Chapter 156 - The Greatness of Śuklatīrtha (śukla-tīrtha)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Mārkandeya said:

1-8. There is no other Tīrtha, O king, in all the worlds, which is on a par with Śuklatīrtha which is on the earth. No other Tīrtha is sung about in comparison with it.

The great Śuklatīrtha is stationed on Narmadā in the northeastern region. It is resorted to by groups of sages.

On the fourteenth lunar day in the dark half of the month of Vaiśākha, Śaṅkara himself comes here from Kailāsa along with Umā.

He takes his holy bath in Śuklatīrtha with great mental concentration at midday and sees himself through his self. He is accompanied by Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Indra.

Especially on the full-moon day in Kārttika and Vaiśākha, O best of men, (Indra) after taking bath sees Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Mahādeva.

After taking bath, Indra, the king of Devas, along with Suras stays (and waits) on the way of the wind (i.e. the firmament) and sees Śaṅkara on the fourteenth day of the dark half.

On that day, Gandharvas, Apsarās, Yakṣas, Siddhas, Vidyādharas and Uragas (Serpents) see the Lord of Devas and shed off their sins.

Extending to half of a Yojana and half thereof wide, Śuklatīrtha is highly meritorious and destructive of great sins.

9-2la. Excellent men stand in a place from where they

can see the tops of the trees thereof. Such people stationed there are rid of great sins accumulated earlier.

A man defiled by major and minor sins, is liberated by the holy bath therein. Even the sin of infanticide which is very difficult to be removed, perishes when acquired.

Especially on the full-moon day in Vaiśākha Śaṅkara comes here from Kailāsa. Since the Lord of Devas stays there along with Umā, the Tīrtha is highly meritorious and destructive of all sins. It was earlier said to me by Brahma and it has been mentioned to you, O king.

Just as a cloth washed by a washerman becomes free from impurities, so also the body of a man becomes pure through the holy bath therein.

A man who has committed sins earlier in his life can dispel them by staying at Śuklatīrtha for a day and night.

O great king, if on a full-moon day a handful of the waters of Revā is offered to Pitṛs, they will enjoy welfare for thousands of crores of Kalpas.

Neither one’s mother nor father nor kinsmen will redeem one’s fall into the ocean of hell, O king, but the merit acquired from Śuklatīrtha will do that.

One does not attain through penance or continuous celibacy that good state which a creature that dies by casting off its body in Śuklatīrtha attains.

One should observe fast, remain pure and bathe the deity with ghee on the fourteenth day in the dark half of the month of Kārttika. At dawn he should take his holy bath in Revā. Keeping Lord Śaṅkara in view one should offer Ghṛtakaṃbala along with gold according as his resources permit.

Concluding the offering to the Lord with Ghṛta (ghee) is called Ghṛtakaṃbala. That man becomes highly refulgent on death and shall go to the world of Śiva accompanied by twenty-one generations of his family and remain there till the destruction of all living beings (i.e. Pralaya).

21b-33a. A man who takes his holy bath in Śuklatīrtha and worships Umā and Rudra with sweet scents, incense, flowers etc., shall obtain the merit of a horse-sacrifice.

O king, he who observes fast for a month there at that Tīrtha is liberated from great sins incurred in the course of seven births. The following sins undoubtedly perish by observing Cāndrāyaṇa at Śuklatīrtha: Taking in milk of a camel; taking milk of sheep and taking food in Navaśrāddha; co-habitation with a Vṛṣalī; eating prohibited foodstuff, buying a sheep or buffalo under false pretext, performing Yajña on behalf of undeserving fellows; usury; administering poison to a number of persons; and reviling deities and Brāhmaṇas: these and others of this sort.

If a person takes his holy bath in Śuklatīrtha and offers libation to Pitṛs and deities they become highly propitiated and contented for twelve years.

Persons who offer sandals and shoes, umbrella, quilt, seat, gold, money, foodgrain, Śrāddha, fully yoked plough, meal, drinking water etc., in that Tīrtha, will undoubtedly go to Śivaloka on death delighted and well nourished.

Men who devoutly keep Śiva in view, O descendant of Bharata, and offer an alms-bowl and cooked food, go to heaven.

Even something as little as the tip of a hair, gifted to the residents of the Tīrtha, those who perform Yajñas and observe vows, becomes everlasting in its merit.

He who has rid himself of too much attachment and hatred, meditates in his heart on Janārdana and enters fire with concentration shall go to the City of Varuṇa with all his desires fulfilled. There is no ailment and old age where the Lord of waters is present.

33b-44. He who observes ritualistic fasting (unto death), O Yudhiṣṭhira, there in that Tīrtha shall certainly depart to Rudraloka never to return therefrom.

Whether of his own accord or under duress, if a creature, dies in the region of that holy spot, he shall undoubtedly become an attendant of Rudra.

He who gives a virgin well adorned according as his resources permit at Śuklatīrtha (derives great merit thereby). What has been declared by Rudra by way of indicating the merit of ritualistic dedication of a bull in accordance with the injunctions, O excellent king, I shall recount it: O king; listen to it with an attentive mind. He is honoured in Rudraloka for as many thousand years as the number of pores in the separate limbs of the bull. What is gifted in Śuklatīrtha at the time of solar and lunar eclipses gets increased fifteen times.

If a person remains pure and circumambulates Śuklatīrtha, he attains merit of circumambulating the entire earth.

If a devotee honours an excellent couple with Rudra in view, he will never meet with separation (from his beloved) for seven births.

Thus, O king, the great merit has been succinctly recounted to you, i.e. the merit of (visiting) Śuklatīrtha in the manner heard by me from the Lord.

He who devoutly listens to this, shall undoubtedly obtain the merit laid down in the Purāṇa.

This is true. This is true. Again and again it is asserted (to be true). He who seeks salvation shall obtain salvation as the great fruit of the holy bath and the gift made.