Mahabharata Vol. 3 (Penguin Translated Texts)

by Debroy, Bibek

  ‘“‘O extender of the Kuru lineage! O king! A visitor of tirthas should go to Vamshamulaka and save his own lineage by bathing in Vamshamulaka. O supreme among the Bharata lineage! One should then go to the tirtha known as Kayashodhana.138 Bathing in that tirtha, there is no doubt that one can purify one’s body. Having purified one’s body, one goes to the supreme and sacred worlds. O Indra among kings! Then one should go to the tirtha that is famous in the three worlds. In ancient times, the powerful Vishnu rescued the worlds there. O king! Having gone to Lokoddhara139 tirtha, famous in the three worlds, and bathing in that supreme of tirthas, one recovers140 many worlds for one’s own self. One should then go to the tirtha known as Shri141 and obtain supreme prosperity. Composed, the brahmachari should then go to Kapila tirtha.142 A man who bathes there and worships the gods and the ancestors, obtains the fruits of one thousand tawny cows.143 With a controlled mind, one should then go and bathe in Surya tirtha.144 Having worshipped the gods and the ancestors and having fasted, one attains agnishtoma145 and goes to the world of Surya. Then, in proper order, the visitor of tirthas goes to Govambhavana.146 Having performed one’s ablutions there, one obtains the fruits of one thousand cows.147 O extender of the Kuru lineage! The visitor of tirthas then goes to Shankhini.148 Bathing in that tirtha of the goddess, a man obtains supreme beauty. O Indra among kings! One should then go to the gatekeeper Arantuka.149 That tirtha of the great-souled Indra among the yakshas is on the banks of the Sarasvati. O king! Having bathed there, a man obtains the fruits of agnishtoma. O one who is learned in dharma! O lord of men! Then one should go to Brahmavarta. Bathing in Brahmavarta, a man attains Brahma’s world. O one who is learned in dharma! Then one should go to the supreme Sutirtha. The ancestors are always there, together with the gods. Having performed ablutions there, devoted to the worship of the ancestors and the gods, one obtains a horse sacrifice and attains the world of the ancestors. O one learned in dharma! In due order, one then goes to Ambuvashya. O supreme among the Bharata lineage! Bathing in the tirtha of the lord of treasures,150 one is cleansed of all disease and attains greatness in the world of Brahma.

  ‘“‘O descendant of the Bharata lineage! There is also Matri tirtha.151 O king! On bathing there, one’s offspring increase and one attains everlasting prosperity. Controlled and restrained in diet, one should then go to Shitavana tirtha.152 O great king! There is a great thing there, rare elsewhere. O lord of men! One is sanctified in one stroke only by looking at it. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! One is purified by shaving one’s hair there. O great king! There is a tirtha there, known by the name of Shvanalomapaha.153 O tiger among men! O supreme among the Bharata lineage! Learned brahmanas who are devoted to tirthas, supreme among brahmanas, perform pranayama154 in Shvanalomapaha.155 O Indra among kings! Purified in this way, they become sanctified and attain the supreme objective. O lord of the earth! Then there is the tirtha known as Dashashvamedhika.156 O tiger among men! Bathing there, one attains the supreme goal. O Indra among kings! One should then go to Manusha, renowned in the worlds. O king! There, a black antelope was oppressed by a hunter. Plunging into a lake, it assumed the form of a human.157 Bathing there, as a brahmachari, and conquering one’s senses, one is cleansed of all sins and having become pure in soul, attains greatness in the world of heaven. O lord of the earth! The river renowned as Apaga158 is only a krosha159 to the east of Manusha. This is frequented by the siddhas. A man offering a meal of grain160 to the gods and the ancestors there attains all the great fruits of dharma. One brahmana fed there is equal to one crore brahmanas being fed. Bathing there and worshipping the ancestors and the gods, and staying there for only a single night, one obtains the fruits of agnishtoma.

