Skandapurana 4.27

Skanda said:

How Ānandakānana became renowned as Vārāṇasī,

I relate here just as it was spoken by the God of gods.

Īśvara said:

Listen, O mighty-armed Viṣṇu, handsome in the three worlds,

how Avimukta obtained the name Vārāṇasī.

Having heard that the Sāgaras had been burnt up by the fire of Kapila's wrath,

his own ancestors who were accompanied by the horse of the horse sacrifice,

Bhagīratha, a king of the solar dynasty, of great splendour, supremely righteous,

wishing to propitiate Gaṅgā, made his resolve for tapas.

Placing the burden of the kingdom upon his ministers, he went to Himavat, the best of mountains,

that heap of fame, desiring to rescue his ancestors.

Who, O Viṣṇu, could lead creatures to heaven, burnt by the fire of a brahmin's curse

and gone to a great, wretched state, without the three-coursed river?

She is my supreme form consisting of water, of the essence of Śiva,

the support of many cosmic eggs, the supreme Nature,

whose essence is pure wisdom, possessing the three energies, compassionate by nature,

whose form is the nectar of bliss, embodying pure righteousness,

whom, as the sustainer of the worlds, I hold by my sport,

for the sake of protecting the universe, her whose essence is the Supreme Brahman.

Whatever sacred fords and holy fields there are in the three worlds,

whatever religious duties everywhere, all sacrifices accompanied by sacrificial fees,

all austerities, O Viṣṇu, the fourfold scripture along with its limbs,

I, you, and Brahmā too, and whichever hosts of deities,

and all the aims of human life, and the various powers—

all these reside in Gaṅgā in subtle form.

He has bathed in all sacred fords; he is consecrated in all sacrifices;

he has observed all religious vows, he who serves Gaṅgā.

Austerities have been performed by him; he is the giver of all gifts;

he has attained the observances of yoga, he who serves Gaṅgā.

More than all castes and stages of life, and indeed those who know the Vedas,

and those who have crossed to the further shore of the meaning of the treatises, one who bathes in Gaṅgā is superior.

Even a person corrupted by faults arising from mind, speech, and body, of many kinds,

becomes purified by beholding Gaṅgā; there is no doubt in this.

In the Kṛtayuga, sacred fords are everywhere; in the Tretāyuga, Puṣkara is supreme;

In the Dvāparayuga, however, Kurukṣetra [is supreme]; in the Kaliyuga, the Gaṅgā alone.

By the force of latent impressions from practice in previous births, O Hari,

And through my supreme grace, one's residence comes to be upon the bank of the Gaṅgā.

Meditation is the cause of liberation in the Kṛtayuga; in the Tretāyuga, indeed, that [cause is] austerity;

In the Dvāparayuga, those two and sacrifices [are the cause]; in the Kaliyuga, the Gaṅgā alone.

He who does not abandon the bank of the Gaṅgā until the falling of his body,

He indeed is a knower of Vedānta, a yogin, and always observant of the vow of celibacy.

For those whose minds are defiled in the Kaliyuga, whose souls delight in the wealth of others,

And whose rites are destitute of ritual rules, there is indeed no recourse without the Gaṅgā.

Misfortune, misery, a bad dream, and malicious thoughts—

From chanting “Gaṅgā, Gaṅgā”, these surely do not approach.

For the Gaṅgā grants fruits here and in the hereafter to all beings,

According to their inner disposition, O Viṣṇu, always benevolent to the entire world.

Sacrifices, gifts, austerities, yoga, prayers, and restraints with observances,

Do not attain a thousandth part of service to the Gaṅgā in the Kaliyuga, O Hari.

What is the use of eightfold yoga? What of austerities? What of sacrifices?

Dwelling at the Gaṅgā alone is the cause of knowledge of Brahman.

Even to one stationed far away, who knows the māhātmya of the Gaṅgā,

Even if he is unworthy, the Gaṅgā is pleased with him through devotion, O Govinda.

Faith is the highest, subtle dharma; faith is knowledge and supreme austerity;

Faith is heaven and liberation; by faith she is pleased.

In men whose minds are utterly deluded by ignorance, passion, greed, and the like,

Faith is not born in dharma, and especially not in the Gaṅgā.

Just as the water situated on the outside exists within a coconut,

Even so, the water of the Supreme Brahman situated outside the cosmic egg is the Jāhnavī.

There is no other gain anywhere superior to attaining the Gaṅgā.

Therefore, one should worship the Gaṅgā; the Gaṅgā alone is the supreme Puruṣa.

Even of a capable man, a learned scholar, a virtuous man, or one inclined to generosity,

If he is destitute of ritual ablution in the Gaṅgā, O Hari, his birth is useless.

