Chapter 147 - Greatness of Brahmakuṇḍa

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Īśvara said:

1-4. Thereafter, O great goddess, a pilgrim should go to the excellent Brahmakuṇḍa, formerly created by Brahmā to the south-west thereof (i.e. Yameśvara)

When Somanātha was installed by Ṛkṣarāja (Lord of stars, the Moon-god), Brahmā and all other Devas had arrived there on being invited by Śaśāṅka (Moon-god) for the installation of the Lord.

Then Niśānātha (Lord of the night, Moon-god) humbly spoke to Brahmā, “O most excellent one among Suras, leave a mark by which people will know that the installation was performed by you.”

5. On hearing this, Brahmā meditated motionlessly and invoked (summoned) Puṣkara and all other Tīrthas from everywhere.

6. All the Tīrthas present in heaven as well as in the nether worlds were drawn to him by Brahmā as a result of the efficacy of his penance. Hence it is being sung about as Brahmakuṇḍa in his name.

7. It is being watched by fourteen thousand Gaṇas. Hence this excellent Tīrtha is inaccessible to those not endowed with devotion.

8. Then Brahmā, the grandfather of all the worlds, spoke to all the Devas:

9-10. “A man who takes his holy bath in the Kuṇḍa here and offers libation to the Pitṛs, shall attain all the benefit of Agniṣṭoma. With the favour thereof, he will roam about in the heavenly world by means of an aerial chariot.

For the eradication of all the sins, a pilgrim should make gifts of horses and golden water-pitchers to a learned Brāhmaṇa.”

11. O great goddess, Sarasvatī (river) takes her bath on the Full-Moon day and the first lunar day there for eliminating all sins.

12. O my beloved, O goddess, the water there is the very Siddha Rasāyana (holy elixir and a panacea). By taking regular instruction (from a preceptor) it can be rendered full of various colours.

13. How can a man be assailed by poverty, misery, ailment and sorrows after approaching Brahmakuṇḍa which is another wish-yielding celestial tree!

The Devī said:

14. O Lord, O venerable one, do expound fully the greatness of Brahmakuṇḍa. For the welfare of all living beings, explain it in detail.

15. I have great eagerness to hear the greatness of Brahmakuṇḍa (as one leading) to the destruction of the misery of the worlds and to the elimination of poverty.

16. O venerable Sir, all human beings are afflicted with miseries and sorrow. They roam about throughout their life in their delusive search for Rasāyanas.

17. For their benefit tell me about the excellent Rasa that gives ultimate liberation (Nirvāṇa). At first it may make the body everlasting.

18. It shall be equipped with the eight Siddhis and all lores. It must possess the power to assume any desired form and do any intended work. It shall be free from all ailments.

19. Thereafter one shall attain the greatest Nirvāṇa (salvation) thereby. O Lord, the man shall eventually feel contented and blessed.

20. Do take pity on me, O Lord of the worlds. Narrate to me the means to such an accomplishment. Let the undertaking culminate in Nirvāṇa after avoiding all errors and delusions. O Maheśvara, expound such a divine means of achieving happiness.

Īśvara said:

21-22. Excellent! O great goddess, O benefactress of all the worlds! O great goddess, this splendid and excellent Tīrtha in the mortal world well-known as Prabhāsa extends to twelve Yojanas. Lord Someśvara there is well-known in all the three worlds.

23. To the east thereof is the well-known shrine of Śrīkṛṣṇa, the slayer of Daityas. Caṇḍikā, the Yoginī, there, is surrounded by female companions.

24. To the east thereof, is the divine and excellent Tīrtha created by the Four-faced Lord, splendid and full of all wonders.

25. It is always resorted to by all the Devas, Siddhas, Sādhyas, Grahas (planets), celestial damsels, divine sages, Yakṣas and serpents.

26. This is the splendid Kuṇḍa conducive to divine enjoyment. It serves all desires and is conducive to Siddhi. It is well-known as Brahmakuṇḍa because it was created by Brahmā.

