Matsyapurana 22
English (machine translation) 22
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22.1
The sages said:
At what time does that śrāddha yield endless fruit?
In which part of the day should a performer of śrāddha perform the śrāddha?
And at which tīrthas does a śrāddha performed yield great fruit?
22.2
Sūta said:
When the afternoon has arrived, during the rise of the Abhijit and Rauhiṇa periods,
whatever is offered then is declared to be imperishable.
22.3
Which tīrthas are praised and dear to the ancestors,
those I shall proclaim by name in brief, O best of the twice-born.
22.4
The ancestral tīrtha named Gayā is the auspicious best among all tīrthas,
where Pitāmaha himself, the lord of the gods, resides.
22.5
There this verse is sung by the ancestors desirous of their share:
22.6
“Many sons are to be desired, in hope that even one might go to Gayā,
or offer an Aśvamedha sacrifice, or release a dark bull.”
22.7
Likewise holy Vārāṇasī is ever dear to the ancestors,
where the presence of the Avimukta bestows the fruit of enjoyment and liberation.
22.8
In the same way, holy Vimaleśvara is dear to the ancestors;
and the ancestral tīrtha Prayāga bestows the fruit of all desires.
22.9
There the Lord Vaṭeśvara, together with Mādhava,
and likewise Keśava, reclining in yogic sleep, dwells forever.
22.10
Holy Daśāśvamedhika, and likewise Gaṅgādvāra,
Nandā, then Lalitā, and likewise the auspicious holy tīrtha Māyāpurī;
22.11
likewise the one named Mitrapada, then excellent Kedāra;
and they praise Gaṅgāsāgara, auspicious and comprising all holy tīrthas;
22.12
likewise the holy Brahmasaras pool in the waters of the Śatadru;
and the tīrtha named Naimiṣa, which grants the fruit of all tīrthas;
22.13
the confluence of the Gaṅgā at the Gomatī, where the Eternal One appeared,
and likewise the Sacrificial Boar, and the spear-bearing god of gods;
22.14
where there is that golden gate, and eighteen-armed Hara;
and where the rim of Hari's discus broke in ancient times;
22.15
this is that Naimiṣa Forest, frequented by all tīrthas;
even there, the sight of the Boar, the god of gods, is attained.
22.16
Whoever goes there, his self purified, goes to the abode of Nārāyaṇa.
Highly sacred Kṛtaśauca destroys all sins;
22.17
where Janārdana himself dwells as Narasiṃha.
The tīrtha named Ikṣumatī is ever dear to the ancestors;
22.18
where the ancestors always stay at the confluence of the Gaṅgā.
Highly sacred Kurukṣetra is endowed with all tīrthas;
22.19
and likewise holy Sarayū, revered by all the gods;
likewise the river Irāvatī, inhabited by ancestral tīrthas;
22.20
the Yamunā, Devikā, Kālī, Candrabhāgā, Dṛṣadvatī,
the holy river Veṇumatī, and the supreme Vetravatī.
22.21
These are dear to the ancestors, considered to multiply [the fruit] ten-millionfold in a śrāddha.
Highly sacred Jambūmārga, where the path is indeed perceived;
22.22
even today it is an ancestral tīrtha granting the fruit of all desires.
O best of the twice-born, the ancestral tīrtha renowned as Nīlakuṇḍa;
22.23
likewise the holy Rudrasaras pool, and the Mānasa lake;
the Mandākinī, Acchodā, Vipāśā, and Sarasvatī;
likewise Eastern Mitrapada, Vaidyanātha yielding great fruit,
the river Kṣiprā, Mahākāla, and auspicious Kālañjara;
22.24
Vaṃśodbheda, Harodbheda, Gaṅgodbheda of great fruit,
Bhadreśvara, Viṣṇupada, and Narmadādvāra;
22.25
the great sages declare these to be equal to the offering of rice-balls at Gayā;
these ancestral tīrthas destroy all sins.
22.26
Even from remembering them people [are purified], how much more those who perform śrāddha!
And the ancestral tīrtha Oṃkāra, the Kāverī, Kapilodaka;
22.27
the confluence of the Caṇḍavegā, and likewise Amarakaṇṭaka—
bathing and the like there becomes a hundred times greater than at Kurukṣetra.
22.28
And renowned Śukratīrtha, the supreme tīrtha Someśvara,
holy, removing all diseases, yielding more than a billionfold fruit;
22.29
in śrāddha, gifting, fire oblation, and Vedic recitation near the water;
the one named Kāyāvarohaṇa, and likewise the river Carmaṇvatī;
22.30
likewise the Gomatī, Varaṇā, and supreme Auśanasa tīrtha,
Bhairava, Bhṛgutuṅga, and unsurpassed Gaurītīrtha;
22.31
the tīrtha named Vaināyaka, and beyond that Bhadreśvara;
likewise the one named Pāpahara, and the holy river Tapatī;
22.32
Mūlatāpī, Payoṣṇī, and the confluence of the Payoṣṇī;
Mahābodhi, Pāṭalā, Nāgatīrtha, Avantikā;
22.33
likewise the holy river Veṇā, and also Mahāśāla;
Mahārudra, Mahāliṅga, and the auspicious river Daśārṇā;
22.34
Śatarudrā, Śatāhvā, and supreme Viśvapada;
likewise Aṅgāravāhikā, and those two rivers, Śoṇa and Gharghara;
22.35
and the holy river Kālikā, and the river Vitastā—
these ancestral tīrthas are praised for bathing and gifts;
22.36
the śrāddha offered at these is remembered to bring endless fruit.
Droṇī, the river Vāṭā, Dhārā, and the river Kṣīranadī;
22.37
Gokarṇa, Gajakarṇa, and Puruṣottama;
Dvārakā, Kṛṣṇatīrtha, and Arbuda-Sarasvatī;
22.38
the river named Maṇimatī, and Girikarṇikā;
likewise the tīrtha Dhūtapāpa, and the Southern Ocean;
22.39
at these ancestral tīrthas, a śrāddha attains endlessness.
The tīrtha named Meghakara, where Janārdana himself [dwells];
22.40
where Viṣṇu, holder of the Śārṅga bow, resides upon the Mekhalā;
likewise the tīrtha Mandodarī, and the auspicious river Campā;
22.41
likewise Sāmalanātha, and the river Mahāśālā;
Cakravāka, Carmakoṭa, and great Janmeśvara;
22.42
Arjuna, Tripura, and beyond that Siddheśvara;
Śrīśaila, the Śaiva tīrtha, and beyond that Nārasiṃha;
22.43
and holy Mahendra, and the one named Śrīraṅga—
at these too, a śrāddha is ever remembered to yield endless fruit;
22.44
and by mere sight, these indeed destroy sins at once.
The holy river Tuṅgabhadrā, and the river Bhīmarathī;
22.45
Bhīmeśvara, Kṛṣṇaveṇā, Kāverī, the river Kuḍmalā;
the river named Godāvarī, and the excellent tīrtha Trisaṃdhyā;
22.46
the tīrtha named Traiyambaka, bowed to by all tīrthas,
where the Lord, the Three-eyed Master himself, dwells.
22.47
A śrāddha performed at all these becomes multiplied countless millions of times;
even by remembering them, O twice-born, sins are destroyed a hundredfold.
22.48
Śrīparṇī, Tāmraparṇī, and the unsurpassed tīrtha Jayā;
likewise the holy river Matsyanadī, and Śivadhāra.
22.49
And the famous Bhadratīrtha, and eternal Pampātīrtha, / likewise sacred Rāmeśvara, and the immaculate city Elāpura;
22.50
the renowned Aṅgabhūta, Āmardaka, and Alambuṣa, / likewise Āmrātakeśvara, and further beyond, Ekāmbhaka;
22.51
Govardhana, Hariścandra, Kṛpucandra, and Pṛthūdaka, / Sahasrākṣa, Hiraṇyākṣa, and the river Kadalī;
22.52
there too Rāmādhivāsa, and the confluence Saumitrisaṃgama, / Indrakīla, Mahānāda, and Priyamelaka.
22.53
These also are always most highly praised for the śrāddha, / because the presence of all the gods is seen in them.
22.54
Gift given in all these becomes multiplied more than a hundred millionfold; / and the sacred river Bāhudā, and the auspicious Siddhavana;
22.55
the tīrtha named Pāśupata, and the auspicious river Pārvatikā— / śrāddha offered in all these yields more than a hundred millionfold.
22.56
Likewise the Pitṛtīrtha, where the river Godāvarī, / joined with a thousand liṅgas, carries water to all interiors;
22.57
that excellent tīrtha descended in succession from Jāmadagnya, / where the river Godāvarī split out of fear of Pratīka;
22.58
that tīrtha for offerings to gods and ancestors, called Apsaroyuga— / in śrāddha, fire rites, and gifts it yields more than a hundred millionfold.
22.59
Likewise Sahasraliṅga, and supreme Rāghaveśvara, / and the sacred river Sendraphenā, where anciently Indra fell;
22.60
having slain Namuci, Śakra attained heaven through ascetic heat; / śrāddha offered there by men yields infinite fruit.
22.61
And the tīrtha named Puṣkara, and likewise Śālagrāma, / and renowned Somapāna, where is the dwelling of Vaiśvānara;
22.62
the tīrtha named Sārasvata, and likewise Svāmitīrtha, / the sacred river Malaṃdarā, Kauśikī, and Candrikā;
22.63
the Vaidarbhā, or Vairā, and the supreme eastward Payoṣṇī, / the sacred northern Kāverī, and Mount Jālaṃdhara.
22.64
In these śrāddha-tīrthas, a śrāddha attains infinity; / likewise the tīrtha Lohadaṇḍa, and Citrakūṭa;
22.65
and the junction of the Vindhya with the Gaṅgā, and the auspicious riverbank, / and the tīrtha Kubjābhra, and the sandbank Urvaśīpulina;
22.66
the tīrtha Saṃsāramocana, and likewise Ṛṇamocana— / in these ancestral tīrthas, a śrāddha attains infinity.
22.67
And the tīrtha Aṭṭahāsa, and Gautameśvara, / and indeed Vasiṣṭhatīrtha, and Hārīta beyond that;
22.68
Brahmāvarta, Kuśāvarta, and likewise Hayatīrtha, / and the renowned Piṇḍāraka, and Śaṅkhoddhāra;
22.69
Ghaṇṭeśvara, Bilvaka, and Nīlaparvata, / and Dharaṇītīrtha, and likewise Rāmatīrtha;
22.70
and the famous Aśvatīrtha, infinite in śrāddha and gifts, / the tīrtha named Vedaśiras, and the river Oghavatī;
22.71
the tīrtha named Vasuprada, and likewise Chāgalāṇḍa— / those who offer śrāddha in these go to the supreme abode.
22.72
And likewise Badarītīrtha, and Gaṇatīrtha, / Jayanta, and Vijaya, and Śakratīrtha;
22.73
and the tīrtha of Śrīpati, and the tīrtha Raivataka, / likewise Śāradātīrtha, and Bhadrakāleśvara;
22.74
and the supreme Vaikuṇṭhatīrtha, or also Bhīmeśvara— / those who offer śrāddha in these go to the supreme destination.
22.75
The tīrtha named Mātṛgṛha, and Karavīrapura, / and renowned Kuśeśaya, and Gaurīśikhara;
22.76
and the tīrtha of Nakuleśa, and likewise Kardamāla, / likewise Diṇḍipuṇyakara, and Puṇḍarīkapura;
22.77
and Saptagodāvarī tīrtha, the lord of lords of all tīrthas— / there śrāddha should be offered by those desiring infinite fruit.
22.78
This concise summary of tīrthas has been proclaimed by me; / even the Lord of Speech could not describe them in detail, how much less a mortal?
22.79
Truth is a tīrtha, compassion is a tīrtha, restraint of the senses is a tīrtha; / in the house of the social classes and stages of life, a tīrtha is declared as well.
22.80
Whatever śrāddha [is offered] in these tīrthas is regarded as ten-millionfold; / therefore, with diligent effort, one should perform a śrāddha at a tīrtha.
22.81
The morning time is three muhūrtas, the forenoon is just as long, / midday is three muhūrtas, and the afternoon is after that.
22.82
Evening is three muhūrtas; one should not perform a śrāddha then; / that time is called demonic, condemned in all rituals.
22.83
Fifteen muhūrtas of the day are renowned at all times; / among them, the eighth muhūrta is remembered as the kutapa time.
22.84
Because the sun's intensity always begins to decline at midday, / its commencement is distinguished as giving infinite fruit.
22.85
Midday, a vessel of rhinoceros horn, a Nepalese blanket, / silver, darbha-grass, sesame seeds, cows, and the daughter's son is remembered as the eighth.
22.86
They say that sin is kutsita (contemptible); because they torment that [sin], / therefore these eight are celebrated as kutapas.
22.87
The period of four muhūrtas after the kutapa muhūrta— / this group of five muhūrtas is regarded as the domain of svadhā.
22.88
Kuśa-grass and black sesame seeds originated from Viṣṇu's body; / the gods declared these sufficient for protecting the śrāddha.
22.89
A handful of water with sesame should be offered by those residing at a tīrtha while standing in water, / with one hand holding darbha-grass; thus the śrāddha is made distinguished.
22.90
At the time of preparing the śrāddha, [the offering] is given with one hand, / but the water libation with both hands; this is always remembered as the rule.
22.91
Sūta said: / Sacred, purifying, longevity-granting, destroying all sins, / this recitation of tīrthas and śrāddhas was previously spoken on Malaya.
22.92
A person who hears or even recites [it] becomes endowed with fortune.
22.93
And it should be recited at the time of a śrāddha by residents of the tīrtha, / for the pacification of all sins, supreme in destroying misfortune.
22.94
This is purifying, a repository of renown, and it takes away great sins of men, / and is venerated even by Brahmā, the Sun, and Rudra; those who know it proclaim the majesty of the śrāddha.
Translations (1)
- The Matsya Puranam — A Taluqdar of Oudh 1916, English
Linked texts (1)
- Matsyapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit