Chapter 23 - Greatness of Śukla Tīrtha

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Pulastya said:

1. Then one has to go to the Śukla Tīrtha which is good. In olden times, it acquired fame by its association with a tribe of fishermen who were staying in the vicinity of the pilgrimage.

2. In olden times, O king! there was a washerman by name Śanlaksha [Śamilākṣa]. He used to rinse clothes dipping them in indigo, O great king.

3. While doing so, fear engulfed him once with his becoming aware of the paradoxical situation with the clothes. Accompanied by his own kith and kin, he left for some other land.

4-5. As a result, O king! his daughter became very sad and going near one of her good friends among the daughters in the community of fishermen, she began to describe her about the fear arising out of clothes and with a choked voice told her the same reason for which they were heading for a foreign land.

6-11. The fisherman-girl became equally sad by her sorrows and with repeated beating of heart as well as with a wet voice began to say, “There is a great way out of this as per my knowledge which is good. It is certain that by doing so all of you as well as your father will be fearless. There is a waterfall here in this Arbuda mountain which bestows one with the best of fair complexion and appearance. I, my brother as well as others go there to catch fishes. All other things apart from this,

i.e., fish thrown into the auspicious water here turn into white as can be seen in his (i.e., the brother’s) body. Like the fishermen, all your sins will go away by having a dip in this water. Like that by putting all your clothes well in the middle and by washing those swiftly, those would also become white. There is no need to fear for your action in the mind here and stop your father from going elsewhere. Do not leave for any foreign land nor do you nurture any consideration of getting your work accomplished anywhere else other than here.”

Pulastya said:

12. After hearing such words of hers, she went and conveyed it to her father. Her father got into a feeling of self-contentment by this.

13. With the ushering in of morning, he hurried to the waterfall and got himself wet. Then, O king! he threw those clothes he had carried along as well as his ownself [own self] into the waterfall.

14. Then all those clothes quite plenty in number became white there, so also his own appearance. He became happy to witness such a supremely beautiful sight.

15. Struck with astonishment as a result, he, carrying along the clothes, hurried and went to the king and described him the happening as unfolded there.

16. Then taken by surprise, the king himself went to the waterfall and threw all clothes both indigo and red in colour into the water there.

17. It happened so that all those specially turned into white. Then having a realisation that, this is a supreme place of pilgrimage, he had a bath there as per laid down procedures.

18. Then giving up his kingdom, the king practised penance there. As a result, the king attained ultimate fulfilment by the impact of this centre of pilgrimage.

19. O king! the human being who observes here the religious act connected with remembrance of his ancestors (i.e., Śrāddha) on the eleventh day of a month, he enables attainment of the divine place for his forefathers extending over ten generations before his birth. By a bath here also, all sins go away instantaneously.