Ratnagriva Goes on a Pilgrimage to Purushottama

1-5. Having heard the highly amazing words of the bhillas and thinking that it was a great wonder, I was delighted. Having bathed at the confluence of Ganga and the ocean, with my body rendered auspicious, I climbed up the peak, variegated with gems and rubies. O great king, there I saw the god saluted by gods and others. I had become blessed by saluting him and by having eaten the food (from the offering). Due to having seen the lord Vishnu, I obtained the four-armed condition, marked with a conch, a disc etc. (and) did not enter a womb again (i.e. did not have rebirth). O king, you too quickly go to the mountain called Nila, and make yourself blessed and free from the agony of remaining in the womb (i.e. being born).

6. Having heard these words of the intelligent best brahmana, he, with his body delighted, asked the sage, the manner in which the pilgrimage (was to be undertaken). The king said:

7-8. O good one, O best brahmana, O sinless one, you have nicely described to me the greatness of the lord which destroys the sins of those who listen to it. Tell me the mode of the pilgrimage, along with (i.e. as told in) the scriptures. By whichmode would men obtain the entire fruit? The brahmana said:

9-16. O king listen, I shall tell you the auspicious mode of pilgrimage by means of which the god saluted by gods and demons, is obtained. Even if one's body is wrinkled (and) grey or one is endowed with youth, one should, realising death to be insurmountable, submit oneself to Hari. One should put one's heart into narration about him, listening about him, saluting and worshipping him, and not anywhere else like woman etc. Realising that everything is perishable and momentary and very painful, a man who somehow greatly worships Vishnu who is beyond birth and death, to whom devotion is dear, and who is infallible, (even) through anger, desire of carnal gratification, fear, hatred or greed, does not experience unhappiness. That Vishnu is reached through the sinless contact with the good. That which the good, with their attachment ceased and free from desire and greed, say, keeps one away from the worldly existence. Due to their grace men become free from unhappiness. At the holy places is found a good man highly devoted to Ramachandra, whose sight is the fire burning the heaps of men's sins.

17-18a. Therefore, a man, afraid of the mundane existence, should always visit the holy places, having holy water and adorned with the rows of good people. The holy places, properly visited, destroy sins.

18b-20. O best king, listen to the mode (of visiting them). First a man should create in himself detachment from his wife and (other) members of his family. Knowing (all) that to be unreal, he should mentally recollect Vishnu. Having gone from there to a distance of a krosa uttering (the name) 'Rama, Rama', he should, knowing the (proper) way, having bathed at the holy places, get himself shaved.

21-23. The sins of men visiting holy places, go (with them) resorting to their hair. Therefore, one should get shaved. Then a man, free from greed and having put on the dress proper for a holy place, should hold a staff, a knotless garment, a pitcher and a piece of deer-skin. A special fruit is obtained by those men who go there according to the proper mode. Therefore, with all efforts a man should go through the rite of pilgrimage.

24-30. He whose hands, feet, and mind are well controlled, and who has knowledge, penance and fame, obtains the fruit of (a visit to) the holy places. The very lucky man, saying with his tongue 'O Hari, O Krishna, O Hari, O Krishna, O you to whom your devotees are dear, O you lord of senses, O you fit to be resorted to, O revered one, O Vishnu, protect me from the many (births in) the worldly life,'and mentally recollecting Hari, should visit a holy place on foot. A man going in a vehicle would obtain equal fruit. A man (going to a holy place) with his shoes on would obtain one fourth fruit, and the fruit obtained by killing a cow by going in a vehicle (to which) bulls (are yoked). A usurer obtains one third of the fruit, and a man gets one eighth by serving (i.e. one who serves others gets one eighth part of the religious merit). A man going to a holy place reluctantly would obtain half the fruit. A man should visit holy places properly. His sins perish, especially by observing the (proper) rites. There he should salute the good men by resorting to their feet etc. By that devotion to Hari, Purushottama, is secured.

31-33. Thus I have told you in brief and not in detail, the mode of visiting the holy places. Resorting to this mode go to Purushottama (i.e. Vishnu). Acyuta (i.e. Vishnu) being pleased (with you), O great king, will give (i.e. bring about) devotion to (i.e. in) you, so that in a moment there will be the end of the mundane existence. O best man, having heard the mode of visiting holy places, which destroys all sins, a man is freed from all severe sins. Sumati said:

34-35. The great one, having heard these words, and with his mind agitated through curiosity to see that holy place, saluted his feet, and ordered his minister, an excellent counsellor. Desiring to visit the sacred place, he decided to take all persons with him. (He said to the minister:)

36-38. "O minister, at my behest, advise all the citizens: 'The best men, who live in my city, who obey my orders, should move with me out of my city to please (Vishnu) by seeing the lotus-like feet of (that) Purushottama (i.e. Vishnu); but those sinful men, of irreligious intentions, who, violating my words (i.e. my order) stay (back) in their houses, should be punished with Yama's (i.e. capital) punishment.

