Chapter 15 - Efficacy of Circumambulating Camatkārapura (Continued)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

The Sages said:

1-8. O Sūta, even by circumambulating this city once, great welfare and glory is attained. What is the reason thereof? O highly intelligent one, tell us everything in detail. We are eager to hear and you know everything fully.

Sūta said:

O excellent Brāhmaṇas, welfare is attained by the power of the excellent mountain well-known as Raktaśṛṅga.

Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva and others always resort to it on the fourteenth lunar day in the dark half of the month of Caitra.

All the Devas, all the Tīrthas, all the shrines, all the rivers and oceans and whatever is held sacred are present on that mountain Raktaśṛṅga on that day as per the behest of Śatakratu.

When that mountain was brought by Indra to that place, it was told so: “On this day the Devas will come to you. All the Tīrthas in the world, all the meritorious shrines, will come to you.”

Camatkārapura stands on its chief peak. Therefore by circumambulating it once welfare and glory is achieved.

9-15. O Brāhmaṇas, whatever is gifted with respect and high regard on that day has everlasting benefit as long as the moon and the sun shine.

A man who feeds Brāhmaṇas with sweet milk food with excellent devotion with the Pitṛs in view, shall attain the benefit of (a visit to) Gayā.

If anyone thinks of any desire and then circumambulates the city, he attains the desired object.

One without any desire shall attain salvation. One who gifts a cow with appurtenances to an excellent Brāhmaṇa attains the full benefit of the gift of the entire earth. Thus everything that I have been asked, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, as to how welfare is acquired by circumambulating by men, is narrated to you all.

Hence the rite circumambulating should be assiduously carried out around that city on the fourteenth lunar day in the dark half of Caitra by persons of great concentration and mental purity. They should strictly observe fast and the vow of silence. They should be mentally and physically pure and wear white clothes They should be free from attachment and hatred.

16-19. Since he was dumb, the cowherd was per force silent, O excellent Brāhmaṇas. As for the cow, it is naturally mute. Fast was observed by the two though without the ardour of faith. As for the cowherd, it was due to his dread of his master attached to the cow and not spontaneous faith. While he wandered in search of the cow, it resulted in a circumambulation just incidentally.

In spite of all this, the benefit was excellent in the case of both.

So if a man with great faith observes fast and silence and circumambulates he shall become an aerial chariot-rider in heaven like the ruler of Daśārṇa.