Revākhaṇḍa ascribed to the Vāyupurāṇa (RKV) 56
English (machine translation) 56
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Contents
- 56.134 — 1 part
56.1
Uttānapāda said:
I also wish to hear by whom the Gaṅgā was brought down; / how did the auspicious goddess, standing on Rudra's head, come here?
56.2
And the holy stone named Devaśilā, its supreme glorification— / relate all this to me, if you are pleased [with me], O Śaṅkara.
56.3
Īśvara said:
Listen with an attentive mind to how the Gaṅgā was brought down / by all the gods, the most fortunate one, for the welfare of all the worlds.
56.4
There is a mountain named Vindhya in the southern direction, O ruler of the earth; / all the gods went to its summit, O lord of men.
56.5
And there Gaṅgā was summoned by Brahmā and all the gods, / having worshipped the Lord, the master of the universe, god of gods and teacher of the world:
56.6
"Release Gaṅgā, who is within your matted hair, onto the surface of the earth!" / Then the shining one was released by Rudra onto the earth from his head.
56.7
At that place, the most holy [river] was brought forth by the gods themselves; / then she became the divine river for the welfare of men on earth.
56.8
Those who live on her bank, take their sacred bath with devotion, / and constantly drink her water, do not go to the abode of Yama.
56.9
Where she fell into the pool at Śūlabheda, O king, / to the west of that divine river lies the eastward-flowing Sarasvatī.
56.10
To the south of Śūlabheda, there is an unsurpassed pilgrimage place; / there lies the holy Devaśilā, fashioned by the god himself.
56.11
Having bathed there with devotion, whoever offers libations to the ancestors and gods, / his ancestors are satisfied until the dissolution of all elements.
56.12
Having bathed there with devotion, whoever feeds brāhmaṇas, O king, / even by offering very little food, of that [fruit] there is no end.
56.13
Uttānapāda said:
Which gifts given on the surface of the earth are commended, / by giving which a man is freed from all sins with devotion?
56.14
The glorification of Devaśilā, the fruit arising from bath, gift, and the like, / and what is to be attained by vows, fasts, and observances—tell me that.
56.15
Īśvara said:
Formerly there was a king of the Cedis of great prowess and immense strength, / renowned as Vīrasena, the ruler of a province, O king.
56.16
In his kingdom there was no enemy, no disease, and no thieves; / no unrighteousness was there, only righteousness at all times.
56.17
The king was always filled with joy, together with his wife, having many sons. / He had one daughter, beautiful like Girijā.
56.18
She was dear to her parents and to her circle of kinsfolk; / when the proper time arrived, her marriage rites were performed according to the rules.
56.19
Thereafter, the lord of the Cedis was engaged in a twelve-year sacrifice; / then he who was her husband came under the power of death.
56.20
Seeing that daughter widowed, the king, filled with grief, / spoke these words to his wife afflicted with sorrow:
56.21
"O dear one, this lifelong sorrow has arisen, very hard to endure. / She, proud of her beauty and youth, cannot be protected.
56.22
She might bring dishonour to our family somewhere; how can this young girl be protected? / There is no means anywhere for protecting Bhānumatī." / As the two were arguing, the daughter heard that and said:
56.23
Bhānumatī said:
"I am not ashamed, O father, speaking before you at any time. / Truly, no fault will arise for you on my account, O king.
56.24
From today onward, O father, I shall not wear [long] hair on my head; / I shall wear only half a piece of coarse cloth in your house.
56.25
I shall swiftly perform the vows prescribed in the Purāṇas; / I shall emaciate myself, and I shall please Janārdana.
56.26
This is my resolve, O father, if you approve." / Hearing Bhānumatī's words, the king was overjoyed.
56.27
Aiming for a pilgrimage to sacred places, he gave a bountiful treasury; / sending old men, he arranged for her safe keeping,
56.28
along with armed men, brāhmaṇas with the royal priest, / female and male servants, and foot soldiers competent to protect her.
56.29
Then, with her father's consent, that virtuous woman went to the bank of the Gaṅgā; / bathing in the two shores of the Gaṅgā, O king,
56.30
always worshipping virtuous brāhmaṇas with perfumes, garlands, and ornaments, / she remained on the bank of the Gaṅgā for twelve years.
56.31
Leaving the Gaṅgā then, the princess went to the southern direction; / together with her ministers, she arrived where the great river Revā is.
56.32
She stayed there for five years at Oṅkāra and Amarakaṇṭaka; / she went from pilgrimage place to pilgrimage place, at the northern and southern shrines.
56.33
Bathing repeatedly, worshipping the brāhmaṇas with devotion, untiring, / having gone to the western direction, to the confluence of the divine river—
56.34
And she saw a holy hermitage filled with hosts of sages. / Having seen the crowd of sages, she bowed down and spoke these words:
56.35
“What is the glorification of this pilgrimage place, and what is its name? / Let the venerable ones tell me; let favor be shown to me.”
56.36
The sages said: / “It is known as Cakratīrtha. Long ago, the discus was given to Hari / by Maheśvara, the pleased god of gods who bears the trident.
56.37
Having bathed in this pilgrimage place, he who offers libations to the ancestors and deities / attains a state from which there is no return; of this there is no doubt.
56.38
Then, on the second day, O ascetic woman, one should go to Śūlabheda / and perform the sacred bath according to rule, by the procedure spoken of earlier.
56.39
He is freed from sins committed in three births; of this there is no doubt. / With water containing merely sesame seeds, he should offer three handfuls of water.
56.40
His ancestors are satisfied for twelve years, without doubt. / O king, he who performs a śrāddha with devotion through brāhmaṇas learned in the Veda,
56.41
excluding usurers and the like—what is given to the ancestors becomes imperishable. / Then, on the next day, one should go to the auspicious, holy Devaśilā.
56.42
There is seen the holy Jāhnavī, produced long ago by the gods. / Having bathed there, O ruler of men, one should offer water mixed with sesame seeds.
56.43
By offering a funerary ball once, one is freed from the murder of a brāhmaṇa. / Having fasted on the eleventh lunar day in both fortnights,
56.44
one should keep a night vigil and read a purāṇic narrative. / One should perform the worship of Viṣṇu with offerings of flowers and incense.
56.45
At dawn, one should feed brāhmaṇas and give a gift according to one’s ability. / Then, on the fourth day, one should go to where the eastward-flowing Sarasvatī is,
56.46
which issued from Brahmā’s body for the purification of embodied beings. / Having bathed there with devotion, a man should offer libations to the ancestors and deities.
56.47
Having performed a śrāddha according to rule, he should feed blameless twice-borns. / His ancestors are satisfied for twelve years, without doubt.
56.48
The place consists of all gods and consists of all pilgrimage places; / it is crowded with ten million deities, supreme above the highest of ten million liṅgas.
56.49
He who, having bathed, pure and with subdued senses, spends three nights here, / or a fortnight, a month, six months, or once for a year—
56.50
he has no rebirth among mortals; his dwelling will be in heaven. / Remaining steadfast in his vows, he is freed from sin born of three births.
56.51
And a woman who, without a man, remains for twelve years observing pure vows, / is honored in the world of Rudra for an imperishable time.”
56.52
Having heard the words of the sages, she went with supreme joy. / Then, having plunged into that pilgrimage place day and night without wearying,
56.53
having seen the power of the pilgrimage place, she spoke these words again: / “Let my words be heard today, O brāhmaṇas together with your priests:
56.54
I will not abandon such a place as long as I live, day and night. / Tell these words to my father and to my mother:
56.55
‘Your daughter resides at Śūlabheda, restrained and practicing vows.’” / Having spoken thus, O king, she, Bhānumatī, remained there.
56.56
Engaged in fasting on alternate days, and gradually fasting for a month, / constantly seated upon the Devaśilā, she meditated upon the discus-handed Lord.
56.57
Day and night she burned incense and sandalwood with lamps. / Having washed their feet herself, she herself fed the twice-borns. / That queen of good vows remained there for twelve years.
56.58
Īśvara said: / Listen to another glorification of Devaśilā, O lord of the earth. / I shall tell it with an ancient history, O mighty-armed one.
56.59
A certain hunter who lived in the forest, a Śabara, along with his wife, / afflicted by famine, went to the forest for the sake of meat.
56.60
He did not see birds there, nor beasts, nor fruits. / Then he saw a lake adorned with clusters of lotus plants.
56.61
Seeing the lake there, the Śabarī spoke these words: / “Take the divine water lilies for procuring food.
56.62
For the sake of worshiping the god at Śūlabheda, with effort / a sale will take place there, because the people are of a virtuous disposition.”
56.63
Having heard the words of his wife, he gathered the water lilies. / As he stepped out onto the bank, seeing a bilva tree before him,
56.64
and taking bilva fruits, especially well-ripened ones, / he arrived at Śūlabheda and saw very many people.
56.65
In the month of Caitra, during the bright fortnight, on the eleventh lunar day, O ruler of men, / on that day children, the elderly, and women were not eating.
56.66
A pavilion was seen there, erected upon the Devaśilā, / wrapped with divine garments, adorned with garlands and wreaths.
56.67
And the sages who were dwellers of the hermitage came there, / fasting, observing vows, all maintaining their sacred fires.
56.68
On the charming bank of the divine river, filled with hosts of sages / who were arriving, O best of kings, no path could be found there.
56.69
Seeing the assembly of people there, the Śabara said to his wife: / “Go and ask something: what is the reason for the sacred bath today?
56.70
Which of the festivals spoken of is it? Could it be a solar or lunar eclipse? / Could today be a solstice, or is it the Akṣayatṛtīyā?”
56.71
Then, at the word of her husband, the Śabarī set out. / Seeing a woman ahead, she offered two auspicious lotuses in front of her and asked:
56.72
“What lunar day is declared to be today? Tell me what festival it is. / Why are these people bathing, or what is the reason for the sacred bath?”
56.73
The woman said: / “Today is the holy Ekādaśī, which destroys all sins. / Fasted upon even once, it brings about attainment of heaven.”
56.74
Having heard her words, the Śabarī, without hesitation, / reported the woman’s words to the Śabara, O best of kings:
56.75
“Today is the holy Ekādaśī, fasted upon by young and old, / named Madanaikādaśī, destroying all sins.
56.76
It is heard that the very splendid princess is stationed there, / observing vows with regulated diet, the chaste Bhānumatī by name.
56.77
None equal to her is known in the three worlds; / that fair-hipped woman is seen as having descended to the surface of the earth.”
56.78
Having heard his wife’s words, the Śabara spoke to her: / “Give away the lotuses as obtained, and eat quickly.
56.79
This is my resolve: I must certainly not eat. / O gentle one, with a sinful mind I have never acquired anything auspicious.
56.80
The Śabarī said:
"Never before have I eaten first on any day whatsoever; / I have eaten what remained of your meal for as long as I can remember."
56.81
Knowing his wife's firm resolve, he went to perform his sacred bath; / and having performed the sacred bath with devotion using half of his upper garment,
56.82
bowing to all the gods, he went toward the Devaśilā; / bowing to Janārdana, he remained there, though hesitant.
56.83
The [maidservant] to whom the two water lilies had been given reported it to the queen; / seeing that pair of lotuses, she then said to that maidservant:
56.84
"Where was this pair of lotuses obtained? Tell me at once! / Go quickly right there and bring other lotuses as well.
56.85
Bring lotuses in exchange for grain or even wealth!" / Having heard Bhānumatī's words, she went to the Śabara:
56.86
"Give me bilva fruits and many other flowers!"
56.87
The Śabarī said:
"I will give bilva fruits together with flowers, especially [for worship]; / I have no greed, nor any desire; go and inform the queen."
56.88
She went quickly and reported what had happened, / recounting in full detail before her the words spoken by the Śabarī.
56.89
Hearing her words, the queen went there herself; / she spoke affectionately to the Śabarī: "Give me the lotuses for a price!"
56.90
The Śabarī said:
"O queen, I do not desire a price originating from fruits and flowers; / take my bilva fruits and flowers as you wish!
56.91
Perform worship properly to Vāsudeva, the lord of the universe!"
56.92
The queen said:
"I will not take your lotuses now without a price; / I give one khārī of grain: let it be accepted!
56.93
Or ten, twenty, thirty, or even forty; / or take a hundred khārīs [to ward off] future famine!
56.94
Wealth, jewels, gold, and whatever else you desire— / I will give all of that for the sake of the lotuses, without doubt."
56.95
The Śabarī said:
"I do not think of food today, setting aside the god, O fair-faced one! / Except for the service of the god, my mind does not turn to anything else, O gentle lady."
56.96
The queen said:
"You should not abandon food; everything is established in food. / Therefore, by every effort, let my food be accepted!
56.97
Eminent ascetics and those who dwell in the forest, / all of them unweariedly beg for food at the door of the householder."
56.98
The Śabarī said:
"A refusal was made previously; everything is established in truth. / By truth the sun shines; by truth the fire burns.
56.99
By truth the ocean stands firm; the wind indeed blows by truth; / by truth grain ripens, and cows yield milk.
56.100
All this world, both moving and unmoving, has truth as its foundation; / therefore, by every effort, one should preserve truth with truth.
56.101
Setting aside the service of the god, my mind does not turn to anything else; / take the flowers, O queen, and perform the worship of the wielder of the mace!
56.102
It is heard from the words of the twice-born that there is no fault anywhere [in receiving]: / kuśa grass, vegetables, milk, fish, perfumes, flowers, unbroken grains, curds, / meat, a bed, a seat, parched grains, and water must not be refused."
56.103
The queen said:
"Flowers brought from a garden, flowers from the forest, / [flowers] bought, and [flowers] obtained as an accepted gift: thus flowers are of four kinds.
56.104
The best flower is from the forest, gathered by oneself; / middling is the fruit in a garden, and lowest is what is bought; / what is obtained through an accepted gift, the wise know that to be fruitless."
