Revākhaṇḍa ascribed to the Vāyupurāṇa (RKV) 97
English (machine translation) 97
- Language
- English
Contents
- 97.185 — 2 parts
97.1
Glorious Mārkaṇḍeya said: / Then one should go, O protector of the earth, to the unequalled Vyāsatīrtha, / difficult for mortals to attain, full of religious merit, situated in the atmosphere.
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Yudhiṣṭhira said: / Why indeed is that Vyāsatīrtha situated in the atmosphere? / Tell this in brief; leave aside the elaboration of the text.
97.3
Glorious Mārkaṇḍeya said: / Well done, well done, O long-armed one, virtuous, affectionate to the virtuous, / devoted to your own duty, O son of Pṛthā, who have shown respect for pilgrimage!
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Vyāsatīrtha is difficult to attain for all creatures, O lord of men. / Oppressed by old age, I am incapable, O son of the king;
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deprived of consciousness, having lost my senses, and bereft of memory. / This pilgrimage place, more secret than the secret, has not been related to anyone by me.
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The Kali age does not enter there, O best of kings, because of resorting to Vyāsa. / But it came to exist in the atmosphere by the deed of the Revā.
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Even Viriñci is not able to recount the qualities of the Revā. / How then shall I know, my dear, the supreme glorification of the Revā?
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Regarding Vyāsatīrtha in particular, I shall speak only a minute portion, / where visible proof is seen even today in the Kali age:
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a bird does not pass without being pierced by a terrible spike. / I shall tell its origin in brief, O son of the king.
97.10
Formerly, O protector of the earth, there was a venerable sage named Parāśara. / By him, extremely severe asceticism bearing great fruit was performed in the water of the Gaṅgā.
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He remained in the water of the Jāhnavī, having entered it with breath-control. / When the twelfth year was complete, he came out from the midst of the water.
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Desiring alms, he wandered through a village right where a boat was staying; / there he saw a supreme, captivating maiden.
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Seeing her, smitten with desire, he then sweetly said: / 'Take me to the opposite bank. Who are you, O deer-eyed one,
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embarked upon a boat on the riverbank, agitating my mind?' / Being addressed thus by him, she, bowing to the foremost sage,
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spoke of herself, seeing him infatuated with desire: / 'I am a maiden servant in the house of fishermen, O best of the twice-born.
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I have been commanded by my master for the guarding of the boat, O lord. / The whole story has been reported by me; you ought to understand it.'
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Being addressed thus by her, he then meditated for a moment and said this:
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Parāśara said: / 'By the power of knowledge, O auspicious one, I know your origin. / You are not the daughter of a fisherman; you are a princess, O beautiful one.'
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The maiden said: / 'Who is my father? Tell me, O brāhmaṇa, or from whose womb was I born? / In which lineage was I born, and how am I the daughter of a fisherman?'
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Parāśara said: / 'I shall tell all without omission that was asked by you. / There is a king named Vasu, an ornament of the Lunar lineage,
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ruler of Jambūdvīpa, O auspicious one, who increases the fear of his enemies. / He has seven hundred wives and only ten sons.
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He protects the worlds righteously and is always worshipped like a lord. / The barbarians residing in Kṣīradvīpa were insubordinate to him.
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For the purpose of destroying them, he crossed over the ocean and set forth, / accompanied by his sons and servants, abiding in great valor.
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A battle was commenced by those barbarians together with Vasu; / all those barbarians were defeated by Vasu, O deer-eyed one.
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They were made tribute-payers by him, along with their sons, army, and vehicles. / His chief queen is your mother, O deer-eyed one.
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While the protector of the earth was living abroad, she had her monthly period. / The love of women is indeed always excessive;
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especially at the time of the season of fertility they are pierced by the arrows of desire. / Tormented by desire, she of auspicious eyes thought:
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'I shall send a messenger today into the presence of King Vasu.' / The messenger was summoned: 'Quickly, O messenger, go to the presence of the king.'
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The messenger said: / 'O queen, King Vasu, the punisher of enemies, has gone to the opposite shore. / It is impossible to go there without water-crafts, O auspicious one.
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All those crafts have been taken to the farther shore.' / At the messenger's words, the queen was dejected, afflicted by desire.
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Her female friend then said to her: 'Why are you grieving? / Let your letter be sent, O queen, in the hand of a parrot according to the truth.
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Birds go having crossed the ocean, O beautiful one.' / At the friend's words, that queen became composed, O lord of men.
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A scribe was summoned there: 'Write a letter by my command: / O King Vasu, deprived of you, Satyabhāmā does not live today.
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The season of fertility has arrived today; write the letter, O scribe.' / When the letter was written on birch-bark by the scribe,
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the parrot inside the cage was brought up directly into her presence.
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Satyabhāmā said: / 'Taking the letter, go quickly into the presence of King Vasu.' / The bird, having bowed down and taken the excellent letter,
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flying up suddenly, O king, went to the circle of the sky. / Then the bird quickly went into the presence of King Vasu.
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When the letter sent by Satyabhāmā was dropped by that parrot, / the letter was then taken in hand and read by King Vasu.
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Having reflected on the matter of the letter, the lord of men gathered his unfailing semen, / and making a packet mixed with a reply-letter,
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he handed it over to the parrot: 'Go into the presence of the queen.' / Having bowed to King Vasu and taken the seed, [the bird] flew up.
97.41
When the parrot arrived over the ocean, it was spotted by a hawk. / Knowing that the parrot carried flesh, the hawk swooped down upon it.
97.42
Struck by a blow from the beak of a hawk, O descendant of Bharata, a parrot / [fainted], and in his swoon that semen fell into the water of the ocean.
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Swallowed by a fish, that semen of King Vasu / produced a maiden inside the fish's belly from that semen, O lovely lady.
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That fish was caught by fishermen and then brought to their house. / As soon as the fish was cut open, you were seen, O excellent lady,
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resembling the orb of the moon, having a radiance like the sun's splendor. / Seeing you, all the fishermen on the bank of the Jāhnavī were delighted.
97.46
Delighted, they all went to the house of their chief / and announced: “A jewel among women, supremely radiant, please take her!”
97.47
She, the slender-limbed, deer-eyed girl, was received by him who had no son; / he said to his wife: “O slender-limbed, deer-eyed woman, foster her!”
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Then she reflected on Parāśara's word at that time. / Having spoken thus, she surrendered herself [to him], O lord of men.
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She said: “O holy brāhmaṇa, the smell of fish still clings to me.” / Then by him that young girl was made fragrant with a divine perfume,
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effected through the power of yoga, after kindling the fire. / Having circumambulated the fire, she was taken by him out of passion at that time.
97.51
In the middle of the boat, he touched the seats of desire; / knowing the brāhmaṇa to be eager for passion, she was frightened, O son of Dharma.
97.52
Laughing, she then said to him: “Lord, in the presence of people, / how are you not ashamed, wise one, acting as befits a vulgar man?”
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Then, meditating for a moment, he remembered in his heart the darkness; / the dark magical illusion came, by which the moving and unmoving world was pervaded.
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Then she was astonished and delighted by that deed; / he, tormented by celibacy, then sported in the pleasure of a woman.
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Then she, afflicted at that very instant with the burden of pregnancy, / gave birth right there to a boy with matted hair, carrying a staff,
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holding a water-pot, tranquil, adorned with a girdle at his waist, / wearing an upper garment over his shoulder, free from the delusive power of Viṣṇu.
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Then, O son of Pṛthā, apprehensive upon seeing that sweet child, / the young girl, trembling, took refuge with the sage:
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“Protect, protect, O best of sages, Parāśara of great intellect! / To me an extraordinary son has been born, wearing a loincloth and an excellent girdle, / with a staff in hand, having matted hair, adorned with an upper garment.”
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Parāśara said: / “Do not fear; although a son is born of your own, you shall remain a maiden, / named Yojanagandhā, and your second name shall be Satyavatī.
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A king named Śaṃtanu will become your husband; / you will be his foremost queen, an ornament of the Lunar dynasty.
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Go to your own home, O fair one, remaining in your former form. / Do not feel sorrow here; the power of my knowledge has been witnessed.”
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Having spoken thus, the brāhmaṇa departed. The young girl turned to her son, / and bowing with devotion, full-length prostration, humble in modesty, [the son] spoke to his mother:
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“O mother, forgive what I say, and grant your favor; / I will make an effort to worship the Lord, O mother.”
97.64
Then, disheartened by her son's words, she spoke [these] words:
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Yojanagandhā said: / “Do not abandon me, your blameless mother, and depart today, my child; / by separation from you, my son, my death is beyond doubt.
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There is no affection equal to a son; there is no family equal to a brother; / there is no duty higher than truth; there is no sin greater than falsehood.
97.67
Born to me in my youth, you were indeed born to be my support. / I have no husband, I have no son; behold the mockery of fate!”
97.68
Vyāsa said: / “Do not feel sorrow in your heart; this is the truth that has been spoken by me. / In times of distress, O lady, I am to be remembered by you for the accomplishment of your aims.
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I will deliver you from calamities; forgive my difficult departure.” / Having spoken thus, Vyāsa departed, and that maiden also went home.
97.70
There the son of Parāśara became dejected in the middle of the forest. / At the end of the Tretāyuga and the beginning of the Dvāpara, O lord of men,
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the gods, headed by Śakra, reflected on the purpose of Vyāsa. / That son of Parāśara was announced by Nārada himself,
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born of the fisherman's daughter, wise, on the bank of the daughter of Jahnu. / Then, at the word of Nārada, the best of the gods arrived:
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Rāma, the Grandfather [Brahmā], [and] Śakra, surrounded by hosts of sages. / Having offered seats and other honors separately, they uttered: “Well done! Well done!”
97.74
By the Grandfather indeed, the boy was consecrated with rites beginning with the impregnation ceremony: / [called] Dvaipāyana because of his birth on an island, [and] Pārāśarya from Parāśara.
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Because he is a portion of Kṛṣṇa, this one named Kṛṣṇa, as Vyāsa, will arrange the Vedas. / He was consecrated again and again by Brahmā and the hosts of sages.
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"You are Vyāsa in all the worlds"—having spoken thus, the gods departed. / But a pilgrimage was undertaken by Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana.
97.77
He bathed in the Gaṅgā, and Kedāra along with Puṣkara, / and Gayā, the Naimiṣa pilgrimage place, Kurukṣetra, and the Sarasvatī.
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[He visited] Mahākāla in Ujjayinī, Somanātha in Prabhāsa; / having bathed across the earth bordered by the ocean, the great sage went on.
97.79
He reached the auspicious Narmadā, the immortal [river] born from the body of Rudra; / delighted at the sight of the Narmadā, he found peace of mind.
97.80
Resorting to the bank of the Narmadā, he practiced intense austerities: / standing amid the five fires in the summer, lying on bare ground in the rainy season,
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and standing in wet clothes during the cold season, he meditated upon Maheśvara. / Placing the Supreme Lord within the lotus of his own heart, he meditated on Him,
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the maker of creation and destruction, indivisible, the giver of boons, auspicious. / Intent on meditation, he continually worshipped the Siddheśvara liṅga.
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From the worship of the Siddha-liṅga and through the power of his yoga of meditation, / Śaṅkara became visible to Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana.
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Īśvara said: / "I am pleased with you, child; choose an excellent boon."
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Vyāsa said: / "If you are pleased with me, O Lord, if a boon is to be granted to me, / may you become visible on the bank of the Narmadā of your own accord; / and by your grace, O Lord of Umā, may I know the past and the future."
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Īśvara said: / "Let it be so for you, son, without doubt by my grace. / Won over by devotion in you, I am visible on the bank of the Narmadā.
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By virtue of half a thousandth part [of my form], I am present in your hermitage." / Having said this, the Lord departed for Kailāsa, the best of mountains.
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The marriage of Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana took place, / and so, according to the rule declared in the scriptures, he maintained his wife.
97.89
A son was born to the son of Parāśara, who had previously been childless, / and he was congratulated by all the gods headed by Indra.
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Then, on the birth of his son, there came supreme sages, Vasiṣṭha and the others, / on the occasion of a pilgrimage, headed by Parāśara:
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Manu, Atri, Viṣṇu, Hārīta, Yājñavalkya, Uśanas, Aṅgiras, / Yama, Āpastamba, Saṃvarta, Kātyāyana, and Bṛhaspati,
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thousands, hundreds of thousands, and hundreds of millions of such [sages], / along with their disciples, the illustrious ones resorted to the bank of the Narmadā.
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Pleased, they came to the auspicious and delightful hermitage of Vyāsa, O king. / Seeing those chiefs among Brahmins, he made an effort to rise [in respect].
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Having first bowed to his father, and to all [the others] in due order, / he offered them seats with devotion and presented water for the feet and the respectful offering.
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Having joined his hands in reverence, he indeed spoke these words: / 'I am uplifted, without doubt, by conversing with and worshiping you.
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Wild vegetables and forest-grown fruits— / those I will give to all of you with affection.'
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He invited them all, bowing down to each one; / then, seeing the sage Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana bowed down,
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having congratulated him with blessings of victory, they looked at one another; / and Parāśara was looked upon by all the eminent sages [as if to say]:
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'Father, let an answer be given to Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana.' / Thus addressed by all of them, the venerable Parāśara / spoke to his son Vyāsa what the sages wished to do:
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Śrī Parāśara said: / 'They do not wish to dine on the southern bank, out of fear of breaking their vow; / they desire to eat food especially at a śrāddha.'
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Vyāsa said: / 'I shall do what has been spoken by you. Please stay right here for a moment, / while I propitiate the river and perform the supreme rite.'
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Having spoken thus, being purified and standing on the bank of the Narmadā, / he immediately recited a hymn of praise; listen to it, O lord of men!
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'Victory, O venerable goddess! Salutations to the giver of boons! Victory, O destroyer of sins, giver of abundant fruits! / Victory, O bearer of the skulls of Śumbha and Niśumbha! I bow to you, O remover of the distress of gods and men!
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Victory, O bearer of the moon and the sun as eyes! Victory, O you whose excellent mouth is adorned with fire! / Victory, O supreme one dwelling in the body of Bhairava! Victory, O drier of the blood of Andhaka!
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Victory, O crusher of Mahiṣa, bearer of the trident! Victory, O remover of all the sins of the world! / Victory, O goddess revered by the Grandfather and Rāma! Victory, O one before whom the heads of Bhāskara and Śakra bow down!
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Victory, O you accompanied by the six-faced one, praised by the Lord! Victory, O you who go to the ocean, praised by Śambhu! / Victory, O destroyer of sorrow and poverty! Victory, O increaser of sons and wives!
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Victory, O goddess who wear all bodies! Victory, O revealer of heaven, remover of grief! / Victory, O destroyer of diseases, bestower of liberation! Victory, O giver of desires, best among the accomplished!
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Whoever recites this hymn composed by Vyāsa in the presence of Śiva / or at home, with a pure disposition, free from desire and anger,
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to him Vyāsa will be pleased, and pleased will be the one whose mount is the bull; / pleased will be Goddess Narmadā, who brings about the destruction of all sins.