27-28. Lord Hiraṇyeśa is stationed in the north-western corner thereof. That great Lord, the excellent Hiraṇyeśvara is to be propitiated. A devotee should perform the Japa of the great Mantra. A wise man should perform Homas one-tenth in number thereof. Through Homa the Mantra is stabilised and mastered. O lady of excellent countenance, this is the truth. (I repeat it is) the truth.

29. To the northern quarter thereof, slightly deviating to the north-east, O great goddess, is the Four-faced Lord Kṣetrapa (Protector of the holy spot) assuming the form of a Liṅga.

30. O goddess, Śaṅkara in the form of Liṅga guards that holy spot. After propitiating him with effort, a devotee should resort to the Kuṇḍa.

31. O goddess, to the north-eastern quarter of the Kuṇḍa is the excellent shrine Bhairaveśvara, full of all wonders. It is full of different colours.

32-33. O goddess, the foul-odoured Bhāsurā (channel) flows in the form of liquid. Liquids of different colours, get mingled with its Rasa (current of juice). The most divine one has the colour of cloud. Then it is silvery and splendid. Again it is tawny-coloureḍ. Then the highly splendid one resembling camphor has the colour of milk.

34. Sometimes it shines like musk. Then it flows with a saffron lustre. Sometimes it has the sweet odour of sandal. Sometimes the water is bloody (red in colour).

35. These Rasas of different kinds are seen there always. If Mahādeva is pleased with one, he gets them instantly.

36. If silver is thrown there, it becomes like gold. There the excellent Rasāyana is visible.

37. O goddess, men see this fanciful thing at the same time. The Rasa present there is highly divine in Kali Yuga.

38. This divine Rasa arising from Brahmakuṇḍa is full of Hemabīja (seeds of gold). It causes the eradication of all ailments of men. It is Siddha (perfect) Rasa.

39. Now I am narrating this to you for the benefit of human beings. O renowned one, poverty is instantly removed.

40. At the outset, people make an excellent pot with sheets of copper. Water from the Tīrtha should be poured therein.

41. The pot should be put under the ground and burnt in fire. For six months the process of heating should be carried out slowly in an oven under ground.

42. Afterwards the pot is taken out and Filled with water. This should be repeated for a month and once again for another month.

43. Then all the pieces should be gathered together with effort. Again it should be washed with water. This is repeated once more.

44. If Maheśvara is pleased, it becomes gold.

45-46. If an excellent man desires the Siddhi (perfection) of the body, he should at the outset take the holy bath regularly for three years. Regularly observing the vow of silence, he should repeat the Mahāmantra. Then he should worship Hiraṇyeśa, the Kṣetrapāla, assiduously.

47. Five Upacāras are included in the adoration. Then he should perform Dhyāna and Dhāraṇā. Cooking and boiling should be in the waters of the Tīrtha in Uduṃbara (i.e. Copper, according to the commentator) vessel.

48. In this manner, within three years he acquires a divine body. He shall be refulgent, strong, intelligent and bereft of all ailments.

49. He who bathes there for three years without a break, shall live for three hundred years free from misery.

50. The devotee should repeat Vāgīśvarī Mantra every day along with adoration and Homa. He will attain eloquency of speech. He will attain Sarasvatī Siddhi.

51. He will become a perfect master of Saṃskṛta, Prākṛta, Apabhraṃśa and Paiśācī (the speech of Bhūtas). He will be able to utter words fluently like the current of Gaṅgā. O beautiful lady, he will be able to speak without being tired and without any break.

52-53. He will be capable of arguing with thousands of disputants. He will never become tired due to the power of this Tīrtha.

All scholars, proud and proficient in the science of logic come with their necks (heads) held up in pride. They may approach him simultaneously. But, O my beloved, they will not be able to speak anything; they dare not even look at his face.

