98 Shashayana literally means the abode or path (ayana) of rabbits (shasha). This tirtha was on the banks of the Sarasvati.
99 Donating one thousand cows.
100 Donating infinite cows.
101 Shiva’s epithet. Literally, the one with the bull (vrisha) on his banner (dhvaja).
102 Shiva.
103Sangama means union or confluence and this is the confluence of the Sarasvati with the ocean.
104 Celestial singers.
105 The bright half of the lunar month.
106 Vishnu or Krishna.
107 Donating one thousand cows.
108 There is a minor internal inconsistency, because Pulastya is actually speaking to Bhishma, and Narada is repeating the conversation to Yudhishthira.
109 Another name for the nagas.
110 Another name for Kurukshetra.
111 There is a minor internal inconsistency, because Pulastya is actually speaking to Bhishma, and Narada is repeating the conversation to Yudhishthira.
112 Yakshas are semi-divine species and companions of Kubera, the god of treasure. Kurukshetra was bounded to the north by the river Sarasvati and to the south by the river Drishadvati. It also had four yakshas as gatekeepers or guardians in four directions—Ratna to the north-east, Tarantuka to the northwest, Kapila to the south-west and Machakruka to the south-east. Machakruka’s abode is today identified as Sinkh, a village in the district of Panipat.
113 Donating one thousand cows.
114 Hari is Vishnu. The word satata means eternal. The place was presumably thus named because Hari was eternally present there.
115 Fruits of a horse sacrifice.
116 That is, a man who goes there.
117 A kind of soma sacrifice observed during the night.
118 Donating a thousand cows.
119 Literally, a place where ten ashvamedha sacrifices have been held. This is probably the one in Didwara village in Jind district.
120 Of ten horse sacrifices.
121 Literally, the goddess of snakes.
122 The fruits of agnishtoma.
123 Tarantuka is identified as the village of Behar Jaka today. It is partly in Patiala district (Punjab) and partly in Kaithal district (Haryana).
124 Donating one thousand cows.
125 The land of the five (pancha) rivers (nada), Punjab.
126 There are several places known as Kotitirtha. There is a famous one in Varaha Mula (Baramula). But this is probably the one in Hat village in Haryana.
127 Varaha Mula or Baramula is the obvious identification. But one is in the region around Kurukshetra. So one probably means the village Brah (derived from Varaha) near Jind in Haryana.
128 There are several Somatirthas and several Jayanti rivers. This Jayanti River is near Chandigarh.
129 Donating a thousand cows.
130 Vishnu’s epithet.
131 Munjavata is in Nirjan village in Jind district.
132 The ganas are Shiva’s companions. Ganapati is not only Ganesha’s name. It also means one who is the lord (pati) of the ganas.
133 Parashurama, the son of Jamadagni.
134 The fruits of a horse sacrifice.
135 Parashurama’s story is recounted in Section 1 (Volume 1). After destroying the kshatriyas, Parashurama constructed five lakes with their blood and this is known as Samanta Panchaka, the region around Kurukshetra. Samanta means on all sides and panchaka means five. Alternatively, Samanta Panchaka means the region that was five yojanas on all sides.
136 Parashurama was descended from the sage Bhrigu.
137 This may alternatively mean that one gets the fruits obtained through donating a lot of gold.
138 Kayashodhana literally means cleansing (shodhana) of the body (kaya). In a village known as Kasoon in Almora district of Uttarakhand, there is a Kayashodhana tirtha. But this might not be the one that is meant. What is probably meant is the one in Jind district, in the village of Kasohan (derived from Kayashodhana).
139 This literally means the rescue of the worlds.
140 Probably in the sense of obtains.
141 The word literally means wealth, riches and prosperity. There is a Shri tirtha in the village of Simla in Haryana.
142 There is a Kapila tirtha in a village known as Kalayat, about 80 kilometres from Kurukshetra and close to Kaithal in Haryana. Kalayat is believed to be derived from Kapilayat. Kapila was a famous sage and the expounder of sankhya philosophy.
143 Presumably donating one thousand tawny cows.
144 Surya means the sun-god and there are several Surya tirthas. For example, there is a famous one in Mathura. There is yet another famous one on the banks of the Narmada. But since one is in Haryana, neither of these is probably meant. One probably means the Surya tirtha in Boadsham village in Nilokheri block in Karnal.
145 The fruits of agnishtoma.
146 Literally, the abode (bhavana) of cows (gova).
147 Donating one thousand cows.
148 Now the village of Sanghan in Haryana.
149 Barta village in Haryana.
150 Kubera is the lord of treasures. Since Kubera is mentioned, Ambuvashya is probably Kubera tirtha in Thanesar, on the banks of the Sarasvati.
151 This may be Adi Badri, near Bilaspur in Yamuna Nagar district. There is a temple of Matri Devi or Mantra Devi there.
152 Possibly Siwan in Kaithal district of Haryana.
153 Literally, a place where a dog’s (shvana) hair (loma) is pulled out (apaha).
154 Literally, control over the breath of life, a breathing technique that is an integral component of yoga.
155 The text says Shvanalomapanayana, but Shvanalomapanayana and Shvanalomapaha mean the same thing.
156 Dashashvamedha is a place where ten (dasha) horse sacrifices (ashvamedha) have been held. There are several places with this name and this one is probably the one in Jind district of Haryana.
157 The word manusha means human and this is Manush, in Kaithal district.
158 In Kaithal district, also known as Apaya and a branch of the Chitang River.
159 One-fourth of a yojana.
160 Alternatively, corn.
161 Udumbara is the name of the fig tree and also the flower. According to legend, this flowers once in several thousand years. The udumbara is also the blue lotus, identified with Brahma and the flower itself is also called Brahma.
162 The seven great sages.
163 Kedara and Kapishthala are clearly different names for the same place. Kapishthala could well be today’s Kaithal.
164 Today’s Shergarh, in the Sirsa district of Haryana.
165 The dark fortnight of the lunar month.
166 Fruits of a horse sacrifice.
167 That is, the fruits of these.
168 Anajanma.
169 There are several rivers in India by the name of Vaitarani. This one flowed through Haryana.
170 The Dhrishadvati literally means a river with many stones and was one of the two major rivers, together with the Sarasvati.
171 Donating one thousand cows.
172 Donating one thousand cows.
173 At the confluence of the rivers Koushiki and Dhrishadvati.
174 Literally, Vyasasthali means Vyasa’s region and there is a Vyasasthali in Kaithal.
175 What this means is unclear. Vyasadeva is an immortal and his sons are Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura. There is no record of his having become sorrowful because of any of these sons.
176 Donating one thousand cows.
177 This measure is called a prastha.
178 Donating one thousand cows.
179 This is a reference to Vishnu’s vamana (dwarf) incarnation.
180 Pavana is Vayu, the god of the wind.
181 Shalihotra is in Sarsa village, about 22 km from Kurukshetra.
182 Donating one thousand cows.
183 Meaning the forest of Naimisha.
184 Donating one thousand cows.
185 There is a Kanyatirtha in the v
illage of Balwanti (or Vridhakanya) in Kaithal district.
186 Somatirtha is in Jind, known earlier as Jaintapuri.
187 There were seven (sapta) tributaries or different names for the Sarasvati in different places—Suprabha in Pushkara, Kanchanakshi in Naimisha, Vishala in Gaya, Manasahrida in Uttara Koshala, Suvenu in Kedara, Vimaloda in Gangadvara and Sarasvati in Kurukshetra. Through his powers, the sage Mankanaka guided these seven to a confluence in Kurukshetra, known as Saptasarasvata.
188 Mahadeva.
189 Another name for Kapalamochana tirtha, on the banks of the Sarasvati. This is in the tehsil of Jagadhri, close to Bilaspur in Haryana. The reference is to Shiva slicing off one of Brahma’s heads and this head (kapala) stuck to his hand, because of the sin of killing a brahmana. The head was released (mochana) on the banks of the Sarasvati.
190 Mahadeva having left, Pulastya is speaking again.
191 This is probably a reference to Parashurama.
192 Vishvamitra’s tirtha is probably in Pehowa (Prithudaka). Prithudaka is named after King Prithu. It is believed that Vishvamitra became a brahmarshi in the Sarasvati temple there.
