Revākhaṇḍa ascribed to the Vāyupurāṇa (RKV) 26
English (machine translation) 26
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- English
Contents
- 26.169 — 2 parts
26.1
Yudhiṣṭhira said: / What was also spoken formerly by you about Jāleśvara, O best of the twice-born, / how did it become meritorious, frequented by ṛṣis and perfected beings?
26.2
Glorious Mārkaṇḍeya said: / There has not been nor will there be a pilgrimage place superior to Jāleśvara. / Listen, O son of Pāṇḍu, as I tell its origin.
26.3
In ancient times, all the hosts of ṛṣis, and the hosts of Maruts along with Indra, / tormented by all the asuras, were brought to ruin repeatedly.
26.4
Being slain by many, beginning with Bāṇāsura and led by Jambha and Śumbha, / they went to Brahmā for refuge.
26.5
On aerial chariots shaped like mountains, on horses resembling elephants, / in chariots looking like cities, harnessed with lions and tigers,
26.6
others went on turtles and crocodiles, and others on foot. / Having reached that supreme place which is unattainable by the unrighteous,
26.7
having seen the god born from the lotus, the benefactor of all the worlds, / they all went there and praised [him] with focused minds.
26.8
The gods said: / Victory to you, immeasurable one! Victory, indivisible one! Victory, cause of existence! / Lotus-born one, best of gods, we have come to you for refuge!
26.9
Having heard that speech of the gods whose minds were purified, / the grandfather god answered in a voice deep as a thundercloud:
26.10
'Why is your arrival here, gods, and the paleness of you all? / By whom have you all been humiliated? Speak quickly, immortals!'
26.11
The gods said: / 'A dānava named Bāṇa is of great heroism, arrogant with strength. / Everything of ours has been seized by him; we are deprived of wealth and jewels.'
26.12
Hearing the words of the gods, Brahmā, the grandfather of the worlds / and lord of gods, contemplated the action for his destruction:
26.13
'The evil dānava cannot be killed by all the sky-dwellers; / except for god Śaṅkara, not by me and not by Viṣṇu.'
26.14
'Let us all go right there where the god Maheśvara is; / he alone is the refuge of all, no other exists.'
26.15
Having spoken thus, Brahmā, the best of the knowers of the Veda, with all the gods, / along with the learned brāhmaṇas, went from there to where Maheśvara was.
26.16
And with very abundant hymns of praise, he praised the supreme lord.
26.17
The gods said: / 'Victory to you, lord of the god of gods! Victory to you who hold the body of which half is Umā! / You whose seat is a bull, mighty-armed one, you who are ornamented with the crescent moon!'
26.18
Obeisance to you who hold the tip of the trident in hand! Obeisance to the bearer of the skull-staff! / Victory to you, Lord of beings, O god, destroyer of the sacrifice of Dakṣa!
26.19
O Five-Syllabled One! Obeisance, O god whose body consists of the five elements! / O Īśāna of five faces, you are sung of by the Vedas!
26.20
You always perform creation, preservation, and dissolution. Obeisance! / O Eight-formed One, Destroyer of Smara, remember the truth as you are praised!
26.21
Your body consisting of five forms, O god, is praised by the Brahmins: / as Sadyojāta, Vāmadeva, likewise Aghora, Īśāna, and Tatpuruṣa.
26.22
In your vast web of gold you sing like a swan, O Hara!” / Thus was he praised by the hosts of sages, by Brahmā and the others, and by the gods and asuras.
26.23
Gladdened and pleased in mind, he spoke to the assembled gods.
26.24
Īśvara said: / “Welcome to the gods and Brahmins! Today the night has turned into an auspicious dawn. / Tell me quickly, what shall we do? Who else is to be served by gods and asuras?
26.25
What is the sorrow? What indeed is the torment? Whence has fear come to you? / Speak, O fortunate ones, the reason that is in your minds.”
26.26
Thus addressed by Rudra, the foremost among the gods replied, / showing their bodies, ashamed and with downcast faces:
26.27
“There is a fierce dānava of great valor, arrogant with power, / renowned by the name Bāṇa, to whom belongs that great Tripura.
26.28
By him indeed was severe asceticism performed for a thousand years; / Brahmā became pleased with him because of his restraint and self-control,
26.29
And granted him those impregnable cities that travel at will: / one of iron, another of silver, and another of gold.
26.30
That Tripura created by Brahmā, roaming and moving at will— / within that Tripura reside the dānavas, arrogant with its power.
26.31
The great asuras torment the entire threefold world, O god; / they wield staffs, nooses, and swords without hesitation. / Inhabited by dānavas, that Tripura wanders like a wheel,
26.32
Visible at times, or invisible, perceived just like a mirage.
26.33
Wherever that divine, great Tripura of that haughty one falls, / neither Brahmins nor gods nor cows nor living beings remain there.
26.34
Nothing is seen there wherever the triad of cities falls; / rivers, villages, and many regions have been reduced to ashes.
26.35
Gold and silver, gems and pearls, / and whatever beautiful jewel of a woman there is, he drags it all away by force.
26.36
Neither by weapon nor by divine missile, neither by day nor by night, O Hara, / is he able to be killed by the hosts of gods in any way.
26.37
Therefore burn it, O Mahādeva, for you are our supreme refuge! / Thus, O Lord of gods, you should bestow favor upon all of us,
26.38
By which the gods, gandharvas, and sages rich in asceticism / may attain supreme tranquility—O Lord, you ought to do that!”
26.39
Īśvara said: / “I will do all this; do not fall into dejection. / In a very short time I shall accomplish what brings you happiness.”
26.40
Having consoled all those gods led by Indra, / the Lord of gods contemplated the destruction of Tripura:
26.41
“How and in what manner must Tripura be destroyed by me? / Setting aside that sole Nārada, no other means is prescribed.”
26.42
Having thus composed himself, he then meditated upon Nārada; / at that very moment arrived that sage of great asceticism, moving like the wind,
26.43
Bearing a water pot, divine, carrying a triple staff, skilled in wisdom, / adorned with a meditation band, a rosary of rudrākṣa beads, and an umbrella,
26.44
His head bound with matted hair, resplendent like the blazing sun. / Having circumambulated [the Lord] three times, he fell to the ground like a staff.
26.45
With folded hands, the venerable sage Nārada, / high-minded, praised Śarva with devotion through a great hymn of praise.
26.46
Nārada said: / “Victory, O Śambhu, Virūpākṣa! Victory, O Three-eyed God! / Victory, O Śaṅkara, Īśāna, Rudreśvara! Obeisance to you!
26.47
You are the Lord, you are the creator of the universe, you alone are the agent of dissolution, O omnipresent one! / You alone are the protector of the worlds, the slayer of the afflictions caused by the wicked.
26.48
Protect us, O Lord of gods, whose form is the three Vedas, eternal one! / O you whose form is existence, enemy of mundane existence, grant freedom from fear to those who worship you!”
26.49
O Bhava, for the destruction of worldly existence, I take refuge in you. / For what purpose have I been remembered, O Lord? Give me your command, O Master.
26.50
Whose mind shall I agitate? Or who shall fall to the earth today? / With whom shall I stir up a quarrel today, O best among the victorious?
26.51
Hearing Nārada’s words, the god of gods, Maheśvara, / his eyes blossoming wide, spoke these words:
26.52
“Welcome to you, O best of sages, who are ever fond of strife, / knower of the true nature of playing the vīṇā, eternal son of Brahmā!
26.53
Go quickly, Nārada, to where that great Tripura is, / belonging to Bāṇa, the lord of the Dānavas, which brings fear to all the worlds.
26.54
The husbands are equal to gods; the women there are like Apsarases. / Indeed, by their power and brilliance, that great Tripura moves through the skies.
26.55
It cannot be breached by any means, O best of the twice-born! / Go and quickly delude them by numerous diverse religious teachings.”
26.56
Nārada said: / “By your word, O Lord of gods, I shall breach that excellent city, / which cannot be breached by various means even by the gods together with Indra.”