54. Merely by looking at them, he will be able to break thousands of disputants.

55-56. He will make people understand all scriptural texts with clear expositions of their meanings. The pure Pañcarātra texts both Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva^[1], Itihāsas, Purāṇas, Bhūta Tantras, Gāruḍa Tantra, the great Bhairava Tantra and the twofold Kulamārga shall be expounded by him. O my beloved.

57. The flow of his speech will be with the speed of an excellent chariot and will not falter even a bit. Like serpents before Garuḍa, all disputants will be defeated and destroyed.

58. Due to the favour of Brahmā, he will be honoured by kings and one of great prestige. He will have no mental worries, neither poverty nor ailments.

59. With the favour of this holy Tīrtha, he will become one endowed with energy, enthusiasm and strength. He will be intelligent and will live like a Deva. He will be a donor, an enjoyer of pleasures and very eloquent.

60. Due to the efficacy of this Tīrtha, the moment a devotee takes his bath herein, he will get the same refulgence and splendour as a person regularly annointing his body with oil gets.

61. All sins that creatures (men) are prone to commit (such as) calumny, ingratitude and treachery to friends, the sin resulting from violation of the chastity of another man’s wife, perish if one takes bath in the Kuṇḍa.

62. By the sight of Brahmakuṇḍa, sin resulting from crossing a Muśala (pestle), sin of a Brāhmaṇa who abandons cows are destroyed.

63. By the power of ablution in this Kuṇḍa, one gets the benefit of taking bath in all the Tīrthas on the earth and the benefit of worshipping all the deities.

64. By seeing it, the sins accrued in the course of seven births, perish.

65. By resorting to Brahmakuṇḍa, the sin of a slayer of preceptor or a cow and robbing other men’s wealth perishes.

66. Listen to the benefit that one gets by fifteen circumambulations of the Kuṇḍa after taking bath therein.

67. It is as good as circumambulating the whole earth consisting of seven continents, together with the seven nether worlds and surrounded by crores of Tīrthas.

68. A pilgrim who feeds one well-versed in the Vedas with simple food at this holy spot, gets the benefit of feeding a hundred thousand persons (elsewhere) by the power of this holy spot.

69. After worshipping Brahmeśvara, the excellent Hiraṇyeśvara, the devotee should worship the four-faced Kṣetrapāla. He will get whatever is thought of by him.

70. No doubt need be entertained about the fact that such a person goes to the world of Brahmā along with twenty-one members of his family and is freed from all sins.

71. After taking the holy bath in Virañci (Brahma) kuṇḍa i.e., the pilgrim should repeat the Gāyatrī Mantra a hundred thousand times duly. He shall be rid of all sins.

72. O lady of excellent countenance, if a pilgrim undertakes the pilgrimage to Brahmakuṇḍa, he becomes a performer of meritorious deeds. He is the most excellent one among men.

73. Eighty-eight thousand sages of perfect control of their sense-organs resort to Brahmakuṇḍa and adore Lord Brahmā.

74. All the other Tīrthas in the three worlds consisting of mobile and immobile beings, roar only as long as men do not view Brahmeśvara Tīrthas, O my beloved.

75. If men drink the holy water of Brahmakuṇḍa but once, they will incur no sin mental, physical or verbal.

76. By circumambulating Brahmakuṇḍa, one acquires the merit of all the Tīrthas in Brahmāṇḍa (Cosmic Egg) and beyond.

77. The noble-souled Yājñavalkya who has attained the form of the supreme Brahman, never leaves this Kuṇḍa. So also the Gaṇa Nikuṃbha.

78. Thus the greatness of Brahmakuṇḍa has been succinctly narrated due to my love for you, O goddess of Devas. What else do you wish to ask?

79. A man who is thoroughly equipped with faith and who listens to this, shall be rid of all sins. He shall go to the world of Brahmā.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

There are no Śaiva Pāñcarātra Texts. The author most probably means ‘Śaiva Āgamas’.