one who has bathed in all sacred fords, and one who has practiced all tapas. (24) Esoteric aspect of setu
To whatever person one might say, 'Go to the bridge,' O twice-born,

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he too obtains that fruit; what need of many words on other matters? (25)

3.1.1.56

A mortal who performs ritual ablution at the bridge, accompanied by seventy million families,

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Reaching the abode of Viṣṇu, he is liberated right there. // 26

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The Setu, the Rāmeśvara liṅga, and Mount Gandhamādana—

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a person contemplating [these], truly, is released from all sins. // 27

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Accompanied by a hundred thousand crores of families on his mother's and father's sides,

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reaching the abode of Viṣṇu, he is liberated right there;

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or having dwelled in the realm of Śambhu for three kalpas, he is liberated right there. // 28

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The condition of [confinement in] a crucible, the well of marrow, likewise the river Vaitaraṇī,

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being eaten by dogs, and drinking urine—one who bathes at the Setu does not see. // 29

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The heated pike, the heated rock, and the lake of excrement,

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and likewise the well of blood—one who bathes at the Setu does not see. // 3.1.1.30

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Climbing the thorny silk-cotton tree, eating blood, eating worms,

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eating one's own flesh, and entering flames of fire, // 31

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a rain of stones, a rain of fire, the hell Kālasūtra,

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caustic water and boiling water—a beholder of the Setu will not go to. // 32

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A person who bathes at the Setu, O brahmins, even if guilty of the five mortal sins,

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accompanied by a hundred crore families on his mother's and father's sides, // 33

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dwells in the realm of Viṣṇu for three kalpas and is liberated right there.

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Being hung upside down to wither, the hell of immersion in caustic fluid, // 34

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torment in a stone press, and falling from the wind,

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being smeared with feces, and being sawn through with a saw, // 35

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eating feces, drinking semen, burning at the joints,

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rolling upon a bed of hot coals, and pounding with a pestle— // 36

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these hells, indeed, one who bathes at the Setu does not see.

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Thinking with the resolved thought, 'I will perform a bath at the Setu,' // 37

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whoever walks a hundred paces, even though a great sinner,

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being dragged through many wooden machines, piercing with weapons, // 38

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falling and being thrown up, torment with maces and clubs,

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being struck by elephant tusks, biting by various serpents, // 39

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inhaling smoke, bound with nooses, torment on various pikes,

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pouring of caustic water into the mouth and nose, // 3.1.1.40

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drinking caustic water, the hell of eating heated iron needles—

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to these hells, indeed, he does not go, his sins departed. // 41

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Entering cavities filled with caustic water, eating filth,

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cutting of sinews, burning of sinews, and fracturing of bones, // 42

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eating phlegm, drinking bile, consuming intensely bitter substances,

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drinking boiling oil, and drinking caustic water, // 43

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drinking astringent water, eating heated stones,

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bathing in boiling sand, and grinding of teeth, // 44

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lying on heated iron, pouring of heated water,

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piercing with needles into the eyes and joints of the mouth, // 45

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binding a weight of iron to the penis and testicles,

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falling from tree tops into [pits] filled with foul stench, // 46

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a bed of weapons with sharp blades, drinking semen and the like—

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such dreadful hells one who bathes at the Setu does not see. // 47

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He who lies upon the sands of the Setu, covered with its dust—

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as many particles of dust cling to his body, O best of brahmins, // 48

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so many murders of brahmins are destroyed; there is no doubt here.

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He whose entire body is touched by the wind from the middle of the Setu, // 49

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ten thousand [sins of] drinking liquor of his are destroyed that very moment.

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Whose hair remains in the middle of the Setu after tonsure, // 3.1.1.50

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ten thousand [sins of] defiling a guru's bed of his are destroyed that very moment.

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Whose bone is deposited in the middle of the Setu by sons and grandsons,

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ten thousand [sins of] stealing gold of his are destroyed that very moment. // 51

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Remembering whom one should bathe in the middle of the Setu, O best of brahmins,

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that person's guilt from association with mortal sinners is dissolved. // 52

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A breaker of paths, one who cooks only for himself, a reviler of ascetics and brahmins,

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a glutton, and a seller of the Veda—these five are killers of brahmins. // 53

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He who, having summoned brahmins, promising 'I shall give wealth' and the like,

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afterward says 'There is nothing'—he too is called a killer of a brahmin. // 54

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He who, having learned righteousness from someone, bears malice toward him—

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or despises brahmins, he too is declared a killer of a brahmin. // 55

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A herd of cattle arrived at a reservoir of water to drink water—

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whoever turns them away, O brahmins, he too is declared a killer of a brahmin. // 56

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Yet having approached the Setu, all of them are released from the multitudes of sins.

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Those who are equal to brahmin-killers, and whichever other [sinners exist], O best of the twice-born, // 57

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all of them, having come to the Setu, are released; there is no doubt in this.

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One who abandons the daily domestic fire-sacrifice, one who eats the food of an idol, // 58

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one who has intercourse with a woman who drinks liquor, likewise an eater of a courtesan's food,

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and also an eater of food belonging to a multitude, and one who delights in the food of an outcaste: // 59

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these are declared equal to liquor-drinkers, excluded from all ritual acts.

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By ritual ablution at the Setu, all of them are released, their defilements destroyed. // 3.1.1.60

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And whichever others are equal to liquor-drinkers are released through bathing at the Setu.

