The Skanda Purana
by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words
This page describes The Greatness of Rina-tray-mocana Tirtha (Rinamocana) which is chapter 87 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 eighty-seventh chapter of the Reva-khanda of the Avantya-khanda of the Skanda Purana.
Chapter 87 - The Greatness of Ṛṇa-tray-mocana Tīrtha (Ṛṇamocana)
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
Note: The belief that everyone owes the obligations of and has to repay the ‘debt’ to parents or ancestors, to gods and to society is certainly noble. Dharmaśāstra works specified Śrāddha, performance of sacrifices etc. for this. But this text advises to take a bath in this Tīrtha and wash off the debts.
Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:
1-5. Thereafter, O king, one should go to the highly excellent Tīrtha which was established by the groups of sages born of the family of Brahmā.
It is called Ṛṇamocana. It is situated on the banks of Revā. A person should devoutly offer libations to the Pitṛs and deities for six months.
Instantly the debt to Devas, Pitṛs, and human beings owed by himself becomes redeemed as soon as the man takes his bath in the waters of Narmadā.
There the sin is actually and directly seen as the result. If a person who has subdued his sense-organs takes his bath with concentration of mind in that Tīrtha and performs charity and worships the Consort of Girijā (Umā), he becomes free from the three kinds of debts and remains resplendent in the heavenly world.