Chapter 239 - Greatness of Nāgarārka

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Īśvara said:

1-3. Thereafter, O great goddess, a pilgrim should go to the shrine known as Nāgarāditya which is destructive of all diseases. It is situated by the side of Hiraṇyā.

Formerly the noble-souled Yādava king Satrājit who went to Dvārāvatī propitiated Bhāskara (the Sun-god).

The wise son of Nighna had practised great Vratas. The Sun who was pleased then gave him the jewel Syamantaka^[1].

4-5. That jewel produced everyday eight Bhāras (a weight of two thousand Palas) of pure gold. The king endowed with devotion, penance and practice of holy vows, was further told thus, O lady of excellent countenance: “Speak out the boon you choose.” He then told Bhāskara, the Lord of the chiefs of Devas (literally the thief of water i.e. the evaporator of water):

6. “O Lord, if you are pleased with me and are prepared to grant a boon, then do be always present in this holy hermitage.”

7. The Sun-god said to King Satrājit, “It will be so”, blessed him with the boon and vanished there itself.

8. O lady of excellent complexion, a bright idol of Bhāsvan (Sun), the Lord of Devas, was installed there itself by that son of Nighna.

9. He installed it to the accompaniment of the loud sounds of Śaṅkha and Dundubhis and the magnificent chan tings of the Vedic Mantras. Thereafter, he invited all excellent Nāgara Brāhmaṇas, granted them highly valuable means of subsistence, bowed to them and said:

10. “By the grace of your holy feet and the blessings of the Sun-god, this idol has been installed by me after performing a severe penance.

11. The demon (Indrajit), the son of the ten-headed Rāvaṇa, formerly vanquished Indra and brought this idol from heaven and installed it in Laṅkā.

12. Rāma accompanied by Lakṣmaṇa killed him and brought it to Ayodhyā. It is a thing that symbolizes the victory of the son of Sumitrā.

13. It was then handed over to Vasiṣṭha, the son of Mitra and Varuṇa. He was pleased with me and gave it to me at Dvārāvatī.

14-15. I realized that this holy region is excellent and so installed it here. There is no necessity to say too much. All of you should endeavour to guard it jealously as long as the stars and Moon continue to shine. Verily this auspicious idol has been given over to you.

16. You are residents of Someśapura and you are a Nāgara Brāhmaṇa^[2]. Therefore, the name Nāgarāditya has been given (to this idol).”

The Brāhmaṇas said:

17. We shall carry out the entire job of taking care of the Lord. As long as the earth, the Moon, the Sun and the sea continue to exist your everlasting fame shall remain permanent in this holy spot.

18. After saying this, all those leading Nāgara Brāhmaṇas went away. The king who was pleased, then went back to the city of Dvārāvatī.

Īśvara said:

19. Listen, O goddess, I shall tell you what benefit will accrue when that (Lord) is viewed. By viewing the Nāgarārka deity one obtains that merit which results when a hundred cows are duly gifted in holy Prayāga.

20. Who else is competent to dispel the affliction due to poverty, misery and grief, excepting the deity Nāgara Bhāskara in the holy spot of Prabhāsa?

21. Those men of limited intellect who endure the misery of bondage, leprosy etc. do not know the physician Nāgarabhāskara in regard to that (ailment).

22. A man who takes his holy bath in the waters of Hiraṇyā and adores him, is honoured in the world of the Sun for thousands and crores of Kalpas.

1. There seems to be a colony of Nāgara Brāhmaṇas at Prabhasa.

23. If the transit of the Sun occurs on the seventh lunar day in bright half, that day is well-known as Mahājaya (highly victorious). This Saptamī is a favourite of Bhāskara.

24. The holy ablution, offering of gifts, Japa, Homa and the adoration of Pitṛs and Devas—all these occurring on that day are mentioned as yielding a crore times the usual merit, according to the words of Bhāskara.

25. “If the devotee feeds one Brāhmaṇa there in the presence of the Sun-god, it is as good as though the feeding of a crore (of Brāhmaṇas) has been carried out by him”. So says Lord Hari.

26. O lady of excellent countenance, what has been spoken by me was never said earlier. A man who listens to this devoutly, shall attain the region of Bhāskara.

27. O goddess, hear from me the secret names of the Sun-god. The thousand names (of other deities) are not required. Recite this auspicious prayer.

28-31. The twenty-one names included in this prayer called Stavarāja (King of prayers) enhance physical health. They are: Vikartana, Vivasvān, Mārtaṇḍa, Bhāskara, Ravi, Lokaprakāśaka (illuminator of the worlds), Śrīmān, Lokacakṣu (Eye of the worlds), Graheśvara (Lord of the Planets), Lokasākṣin (Witness of the worlds), Trilokeśa (Lord of the three worlds), Kartā (Doer), Hartā (Remover), Tamisrahā (Dispeller of darkness), Tapana (Scorcher), Tāpana (One who blazes), Śuci (Pure), Saptāśvavāhana (Having Seven horses for his vehicle), Gabhastihasta (Having rays of light for his hands), Brahmā and Sarvadevanamaskṛta (Bowed to by all the Devas).

32. O great goddess, he who eulogizes Nāgarārka by means of this prayer during dusk and dawn, shall get the desired benefit.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The story of this gold-yielding precious stone is given in BhP X. 56.1-3 and 32-44.

[2]:

There seems to be a colony of Nāgara Brāhmaṇas at Prabhasa.