The Skanda Purana

by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words

This page describes The Benefit of Pilgrimage by Proxy which is chapter 228 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 twenty-eighth chapter of the Reva-khanda of the Avantya-khanda of the Skanda Purana.

Chapter 228 - The Benefit of Pilgrimage by Proxy

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Yudhiṣṭhira said:

1-9. O excellent sage, O storehouse of mercy, if one undertakes pilgrimage for the sake of another, what is the extent of benefit? Who gets the benefit?

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:

Listen, O king, to what I say in regard to the pilgrimage on behalf of others. How much shall be the benefit accrued? How should it be performed?

Resorting to Tīrthas should never be undertaken in this world on behalf of a baser one by a person of superior caste through greed for money etc.

O great king, a learned man should perform a pious action himself. If there is no physical strength or another pressing matter intervenes, one should get the pious activity usually done through a person of one’s own caste. A pious rite got done through sons, grandsons etc., or kinsmen of the same Gotra is the ideal things, they say, O Yudhiṣṭhira. Hence it is better that one gets them alone to do the work. Neither through one of a higher caste nor through one of a lower caste (should it be got done).

It is my opinion that a rite performed through a baser man is not proper. A superior one performing the rite on behalf of an inferior one may result in wretchedness.

One should not give knowledge, leavings of food or Havis to a Śūdra. He should not be taught righteous and pious rites nor should he be initiated in Vratas.

The following six things cause downfall of women and Śūdras: Japa, penance, pilgrimage, renunciation of the world, practice of Mantras and initiation for the adoration of a deity.

10-18. A woman with husband (alive) meets with downfall (if she undertakes any of these). A widow can perform everything. If the husband cannot perform, the wife should perform with his permission.

If one goes on pilgrimage for the sake of another, he will get one-sixteenth of the benefit. If one goes to a Tīrtha incidentally, one gets half of the benefit.

If one undertakes pilgrimage accompanying another and takes the holy bath, he gets the benefit of the bath but not the benefit of the pilgrimage, as mentioned in the scriptural texts, namely destruction of sins.

A man who takes the holy bath on behalf of the following, gets one-eighth of the benefit: father, paternal uncle, mother, maternal grandfather, maternal uncle, brother, father-in-law, son, patron, grandmother, preceptor, sister, mother’s sister, granddaughter, instructor and others.

One doing directly so on behalf of parents shall attain one-fourth of the benefit. Learned men say that the benefit is half in the case of mutual service (of husband and wife). A man obtains a sixth, a third, a fifth and a fourth of the benefit, if he performs a rite on behalf of a sister’s son, disciple, brother’s son or own son.

Thus, O son of Kuntī, the performance of sacred rites on behalf of others should be undertaken by kinsmen as traditionally practised. The procedure thereof has been recounted to you.

At the advent of rainy season, all the rivers are Rajasvalās (like women in their monthly courses) excepting Gaṅgā, Yamunā, Sarasvatī and Narmadā.

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