History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c74.51

v5.c74.51

The Brahmapurāṇa classifies tīrthas into four divisions¹²⁷⁵ viz. daiva (created by gods), āsura (those associated with such asuras as Gaya), ārṣa (those established by sages) such as Prabhāsa, Naranārāyaṇa and mānuṣa (created by kings like Ambarīṣa, Manu, Kuru) and provides that each preceding one is superior to each succeeding one. It enumerates six rivers to the south of the Vindhya and six rivers having their sources in the Himālayas as most holy and as devatīrthas, viz. Godāvarī, Bhīmarathī, Tungabhadrā, Veṇikā, Tāpī, Payoṣṇī, Bhāgīrathī, Narmadā, Yamunā, Sarasvatī, Visokā, and Vitastā. Similarly, Kāśī, Puṣkara and Prabhāsa are devatīrthas (Tīrthapr. p 18). The Brahmapurāṇa (175. 31-32) assigns daiva, āsura, ārṣa and mānuṣa tīrthas respectively to the Kṛta, Tretā, Dvāpara and Kali yugas.