Chapter 22 - Greatness of Bālamaṇḍana Tīrtha

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Note: This Tīrtha absolves a person from the sin of ungratefulness. This is illustrated by the redemption of Indra from the sin of clandestinely entering Dili’s womb and cutting up the foetus in forty-nine parts (now known as Marut gods, the allies of Indra). The second instance of Lakṣmaṇa is noted in suprs [?] Chapter 20.

The sages said:

1-3. You just now said something regarding the Tīrtha pertaining to Śakra and that in the Tīrtha thereof Lakṣmaṇa was rid of the sin arising from treachery to his master.

How did Śakra originally get himself released from the very same sin arising from treachery to the master. When did it happen, O Sūtaja?

On what account was such a misdeed committed by Mahendra in regard to Diti? Why was the foetus destroyed by him? Say everything in detail.

Sūta said:

4-8. Dakṣa, the patriarch, was born of the right big toe of Brahmā. He begot fifty splendid daughters. He gave ten of them to Dharma and thirteen unto Kaśyapa. Dakṣa then gave twenty-seven of his daughters to Indu (Moon) through the divine rite.

Diti and Aditi two of the wives of Sage Kaśyapa were the important ones, O excellent Brāhmaṇas. They were dearer to him than even his very life always.

He begot of Aditi Devas with Śakra as their leader and of Diti, Daityas of very great power.

For the domination of the realm of the three worlds, a great series of battles ensued between them. There in the battle, Daityas were overthrown by Śakra.

9-12. Thereupon the grief-stricken Diti performed an excellent Vrata for the sake of son. In this very holy place, she observed restraints and regulations with very great concentration.

Then at the end of a thousand years, Maheśvara was pleased with her and said, “I am pleased, request for the desired boon.”

She said: “If you are pleased with me, O Moon-crested Lord, then give unto me a son superior to all the Devas in strength. He shall be one partaking of the main shares in Yajña and a destroyer of the arrogance of the Devas. He should not be killed in battle by any of Devas including Vāsava.”

“So it shall be”, he said and vanished.

13-19. Diti conceived from Kaśyapa, the leading sage. Śakra was frightened on coming to know of the conception of the foetus reported by Nārada, the noble-souled chief of sages.

With an evil intention of destroying the foetus, he attended upon her day and night without lethargy. He was keenly watching for the least of opportunities, but nine months passed off, O Brāhmaṇas, and he did not get at any vulnerable point. Then, when the tenth month arrived and the time of child-birth was imminent, she was once lying asleep in sheer weariness due to the advanced stage of pregnancy. It was the beginning of the night and she was having her head turned in the southern

direction.

Śakra was gently pressing her feet and the pleasure thereof lulled her into a deep slumber blissfully unaware of everything else.

On noticing that she was unconscious, Śatakratu left massaging the feet and entered her stomach holding his sharp weapon in his hand. With that the King of Devas split the foetus into seven. He thereupon saw before him seven boys of fullgrown limbs. Thereat he chopped off each of those seven into seven pieces.

20-26. There itself forty-nine children were born. On seeing them growing up, Śatakratu became afraid and came out of the belly quickly without being noticed by Diti.

When the day dawned clearly, Diti gave birth to seven times seven boys. The Thousand-eyed One (Indra) was shrouded in filth of stinking odour. He was lustreless and pallied in the face. Due to shame he stood near her with face looking down.

On seeing Śakra in such a state, agitated in mind due to fear and standing bowing down nearby, Diti asked him tenderly: “O Śakra, why are you so depressed? You have lost all your refulgence? Why does a stinking odour issue from your body? Was any Brāhmaṇa, a child or any preceptor or any woman killed by you, whereby the lustre of your limbs has vanished? Have you been sprinkled with water from nails or assailed by wind from a winnowing basket? Are you defiled by dust raised by a broom or hoofs of a she-goat?”

