Skandapurana 4.22

Śivaśarman said:

This delightful narrative of Dhruva, which destroys great sins

and brings about great wonder, having heard this meritorious [story], I am satisfied, O attendants!

Agastya said:

Even while the twice-born was speaking thus, the aerial chariot, travelling with the speed of wind,

reached Maharloka, which is beyond the world of heaven and supremely wonderful.

Then, beholding the world enveloped on all sides in splendor,

the twice-born asked the two attendants: 'What is this charming world?'

Then the two said to the brahmin: 'Listen, O great-minded one!

This is indeed that Maharloka, beyond the heavenly world, supremely wonderful.

Here dwell those whose lifespan is a kalpa, their blemishes washed away by austerity,

the entire mass of their afflictions destroyed by the remembrance of Viṣṇu.

Having perceived the universe as made of light through sincere meditation,

the best of gods, united with great yoga, dwell here.'

While the Lord's two attendants were narrating the story in this manner, O dear one,

in half an instant the aerial chariot brought them to Janaloka,

where the pure mind-born sons of Brahmā reside—

Sanandana and the rest, masters of yoga, all of them celibates who have drawn up their seed—

and other yogins who are unfaltering lifelong students;

freed from all dualities, exceedingly pure, they dwell [there].

Tapoloka was brought within range of their eyes from Janaloka

by that aerial chariot moving with the speed of thought,

where those Vairāja deities dwell, free from burning [torment],

whose minds are on Vāsudeva and whose actions are dedicated to Vāsudeva.

Having pleased Govinda through austerity, free from desires,

having reached this Tapoloka, they dwell with subdued senses:

those who live by gleaning ears of grain, those who use their teeth as a mortar,

sages who crush [grain] with stones, and those who eat fallen leaves;

those who practice the five-fire penance in the summer, who sleep on bare ground during the rains,

and who pass the nights in water in the middle of winter and the cold season;

thirsty renunciants who drank only drops of water from the tips of kuśa grass,

subsisting on air, exceedingly hungry, touching the ground with the big toe of their foot;

with arms raised, gazing at the sun, motionless like a post on one foot;

those who do not breathe out by day, and those who breathe out once a month;

those observing the vow of fasting for a month, and those observing the four-month vow;

those who drink water at the end of a season, and those who fast for six months.

And those who blink only once a year, thirsting for drops of rainwater;

and those who have become like tree trunks, giving pleasure as rubbing-posts for deer; 18

and those inside whose thickets of matted hair birds have built their nests;

whose bodies have anthills overgrown on them, bundles of bones held together only by sinews; 19

and whose limbs are wrapped around with creeping tendrils,

and on whose bodies crops have grown due to their long standing; 20

those rich in tapas whose bodies are afflicted by such severe tapas,

living as long as Brahmā, dwell in Tapoloka, free from all fear."

While that virtuous soul was thus listening to the words of the two attendants,

just then Satyaloka, supremely radiant, came before his eyes. 22

The two swift attendants descended there from the aerial chariot,

and together with him bowed down to the Creator of all the worlds. 23

Brahmā said:

"O attendants! This wise brahmin has crossed to the farther shore of the Vedas and Vedāṅgas;

he is expert in the conduct taught by the Smṛtis and averse to sinful acts. 24

Ah, highly wise brahmin Śivaśarman! I know you.

You have done well, dear child, by releasing your life-breaths at a splendid sacred ford. 25

All this that has been seen by you is fleeting and transitory;

after the daily dissolution, I create it again and again. 26

Hara dissolves everything up to the realm of Virāj at every step.

What to say of mortal men, who are like gnats? 27

Among the four classes of living beings, there is indeed only one excellence of humans

in that glorious realm of Bhārata, the land of action: 28

having completely conquered the fickle sense-organs together with the mind;

abandoning the enemy greed, which destroys all hosts of virtues; 29

eradicating through reflection desire, which destroys the lineage of dharma,

depletes stores of wealth, and brings old age and gray hair; 30

conquering with firmness the enemy anger, which takes away

tapas, fame, prosperity, and even the body, and leads to a dark destiny; 31

ever casting aside pride, which provides the sole ground for heedlessness,

serves as the sole refuge for negligence, and wards off fortunes; 32

abandoning egotism, which causes belittlement everywhere

and makes an effort to impute faults even to virtuous people; 33

leaving delusion, which plants great treachery, destroys the intellect,

blinds utterly, and reveals the hell of blinding darkness; 34

and mounting the stairway of dharma taught by the Śruti, Smṛti, and Purāṇas,

trodden by great men, they come here with ease. 35

All heaven-dwellers desire the land of action, O brahmin,

because there they enjoy what they have acquired in high and low stations. 36

There is no country equal to Āryāvarta; there is no city like Kāśī;

there is no liṅga equal to Viśveśa anywhere in the circle of the cosmic egg. 37

There are many kinds of heavens, devoid of anything other than pleasure,

all yielding the single fruit of good deeds, endowed with all prosperity. 38

Nothing in the cosmic orb is more delightful than the world of heaven;

all strive for heaven through tapas, gifts, vows, and the like. 39

'The nether worlds are even more delightful than heaven'—so Nārada,

arriving from Pātāla, declared among the dwellers of heaven: 40

'Where bright, radiant gems cause delight,

set in ornaments on the bodies of Nāgas—with what can that Pātāla be compared? 41

In Pātāla, adorned on all sides by daughters of Daityas and Dānavas,

in whom would joy not arise, even in one who is liberated? 42

There the sun's rays spread light by day, not heat,

and the rays of the moon at night are solely for illumination, not for cold. 43

Where time, even when passed, is not noticed by the Dānavas and others;

where there are lovely forests, rivers, and lakes with perennial water; 44

melodious calls of male cuckoos, fine, pure garments,

most delightful ornaments, and fragrant unguents; 45

sounds of lutes, flutes, drums, and other instruments, captivating to the ear;

and where the great liṅga Hāṭakeśa indeed grants all desires. 46

These and other delightful things are fit to be enjoyed by the Dānavas.'

are enjoyed by Daityas and serpents whose domain lies within Pātāla.

Even more delightful than the Pātālas, O brahmin, is the Ilāvṛta realm,

which extends all around, resting against the mountain peak of gems,

where the meritorious ever enjoy all pleasures, O brahmin,

and where deer-eyed maidens are endowed with eternal, fresh youth.

This is declared to be a land of enjoyment, earned in exchange for virtue;

it is enjoyed by people like you who have relinquished their bodies at sacred fords,

by those who speak without cowardice and are not bereft of sons, fields, and the like,

whose stores of happiness, life, and wealth have been expended for the benefit of others.

Indeed, there are many continents situated amidst the oceans,

yet nowhere on the surface of the earth is there a continent equal to Jambūdvīpa.

Even there, among the nine realms, Bhārata is the foremost.

This is declared to be the realm of action, difficult even for the gods to attain.

The eight other realms, such as Kiṃpuruṣa, are for the enjoyment of the gods;

descending from heaven, the inhabitants of paradise disport themselves in them.

Nine thousand yojanas in extent,

this first realm, Bhārata, lies to the south of Meru.

Even there, the region between the Himālaya and the Vindhya mountains yields supreme merit.

Between the Gaṅgā and the Yamunā, the Antarvedī is supreme on earth.

Kurukṣetra is indeed superior to all sacred fields;

and even greater than that is Naimiṣāraṇya, the supreme means to heaven.

Even more than Naimiṣāraṇya in this entire orb of the earth,

the King of Tīrthas excels above all sacred fords.

Bestowing heaven and granting liberation, fulfilling every desired fruit,

that great sacred field is Prayāga, renowned as the King of Tīrthas.

In former times, O brahmin, all sacrifices were weighed by me on a scale,

against that excellent and delightful sacred ford, desirable for fulfilling desires.

Seeing that it surpassed eminent sacrifices replete with priestly fees and the like,

Hari, Hara, and the other deities gave it the name 'Prayāga'.

From the mere remembrance of its name, of Prayāga at the three junctions of the day,

sin never resides anywhere in the body of the one who remembers.

There are many sacred fords that protect from sin,

yet they are unable to grant anything beyond the cleansing of committed sins.

The heap of sins accumulated across countless past births,

which is extremely difficult to dispel by vows, gifts, austerities, and recitations,

trembles exceedingly in the limbs of a person of auspicious birth

who sets out for the King of Tīrthas, like a tree buffeted by the wind.

Then, when a man of resolute mind has traversed half the way to Prayāga,

[the sin] seeks another footstep to depart from his body.

When, by good fortune, the King of Tīrthas becomes a guest to the eyes of the noble-souled one,

[sin] flees with great speed, like darkness at sunrise.

Whatever sins reside in the physical body made of seven bodily elements,

they settle in the hair, and they too depart with the shaving [of the head].

Having thus become free of taint, he should then bathe in the confluent waters of the white and dark [rivers];

whatever desire he contemplates, that very desire he obtains, without fail.

An abundant store of merit and virtuous enjoyments as desired,

he attains heaven by that merit; while one without desires attains liberation.

Whoever bathes desiring liberation, having cast aside all other desires,

he too attains liberation from the desire-granting King of Tīrthas.

Whoever, abandoning the King of Tīrthas, desires fulfillment from another

in the great realm named Bhārata, clearly will not attain his desire.

I perceive no difference between Satyaloka and Prayāga, O brahmin;

those who perform auspicious deeds there are dwellers in my realm.

Mortals longing for a sacred ford need not resort to any other tīrtha

elsewhere on the circle of the earth, than to Prayāga, the King of Tīrthas.

Just as the difference, O best of brahmins, between a king and an ordinary servant,

such is the analogy declared between Prayāga and other sacred fords.

Whoever in any manner gives up his life in this sacred ford,

incurs no fault of suicide and attains his desired goals.

And for whatever fortunate person even the bones remain here, O brahmin,

not even the slightest sorrow arises for him in any birth whatsoever.

One who desires to make expiation for the sin of killing a brahmin and other sins

must resort to Prayāga according to rule; [this is certain] from the word of the brahmins—there is no doubt.

Why say much, O best of brahmins? By one desiring great prosperity

the black-and-white sacred ford, supreme on the surface of the earth, should be resorted to.

Even compared to Prayāga, the lord of sacred fords in all the worlds,

liberation indeed comes effortlessly in Kāśī upon the demise of the body.

Even compared to Prayāga, Avimukta is delightful indeed, there is no doubt,

where Viśveśvara himself directly presides.

Than Avimukta, the great sacred field presided over by Viśveśa,

nothing anywhere in this cosmic egg is more delightful.

Although this sacred field of Avimukta is within the cosmic egg,

by its measure of five krośas it is not within the cosmic egg.

For just as the water of the single ocean rises,

so the Lord lifts up that sacred field even from the cosmic dissolution.

O brahmin, this sacred field rests on the tip of the trident of the Trident-bearer;

[it is] in the sky, not resting on the earth—those of foolish intellect do not see it.

Here it is always the Kṛtayuga, and here indeed it is always a great auspicious festival;

there is no fault caused by the setting or rising of planets in the hermitage of Viśveśvara.

There it is always the northern course [of the sun]; there it is always the great auspicious conjunction;

there it is always auspicious where Viśveśvara abides.

Just as there are thousands of cities upon the earth's surface, O brahmin,

so Kāśī should not be thought [to be an ordinary one], for this [city] is transcendent anywhere.

The fourteen worlds were created by me, O best of brahmins;

the creator of this city is the Lord Viśveśvara himself.

Anciently, Yama, having performed difficult austerity for a long time,

obtained authority over the three worlds, leaving aside the city of Vārāṇasī.

Whatever the deeds of all moving and unmoving beings are,

they indeed fall within the range of Citragupta, except those done by an inhabitant of Kāśī.

O best of brahmins, the entry of Yama's messengers

into the midst of Kāśī city is never [permitted] anywhere; his attendants are its protectors there.

Viśveśa himself is the punisher of those who abandon the body there in Kāśī;

and of those who commit sins even there, Kālabhairava is the punisher.

One should not commit a sin there; the torment of Rudra is terrible!

Ah, the state of being a goblin of Rudra is more unbearable than the hells!

If such is one's mind that 'Only sin is to be committed,'

then it should be committed elsewhere at ease, for the earth is vast indeed.

Even a lust-stricken creature protects his one mother;

even by a sinner, Kāśī alone should be spared by one desiring liberation.

By one given to slandering others, by one lusting after another's wife—

by him Kāśī is not to be frequented: where is Kāśī, and where is that hell?

Those who constantly crave wealth here through unlawful acceptance,

or another's property through deceptions—by those men Kāśī is not to be frequented.

One should constantly avoid in Kāśī any action that inflicts harm upon others;