The Fruit of Ablution in Different Holy Centres

1. О woman of beautiful thighs, henceforth I shall recount to you the benefit of ablution in Ganga on special occasions. Listen attentively.

2. The man who continuously takes bath in the Ganga in the month of Magha shall stay in the world of Indra (i.e. heaven) for a long time along with all the members of his family.

3-4. Thereafter, he goes to the city of god Brahma and stays there for hundreds and crores of Kalpas. The man who continuously takes bath duly in the Ganga for six months taking meals only once a day, or the man who takes bath once in the Ganga during Uttarayana (northern transit of the sun) goes to Vishnu’s region, redeeming hundred members of his family.

5. The man who takes bath in the waters of the Ganga in the course of all the Sankrantis (transits of the sun from one sign of the zodiac to another) goes to the abode of Vishnu, seated in chariot having the lustre of the sun.

6. There have been announced (in scriptures) special benefits (in taking baths) during the equinoxes and tropical transits. They know that the benefit of ablution in the Ganga during the month of Karttika is like that of performing a penance.

7. О MohinI, the lotus-seated deity (god) Brahma and others say that the holy dip in the Ganga when the sun enters the Aries or on the full moon day in the month of Karttika is superior to the holy bath during the month of Magha.

8. Your father has stated that the benefit of ablution for the whole of the year is obtained if the bath is taken on the Aksaya tithi (i.e. third day in the bright half of Vaisakha), the month of Karttika or the month of Vaisakha.

9. О wife of my Yajya, the benefit obtained by taking bath in the course of the three months (i.e. Magha, Karttika and Vaisakha) is the same as that of the bath in the Ganga water on the Manvadi days and the Yugadi days (i.e. days marking the anniversary of Manvantaras and Yugas).

10. Rare indeed is a holy bath in the Ganga when Sravana constellation coincides with Dvadasi, or Pusya star is in conjunction with AstamI (eighth day) or the Ardra star is in conjunction with Caturdas! (fourteenth day) of the lunar fortnight.

11. The full moon day in the month of Vaisakha is highly meritorious; so also in the months of Karttika and Magha. Rare indeed are the new moon days in these months for the holy bath in the Ganga.

12a. If the merit in all the Parvans is hundred-fold, that on the AstamI day in the dark half (of Bhadrapada) is a thousandfold.

12b-14. О Chaste lady, on the New Moon day and the eighth day in the dark half of the month of Magha, there is a special hundredfold merit. There is the Ardhodaya Parva on the New moon day of Magha and when there is a slight deficiency (when one of the requirements for the Ardhodaya Parva is lacking), there is the Mahodaya Parva. The bath at Mahodaya Parva yields hundred-fold merits, whilst that at the time of the Ardhodaya Parva is stated as yielding a hundred thousand-fold benefit in merits. О gentle lady, if the bath is taken in the waters of the Ganga during the eclipse of the sun or the moon, it yields high benefits. If the bath is taken in the months of Phalguna and Asadha, it has the benefit of ablution for three months.

15. If the bath is taken in the Ganga devoutly, when the constellation under which one is bom, occurs on the day, sins accumulated since one’s birth are annihilated.

16. For taking ablutions in the Ganga, rare indeed is the Yoga (specific astronomical period) called Vyatlpata on the fourteenth day in the dark half of the month of Magha; so also is rare the Vaidhrti Yoga especially on the Krishnasfam! (the eighth day in the dark half of Bhadrapada.)

17-18a. If a man takes bath every day at dawn throughout the month of Magha in accordance with the injunctions, he shall become Jatismara (one who can recall incidents of the previous births). He shall certainly become perfectly conversant with the scriptural topics and also free from ailments.

According to the Mbh. quoted in the Nirpaya Sindhu 211, when there is Sravapa Nakfatra and Vyatipata yoga on the new Moon day of Pau?a (accord!n to Amanta reckoning) or Magha (according to PQrpimanta reckoning which the NP follows), that is called Ardhodaya. When one of above requirements is absent it becames Mahodaya — Parva-Kriyasara-Samu- ccaya, p. 30.

There are two types of Vyatipdtas: (1) The one in the dark half is the New Moon day on Sunday, the moon being on the first quarter of any of the followingNakfatras — As'vini, Sravaga, Dhanishtha, Ashlesha. (ii) The second is on the 12th day, the day’s Naksatra being Hasta, the planets Jupiter and Mars in the Leo and the Sun in the Aries.

+ Vaidhrti is the 27th Yoga similar to Vyatlpata, with a difference (ttide SHrya Siddhanta XI. I)

18b-20a. If a man willingly takes bath in the Ganga during the days of transit, during the last days of the fortnights and during the eclipses of the sun and the moon, he shall attain the abode of Brahma. The benefit of the (bath at the time of Lunar eclipse is a hundred thousand times and that at the time of the solar eclipse is ten times that. But if it is performed on the banks of the Ganga, the benefit of the lunar eclipse is a crore times and that of the solar eclipse is ten times that.

20b-c. If the thirteenth day in the dark half of the month of Chaitra accompanied by the constellation pertaining to Varuna viz. Sata-bhisaj is obtained in the Ganga, it is their equal to hundreds of solar eclipses.

21. It was on the tenth day in the bright half of the month of Jyestha, when the day of the week was Tuesday and the constellation was Hasta, that Ganga descended to the mortal world. On that Tithi, Ganga dispels sins. It yields merits hundred times those of horse sacrifices.

22. (The devotee must say thus) “O Ganga, I have come on the day of Govinda Dvadasi, dispel the multitudes of great sins that I have.”

23-24. When the constellation is Magha and it is the full moon day and the moon and Jupiter are in the same zodiac, that Tithi is stated to be great. If the day is obtained in the Ganga (i.e. if the ablution in the Ganga is possible on that day) it is on a par with hundreds of solar eclipses.

Henceforth, the benefit of the holy dip (in Tirthas) in different lands is being mentioned:

25.1 Bath in the Ganga may be taken anywhere at random; it has ten times the benefit (if taken at) Kurukshetra; in the place where it is associated with the Vindhya, it has hundred times the benefit of Kurukshetra.

26-27. The Ganga at the city of KasI has the merit hundred times than that of Vindhya. The Ganga is difficult of access everywhere. In three places it is all the more so, viz. in Gangadvara, in Prayaga and at the place where it meets with the ocean. Those who take bath in these places go to heaven. Those who die here are not reborn, (i.e. attain Moksha)

28. Listen to the meritorious benefit of ablution in the Ganga at Gangadvara, and Kugavarta. It is the same as that of seven Rajasiiya sacrifices or two horse- sacrifices.

29. Learned men know that by residing there for half a month, one derives the benefit of six ‘Visvajit’ sacrifices or that of the charitable gift of a hundred thousand cows.

30. By worshipping etc. Lord Vishnu at the excellent lake (Kusavarta) and god Rudra who abides at Kanakhala or by taking bath into the Ganga at these places, one attains inexhaustible fund of merits.

31. О auspicious lady, listen. There is the highly meritorious holy centre named Saukara wherein formerly Acyuta manifested himself in the form of a Divine Boar.

32. By visiting this holy centre and bathing therein a man attains the benefit of a hundred ‘Agnicit sacrifices (Agnihotras) or two Jyotistomas or a thousand Agnistomas.

33. If a man takes bath there itself in the Tirtha of Brahma, he obtains the merit of ten thousand Jyotistomas and three-horse sacrifices.

34. О MohinI, the Tirtha (holy centre) named Kubja is a pure one. All ailments perish here. So also the sins committed throughout life, perish there.

35. There is another Tirtha here called Kapila. О auspicious lady, a man who takes bath here derives a benefit equal to that of religious gift of eighty thousand Kapila (tawny-coloured) cows.

36. By taking holy dip in Ganga-Dvara Kusavarta, Bilvaka, Nllaparvata and in Kanakhala, a man shakes off his sins and attains heaven.

37. Thereafter is the holy centre designated as cPavitra\ It is the most excellent of all excellent Tlrthas. By taking holy dip there, a man obtains the benefit of two ‘Visvajit sacrifices.

38. Thereafter is the holy centre called Venlrajya where the highly meritorious Sarayu joins the holy Ganga like a sister meeting with her sister.

39. The Ganga has become the celestial river inasmuch as it washes the right foot of Hari resembling a lotus. The SarayQ born of the Manasa lake originates from his left foot.

40. Worshipping Rudra or Vishnu in that holy centre the worshipper shall attain oneness with Vishnu. The holy dip there is glorified as yielding the benefit of five horse- sacrifices.

41. Thereafter is the holy centre Gandaka and (the river) Gandaki flow there (in the Ganga). The charitable gift of a thousand cows and the holy dip there — both are equal.

42-44a. Thereafter is the holy centre Ramatlrtha. Vaikuntha is near it. Thereafter is the holy centre Somatlrtha, where sage Nakula worshipped and meditated on Shiva and attained a position as the attendant of Shiva. Then there is the meritorious holy centre Gampaka where the Ganga flows in a northerly direction. It is equal to Manikarnika and is destructive of great sins.

44b-45a. Thereafter is the holy centre Kalala. Sage Agastya born of a Kalasa (pot) worshipped Rudra there and became an excellent sage.

45b-46a. The holy centre Somadvlpa is highly meritorious and is equal to Varanasi. Soma (the moon) worshipped Isa (Rudra)there and so was held by him on his head.

46b-47a. ViSvamitra’s sister, Satyavati (?) mingled with the Ganga there. The man who takes holy dip there, shall be the favourite guest of Indra.

Though the SarayQ rises in the mountains of Kumaun, according to a legend in the Mbh-AnuSasana 155.23-24, while the GahgQ was going to Kailasa, Vasisflia brought her to the Manasa lake. But the Ganga broke the bank of the lake and flowed forth. Hence it came to be known as the sarayu: saro bhinnas tayd nadyd sarqyuh sd tato'bhavat / Ibid 24a.

Prob. at Jahnu's Aaama at Sultangunj to the west of Bhagalpur B.C. Law (Historical Geography of Ancient India, p. 223.

47b-52a. О Mohini, the man who takes holy dip in the great Tirtha called Jahnuhrada certainly becomes the redeemer of twentyone generations of his family. Thereafter is the holy centre called Adititirtha. It was here tnat Aditi bore Hari to Kasyapa. О blessed lady, they say that the holy dip there is Mahodaya (having great rise) (i.e. yielding great results). Then there is the great holy centre called Siloccaya where people perform penance and go to heaven. Even the grasses there, in view of their being supported by a number of holy centre attain heaven. Thereafter is the holy centre called Indrani Tirtha where Indram performed penance and obtained Indra as her husband. This holy centre must be resorted to like Prayaga. Then there is the holy centre Snataka that yields merits. It was here that Visvamitra performed penance and although he was a Kshatriya, he derived the status of a Brahmana sage by resorting to the holy centre.

52b-54. Then the holy centre Pradyumna Tirtha is famous. By means of his penance here, Kama became the son of Hari by the name Pradyumna. Thereafter is the holy centre Daksaprayaga which is very great and which yields great prosperity. This extends from Ganga to Yamuna (?) By taking the holy dip therein ever-lasting merit is obtained as one gets at Prayaga.

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