Chapter 176 - The Greatness of Piṅgaleśvara (piṅgala-īśvara-tīrtha)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:

1-5. Thereafter, O king, a person should go to the excellent Piṅgalāvarta Tīrtha which is endowed with all good qualities. It is worthy of being liked and is a very rare: (spot) on the earth.

A sin committed earlier, whether verbal, mental or physical, will perish by resorting to Piṅgaleśvara Tīrtha.

Śaṅkara has thus said that a holy bath and Dāna performed there at the Devakhāta (holy well dug by Devas) shall be everlasting in benefit.

After digging the well, auspicious water was taken up from all the Tīrthas on the earth and poured into it. Thus it has become the famous Devakhāta.

Yudhiṣṭhira said:

O excellent Brāhmaṇa, how was that Devakhāta formed? How did all the Suras pour the holy waters from (other) Tīrthas therein? O Brāhmaṇa, tell me everything. My mind is eager to hear.

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:

6-11. In order to purify (cleanse) his Śūla (trident) Rudra wandered along with groups of Devas all over the pure earth with a water pot in hand. Then the Suras took their holy bath in Prabhāsa and other Tīrthas. Waters taken out from all the Tīrthas were put into a vessel by them.

Reaching (the Tīrtha called) Śūlabheda, the trident of the Lord became clean and pure. Taking the water from there, they came to Bhṛgukacchaka.

There they saw the tawny-eyed sickly Agni engaged in a severe penance meditating on Maheśvara.

Due to the parts of the Havis offered by Brāhmaṇas and kings, he became dyspeptic and distresssed with many ailments. On seeing Agni, the mouth of Devas, thus the Devas collectively said to Lord Śaṅkara, the benefactor of the worlds:

The Devas said:

12. O Śaṃbhu, may it please you to bless the tawny-eyed, dyspeptic Agni. O Maheśvara, do something whereby his body becomes rid of sickness and capable of receiving Havis offerings again.

Īśvara said:

13. O Suras, I am delighted with his penance. Further, particularly due to your pleading (for him) I shall grant the desired boon.

Piṅgala said:

14. O Lord of Devas, if you are pleased, if the desired thing is to be granted, do stay here with a sixteenth portion after making the Moon and the Sun your eyes.

Further, O Śaṅkara, do that whereby my body will be rejuvenated. O Virūpākṣa, obeisance to you again and again.

Mārkaṇḍeya said:

15. Thereupon Śaṃbhu, Śaṅkara adopted the form of Āditya and removed his ailment.

16-18. Then, when he (Piṅgala) was rejuvenated he addressed Śaṅkara: “O Śaṃbhu, do stay here itself. So also let Bhāskara himself stay here for helping living beings and quelling ailments, for destroying sins and for augmentation of welfare.” On being told thus by the noble-souled Piṅgala (Agni), the Lord incarnated and spoke to the Devas thus:

Īśvara said:

19-29. To the north of my shrine dig a splendid well (Devakhāta) and pour into it the water that has been brought from the Tīrthas. Let the water that is capable of destroying all ailments be deposited there. Let this divine water that quells all sins be put there by all the Suras and others.

On being told thus, the thirty-three crores of Devas dug a deep abysmal pit on the north and poured the water from the Tīrthas therein.

All of them with Lord Virūpākṣa (Śiva) as the leader said collectively: “Whoever may he be, a person should take his holy bath after holding a bit of the earth from Devakhāta. On a Sunday, the holy bath is to be performed in the waters of Narmadā. Then he should perform Śrāddha unto the Pitṛs and make monetary gifts in accordance with his capacity. Thus the devotee should adore Piṅgeśa. He will stay in heaven.

What was uttered by the Suras the entire world heard.

“All the ailments of men such as tuberculosis, itching scabies, all types of ailments arising from hiccup, bronchitis and fever, different types of fevers occurring everyday, on alternate days, once in three or four days, fevers arising from attacks by ghosts, cutaneous eruptions, jaundice and other defects perish in seven days due to the holy baths on Sundays. Different kinds of leprosy can be quelled by taking the holy bath on one hundred eight Sundays. After adoring Śaṅkara, the devotee makes the gift of a pot of gingelly seeds to a Brāhmaṇa. Leprosy becomes quelled like serpents by Garuḍa.” After saying thus all the Devas went to heaven.

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:

30-33. One should always take one’s bath in Devakhātas, lakes, rivers etc. The man becomes rid of sins.

The benefit of the bath in Devakhāta is superior to that of the bath in sixty-six thousand Tīrthas.

O king, one who takes his bath in Devakhātas, offers libations to Pitṛs and worships the excellent Piṅgaleśvara, the Lord of the chiefs of Devas, O descendant of Bharata, obtains the benefit of both horse-sacrifice and Vājapeya. There is no doubt about it.