Chapter 54 - Eminence of Tripuṣkara (Tri-puṣkara)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Pulastya said:

1. Then go to the place having confluence of the three Puṣkaras [i.e., Tripuṣkara], a celebrated place of pilgrimage which materialized as per the wish of Brahmā. It is understood that Brahmā had brought them over here to the Arbuda mountain in its honour.

2. The king! in olden times, Brahmā as well as other best gods had together come to the summit of the mountain in the context of Vasiṣṭha’s conducting of a sacrificial session (i.e., a Yajña).

3. Then the great king, taking a vow onto himself Brahmā whose birth is unknown, stated that as long as he would remain in the human world, he would keep giving salutation here, every evening, with all earnestness in this confluence of the three Puṣkaras.

4. After this as the Lotus-born, i.e., Brahmā began to take steps towards Puṣkara, Vasiṣṭha then began to tell him.

Vasiṣṭha said:

5-6. The virtuous God! the time as per the part of your associated role and actions in this Yajña has arrived. Without compliance of that specific ritual associated with you, this yajña cannot be completed in a wholesome way. Hence the Lotus-born (i.e., Brahmā) bring the confluence of the three Puṣkaras here. By this, after enabling yourself to pay the evening reverences here, you, the Lord of gods, can comply with the greatness of your Brahman-hood and be kind enough to discharge the part of your rituals in this sacrificial fire.

7. Soon after Vasiṣṭha said so, Brahmā, the grandfather of the world after meditating for a while, brought the three, i.e., the largest, the larger and the smallest Puṣkaras and placed the confluence of auspicious water-body there.

8. That is how the emergence of the confluence of the three Puṣkaras in the Arbuda mountain having such a backdrop to their foundation has been understood to have happened since then.

9. One who with utmost sincerity undergoes the religious ritual of taking a bath here on the Full Moon day in the month of Kārtika (i.e., November) and complies with the activity of making charities, attains the Eternal World, i.e., the World of Brahmā.

10. There is an uppermost pool called Sāvitrī on the Northern side of this. Fulfilment of the religious rituals of taking a bath followed up with making offering of gifts lead one to attain the path which promotes happiness.