39-42a. What is the use of that host of sons or those relatives of bad conduct who have not seen with their eyes Purushottama who gives religious merit? The birth of them whose sons and grandsons have not sought the shelter of Vishnu, is like that of a herd of pigs eating excretion. O multitudes of my subjects, quickly salute that god who by merely his name (being uttered) is capable of purifying all.'" Such charming words strung together with the virtue of the lord (were uttered by him).

42b-45. His chief minister Uttama, having the true name (i.e. true to his name), was much delighted. Having put (the announcer) on an excellent elephant he proclaimed by means (of the sound) of the drum: "Since it is ordered by the king desiring to go on a pilgrimage, all people should quickly go with the king to the great mountain. They should see there (the lord) having the name Purushottama and destroying sins. They should make (i.e. look upon) the entire ocean of the worldly existence (just as) a small puddle."

46-54. The minister, whose fatigue was removed by meditation upon the feet of Raghunatha (i.e. Rama) made such a wonderful proclamation as ordered by the king. Hearing it, all the subjects swimming in the fluid of joy, decided to emancipate themselves by seeing Purushottama. Brahmanas, well-dressed and accompanied by their disciples, and giving a blessing rich with boons to the king, then moved out. Brave ksatriyas holding bows, vaisyas graceful due to sale of objects, shudras with their bodies delighted due to crossing the worldly existence, washermen, lovely shoe-makers, kiratas, wall-builders, those who lived on a needle (i.e. tailors), those who dealt in tambula, those who kept musical instruments, those who subsisted on dyeing, the sellers of oil and the sellers of garments, bards, panegyrists, heralds full of delight and narrating old accounts moved out by the king's order. Those who knew the sweet taste of food, those who amused (others) with words causing laughter, magicians, vidyadharas, those who were proficient in intelligence, praising the great king went out of the city.

55-60. The king too, having finished the rites like the morning prayer, brought (there) the brahmana, the best ascetic and extremely pure. By his order the king went out of the city. The king, followed by people, shone like the moon with stars. He went over just a krosa, and getting himself shaved, held a staff and a water-pot, and wore an auspicious (deer-)hide. He had put on an auspicious dress and was engrossed in meditation on Vishnu. He, of a great glory, had his mind free from passion and anger. At that time the musicians repeatedly beat large kettledrums, large military drums, and played upon other musical instruments, (blew) conches, and (played upon) lutes. People saying, 'O lord of gods, O you who removegrief, O you who are known as Purushottama, show me your body', went out (of the city).

1-11. Then, when the king, accompanied by all people proceeded (to Nilagiri), he, the great king, heard on the way the narration of Krishna, of Govinda, sung by distinguished singers, the devotees of Vishnu: "Victory to you, O Madhava, O you Purushottama, who are fit to protect." On his way he visited many holy places and saw their greatness. From the ascetic brahmana he heard about their greatness. The king, with his mind amused with diverse accounts of Vishnu, made the singers sing about Vishnu on every path (that he took). The great, intelligent king whose senses were restrained, gave gifts to the helpless, blind, poor, lame persons, as desired by them. Very much devoted to the meditation on Vishnu, he, making himself auspicious and free from passion by means of visiting many holy places, went (on the pilgrimage) with his own people. The king while going saw ahead the river which destroys sins, which contained stones marked with discs, which was pure like the sages' minds, which was adorned with many rows of the hosts of many sages, which looked beautiful with the cooings of birds like the cranes. Having seen it, he asked the ascetic, the best brahmana who knew piety and who was full of the special knowledge of the significance of many holy places: "O lord, what is this auspicious river, resorted to by hosts of sages and making my heart full of joy?" Hearing these words of the intelligent king of kings, the learned (brahmana) commenced narrating the excellent significance of the holy places. The brahmana said:

12-22. O king, this is river Gandaki which is resorted to by gods and demons, which is overflowing with holy water, and which destroys heaps of sins. She would burn mental sin by means of her sight (i.e. when she is seen), would burn the sin committed by means of deeds by to her touch, and would burn the heap of sins committed through words by means of her water being drunk. Formerly the lord of the beings (i.e. Brahma), seeing all the beings to be sinful, produced this (river), the destroyer of many sins from the drops on his cheeks. Those men who, even though they have committed sins, touch this river having holy water and beautiful ripples, do not obtain a womb (i.e. are not reborn). The stones found in this river and adorned with the marks of disc, are actually great forms of the lord himself. A man who would everyday worship the stone with a disc (on it), would never enter the womb of a mother (i.e. would never be reborn). An intelligent man who would (like to) worship the excellent salagrama stone, must be of good conduct, and free from religious hypocrisy and greed. A man averse to the wife of someone else and to the wealth of others, should carefully worship the salagrama with the disc (on it). The disc born (i.e. found) in DvaravatI and the stone born (i.e. found) in GandakI, destroy in a moment men's sins earned during a hundred existences. Even if a man would have committed a thousand sins, he would be purified by drinking the water of (i.e. flowing from) a salagrama. A brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya or siidra householder, who is on the path of the Vedas (i.e. behaves according to the Vedic injunctions), would obtain salvation on worshipping a salagrama.

23-27. A woman should never worship a salagrama. If a woman who is a widow or whose husband is alive, who desires her well-being in heaven, touches through ignorance a salagrama, she would, even though she is endowed with good character and virtues, be deprived of her collection of religious merit and would quickly go to hell. The best brahmanas say that flowers dropped from the hands of women on salagrama stones are more (powerful) than the fall of Indra's thunderbolt. The sandal offered to the lord by a woman would be like poison, a flower offered by her would be like Indra's thunderbolt, and offering of eatables made by a woman to the lord would resembJe the deadly poison. Therefore, a woman should, by all means, avoid touching the (salagrama) stone. She who touches it, goes to (and lives in) the hell as long as fourteen Indras (rule).

28-38. Even a man of a sinful conduct or having (the sin of) a brahmana's murder goes to the highest position on drinking the water of (i.e. flowing from) a salagrama stone. Tulasi, sandal, water, a conch, a bell, a disc, a (salagrama) stone, a copper-pot and Vishnu's names are the nectar from (Vishnu's) feet. The tranquil sages, proficient in all sacred works, say that the nectar from (Vishnu's) feet (obtained) through these nine, burns the heaps of sins. O king, all the wonderful religious merit obtained by bathing at all places and by performing all (kinds of) sacrifices is present in each drop (of Gandaki). Within (a radius of) a yojana a crore of sacred places exist, where the s'alagrama stone is worshipped by best men. Even s'alagrama stones should be worshipped; not the double ones among the even ones. The uneven ones also should be worshipped; but not the triple among the uneven ones. (A salagrama with) a disc is (found) in Dvaravati, so also in Gandaki. Ganga flows into the ocean where the two meet. The dry ones make man bereft of (long) life, prosperity and power. Therefore the glossy and of a charming form give prosperity. A man who desires a (long) life, so also a man longing for wealth (who) worships (them), obtains all (bliss) in the next world and in this world. O king, it is (only in the case) of a lucky person that he has Vishnu's auspicious name in his mouth, and the salagrama stone near him in his heart. (Even) at the time of the departing of the soul, he who has a sight of the salagrama stone even while relaxing, undoubtedly gets salvation.

39-44. Formerly the lord told the intelligent Ambarlsa: "Brahmanas, those who have renounced the worldly ties and smooth salagrama stones — these three are my forms taken by (the lord) that appear to destroy the sins of the sinners on the globe. Those sinners who (even) once censure the salagrama stone, are cooked in the Kumbhipaka (hell) till deluge. The mother, the father, the groups of relatives of that foolish man who prohibits a man on the point of worshipping (a s'alagrama stone), rot in hell. He who tells (others), 'Offer the dearest worship to salagrama,' being blessed, quickly takes his ancestors to Vaikuntha." In this case only the sages free from attachment and lust and anger tell an ancient (piece of) history:

45-54. Formerly in a country, void of piety, called Kikata, lived a man called Sabara, belonging to the pulkasa caste. He was always bent on killing beings; he again and again held his bow. He forcibly took away the life of those who desired to go on a pilgrimage. He killed many animals; he was always interested in others' wealth. He was always full of attachment etc. and of lust and anger. He who killed animals ceaselessly, roamed in a fearful forest. He was free in (i.e. he freely drew) the bowstring to which an arrow, to the tip of which poison was applied, was fixed. That hunter, dangerous to every being, and of a cruel mind, was once roaming. He did not realize that death had approached him. Yama's dark, fearful messengers, having red hair, long nails and long fangs, with nooses and mallets in their hands, holding iron chains and causing confusion, arrived (there). (They said to one another:) "(You may) fasten this sinner causing fear to every being. He never assisted any being even mentally (i.e. He never even thought of helping any being). He is always attached to others' wives, wealth, and is always given to cheating others." One said: "Therefore I shall draw out his big tongue." One said: "I shall take out his eyes" One said: "I shall cut off the hands of this sinner." Another said: "I shall cut off the ears of this wicked one."

55-61. Saying so, and gnawing their teeth, the furious messengers with weapons (in their hands) stood by the wicked one. Then one messenger took the form of a serpent and bit (him) on the foot. As soon as he was bitten, he was dead. Then those servants of Yama tied him with an iron chain, and angrily hit him with whips and struck him with mallets. (They said to him:) "O vicious one, O scoundrel,you never acted well even mentally. So we shall throw you in the Raurava hell. Fearful crows will angrily eat up your skin and flesh. (Right) from your birth you have not served Vishnu. You well maintained your wife and sons by cheating them. You never remembered Vishnu who removes sins. Therefore, by Yama's order we beating you very much shall take you (and put you on) an iron pike (or put you into) Kumbhipaka and Raurava."

62-64a. When, after speaking thus, they desired to take him, a man, devoted to the feet of great Vishnu came there. That noble follower of Vishnu then saw the groups of the wicked (messengers of Yama) holding malicious weapons like nooses, mallets and staffs. They were ready to take (away) the pulkasa after having bound him with iron chains.

64b-70. They said (to one another): "Bind him, bind him, destroy him, tear him, break him, break him." Then that kind man, very much devoted to Vishnu, having seen him, made his heart extremely compassionate towards him. (He thought to himself): 'Let this very wicked one not suffer affliction in my presence. Today only I shall free him from Yama's messengers.' Thinking thus and being full of pity for him the best sage took a salagrama stone and went near him. Putting the water (flowing) from his (i.e. Vishnu's) feet and mixed with Tulasl-leaf, he put it into his mouth and muttered the epithets of Rama into his ear. That devotee of Vishnu put the Tulasl(-leaf) on his head and the (salagrama) stone of great Vishnu on his chest, and said: "Let Yama's messengers, very much given to torture, go. Let the touch of the salagrama stone burn the great sin."

71-78. When he spoke like this, the very wonderful attendants of Vishnu came to the proximity of him whose sin had gone (away) by the touch of the (salagrama) stone. They who had put on yellow garments, who were adorned with conches, discs, maces and lotuses, came (there) and freed him from the unassailable iron chain. Having freed that pulkasa man who had committed great sins, he said: "Why have you bound this Vishnu's devotee who has a respectable body? Whose orders do you who act unrighteously obey? Release this devotee of Vishnu. Why have you held him up?" Hearing these words, the servants of Yama said: "By Yama's order we are ready to take (away) this sinner. He has not, even mentally, helped any being. This one, having a vicious body, committing great sins like killing animals, has plundered many people going on a pilgrimage. He is always interested in others' wives, and has done the largest number of sins. Therefore, we have come to take (away) this sinful pulkasa. Why have you got him released through warriors that have suddenly arrived?" Vishnu's messengers said:

79-86a. A touch of the salagrama stone burns (just) in a moment all that sin due to killing a brahmana and due to the murder of a crore of beings. As a particle of fire burns cotton, in the same way the name of Rama, even if casually heard, burns sins. He, on whose head there is a Tulasi (-leaf), on whose chest there is the charming (salagrama) stone, and who has Rama's name either in his mouth or ear, is released just then only.

Therefore, formerly he had held Tulasi(-leaf) on his head; he was made to hear Rama's name, and he well held the (salagrama) stone on his head. By that the heap of his sins was burnt, and his body has become auspicious. He will go to the highest position which is very difficult to be obtained by sinner >. Having for a myriad years enjoyed al! charming pleasures there, he obtains birth in Bharata, and having worshipped the lord of the world, he will obtain the highest place difficult to be obtained by god^ and demons. The importance of the (salagrama) stone of (i.e. representing) Vishnu is not known. When seen, touched or worshipped, it removes all sins in a moment.

86b-92a. Saying so all the attendants of Vishnu ceased (speaking) gladly. Those servants of Yaraa told that wonderful (account) to the king. The devotee of Vishnu, solely devoted to Raghunatha, became delighted. He, being free from Yama's noose, will go to the highest position. At that time a beautiful, very wonderful aeroplane, decorated with a number of bells, came (there) from the world of gods. Having got into it, he went to heaven resorted to by very auspicious (souls). Having enjoyed many pleasures (there) he went to (i e. was born on) the earth. Having obtained a birth in a good brahmana family in KasI, and having worshipped the lord cf worlds he went to the highest position. He, due to the company of the good, touched the salagrama stone, got free from great affliction, and went to the highest place.

92b-93. O king, I have narrated to you the important account of Gandaki. Having listened to it, a man is freed from sins and obtains pleasures and salvation.

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