तीर्थयात्रा पर्व — धौम्यको तीर्थहरूको वर्णन

Dhaumya said: O descendant of Bharata, I shall describe to you in detail according to my knowledge the sacred Tirthas of the south. Listen to them.

In this quarter lies the sacred and auspicious river Godavari which is full of much water, which abounds in groves and which is frequented by the ascetics.

In this place also are the rivers Vena and Bhimarathi, both capable of destroying sin and fear, both abounding in birds and deer and are graced with the abodes of ascetics.

O best of the Bharata race, in this region, is also the Tirtha of the royal ascetic, called Nriga, namely the river Payashini which is charming and which is full of water and which is frequented by Brahmanas.

In this place the greatly illustrious and mighty Yogi, Markandeya sang the praises of the king Nriga and of his family. We have heard of the sacrificing king Nriga; we have heard also that which really took place when he was perforining a sacrifice in the excellent Tirtha called Varaha on the Payoshini. In that sacrifice Indra became intoxicated with Soma and the Brahmanas with the gifts which they received. The water of the Payaoshini, taken up (in vessel) or flowing along the ground or conveyed by the wind, can cleanse a person from whatever sins he may commit till the day of his death.

Higher than heaven itself, created and bestowed by the trident wielding deity (Shiva) there in that pure Tirtha, seeing the image of the deity one goes to the region of Shiva.

Placing on the one scale Ganga and all the other rivers with their waters and on the other, the Payoshini, the latter in my opinion would be superior in point of merit to all the Tirthas put together.

O best of the Bharata race, on the mountain, called Varuna Srotasa is the sacred and auspicious forest of Mathara abounding in fruits and roots and containing a sacrificial stake.

It is said that in the region north of it (Payoshini) and near the sacred hermitage of Kanva are many forests inhabited by the ascetics.

O child, O descendant of Bharata, in the charming Tirtha called Shurparaka, are the two sacrificial platforms of the high-souled son of Jamadagni called Pashana and Punashchandra.

O son of Kunti, in this place, is the Tirtha called Ashoka abounding in many hermitages. O Yudhishthira, in the Pandya country are the Tirthas called Agastya and Varuna. O foremost of men, O son of Kunti, among the Pandyas, there is the Tirtha called Kumari, Hear, I shall now describe Tamraparia.

In this hermitage, the celestials had undergone penances with the desire of obtaining salvation. In this region is also Gokarna celebrated over the three worlds.

O child, it is full of cool water, it is auspicious, sacred and capable of giving great merit. That lake is inaccessible to men of unpurified souls.

Near to that Tirtha is the sacred hermitage of Agastya's disciple, the mountain Devasama which abounds in trees and grass and fruits and roots.

There is also the Vaidurya mountain which is delightful and which abounds in gems and which is capable of bestowing great merit. There (on that mountain) is the hermitage of Agastya abounding in fruits, roots and water.

O ruler of men, I shall now describe the sacred spots and hermitages, rivers and lakes, situated in the Saurashtra country.

O Yudhishthira, the Brahmanas say that on the sea-coast is the Chamasodbhedana and also Prabhasa, the Tirtha which is adored by the celestials.

There is also the Tirtha called Pindarka, frequented by ascetics and capable of producing great merit. In this region is the great mountain Ujjyayanta which produces great success.

O Yudhishthira, the celestials Rishi Narada of great intelligence has recited an ancient sloka about it. Listen to it.

He who performs austerities on the sacred hill, Ujjyayanta in Saurashtra, abounding in birds and beasts, is adored in the celestials region.

There is also Daravati which produces great merit and in which lives the slayer of Madhu who is the ancient one in embodied form and who is eternal virtue.

The Brahmanas, learned in the Vedas and persons verscd in the philosophy of the soul say that the illustrious Krishna is eternal virtue.

Govinda is said to be the pure of all pure things, the righteous of the righteous and the auspicious of the auspicious. In all the three worlds, the lotus-eyed god of gods is eternal. He is the pure soul; he is the supreme Brahma and he is the lord of all. That slayer of Madhu of inconceivable soul lives there.