Chapter 5 - Sages and Devas Residing in Prabhāsa Kṣetra

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Sūta said:

1. O leading Brāhmaṇas, when this was narrated by the noble-souled Śaṅkara, the goddess became extremely delighted in her mind and asked again:

The Devī said:

2. For the sake of the welfare of all living beings, O Lord of Devas, O Lord of the universe, do tell me in detail the greatness of the Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

Īśvara said:

3. O renowned one, I shall give you another example as to why, O great goddess, this holy spot, a favourite of mine, has been created.

4. The great goal (region) that Yogins who are devoid of any attachment attain by constant meditation, is attained by those who give up their life at that holy place Prabhāsa.

5. Mārkaṇḍeya also, the great ascetic whose span of life extends to many Kalpas, always worships Lord Virūpākṣa at Prabhāsa.

6. Though he wanders over all the Tīrthas, he never leaves Prabhāsa. Durvāsas of excessive splendour endeavours to propitiate the Liṅga. O goddess, he does not forsake that holy place of the Moon-crested Lord even for a moment.

7-10. Similarly, Bharadvāja, Sage Marīci, Uddālaka, Kratu, Vasiṣṭha, Kaśyapa, Bhṛgu, Dakṣa, Sāvarṇi, Yama, Aṅgiras, Śuka, Vibhāṇḍaka, Ṛṣyaśṛṅga, Gobhila, Gautama, Ṛcīka, Agastya, the great Śaunaka, Nārada, Jamadagni, Viśvāmitra, Lomaśa and many other sages as well as celestial sages never leave the great holy spot. They endeavour to propitiate the Liṅga.

11. I stay there itself eager (in watching their) propitiation. I never leave that great Kṣetra, O lady of excellent countenance. It is the truth, nothing but the truth.

12. O goddess of Devas, all the Tīrthas on the earth have been seen by me. A Kṣetra on a par with Prabhāsa was never seen.

13. O goddess, sixty thousand devotees with Yājñavalkya at the head, stay at Candrabhāgā. They perform Japa of the Rudra Mantras.

14. Forty thousand sages of absolute celibacy perform the Japa of Satarudriya on the banks of Devikā (a local rivulet).

15-17. Fifty crores of the sages of perfect celibacy have resorted to the Umāpati Liṅga stationed there itself. Formerly, the Japa of the Rudra Mantras was performed by them a crore times there itself.

A hundred thousand great Siddhas who stay in that holy place of mine worship the Moon-crested Lord of Devas.

18. By visiting Gandrabhūṣaṇa there, one gets entirely that benefit which has been mentioned by great sages in the Vedāṇtas.

19. O splendid lady, more than a crore of sages are staying at Agni Tīrthā. It is remembered that a hundred thousand have settled in Rudreśvara. So also in Kapardīśa.

20. A thousand sages of extraordinary celibacy arc stationed in Ratneśvara. In the highly meritorious Arkasthala, O splendid lady, more than a crore are stationed.

21. Sixty thousand are stationed there in Siddheśvara. Those who are stationed in Mārkaṇḍa number seven thousand.

22-23. Innumerable sages are remembered as stationed in Sarasvatī and Brahma Kuṇḍa. Ten thousand Arbudas and three crores of sages stay at the place where there is Prācī Sarasvatī. It was there that Śaṅkara’s sin of Brāhmaṇa-slaughter perished in a moment.

24. His (Śaṅkara’s) body became golden and the skull fell down from his hand. After knowing this Śaṅkin performed a great penance there.

25. Lord Śrī Śaṅkara became pleased and blessed him with the boon of staying in the Liṅga. By having ablution in Prācl and worshipping the Liṅga one acquires merit of a crore of Yajñas.

26. If a ball of rice is offered on a New-Moon day, the benefit is a hundred times more than that at Gayā. One who offers balls of rice there on the Bhūta day (i.e. fourteenth lunar day) shall redeem a crore of the members of his family.

27. If men take a plunge here for quelling the dirt (of sins) they will earn the merit of gifting ten cows.

28-29. The merit of a Śrāddha performed in accordance with the injunctions of the scriptures will accrue to those also who play about iṇ the waters with the feet in water. By viewing it too all will attain merit. By touching they get twice the merit. The Liṅgas beginning with Śūlabheda should be considered to give the merit of a horse-sacrifice.

30. Thus the Lord of the universe who is pleased is certainly stationed in the forests of Prācī. Even those who think mentally (of visiting etc.) are benefitted. Still more so in the case of those who perform Snāna and Dana.

31. Nīlalohita, Śaṅkara, the Lord of the worlds is pleased with them. Thirty crores of Gaṇas guard Prācī all round.

32. A great sinner, one of evil conduct, a person of great misdeeds may by a happy chance meet with death in Prācī. He will attain Śiva.

33. The offering of Dadhikaṃbala (adoration of Śiva with cover of curds) should be made there by excellent Brāhmaṇas. It is said to certainly suppress sins. It is the most efficacious of all essential things.

34. Now I shall explain the great efficacy of Hiraṇī. The Sun-god was installed there and penance was performed by Durvāsas.

35-37. There too, there are a crore of sages of perfect celibacy.

O goddess of Devas, the deity who has power more than that of twenty-four Tattvas stands there accompanied by a crore of Bhṛgus.

If a single person is fed in Brahmasthāna, one gets the same benefit as by feeding a crore of Brāhmaṇas elsewhere. O great goddess, this I am aware of and hence I stay there extremely pleased.

38-39. I am surrounded by a crore of celestial sages and Devas.

In Kali Age, Tīrthas stay there latent (merged underneath) in the holy spot of great beauty where Someśvara is stationed. I have, O goddess, two Gaṇas there—Vibhrama and Saṃbhrama.

40. These two make the minds of the people residing in the Kṣetra excited and deluded due to ignorance. They are disunited and are in a dilemma.

41. There are then the Vināyakas, Upasargas (troubles) and ten other defects. They guard the Kṣetra from evil-minded sinners.

42. If the residents of the Kṣetra visit the deity Daṇḍapāṇi with devotion, they are excellent men and they will not meet with obstacles.

43-44. O splendid lady, those who die at Prabhāsa, whether Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, Śūdras, or of mixed castes, whether they have desires or not, they become identical with Śiva. All of them will have the crescent-moon for the coronet. They will have eyes in the forehead. They will be bull-bannered. Those men are born (or become) so in the splendid divine Śivapura of mine.

45. A Brāhmaṇa staying there with mental concentration and purity, may be taking food thrice a day. But he is on a par with one who subsists on air only.

46-47. O my beloved, the good qualities of Meru can be narrated. So also the good qualities of the continents. The good qualities of all the oceans can be enumerated. But, O goddess of Devas, one cannot enumerate the good qualities of the primordial Lord Maheśa, the great Lord, in hundreds of crores of years.