The Skanda Purana
by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words
This page describes The Greatness of Dashakanya Tirtha which is chapter 206 of the English translation of the Skanda Purana, the largest of the eighteen Mahapuranas, preserving the ancient Indian society and Hindu traditions in an encyclopedic format, detailling on topics such as dharma (virtous lifestyle), cosmogony (creation of the universe), mythology (itihasa), genealogy (vamsha) etc. This is the two hundred sixth chapter of the Reva-khanda of the Avantya-khanda of the Skanda Purana.
Chapter 206 - The Greatness of Daśakanyā Tīrtha
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:
1-5. Thereafter, O king, one should go to the highly splendid and meritorious Tīrtha that destroys all sins. It is well-known as Daśakanyā Tīrtha. It was created by Mahādeva and gives all desired things.
It was there at that Tīrtha that Mahādeva celebrated the marriages of the ten daughters of Brahmā endowed with all good qualities. Ever since then that became well-known as Daśakanyā Tīrtha. It is meritorious and destructive of all sins. The benefit thereof is glorified as everlasting.
A person should make a gift of his daughter fully adorned in accordance with his capacity. O king, the devotees become meritorious-souled due to the Puṇya arising from the gift. They stay in the proximity of Siva for as many years as there are hair (on the body).
6-10. After a long time, O Lord of men, they attain human birth usually very difficult to get. They shall be possessors of crores of coins.
One who devoutly takes his holy bath there in that Tīrtha and offers to a quiescent Brāhmaṇa a piece of gold attains great happiness.
O descendant of Bharata, due to the gift of gold all the sins incurred earlier such as verbal, mental, and physical perish entirely.
One who offers gold even as little as the tip of a hair, goes to heaven on death. There is no doubt about this.
There he occupies an excellent aerial chariot and is worshipped by Siddhas and Vidyādharas. He shall stay there until the annihilation of all living beings.