26.57
Having spoken thus, O king, he went to that excellent city of Bāṇa, / extending for a hundred yojanas, endowed with prosperity and wealth,
26.58
crowded with curious wonders, variegated with various minerals, / covered with many mansions, resplendent with many sanctuaries,
26.59
equipped with gates and arched gateways, adorned with doors and bolts, / furnished with many mechanical devices, radiant with defensive walls and moats,
26.60
filled with step-wells, wells, and tanks, and with shrines of the gods, / teeming with swans and kāraṇḍava ducks, adorned with clusters of lotus plants,
26.61
rich with the beauty of many groves, adorned with diverse birds— / thus was the excellent city of Bāṇa, filled with an abundance of virtues.
26.62
In the middle of it was Bāṇa's heavenly palace, of immense size, / having seven courtyards, beautifully adorned, entirely embellished with gold,
26.63
rich with the beauty of pearl garlands, adorned with diamonds and lapis lazuli, / inlaid with surfaces of gold plate, beautifully decorated with jeweled floors,
26.64
crowded with the sighs of rutting elephants and with chariots, / with the sounds of neighing horses, and with the jingling of women's anklets,
26.65
guarded by Dānavas of terrifying appearance, proud of their strength, / holding swords and javelins in hand, and armed with thunderbolts, elephant-goads, and arrows.
26.66
Thus [he approached] Bāṇa's excellent palace, filled with numerous virtues, / resembling the peak of Kailāsa, like the mansion of Mahendra.
26.67
Nārada went swiftly through the sky facing the city. / Reaching the gateway, he spoke these words to the chamberlain:
26.68
“Ho, chamberlain of great intelligence, skilled in the king’s affairs! / Tell Bāṇa at once: Nārada stands at the gate.”
26.69
Bowing to Nārada's feet in haste, / he proceeded to make a report to Bāṇa seated in the assembly.
26.70
With his staff-like body trembling, covering his mouth with his hand, / he spoke these words in the hearing of all the warriors:
26.71
“Praised by gods, Gandharvas, Yakṣas, Kinnaras, and Dānavas, / fond of strife, hard to propitiate—Nārada stands at the gate.”
26.72
Hearing the words of the gatekeeper, the great Daitya Bāṇa, / acting with haste, then said this to the doorkeeper with astonishment:
26.73
Bāṇa said: / “Admit that glorious son of Brahmā, full of splendor, irresistible and unassailable! / Why was he kept outside?”
26.74
Hearing the order uttered by his master, he went with great speed / and ushered Nārada, who had arrived at the palace, inside.
26.75
Seeing the divine sage Nārada arriving, honored by the gods, / rising up boldly, overjoyed, he bowed to the sage’s feet.
26.76
He offered a seat, the guest-offering, water for the feet, and worship according to rule, / and offered that kingdom and himself together with his kinsmen.
26.77
And the Asura Bāṇa himself inquired after the sage's welfare.
26.78
Nārada said: / “Well done, well done, O mighty-armed one, enhancer of the lineage of Danu! / Who else in the three worlds is praiseworthy besides you, O bull of Danu?
26.79
I have been honored, O best of Danu's line, with wealth, beautiful gems, / the kingdom, and yourself; indeed, what other person would honor me thus?
26.80
I have no need for enjoyment; enjoy your faultless kingdom! / Eager to see you, I have arrived here after seeing Lord Maheśvara.
26.81
Tripura roams the world due to the chastity of its women—so I have heard. / Desirous of seeing them, your wives, I have arrived, O lord of Dānavas!
26.82
If you approve, show them to me quickly and without delay.” / Hearing the words of Nārada and looking at the chamberlain,
26.83
an aged man who attended the inner apartments, carrying a staff, endowed with virtues, / the king, with a delighted mind, spoke, filling the quarters with his voice:
26.84
“O chamberlain, show the great queen here to Nārada, / together with all the women of the inner apartments, without hesitation.”
