Skandapurana 2.8.2

Sūta said:

Having thus spoken the story concerning Cakratīrtha

and the all-pervading Viṣṇuhari, sage Agastya spoke again, O best of brahmins:

Agastya said:

Formerly, Brahmā, the creator of the world, having known that Hari, Acyuta,

the god, resided in Ayodhyā, himself took up residence there.

Brahmā came and duly performed a pilgrimage there,

and properly performed a sacrifice furnished with various provisions.

Then Brahmā, the grandfather of the worlds, made there

an extensive pool bearing his own name, attended by various gods,

filled with wide waves of water, removing impurities,

thronged with multitudes of white water-lilies, blue lotuses, night-lotuses, and white lotuses,

delightful with swans, cranes, and ruddy geese,

crowded with flocks of birds sporting among the branches on its banks.

All the gods bathed in that pool and, endowed with purity,

truly became free from passion and dirt, possessing spotless radiance.

Seeing that great wonder, all those gods at once

bowed down to Brahmā and then, with folded hands, said with devotion:

The gods said:

O Blessed One seated on the lotus, speak in truth of the glory

in its entirety of this excavated pool of spotless radiance.

By bathing here, the passion and dirt of us all has vanished.

Having witnessed this great wonder of the pool, we are all amazed,

O best of gods; therefore, tell us out of compassion.

Brahmā said:

Let all the gods, attentive and full of wonder, hear

the glory of this pool, which is accompanied by various fruits.

By duly bathing here, even sinful creatures,

mounting an aerial chariot yoked with swans, wearing splendid garments,

dwell in the world of Brahmā until the cosmic dissolution.

By giving gifts and making fire offerings here according to one's capacity, O best of gods,

they obtain the merit of the Tulāpuruṣa gift and the horse sacrifice, O best of sages.

By bathing in this lake of mine, a man becomes prosperous.

Therefore, ritual ablution, charitable donation, recitation [of mantras], and other rites performed here in accordance with the rules, 14

are equal indeed to all sacrifices and destroy great sins.

From now on, it will attain supreme renown by the name Brahmakuṇḍa. 15

And in this pool my presence shall dwell forever.

On the fourteenth day of the bright fortnight of Kārttika, O best of gods, 16

there shall always take place my annual pilgrimage festival, O gods,

granting auspiciousness and destroying a multitude of great sins at that time. 17

Gold and various kinds of garments should always be given,

and according to one's capacity, O gods, the satisfaction of the twice-born should be accomplished. 18

Agastya said:

Having spoken thus, this god of gods, Brahmā, the grandfather of the worlds,

disappeared along with the gods after beholding the sacred ford, O you whose wealth is austerity. 19

From that time forward, that pool became supremely renowned on earth;

and the great pool is situated to the east of Cakratīrtha. 20

Sūta said:

Having spoken thus, that mass of austerity, Agastya, born of a pitcher,

questioned again, that best of sages recounted the narrative to Vyāsa. 21

Agastya said:

Listen, O fortunate one, to another sacred ford, hard to reach for evildoers,

named Ṛṇamocana, situated on the bank of the Sarayū. 22

Seven hundred bow-lengths from Brahmakuṇḍa, O best of sages,

it is located in the waters of the Sarayū, in the north-eastern direction. 23

There in ancient times the best of sages named Lomaśa,

on the occasion of a pilgrimage to sacred fords, performed his ritual ablution according to rule. 24

Thereupon he became free from debt and rid of all defilement.

Seeing that great wonder, he spoke joyfully to the sages: 25

“Let everyone behold the virtues of this great, best of sacred fords!”

