Chapter 60 - The Greatness of Ādityeśvara (āditya-īśvara-tīrtha)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:

1-8. I shall further describe (the greatness of) the excellent Ādityeśvara which is destructive of all miseries and all obstacles, O son of Pṛthā. The Tīrtha is always conducive to longevity, increase in glory and prosperity. It grants sons, welfare and heavenly pleasures.

O scion of the family of Kurus, other (Ravi) Tīrthas have not attained the glory of this Tīrtha, whether in heaven, or mortal world or in Pātāla. O excellent king, all these Tīrthas, viz. Kurukṣetra, Gayā, Gaṅgā, Naimiṣa, Puṣkara, Vārāṇasī, Kedāra, Prayāga, Rudranandana, Mahākāla, Sahasrākṣa and Śukla Tīrtha do not merit even a sixteenth fraction of Ravi Tīrtha.

O excellent king, listen to what happened in Ravitīrtha. Though I am extremely distressed due to old age, I shall narrate it to you out of affection. May all the sages of great vigour engaged in austerities listen.

This has been heard by me in the presence of Rudra along with Nandin, Skanda and the Gaṇas. Śaṃbhu was asked by Pārvatī as to the benefit of Ravitīrtha. What was narrated by Śaṃbhu enthusiastically, everything sung about by Rudra, was heard by me with concentrated attention.

9-16. I shall recount it to you. Listen to it with caution. Brāhmaṇas oppressed by famine resorted to Narmadā. They were: Uddālaka, Vasiṣṭha, Māṇḍavya, Gautama, Yajñavalkya, Garga, Śāṇḍilya, Gālava, Naciketā, Vibhāṇḍa, Vālakhilyas and others, Śātātapa, Śaṅkha, Jaimini, Gobhila, Jaigīṣavya, Śatānīka. All those came there.

Pilgrimage was performed by them around Narmadā. Incidentally the leading sages came to the Ādityeśvara shrine too. It was splendid and was covered with various trees such as Dhava, Tinduka, Pāṭala, Jaṃbīra, Arjuna, Kubjaka, Śamī, Kesara, Kiṃśuka etc. That Tīrtha of highly meritorious nature was full of fragrant flowers. There were the trees of Punnāga, coconut, Khadira and Kalpa trees as well. The holy spot was infested by many beasts of prey, deer and cats. It was rendered splendid by bears, elephants and Citrakas (hunting leopards). All the sages entered the forest full of flowers.

17-23. At the end of the forest, they saw women of red complexion wearing red garments. They had smeared themselves with red sandal-paste and worn red-coloured ornaments. They were holding nooses in their hands and were terrifying (to look at). Near them were men resembling black clouds. Their faces (mouths) were large and they had huge bodies. They had nooses in their hands and they could be compared to Anāvṛṣṭi (Drought). They had tawny-coloured eyes.

O most excellent one among the descendants of Kuru, another old woman was seen by the leading sages. She had a long tongue. Her face was hideous and her curved fangs were sharp. She was unassailable. O descendant of Bharata, the old woman was very near that group. The Brāhmaṇas engaged in their self-study of the Vedas were seen by those people of evil actions.

They collectively spoke to the Brāhmaṇas engaged in austerities: “All our masters are standing in the midst of the Tīrtha. Those highly esteemed ones should be urged to start hurriedly by all means.”

On hearing those words of theirs, all of them hurriedly went to the marshy land in Narmadā and the excellent Brāhmaṇas surveyed Revā.

24-37. Then some of the others began to eulogize: “Be victorious, O divine one, (we make) obeisance to you. Obeisance to you, O (river) resorted to by groups of Siddhas. Obeisance to you, the most auspicious and sacred one among all. Obeisance to you, the most excellent one issuing forth from the person of Rudra.

Obeisance to you, the holiest and the most sanctifying one of all. Obeisance to you, O divine one, O auspicious bestower of boons. I bow to you, O excellent one among the rivers, O bestower of happiness, O destroyer of sins, O river of diverse features and cool waters. Obeisance to you whose limbs (waters) are respectfully attended to by many groups of living beings. (Bow to you) whose waters have purified Gandharvas, Yakṣas and Serpents, one whose waters are drunk by herds of great elephants, buffaloes and boars; (to you) who wear water-waves as garlands. I bow down to you, the most excellent one among all, the bestower of happiness. Do release us fettered by the nooses of sins.

