Mudgalapurana 8.9: dhūmramahimāvarṇanaṃ nāma navamo'dhyāyaḥ

Homage to the glorious Gaṇeśa.

Sanaka and the others said: / O Mahādeva, speak of the sacred field of Kurukṣetra that grants all things, / the pleasing greatness of that foremost of sacred fields belonging to Dhūmravarṇa.

The glorious Śiva said: / In the north-east, on the border of the Himavat, lies the sacred field of Dhūmravarṇa. / Who would be capable of describing its renowned greatness?

Bowing to the leader of the Gaṇas, I shall speak in brief. / Listen with single-pointed mind to the greatness of that foremost sacred field!

Dhūmravarṇa was installed with great joy by the divine seers— / the glorious one whose face is a trunk-staff, who bears four arms,

Three-eyed, having a single tusk, endowed with an axe and other [weapons]. / There Ahaṅkāra constantly worships the lord Gaṇeśa.

On his left side is Siddhi, on his right side Buddhi, who brings joy to all; / in front of that Dhūmravarṇa stands his handsome mouse.

The extent of the sacred field of the lord of Gaṇas is ten yojanas, / and that sacred field is quadrangular, bestowing all perfections.

In front of Dhūmravarṇa, devotees led by Mudgala / and those led by Śuka worship him; the great seers praised him.

Behind him, his attendants led by Pramoda and Āmodaka, / holding weapons, highly fortunate, serve Dhūmravarṇa.

On his left side, O honor-giving seers, the foremost sacred bathing places such as Prayāga / and sacred fields such as Kāśī worship Dhūmravarṇa.

On his right side, the lords of immortals led by Śambhu and Viṣṇu / constantly worship the leader of the Gaṇas, along with their retinues and followers.

The serpent kings led by Śeṣa, the mountains led by the golden [Meru], / Gandharvas, Cāraṇas, Siddhas, Vasus, and Manus,

Ādityas, Rudras, Vidyādharas, Apsarases, and others / dwell in that sacred field and worship the elephant-faced one.

Whatever is most excellent in the world, that very thing is situated there / imbued with devotion for the purpose of serving Dhūmravarṇa.

O brāhmaṇas, their dwellings and the like cannot be described / because of their boundlessness; therefore I have only spoken in brief.

There exists a supreme sacred bathing place that grants great perfections; / right there the lord of obstacles takes his bath.

By bathing there, a man instantly obtains whatever he desires; / at the end, there is liberation without doubt, even if he dies anywhere at all.

There the gods led by Viṣṇu and the great seers led by Kaśyapa / constantly bathe with delighted inner souls.

Nāgas and others residing in other sacred fields bathe there; / people who stay to reside in the sacred field are also filled with joy.

And there, O honor-giving seers, sacred bathing places belonging to [deities] led by Śiva and Viṣṇu / are situated, bestowing their own abodes simply by bathing.

Merely by beholding Dhūmravarṇa there even once, / a person instantly obtains what is desired and becomes full of merit.

Merely by a pilgrimage right there, even if one goes anywhere else, / one obtains dharma, wealth, pleasure, and liberation at once.

Dhūmravarṇa was installed by the divine seers / at midday on the fourth day of the bright half of Bhādrapada; that lunar day is considered supreme.

A very great annual festival is held right there by people; / on the fourth day of the bright half of Bhādrapada, people make the pilgrimage.

Greatly delighted with one another, they awaken Gajānana; / seers led by Śaṅkara have their hair standing on end [from joy].

The devotees of Gaṇeśa, endowed with feeling, go there for the pilgrimage full of joy, / as do others, such as Vaiṣṇavas, exceedingly delighted.

Having completed the pilgrimage, all go back to their own places with joy / and remember Dhūmravarṇa, endowed with devotion.

At the end, all go to Svānanda; of this there is no doubt; / devotees of Śiva and others attain Svānanda by the gradual path.

By dying in the sacred field, O brāhmaṇas, Svānanda is attained by people; / and wherever they are situated, devotees of Gaṇeśa are identical with Brahman.

The greatness of the sacred field of Dhūmravarṇa has been told by me in part; / who indeed is capable of describing it at length?

The sacred fields belonging to Gaṇeśa consist of Brahman; / as many as there are in this cosmic egg, O best of sages,

They are the various sacred fields of dharma, wealth, pleasure, and liberation; / they must be understood as consisting of the four stations, without doubt.

The fifth station that is proclaimed by the great seers to have the form of Brahman, / that indeed, O brāhmaṇas, is the sacred field of the lord of Gaṇas, situated everywhere.

Whatever best of men hears this greatness of the sacred field, / or recites it or causes it to be heard, he obtains all aims.

Om tat sat. Thus ends the ninth chapter, named “The Description of the Greatness of Dhūmra,” in the deeds of Dhūmravarṇa, in the eighth section of the glorious Maudgala Mahāpurāṇa, the final Purāṇa-Upaniṣad.

Section 8, chapter 10, page 22)