  ‘“‘O Indra among kings! One should then go to Brahma’s supreme region. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! This is famous on earth as Brahma’s udumbara.161 O bull among the Kuru lineage! O Indra among kings! Whoever bathes there, in the lake of the saptarshis,162 in Kedara of the great-souled Kapishthala,163 pure and controlled in mind, attains Brahma and cleansed of all sin and pure in soul, attains Brahma’s world. On going to Kapishthala and Kedara, difficult of access, all one’s sins are burnt through the powers of asceticism and one obtains the powers of disappearance. O Indra among kings! One should then go to Saraka,164 famous in the worlds. On seeing Vrishadhvaja there on the fourteenth day of krishnapaksha,165 one obtains everything that one desires and goes to the world of heaven. O descendant of the Kuru lineage! There are three crore tirthas in Saraka. O lord of the earth! There are wells and ponds in Rudrakoti. O supreme among the Bharata lineage! The tirtha known as Ilaspada is there. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Bathing there and worshipping the ancestors and the gods, one overcomes all misfortunes and attains a horse sacrifice.166 O lord of the earth! O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Bathing in Kimdana and Kimjapya, a man obtains immeasurable donations and prayers.167 A man who performs ablutions in Kalashi, devoted and while controlling his senses, obtains the fruits of an agnishtoma sacrifice. O best among the supreme of the Kuru lineage! The tirtha of the great-souled Narada is to the east of Saraka and is famous by the name of Anajanma. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! On bathing in that tirtha,168 after giving up his life, on the instructions of Narada, a man obtains worlds that are difficult to get. On the tenth day of shuklapaksha, one should go to Pundarika. On bathing there, a man obtains the fruits of a pundarika sacrifice. One should then go to Trivishtapa, famous in the three worlds. The sacred river Vaitarani, the cleanser of all sins, flows there.169 Bathing there, and worshipping Vrishadhvaja, the wielder of the trident, one’s soul becomes pure and cleansed of all sins, one goes to the supreme goal. O Indra among kings! One should then go to the supreme Phalakivana. O king! The gods always sought refuge in Phalakivana. They performed great austerities for many thousands of years. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Bathing in Drishadvati170 and worshipping the gods, a man obtains the fruits of agnishtoma and atiratra. O supreme among the Bharata lineage! O Indra among kings! When one bathes in the tirtha of all the gods, a man obtains the fruits of one thousand cows.171 On bathing in Panikhata and worshipping the gods, a man attains a royal sacrifice and obtains the world of the rishis.

  ‘“‘O Indra among kings! One should then go to the supreme tirtha of Mishraka. O Indra among kings! We have heard that there, the great-souled Vyasa, tiger among men, mixed all the tirthas for the welfare of brahmanas. A man who bathes in Mishraka bathes in all the tirthas. Controlled and restrained in diet, one should then go to Vyasa’s grove. A man who bathes in Manojava obtains the fruits of one thousand cows.172 Going on to the tirtha of the goddess in Madhuvati,173 a pure man, who bathes and worships the ancestors and the gods with devotion and purity, obtains the fruits of one thousand cows on the instructions of the goddess. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! He who is restrained in diet and bathes at the confluence of the Koushiki and the Dhrishadvati, is freed from all sins. Then there is Vyasasthali.174 The wise Vyasa was afflicted by sorrow over his son and determined to give up his body there.175 O Indra among kings! The gods resurrected him there. One who goes to Sthali obtains the fruits of one thousand cows.176 O extender of the Kuru lineage! If one goes to the well named Kimdatta and offers a measure177 of sesamum seeds there, one attains the supreme objective and is freed from all one’s debts. The tirthas known as Ahas and Sudina are difficult to access. O tiger among men! By bathing there, one attains the world of the sun. One should then go to Mrigadhuma, renowned in the three worlds. A man who bathes in the pond known as Ganga there, and worships Mahadeva, the wielder of the trident, obtains the fruits of a horse sacrifice. Bathing in Devatirtha, a man obtains the fruits of one thousand cows.178 One should then go to Vamanaka, famous in the three worlds.179 Bathing in the mark of Vishnu’s foot there and worshipping Vamana, one becomes pure in soul and cleansed of all sins, attains Vishnu’s world. Bathing in Kulampuna, a man purifies his own lineage. O tiger among men! A man who goes to Pavana’s lake,180 the supreme tirtha of the Ma
ruts, and bathes there, attains greatness in Vayu’s world. O lord of men! Bathing in the lake of the immortals, through the powers of the immortals, one attains greatness in the world of heaven, among the immortals. O Indra among kings! O best among supreme of men! By bathing in Shalishurpa in Shalihotra,181 in accordance with the rites, a man obtains the fruits of one thousand cows.182 O supreme among the Bharata lineage! Shrikunja tirtha is on the banks of the Sarasvati. O king! On bathing there, a man obtains the fruits of agnishtoma.