193 This is in Pehowa.
194 That is, the person becomes immortal.
195 A sage who was Brahma’s son.
196 There is a lake named Madhusrava in Prithudaka. Alternatively, one part of the Koushiki River may have been called the Madhusrava River.
197 Donating one thousand cows.
198 Probably the village of Arnai (derived from Aruna), near Pehowa.
199 Darbhin is probably the sage Baka Dalbhya, the creator of Avatirna tirtha.
200 Donating four thousand cows.
201 Donating one thousand cows.
202 Renuka tirtha is in Ranacha, Haryana.
203 In the sense that acts of acquisition can be undesirable.
204 In Palwal district.
205 Mahadeva’s names. Yogeshvara means the lord of yoga, while Vrishadhvaja is the one who has a bull on his standard.
206 This is difficult to identify, but was on the banks of the Sarasvati. It was also known by the name of Aditya, since Varuna was Aditi’s son. The word Oujasa itself means energetic.
207 Kartikeya’s name.
208 Literally, the gate (dvara) to heaven (svarga).
209 Lord of the universe. Mahadeva’s name. Mahadeva’s wife is Uma. Rudra is another name for Mahadeva.
210 Padmanabha is Vishnu’s name, meaning the one with a lotus (padma) for his navel (nabha).
211 That is, the well is equal to three crores of tirthas.
212 There is a tank named after Vasishtha in Budha Khera, near Safidon.
213 The berries.
214 Vibhavasu is another name for the sun-god. Aditya means any god, a son of Aditi. In this context, the sun-god is meant.
215 The word used is sarasvata. Other than Sarasvati’s world, this can also mean the world of the Sarasvata brahmanas.
216 The time of a solar eclipse.
217 One has obtained the merits of such sacrifices.
218 Sarasvati should actually be to the north and Drishadvati to the south.
219 Samantapanchaka is another name for Kurukshetra, usually explained because of the five (pancha) lakes created by Parashurama. Alternatively, it is said that the land was five yojanas in every direction.
220 The grandfather is Brahma. Kurukshetra is often called Brahma’s altar (Brahmavedi) or the northern altar (Uttaravedi).
221 Literally, sweet-smelling and fragrant. There is also a plant and a flower by the name of Sougandhika.
222 Mythical beings who were followers of Kubera and could sing well. They were also physically deformed, sometimes described as possessing human heads and bodies of horses.
223 Plaksha is a fig tree and the Sarasvati originated from the Shivalik hills in the Himalayas from below a fig tree. This fountain at the foot of the fig tree is called Plaksha Prasravana. Plaksha is sometimes also identified with Paonta Sahib in Himachal Pradesh.
224 Literally, a place where Shiva (Ishana) is established.
225 Shamya is a wooden sacrificial stick and the distance is six throws of this stick away.
226 That is, the fruits of a horse sacrifice and donating one thousand cows.
227Shaka means vegetable, herb or edible leaf. Shakambhari is one who nourishes through shaka and is one of the goddess Durga’s manifestations. There are Shakambhari temples throughout India.
228 Shiva is the destroyer of Tripura. Tripura was the name of three (tri) cities (pura) created by the demons and was destroyed by Shiva.
229 Dhumavati is one of the manifestations of the goddess.
230 Alternatively, the right.
231 More accurately, Gangadvara, probably Har ki Pauri in Haridwar.
232 Saptaganga usually means seven (sapta) great rivers, of which, Ganga is one. But clearly, something else is meant here.
233 Kankhal in Haridwar.
234 This Kapila was a king of the nagas and Kapilavata was near the source of the Ganga, that is, near Rishikesh in Uttarakhand.
235 Sangama means confluence. So this probably means the confluence of Ganga with the confluence of the Yamuna and the Sarasvati.