26.85
Setting the master's command foremost, taking Nārada by the hand / and entering, he told the queen: “Nārada has arrived.”
26.86
Seeing the best of sages, the queen paid homage to his feet / and gave him a bright golden seat, the guest-offering, water for the feet, and the rest.
26.87
Pleased with her, the blessed one bestowed a supreme blessing: / “No other woman equal to you is seen even in the three worlds, O queen,
26.88
devoted to your husband, of auspicious conduct, endowed with truth and purity, / by whose power Tripura ever revolves like a wheel.”
26.89
Hearing that speech of Nārada full of nectar, / the queen, the best among upholders of duty, devotedly inquired of the sage concerning righteousness.
26.90
The queen said: / “O holy one, by what observances are the gods pleased in the human world? / What gifts are given that yield great fruit?
26.91
And what are the fasts taught by the wise in the duties of women, / performing which virtuous women go to heaven?
26.92
O illustrious one, tell all of that precisely as it is. / I wish to hear everything; speak without hesitation.”
26.93
Nārada said: / “Well done, well done, O fortunate lady! This question has been well put by you, / hearing which, the virtue of all women increases.
26.94
The fasts and gifts by which husbands and sons become obedient, / and by which one is ever honored by kinsmen—I shall tell them to you;
26.95
and by which an unfortunate woman becomes fortunate, a fortunate woman becomes unfortunate, / a mother of sons becomes childless, and a childless woman becomes a mother of sons;
26.96
and a maiden obtains a husband, and another is bereft of a husband. / These result from what is done or left undone; understand that, O fair one!”
26.97
A cow made of sesame, gold, silver, cattle, garments, / water, a gift of land, fragrant incense, and ointment;
26.98
wooden sandals, shoes, an umbrella, auspicious fans, / foot-massage, head-massage, a bath, a bed, and seats—
26.99
those who give these do not approach Yama. / Honey, black gram, milk, ghee, salt, jaggery, medicine,
26.100
water, a gift of land, winter rice, sugarcane juice, / two smooth reddish garments to a married couple on Lalitā day:
26.101
good fortune arises [for them] both in this world and the next, / [when given] to a Brahmin endowed with good conduct, handsome, and virtuous.
26.102
On which lunar day this should be given, that I will tell you, O queen. / The woman who, pure of vow, in the morning on the first lunar day,
26.103
gives firewood to a Brahmin, [saying,] 'May the Fire-god be pleased with me!'— / for thirty-six lives, in the joints of all her limbs,
26.104
neither menstrual disease nor distress arises, O beloved of the king. / But the woman who, filled with joy, on the second lunar day,
26.105
gives fresh butter to an eminent Brahmin, will have a delicate body. / She who offers salt to an excellent Brahmin on the third lunar day,
26.106
[saying,] 'May the goddess Gaurī be pleased with me'—hear the fruit of her religious merit! / As a young maiden, having obtained a husband, just as Umā with [Śiva],
26.107
she disports, never becoming a widow, and attains great renown. / Having observed a fast until nightfall on the fourth lunar day, she should give sweets to a Brahmin,
26.108
[saying,] 'May the lord of gods, the lord of Gaṇas, Vināyaka, be pleased with me!' / By that fruit, O spirited woman, quickly in all her undertakings
26.109
no obstacle arises anywhere; so said the Grandfather. / Then, having reached the fifth lunar day, she who gives sesame to a Brahmin
26.110
becomes endowed with beauty, just like Tilottamā. / And she who on the sixth lunar day constantly gives the fruit of the madhūka tree,
26.111
dedicating it to the fire-born god, to a Brahmin versed in the Vedas— / her son, just like Skanda, the highest among the hosts of gods,
26.112
is born as a great king, worshipped in all worlds. / She who on the seventh lunar day worships an excellent Brahmin with gold,
26.113
dedicating it to the lord of the universe, the god of gods, the Sun— / that fruit of religious merit which has been declared by the best of Brahmins,
26.114
