrogance, by following wrong methods(?) Just as a blind man falls into the cave of a mountain so also they fall into a terrible hell.

Those who eschew the injunctions of the scriptures and behave as they please, are born as worms. No balls of rice are offered to them nor need they be offered libation and other rites.

Those who resort to activities according to their whims and fancy, abandoning the pious rites mentioned in the Śruti and Smṛti do fall into hell. O Yudhiṣṭhira, there are twenty-eight crores of Narakas (Hells). They may fall into any or all of these hells. Human birth is rarely achieved, O king. It is acquired by means of many pious rites.

Being born as a man, one who eschews arrogance and malice, controlling himself always, he alone can be called Jñānacakṣuḥ [Jñānacakṣus] (‘Knowledge-eyed’ i.e. wise)

If one is blinded by the Timira (disease of the eye, darkness) of ignorance and one’s eye is not opened by the application of collyrium of perfect knowledge, one should be known as congenitally blind.

O excellent king, thus everything that was asked by you has been explained.

27-33. As uttered by Rudra himself, Narmadā is the most excellent of all rivers and has issued forth from Rudra’s body. She shall redeem all living beings, mobile and immobile. This highly meritorious river has been made to come down for the benefit of all the worlds, by the noble-souled Īśvara, the presiding deity of all the Devas.

The sins committed mentally, verbally and physically perish as a result of the holy bath. This river has come out of Rudra’s body. Hence she is highly meritorious. Everyday a devotee should get up in the morning and step on the ground devoutly. Then he should recite this Mantra. O dear one, he attains the benefit of the holy bath: “Obeisance, O divine one of meritorious waters. Obeisance to one that flows towards the ocean. O redeemer from sins, I make obeisance to you. Obeisance, O excellent-countenanced divine one. Obeisance to you who are served by groups of excellent sages. Obeisance to you who have issued forth from the body of the Three-eyed Lord. Obeisance to you who are the most excellent one of those of holy activities. Obeisance to you who are the perpetual sanctifier of all holy ones.”