Chapter 153 - The Greatness of Ādityeśvara (āditya-īśvara-tīrtha)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:

1-11. Next to it, there is another excellent Ravi Tīrtha. Merely by seeing it, men are liberated from all sins.

The fruit of a man who takes his holy bath in Ravi Tīrtha and visits Bhāskara has been laid down by the Lord himself. Listen to it.

In the course of sixteen lives hereafter, of that devotee, there shall never be anyone blind, dumb, deaf, ugly or having deformed nails in his family. White patches, herpes, scabs, cutaneous eruptions etc., perish within six months in the case of a devotee of the Lord.

The story of that Lord heard by me in the Purāṇa cannot be briefly recounted, O excellent king.

If with Ravi in view, a gift is made to a deserving Brāhmaṇa in accordance with the injunctions, there is no end to its merit at all.

Excellent indeed is the fruit of Dāna made at Ravitīrtha at the time of Ayana (transit of the Sun), Viṣuva (equinox) and of solar and lunar eclipses.

Like that of the waters of the ocean, there is no end unto the merit of Dāna, Havya and Kavya offered at the time of Saṅkrānti (when the Sun passes from one Zodiac to another), O descendant of Bharata.

Savitṛ (the Sun-god) recompenses at the proper time, the persons who make gift or perform Homa (there).

The Sun-god grants boons for the next seven births again and again. The gift made during the waning of the Moon has a hundred times return and that when there is Dinakṣaya, a thousand times return. If it is during Saṅkrānti, the return is a hundred thousand times and if at Vyatīpāta, it is infinite.

Yudhiṣṭhira said:

12-24. How did Ravi Tīrtha come to be remembered as more meritorious than other meritorious ones? Kindly recount to me in detail. My ears are covetously eager.

Śrī Markaṇḍeya said:

Listen attentively to the excellent Ādityeśvara on the northern bank of Narmadā. It is destructive of all ailments.

Formerly in the beginning of Kṛtayuga, there was a Brāhmaṇa named Jābāli born of the family of Vasiṣṭha. He was a master of the topics dealt with in the Vedas and scriptural texts.

His chaste and well-behaved wife was a woman of excellent mind. During the days after the menstrual cycle, she approached her husband and said thus: “This is the period of my menstrual cycle. I have approached you, my husband. I am actuated by love and I wish for a son. Hence enjoy me with love.”

On being told thus, the Brāhmaṇa said: “O my beloved, today I am observing a holy vow. Do go away now, O beautiful lady. I shall grant you the boon in the next menstrual cycle.”

The next month, when the menstrual cycle recurred, she approached him again. On the plea that he was observing a holy vow, she was dissuaded by him.

Thus many times, she was again and again kept away. She became disappointed with her husband and the beautiful lady was overwhelmed by an excess of grief. She undertook fast unto death and gave up her life.

Owing to this sin of foeticide, the Brāhmaṇa was suddenly assailed by leprosy when his nose and feet became infested with sores. All his penance was lost. Realizing that he had contracted the fell disease of leprosy, the excellent Brāhmaṇa became grief-stricken. He came to the banks of Narmadā and asked the other Brāhmaṇas about Bhāskara Tīrtha, thinking in his mind, ‘One should seek health and freedom from ailments from the Sun.’ He asked the other Brāhmaṇas: “O Brāhmaṇas, where is that Bhāskara Tīrtha? May it be pointed out to me. I shall go to that Tīrtha with mental purity and perform penance.”

The Brāhmaṇas said:

25-34. On the northern bank of Revā, there is a Bhāskara Tīrtha known by the name Ādityeśvara Tīrtha. It is destructive of all ailments. Do go there unhesitatingly, if you can.

On being told thus by the Brāhmaṇas, the Brāhmaṇa (Jābāli) prepared himself to go. But afflicted with the foul and fatal disease, he was unable to move.

Thereupon he thought: ‘Indeed the power of Brāhmaṇas is famous all over the three worlds. The Liṅga (penis) of the Trident-bearing Lord of Devas was made to fall down by Brāhmaṇas. The ocean was dried up by Brāhmaṇas. Vindhya was restrained. I too, stationed here itself, shall bring Bhāskara here by means of the power of penance. I shall bring the deity named Ādityeśvara.’

After determining thus, he engaged himself in a severe penance without taking food and with the sole intake of air for food. In summer he stationed himself within five fires. During winter he stood in water. During rainy season he remained without any covering for the body.

When more than a hundred years passed, Ravi became pleased and said thus:

Sūrya said:

Welfare unto you. Choose your boon, whatever be in your mind as you desire. Even if it is oṅe not to be granted, I shall give it to you. Do not delay. O Brāhmaṇa, since you are engaged in a penance (for such a long time), what is it that cannot be achieved, for you now?

Jābāli said:

35-43. If you are pleased, O Lord of Devas, if a boon has to be granted to me, (I would like to tell you that) I had taken a vow of visiting Ādityeśvara, O Lord of Devas. But being afflicted with disease, I have not been able to fulfil it. Hence you station yourself here at Śukla Tīrtha assuming the form of Ādityeśvara.

On being told thus, the multi-formed Divākara appeared instantly on the northern bank of Narmadā.

Ever since then, they consider and speak of that Tīrtha as one destructive of all sins and all miseries.

If a devotee takes his holy bath everyday, particularly on every Sunday, makes seven circumambulations, continuing this for a full year, and visits Bhāskara, listen to the benefit that is to be obtained by him.

Prasupta (latent leprosy), patches, herpes, white leprosy and scabs perish immediately, O king, like a heap of cotton in blazing fire. Within three years, his house will be filled with wife, sons and wealth.

If a devotee performs Śrāddha there with the Pitṛs in view on the day of the transit of the Sun, his Pitṛs become contented. Indeed Bhāskara is the Lord of Pitṛs.

Thus the excellent Ādityeśvara Tīrtha has been entirely recounted to you. It is divine and destructive of all sins and ailments.