Skandapurana 2.8.9

Agastya said:

Situated in the south-eastern direction from Jaṭākuṇḍa is a great [place]

known as Gayākūpa, which bestows the fruit of all desired wishes. // 1

Having bathed there and given gifts according to one's ability, with senses subdued,

an excellent twice-born obtains all desires upon performing a śrāddha. // 2

And whatever fathers and grandfathers dwell in hell

go to the world of Viṣṇu indeed when a śrāddha is performed there. // 3

When a śrāddha is performed there, O brahmin, one becomes free from debt to the ancestors.

The offering of rice-balls according to one's means, with barley and milk-rice,

or with oil-cake or molasses, prescribed by the seers,

is declared to be the śrāddha that pleases the ancestors at that sacred ford. // 4–5

A śrāddha should be performed there by men endowed with faith;

their ancestors are pleased, and all the gods become pleased. // 6

When the ancestors are pleased, a man becomes prosperous and endowed with sons;

pleased by the śrāddha, the ancestors bestow many sons, // 7

prosperity, and vast enjoyments upon those who perform the śrāddha, without doubt.

Therefore, with diligence, according to the prescribed rules,

a śrāddha must be performed here properly by those endowed with faith who desire cherished fruits.

What is given to the ancestors at Gayākūpa especially becomes imperishable. // 8–9

When the new moon day falls on a Monday,

a śrāddha performed there bears endless fruit, and what is given to the ancestors is imperishable. // 10

On another Monday, a śrāddha performed there according to the rules

constantly grants satisfaction to the ancestors, and what is given there becomes imperishable. // 11

In the eastern direction from there is a sacred ford, the best of the best,

named Piśācamocana, which bestows fruit. // 12

Having bathed there and given gifts, one is never born as a piśāca.

Bathing, giving gifts, and especially a śrāddha there

must be performed diligently by men endowed with faith. // 13

Especially on the fourteenth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa,

a bath should be taken there for release from the state of a piśāca. // 14

In its vicinity, in the eastern region, is that named Mānasa

a sacred ford, the foremost dwelling of merit; one should especially bathe there.

By bathing and giving gifts there, one obtains all desires. // 15

Manifold sins, even equal to Mount Meru,

go to destruction from bathing there; there should be no doubt about this. // 16

Whatever sin exists, mental as well as bodily,

and vocal sin as well, dissolves from bathing [there]. // 17

A pilgrimage to it should always be made, especially on the full moon day of the month of Prauṣṭhapada,

by meritorious men intent on sacred rites, O brahmin. // 18

To the south of that lies the sole ground of meritorious action,

a river named Tamasā, destroying great sins, // 19

where bathing and giving gifts always remove all sins.

On its delightful bank, which always bestows fruit, // 20

are various places of contemplative sages.

The place of the sage Māṇḍavya, destroying sin, is there, // 21

on whose bank, O best of sages, everything is exceedingly delightful.

His hermitage ground is lovely, charming with various trees. // 22

The place from which the river Tamasā with beautiful waves arises,

that forest is exceedingly meritorious, purifying, an excellent place, // 23

by the darśana of which destruction of all sins occurs for men. // 24

It is adorned with blossoming shrubs of various kinds, bowed with spreading creepers, delightful,

surrounded by priyaṅgu plants with grown blossoms, well-flowered thorny ketakas, // 25

covered on all sides with fragrant tamāla shrubs, karṇikāras, and bakulas,

with excellent aśokas and punnāgas in full bloom, whose masses of flowers are crowded with swarms of bees, // 26

in some places adorned with the pollen of full-blown lotuses, with birds ranging about pleasant fruits,

resounded by flocks of delighted cranes and others, and by charming flocks of intoxicated gallinules. // 27

resounding in some places with the cries of cakravāka birds, accompanied in some places by flocks of kādamba geese,

echoing in some places with the calls of water-fowls, and crowded in some places with swarms of intoxicated bees, // 28

frequented closely by rut-crazed female bees, possessing lovely fragrant flowers,

with mango trees in bloom in some places, and tilaka trees embraced by creepers, // 29

frequented by various joyful birds, made resonant by flocks of impassioned green pigeons,

displaying lovely charm on every side—that great, radiant forest, // 2.8.9.30

dark with dense nicula trees, delightful with peacocks, pleasing with the songs of flocks of female birds joyful with passion,

with intoxicated bees clinging to the flowering tree branches, adorned with the beauty of fresh shoots, abundant in good fruit. // 31

Endowed with many such splendours, captivating in all directions,

where the sage Māṇḍavya performed great austerity indeed,

by whose power that great sacred ford became ever purifying. // 32

East of that is the great, purifying hermitage of the seer Gautama;

east of that is that of the seer Cyavana; this [hermitage] of the sage Parāśara,

O best of sages, is the first belonging to your father, who is indeed a treasure of austerity. // 33

Various kinds of sacred fords and hermitages everywhere

of ascetics exist on every side on its bank. // 34

She should be known by the name Tamasā, the auspicious river,

adorned in many places on all sides with sacrificial posts erected firmly. // 35

There, by ritual ablution, gift-giving, and especially by a śrāddha,

attainment of the purpose of all desires takes place; no doubt should be entertained on this matter. // 36

Especially on the fifteenth day in the bright half of Mārgaśīrṣa,

ritual ablution in it constantly bestows the attainment of results for men. // 37

Therefore, ritual ablution should be performed here with pure minds,

diligently, O best of sages, granting the attainment of the goals of all desires. // 38

Hereafter I shall declare the most auspicious [tīrtha] beyond the Tamasā,

known as Sītākuṇḍa, in the presence of the blessed Dugdheśvara. // 39

On the fourth day of the bright half of Bhādrapada, a pilgrimage to it brings good fortune.

Vipreśvara is likewise to be worshipped for the attainment of the purpose of all desires;

by merely remembering him comes the destruction of all obstacles. // 2.8.9.40

To the southern direction from that is the one called Bhairava by name,

having seen whom one is liberated from all sins; there is no doubt in this matter. // 41

He was placed respectfully by Vāsudeva to guard the sacred field.

Worship of him should be performed diligently according to the ritual rules;

the attainment of the fruit desired in the mind comes through devotion to Bhairava always. // 42

On the eighth day of the dark half of Mārgaśīrṣa, instituted for him

is an annual festival there, for the achievement of the purpose of all desires. // 43

Worship should be performed by people with an offering of animals;

the fruit of all desires is attained; there is no doubt in this matter. // 44

Dwelling at the sacred ford free from obstacles, through the grace of Bhairava,

comes about; therefore, worship of him should be performed with diligence. // 45

In the northern part of this is the charming Bharatakuṇḍa,

bathing in which a person is liberated from sins; there is no doubt in this matter. // 46

There, ritual ablution as well as charity all attain imperishability.

Various kinds of food and diverse garments should be given; // 47

the deities are to be worshipped diligently with ornaments such as garments.

Formerly, Bharata, born of the lineage of Raghu, living in Nandigrāma, // 48

meditating upon Rāmacandra in his heart, pure in soul, master of his senses,

staying there, that lord of the earth protected all his subjects. // 49

There the king named Bharata made a great pool;

and having installed an image of Rāma, he lived with senses conquered. // 2.8.9.50

In that pool is great merit, endued with various merits,

filled with white water lilies, blue lotuses, night-flowering lotuses, and white lotuses, // 51

adorned with birds: swans, cranes, and cakravākas,

shaded by the canopy of garden trees, always immaculate. // 52

Ritual ablution there yields great merit, pure with joyous delight.

For one who performs ritual ablution as well as a śrāddha there dedicated to the ancestors, // 53

his ancestors are pleased, and all the gods become satisfied.

Gold and food should be given to a twice-born according to the rules; // 54

this should indeed be performed with faith by restrained men.

In the western direction from it lies the peerless Jaṭākuṇḍa.

where all their matted locks were removed by Rāma and the others.

Known as Jaṭākuṇḍa, it is the highest of all sacred fords,

where by bathing and gift-giving one attains all desires.

In the eastern pool, Bharata endowed with fortune is to be worshipped;

in Jaṭākuṇḍa, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa together with Sītā are to be worshipped.

On the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of Caitra, the annual pilgrimage takes place.

Thus with the highest rites one should worship Rāma and Sītā, and thereafter having worshipped Lakṣmaṇa at Bharatakuṇḍa,

by duly plunging into Amṛtakuṇḍa as a couple, an embodiment of good deeds dwells in that realm of Viṣṇu.

Thus ends the ninth chapter, titled 'Description of the Māhātmya of Gayākūpa, Piśācamocana, Mānasatīrtha, the Tamasā River, the Hermitage of Māṇḍavya and Others, Sītākuṇḍa, Dugdheśvara, Bhairava, Bharatakuṇḍa, and Jaṭākuṇḍa,' in the Ayodhyāmāhātmya in the second section, the Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa, in the Skandapurāṇa of eighty-one thousand verses.