  ‘“‘O extender of the Kuru lineage! One should then go to the grove known as Naimisha. O Indra among kings! It is said that in ancient times, the sages who lived in Naimisha,183 rich in their austerities, went on a pilgrimage to Kurukshetra. O supreme among the Bharata lineage! They established a grove on the banks of the Sarasvati. This became a great and satisfying place for the sages to rest. A man who goes and bathes in that grove obtains the fruits of one thousand cows.184 A man who bathes in Kanyatirtha185 obtains the fruits of agnishtoma. O tiger among men! From there, one should go to Brahma’s supreme region. Bathing there, a man who is from the other varnas becomes a brahmana. A brahmana who is pure in soul attains the supreme objective. O best of men! One should then go to the supreme Somatirtha.186 O king! On bathing there, a man attains the world of the moon. Then one should go to the tirtha known as Saptasarasvata.187 Mankanaka, famous in the world of the maharshis, found success there. O king! We have heard that, in ancient times, Mankanaka cut his hand with the tip of kusha grass. O king! From that wound flowed out the juices of vegetables. On seeing the vegetable juice, the great ascetic was filled with delight. The brahmana sage widened his eyes in wonder and began to dance. On seeing him dance, all mobile and immobile objects were benumbed by his valour and energy, and also began to dance. O king! O lord of men! Then the gods, with Brahma at the forefront, and the great ascetics, went to Mahadeva and told him about the rishi. “O God! You should act so that he stops dancing.” In a desire to ensure the welfare of the gods, the god188 went to the one who was dancing, having lost his senses in delight, and told him, “O maharshi! O one who is learned in dharma! Why are you dancing? O bull among the sages! Why are you so delighted today?” The sage replied, “O God! Can you not see vegetable juices flowing from my hand? On seeing this, I am greatly delighted and am dancing.”’

  ‘“Pulastya said, ‘The god smiled and told the sage, who was deluded in his delight, “O brahmana! I am not surprised. Look at me.” O best of men! O king! Having uttered these words, the wise Mahadeva pricked his thumb with his fingernail and from that wound emerged ashes, as white as snow. O king! On seeing this, the sage was struck with shame and fell down at his feet. “I think that there is no other god more supreme than the great Rudra. O wielder of the spear! You are the refuge of the worlds of the gods and the demons. You have created the universe, the three worlds and everything that is mobile and immobile. O illustrious one! It is into you that everything enters at the destruction of a yuga. The gods themselves are incapable of comprehending you. How can I? O unblemished one! Brahma and all the other gods can be seen in you. You are everything. You are the maker of the worlds, the one who makes them act. It is through your grace that the gods are free from fear and can rejoice.” Having thus prayed to Mahadeva, the sage remained prostrate. The rishi said, “O Mahadeva! Through your grace, may my austerities never diminish.” Then the god was delighted and spoke to the brahmarshi. “O brahmana! Through my grace, your austerities will increase thousandfold. O great sage! I will dwell with you in your hermitage. Those who bathe in Saptasarasvata and worship me will get everything that is difficult to obtain, in this world and the next. There is no doubt that they will go to Sarasvati’s world.”

  ‘“‘One should then go to Oushanasa,189 renowned in the three worlds.190 Brahma, the gods, the sages and the ascetics are there. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! In a desire to ensure Bhargava’s191 welfare, the illustrious Kartikeya is always present there at the time of the three sandhyas. O tiger among men! Bathing in the tirtha known as Kapalamochana, one is cleansed of all sins and is freed from all sins. O bull among men! One should then go and bathe in Agnitirtha, saving one’s lineage and attaining the world of Agni. O supreme among the Bharata lineage! Vishvamitra’s tirtha is also there.192 O great king! On bathing there, one is born as a brahmana. O tiger among men! If one goes to Brahmayoni,193 pure and controlled in mind, and bathes there, one obtains Brahma’s world. There is no doubt that seven generations of one’s lineage are sanctified. O Indra among kings! One should then go to the tirtha that is renowned in the three worlds. O king! This is famous by the name of Prithudaka and belongs to Kartikeya. Having performed one’s ablutions there, one should worship the ancestors and the gods. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Whatever improper act one has committed because of human intelligence, knowingly or unknowingly, whether one is a man or a woman, is destroyed as soon as one bathes there. One obtains the fruits of a horse sacrifice and goes to the world of heaven. The learned say that Kurukshetra is sacred. But the Sarasvati is more sacred than Kurukshetra. The tirthas are more sacred than Sarasvati and Prithudaka is more sacred than the tirthas. It is supreme among all the tirthas. He who meditates and then gives up his body in Prithudaka, will never be tormented by the fear of death.194 This has been sung by Sanatkumara195 and the great-souled Vyasa. O king! It is also the injunction of the Vedas that one should go to Prithudaka. O supreme among men! There is no other tirtha as sacred as Prithudaka. There is no doubt that it is purifying, pure and the destroyer of sins. O best of men! The learned say that even people who commit evil acts go to heaven if they bathe in Prithudaka.

