Skanda Purana 3.1.20

Śrī Sūta said:

Having bathed in the great sacred ford of Lakṣmaṇa, which destroys the sin of killing a brahmin,

one should then go to Jaṭātīrtha for the purification of one's own mind.

For those whose minds are distressed by saṃsāra, overcome with birth, death, and old age,

there is nothing that destroys ignorance other than Jaṭātīrtha, O twice-born ones.

Certain seekers of liberation in the world, desiring purification of the mind,

read the Vedāntas aloud; they do not experience [the truth] in silence.

In the ocean of Vedānta, where the prima facie view is a great crocodile and which swarms with the fish of established conclusions,

fallen here, the ignorant become bewildered, O twice-born ones.

Those who study the Vedāntas at first for the purification of the mind,

having studied, engage in disputation and spread conflict.

Purity of mind does not come from Vedānta, because it causes much confusion;

therefore, O chiefs of sages, we do not highly regard the Vedāntas.

If you desire purity of mind by an easy means, O ascetics,

I proclaim to all: resort to Jaṭātīrtha!

Formerly, for the welfare of all, this sacred ford that destroys ignorance

was fashioned on Gandhamādana directly by Śambhu.

When Rāvaṇa was slain, O brahmins, the righteous Rāma

washed his matted hair in that water; hence it is called Jaṭātīrtha.

Submersion in the water of the Jāhnavī for sixty thousand years,

a single ritual ablution in the Godāvarī when Bṛhaspati is in Leo,

and as many thousands of ritual ablutions in the Gomatī when the teacher of the gods enters Leo,

over [so many] years, is attained through the mere darśana of Jaṭātīrtha.

For men who have bathed in Jaṭātīrtha, O best of the twice-born,

there is purification of the inner organ, and from that, ignorance is destroyed.

Upon the destruction of ignorance, knowledge arises; from that you will attain liberation;

thereafter one becomes filled with undivided existence, consciousness, and bliss.

In this regard also, they cite this ancient history.

the dialogue between father and son, Vyāsa and Śuka. (14)

Formerly, to the best of sages, Kṛṣṇa [Dvaipāyana], whose self was cultivated, who was infallible,

who knew the distinctions of tradition and was skilled in the meaning of all scriptures—

having bowed to Vyāsa with his head, O brahmins, Śuka questioned him: (15)

Śrī Śuka said:

“O revered one, O omniscient father, tell me the unsurpassed secret (16)

by which purification of the internal organ and destruction of ignorance may occur,

and by which the dawn of knowledge and, in the end, eternal liberation may be attained. (17)

Tell me that means today out of affection, O great sage!

The Upaniṣads, the epics, and the Purāṇas in their entirety (18)

have been studied by me from you, yet they do not purify my mind.

Therefore, O father, tell me how purity of mind may come to be for me.” (19)

Being thus questioned then by Śuka, O best of sages,

Vyāsa related the secret by which ignorance is destroyed. (20)

Vyāsa said:

“O Śuka, I shall tell you the secret that cuts through the knot of ignorance,

which grants purity of intellect to men and destroys fear [such as that] of rebirth and old age. (21)

On Rāma's Bridge, on the highly meritorious mountain Gandhamādana,

there is the sin-destroying Jaṭātīrtha, celebrated by tradition, (22)

where Rāma, Hari himself, cleansed his own matted hair.

Glorious Rāma, son of Daśaratha, granted a boon to the sacred ford: (23)

‘Those who come and bathe here in the supremely purifying Jaṭātīrtha—

may purity of the internal organ belong to them!’ Thus he declared. (24)

Without sacrifice, without knowledge, without muttering prayers or fasting,

by merely bathing in Jaṭātīrtha, purity of intellect comes to men. (25)

Merit equal to all gifts will arise from a bath here;

by this one crosses difficulties and attains meritorious worlds. (26)

One attains greatness from bathing in Jaṭātīrtha, which has auspicious waters.

Except for Jaṭātīrtha, for the purification of the internal organ (27)

no other observance, no prayer, nor any other deity exists.

