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retreat of the Pitris, and also in that which is known by the name of Vaivaswata, one becomes cleansed of all one's sins and |
becomes as pure and sanctified as a tirtha. Repairing to Brahmasaras as also to the Bhagirathi and bathing there and offering |
oblations to the Pitris every day for a full month, abstaining from food all the while, one is sure to attain to the region of Soma, |
Bathing in Utpataka and then in Ashtavakra and offering oblations of water to the Pitris every day for twelve days in |
succession, abstaining the while from food, one acquires the merits of a Horse-sacrifice. Bathing in Asmaprishtha and |
Niravinda mountains and Kraunchapadi,--all three in Gaya--one becomes cleansed of the sin of Brahmanicide. A bath in the |
first place cleanses one of a single Brahmanicide; a bath in the second cleanses one of two offences of that character; and a bath |
in the third cleanses one of three such offences. Bathing in Kalavinga, one acquires a large quantity of water (for use in the |
next world). A man, by bathing in the city of Agni, acquires such merit as entitles him to live during his next birth in the city of |
Agni's daughter. Bathing in Visala in Karavirapura and offering oblations of water unto one's Pitris, and performing one's |
ablutions in Devahrada too, one becomes identified with Brahma and shines in glory as such. Bathing in Punaravarta-nanda as |
also Mahananda, a man of restrained senses and universal compassion repairs to the celestial gardens called Nandana of Indra |
and is waited upon there by Apsaras of diverse tribes. Bathing with concentrated soul in the tirtha that is called after the name |
of Urvasi and that is situate in the river Lohitya, on the day of full moon of the month of Kartika, one attains to the merits that |
attach to the sacrifice called Pundarika. Bathing in Ramahrada and offering oblations of water to the Pitris in the river Vipasa |
(Beas), and observing a fast for twelve days, one becomes cleansed of all sins. Bathing in the tirtha called Maha-hrada with a |
purified heart and after observing a fast for one month, one is sure to attain to the end which was the sage Jamadagni's. By |
exposing oneself to heat in the tirtha called Vindhya, a person devoted to truth and endued with compassion for all creatures |
should then betake himself to austere penances, actuated by humility. By so doing, he is sure to attain to ascetic success in |
course of a single month. Bathing in the Narmada as also in the tirtha known by the name of Surparaka, observing a fast for a |
full fortnight, one is sure to become in one's next birth a prince of the royal line. If one proceeds with restrained senses and a |
concentrated soul to the tirtha known under the name of Jamvumarga, one is sure to attain to success in course of a single day |
and night. By repairing to Chandalikasrama and bathing in the tirtha called Kokamukha, having subsisted for sometime on |
potherbs alone and worn rags for vestments, one is sure to obtain ten maidens of great beauty for one's spouses. One who lives |
by the side of the tirtha known by the name of Kanya-hrada has never to go to the regions of Yama. Such a person is sure to |
ascend to the regions of felicity that belong to the celestials. One who bathes with restrained senses on the day of the new moon |
in the tirtha known by the name of Prabhasa, is sure, O thou of mighty arms, of at once attaining to success and immortality. |
Bathing in the tirtha known by the name of Ujjanaka which occurs in the retreat of Arshtisena's son, and next in the tirtha that |
is situate in the retreat of Pinga, one is sure to be cleansed of all one's sins. Observing a fast for three days and bathing in the |
tirtha known as Kulya and reciting the sacred mantras that go by the name of Aghamarshana, one attains the merit of a horse- |
sacrifice. Observing a fast for one night and bathing in Pindaraka, one becomes purified on the dawn of the next day and attains |
to the merit of an Agnishtoma sacrifice. One who repairs to Brahmasara which is adorned by the woods called Dharmaranya, |
becomes cleansed of all one's sins and attains to the merit of the Pundarika sacrifice. Bathing in the waters of the Mainaka |
mountain and saying one's morning and evening prayers there and living at the spot for a month, restraining desire, one attains |
to the merit of all the sacrifices. Setting out for Kalolaka and Nandikunda and Uttara-manasa, and reaching a spot that is |
hundred yojanas remote from any of them, one becomes cleansed of the sin of foeticide, One who succeeds in obtaining a sight |
of image of Nandiswara, becomes cleansed of all sins. Bathing in the tirtha called Swargamarga one is sure to proceed to the |
regions of Brahman. The celebrated Himavat is sacred. That prince of mountains is the father-in-law of Sankara. He is a mine |
of all jewels and gems and is the resort of the Siddhas and Charanas. That regenerate person who is fully conversant with the |
Vedas and who, regarding this life to be exceedingly unstable, casts off his body on those mountains, abstaining from all food |
and drink in accordance with the rites laid down in the scriptures, after having adored the deities and bent his head in worship |
of the ascetics, is sure to attain to success and proceed to the eternal regions of Brahman. There is nothing unattainable to him |
who resides in a tirtha, restraining lust and subjugating wrath, in consequence of such residence. For the purpose of repairing to |
all the tirthas in the world, one should mentally think of those amongst them that are almost inaccessible or sojourns to which |
are attended with insurmountable difficulties. Sojourns to tirthas is productive of the merits of sacrifices. They are competent to |
cleanse everybody of sin. Fraught with great excellence, they are capable of leading to heaven. The subject is truly a great |
mystery. The very deities should bathe in tirthas. To them also they are sin-cleansing. This discourse on tirthas should be |
imparted to Brahmanas, and to such honest or righteous persons as are bent upon achieving what is for their own good. It |
should also be recited in the hearing of one's well-wishers and friends and of one's obedient and devoted disciples. Angiras |
possessed of great ascetic merit, had imparted this discourse to Gautama. Angiras himself had obtained it from Kasyapa of |
great intelligence. The great Rishi regard this discourse as worthy of constant repetition. It is the foremost of all cleansing |
things. If one recites it regularly every day, one is sure to become cleansed of every sin and to proceed to heaven after the |
termination of this life. One who listens to this discourse recited in his hearing,--this discourse, viz., of Angiras, that is regarded |
as a mystery,--is sure to attain in one's next life to be born in a good family and, what is more, one would become endued with |
the memory of one's previous existence.'" |
SECTION XXVI |
"Vaisampayana said,--'Equal unto Vrihaspati in intelligence and Brahma himself in forgiveness, resembling Sakra in prowess |
and Surya in energy, Bhishma the son of Ganga, of infinite might, had been overthrown in battle by Arjuna. Accompanied by |
his brothers and many other people, king Yudhisthira asked him these questions. The old hero was lying on a bed that is |
coveted by heroes, in expectation of that auspicious time when he could take leave of the physical frame. Many great Rishis |
had come there for seeing that foremost one of Bharata's race. Amongst them were Atri and Vasishtha and Bhrigu and Pulastya |
and Pulaha and Kratu. There were also Angiras and Gotama and Agastya and Sumati of well-restrained soul, and Viswamitra |
and Sthulasiras and Samvarta and Pramati and Dama. There were also Vrihaspati and Usanas, and Vyasa and Chyavana and |
Kasyapa and Dhruva, and Durvasas and Jamadagni and Markandeya and Galava, and Bharadwaja and Raibhya and Yavakrita |
and Trita. There were Sthulaksha and Savalaksha and Kanwa and Medhatithi and Krisa and Narada and Parvata and Sudhanwa |
and Ekata and Dwita. There were also Nitambhu and Bhuvana and Dhaumya and Satananda and Akritavrana and Rama, the |
son of Jamadagni and Kacha. All these high-souled and great Rishis came there for seeing Bhishma lying on his bed of arrows. |
Yudhishthira with his brothers duly worshipped those high-souled Rishis who had come there, one after another in proper |
order. Receiving that worship, those foremost of Rishis sat themselves down and began to converse with one another. Their |
conversation related to Bhishma, and was highly sweet and agreeable to all the senses. Hearing that talk of theirs having |
reference to himself, Bhishma became filled with delight and regarded himself to be already in heaven. Those Rishis then, |
having obtained the leave of Bhishma and of the Pandava princes, made themselves invisible, vanishing in the very sight of all |
the beholders. The Pandavas repeatedly bowed and offered their adorations to those highly blessed Rishis, even after they had |
made themselves invisible. They then with cheerful souls waited upon the son of Ganga, even as Brahmanas versed in Mantras |
wait with reverence upon the rising Sun. The Pandavas beheld that the points of the compass blazed forth with splendour in |
consequence of the energy of their penances, and became filled with wonder at the sight. Thinking of the high blessedness and |
puissance of those Rishis, the Pandava princes began to converse on the subject with their grandsire Bhishma." |
"Vaisampayana continued, 'The conversation being over, the righteous Yudhishthira, the son of Pandu; touched Bhishma's feet |
with his head and then resumed his questions relating to morality and righteousness.' |
"Yudhishthira said, 'Which countries, which provinces, which retreats, which mountains, and which rivers, O grandsire, are the |
foremost in point of sanctity?' |
"Bhishma said, "In this connection is cited the old narrative of a conversation between a Brahmana in the observance of the |
Sila and the Unccha vows, O Yudhishthira, and a Rishi crowned with ascetic success. Once on a time, a foremost person, |
having roamed over this entire earth adorned with mountains, arrived at last in the house of a foremost person leading the |
domestic mode of life in accordance with the Sila vow. The latter welcomed his guest with due rites. Received with such |
hospitality, the happy Rishi passed the night happily in the house of his host. The next morning the Brahmana in the |
observance of the Sila vow, having finished all his morning acts and rites and purified himself duly, very cheerfully |
approached his guest crowned with ascetic success. Meeting with each other and seated at their ease, the two began to converse |
on agreeable subjects connected with the Vedas and the Upanishads. Towards the conclusion of the discourse, the Brahmana in |
the observance of the Sila vow respectfully addressed the Rishi crowned with success. Endued with intelligence, he put this |
very question which thou, O Yudhisthira, hast put to me.' |
"The poor Brahmana said, 'What countries, what provinces, what retreats, what mountains, and what rivers should be regarded |
as the foremost in point of sanctity? Do thou discourse to me on this.' |
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