[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Epic, Poetry, Drama & Narrative](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit) › [The Mahābhārata and its versions](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata) › [The Great Epic of the Bhārata dynasty](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa) › 3.85 # The Great Epic of the Bhārata dynasty 3.85: pañcāśītitamo'dhyāyaḥ Mahābhārata 3.85 - **Language:** Sanskrit ### pañcāśītitamo'dhyāyaḥ ### [3.85.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85.1) vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | tānsarvānutsukāndṛṣṭvā pāṇḍavāndīnacetasaḥ | āśvāsayaṃstadā dhaumyo bṛhaspatisamo'bravīt || 1 || > Vaisampayana said, "Beholding the Pandavas afflicted with anxiety and depressed in spirits, Dhaumya, who resembled Vrihaspati, spake thus, comforting them, 'O bull of the Bharata race, O sinless one, listen to me as I mention certain sacred asylums and regions and tirthas and mountains that are approved of by Brahmanas. O king, listen to me as I speak, thyself with the daughter of Drupada and thy brothers, wilt, O lord of men, be relieved from grief. And, O son of Pandu, by hearing only of these places, thou wilt acquire merit. And by visiting them thou wilt obtain merit a hundred times greater, O best of men! First, O king, I will, so far as I recollect, speak of the beautiful eastern country, much regarded, O Yudhishthira, by royal Rishis. In that direction, O Bharata is a place called Naimisha which is regarded by the celestials. There in that region are several sacred tirthas belonging to the gods. There also is the sacred and beautiful Gomati which is adored by celestial Rishis and there also in \[possibly 'is'?--JBH\] the sacrificial region of the gods and the sacrificial stake of Surya. In that quarter also is that best of hills called Gaya, which is sacred and much regarded by royal ascetics. There on that hill, is the auspicious lake called Brahmasara which is adored by celestial Rishis. > — Kisari Mohan Ganguli 1883, The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa ### [3.85.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85.2) brāhmaṇānumatānpuṇyānāśramānbharatarṣabha | diśastīrthāni śailāṃśca śṛṇu me gadato nṛpa || 2 || ### [3.85.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85.3) pūrvaṃ prācīṃ diśaṃ rājanrājarṣigaṇasevitām | ramyāṃ te kīrtayiṣyāmi yudhiṣṭhira yathāsmṛti || 3 || ### [3.85.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85.4) tasyāṃ devarṣijuṣṭāyāṃ naimiṣaṃ nāma bhārata | yatra tīrthāni devānāṃ supuṇyāni pṛthakpṛthak || 4 || ### [3.85.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85.5) yatra sā gomatī puṇyā ramyā devarṣisevitā | yajñabhūmiśca devānāṃ śāmitraṃ ca vivasvataḥ || 5 || ### [3.85.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85.6) tasyāṃ girivaraḥ puṇyo gayo rājarṣisatkṛtaḥ | śivaṃ brahmasaro yatra sevitaṃ tridaśarṣibhiḥ || 6 || ### [3.85.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85.7) yadarthaṃ puruṣavyāghra kīrtayanti purātanāḥ | eṣṭavyā bahavaḥ putrā yadyeko'pi gayāṃ vrajet || 7 || > It is for this that the ancients say that one should wish for many sons, so that even one among them may visit Gaya, celebrate the horse-sacrifice or give away a nila bull, and thereby deliver ten generations of his race up and down. There, O monarch, is a great river, and spot called Gayasira. In Gayasira is a banian, which is called by the Brahmanas the Eternal banian, for the food that is offered there to the Pitris becometh eternal, O exalted one! The great river that floweth by the place is known by the name of Phalgu, and its waters are all sacred. And, O bull among the Bharatas, there also, in that place, is the Kausiki, whose basin abounds in various fruit and roots, and where Viswamitra endued with wealth of asceticism acquired Brahmanahood. Towards that direction also is the sacred Ganga, on whose banks Bhagiratha celebrated many sacrifices with profuse gifts (to Brahmanas). They say that in the country of Panchala, there is a wood called Utpala, where Viswamitra of Kusika's race had performed sacrifices with his son, and where beholding the relics of Viswamitra's superhuman power, Rama, the son of Jamadagni, recited the praises of his ancestry. At Kamyaka, Kusika's son had quaffed the Soma juice with Indra. Then abandoning the Kshatriya order, he began to say, I am a Brahmana.' In that quarter, O hero is the sacred confluence of Ganga and Yamuna which is celebrated over the world. Holy and sin-destroying, that tirtha is much regarded by the Rishis. > — Kisari Mohan Ganguli 1883, The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa ### [3.85.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85.8) mahānadī ca tatraiva tathā gayaśiro'nagha | yatrāsau kīrtyate viprairakṣayyakaraṇo vaṭaḥ | yatra dattaṃ pitṛbhyo'nnamakṣayyaṃ bhavati prabho || 8 || ### [3.85.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85.9) sā ca puṇyajalā yatra phalgunāmā mahānadī | bahumūlaphalā cāpi kauśikī bharatarṣabha | viśvāmitro'bhyagādyatra brāhmaṇatvaṃ tapodhanaḥ || 9 || ### [3.85.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85.10) gaṅgā yatra nadī puṇyā yasyāstīre bhagīrathaḥ | ayajattāta bahubhiḥ kratubhirbhūridakṣiṇaiḥ || 10 || ### [3.85.11](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85.11) pāñcāleṣu ca kauravya kathayantyutpalāvatam | viśvāmitro'yajadyatra śakreṇa saha kauśikaḥ | yatrānuvaṃśaṃ bhagavāñjāmadagnyastathā jagau || 11 || ### [3.85.12](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85.12) viśvāmitrasya tāṃ dṛṣṭvā vibhūtimatimānuṣīm | kanyakubje'pibatsomamindreṇa saha kauśikaḥ | tataḥ kṣatrādapākrāmadbrāhmaṇo'smīti cābravīt || 12 || ### [3.85.13](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85.13) pavitramṛṣibhirjuṣṭaṃ puṇyaṃ pāvanamuttamam | gaṅgāyamunayorvīra saṃgamaṃ lokaviśrutam || 13 || ### [3.85.14](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85.14) yatrāyajata bhūtātmā pūrvameva pitāmahaḥ | prayāgamiti vikhyātaṃ tasmādbharatasattama || 14 || > It is there that the soul of all things, the Grandsire, had, in olden days, performed his sacrifice, and it is for this, O chief of the Bharata race, that the place hath come to be called Prayaga. In this direction, O foremost of kings, lieth the excellent asylum of Agastya, O monarch, and the forest called Tapasa, decked by many ascetics. And there also is the great tirtha called Hiranyavinda on the Kalanjara hills, and that best of mountains called Agastya, which is beautiful, sacred and auspicious. In that quarter, O descendant of the Kuru race, is the mountain called Mahendra, sacred to the illustrious Rama of the Bhrigu race. There, O son of Kunti, the Grandsire performed sacrifices of yore. There, O Yudhishthira, the sacred Bhagiratha entereth a lake and there also, O king, is that sacred river known by the name of the merit-bestowing Brahmasara, whose banks are inhabited by persons whose sins have been washed away, and whose sight alone produceth merit. In that direction also lieth the high-souled Matanga's excellent asylum, called Kedara which is sacred and auspicious and celebrated over the world. And there also is the mountain called Kundoda, which is so delightful and abounding in fruits and roots and waters, and where the king of the Nishadhas (Nala) had slaked his thirst and rested for a while. In that quarter also is the delightful Deva-vana which is graced by ascetics. There also are the rivers Vahuda and Nanda on the mountain's crest. > — Kisari Mohan Ganguli 1883, The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa ### [3.85.15](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85.15) agastyasya ca rājendra tatrāśramavaro mahān | hiraṇyabinduḥ kathito girau kālaṃjare nṛpa || 15 || ### [3.85.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85.16) atyanyānparvatānrājanpuṇyo girivaraḥ śivaḥ | mahendro nāma kauravya bhārgavasya mahātmanaḥ || 16 || ### [3.85.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85.17) ayajadyatra kaunteya pūrvameva pitāmahaḥ | yatra bhāgīrathī puṇyā sadasyāsīdyudhiṣṭhira || 17 || ### [3.85.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85.18) yatrāsau brahmaśāleti puṇyā khyātā viśāṃ pate | dhūtapāpmabhirākīrṇā puṇyaṃ tasyāśca darśanam || 18 || ### [3.85.19](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85.19) pavitro maṅgalīyaśca khyāto loke sanātanaḥ | kedāraśca mataṅgasya mahānāśrama uttamaḥ || 19 || ### [3.85.20](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85.20) kuṇḍodaḥ parvato ramyo bahumūlaphalodakaḥ | naiṣadhastṛṣito yatra jalaṃ śarma ca labdhavān || 20 || ### [3.85.21](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85.21) yatra devavanaṃ ramyaṃ tāpasairupaśobhitam | bāhudā ca nadī yatra nandā ca girimūrdhani || 21 || ### [3.85.22](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85.22) tīrthāni saritaḥ śailāḥ puṇyānyāyatanāni ca | prācyāṃ diśi mahārāja kīrtitāni mayā tava || 22 || > O mighty king, I have described unto thee all the tirthas and sacred spots in the Eastern quarter. Do thou now hear of the sacred tirthas, and rivers and mountains and holy spots in the other three quarters!'" > — Kisari Mohan Ganguli 1883, The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa ### [3.85.23](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85.23) tisṛṣvanyāsu puṇyāni dikṣu tīrthāni me śṛṇu | saritaḥ parvatāṃścaiva puṇyānyāyatanāni ca || 23 || ## Translations (1) - [The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa~en-ganguli.3.87.1.1) — Kisari Mohan Ganguli 1883, English ## Commentaries (1) - [Bhāratabhāvadīpa](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa!nilakantha.3.87.1) — Nīlakaṇṭha Caturdhara 1650, Sanskrit ## Other recensions (2) - [Southern recension](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa*southern.3.85.1) — Sanskrit - [Vulgate (Nīlakaṇṭha's text)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa*vulgate.3.87.1) — Sanskrit ## Linked texts (1) - [Śaktisaṅgamatantra](https://indike.org/pramana/in.sampradaya.general.sakta.saktisangama.1.5.65) — Sanskrit --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa.3.85) · Pramāṇa