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And [thieves] of tubers, roots, and fruits, of musk and silk garments, // 61

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likewise of milk, sandalwood, camphor, and betel nuts,

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of honey, clarified butter, copper, bell-metal, and likewise of rudrākṣa beads— // 62

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thieves [of these] should be recognized as equal to gold-stealers.

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Having come to the sacred field of the Setu, they are released; there is no doubt in this. // 63

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And all other thieves, indeed, O twice-born, by ritual ablution at the Setu

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are released from all sins; no hesitation should be entertained here. // 64

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A sister, a daughter-in-law, and likewise a menstruating woman,

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a brother's wife, a friend's wife, a woman who drinks intoxicating drink, another's wife, // 65

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a woman of low caste, or a trusting woman—he who approaches [any of these] out of passion

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is to be known as a violator of the guru's bed, excluded from all ritual acts. // 66

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These and whatever others are equal to violators of the guru's bed,

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all of them are completely released by ritual ablution at the Setu, O twice-born. // 67

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Those who associate with them, O brahmins, and whatever other sinners exist,

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they too would attain liberation by the great ritual ablution at the Setu. // 68

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Without a sacrifice, in the world of the gods with Ghṛtācī, Menakā, and others,

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let brahmins who desire pleasure bathe [here], which destroys the sins of the virtuous! // 69

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Without serving the sun or fire, without worshipping the supreme gods,

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a person desiring auspiciousness should perform ritual ablution at the Setu with devotion. // 3.1.1.70

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Without giving sesame seeds, land, gold, grain, or rice,

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those twice-born who desire heaven should bathe at the Setu. // 71

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Without tormenting their own body with fasts and entire observances,

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let men who yearn for heaven bathe at the Setu that grants liberation. // 72

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For ritual ablution at the Setu grants liberation and similarly grants purification of the mind;

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greater than recitation, homa, gift-giving, sacrifice, and even austerity, // 73

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ritual ablution at the Setu is proclaimed in the Purāṇa as superior.

3.1.1.155

A ritual ablution performed without desire at the Setu, which destroys sin, // 74

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is declared to give freedom from rebirth; this has been spoken truthfully, O best of the twice-born.

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A man who joyfully bathes at the Setu aiming for wealth, // 75

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he attains abundant wealth, O bulls among the twice-born.

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If he bathes at the Setu for the sake of purification, then he would attain purity. // 76

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And if a man should bathe for the sake of pleasure with apsarases in heaven,

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then he attains pleasure in the heavenly world with immortal women. // 77

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And if one should bathe for liberation at the Setu which grants liberation,

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then one attains liberation free from return. // 78

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By ritual ablution at the Setu dharma arises; by ritual ablution at the Setu occurs the destruction of sin.

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Ritual ablution at the Setu, O best of the twice-born, yields the fruit of all desires; // 79

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it is remembered as merit greater than all observances, superior to all sacrifices,

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declared greater than all yogas, remembered as superior to all sacred fords. // 3.1.1.80

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Those whose attachment tends toward the pleasures in the worlds of Indra and others—

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ritual ablution should be performed by them once at the Setu constructed by Rāma, O best of the twice-born. // 81

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And in the world of Brahmā, and in Vaikuṇṭha, and even on Kailāsa, the abode of Śiva,

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those who might have a desire to rejoice: let them bathe at the Setu with reverence. // 82

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Longevity, health, prosperity, abundance of intellect, beauty, and virtue;

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going to the further shore of all four Vedas along with their auxiliary branches; // 83

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comprehension of all treatises, expert knowledge in all mantras—

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whoever should bathe at the Setu, which grants success in all aims, aiming [for any of these], // 84

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he attains that very accomplishment; this will be true, there is no doubt here.

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Those men on earth who fear poverty and hell,

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let all of them perform a ritual ablution at Rāma's Bridge, which bestows liberation.

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Whether endowed with faith or devoid of faith, a mortal

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who bathes at the bridge incurs no sorrow, either in this world or in the next.

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By bathing at the bridge, the accumulation of sin of all [people] is destroyed,

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and the mass of their merit grows, just as the moon in the bright fortnight.

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Just as various gems increase in the ocean,

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so merits increase by bathing at the bridge, O twice-born.

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Just as the wish-granting cow grants all desires in the world,

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just as the wish-fulfilling jewel would grant the wishes of men,

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just as the tree of the immortals would grant what men desire,

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so bathing at the bridge will grant all desired things to men.

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If a man is unable to make the pilgrimage to the bridge through poverty,

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having begged money from a virtuous person, he should perform a ritual ablution at the bridge.

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There the giver enjoys merit equal to bathing at the bridge,

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and the receiver likewise attains the full fruit.

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For the sake of a pilgrimage to the bridge, he should accept money from a brahmin;

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he may also accept it from a kṣatriya if brahmins do not give.

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Or he may accept it from a vaiśya if kings do not bestow it;

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a man should never, under any circumstance, accept it from a śūdra.

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The man who sends forth a person going to the bridge,

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having given money, grain, or even clothing and the like,

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attains the unsurpassed fruit of sacrifices such as the horse sacrifice;

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he obtains the fruit of the complete recitation of all four Vedas;

First 200 of 221 passages. Read on

Linked texts (1)

Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit