Skandapurana 2.1.29
English (machine translation) 2.1.29
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The seers said:
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The greatness of all the sacred fords here has been told by you,
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as well as of the rivers, mountains, sacred fields, and lakes.
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By command of Brahmā, the Suvarṇamukharī river,
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brought to earth by Agastya, has been recounted by you, O sinless one.
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Delight has arisen in us to hear its origin and power,
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and the multitude of sacred fords connected to it; therefore you ought to tell it to us.
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Having bowed to Śambhu, Nandīśa, the six-faced one, and Vyāsa,
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the Sūta, requested by the sages, then began to speak.
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Śrī Sūta said:
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It is well asked by you, O fortunate ones, bringing auspiciousness—
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this narrative, which grants the attainment born from hearing sacred tradition.
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Listen attentively to the divine tale that destroys impurities;
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I shall tell you what Bharadvāja told to Arjuna.
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Having obtained Draupadī from the wise Drupada, the sons of Pṛthā,
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at the command of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, went to auspicious Hastināpura.
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Honored there at that time by Bhīṣma and the son of Ambikā,
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they lived together with Duryodhana and the others for five years.
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Then the highly renowned Dhṛtarāṣṭra, instructed by Bhīṣma and the rest,
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in the presence of all the elders of the lineage and Vāsudeva,
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his heart delighted by their service, gave to the sons of Pāṇḍu
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half the kingdom, including the excellent city named Khāṇḍavaprastha.
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Taking leave of the Kurus headed by Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the sons of Pāṇḍu
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went to that city of Khāṇḍavaprastha accompanied by Kṛṣṇa.
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Dwelling in that city called Indraprastha, protected by Viśvakarman,
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Yudhiṣṭhira, along with his younger brothers, ruled the earth.
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When Kṛṣṇa had departed to his own city, by the instruction of Nārada,
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the sons of Pṛthā, who knew righteousness, made a mutual pledge concerning Draupadī:
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Now begins the introduction to Arjuna's pilgrimage to sacred fords:
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In regular order, that Draupadī, with respect,
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should stay in the house of each one for one year, according to a mutual agreement.
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Whoever should see her while she stays in another's house,
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must observe resort to sacred fords for the period of one year.
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Having made such a pledge, those sons of King Pāṇḍu,
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untiring, passed the time in ordinary worldly affairs.
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Then a rural brahmin, standing in the courtyard of the royal palace,
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cried out repeatedly: 'My cow has been stolen by thieves!'
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Having comforted that brahmin, Arjuna entered
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the armory in haste to fetch weapons.
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There he saw Draupadī and Yudhiṣṭhira seated together;
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even knowing the pledge, he took up his bow together with quivers.
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Having gone and slain the thieves in battle, that prince,
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having recovered the cow, respectfully returned it to that brahmin.
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Then Arjuna represented to Yudhiṣṭhira:
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'A pilgrimage to sacred fords must be undertaken by me because of the violation of the agreement.'
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Hearing the words of his younger brother, the best among all knowers of righteousness,
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the steadfast Yudhiṣṭhira said these words respectfully:
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Yudhiṣṭhira said:
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An untrue word that one speaks for the sake of a cow or for a brahmin,
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or an improper deed that one performs, is truth; it is right.
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Such an act was done by you for the sake of a brahmin and for a cow;
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how could that take on the nature of wrongdoing? Tell me, O you of noble vows!
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In the duty of protecting subjects, through neglecting or punishing thieves,
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surely the fruit for a king is that of brahmin-slaughter or of an Aśvamedha.
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Even knowing enemies are incurable, a king does not attain fortune
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if thieves who cause devastation in his country are left unpunished.
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For what was beneficial to us, to kings, and to the mass of the people—
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such was the deed done by you; there is indeed no fault in you for this.”
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Śrī Sūta said:
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Having heard the words of Dharmaputra, with folded hands
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Dhanañjaya, ever devoted to righteousness, spoke again:
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Arjuna said:
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“O king, do not speak thus, violating your own vow,
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when you know the essence of righteousness, being the radiant embodiment of righteousness.
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A pledge spoken before by oneself who knows what ought and ought not to be done, who is capable—
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that vow must never be broken by a man.
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That is the resort of the weak: that on the word of kinsmen or teachers
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they abandon righteousness, abandoning the compact previously uttered by themselves.
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If the noble one should turn [me] back from going to sacred fords out of pity,
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who would stop the people who prate of me as one who has broken his vow?
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Moreover, my mind is eager with longing for the pilgrimage to sacred fords,
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and the command ordained by Nārada has been remembered as duty, O king.
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Therefore be gracious, O great king, in this undertaking to go to sacred fords;
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for the compact of dependents ought to be respected by lords.”
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Saying ‘So be it,’ Arjuna, having obtained permission together with his brothers,
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gratified his elder brother with salutations, humble deference, and the like.
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Having taken leave of his brothers, Bhīmasena and the rest, as was fitting, the Pāṇḍava,
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with rites for auspiciousness performed by worthy brahmins, departed.
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Reciters of Purāṇas, astrologers, physicians, brahmins,
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hosts of servants, artisans, bards, and panegyrists followed [him].
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By order of Yudhiṣṭhira, taking wealth sufficient for enjoyment and charity,
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affectionate courtiers and treasury officers accompanied [him].
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Now Arjuna’s arrival at Suvarṇamukharī after bathing in the Gaṅgā and other sacred fords:
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First reaching the river Bhāgīrathī, that prince
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served Gaṅgādvāra, Prayāga, and Kāśī as well.
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Viewing the sacred fords of the Jāhnavī along the road bordering its banks,
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he reached the southern ocean with its towering billows.
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Having beheld the great, highly auspicious Mahānadī, the renowned Puruṣottama,
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and Siṃhācala, he attained the fulfillment of his purpose.
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Then the son of Kuntī saw the sacred Godāvarī river,
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whose majesty rises transcendent by destroying the multitude of all sins.
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Having bathed according to rule in its waters, the son of Pāṇḍu
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made gladness with diverse gifts of land and gold.
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And seeing the river named Malāpahā, he experienced auspicious joy;
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then he reached the Kṛṣṇaveṇī, the best of rivers.
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He beheld Śrīparvata, the perpetual abode of Śiva,
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endowed with four gates and crowded with various assemblies of sacred fords.
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Crossing the river Pinākinī, having gone on, he saw Mount Veṅkaṭa,
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served by divine seers and the cherished abode of Nārāyaṇa.
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Hari, the sole lord of the world, residing on the high peak of this mountain,
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the renowned one, he worshipped with devotion for the attainment of good fortune.
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Descending from the lofty peak of Mount Veṅkaṭa, he saw the river named Suvarṇamukharī,
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frequented by assemblies of perfected beings and sages, brought down by the pot-born sage.
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Thus ends the twenty-ninth chapter, named ‘Description of Arjuna’s Departure on Pilgrimage to Sacred Fords’ in the Suvarṇamukharīmāhātmya of the Śrī Veṅkaṭācalamāhātmya, in the second [book], the Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa, of the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses.
Linked texts (1)
- Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit