Chapter 186 - The Greatness of Kanakhaleśvara (kanakhala-īśvara-tīrtha)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:

1-5. Thereafter, O king, one should go to the excellent Kanakhala Tīrtha.

As soon as Garuḍa was born, he worshipped Maheśvara and performed a penance for a period of a hundred divine years, O descendant of Bharata.

He was seen by God Śaṃbhu as having become emaciated by austerities and Japa. Thereupon, the delighted Lord Mahādeva spoke these great words to Garuḍa, the delighter of Vinatā, whose speed was like that of mind:

“O blessed one, I am pleased with you. O devotee of excellent vows, choose your boon. Even if it happens to be the most inaccessible thing in the three worlds, O bird flying in the firmament, I shall grant it to you.”

Garuḍa said:

I wish to become the vehicle of Viṣṇu, O Lord of Suras, and also to have the status of being the chief (Indratva) of birds. It is my opinion that when you are pleased everything will come to me.

Śrī Maheśa said:

6-15. O dear, O sinless one, the boon requested for by you is very difficult to be acquired by living beings. The ability to carry the Lord of Devas, and the status of being the king (Indratva) of birds is very difficult to get.

The entire range of the three worlds is in the belly of Nārāyaṇa. All mobile and immobile beings are there. How can that preceptor of the universe, the Lord of Devas, be carried by you?

Indra was established by him alone (as the Lord) in the vast expanse of the three worlds consisting of mobile and immobile beings. How can Indra-hood be accessible to another? Hence the extreme difficulty of achieving it.

Yet at my instance you shall become the vehicle of the Lord who has the conch, discus and club in his hands and who carries the three worlds. Undoubtedly among birds you will be the Indra (King).

After granting him this boon, Hara vanished.

After Mahādeva had gone, O king, the younger brother of Aruṇa propitiated Cāmuṇḍā embellished with skulls, the goddess who being the resident deity of cremation ground, was accompanied by many goblins. She was a Yoginī, perfect in the practice of Yogic exercise. She was fond of suet, flesh and wine.

Immediately after being meditated upon by him, she appeared before him.

The same Siḍdhi goddess as is present at Jālandhara (in Punjab), Kaulīna and the great Uḍḍiśa tract (Orissa) was wholly present in Bhṛgukṣetra, the holy Siddhakṣetra. ‘Goddess Cāmuṇḍā remained stationed there in the Siddhakṣetra (holy spot of Siddhas).

She was regularly eulogized by sages and Devas for the purpose of Yogakṣema (acquisition and preservation of what is acquired). The delighter of Vinatā devoutly propitiated the Yoginī, O king, by means of Vedic and non-Vedic hymns.

Garuḍa said:

(Eulogy of Cāmuṇḍā:)

16-32. Oṃ. May the goddess Śrī Vīramātā Carmamuṇḍā resembling the pure spotless moon protect you all! Her throat is parched with thirst and hunger, (but) mouth is splashed with fresh blood. She is seated in the lotus-pose on dead bodies. Armed with a trident, she plays with various groups of goblins in her abode of cremation ground and has for her upper cloth a garland of skulls, dripping the blood of great heroes killed with her weapons.

May that Carmamuṇḍā protect you all. Her throat is parched with thirst and hunger. She is deformed and terrifying. She strikes terror into those who commit evil deeds. She chews the flesh of the departed (corpses), gnashing her teeth emanating a series of sparks of fire. Her tawny-coloured tresses of hair are tied upwards. Her body resembles the Sun. She wears hide of a tiger as the upper garment. She is bowed down to by leading Daityas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Apsarās and Suras.

May that Carmamuṇḍā protect you all! She holds in her fierce baton-like arms, Ḍamarus and bells that produce ‘raṇasaṇa’ and ‘ṭam’ sounds. She, as the mother of goblins, bounces and leaps and generates wild gusts of winds like those produced at the time of the dose of a Kalpa, which strike the loud Paṭaha drums. She is emaciated due to hunger, and her belly is dried up. She shatters and powders the flesh of ghosts with her sharp nails and produces boisterous laughter with the sound of ‘ghura-ghura’.

May that Carmamuṇḍā residing in cremation ground protect you all! She is refulgent with the belly caving in. She terrifies the fear of the distorted worldly existence. She is armed with a trident. She is Cāmuṇḍā crushing the necks. She appears beautiful causing the sounds of Jhallarī (big cymbals) generating jingling sound, when the skulls dash against one another. She terrifies all the three worlds with diverse awful sounds of ‘kakahakahakaha’ and dances in the middle of the Mothers.

May that Kanakeśvarī protect me! She is absorbed in (smelling) the Kanakaprasava flowers; she is excessiviely refulgent and supports the entire universe by means of a part of her power.

May that Kanakeśvarī protect me! She is the goddess born of Himālaya. She reveals her form out of mercy. She is the beloved of Śiva and is attached to him (Śiva).

May Kanakeśvarī protect me! She is in the form of Padmā along with the Discus-armed Lord. She holds jewels within herself and is fond of Vasus. She is beginningless and is the cause of the universe.

May Kanakeśvarī protect me! She bestows happiness on those who remember her. She is Sāvitrī, Gāyatrī, Mṛḍānī (Pārvatī), Vāk (Sarvasvatī) and Indirā (Lakṣmī).

May Kanakeśvarī protect me! She is the supreme power and the greatest intellect. She creates and protects the universe always with her gentle and non-gentle forms.

May Kanakeśvarī protect me! She is the mother of the universe, the Māyā of the universe. She is the greatest creative power at the time of the creation of Brahmā.

May Kanakeśvarī protect me! She is the chief goddess that maddens and elates. She is the protective power of Viṣṇu engaged in the protection of the universe.

May Kanakeśvarī protect me! She is the power of Rudra,

who is the infinite one and blissful one. She is the chief goddess in the matter of the annihilation of the universe and is resorted to by Rudra.

May Kanakeśvarī protect me! She was earlier taken away by Bhasmaka along with the goddess of the Svarṇaketakī plant growing on the ridges of Kailāsa.

May Kanakeśvarī protect me! She displays the single emotional fervour as an Abalā (one of weaker sex). She appears to be afraid without her husband and longs for the powerful influence of her Lord.

May Kanakeśvarī protect me! She is interested in the protection of the universe. She is guarded by Kanaka (God). She is the mother of everything from Brahmā to a blade of grass.

May Kanakeśvarī protect me! She is the first power and she as Śakti enabled Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Īśvara to take up physical forms.

On hearing her own four-fold activity mentioned by Garuḍa, the goddess became pleased. Appearing in front of him she spoke these words:

Śrī Cāmuṇḍā said:

33-41. O devotee of excessive inborn strength, I am pleased with you. Choose a boon desired by you. O excellent one among birds, I shall grant you whatever appeals to you.

Garuḍa said:

With your favour, let me be immortal, devoid of old age, incapable of being assailed by Suras and Asuras and by others as well. I should be unconquerable. Further, you must stay here always, O goddess, in the vicinity of the Tīrtha.

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:

After saying, “It will be so”, the goddess who was eulogized by Devas went through the firmament accompanied by a multitude of goblins.

O excellent king, when the excellent city was established by Lakṣmī, it was dedicated to the goddess after getting her permission and assent.

Lakṣmī said:

[Note: the portion hereafter is obscure]

O goddess, my city should always be protected by you like a mother for the purpose of the achievement of Yoga and Kṣema (acquisition and preservation of what is achieved) and for the guarding through me.

Garuḍa too took his holy bath and adored Kanakeśvarī. After establishing the Tīrtha too there itself, he went to the excellent firmament.

He who takes his holy bath there in the Tīrtha and worships Pitṛs and Devatās, attains the benefit of a Yajña fully equipped with everything desirable.

One who adores Kanakeśvara with sweet scents, flowers etc. achieves Yogic power in Yoga Pīṭhas. Upon death, he goes to the Yogeśvara Loka with all auspicious things like the sounds of “Be victorious” etc. There is no doubt about it. He will be accompanied by the groups of Yoginīs.