Chapter 172 - The Greatness of Māṇḍavya Tīrtha

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:

1-7. Then all the sages and Devas with Indra at their head came to the meritorious hermitage of Māṇḍavya on the banks of Narmadā.

The courtesans began to dance to the tunes of the songs of the celestial damsels. Lights shone and conchs and Dundubhi drums were sounded.

Some people began to eulogize narrating the tales of the sage impaled on the stake.

Eighty-eight thousand hermit-householders assembled there with a desire to see everything. Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśāna came there with great pleasure along with the Devas.

The Mothers beginning with Mallikā, Kṣetrapālas, Vināyakas, Dikpālas (Guardians of quarters), the guardians of the worlds, the excellent rivers beginning with Gaṅgā etc., came there.

In that pleasant gathering of sages and Devas, the king too came along with the citizens and the rural folk.

Some came there with great curiosity; some with agitated minds. Their minds were shaken with fear and they stood around.

8-21. In that divine assembly Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Īśa spoke: “O Māṇḍavya of great vitality, along with the Devas we are ready to grant you boons. After a great deal of suffering and austerities, you will now attain spiritual perfection. Request as you please, whatever may appeal to your mind.

Know that the whole world has become devoid of the sun. It is in a confused state without Vaṣaṭkāras. All the pious rites have become defunct. Make it attain normalcy.

Further, O excellent Brāhmaṇa, we request for your blessings to Śāṇḍilī. See here, the king who has given you much trouble is present before you. O Brāhmaṇa-sage, grace (gratify) the entire group of people including the Devas and Asuras.”

Māṇḍavya said:

If the deities are pleased with me and have come here along with Suras, they should stay here in this Tīrtha on all the three Sanḍhyās along with the sages. May my physical pain and discomfort subside forever with your favour.

The Lords of Devas said: “So be it.” O son of Pāṇḍu, even as they said so, the demon came there taking the girl Kāmapramodinī with him.

He said to them: “O holy Sirs, formerly Urvaśī had cursed me and said,‘When you abduct a girl, your curse will cease.’ My despicable activity is actuated by the curse. This misdemeanour by one who is not highly learned should be excused.”

After saying this he disappeared.

After he had gone the lotus-eyed girl was seen carefully by all the Suras. They had mutual consultation and then offered her to the wise Māṇḍavya.

They poured the sacred waters of Narmadā over the Vajraśūlikā (the adamantine stake) and took Sage Māṇḍavya off the stake to the accompaniment of auspicious shouts of “Be victorious” etc. Māṇḍavya the great sage, married the girl and offered obeisance to all of them (Suras).

The king who was nearby and who had been earlier scolded by all the people saying “Fie upon you!” now made all of them delighted. The Brāhmaṇas were propitiated by means of ornaments, garments and food and also with gifts of a crore of gold pieces. They were requested to forgive him.

After the marriage was over Māṇḍavya called Śāṇḍilī and said to her:

22-27. “Honour these Brāhmaṇas. Get the Sun release (from your curse). It is his mercy that dispels the darkness immediately.”

On hearing the words of the sage, Śāṇḍilī said in her distress: “O Brāhmaṇas, if the Sun were to rise, my husband will die. How can I get him released? That will be detrimental to my interest.

O great sages, what do I gain by urging (the Sun) to resume his movement? Is it your idea that I should be without my husband, without anyone to look after me? Ye all stand in darkness. I do not wish that the Sun should rise.”

At those words, all the Devas, Asuras and great sages shook their heads and said: “That is all right, but, O highly esteemed chaste lady, O ascetic lady, listen to our words. If you honour all of us, carry out the words spoken (to you).”

Śāṇḍilī said:

28-36. All of you think well and do what will increase happiness. Do that whereby my husband will not die but the words of the sage will be true as well.

On hearing her words, they made the sage fall into a stuporous coma. Even as Śāṇḍilī was watching, he was made to vanish for a short while. All the sages then revived him and made his body free from wounds. That sage was washed with the waters of Narmadā and handed over to Śāṇḍilī.

On seeing her husband refulgent, she became delighted in her mind. She then bowed down to the sages and Devas. The bright Sun then shone all over the world.

All the worldly activities were resumed. The Devas, Gandharvas and human beings were all delighted and they went to their respective abodes and great penance groves.

The chaste lady stayed in that Āśrama along with her husband for a month. On being permitted by Māṇḍavya, she bowed to him and went to her hermitage.

When all those persons had gone, Māṇḍavya installed Lord Acyuta by the name Māṇḍavyeśvara. He was remembered as Nārāyaṇa too.

O descendant of Bharata, he worshipped the deity for a thousand divine years and then he went to Amaraparvata along with the groups of sages. Even today, O descendant of Bharata, the brothers are continuously performing penance and meditating upon the highest station (Being) with their selves under control.

37-48. One should take holy bath there in the Tīrtha and offer libations to Pitṛs and Devatās. By the offer of balls of rice Pitṛs become propitiated for ten years.

At the beginning of a fortnight a person should do the wiping and applying of plaster in the temple. By this smearing and application of plaster one gets twice the benefit derived when a hundred thousand cows are gifted.

By adoration, the benefit shall be fourfold. The merit of lighting lamps is cited as eightfold.

Those who bathe the Lord with curd, honey, ghee, milk or the waters of Narmadā become persons endowed with divine vision in the three worlds including mobile and immobile beings.

Those who adore Virūpākṣa or Lord Nārāyaṇa Hari by means of flower garlands and unguents, sport about in divine aerial chariots for a period of a Kalpa.

One who lights eight lamps on the eighth, eleventh and fourteenth days of the dark half of a month, does not see Yama.

Those who fill the Liṅga with various kinds of fruits move about by means of an aerial chariot and are served by Siddhas and Cāraṇas. There shall be bells and banners in the aerial chariot. So also flower garlands as well as befitting musical instruments. It will pass to the vicinity of Śiva.

He who builds, makes a temple of Viṣṇu, Māṇḍavyeśvara, is a pious-souled devotee and he lives in Svarga until all living beings are annihilated.

The devotee should feed Brāhmaṇas in the shrine named Māṇḍavyanārāyaṇa. If a single Brāhmaṇa is fed, it is as good as a crore of them are fed.

In the month of Āśvina, on the fourteenth day of the bright half, a devotee should observe fast and other restraints and keep awake at night. Rows of lights shall be lit in all the four quarters and the worship shall be performed in accordance with one’s capacity.

49-59. Whether the devotee is a man or a woman he or she shall carry on the programme of music, dance and discourses. When the day dawns, O king, he or she should conclude all the rites such as the holy ablution etc. and see the deity thus in silence. The devotee shall be rid of all sins and is honoured in Rudra Loka.

Or in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa, Caitra, Vāiśākha [Vaiśākha] or Śrāvaṇa or in fact at any time, it shall be as meritorious as Śivarātri. Thus has Śiva told. The benefit shall be like that of a Vājapeya or Aśvamedha. Not otherwise.

A woman may be unlucky, miserable, barren or poor, or her child may have died. If she performs the holy ablution with Rudraghaṭas (? eleven water-pots), she shall attain all cherished desires.

Worms, insects and locusts that die in that Tīrtha go to Svarga and assume divine forms, O king.

If those who are afflicted with sickness die by fasting, drowning or by being burnt in fire, they will have that goal from which there is no return. Undoubtedly they go to Rudraloka.

O king, one who bows down to both Śiva and Nārāyaṇa everyday attains the benefit of the gift of a cow by the power of that Tīrtha.

O great king, if one makes a circumambulation of the temple, it is as good as if the entire earth including oceans and mountains has been circumambulated.

Outside the Mallikābhavana there are one hundred fifty Tīrthas. O excellent kings, that is the extent of the Tīrthas.

If a devotee ties round the holy spot, or the temple of Śiva or the Liṅga of Śiva a thread, he attains merit. Listen to it.

60-67. The entire earth has seven continents viz. Jaṃbūdvīpa,

Śālmalī, Kuśa, Krauñca, Śāka, Puṣkara and Gomeda. The merit attained by the devotee tying the thread is on a par with that of one who embellishes the entire earth including mountains, parks and forests.

On the southern side of Revā near the Śivakṣetra there is the highly meritorious Devakhāta (a well dug up by Devas) prepared by the Tridaśas (Devas). He who takes his holy bath there, is rid of all sins.

The devotee should perform Śrāddha on a full-moon day, new-moon day, Vyatīpāta, transit of the Sun and Saṃgraha (immediately after the eclipse is over). He shall attain the greatest goal.

All the three deilties, Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara, stay in Devakhāta along with sages, Pitṛs, and groups of the Devas. There in that Tīrtha, in the month of Āśvina, especially on the fourteenth day, Śaṅkara stands on the aerial path along with the Devas.

For two days, all the Tīrthas, rivers and oceans all over the earth enter Devakhāta.

In Māṇḍaveśvara, the devotee attains that merit which is normally obtained in Gayāśira, Prayāga, Amarakaṇṭaka and in Somatīrtha.

68-78. On the full-moon day in the month of Āśvina coinciding with Aśvinī constellation, if the devotee offers adoration at Māṇḍaveśvara shrine, he will attain the same merit as by pilgrimage to Lakuleśvara and offering of Paṭṭabandha (silk cloth offering).

In the Tīrtha named Māṇḍavya the same merit is eternally obtained as at Mahākāla shrine in Ujjayinī, Tripuṣkara in Vārāṇasī and at Sannihati.

After understanding these facts, O great king, and realizing that this Tīrtha is the most excellent of all Tīrthas, the devotee should adore the Pitṛs and Devas by means of holy ablutions, gifts, adorations etc. He should observe fast on the fourteenth day and remain pure. He shall adore the deity, Śiva, with great devotion and keep awake during the night. The deity is bathed with different kinds of ablutions, and adored with garlands and unguents of agallochum. In the morning of the full-moon day, the rites of holy bath etc., and the libations should be duly performed. The Śrāddha through Havya and Kavya should be duly concluded. Agniṣṭoma and other Yajñas are performed duly with requisite monetary gifts. The devotee shall wash himself of all sins by these means. The purified soul shall attain the excellent benefit that shall be on a par with the gift of a thousand cows, O descendant of Bharata.

There on that day in the presence of Śiva, after the holy bath etc., the devotee makes the gifts of gold, a bullock, a cow, a plot of land, a pair of bullocks, a horse, a pair of clothes etc. to a good-featured recipient with Śiva in view.

Sandals, shoes, umbrella, pot, red cloths etc. also can be gifted. The Homa, Japa and Dāna rites performed shall bear everlasting benefits.

Sitting in front of the deity the devotee should recite one Ṛk verse, one Mantra from Yajurveda and one Sāman from Sāmaveda. There is no doubt about this that he shall derive the benefit of the (recitation of) entire Veda.

79-90. Merely by repeating the Gāyatrī Mantra, he shall obtain the benefit of the recitation of all the three Vedas. Through the adoration of Śiva one obtains benefit on behalf of a hundred crores of the members of his family and even more.

By means of the holy bath, Dāna, Śrāddha, keeping awake, singing of songs, playing on the instruments, etc. he will attain the goal of Śivaloka from which there shall be no return at any time. After a great deal of time, he may return to the mortal world. Then he shall become an intelligent king devoid of every kind of sickness. He will live for more than a hundred years with sons, grandsons and adequate wealth. He will remember the same Tīrtha and will get merged into Maheśvara.

One who performs Sanḍhyā worship in that Tīrtha during Parva days gets the excellent benefit of reciting all the four Vedas along with the Aṅgas and Upāṅgas.

O king, the Sin of Brāhmaṇa-slaughter shall be afraid to move about within a radius of the distance of an arrow-fall all round the Śiva shrine.

A devotee shall stand wherever he pleases and see the trees with eagerness to visit the Tīrtha. Even then he shall be liberated undoubtedly from the different kinds of sins.

There is a Śvabhrī (abysm) seen there, O great king, in the middle of the water. The story is mentioned in the Purāṇa that a female monkey (attained salvation) by resorting to the Tīrtha there.

O great king, there is also a well created by the Devas on the western side of Śiva.

This is an excellent Śivakṣetra. If a devotee performs the rite of Vṛṣotsarga (ritualistic dedication of a bull) at that Tīrtha, his Pitṛs sport about in the heavenly world as they please. If Vṛṣotsarga is performed all these sins perish as that of carnally approaching a prohibited woman, performing Yajña on behalf of an undeserving person, stealing, Brāhmaṇa-slaughter, cow-slaughter and slaughter of the preceptor.

One who attentively listens to the greatness of Māṇḍavya Tīrtha shall be rid of all sins. No doubt need be entertained in this respect.