Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.3905

c9.3905

According to the words of Nārada the five celestial maids walked to the south and reached the Pañcatīrtha (the five holy baths) and each of them entered a lake as a crocodile. After this nobody dared to live near those holy baths. After some time Arjuna started on his pilgrimage. He passed through many places and reached the Pañcatīrtha. He enquired why the place was forsaken by people. The hermits told him that there was a crocodile in each of the five baths and that they would eat anybody who got into the bath. Arjuna got into a lake. Immediately a crocodile came and caught hold of him. With great difficulty he dragged it out of the lake. Instantly the crocodile changed into a beautiful damsel. The celestial maid Vargā told the amazed Arjuna her story and she had that four friends were lying in the neighbouring four lakes. Arjuna redeemed every one of them. After this, Vargā and her friends went to Devāraṇya and Arjuna to Maṇalūra. From that day onwards the five tīrthas came to be known as Nāritīrthas.