Skandapurana 3.1.42

Śrī Sūta said:

“Now, therefore, I shall declare the majesty of all the sacred fords

situated within the Setu that have not yet been mentioned, O lords among sages.

There is a most holy sacred ford named Ṛṇamocana;

the three debts of men are destroyed by bathing here.

Indeed, for a twice-born being born, there are three debts:

to the seers, to the deities, and to the ancestors, O best of brahmins.

From non-observance of studentship, one becomes indebted to the seers;

from not performing sacrifices and the like, one becomes indebted to the gods;

and from not fathering a son, one becomes indebted to the ancestors.

Even without studentship, without sacrifice, and without a son,

by merely bathing in the sacred ford named Ṛṇamokṣa, men

attain liberation from the debts of the seers, gods, and ancestors.

By studentship, by sacrifice, and likewise by the begetting of a son,

the seers, gods, and host of ancestors are not pleased in the same way

as they attain matchless satisfaction from a ritual ablution in Ṛṇamokṣa.

Moreover, through bathing in this sacred ford, poor debtors

are freed from all debts and become wealthy, without a doubt.

Since liberation from debts is produced for men by bathing here,

therefore this sacred ford is celebrated by the name Ṛṇamocana.

Hence, ritual ablution should be performed here by all who are indebted, for the sake of release from that.

A sacred ford equal to this sacred ford has never been nor ever will be.

There is also another great sacred ford here, made by the Pāṇḍavas,

where sacrifice was offered of old by the five Pāṇḍavas headed by the son of Dharma;

designated as such, this sacred ford bestows the fruits of enjoyment and liberation.

One hundred thousand crores of unsurpassed sacred fords

make their constant presence in this Pañcapāṇḍava sacred ford.

The Ādityas, Vasus, Rudras, and Sādhyas along with the hosts of Maruts

are likewise continually present in the great sacred ford of the Pāṇḍavas.

Whoever performs an ablution here and propitiates the ancestors and deities,

freed from all sins, is honored in the world of Brahmā.

Even if one feeds just a single brahmin on the immaculate bank of this sacred ford,

by that deed he rejoices both in this world and in the hereafter.

A brahmin, a kṣatriya, a vaiśya, a śūdra, or even someone else,

having bathed in this excellent sacred ford, does not fall into a degraded womb.

Whatever man, on auspicious conjunctions,

bathes in the great sacred ford of the Pāṇḍavas—that best of men never beholds hell.

Whoever remembers the great sacred ford of the Pāṇḍavas morning and evening,

has bathed in all the sacred fords such as the Gaṅgā, without a doubt.”

And where sacrifice was performed by the deities headed by Indra for the subdual of the Daityas,

that other [place] named Devatīrtha exists on Gandhamādana. (20)

Having bathed in Devatīrtha, a man, freed from all sin,

would attain imperishable worlds endowed with all desires. (21)

Whatever sin has been committed from birth onwards, whether by a woman or by a man,

is instantly destroyed by a ritual ablution in this Devakuṇḍa. (22)

Just as Madhusūdana is indeed the foremost of all the gods,

so is the peerless Devakuṇḍa the foremost of all sacred fords. (23)

One who attends the agnihotra for a full hundred years,

and one who, alone, should once perform a ritual ablution in this Devakuṇḍa— (24)

the merit of the two is precisely equal; there is no cause for doubt in this matter.

Giving a gift at this Devatīrtha is hard to attain, and dwelling [there] is hard to attain; (25)

going to Devatīrtha and bathing [there] is exceedingly hard to attain.

Reaching Devatīrtha, frequented by divine seers and ancestors, (26)

one obtains [the fruit of] a horse-sacrifice and goes to the world of Viṣṇu.

Having stayed for two days, or three days, or five, or indeed six (27)

on the bank situated at Devakuṇḍa, which destroys hell,

one does not enter a mother's womb again, and attains unexcelled perfection. (28)

From bathing here for three nights, the fruit of a vājapeya sacrifice arises.

From the remembrance of Devatīrtha, a man is instantly freed from sins. (29)

Having worshipped the ancestors and the gods on the bank of this sacred ford,

a man will have fulfillment of all desires and will obtain the fruit of all sacrifices. (30)

Merit equal to this sacred ford has never been, nor will it ever be.

Therefore, a ritual ablution must certainly be performed at Devatīrtha by seekers of liberation, (31)

and by men desirous of attaining fruits in this world and the next.