236 The confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna and the Sarasvati is at Prayaga (Allahabad).
237 The source of the Yamuna is in the Yamunotri glacier.
238 The source of the Sindhu is near Manasa Sarovara, in Tibet.
239 Ushanas is Shukra’s name. So, one goes to Shukra’s world.
240 This might mean Rishikesh.
241 The night of the new moon (amavasya) during krishnapaksha, when there is a conjunction of the sun and the moon and the sun enters the constellation of Kanya (Virgo). This occurs in September or October.
242 Brahma.
243 Sacrifice to the gods.
244 The Sarayu River is in Uttar Pradesh. At the end, Rama immersed himself in the Sarayu River and returned to heaven. Gopratara is about 8 km from Ayodhya.
245 River in Uttar Pradesh, the Sarayu River is a tributary. This Rama tirtha is probably a reference to Parashurama.
246 Guha is the king of the nishadas in the Ramayana.
247 That is, the merits will be equal to those from observing a vow for twelve years.
248 The sun-god. Alternatively, Savitra.
249 Literally, the gate (dvara) to the womb (yoni).
250 The text literally translates as mixing up of wombs, that is, miscegenation.
251 The sense is that going to Gaya is easier.
252 Tributary of the Ganga. Gaya is on the banks of the Phalgu River.
253 Rajagriha is also known as Girivraja and today, it is known as Rajgir. There is a hot spring there. Figures of yakshas and yakshinis have been found in Rajagriha. The naga Maninaga is believed to have lived in Rajagriha and today, that particular place is known as Maniyar Nath.
254 Famous sage.
255 Ahalya was the sage Goutama’s wife and Indra used deceit to seduce her.
256 Shri means Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. It also means beauty, in addition to prosperity. Shri can refer to the place, as well a person. Since Ahalya was beautiful, the text probably means Ahalya.
257 A royal sage, that is a king who has attained the characteristics of a rishi.
258 Originally, the gods were believed to be thirty or thirty-three in number.
259 Vinashana is the place where the Sarasvati river disappears into the desert.
260 River in Nepal that eventually becomes part of the Ganga.
261 Demi-gods similar to the yakshas, companions of Kubera.
262Shalagrama is a sacred stone that is Vishnu’s personification. According to legend, Vishnu promised that he would be present as this stone in the Gandaki River. The Gandaki River is therefore famous for its shalagrama stones.
263 Literally, Mahadeva means the great god. Mahadeva is usually used for Shiva. But here, it is being used for Vishnu.
264 A river.
265
This could mean either Shiva or Vishnu.
266 A river.
267 Kartikeya.
268 Brahma is the grandfather.
269 Probably meaning the Himalayas.
270 The name of a lake near the peak.
271 Louhitya (or Lohitya) is the name of the Brahmaputra River, and the name is also used to refer to the kingdom around the river. The Rama in question is Parashurama, who is believed to have visited the area and set up a tirtha there.
272 The Karatoya River is now in Bangladesh, in the Rajshahi division. The river is believed to have been formed at the time of Shiva and Parvati’s marriage, when water (toya) was poured on Shiva’s hands (kara).
273 Brahma.
274 This is a reference to Sagar island, also known as Gangasagar, in West Bengal.
275 In Orissa. Viraja is Jajpur, in Cuttack district.
276 That is, donating ten thousand cows.
277 Both the Shona (Sone or Son) and Narmada originate in Madhya Pradesh. The Narmada originates in Amarkantak.
278 Donating eleven bulls.
279 Badarika or Badarikashrama is in Haridwar.
280 Jamadagni’s son is Parashurama and Parashurama’s tirtha in Mahendra or Mahendra Parvat is near Chiplun, in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. Mahendra Parvat is also known as the southern Kailash.
281 Matanga was a sage. This Kedara might be the Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga in Andhra Pradesh.
282 Sanchi was once known as Shri (or Sri) Parvata, though this might not be the Mount Shri of the text.
283 The Pandya kingdom, in today’s Tamil Nadu.
284 Meaning heaven.
285 The river Kaveri flows through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
286 Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.
287 Gokarna is on the shores of the ocean, in Karnataka and houses a famous temple to Shiva.
288 Bhuta has several meanings. Here, it means spirits or ghosts.
Mahabharata Vol. 3 (Penguin Translated Texts) Page 62