Men do wander through the hells only as long as they do not resort to your waters, touched by the rays of the moon and the sun. O divine one, if it is touched (by the devotees) it shall bestow the highest region.

O divine one with a face resembling a lotus, you are the ultimate goal unto the people harassed by many a fear of the worldly existence, enveloped by many sins and many Dvandvas (mutually opposing pairs like pain-pleasure etc.). There is no doubt about this, O divine one, that rivers become sanctified and free from impurities after having resorted to you. You bestow freedom from fear on those who are afflicted by miseries. You are adored by many Śiṣṭas (men of good conduct).

Men with their physical forms submerged in faeces and urine, wander in hells as long as they do not touch this water, the waves whereof are scattered with great power.

Even Mlecchas (barbarians), Pulindas (hunting tribe), Yātudhānas (demons) who drink thy meritorious water, O divine one, become released from terrible fear. More so in the case of the Brāhmaṇas afraid of the noose of worldly existence.

In this terrible Yuga brought in by Kali, lakes and rivers get decreased, but you, O divine one, shine with the waters full to the brim like Gaṅgā in the heavenly path of the galaxy.

O bestower of boons, O excellent one, after waiting this much of time we will, with your favour, attain liberation. Do this favour so that we will attain salvation.

Those who have resorted to you, those who have sought refuge in you, have you as the ultimate goal. You protect them like a mother or like a father who protects the sons. Protected by you, we pass off the terrible period of oppression due to drought.”

Eulogized thus, O Yudhiṣṭhira, the divine river Narmadā, the most excellent one among the rivers, became visible to those Brāhmaṇas in the most excellent form.

Mārkaṇḍeya said:

38-46. O king, those who read and listen to this prayer with great devotion and mental calmness, attain Rudra by means of a vehicle yoked with a bull. Their limbs will be embellished with divine garments.

If persons take bath in the waters of Narmadā and repeat this prayer always, this excellent river shall ere long bestow on them, at the close of their life, the purest state (in the other world).

One should get up in the morning and repeat this excellent hymn everyday. When one goes to bed then also one should repeat this. Thereupon the holy River grants him the dissolution of his body in her own waters. O king of great esteem, she accords him support as well. They will be rid of sins and will rejoice in heaven enjoying all pleasures. Not otherwise.

The divine river Narmadā, on being propitiated by this hymn, O descendant of Bharata, nourished those Brāhmaṇas by means of her waters. She flowed through the southern tract of land. The River said: “I shall grant you Amṛtatva (immortality) which is not obtained even by Yogins. It is very difficult even for all the Suras to attain. You will get it with my favour.”

After receiving this very excellent boon the Brāhmaṇas were delighted in their minds. As they were going, they saw a great miracle:

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:

O son of Kuntī, persons stationed on the banks of Narmadā were seen by them. They were very powerful and engaged in holy ablution and adoration of the deity. They were five in number.

They were seen by all the Brāhmaṇas who had mastered the Vedas and Vedāṅgas. Understand, O great king, how they were enquired after by them:

The Brāhmaṇas said:

47-59. At the end of the forest was a pair of women extremely terrible and awe-inspiring. These old men too with nooses in their hands were terror-striking. They were unassailable, difficult to look at and moving about here and there. They spoke auspicious words: “There is no salvation there.”

All of them began to look about here and there again and again, but not at each other. May the words uttered by them be narrated in full. “O excellent men, our five men (husbands) stay there. O blessed ones, they should be made to proceed promptly and hurriedly by all means,”

Then those five men after hearing these auspicious words, looked at one another and began to say again and again: “Where are they? Whose? Where did they go? What was said by those terrible ones?”

The men said:

By all (of us) Tīrthāvagāhana (bathing in the holy waters) was performed with great devotion in all Tīrthas in eastern, southern, western and northern directions. But the sin has not been dispelled by them. But they (we) became free from sins by the power of this Tīrtha. May all the sages, the Brāhmaṇas, comparable to fire and god of Death (in brilliance) listen: Their sins were terrible, unthinkable unto the embodied ones. The wife of the preceptor was resorted to by one of the sinners. The wealth of a friend, gold and other assets, was taken away by another. The sin of Brāhmaṇa-slaughter, the highly terrible sin, was committed by another. Another unwittingly committed the sin of imbibing spirituous liquor. The slaughter of cows was committed by another sinner unwittingly. O king, the sins of all these were committed unintentionally. On hearing those words of the Brāhmaṇas they became surprised. Instantly all the sinners became rid of sins by the power of this Tīrtha, the power of Narmadā.