  ‘“‘O supreme among the Bharata lineage! O king! There is another tirtha named Madhusrava there.196 On bathing there, a man obtains the fruits of one thousand cows.197 O best of men! In due order, one should then go to the tirtha of the goddess, famous in the world and at the confluence of the Sarasvati and the Aruna.198 Having bathed there after fasting for three nights, one is freed from the sin of killing a brahmana. O bull among the Bharata lineage! A man obtains the fruits of agnishtoma and atiratra and sanctifies his lineage for seven generations. O extender of the Kuru lineage! There is another tirtha named Avatirna there. Out of compassion for the brahmanas, Darbhin created it in ancient times. There is no doubt that a twice-born who observes vows, takes up the sacred thread, fasts and follows rituals is a brahmana. O bull among men! But it has been seen from ancient times that one who bathes there, without rituals and without mantras, becomes a brahmana, with all the results of vows. O tiger among men! Darbhin199 united the four oceans there. Bathing there, one never confronts any calamity. One obtains the fruits of four thousand cows.200 O Indra among kings! From there, one should go to the tirtha named Shatasahasraka. The tirtha Sahasraka is also there, famous in the world. Bathing in those two, a man obtains the fruits of one thousand cows.201 His donations and his fasting increase a thousandfold. O Indra among kings! One should then go to the supreme Renuka tirtha.202 Having performed ablutions there and engaged in the worship of the ancestors and the gods, one is cleansed of all sins and one’s soul becomes pure. One obtains the fruits of agnishtoma. On touching the water in Vimochana, controlling one’s anger and controlling one’s senses, one is freed from all sins connected with acquisition.203 On going to Panchavata,204 celibate and in control of one’s senses, one obtains great merit and greatness in the world of those who are virtuous. There Yogeshvara Sthanu Vrishadhvaja205 is always present himself. One who goes there and worships the lord of the gods becomes successful. Varuna’s tirtha Oujasa206 is resplendent in its own energy. There Brahma, the gods and the rishis, rich in austerities, instated Guha207 as the general of the army of the gods.

  ‘“‘O extender of the Kuru lineage! To the east of Oujasa is Kuru tirtha. Bathing in Kuru tirtha, celibate and in control of his senses, a man is cleansed of all sins, becomes pure in soul and attains the world of the Kurus. Controlled and restrained in diet, one should then go to Svargadvara.208
One attains the world of heaven and goes to the world of Brahma. O lord of men! Then the visitor of tirthas should go to Anaraka. O king! On bathing there, a man never confronts any difficulties. O lord of the earth! O best of men! Brahma himself is always present there, with the gods in attendance, with Narayana at their head. O Indra among kings! O extender of the Kuru lineage! Rudra’s wife is always present there. One who approaches the goddess never faces any difficulty. O great king! Vishveshvara,209 Uma’s husband, is also there. One who approaches Mahadeva is freed from all blemishes. O great king! On going to Narayana Padmanabha,210 the destroyer of enemies, one becomes radiant and goes to Vishnu’s world. O bull among men! On bathing at the tirtha of all the gods, a man discards all his misery and blazes like the moon. O lord of men! Then the visitor of tirthas should go to Svastipura. On going to that sacred tirtha and satisfying the ancestors and the gods, a man obtains the fruits of an agnishtoma sacrifice. O bull among the Bharata lineage! There is a lake named Ganga there and a well. O lord of the earth! Three crores of tirthas are in that well.211 O king! On bathing there, a man attains the world of heaven. Bathing in the river there and worshipping Maheshvara, a man attains the status of a Ganapati and rescues his lineage. One should then go to Sthanuvata, renowned in the three worlds. On bathing and staying there for a night, a man attains Rudra’s world. Then one should go to Badaripachana and Vasishtha’s hermitage there.212 After fasting there for three nights, a man should eat jujubes.213 O lord of men! One who lives only on jujubes for twelve complete years, and one who fasts there for three nights, are equal. O lord of men! The visitor of tirthas then reaches Indra’s path. On fasting there for one day and one night, one attains greatness in Shakra’s world. Going to Ekaratra and fasting there for one night, controlled and truthful, one attains greatness in Brahma’s world. O one learned in dharma! Then one should go to the tirtha that is renowned in the three worlds. This is the hermitage of the great-souled Aditya, full of energy. On bathing there and worshipping Vibhavasu,214 a man goes to the world of Aditya and rescues his lineage.