Chapter 108 - The Greatness of Rohiṇī Tīrtha

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:

1-7. Thereafter, O king, one should go to the excellent Rohiṇī Tīrtha well-known in all the three worlds and extremely destructive of all sins.

Yudhiṣṭhira said:

I wish to hear the greatness of Rohiṇī Tīrtha that is destructive of all sins. I wish to hear it succinctly. It behoves you to recount it to me.

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:

At the time of the close of the Kalpa, when all mobile and immobile beings became dissolved in a terrible, single, vast expanse of water, the Discus-bearing Lord of Devas lay down in the ocean. A lotus grew from his navel. It resembled the disc of the sun. It had pericarp and filaments. It was adorned with petals.

Brahmā with four lotus-like faces came into being there. He said, “O Lord of Devas, let me be commanded what I should do.”

On being requested thus, the Conch-discus-club-bearing Lord of Devas spoke these sweet words to Lord Pitāmaha:

“O mighty-armed one, at my behest, beget in Sarasvatī the world consisting of all the groups of living beings, the world capable of coming up, abiding and getting dissolved.”

8-13. These words of the Lotus-navelled One were listened to by Lord (Brahmā), O descendant of Bharata. He remembered (seven sages and) mentally created the seven sages with a desire for the welfare (of the worlds). These wise ones were remembered in this order: Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Pracetas, Vasiṣṭha, Bhṛgu and Nārada.

Dakṣa, the patriarch of great refulgence, was born of Pracetas. O sinless one, fifty daughters were born to Dakṣa. He gave ten to Dharma, thirteen to Kaśyapa and twenty-seven to Indu (Moon-god).

Among them, O king, the daughter named Rohiṇī was not liked by any of the other women and by the husband also in particular. Thereupon, she developed extreme aversion to Saṃsāra, O excellent king. She came to the banks of Narmadā and performed an elaborate penance.

14-22. She made her body emaciated through fasts for a single night, three nights together, six nights, twelve nights, a fortnight and even for months.

She propitiated the holy goddess, the destroyer of Demon Mahiṣa, the destroyer of all distresses.

She regularly took the holy baths in the waters of Narmadā. (Thus the lady of pure smiles performed the penance.) Thereat the highly illustrious Goddess Nārāyaṇī became pleased, O king.

She said: “O fortunate lady, I am pleased with your Vrata and holy observances.” On hearing this, Rohiṇī said: “O bestower

of honour, let it be so that I ere long become the beloved of Śaśin (Moon).” After saying, “Let it be so”, Bhavānī, the beloved of her devotees, vanished there itself, even while being eulogized by groups of sages.

Ever since then that Tīrtha became well-known. Rohiṇī became the permanent beloved of Śaśin (Moon-god), O excellent king.

A woman who devoutly takes her holy bath in that Tīrtha becomes beloved of her husband like Rohiṇī. A man who regularly bathes in that Tīrtha becomes the lover of the woman (wife).

If a man casts off his life in the Tīrtha, he will never have a broken marriage at any time in the course of seven births.