Chapter 231 - The Number of Tīrthas Enumerated

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śūta [Sūta?] said:

1-6. Similarly, O excellent sages, I shall enumerate the Tīrthastabakas (bunches of flowers in the form of the Tīrthas) wherewith the wreath of Tīrtha series has been strung together and divided (into separate units) for the increase of devotees’ delight.

I shall mention the bunches (groups) of the Tīrthas in the same manner as mentioned by the son of Mṛkaṇḍa earlier in response to the queries made by the son of Kuntī.

Indeed the meritorious Revā is the Kalpalatā (wish-yielding creeper) that originated by drinking the water of Śiva. It is splendidly blossomed through the flowers of the Tīrthas situated on both the banks. The three worlds have been rendered fragrant by the glorious sweet scents.

Sage Mārkaṇḍa, the most excellent one among intelligent persons is, indeed the bee capable of knowing best the taste of the honey of those flowers.

The sage, a leading scion of the family of Bhṛgu, always wears in his heart that sacred garland of flowers rendered decorative by the bunches of Tīrthas. O excellent sages, I shall explain the situation of the bunches thereof.

7-18. Beginning with Oṃkāra Tīrtha and ending with the western ocean, there are thirty-five confluences of rivers. They are destructive of sins.

They are eleven on the northern bank and twenty-three on the southern bank. The thirty-fifth one, the most excellent one, is the confluence of Revā and the ocean.

Thus along with the confluences on the two banks of Revā, there are four hundred famous Tīrthas, O excellent Brāhmaṇas.

There are three hundred thirty-three Śiva Tīrthas. I shall mention these too individually, which you listen to, O excellent ones.

O leading sages, among them there are ten Mārkaṇḍeśvara Tīrthas, ten originating from Āditya (i.e. Āditya Kṣetras), nine Kapileśvaras, eight installed by Soma, an equal number of Narmadeśvaras, eight Koṭitīrthas, and seven Siddheśvaras.

Nāgeśvaras are seven on both the banks of Revā. Seven indeed are created (installed) by Vahni (Fire-god). There are seven Āvartas there.

Kedāreśvara Tīrthas are five and five Indra Tīrthas. Varuṇeśas are five and five indeed are Dhanadeśvaras. There are five Devatīrthas and four Yameśvaras;

Vaidyanāthas are four and four are Vānareśvara Tīrthas. O leading sages, Aṅgāreśvara Tīrthas also are as many. Sārasvata Tīrthas are four and there are four Dārukeśvaras.

Gautameśvara Tīrthas are three and Rāmeśvara Tīrthas are also three. Kapāleśvara Tīrthas and Haṃsatīrthas are three each.

Mokṣatīrthas are three and Vimaleśvaras too are three. The sage stated that there are three Sahasrayajña Tīrthas.

19-27. Three Bhīmeśvaras are enumerated and there are three Svarṇatīrthas. Two Dhautapāpakṣetras have been mentioned. So also two Karañjeśas.

There are two Ṛṇamocana Tīrthas and two Skandeśvaras. O Brāhmaṇas, there are two Daśāśvamedha Tīrthas and two Nandī Tīrthas.

There are two Manmatheśas and two Bhṛgutīrthas. There are two Parāśareśvaras and two Ayonīsaṃbhavas.

There are two Vyāseśvaras and two Pitṛtīrthas have been mentioned. There are two Nandikeśvara Tīrthas and two Gopeśvaras have been remembered.

So also two Māruteśas and two Jvāleśvaras are remembered. There are two meritorious Śuklatīrthas and two Apsareśatīrthas.

There are two Pippaleśvara Tīrthas and two Tīrthas named Māṇḍavyeśvara. Similarly the scion of the family of Bhṛgu enumerated two Dvīpeśvaras. There are two Uttareśvara Tīrthas and two Aśokeśas, two Yodhanapuras and two Rohiṇī Tīrthas.

Two Luṅkeśvaras have been enumerated by the sage. O Brāhmaṇas, there are one hundred nineteen Tīrthas mentioned one by one. Two hundred fourteen Tīrthas have been grouped in the Stabakas (bunches).

These Tīrthas are Śaivas (pertaining to Śiva). O excellent ones, listen to the Vaiṣṇava, Brāhma and Śākta Tīrthas enumerated in order.