Raising his two arms and with eyes full of tears of joy, he said: 26

Lomaśa said:

“This unexcelled sacred ford is indeed named Ṛṇamocana,

where, by bathing, the discharge of debts occurs for living beings. 27

The threefold debt that belongs to men, pertaining to this world and the next—

all of that is destroyed in an instant in this sacred ford merely by bathing. 28

This is the best of all sacred fords, producing immediate conviction,

and by me its fruit regarding debt and the like has been fully experienced here. 29

Therefore, ritual ablution and donation according to one's capacity

must always be performed here with faith by those who desire the fruit. 30

One must bathe, and gold, garments, and other gifts should be given according to one's means.” 31

Agastya said:

Having thus proclaimed the māhātmya of the sacred ford, Lomaśa, best of sages,

that foremost of sages vanished while joyfully praising the virtues of the sacred ford. 32

Thus has been recounted, O brahmin, [the sacred ford] named Ṛṇamocana,

where, by bathing, the debt of living beings is destroyed in that very instant. 33

To the east of the Ṛṇamocana sacred ford, in the waters of the Sarayū,

at two hundred bow-lengths, is the sacred ford named Pāpamocana. 34

A person becomes purified of all sins by bathing there

at that very instant; no doubt need be entertained here. 34

Its excellent māhātmya was witnessed there by me, O best of sages. 35

Born in the Pañcāla country, a twice-born man named Narahari

became sinful in soul through the influence of bad company. 36

Various kinds of sins, including the murder of a brahmin,

he committed through association with sinners, reviling the path of the three Vedas. 37

Once, through the company of good men, in the course of a pilgrimage to sacred fords,

he came to Ayodhyā, O brahmin—that twice-born man who had committed great sins. 38

Through association with the good, the twice-born bathed at the Pāpamocana sacred ford;

his mass of sin was destroyed, and he became sinless in an instant. 39

A shower of flowers fell from heaven upon his head, O lord of sages;

and ascending a celestial aerial chariot, the twice-born went to the realm of Viṣṇu. 40

And that great wonder having been seen by me, O foremost of the twice-born...

Ritual ablution performed there with supreme faith is especially [efficacious].

On the fourteenth day of the dark half of Māgha, ritual ablution there in particular,

and gift-giving should be performed by men for purification from all sins.

Even when ritual ablution is performed at other times, destruction of all sins occurs.

To the east of Pāpamocanatīrtha in the waters of the Sarayū,

at a measure of a hundred bows, there is an excellent sacred ford,

named Sahasradhārā, destroying all sins,

where by Rāma's command the hero Lakṣmaṇa, slayer of enemy heroes,

having given up his vital breaths through yoga, attained the nature of Śeṣa in ancient times.

They know the measure of a bow to be three cubits and a half;

a count of four cubits is designated a staff.

Sūta said:

Having thus heard then from the pot-born sage,

Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa asked again out of curiosity:

Vyāsa said:

Speak in detail, O you of good vows, the māhātmya of Sahasradhārā;

listening to the māhātmya of the sacred ford, my mind is not satiated.

Agastya said:

Listen attentively, O sage, as I tell the story,

the origin of the sacred ford Sahasradhārā, from its great rise.

Formerly Rāma, lord of the Raghus, having accomplished the task of the gods,

met together with Kāla and held counsel, the king of men.

"Whoever comes near and sees the two of us consulting,

must be quickly abandoned by me." Thus he made an agreement.

While he was consulting, Lakṣmaṇa standing at the door,

Durvāsas arrived, that mass of austerity, a treasury of splendors.

Having arrived, afflicted with hunger, he quickly said affectionately to Lakṣmaṇa:

Durvāsas said:

"O son of Sumitrā, go quickly and announce me in front of Rāma.

I am seeking a purpose; you ought not to act contrary to this command."

Agastya said:

Frightened of a curse, that son of Sumitrā swiftly went before the two

and announced the sage in front of Rāma as desiring a darśana,

Durvāsas, a mass of austerity, the son of Atri who had arrived.

Rāma also, having taken leave of Kāla and dismissed him, went outside.

Seeing that sage, the lord bowed down and fed him with respect.

Having dismissed Durvāsas, best of sages, himself with respect,

out of fear of breaking the truth, the hero then abandoned Lakṣmaṇa.

Then the hero Lakṣmaṇa also, making true the word

of his elder brother, wise-minded, went to the bank of the Sarayū.

Having gone there and bathed, promptly engaging in meditation,

joining his peaceful mind to the Self of pure consciousness, he remained then.

Then there appeared there, adorned with a thousand hoods,

Śeṣa, the best serpent, cleaving the earth a thousandfold.

From the world of the gods, the lord of the gods also arrived along with the immortals.

Then to Lakṣmaṇa, true to his promise, who had attained the nature of Śeṣa,

Śakra spoke sweetly while the gods looked on there:

Indra said:

"Lakṣmaṇa, rise up quickly; ascend to your own abode!

The task of the gods has been accomplished by you, O hero, slayer of enemies!

Attain the eternal, supreme station of Viṣṇu!

Your very form has arrived: Śeṣa too, with gleaming hoods,

having cleaved the earth a thousandfold with rings of a thousand hoods.

Because they burst up from the thousand openings of the earth, having cleaved [it],

[and] are made fiery by the gems of the thousands of hoods of Śeṣa, O you of good vows,

therefore this auspicious great sacred ford situated on the bank of the Sarayū

will be famed as Sahasradhārā; there is no doubt.

The extent of this sacred field is twenty-five bows.

By ritual ablution, gift-giving, and ancestral offerings here, endowed with faith,

a man, his soul purified of all sins, will go to the world of Viṣṇu."

A wise man who bathes here, having worshipped imperishable Śeṣa

and having duly worshipped the sacred ford, attains the world of Viṣṇu. // 67

Therefore, ritual ablution should be performed here according to rule;

brahmins are especially to be meditated upon and worshipped like serpents of the form of Śeṣa. // 68

Gold, food, and clothes should be given by those endowed with faith;

ritual ablution, gifting, and worship of Hari—all will attain imperishability. // 69

Therefore, this great sacred ford, which grants the fruit of all desires,

shall forever exist on earth; no doubt should be entertained on this point. // 2.8.2.70

On whatever lunar day is the fifth of the bright fortnight in Śrāvaṇa,

on that [day] here, dedicated to the nāgas,

a vast festival should be assiduously performed by virtuous men, preceded by the worship of Śeṣa. // 71

When the festival has indeed been performed there at the great sacred ford by men,

and having gratified the twice-born with devotion preceded by the worship of the nāgas, // 72

all the hooded serpents, being pleased, will not torment human beings. // 73

Those who, being collected in mind, perform ritual ablution here in the month of Vaiśākha,

have no return [to rebirth] even in hundreds of millions of kalpas. // 74

Therefore, in the month of Mādhava, ritual ablution and gifting should be assiduously performed here by men;

Hari and especially the brahmins are to be worshipped;

[the bath] performed by men at this sacred ford grants the fruit of all desires. // 75

Whoever gives, dedicated to Viṣṇu, a milch-cow with ornaments

along with its calf here at this good sacred ford to a twice-born worthy recipient, // 76

his abode shall be eternal in the imperishable world of Viṣṇu;

a man attains imperishable heaven through ritual ablution at the sacred ford. // 77

Here, especially, with ornaments and garments,

a twice-born couple should be worshipped by men endowed with faith in the month of Vaiśākha, // 78

for the pleasure of Lakṣmīnārāyaṇa and especially for the attainment of prosperity.

In the month of Vaiśākha, all the sacred fords situated on earth

will surely gather and abide here; there is no doubt. // 79

Therefore, from ritual ablution here in Vaiśākha especially,

there shall be for men the great fruit of bathing in all sacred fords. // 2.8.2.80

Agastya said:

Having spoken thus, the king of sages, to Lakṣmaṇa who had joined the gods,

having established Śeṣa, who is capable of removing the burden of the earth, at that sacred ford,

and having mounted Lakṣmaṇa on a vehicle, departed respectfully for heaven. // 81

From that time forward, that sacred ford attained supreme renown;

the supreme māhātmya of the sacred ford is remembered [especially] in the month of Vaiśākha, // 82

and especially on the bright fifth lunar day of Śrāvaṇa;

at other times, on a holy occasion, one should perform an auspicious, special ritual ablution;

and at the Sahasradhārātīrtha, a man attains heaven. // 83

O best of men, whatever wise man here performs with respect ritual ablutions and gifts at the sacred ford according to rule and according to his means,

he, purified in soul, enjoys vast pleasures here and through devotion attains oneness of self with the Lord of Śrī, who lies upon the serpent. // 84

Thus ends the second chapter, titled 'Description of the Māhātmya of the Brahmakuṇḍa and Sahasradhārātīrtha' in the Ayodhyāmāhātmya of the second [section], the Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa containing eighty-one thousand verses. // 2