Chapter 153 - Greatness of Hiraṇyeśvara (Hiraṇya-īśvara)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Īśvara said:

1-4. Thereafter, O great goddess, a pilgrim should go to the excellent shrine of Hiraṇyeśvara situated within a distance of two Dhanus to the north-west of Brahmakunda [Brahmakuṇḍa?].

It is destructive of all sins and dispels all sorts of impoverished states. It is on the west of Kṛtasmara and on the east of Agnitīrtha.

It is on the south-west of Yameśvara and on the north of the ocean. Brahmā performed a great penance on the eastern side of the Liṅga. Then he propitiated the Three-eyed Lord of Devas.

Then the great Lord who was pleased said: “O Brahmā, tell me what boon you want.”

Brahmā said:

5. O Lord, if you are pleased with me, it is my intention that I should perform a Yajña. It behoves you to recommend to me a highly meritorious spot for the purpose.

Īśvara said:

6. Even a great sinner becomes relieved of sins if he be staying in the intervening space between Kṛtasmara and Brahmakuṇḍa and between Yameśa and the ocean.

7. O great Lord, You should do whatever is desired by you and delights your mind at the place where the river Viṣuvatī always flows for the benefit of the meritorious men.

8. On being told thus Brahmā started his excellent Yajña.

9. Thereupon, Indra and other Devas seeking their shares came there. All the sages who too desired their shares came there.

10. Thereupon, he (Brahmā) gave Dakṣiṇā to those who came to the Yajña. Then, O lady of renown, on being distributed thus, the Dakṣiṇā dwindled.

11. Then Brahmā became extremely distressed. He began to meditate mentally. With palms joined in reverence he spoke these words:

12-13a. “O Lord Virūpākṣa, the Yajña cannot be concluded. Due to shortage of Dakṣiṇā the Yajña will not be complete and perfect. Kindly do see to this that all go back receiving adequate Dakṣiṇā.”

13b. On hearing the words of Pitāmaha, I began to meditate.

14. Goddess Sarasvatī was remembered with a desire for the welfare of Devas. That highly meritorious goddess came and the Devī was told by me then:

15. “The monetary position of the Lotus-born One is weak. The Kratu could not be concluded. Hence with my favour, be one flowing with gold.”

16. Thereupon the flow of Sarasvatī deflected towards the west. Thousands of flowers of gold sprouted up.

17. By the flow of gold, the splendid waters of Sarasvatī, O my beloved, filled with millions of lotuses the area between the Daityasūḍana shrine and Agnitīrtha.

18. Brahmā concluded the Yajña by gifting those golden lotuses to the Brāhmaṇas (as Dakṣinā). Brahmā was delighted along with the Brāhmaṇas.

19. With the remaining lotuses, he filled the ground and installed the Kanakeśvara Liṅga above it.

20. After installing the Liṅga of the Lord bowed to by all the Devas, he gave each of the sages ten thousand golden lotuses as monetary gift.

21. The remaining lotuses were placed under the ground in the middle of Brahmakuṇḍa. A man of no merits does not get them.

22. Even today the water of that Kuṇḍa appears of variegated colour. There, due to the contact of the lotuses beneath, the water turns into gold in a moment.

23. After keeping the golden lotuses and installing the Liṅga above, Prajāpati (Brahmā) himself worshipped it. Due to the golden lotuses the deity became Hiraṇyeśa.

24. The deity suppresses all sins and destroys poverty. By viewing Lord Hiraṇyeśa, one is relieved of all sins.

25. If a devotee worships that Liṅga on the fourteenth lunar day in the month of Māgha, it is as good as the entire Brahmāṇḍa including all mobile and immobile beings, has been worshipped by him.

26. A person by whom that Liṅga has been adored is considered as one who has gifted everything and as one who has propitiated all the Devas, as one who has gifted the whole Cosmos.

27. O lady of excellent complexion, this has been narrated to you out of love. This has never been narrated to anyone else by me. O lady of excellent countenance, it is a great secret.

28. One who devoutly listens to this, who reads this with devotion, shall be rid of all sins and shall go to the world of Devas.

29. Thus, O beautiful lady, the highly famous five Sacred Bhairavas stationed in the vicinity of Brahmakuṇḍa have been narrated to you.