The māhātmya of Devatīrtha has been told in brief, O brahmins; (32)

its māhātmya cannot be spoken by me at full length.

I shall describe Sugrīvatīrtha on Rāmasetu, which grants liberation. (33)

Having bathed here with devotion, a man attains the world of the sun.

By bathing in Sugrīvatīrtha, the fruit of a horse-sacrifice is obtained, (34)

and expiation of sins such as the killing of a brahmin also takes place.

From going to Sugrīvatīrtha, one obtains the fruit of [gifting] a thousand cows; (35)

from remembering it, one obtains the fruit of reciting the Vedas completely.

Merely by fasting for a day on the bank of that sacred ford, (36)

there is destruction of great sins without any penance, O brahmins.

Performing a ceremonial bath there, one should satisfy the ancestors and the gods; (37)

the fruit of the āptoryāma sacrifice becomes eightfold.

By bathing in Sugrīvatīrtha, one obtains the fruit of a human sacrifice. (38)

By bathing in Sugrīvatīrtha, a man remembers his previous births.

O brahmins, go to Sugrīvatīrtha for the attainment of your desires! (39)

Thus the māhātmya of Sugrīvatīrtha has been told to you, O brahmins.

Now I declare to you the glory of Nalatīrtha. (40)

From bathing in Nalatīrtha, a man attains the heavenly realm;

from bathing once in Nalatīrtha, freed from all sin, (41)

he obtains the peerless fruit of [rites] beginning with agniṣṭoma and atirātra.

Having stayed three nights there, satisfying the ancestors and deities, (42)

he shines like the sun, O brahmins, and obtains the fruit of a horse-sacrifice.

I shall declare Nīlatīrtha, which destroys great sins, (43)

made on the causeway by Nīla, the son of Agni, granting liberation.

From bathing in Nīlatīrtha, a man, freed from all sin, (44)

obtains a hundredfold the fruit of a sacrifice with many gifts.

Having bathed in Nīlatīrtha, which bestows all desired things, (45)

a man attains the realm of Agni, enriched with all desires.

The sacred ford made by Gavākṣa on Mount Gandhamādana (46)

exists [there]; merely by bathing [in it], he does not go to hell at all.

The sacred ford made by Angada exists on the liberation-granting causeway; (47)

by bathing here, a mortal attains the status of Indra.

The sacred fords that were made here by Gaja, by Gavaya, by Śarabha of great splendor, (48)

by Kumuda, also by Hara, and by the mighty Panasa,

as well as by all the other monkeys, [are also holy]. (49)

On Rāma's bridge, on the most holy mountain Gandhamādana,

whoever bathes in those sacred fords attains immortality.

There is a sacred ford made by Vibhīṣaṇa that delivers from sin,

alleviates great sorrow, and destroys great disease,

supreme, comparable to fire against multitudes of grave sins,

the cause of the destruction of the torments of hells such as Kumbhīpāka,

destroying bad dreams, auspicious, and dispelling great poverty.

Whatever human being bathes there has no sin in this world;

he attains Vaikuṇṭha, from which there is no return.

A group of four sacred fords was made by Vibhīṣaṇa's ministers;

by bathing there, a person is freed from all sins.

And the river Sarayū, O brahmins, on Mount Gandhamādana,

is always present to serve Rāmanātha, the Great God.

Having bathed there, all men, freed from all sins,

obtain the fruit of the performance of all sacrifices, austerities, and sacred fords.

A hundred billion sacred fords, O best of brahmins,

dwell on this most holy mountain Gandhamādana.

All rivers beginning with the Gaṅgā, and likewise the seven oceans,

the holy hermitages of the seers, and holy forests,

and the peerless sacred fields of Hari and Śaṃkara,

constantly make their presence on Mount Gandhamādana.

The Four-faced One proclaimed a sacred ford inside the sacred thread.

Three hundred and thirty million gods, along with the hosts of ancestors,

and along with all the sages, yakṣas, siddhas, and kinnaras,

dwell on the bridge by the command of the lord Rāmacandra.

The illustrious Sūta said:

Thus the grandeur of the sacred fords has been described by me, O best of brahmins.

Reciting or hearing this, one is released from a multitude of sorrows

and attains absolute liberation, devoid of return.

Thus ends the forty-second chapter, titled 'The Description of the Glory of the Sacred Fords Beginning with Ṛṇamocana in the Praise of All Sacred Fords,' in the Setumāhātmya of the Brahmakhaṇḍa, in the Skandamahāpurāṇa of eighty-one thousand verses.