Śakra said:

27-29. O well-esteemed lady, this is true? What you said in regard to me is a fact now. At night when you were asleep, I entered your belly and therefore I am a sinner. O fair lady, your foetus was split into forty-nine pieces. Hence so many boys are born of you. I made my exit in sheer fright, O fair lady, without being noticed by you. That was why, O uncensured lady, this loss of lustre.

Diti said:

30-39. O Lord of Devas, since the truth is confessed by you to me, you can choose any boon desired by you from me.

Śakra said:

O fair lady, while being split by me with the sword, these sons of yours were gently prevented by me from crying, “Do not cry repeatedly” (mā-rudantu). Hence let them become well-known in all the three worlds by the name ‘Maruts.’ Let them be devoid of the nature of Daityas. Let them be dear and subservient to me. All of them shall partake of their shares in Yajñas along with me.

Since this Tīrtha was embellished by me with many Bālakas (children) of yours it will be famous as Bālamaṇḍana.^[1]

A pregnant lady who devoutly takes her holy bath here shall have her womb free from damage of any sort. One who drinks the water of this Tīrtha when the time of delivery is imminent, will give birth to a son easily.

Diti said:

O Lord of Devas, Hara was earlier requested by me for your annihilation. “Grant me a son who will exerminate all the Devas”, I had said, but that has been cut into forty-nine pieces. Since you have spoken the truth what you say will take place.

Sūta said:

Ever since then they became the Maruts on a par with Devas. They could partake of their shares in Yajñas at the behest of Did and Śakra.

Thereafter the Thousand-eyed One (Indra) asked Bṛhaspati, the preceptor of Devas: “How will the sin arising from the treachery committed unto the mother perish?”

Bṛhaspati said:

40-48. For the sake of the eradication of the sins, O Devendra, perform a penance here itself at this Tīrtha which is destructive of all sins and where the sin was committed by you. Neither through Yajñas, nor through Dāna nor by resorting to other Tīrthas can the sin arising from treachery unto the mother perish, O Purandara. Thus this Tīrtha of the Mother should be your resort to eradicate this sin.

Sūta said:

Thereafter, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, Sahasrākṣa (Indra) quickly installed a Liṅga named Sahasrākṣeśa. He performed the adoration thrice a day with flowers, incense and unguents as well as with other things of oblation and offering, songs and dances of diverse kinds.

Then at the end of one thousand years Maheśvara became pleased with him and said, “O Śakra, I am the bestower of boons. Request for whatever is desired by you.”

Śakra said:

O Slayer of the Three Puras, let my sin arising from the treachery committed into the mother perish and also similar sins of other men who are blessed with faith and worship you with concentration devoutly after taking their holy bath.

Sūta said:

Hara assented, “So it shall be”, and vanished. Śakra too, rid of his sins went to the heavenly abode. It was thus that the Tīrtha named Bālamaṇḍana came to be there.

There men become liberated from the sin arising from treachery and disloyalty to the master.

Thus, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, everything connected with the origin of Bālamaṇḍana has been explained to you. Now listen with due veneration to the greatness thereof.

49-56. A person should perform Śrāddha there during the period beginning with the tenth lunar day in the bright half of Āśvina and ending with the Fifteenth day. He gets the benefit of the bath in all the Tīrthas. Or, O Brāhmaṇas, by performing the Śrāddha itself one gets the benefit of a horse-sacrifice.

At that time the Thousand-eyed One (Indra) comes down to the earth in order to partake of his shares on the earth offered by human beings.

As long as Śakra stays thus on the earth, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, all the Tīrthas stay in this Tīrtha.

Hence all the devotee should assiduously take their holy bath in the auspicious Tīrtha and worship Śakreśvara.

In this context there are two verses sung by Nārada, the celestial sage. I shall recite them. May the sages listen.

“A man who takes his bath in Bālamaṇḍanaka and visits Śakreśvara during the Śrāvaṇa Pañcaka in the month of Āśvina shall be rid of all sins committed ever since birth and till death on the earth. By the power of that Tīrtha this happens. This is the truth, O excellent Brāhmaṇas.”

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The author is fond of giving popular etymologies e.g. Bālamaṇḍana here Marut from Mārud.