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They do not go to the world of Yama who have praised the Narmadā on earth. / Even the Grandfather would be bewildered by the proclamation of your virtues, O goddess!
97.111
Even the Lord of Speech does not know how to describe your essential nature, O Narmadā; / how could I dare, O goddess, to comprehend your virtues?'
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Recognizing this pure disposition [of his] in actions of speech, mind, and body, / the goddess Narmadā, pleased, then spoke these words:
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'I am pleased with your true speech, O Vyāsa, great sage! / Whatever boon you wish, I shall give it all to you.'
97.114
Vyāsa said: / 'If you are pleased with me, O goddess, if a boon is to be granted to me, / you ought to give hospitality to the sages on the northern bank.'
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Narmadā said: / 'An improper thing was asked, Vyāsa, since it involves moving in the wrong direction; / not even Indra, the Moon, and Yama are able to move off course.
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Ask for another boon, my son, whatever is difficult to obtain on earth.' / Hearing these words of the goddess, Vyāsa then fell into a swoon.
97.117
Thinking, 'Useless trouble has befallen me today,' he indeed fell down; / the entire earth trembled along with its mountains, forests, and woods.
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Then, seeing Vyāsa fallen into a faint, the gods accompanied by Vāsava, / all uttering cries of 'Alas! Alas!', came there by the thousands.
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They revived Vyāsa, who was devoted to the toil of the Vedas, [saying]: / 'O best of rivers, he is distressed for the sake of Brahmins, not for his own sake!
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For the sake of cows and for the sake of Brahmins, one should instantly give up one's life!' / Thus was Narmadā addressed by Brahmā and the other best among the gods.
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Frightened, the Revā sprinkled him with her own water by means of many very cool breezes; / and the son of Satyavatī, having regained consciousness and bowed to the gods, spoke to the river:
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Vyāsa said: / 'The fruit meant to be obtained by attending upon all the pilgrimage places has, due to my ill fortune, / failed; my holy hope, O goddess, has become fruitless like the flowers of the forest to human beings.'
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Narmadā said: / 'Wherever, O noble-minded one, your mind desires to lead me on the surface of this earth, / today I will follow your path along with the Vindhya, behind the staff-bearer.'
97.124
Thus addressed, the son of Satyavatī, Vyāsa of great splendour, / caused the best of rivers to flow to the south of his hermitage.
97.125
Staff in hand, the sage of great splendour uttered the syllable 'hūṃ'; / terrified by Vyāsa's roar of 'hūṃ', she, the daughter of Rudra, moved.
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Showing the path with his staff, the goddess was set in motion there; / the goddess, having taken Vyāsa's path, was seen by [the gods] headed by Śakra.
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Then the gods together with their attendants released a shower of flowers [saying]: / 'Tell me, my son, what shall we do? We are delighted by your deed.'
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Vyāsa said: / 'Having performed extensive asceticism and having given a gift of great fruit, / people should do precisely that which brings happiness to good people.
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If you, illustrious ones, are pleased, and if I am indeed to be favoured, / therefore let all of you remain in my hermitage; there is no doubt about this.
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Hospitality with edible leaves mixed with the nectar of the Revā / has been accepted by all of you, headed by Parāśara; / all must remain in my hermitage on the northern bank of the Revā.'
97.131
Mārkaṇḍeya said: / The daily rituals of sacred baths and libations were performed by the best of the twice-born. / Then, having gone to the Vyāsakuṇḍa, an oblation was arranged by all [of them].
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With bilva fruits and bilva leaves they made offerings into the fire: / Gautama, Bhṛgu, Māṇḍavya, Nārada, and Lomaśa;
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likewise Parāśara, Śaṅkha, Kauśika, and the sage Cyavana; / Pippalāda, Vasiṣṭha, and Nāciketa of great austerities;
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Viśvāmitra, Agastya, and Uddālaka and Yama; / Śāṇḍilya, Jaimini, Kaṇva, Yājñavalkya, Uśanas, and Aṅgiras;
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Śātātapa, Dadhīci, Kapila, and Gālava; / Jaigīṣavya, Dakṣa, Bharata, and Mudgala;
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Vātsyāyana of great splendour, Saṃvarta, and Śakti; / Jātūkarṇya, Bharadvāja, the Vālakhilyas, and Āruṇi.
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Thousands of such [sages] made offerings into the fire, / rosaries turning in their hands, devoted to the yoga of meditation.
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Single-minded, all the twice-born performed the ritual of oblation at that time. / Then the liṅga arose, bestowing liberation and destroying disease.
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Seeing the indivisible, supreme God, Vyāsa was overjoyed. / The gods showered flowers, and the best of the twice-born bestowed blessings.
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Prostrating with all eight limbs upon seeing the three-eyed Lord, / Vyāsa honoured the brāhmaṇas with vegetables, roots, and fruits.
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All the twice-born were fed, beginning with [offerings to] the ancestors, O son of Pāṇḍu. / Then, having bestowed meritorious blessings, the brāhmaṇas departed once more.
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From that time forth, that pilgrimage place has been called 'Vyāsa' by the wise.
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Yudhiṣṭhira said: / Tell me all the religious merit of the Vyāsa pilgrimage place, / and the rite of sacred bath and gift, and at what time it yields great fruit.
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The venerable Mārkaṇḍeya said: / I shall tell you everything, O Pāṇḍava, together with your brothers. / In the bright half of Kārttika, on the fourteenth day, having controlled one's senses,
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a person who fasts with devotion and keeps vigil at night, / should bathe Īśvara with devotion using honey, milk, and clarified butter,
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and curd mixed with sugar candy, and further with kuśa grass water. / He should smear the Supreme Lord with fragrant sandalwood paste.
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Then he should worship with fragrant flowers and bilva leaves, / with mucukunda, kunda, and flowers of kuśa and jasmine,
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with flowers of thorn-apple and sage, and with other seasonal flowers; / he should worship Dvīpeśvara, the unexcelled, with supreme devotion.
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The Supreme Lord is pleased by the gift of sugarcane stalks: / by the gift of eight stalks, a sin acquired over a day is removed;
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and [sin] acquired over a month is destroyed with one hundred and eight stalks; / [sin] of six months with a thousand, and of a whole year with twice that many.
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Sin incurred since birth is destroyed with ten thousand; / with twice that, disease is destroyed; with three times that, wealth accrues.
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With six times [that amount], one becomes eloquent; with twice that, perfected; / and with one million, one attains Rudra-hood; of this there is no doubt.
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On the full moon day, O best of kings, one should take a sacred bath with devotion / according to the rite prescribed by the mantras, which destroys all sins:
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the watery, the fiery, and the brāhma bath that yields imperishable [merit]; / the wise person should duly offer libations to the gods, the ancestors, and men.
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With a Ṛc verse one obtains the religious merit born of the Ṛgveda; with a Sāman, the fruit of the Sāmaveda; / with a Yajus, [the fruit] of the Yajurveda; with the Gāyatrī, one attains everything.
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And one should recite an imperishable mantra, either dedicated to the Sun or to Śiva, / or the Vaiṣṇava mantra known as the twelve-syllabled one.
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With devotion one should worship brāhmaṇas who are endowed with all good qualities, / brāhmaṇas faithful to their own wives and free from deceit and greed.
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Those who follow a deviant livelihood, the sinful, the fallen, those serving Śūdras, / those who have taken Śūdra women as wives, and he in whose house there is a Śūdra woman,
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backbiters, the wicked, those intent on censuring their teacher, / those prone to hating the Veda, sophists, and hypocrites—
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such men one must avoid in ancestral rites, gifts, and all observances. / A well-restrained brāhmaṇa, even if he knows only the essence of the Gāyatrī, is preferable;
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not an unrestrained knower of the four Vedas who eats everything and sells everything. / One should worship such [restrained] brāhmaṇas with gifts of food and gold.
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He who gives shoes, clothes, a bed, an umbrella, or a seat / to a brāhmaṇa with devotion, is glorified in heaven.
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An actual milch cow should be given there, or a symbolic cow made of water, of clarified butter, / or of sesame seeds, and likewise buffaloes.
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He who gives a black antelope skin, he who gives sesame seeds and clarified butter, / he who gives a maiden or a sacred book, attains an imperishable world.
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One who desires heaven should have a pair of draught-bullocks given, complete with hooves, / together with grain and farming implements; this is the truth spoken by me.
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With a thread one should encircle the island, or the auspicious plinth, / or the temple with supreme devotion, or indeed the Supreme Lord.
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A human who performs circumambulation there according to rule, / [encircles] the continents named Jambu and Plakṣa, and the other, Śālmali, O king,
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as well as Kuśa, Krauñca, Kāśa, and Puṣkara as the seventh— / surrounded by seven oceans, they are encircled by him, O Bhārata.
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At Dvīpeśvara, O great king, one should also have a bull set free; / by means of a reddish-brown bull, he attains the world of Maheśvara.
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One who is pale on the face, forehead, and feet, / and bright white on the tail, is indeed a revealer of heaven.
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Such a one is called 'dark blue' (nīla); whoever releases him at Dvīpeśvara, / he dwells in heaven for as many years as the count of hairs, O Bhārata.
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He enjoys at will, O king, the solar world, the Śāṅkara, / the Vairañca, and the Vaiṣṇava in succession, through the power of the Vyāsatīrtha.
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Then, one should worship a Brahmin along with his wife there with devotion; / whoever gives white and red garments to the first-born,
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having made circumambulation of the couple, [praying,] 'May the Teacher of the World be pleased with me'— / there is no relative equal to a Brahmin in this world and in the next,
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who protects one falling into the terrible realm of Yama. / One who knows the itihāsas and purāṇas, is devoted to Viṣṇu, and has conquered his senses,
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one should worship with supreme devotion, or especially a chanter of the Sāmaveda. / And those who, remaining at home, remember Dvīpeśvara with devotion,
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to them comes no grief, no loss, and no wrongdoing. / One should first worship there the Siddheśvara liṅga, and then [the others],
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where the highly fortunate Vyāsa, son of Satyavatī, attained perfection; / by worshiping this very [liṅga], the wise serpent Dhārā attained perfection.
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Whoever gives up his life at that pilgrimage place, O king, / breaking through the realm of the sun, goes into the presence of Śiva.
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Seven thousand years [in heaven] for [death in] water, ten plus one in fire, sixteen for falling [from a precipice], / sixty in a great battle, eighty in recovery of cattle, and by fasting to death, O descendant of Bharata, the state is imperishable.
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The father, paternal grandfather, and likewise the paternal great-grandfather, / reduced to wind, watch for one born in their lineage who comes [there]:
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“Who is the son in our family who will offer us water with sesame seeds, / especially on the full moon of Kārttika, or likewise on that of Vaiśākha?
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And we shall attain heaven from serving that pilgrimage place.” / All this about the unsurpassed Dvīpeśvara has been told to you.
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Whoever reads or listens with supreme devotion, focused on it, O king, / even he, freed from sins, rejoices in the abode of Śiva.
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The highest of sages made it the barren soil [that burns the seeds of sin] of all pilgrimage places; / Vyāsatīrtha grants desires, O best of kings, without a doubt.
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|| Thus ends the ninety-seventh chapter, named “Description of the Glorification of Vyāsatīrtha,” in the Revākhaṇḍa of the fifth part, the Āvantyakhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, a compendium of eighty-one thousand [verses].
97.185.p2
RKV Chapter 98
Linked texts (1)
- Revākhaṇḍa (Vāyupurāṇa) — Sanskrit