60-70. Nowhere can sins gain access here. All those sinners thought after consulting one another. Citrabhānu (Sun) was remembered by them after thinking about Hari in the heart. After taking the holy plunge in the auspicious waters of Revā, the Pitṛs and deities were propitiated by them. After meditating on Lord Janārdana in the heart and bowing to Lord Bhāskara (Sun-god) they circumambulated the blazing fire with devotion. O king, O excellent one among the sons of Pāṇḍu, they who were distressed due to the sins and were fallen, now regained the sāttvikī bhāvanā (mental predilection of Sāttvika type) and abandoned Rajas and Tamas.

On the northern bank of Narmada everything was destroyed by them in the fire. Then, O Yuḍhiṣṭhira, they were seen seated in an aerial chariot.

An incomparable miracle was seen by the sages on the banks of Narmadā. Ever since then all of them were bereft of Rāga (attachment) and Dveṣa (hatred). The Brāhmaṇas who were delighted resorted to Ravi Tīrtha with a desire for salvation.

O king, listen to the auspicious merit of this Tīrtha. I am afflicted by old age, O king, but happy due to the devotion. I am stationed within two Krośas (1 Krośa = 3 Kms.). Hence I shall describe in a general way Ravitīrtha that is as auspicious as Kurukṣetra. It is what was recounted by Īśvara formerly to Ṣaṇmukha and heard by me. It was heard by them all from Rudra and I was present nearby.

Īśvara said,:

When a solar eclipse takes place, O Ṣaḍānana, the (meritorious) benefit in Kurukṣetra and Ravitīrtha is on a par with each other. In regard to the holy bath, Dāna, Jāpya and Homa in particular the benefit in Kurukṣetra is the same (as here at Ravi Tīrtha). No doubt should be entertained in this connection.

71-78. Whether it is a village or a forest, Narmadā is auspicious and meritorious everywhere. Especially at Ravi Tīrtha Revā is the bestower of meritorious benefits.

Persons with the sense-organs under control should visit the Tīrtha on a sixth lunar day, Sunday, Vyatīpāta, Vaidhṛti, Saṅkrānti, eclipse day and new-moon day. They should be free from lust and anger as well as Rāga (attachment) and Dveṣa (hated). They should observe fast before the deity with great devotion. They should keep awake at night and offer light unto the deity. They must listen to the story of Viṣṇu or, O son of Kuntī, they should repeat Vedic Mantras, whether they be from Ṛgveda, Yajurveda, Sāmaveda or Atharveda. One who recites even one Ṛk shall obtain the benefit of (the recitation of) the whole Veda and by the recitation of the Gāyatrī the benefit of the recitation of all the four Vedas is obtained.

At dawn the persons should adore Brāhmaṇas with the gifts of cooked food and gold, or by giving plots of land, garments and cooked food in accordance with their capacity.

O son of Pāṇḍu, they may make gifts of umbrella, shoes, beds and houses. There shall be freedom from fear through the gifts of an elephant, a virgin, a horse, learning, a bull capable of bearing a yoke, vehicle etc.

79-86. Enemy becomes friend; poison becomes Amṛta. The Planets become highly pleased and the Sun becomes pleased.

Thus the entire merit-giving benefit of Ravitīrtha has been recounted to you, O king. Men who devoutly hear the auspicious benefit of Ravitīrtha shall be rid of sins. They reside in the world of Ravi. He who gifts a pot of gingelly seeds gets the benefit that accrues from the gift of a cow, by viewing Bhṛgu, by drinking the water in Kedāra and also the worship of an Aśvattha tree for a year. By glorifying Ādityeśvara one gets all these (above-mentioned) benefits. On listening to the efficacy, O prince, one ceases to be born again i.e. gets liberated. I shall mention all these to you, O king, out of devotion. All sins disappear like water when the pot (containing it) is broken. One should undoubtedly be face to face with the Tīrtha. There is no doubt about it. The greatest secret of the Tīrtha has been mentioned to you, O son of Pāṇḍu.

The auspicious narration of the Tīrtha should be kept concealed from all sinners, persons who kill masters, friends etc. This should be guarded always by sensible persons.