28-38. The sage enumerated twenty-eight Vaiṣṇava Tīrthas. O excellent sages; among them six are Vārāha Tīrthas.

Four are Cakratīrthas. The remaining eighteen alone are praised by Viṣṇu. Thus the son of Mṛkaṇḍu said earlier.

Seven Tīrthas have been enumerated where Brahmā achieved Siddhi. In three of them there is the adoration performed by Brahmā and the other four have Brahmā as the Lord. Thus twenty-eight Tīrthas have been enumerated in due order and number.

This is unparalleled in sanctity; this is excessively destructive of sins. The greatness of the meritorious story of Narmadā has been declared by the sage.

Sūta said:

Thus the series of Tīrthas on Revā have been generally briefly mentioned by me in the same way as Sage Mārkaṇḍa recounted to the son of Kuntī.

Many subsidiary Tīrthas are concealed therein. O sinless ones, listen to the details as to where and how many lie embedded there.

All round Oṃkāra Tīrtha in all directions within two Krośas from Mountain Amarakaṇṭaka the number of Tīrthas whether hidden or manifest, O excellent Brāhmaṇa, is three and a half crore.

In the confluence of Kapilā, there are a crore of Tīrthas.

In Aśokavanikā Tīrtha there are a hundred thousand shrines. O excellent sages, in the confluence of Aṅgāragartā, there are a hundred Tīrthas.

There are ten thousand Tīrthas in the confluence of Kubjā. A hundred Tīrthas are stationed in the confluence of Hiraṇyagarbhā.

There are sixty-eight Tīrthas in the confluence of Viśokā and a thousand Tīrthas in the confluence of Vāgu.

39-45. There are a hundred Tīrthas in the confluence of Sarasvatī, two hundred in Śukla Tīrtha, a thousand in Viṣṇutīrthas and ten thousand in Māhiṣmatī.

O Brāhmaṇas, more than a hundred thousand Tīrthas are present in Śūlabheda. The sage has mentioned that there are more than a thousand Tīrthas in Devagrāma.

More than seven hundred Tīrthas are present in Luṅkeśvara and one hundred eight Tīrthas in the confluence of Maṇinadī. They know of more than one hundred eight Tīrthas in Vaidyanātha.

O Brāhmaṇas, in Kuṃbheśvara Tīrtha there are as many. More than a hundred thousand Tīrthas are situated in the confluence of Revā and Urī.

It is the statement of Mārkaṇḍa that there may be more than that. Eighty-eight thousand Tīrthas are present in Vyāsadvīpa.

There are ten thousand eight Tīrthas in the confluence of Karañjā. Similarly there are one hundred eight Tīrthas in the confluence of Eraṇḍī. There are sixty-eight Tīrthas in Dhūtapāpā. The sage has spoken of a hundred meritorious Tīrthas in the Skānda Tīrtha.

46-54. Sixty-eight Tīrthas are present in Kohaneśa and one crore and a half Tīrthas are present in Korilāpura.

He has mentioned more than a thousand in Rāmakeśava Tīrtha. Indeed a thousand Tīrthas are present in Asmāhaka.

O excellent Brāhmaṇas, there are eight hundred two thousand Tīrthas in Śuklatīrtha as mentioned to the son of Kuntī by the scion of the family of Bhṛgu formerly.

In the case of the remaining rivers, except in the case of the confluence of Kāverī, he has mentioned one hundred eight Tīrthas in each confluence.

O Brāhmaṇas, there are five hundred Tīrthas in the confluence of Kāverī. As said, special efficacy exists in the Tīrthas during Parvans (festival days).

They say that Mokṣatīrtha is excellent and supported by the Purāṇapuruṣa (Ancient Being). One crore Tīrthas are present in the holy spot of Bhṛgu. O excellent sages, who is competent to speak more about the Tīrthas? It is mentioned as the resort of all immortal ones and all Tīrthas. It is well-known in all the three worlds and is honoured. It is the means of achievement of miraculous powers. In Bhārabhūti one hundred eight Tīrthas are present.

One hundred fifty Tīrthas are present in Akrūreśvara Tīrtha. The sage has mentioned that there are more than a hundred thousand Tīrthas in Vimaleśvara Tīrtha at the confluence of Revā and the ocean.