Chapter 194 - Description of Tīrthas

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Sūta said:

1-2. After granting the boons thus to all those victims of the curse, she (Gāyatrī) observed the vow of silence and sat on the ground.

Then all the groups of Devas, sages and great ascetics exclaimed: “Excellent! Excellent!” And spoke these words to her:

3. “With the special favour of the Brāhmaṇas, all the people will adore this goddess with great concentration in this human world.

4. Those men who worship this goddess of Suras after worshipping Brahmā, will attain the greatest goal.

5-6. A girl who, after getting a husband, bows down to the feet of Gāyatrī with great concentration and mental purity will undoubtedly be happy as though a Prajāpati has been obtained as her husband. She will be blessed with all happiness and realization of desires. A barren woman or one disliked by her husband will turn into a splendid lady.”

The sages said:

7-8. You had said that Hara gave this when one hundred five Padmajas (Brahmās) had gone and that he was pleased and gave this excellent thing to the Brāhmaṇas. How is it? Or is there another Maheśvara? It behoves you to clear this doubt of ours.

9. Do tell us the life span of Śaṅkara as well as that of Hari. Mention that of Brahmā too. We are very much interested in it.

Sūta said:

10. O excellent Brāhmaṇas, I shall speak to you all in detail, the life span of all the three (deities).

11. Truṭi is a fourth part of Nimeṣa. Two Nimeṣas make one Lava. Two Lavas make one Kalā and fifteen Kalās make one Kāṣṭhā

12. They say that thirty Kāṣṭhās make one Kalā and thirty Kalās make one Kṣaṇa. Those who are conversant with Muhūrtas say that a Muhūrta consists of twelve Kṣaṇas.

13. Learned men say that thirty Muhūrtas make one day and night. Thirty Ahorātras (day and night) make one month. The period of time consisting of two months is called a Ṛtu (season).

14. Three Ṛtus make one Ayana (Transit of the Sun). Two Ayanas make one Vatsara (year). That becomes one day of Devas, O excellent Brāhmaṇas.

15-16. Uttarāyaṇa (Northern transit) is the day and the other one (i.e. Dakṣiṇāyana) is the night (of Devas). One million seven hundred twenty-eight thousand human years will make the first, Kṛtayuga, O excellent Brāhmaṇas.

17. The period consisting of one million two hundred ninety-six thousand years^[1] is mentioned as the second, Tretā Yuga, O excellent Brāhmaṇas.

18. Dvāpara, the third Yuga, is mentioned as consisting of eight hundred sixty-four thousand Years.

19. Kali yuga, the fourth one, consists of four hundred thirty-two thousand years. So say learned men.

20. A thousand four-Yuga periods make one day of Pitāmaha; thirty such days make one month and twelve months a year.

21. Brahmā, the grandfather, lives for such one hundred years. Now his age is eighty years and six months.

22. Of the first Pratipad day of this noble-souled one two Yāmas have passed by the current Friday.

23. One year of Brahmā is mentioned as one day of Viṣṇu.

24. He also lives for a hundred years according to his reckoning. It has been proclaimed that fifty-five years have passed by since his nativity.

25. Five Tithis (lunar days) and half of a Yāma have passed by this Monday. A year of Viṣṇu makes one day of Maheśvara.

26-29. Śiva lives in that form for a hundred years. He stays till Sadāśiva’s mouth (face) takes an Ucchvasita (inhalation) when there is Niśvasita (exhalation) he merges into Śakti.

In the case of all embodied beings such as Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śivas, Gandharvas, Uragas, Rākṣasas etc., O excellent Brāhmaṇas, the number of inhalations and exhalations is twenty-one thousand six hundred in the course of a day and night. Six Ucchvāsas and Niśvāsas constitute one Pala.

30. Nāḍī is mentioned as consisting of sixty Palas. Sixty Nāḍīs make one day and night. There is no limit to the Niśvāsa and Ucchvāsa of Sadāśiva. Hence, he is remembered as everlasting.

31. Others too who attain the realization of Brahman become everlasting. It is the truth that has been mentioned by me.

The sages said:

32-34. O Sūtaputra, if Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara undoubtedly undergo death when their hundred years are complete, how is it that learned men say that men with lives of short duration in the mortal world attain Mukti (release)? Certainly, their contention regarding the path of salvation is false.

Sūta said:

35. There is neither beginning nor end to Kāla (Time). It cannot be delimited. Innumerable Brahmās, Viṣṇus and Maheśvaras have come and gone having attained Mokṣa.

36. They are numerous like sand particles. When their allotted span of hundred years is complete, they attain salvation. If men have faith as a result of realization of Brahman they will have salvation undoubtedly.

37. In the eyes of human beings, flies and mosquitoes are considered very insignificant creatures. Similar are human beings on the surface of the earth in the eyes of Indra and other gods.