Futile is family, futile is learning, futile are sacrifices, futile is austerity,

Futile are his gifts here, if he does not worship the Gaṅgā in the Kaliyuga.

There would not be such a fruit in the worship of a worthy recipient

As is the fruit from ritual ablution in the water of the Gaṅgā and its worship according to the rules.

She holds the fire of my splendour within her womb; she is thoroughly imbued with my virility;

She burns away all faults and destroys all sins.

Merely from remembering the Gaṅgā, the cage formed by the mass of sins

Is split into a hundred pieces, just like a mountain struck by a thunderbolt.

He who goes to the Gaṅgā on his own, and he who rejoices in it with devotion—

The fruit of both of them is declared to be equal; devotion alone is the cause in this.

Walking, standing, chanting, meditating, eating, waking, sleeping, speaking—

He who constantly remembers the Gaṅgā is surely freed from bondage.

He who, with devotion, intending [it] for the ancestors, throws into the water of the Gaṅgā

Milk-rice mixed with honey, together with jaggery, clarified butter, and sesame seeds,

His ancestors become satisfied for a hundred years, O Hari;

Thoroughly satisfied, the forefathers grant his diverse desires.

Just as the entire world is worshipped when a liṅga is fully worshipped,

Even so, one obtains the fruit of all sacred fords by ritual ablution in the Gaṅgā.

That man who, having bathed in the Gaṅgā, daily worships a liṅga,

Attains supreme liberation in a single birth, without doubt.

The agnihotra, sacrifices, vows, gifts, and austerities

Are not equal even to a ten-millionth part of the worship of a liṅga at the Gaṅgā.

When one has resolved to go to the Gaṅgā and performed the śrāddha and other rites at home,

His ancestors rejoice because of his proper solemn resolve.

And the sins immediately weep, crying: “Alas! Where shall we go?”

Together with greed, delusion, and the rest, they deliberate repeatedly:

“Let us create an obstacle so that he does not go to the Gaṅgā;

For once he has gone to the Gaṅgā, he will bring about our destruction.”

As he walks from his home, step by step, for the sake of plunging into the Gaṅgā,

The sins depart in utter despair from his body.

By merits accumulated in previous births, having abandoned greed and the like, O Hari,

and having dispelled all hosts of obstacles, the meritorious person reaches the Gaṅgā. 47.

Even through casual company, for money, for commerce, or in service,

or even attached to desire, a mortal who has bathed in the Gaṅgā goes to heaven. 48.

Indeed, just as fire, even when touched unintentionally, burns,

so the Gaṅgā, even when bathed in unintentionally, burns away sin. 49.

One wanders in saṃsāra only so long as one does not resort to the Gaṅgā;

having resorted to the Gaṅgā, a living being sees no suffering of worldly existence. 4.1.27.50.

He who has bathed in the water of the Gaṅgā with devotion, free from doubt,

is a god bound in human skin—of this there is no doubt. 51.

If one who has set out to bathe in the Gaṅgā dies on the way,

even he attains the fruit of bathing in the Gaṅgā, without doubt. 52.

And those who listen to and recite the māhātmya of the Gaṅgā,

they too are freed from all great sins; of this there is no doubt. 53.

Those of evil intellect, of bad conduct, rationalistic skeptics full of doubts,

deluded, O Viṣṇu, see the Gaṅgā as just another river. 54.

Through gifts, austerities, observances, and vows performed in other lives,

devotion to the Gaṅgā is born in men in this birth. 55.

For the sake of those devoted to the Gaṅgā, in the cities of Mahendra and the others,

mansions with delightful enjoyments have been created by the self-manifest [Brahmā]. 56.

Perfections, liṅgas of perfection, touch-stone liṅgas in great numbers,

palaces wrought with gems, and hosts of wish-fulfilling jewels,

remain within the waters of the Gaṅgā out of fear of the impurities of the Kali [age].

Therefore indeed, in the Kali [age], the Gaṅgā should be resorted to, bestowing desired perfections. 58.

As darkness [perishes] at sunrise, as mountains out of fear of the thunderbolt's strike,

as snakes at the sight of Garuḍa, as clouds struck by the wind, 59.

as delusion through knowledge of reality, as deer upon seeing a lion,

so all sins go to destruction from the sight of the Gaṅgā. 4.1.27.60.

Just as diseases [are dispelled] by divine medicines, and virtues by greed,

just as the onslaught of summer's heat [is dispelled] by plunging into a fathomless pool, 61.

just as a mountain of cotton is instantly destroyed by a spark,

so faults certainly perish from touching the water of the Gaṅgā. 62.

And just as austerity [is destroyed] by anger, and intellect by lust,

as fortune [is destroyed] by injustice, and sacred learning indeed by pride, 63.

and as righteousness perishes through deceit, crookedness, and guile,

so sins perish merely by the darśana of the Gaṅgā. 64.