56.105
The family priest said:
"Take the flowers, O queen, and perform the worship of the wielder of the mace! / A favor should be done, [even] under a pretext at times."
56.106
Īśvara said:
Bilva fruits together with lotuses were given by the Śabara; / taking them, the queen performed a very splendid worship.
56.107
She kept a night-vigil, listening to the purāṇic tale; / then the Śabara spoke these words to his wife:
56.108
"Let oil be obtained for a lamp according to what is available, O beautiful woman!" / Having prepared the lamp, the two of them then performed the auspicious worship of Hari.
56.109
They kept vigil at night, meditating on the supporter of the earth. / Then, at daybreak, seeing people eager for the sacred bath—
56.110
some indeed bathe at Śūlabheda, and others in the divine river; / some men in the Sarasvatī, and others in the pool of Mārkaṇḍa;
56.111
some who went to Cakratīrtha performed the sacred bath according to rule. / All those purified people, having bathed, on top of the Devaśilā
56.112
performed a śrāddha with effort, with faith, and with a purified mind. / Seeing them, the Śabara carefully made balls of rice with bilva fruits.
56.113
Likewise, an offering of rice balls was made by Bhānumatī for her husband; / blameless brāhmaṇas, free from deceit and usury, were fed
56.114
with sacrificial food, as well as with curds, sugar, honey, and ghee, / with rice pudding made from cow's milk, and especially with prepared food.
56.115
Having fed them, the queen gave gifts according to the rules: / sandals and shoes, an umbrella, a bed, and a bull and cow;
56.116
various gifts of gold, jewels, and wealth. / O great king, he who gives a brown cow at Cakratīrtha— / by him the earth with its mountains, forests, and woods would be given.
56.117
Uttānapāda said:
Whichever gifts are commended for the lord of the earth, / O lord of the gods, tell me all of them out of your grace!
56.118
Īśvara said:
A giver of sesame seeds [obtains] desired offspring; a giver of a lamp, excellent sight; / a giver of land attains heaven; a giver of gold, long life;
56.119
a giver of a house becomes free from disease; a giver of silver becomes handsome; / a giver of clothing [attains] residence in the world of the moon; a giver of a horse, union with the sun;
56.120
a giver of a bull [attains] abundant prosperity; and a giver of a cow, heaven; / a giver of a vehicle and a bed [attains] a wife; a giver of freedom from fear, sovereignty;
56.121
a giver of grain [attains] eternal happiness; a giver of the Veda, the eternal Brahman. / [Of the gifts] of water, food, earth, clothing, sesame, gold, and ghee,
56.122
of all gifts indeed, the gift of the Veda is superior. / With whatever disposition one gives whatever gift,
56.123
with that very disposition one receives it, highly honored. / Seeing all the gifts that had been given by the queen,
56.124
the Śabara spoke to his wife; hear that, O lord of men: / "The Purāṇa has been recited, O gentle lady, by brāhmaṇas who have mastered the Veda.
56.125
And I heard all that auspicious fruit of the dharma of gifts: / [destroying] sin accumulated in previous births by means of sacred baths, gifts, vows, and the like.
56.126
Abandoning this body so hard to renounce, one attains the supreme state. / Afraid of the ocean of worldly existence, gentle lady, I speak the truth to you.
56.127
Many sins have been committed by me time and again; / living creatures were killed, gentle lady, and mountains constantly set on fire.
56.128
Burned by that sin, my poverty does not cease. / Because of sin, no plunging into pilgrimage places was done by me in the past.
56.129
Therefore am I afflicted, gentle lady, with poverty that never ends. / Go to your mother's house; give up your affection toward me. / Having climbed the mountain peak, I wish to abandon my body.
56.130
The Śabarī said: / I have no need of mother or father, nor of relatives and kinsmen. / Whatever your destiny is, lord of my life, that shall be mine as well.
56.131
There is no such duty for women as living their own life without a husband. / Many faults are heard of in various ways throughout the law-books.
56.132
Break your fast, O lord, so that your vow may not perish. / Whatever you have desired, you ought to perform [as an offering] to Viṣṇu.
56.133
Hearing his wife's words, the hunter then rejoiced. / Taking a bael fruit, promptly performing an oblation according to rule,
56.134
and having bowed to all the gods, he ate together with her. / Having known the equinox to fall on the full-moon day of Caitra, he stayed there for three days.
56.134.p1
|| Thus ends the fifty-sixth chapter, named 'The Description of the Fruit of Gifts and Other Acts Preceded by the Narration of the Hunter's Instruction', in the Revākhaṇḍa of the fifth, Āvantya book of the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa in eighty-one thousand verses.
Linked texts (1)
- Revākhaṇḍa (Vāyupurāṇa) — Sanskrit