It brings fortune, brings fame, grants long life, and is renowned in all the worlds; (28)

Jaṭātīrtha is the most purifying of purifying things, O Śuka, now,

the pacifier of all sins, and the most auspicious of auspicious things. (29)

Formerly Bhṛgu, son of Varuṇa, O Śuka, asked his father Varuṇa

about the purifying, auspicious means that grants purity of intellect.

Varuṇa spoke to him of that auspicious [means] that grants purity of intellect. (30)

Varuṇa said:

‘O Bhṛgu, on the holy bridge of Rāma, on Mount Gandhamādana, (31)

by merely bathing in Jaṭātīrtha, purity of intellect certainly comes to be.’

He, Bhṛgu, son of Varuṇa, at once by his father's word, (32)

went and bathed in Jaṭātīrtha, and obtained purity of intellect.

With the continuous series of his ignorance destroyed by that purity then, Bhṛgu, (33)

having developed the realization of non-duality from his own father Varuṇa,

became one whose form is full of undivided being-consciousness-bliss, O Śuka. (34)

Durvāsas too, a portion of Śaṃkara, through the ablution at Jaṭātīrtha,

swiftly attained mental purity and became filled with the bliss of Brahman. (35)

Dattātreya too, a portion of Viṣṇu, by bathing in this sacred ford,

with his internal organ purified, took on the form of Brahman, O Śuka. (36)

Whoever desires the destruction of ignorance should bathe in that which is named Jaṭā,

the purest, meritorious sacred ford that destroys all sins. (37)

Therefore, O wise Śuka, go to Jaṭātīrtha too,

and take a bath in that merit-giving [waters], which bestows purity of mind.” (38)

Having been told thus by his father Vyāsa then, O brahmins, his son Śuka (39)

to the highly meritorious bridge of Rāma, to Mount Gandhamādana,

went, desiring to bathe in Jaṭātīrtha, which bestows supreme purity.

Having bathed with prior solemn resolution in Jaṭātīrtha, the sage Śuka, (40)

attaining purity of mind and, through that, the destruction of ignorance,

realized his own true nature, which consists of supreme bliss. (41)

And whatever other men desire purity of mind, O best of brahmins,

let all of them bathe in Jaṭātīrtha preceded by devotion. (42)

Ah, people! When the auspicious Jaṭātīrtha, equal to the cow of desires, exists,

why do they, bewildered, delight elsewhere in petty things? // 43

One desiring enjoyment attains enjoyment, and one desiring liberation attains that [liberation],

merely by bathing in Jaṭātīrtha; the truth is spoken by me, O brahmins! // 44

From the meritorious study of the Vedas, from sacrifice, from gift, from austerity and vows,

from fasting, recitation, and yoga, purification of mind arises for men. // 45

Even without these, O best of brahmins, in the exceedingly holy Jaṭātīrtha,

purification of mind surely arises for brahmins merely from bathing. // 46

The māhātmya of Jaṭātīrtha cannot be spoken by me;

Śaṃkara knows that sacred ford, Hari knows, and likewise Brahmā. // 47

A sacred ford equal to Jaṭātīrtha has neither existed nor will exist.

Whoever performs the offering of ancestral balls on the bank of Jaṭātīrtha, // 48

his merit is equal to a śrāddha at Gayā; there is no doubt here.

A man, having bathed in Jaṭātīrtha, is not smeared by sin;

he meets with no poverty and would not go to the ocean of hell. // 49

Glorious Sūta said:

Thus has the glory of Jaṭātīrtha been told to you, O brahmins, // 50

where Vyāsa's son, the yogi, having bathed in [the water that is] the releaser from sin,

obtained purification of mind, which is the means to the knowledge of non-duality. // 51

Whoever recites this chapter or hears it with concentrated mind,

shaking off sins here, reaches the realm of Viṣṇu. // 52

Thus ends the twentieth chapter, named 'Description of the Purification of Śuka's Mind' in the praise of Jaṭātīrtha, in the Setumāhātmya of the third section, the Brahmakhaṇḍa, in the Skandapurāṇa comprising eighty-one thousand verses. // 20