38. Just as human beings are like (lit. in the position of) insects (to gods) so even gods (are to) Brahmā of unmanifest origin.

39. Just as Devas remain in the status of worms and insects for Brahmā, so Brahmā also remains in the status of insects in regard for Viṣṇu.

40. Just as Pitāmaha remains in the status of worms and insects for Viṣṇu, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, so also he (Viṣṇu) is to be considered by Śiva and Śakti.

41. O excellent Brāhamṇas, just as Viṣṇu should be considered as a worm by them both (i.e. Śiva and Śakti) so also they both should be considered like insects by Sadāśiva.

42. In this manner, when Brahman is realized through the mind sanctified by means of faith after various kinds of Yajñas, people attain the great Sadāśiva.

43. Those people who perform Agniṣṭoma and other Yajñas with the full complement of Dakṣiṇās for the sake of heavenly pleasures, do go to heaven and enjoy various kinds of pleasures.

44. When merit gets exhausted they return to the earth. But if one attains the greatest Absolute (Mokṣa) through the realization of Brahman there is no rebirth.

45. Hence, by all means, one should have repeated practice in the spiritual path in the course of many births. Later gradually one attains salvation.

46. The Leśa (modicum) of spiritual knowledge acquired by one in the course of one life will be doubled in the second birth and trebled in the third birth.

47. In the course of every life, this process will go on increasing one by one.

The sages said:

48. O Sūtaja, if you do know it, expound to us how men attain the realization of Brahman.

Sūta said:

49. What power do I have in the matter of expounding human realizations! How can one who does not know himself explain it to others?

50. But, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, I shall narrate unto you the instruction imparted to me by my father in regard to the knowledge of Brahman.

51. There are two auspicious Tīrthas in the holy spot of Hāṭakeśvara. They were created by two virgins and they (the Tīrthas) accord the knowledge of Brahman to men.

52-55. The Tīrthas were created by a Brāhmaṇa girl and a Śūdra girl. A devotee shall perform the rite of holy ablution in those Tīrthas on the eighth and fourteenth lunar days. Then he should adore devoutly the well-known Siddhi-Pādukās (Sandals of Spiritual achievement). They are well-protected and concealed in the centre of the Gartā (deep chasm, pit) and are adored by the two virgins. They have been deposited there along with (or by) Śakti for the purpose of enhanced self-vision. By the end of the year, the devotee shall realize Brahman. They give the delight of the realization of Brahman unto the people desirous of salvation. My father went there and therefore remained one equipped with that knowledge.

56. At his behest I (too) went there and stayed there for a year and adored the sandals. Therefore, the knowledge too was gained.

57. O Brāhmaṇas, I know whatever I learn by listening to the excellent Purāṇa and whatever is current and whatever is likely to happen in the future.

58. It is undoubtedly the result of his favour that the means of valid knowledge is present (in him) here because I have been (handicapped by) the state of being a Sūta (chainoteer [charioteer?] caste) and therefore excluded from the study of the Vedas.

59. I know the entire meaning thereof (i.e. of the Vedas) like Sage Bhartṛyajña. Hence go to this place alone, if your purpose is to achieve salvation.

60. Of what avail are these Sattras that bestow heavenly pleasures but cause the return therefrom? After going there propitiate those two sandals that bestow Siddhi. Thence, the realization of Brahman shall be effected by the end of the year.

The sages said:

61. Excellent! Excellent! O highly esteemed one, you have given a very great advice. We have been redeemed from the ocean of worldly existence thereby.

62. At the conclusion of this Sattra extending over twelve years, we have decided to go there. There is no doubt about it.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Read ṣaṇṇavatyā sahasrakaiḥ for ṣoḍaśānām sahasrakaiḥ.

Other Purana Concepts:

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Discover the significance of concepts within the article: ‘Description of Tirthas’. Further sources in the context of Purana might help you critically compare this page with similair documents:

Brahmana, Moksha, Kaliyuga, Kala, Prajapati, Yajna, Tirtha, Tretayuga, Dvaparayuga, Sadashiva, Agnishtoma, Kritayuga, Spiritual knowledge, Great ascetic, Ocean of worldly existence, Vow of silence, Life-span, Excellent Brahmana, Knowledge of Brahman, Human existence, Spiritual path, Holy spot, Holy ablution, Mental purity, Agnishtoma Yajna, Great concentration, Virgin, Worship goddess, Kala Time, Excellent thing, Realization of Brahman, Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshvara, Favour of Brahmanas, Knowledge of Veda, Moksha attainment, Yuga periods, Worshipping Brahma, Gayatri goddess, Mukti release.

Concepts being referred within the main category of Hinduism context and sources.

Sattra.