Chapter 164 - Installation of Nāgeśvara (Nāga-īśvara) etc.

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Sūta said:

1-2. In the meantime, Puṣpa went to the abode of Caṇḍaśarman with a delighted heart. He saw him with pallid face and eyes filled with tears in the company of all kinsmen, wife, sons and servants. He exclaimed “Thank God! Thank God!” and said thus:

Puṣpa said:

3. For your sake the Sun-god has been propitiated by me by sacrificing my own body. Due to his favour, the state of being a fallen fellow shall not befall you.

4. Your sons, grandsons and all your successors yet to be born shall surpass the Nāgaras in good qualities and features.

5. Hence get ready. We shall go to the holy river Sarasvatī^[1] in order to settle on her banks, O Brāhmaṇa, after building a hermitage there.

6-9. Definitely I too shall stay with you. There is no doubt about it. I have ample wealth. I shall maintain all your followers too. Leave all of your mental worries and anguish.

On hearing it, Caṇḍaśarman set off from Nagara^[2] towards Sarasvatī accompanied by his sons and kinsmen.

With great grief and tears filling the eyes, he bowed down and circumambulated the holy spot. Accompanied by Puṣpa and repeatedly enlightened by him, he went towards the North.

10. They reached the meritorious river Sarasvatī of cool waters, tremulous with garland-like waves and ripples and served by groups of sages.

11. Relying on the suggestion of Puṣpa, he then set up his residence on her southern banks along with all his kinsmen.

12. While staying in Nagara, Caṇḍaśarman had taken the vow that he would take food only after visiting twenty-seven Liṅgas.

13. Constantly remembering the vow taken earlier, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, his heart continued to burn day and night.

14. He took his bath in Sarasvatī with great concentration and regained cleanliness. Then he performed the Japa of the six-lettered Mantra severally (for every Liṅga).

15. He uttered the name of the particular Liṅga and made it end with namaḥ. O excellent Brāhmaṇas, he made the Liṅgas five hundred Aṅgulas long out of mud.

16. After installing them he devoutly adored them with flowers, incense and unguents. Thereafter, with great faith he performed the japa of Prāṇa Rudra Mantras.

17. One should not remove or dislodge a Liṅga whether it is firmly installed or remains unsteady. With this in view, the leading Brāhmaṇa did not perform the ritualistic Visarjana (dismissal).

18. Everyday he made twenty-seven Liṅgas out of mud and all these were heaped up, O excellent Brāhmaṇas.

19. In the course of a long time a huge mountain of clay piled up there.

20. Mahādeva became pleased with the excess of his devotion. Breaking open the surface of the earth he appeared and showed him a Liṅga.

21-23. He spoke courteously to him in words majestic like the rumbling of a cloud: “O Brāhmaṇa Caṇḍaśarman, I am pleased with this devotion of yours. So with great devotion do worship this Liṅga. Thereby you will get the benefit of worshipping twenty-seven Liṅgas. Another man too who happens to worship this will derive the benefit of worshipping all the twenty-seven Liṅgas.”

24. After saying thus, the Lord vanished therefrom. Caṇḍaśarman joyously and truthfully as per prescribed procedure worshipped it.

25. He caused a splendid palace constructed for the Liṅga. He pondered over the matter frequently and arrived at a name to be given to it.

26. He happened to remember the Ungas stationed in Nagara. Hence he decided: “This shall be named Nāgareśvara.”

Sūta said:

27. Thus, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, Caṇḍaśarman installed that Liṅga and propitiated it with flowers, incense and unguents.

28. Thus, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, he obtained the benefit of worshipping all the twenty-seven Liṅgas that were in Nagara.

29. After a long time, Nāgareśvara having been gratified, he sitting in the centre of a vehicle went directly to Śivaloka.

30. Puṣpa installed another Puṣpāditya on the banks of Sarasvatī and then became engaged in its worship.

31-32. He (Śiva) appeared before him and spoke these words with pleasure: “O Puṣpa, welfare unto you. O devotee of good holy vows, I am pleased with you. Request for a boon. I shall grant it to you even if it happens to be one that should not be granted. Hence do not delay. Request for it.”

Puṣpa said:

33. If you are pleased, O Lord, with me, if a boon has to be granted to me, then even as I beg, grant to me what is in my heart.

34. O Lord, you have twelve Mūrtis (forms) stationed in Camatkārapura. They are worthy of being worshipped by all the Heaven-dwellers.

35. A man on the earth who worships your form that has been installed by me here, should get the entire benefit of all of them.

36. Let this form that has been installed on the banks of Sarasvatī in a palace be well-known all over the world as Nāgarāditya.

Sūta said:

37. Lord Ravi (Sun-god) promised, “Let it be so” and vanished like a lamp. It was all miraculous, O excellent Brāhmaṇas.

38. Then after a long time, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, Puṣpa attained the world of Sun-god by means of an aerial chariot of great refulgence.

39. Caṇḍaśarman had a wife well-known by the name Śākaṃbharī. Durgā was installed by her on the excellent banks of Sarasvatī.

40. O excellent Brāhmaṇas, she was propitiated day and night with great devotion. Thereafter, she became pleased and granted her a boon:

41. “O dear daughter, I am pleased with you. Welfare unto you, O Śākaṃbharī, let what has been always cherished by you in your heart be received as the boon, with my favour undoubtedly".

Śākaṃbharī said:

42-43. O goddess, there are sixty-four groups of the Mothers settled in Camatkārapura. It is well-known that they become satisfied by laughter indulged in by one at night. The offer of oblations at the time of prosperity also satisfied them. Let all those merits accrue to one who worships your idol.

44. The idol has been installed by me after coming to the banks of the river.

Śrī Devī said:

45-46. In the bright half of Āśvina on the ninth day called Mahānavamī, if a devotee comes before me and worships devoutly, he will have the entire fruit immediately. There is no doubt about it. Particularly in the case of a Nāgara it is so. It is the truth that has been uttered by me.

47. After saying thus, the goddess vanished. That goddess is called on the earth after her name Śakaṃbharī.

48. After Vṛddhi (prosperity) if a man worships her, there shall never be any impediment to his prosperity, O excellent Brāhmaṇas.

Footnotes and references:

[back to top]

[1]:

This is Prācī Sarasvatī on the bank of which there was a settlement of this branch of Nāgara Brāhmaṇas.

[2]:

Modern Vadnagar, Dist. Ahmedabad, Gujarat.