that I will tell you, O queen; listen with an attentive mind, O virtuous woman! / Ringworm, vitiligo, leprosy, circular rashes, and eczema—
26.115
even if acquired by past deeds, do not arise on her limbs in this world. / Likewise, on the eighth lunar day, the spirited woman who gives a black cow
26.116
to a Brahmin endowed with good conduct, [saying,] 'May Maheśvara be pleased with me!'— / the sin acquired across her lives is destroyed, and she is endowed with wealth;
26.117
she is born [so], there is no doubt, because the gift is unsurpassed. / The woman who devotedly causes fragrant incense to be given to a Brahmin,
26.118
dedicating it to Kātyāyanī on the ninth lunar day—hear the fruit! / Her brother, father, son, or husband, entering great battle,
26.119
do not perish, protected by that gift. / O goddess, she who gives sugarcane stalk juice on the tenth lunar day,
26.120
dedicating it to the world-protectors, to a Brahmin free from bodily defects— / by that gift she always becomes dear to all the world;
26.121
there is no doubt of this: thus spoke Śaṅkara. / Having fasted on the eleventh lunar day, she who gives water on the twelfth,
26.122
dedicating it to Nārāyaṇa, to a Brahmin devoted to Viṣṇu— / she would continually charm and delight people with her touch and speech,
26.123
because a gift of water becomes endless in the Maharloka. / Foot-massage and head-massage dedicated to Kāma, [given] to a Brahmin
26.124
by a woman with supreme devotion on the thirteenth lunar day: / into whatever womb she may be born again, life after life,
26.125
in each and every one she will never be separated from her husband. / Likewise, on the fourteenth lunar day, she should give a vessel and shoes
26.126
to a Brahmin, dedicating them to Dharma; her worlds are free from disease. / And so, at the end of each fortnight, she should satisfy the best of Brahmins in the ancestral rite;
26.127
an unbroken lineage is always born on earth [for her], O queen. / Thus has the glorification of lunar days by means of gifts been spoken to you.
26.128
Likewise, hear the ritual for worshipping trees: / the jambū, the nimba tree, the tinduka, and the madhuka,
26.129
the mango, the āmalaka, the silk-cotton tree, the banyan, and the sacred fig, / the śamī, the bilva, the myrobalan tree, the plantain, and the trumpet-flower tree,
26.130
and approaching other most sacred trees, one attains heaven.
26.131
Nārada said: / The woman who performs the unsurpassed vow in the month of Caitra— / other [vows] do not equal even a sixteenth part of that vow,
26.132
by the hearing of which, O blessed lady, she sees no misfortune. / Just as snow, reaching the sun, melts away on the surface of the earth,
26.133
so sorrow and misfortune vanish through this vow, / by which one worships Lalitā called Madhukā.
26.134
Hear that ritual, O blessed lady, which brings happiness as it is related: / On the bright third lunar day of Caitra, well bathed and pure of mind,
26.135
having had an image of Śiva together with Umā made of madhu wood, / and having had it consecrated by excellent Brahmins according to the rules,
26.136
the spirited woman should worship the god according to rule with fragrant flowers, / incenses, and camphor and saffron, joined with mantras:
26.137
the feet with 'Homage to Śiva', the penis to Manmatha, / the belly with 'To Kālodara', the throat to Nīlakaṇṭha,
26.138
the head to Sarvātman—having worshipped [him], she should then worship Umā: / the belly to Kṣāmodarā, the throat to Sukaṇṭhā,
26.139
the head to Saubhāgyadāyinī; afterwards she should offer water of respect.
26.140
'Homage to you, O lord of the gods, husband of Umā, lord of the world! / By this water of respect, O Lord, destroy all my misfortune!' / —Such is the mantra for the water of respect.
26.141
Having offered the water of respect, then afterwards a water-pot filled with water, / served in a bowl of madhūka leaves, accompanied by gold according to her means:
26.142
'This water-pot filled with water, endowed with good fortune, / is offered to you, O Lalitā, increasing good fortune and the like.' / —Such is the mantra for the gift of the water-pot.
26.143
With this mantra she should give the excellent water-pot to a Brahmin. / She should avoid salt until the next bright third lunar day.