Having attained human birth, so difficult to obtain and fleeting as a flash of lightning,

he who resorts to the Gaṅgā has reached the supreme limit of wisdom in this world. 65.

Those mortals whose sins are shaken off see the Gaṅgā on earth

as having the nature of supreme light, resembling a thousand suns. 66.

Full of ordinary water, like an ordinary river,

the unbelievers whose eyes are afflicted by sin see the Gaṅgā. 67.

And I, the liberator from saṃsāra, out of compassion for people,

created a stairway to heaven in the form of the waves of the Gaṅgā. 68.

Every time is auspicious, every place is auspicious,

and every person is a worthy recipient of gifts on the bank of the glorious Jāhnavī. 69.

As the horse sacrifice among sacrifices, as the Himavat among mountains,

as truth among vows, as fearlessness among gifts, 4.1.27.70.

as breath-control among austerities, as the syllable Om among mantras,

as non-violence among duties, as good fortune is supreme among objects of desire, 71.

as the knowledge of the Self among sciences, as Gaurī is supreme among women,

and as you, O Puruṣottama, are among all the hosts of gods, 72.

and as a devotee of Śiva is the best among all worthy recipients,

so among all sacred fords the sacred ford of the Gaṅgā is preeminent. 73.

O Hari, the wise person who makes no distinction between the two of us

is to be known as a devotee of Śiva and a great Pāśupata. 74.

A great whirlwind to the dust of sin, an axe to the tree of sin,

and a forest fire to the firewood of sin is this Gaṅgā, flowing with merit. 75.

Assuming diverse forms, the ancestors constantly sing this song:

"Will someone in our family become a bather in the Gaṅgā?" 76.

having satisfied the gods, seers, the poor, the helpless, and the distressed,

will bathe according to the rule with faith and offer a handful of water?

May there be someone in our family who looks equally upon Śiva and Viṣṇu,

who builds an abode for them with devotion, and sweeps and cleans it.

Desireless or full of desire, or even born into an animal womb,

any mortal who dies in Gaṅgā does not see hell.

Those who, dwelling on the bank of Gaṅgā, praise another sacred ford,

and do not esteem Gaṅgā highly, are destined for hell.

The vile man who hates Me, you,

and Gaṅgā, goes to terrible hell along with his family members.

Sixty thousand gaṇas constantly protect Gaṅgā,

and create obstacles to the residence of the unfaithful and the sinful.

With sharp arrows of lust, anger, great delusion, greed, and the like,

they strike their minds and banish their stay there.

He who takes refuge in Gaṅgā is a sage, he is wise;

he is to be known as having accomplished his aims in the four goals of human life.

One who bathes even once in Gaṅgā obtains the fruit of a horse sacrifice;

and offering libations there to the ancestors, he rescues them from the ocean of hell.

The meritorious person who bathes continuously in Gaṅgā for a month

dwells in the world of Śakra as long as Śakra lives with his ancestors.

The meritorious person who bathes continuously in Gaṅgā for a year,

having reached the world of Viṣṇu, lives in happiness.

That mortal who bathes in Gaṅgā day after day as long as he lives,

is to be known as liberated while living, and at the end of the body is truly liberated.

Lunar day, lunar mansion, festive juncture, and the like need not be considered in the water of the daughter of Jahnu;

by merely bathing in Gaṅgā accumulated sin is destroyed.

Even a learned man is a fool, even a capable man is powerless,

who does not resort to the bank of Bhāgīrathī, which is easily served.

What is the use of a disease-free lifespan, what is the use of blooming fortune,

or what is the use of a pure intellect, if one does not serve Gaṅgā?

The person who causes a shrine for an image of Gaṅgā to be built,

having enjoyed pleasures here, even after death attains dwelling in the same world as Gaṅgā.

Those who daily hear the greatness of Gaṅgā with reverence,

gain the fruit of bathing in Gaṅgā by gratifying the reciter with wealth.

He who bathes a liṅga with water of Gaṅgā for the sake of the ancestors—

his ancestors become satisfied, even if they have gone to great hell.

A bath with the waters of Gaṅgā, over which mantras have been muttered eight times, filtered with cloth, and fragrant,

is said by the wise to be superior to a bath with clarified butter.

He who even once, with Gaṅgā water mixed with eight substances,

measuring a Māgadha prastha and kept in a copper vessel,

offers an argha to the sun together with his ancestors,

is honoured in the world of the sun in an aerial chariot of immense splendour.

Water, milk, tips of kuśa grass, clarified butter, honey, cow's curd,

red karavīra flowers, and red sandalwood:

this is specified as the eightfold argha, which greatly pleases the sun;

know, O Viṣṇu, that with Gaṅgā water it is ten million times more efficacious than with any other water.