26.144
Begging pardon of the goddess, the ruler of gods, she should eat sacrificial food herself at night. / Together with this ritual, she should proceed month after month.
26.145
It ends, however, on the third day of the bright fortnight of Phālguna. / In Vaiśākha salt is to be given, and in Jyeṣṭha clarified butter is given;
26.146
In the month of Āṣāḍha niṣpāva beans, but in Śrāvaṇa milk is to be given; / In Nabhasya (Bhādrapada) mung beans are to be given, and likewise in Āśvayuja śāli rice;
26.147
In Kārttika a vessel of sugar and a water jar filled with juice; / In Mārgaśīrṣa cotton and a water jar filled with ghee;
26.148
In Pauṣa saffron is to be given, in Māgha a vessel filled with sesame seeds; / When the month of Phālguna arrives, a vessel filled with sweetmeats.
26.149
Whatever is to be given on the subsequent third day, one should avoid on the preceding one. / The procedure for all of these is the same, O dear one to my heart.
26.150
One should worship that very image of the madhu tree. / All of that is given to that brāhmaṇa, the teacher.
26.151
Then, at the end of the year, hear the procedure for the concluding rite. / Having then gone to the madhu tree, provided with many supplies,
26.152
One should bury in the middle an image made of madhūka wood. / Remaining there, one should worship the All, who bears half of Umā's body,
26.153
With abundant offerings of worship, again and again with saffron, / With fine garlands of flowers, with safflower, and with saffron filaments,
26.154
And having clothed that image in two bright safflower-dyed garments resembling flax flowers, / Twelve married couples
26.155
With pairs of shoes, umbrellas, necklaces with pendants, / Bracelets, rings, and pleasantly spread beds,
26.156
Their limbs smeared with saffron and worshipped with many flowers, / One should feed them with various delicacies while they remain in the madhūka shelter.
26.157
Having rested after rising from eating, he should beg their pardon on the beds. / For everything has the guru as its root, and the guru is to be known as Maheśvara.
26.158
When the guru is pleased, then the entire world with gods and asuras is pleased. / Whatever is dearest in the world, whatever is beloved in the house—
26.159
All that is to be given to the guru by one desiring his own welfare. / But this is to be given by the wealthy; by others it is to be given as is [now] stated:
26.160
Having duly worshipped one married couple through the auspicious vows, / And a second, the guru and his wife, one should avoid stinginess with wealth.
26.161
Then one should beg pardon of the goddess, the god, and the brāhmaṇa guru: / 'Just as you, O divine Lalitā, are never separated from Śambhu,
26.162
So may non-separation from my husband and sons be granted to me.' / Having performed the third day named Madhu according to this procedure,
26.163
Indrāṇī attained the status of Indra's wife, an excellent son, / Good fortune in all worlds, and the highest happiness of all prosperity.
26.164
The unmarried girl who performs this observance according to this procedure / Obtains an excellent husband, just as Indrāṇī [obtained] Śatakratu (Indra).
26.165
An unfortunate woman attains good fortune, and a fortunate woman becomes endowed with sons; / Endowed with sons, she attains imperishable [bliss] and never experiences sorrow.
26.166
Misfortune born of many births is certainly destroyed; / And when dead, having reached heaven, she rejoices with Umā.
26.167
Having enjoyed desired pleasures for a full hundred crores of kalpas, / Born again into the mortal world, she would obtain an earthly king as a husband.
26.168
Fortunate and endowed with beauty, she would bear an earthly king as a son.
26.169
All this has been told to you, the highest observance among observances. / Ask something else, O fortunate lady, whatever desired [thought] remains in your heart."
26.169.p1
Thus ends the twenty-sixth chapter, named 'The Description of the Procedure and Glorification of the Madhūkatṛtīyā Vow,' in the glorification of the Narmadā, in the Revākhaṇḍa, in the Avantīkhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses.
26.169.p2
RKV Chapter 27
Linked texts (1)
- Revākhaṇḍa (Vāyupurāṇa) — Sanskrit