Chapter 83

“Pulastya said, ‘One should next proceed, O king, to the adoredKurukshetra at sight of which all creatures are freed from their sins. Heis freed from all sins who constantly sayeth, ‘I will live inKurukshetra.’ The very dust of Kurukshetra, conveyed by the wind, leadetha sinful man to a blessed course (in after-life). They that dwell inKurukshetra which lieth to the south of the Saraswati and the north ofthe Drishadwati, are said to dwell in heaven. O hero, one should residethere, O thou foremost of warriors, for a month. There, O lord of earth,the gods with Brahma at their head, the Rishis, the Siddhas, theCharanas, the Gandharvas, the Apsaras, the Yakshas and the Nagas, oftenrepair, O Bharata, to the highly sacred Brahmakshetra. O foremost ofwarriors, the sins of one that desireth to repair to Kurukshetra evenmentally are all destroyed, and he finally goeth into the region ofBrahma. O son of the Kuru race, by repairing to Kurukshetra in a piousframe of mind, one obtaineth the fruit of the Rajasuya and horsesacrifices. By saluting next the Yaksha called Mankanaka, that mightygate-keeper (of Kuvera), cue obtaineth the fruit of giving away athousand kine. O virtuous king, one should next repair to the excellentregion of Vishnu, where Hari is always present. Bathing there and bowingdown unto Hari, the Creator of the three worlds, one obtaineth the fruitof the horse-sacrifice and repaireth to the abode of Vishnu. One shouldnext repair to Pariplava, that tirtha celebrated over the three worlds,and (bathing there), O Bharata, one obtaineth merit that is greater thanthat of the Agnishtoma and the Atiratra sacrifices. Repairing next to thetirtha called Prithivi, one obtaineth the fruit of the gift of a thousandkine. The pilgrim should next, O king, proceed to Shalukini and bathingthere in the Dasaswamedha one obtaineth the merit of tenhorse-sacrifices. Proceeding next to Sarpadevi, that excellent tirtha ofthe Nagas, one obtaineth the merit of the Agnishtoma sacrifice andattaineth to the region of the Nagas. O virtuous one, one should nextproceed to Tarantuka, the gatekeeper, and residing there for one nightone obtaineth the merit of giving away a thousand kine. Proceeding nextwith subdued senses and regulated diet to Panchananda and bathing in thetirtha there, called Koti, one obtaineth the fruit of thehorse-sacrifice. Proceeding then to the tirtha of the twin Aswins oneobtaineth personal beauty. O virtuous one, one should next proceed to theexcellent tirtha called Varaha, where Vishnu formerly stood in the formof a boar. Bathing there one obtaineth, O foremost of men, the merit ofthe horse-sacrifice. One should next, O king, repair to the tirtha calledSama in Jayanti. Bathing there one obtaineth the merit of Rajasuyasacrifice. By bathing in Ekahansa, a man obtaineth the merit of givingaway a thousand kine. O king, a pilgrim repairing to Kritasauchaobtaineth the lotus-eyed deity (Vishnu) and perfect purity of soul. Oneshould next proceed to Munjavata, that spot sacred to the illustriousSthanu. Residing there without food for one night, one obtaineth thestatus called Ganapatya. There, O king, is the celebrated tirtha calledYakshini. O king, repairing to that tirtha and bathing there, oneobtaineth fruition of all his desires. O bull of the Bharata race, thattirtha is regarded as the gate of Kurukshetra. The pilgrim should withconcentrated soul, walk round it. Equal unto the Pushkaras, it wascreated by the high-souled Rama, the son of Jamadagni. Bathing there andworshipping the Pitris and the gods, one obtaineth, O king, the merit ofthe horse-sacrifice and becometh successful in everything. The pilgrimshould next repair with concentrated soul to the Rama-hrada. There, Oking, the heroic Rama of resplendent energy, exterminating the Kshatriyasby his might, dug five lakes and filled them, O tiger among men, with theblood of his victims, as heard by us. And having filled those lakes withKshatriya blood, Rama offered oblations of blood to his sires andgrandsires. Gratified (with the oblations) those Rishis then addressedRama and said, ‘O Rama, O Rama, O thou of great good fortune, we havebeen gratified with thee, O thou of the Bhrigu race, for this thy regardfor the Pitris, and thy prowess, O exalted one! Blessed be thou and askthou the boon thou choosest. What is that thou desirest, O thou of greatsplendour!’ Thus addressed (by them), Rama, that foremost of smiters,said with joined hands these words unto the Pitris, stationed in thefirmament, ‘If ye have been gratified with me, if I have deserved yourfavour, I desire this favour of the Pitris, viz., that I may havepleasure again in ascetic austerities. Let me also, through your power,be freed from the sin I have committed by exterminating, from wrath, theKshatriya race. Let also my lakes become tirthas celebrated over theworld. The Pitris, hearing these blessed words of Rama, were highlygratified, and filled with joy they answered him saying, ‘Let thyasceticism increase in consequence of thy regard for the Pitris. Thouhast exterminated the Kshatriyas from wrath. Freed art thou already fromthat sin, for they have perished as a consequence of their own misdeeds.Without doubt, these lakes of thine will become tirthas. And if one,bathing in these lakes, offereth oblations of the water thereof to thePitris, the latter gratified with him will grant him desire, difficult offulfilment in the world as also eternal heaven.’ O king, having grantedhim these boons, the Pitris joyfully saluted Rama of the Bhrigu race anddisappeared there and then. It was thus that the lakes of the illustriousRama of the Bhrigu race became sacred. Leading a Brahmacharya mode oflife and observing sacred vows, one should bathe in the lakes of Rama.Bathing therein and worshipping Rama, one obtaineth, O king, the merit ofgift of gold in abundance. Proceeding next, O son of the Kuru race, toVansamulaka, a pilgrim by bathing there, raiseth, O king, his own race. Obest of the Bharatas, arriving next at the tirtha called Kayasodhana, andbathing there, one purifieth, without doubt, his body, and proceeded withpurified body to the blessed region of unrivalled excellence. One shouldnext repair, O virtuous one, to that tirtha, celebrated over the threeworlds, called Lokoddara, where formerly Vishnu of great prowess hadcreated the worlds. Arriving at that tirtha which is adored by the threeworlds one earneth, O king, by bathing there, numerous worlds forhimself. Repairing next with subdued soul to the tirtha called Sree, oneacquires, by bathing there and worshipping the Pitris and the gods, highprosperity. Leading a Brahmacharya mode of life and with concentratedsoul, one should proceed next to the tirtha called Kapila. Bathing thereand worshipping one’s own Pitris and the gods, a man earneth the fruit ofthe gift of a thousand Kapila kine. Repairing next to the tirtha calledSurya and bathing there with subdued soul and worshipping the Pitris andthe gods, fasting all the while, one obtaineth the fruit of theAgnishtoma sacrifice and goeth (finally) to the region of the Sun. Thepilgrim by proceeding next to Gobhavana and bathing there obtaineth themerit of the gift of a thousand kine. O son of the Kuru race, a pilgrimby repairing then to the tirtha called Shankhini and bathing in theDevi-tirtha that is there, obtaineth high prowess. O king, one shouldthen proceed to the tirtha called Tarandaka situated in the Saraswati andbelonging to the illustrious chief of the Yakshas who is one of thegate-keepers (of Kuvera). O king, bathing there one obtaineth the fruitof the Agnishtoma sacrifice. O virtuous king, one should next repair tothe tirtha called Brahmavarta. Bathing in Brahmavarta, one ascendeth tothe abode of Brahma. O king, one should then repair to the excellenttirtha called Sutirtha. There the Pitris are ever present along with thegods. One should bathe there and worship the Pitris and the gods. By sodoing, one obtaineth the merit of the horse-sacrifice and goeth (finally)into the region of the Pitris. It is for this, O virtuous one, thatSutirtha situate in Amvumati is regarded as so excellent. And, O thoubest of the Bharata race, having bathed in the tirtha of Kasiswara, onebecometh freed from all diseases and is adored in the abode of Brahma.There, in that tirtha, is another called Matri. One that bathes in Matritirtha hath a large progeny and obtaineth, O king, great prosperity. Oneshould next proceed with subdued sense and regulated diet to the tirthacalled Shitavana. And, O great king, it hath been seen that one merit ofthat tirtha which rarely belongs to any other, is that one only goingthither obtaineth holiness. By casting off his hair in that tirtha oneacquireth, O Bharata, great sanctity. There, in that tirtha, is anothercalled Shwavillomapaha, where, O tiger among men, and chief of theBharata race, learned Brahmanas that go to tirthas obtain greatsatisfaction by a dip into its waters. Good Brahmanas, O king, by castingoff their hair in that tirtha acquire holiness by Pranayama and finallyattain to a high state. There, O king, in that tirtha is also anothercalled Dasaswamedhika. Bathing there, O tiger among men, one attains to ahigh state. One should next proceed, O king, to the celebrated tirthacalled Manusha where, O king, a number of black antelopes afflicted bythe hunter’s arrows, plunging into its waters, were transformed intohuman beings. Bathing in that tirtha, leading a Brahmacharya mode of lifeand with concentrated soul, a man becomes freed from all his sins and isadored in heaven. Distant by a krosa, O king, to the east of Manushathere is a river celebrated by the name of Apaga that is restored to bythe Siddhas. The man that offereth there the syamaka grain in honour ofthe gods and the Pitris acquireth great religious merit. And if oneBrahmana is fed there, it becomes equivalent to feeding ten millions ofBrahmanas. Having bathed in that tirtha and worshipped the gods and thePitris and resided there for one night, a man obtaineth the merit of theAgnishtoma sacrifice. One should then repair, O king, to that excellentregion of Brahma which, O Bharata, is known on earth by the name ofBrahmodumvara. Bathing in the tank of the seven Rishis that is there, Obull among men, with pure mind and subdued soul, as also in the tirthacalled Kedara of the high-souled Kapila, and beholding Brahma who isthere, one’s soul being purified from all sins, one goeth to the abode ofBrahma. Proceeding next to the inaccessible tirtha called Kedara ofKapila, and burning one’s sins there by ascetic penances, one acquireththe power of disappearance at will. One should next proceed, O king, tothe celebrated tirtha called Saraka, and beholding Mahadeva there on thefourteenth day of the dark fortnight, one obtaineth all his wishes andgoeth also into heaven. O son of the Kuru race, in Saraka and Rudrakotias also in the well and the lakes that are there, thirty millions oftirthas are present. There in that tirtha, O chief of the Bharatas, isanother called Ilaspada. Bathing there and worshipping the gods and thePitris, one never sinketh into hell but obtaineth the fruit of theVajapeya sacrifice. Repairing next to Kindana and Kinjapya, oneacquireth, O Bharata, the merit of giving away in measureless abundanceand the infinite recitation of prayers. Repairing next to the tirthacalled Kalasi and bathing there devoutly and with the senses undercontrol, a man obtaineth the fruit of the Agnishtoma sacrifice. To theeast of Saraka, O chief of the Kurus, there is an auspicious tirtha knownby the name of Anajanma, of the high-souled Narada. He that bathes there,O Bharata, obtaineth, after death, at the command of Narada variousunrivalled regions. One should next proceed, on the tenth day of thelighted fortnight, to the tirtha called Pundarika. Bathing there, O king,one obtaineth the merit of the Pundarika sacrifice. One should nextproceed to the tirtha called Tripishtapa that is known over the threeworlds. There in that tirtha is the sacred and sin-destroying rivercalled Vaitarani. Bathing there and adoring the god known by the mark ofthe bull and holding the trident in his hand, one’s soul being purifiedfrom every sin one attaineth to the highest state. One should nextproceed, O king, to the excellent tirtha called Phalakivana. There inthat tirtha the gods, O monarch, having been present, performed theirascetic austerities extending for many thousand years. One should thenproceed to the Dhrishadwati. Bathing there and worshipping the gods, oneobtaineth, O Bharata, merit that is superior to that of both theAgnishtoma and the Atiratra sacrifices. O chief of the Bharatas, bathingin that tirtha called Sarvadeva, a man obtaineth, O king, the merit ofgiving away a thousand kine. Bathing next in the tirtha called Panikhataand worshipping all the gods, a man obtaineth merit that is superior tothat of both the Agnishtoma and the Atiratra sacrifices, besidesacquiring that of the Rajasuya sacrifice and finally going into theregion of the Rishis. One should next proceed, O virtuous one, to thatexcellent tirtha called Misraka. There, O tiger among kings, it hath beenheard by us that the high-souled Vyasa, for the sake of the Brahmanas,hath mixed all the tirthas. He, therefore, that bathes in Misraka reallybathes in all the tirtha. One should next proceed with subdued senses andregulated diet, to the tirtha called Vyasavana. Bathing in the tirthacalled Manojava that is there, one obtaineth the merit of the gift of athousand kine. Proceeding next to the Devi tirtha that is in Madhuvati,one that bathes there and worships the gods and the Pitris obtains at thecommand of the Goddess the merit of the gift of a thousand kine.Proceeding with regulated diet, he that bathes in the confluence of theKausiki and the Drishadwati, becometh free from all his sins. One shouldnext proceed to Vyasasthali where Vyasa of great intelligence, burningwith grief for his son had resolved to cast off his body but was cheeredagain by the gods. Proceeding to that spot of Vyasa, one obtaineth themerit of a thousand kine. O son of the Kuru race, proceeding next to thewell called Kindatta, he that throweth into it a measure of sesame, isfreed from all his debts and obtaineth his success. Bathing in the tirthacalled Vedi, one obtaineth the merit of the gift of a thousand kine.There are two other celebrated tirthas called Ahas and Sudina. Bathingthere, O tiger among men, one goeth to the region of the Sun. One shouldnext proceed to the tirtha called Mrigadhuma that is celebratedthroughout the three worlds. One should bathe there, O king, in Ganga.Bathing there and worshipping Mahadeva, one obtaineth the merit of thehorse-sacrifice. Bathing next in the Devi tirtha one obtaineth the meritof the gift of a thousand kine. One should then proceed to Vamanakacelebrated over the three worlds. Bathing there in Vishnupada andworshipping Vamana one’s soul being purified from every sin, one goeth tothe abode of Vishnu. Bathing next in Kulampuna, one sanctifieth his ownrace. Proceeding then to the Pavana-hrada, that excellent tirtha of theMarutas, and bathing there, O king and tiger among men, one becomethadored in the region of the Wind-god. Bathing in the Amara-hrada andworshipping with devotion the chief of the celestials, one becomethadored in heaven and courseth, seated on an excellent car, in the companyof the immortals. O best of great men, bathing next with due rites in thetirtha called Sali surya, of Salihotra, one obtaineth the merit of thegift of a thousand kine. O best of the Bharatas, there is a tirtha calledSreekunja in the Saraswati. Bathing there, O best of men, one obtaineththe merit of the Agnishtoma sacrifice. O son of the Kuru race, one shouldnext repair to Naimishakunja. O king, the Rishis engaged in asceticausterities in the woods of Naimisha had, in days of old, taking the vowof pilgrimage, gone to Kurukshetra. There, on the banks of the Saraswati,O chief of the Bharatas, a grove was made, which might serve for aresting spot for themselves, and which was highly gratifying to them.Bathing in the Saraswati there, one obtaineth the merit of the Agnishtomasacrifice. One should next proceed, O virtuous one, to the excellenttirtha called Kanya. Bathing there one obtaineth the merit of the gift ofa thousand kine. One should next proceed to the excellent tirtha ofBrahma. Bathing there, a person, of the (three) inferior orders,obtaineth the status of a Brahmana, and if one be a Brahmana, his soulbeing purified from every sin, he attaineth to the highest state. Oneshould then, O best of men, proceed to the excellent tirtha called Soma.Bathing there, O king, one obtaineth the region of Soma. One should nextproceed, O king, to the tirtha called Saptasaraswata, where thecelebrated Rishi, Mankanaka, had obtained ascetic success. O king, ithath been heard by us that in days of old Mankanaka having cut his handwith the pointed blade of the Kusa grass, there flowed from his woundvegetable juice (instead of blood). And beholding vegetable juice flowfrom his wound, the Rishi began to dance with wonder-expanded eyes. Andas the Rishi danced, all the mobile and immobile creatures also,overwhelmed with his prowess, began to dance with him. Then, O king, thegods with Brahma at their head and Rishis endued with the wealth ofasceticism moved by the act of Mankanaka, represented the matter toMahadeva, saying, ‘It behoveth thee, O god, to act in such a way thatthis Rishi may not dance.’ Thus addressed, Mahadeva, with heart filledwith joy, approached the dancing Rishi, and moved by the desire of doinggood to the gods, said, ‘O great Rishi, O virtuous one, why dost thoudance? O bull among Munis, what can be the reason of this thy presentjoy?’ The Rishi answered, ‘O best of Brahmanas, I am an ascetic thattread the path of virtue. Dost thou not behold, O Brahmana, thatvegetable juice floweth from the wound in my hand? Filled with great joyat sight of this, I am dancing.’ Addressing the Rishi blinded by emotion,the god laughingly said, ‘O Brahmana, I do not wonder at this. Beholdme.’ Having said this, O best of men, Mahadeva, O sinless king, pressedhis thumb by the tip of his own finger. And, lo, from the wound thusinflicted, there came out ashes white as snow. And beholding this, Oking, that Muni became ashamed and fell at the feet of the god. Andbelieving that there was nothing better and greater than the god Rudra,he began to adore him in these words:

“O holder of the trident, thou art the refuge of the celestials and theAsuras, of, indeed, the universe. By thee have been created the threeworlds with their mobile and immobile beings. It is thou again thatswallowest everything at the end of the Yuga. Thou art incapable of beingknown by the gods themselves, far less by me. O sinless one, the godswith Brahma at their heads are all displayed in thee. Thou art all, theCreator himself and the Ordainer of the worlds. It is by thy grace thatall the gods sport without anxiety or fear. And adoring Mahadeva thus theRishi also said, ‘O god of gods, grant me thy grace, so that myasceticism may not diminish.’ Then that god of cheerful soul answered theregenerate Rishi,–saying, ‘Let thy asceticism, O Brahmana, increase athousandfold through my grace. And, O great Muni, I shall dwell with theein this thy asylum. Bathing in Saptasaraswata, they that will worship me,shall be able to attain everything here and hereafter. And, withoutdoubt, they shall all attain to the Saraswata region in the end.’ Havingsaid this, Mahadeva disappeared then and there.

“After visiting Saraswata, one should proceed to Ausanasa celebrated overthe three worlds. There, O Bharata, the gods with Brahma at their head,and Rishis endued with wealth of asceticism, and the illustriousKartikeya, were ever present during two twilights and the mid-day,impelled by the desire of doing good to Bhargava. There in that tirtha isanother called Kapalamochana, which cleanseth from every sin. O tigeramong men, bathing there one is cleansed from every sin. One should thenproceed to the tirtha called Agni. Bathing there, O bull among men, oneobtaineth the regions of agni and raiseth his own race (from lowerregions). There in that tirtha is another, O chief of the Bharatas, thatbelongeth to Viswamitra. Bathing there, O best of men, one obtaineth thestatus of a Brahmana. Proceeding next to Brahmayoni in purity of body andwith subdued soul, one obtaineth, O tiger among men, by bathing there,the abode of Brahma, and sanctifieth, without doubt, his own race to theseventh generation up and down. One should next proceed, O king, to thetirtha celebrated over the three worlds, which is called Prithudaka,belonging to Kartikeya. One should bathe there and occupy oneself in theworship of the Pitris and the gods. Whatever evil hath been committed,knowingly or unknowingly, by man or woman, impelled by human motives, isall destroyed, O Bharata, by a bath in that tirtha. Bathing there oneobtaineth, too, the merit of the horse-sacrifice and heaven also. Thelearned have said that Kurukshetra is holy; that holier than Kurukshetrais the Saraswati; that holier than the Saraswati are all the tirthastogether, and that holier than all the tirthas together is Prithudaka. Hethat engaged in the recitation of prayers casteth off his body atPrithudaka, which is the best of all tirthas, becometh an immortal. Ithath been sung by Sanatkumara and by the high-souled Vyasa, and it is inthe Vedas also, that one should, O king, go to Prithudaka, with subduedsoul. O son of Kuru race, there is no tirtha which is superior toPrithudaka. Without doubt, that tirtha is purifying, holy andsin-destroying. O best of men, it hath been said by learned persons thatmen, however sinful, by bathing in Prithudaka, go to heaven. O best ofthe Bharatas, there in that tirtha is another called Madhusrava. Bathingthere, O king, one obtaineth the merit of giving away a thousand kine.One should then proceed, O king, to that celebrated and sacred tirthawhere the Saraswati uniteth with the Aruna. One that batheth there,having fasted for three nights, is cleansed of even the sin of slaying aBrahmana, and obtaineth also merit that is superior to that of either theAgnishtoma or Atiratra sacrifice, and rescueth his race to the seventhgeneration up and down. There in that tirtha is another, O perpetuator ofthe Kuru race, that is called Ardhakila. From compassion for theBrahmanas, that tirtha was made by Darbhi in days of old. Without doubt,by vows, by investiture of the sacred, by fasts, by rites and by Mantras,one becometh a Brahmana. O bull among men, it hath been seen, however, bylearned persons of old that even one destitute of rites and Mantras, byonly bathing in that tirtha becometh learned and endued with the merit ofvows. Darbhi had also brought hither the four oceans. O best of men, onethat batheth here, never meeteth with distress hereafter and obtainethalso the merit of giving away four thousand kine. One should next repair,O virtuous one, to the tirtha called Satasahasraka. Near to this isanother called Sahasraka. Both are celebrated, and one that batheth inthem, obtaineth the merit of giving away a thousand kine. Fasts and giftsthere multiply a thousandfold. One should next proceed, O king, to theexcellent tirtha called Renuka. One should bathe there and worship thePitris and the gods. By this, cleansed from every sin, he obtaineth themerit of the Agnishtoma sacrifice. Bathing next in the tirtha calledVimochana with passions and senses under control, one is cleansed fromall the sins generated by the acceptance of gifts. With senses undercontrol and practising the Brahmacharya mode of life, one should nextrepair to the woods of Panchavati. By a sojourn thither, one earneth muchvirtue and becometh adored in the regions of the virtuous. One shouldnext go to the tirtha of Varuna called Taijasa, blazing in effulgence ofits own. There in that tirtha is the lord of Yoga, Sthanu himself, havingfor his vehicle the bull. He that sojourneth there, obtaineth success byworshipping the god of gods. It was there that the gods with Brahma attheir head and Rishis endued with wealth of asceticism, installed Guha asthe generalissimo of the celestials. To the east of that tirtha isanother, O perpetuator of Kuru race, that is called Kuru tirtha. Withsenses under control and leading a Brahmacharya mode of life, he thatbathes in Kuru-tirtha, becometh cleansed of all his sins and obtaineththe region of Brahma. With subdued senses and regulated diet one shouldnext proceed to Svargadwara. Sojourning thither, one obtaineth the meritof the Agnishtoma sacrifice and goeth to the abode of Brahma. The pilgrimshould then, O king, proceed to the tirtha called Anaraka. Bathing there,O king, one never meeteth with distress hereafter. There, O king, Brahmahimself with the other gods having Narayana at their head, is everpresent, O tiger among men! And, O royal son of the Kuru race, the wifealso of Rudra is present there. Beholding the goddess, one never meetethwith distress hereafter. There in that tirtha O king, is also (an imageof) Visweswara, the lord of Uma. Beholding the god of gods there, one iscleansed of all his sins. Beholding also (the image of) Narayana fromwhose navel had sprung the lotus, one blazeth forth, O royal represser ofall foes, and goeth to the abode of Vishnu. O bull among men, he thatbatheth in the tirthas of all the gods, is exempted from every sorrow andblazeth forth like the Moon. The pilgrim should next proceed, O king, toSwastipura. By walking around that place, one obtaineth the merit ofgiving away a thousand kine. Arriving next at the tirtha called Pavana,one should offer oblations to the Pitris and the gods. By this, heobtaineth, O Bharata, the merit of the Agnishtoma sacrifice. Near to thatis Ganga-hrada, and another, O Bharata, called Kupa. Thirty millions oftirthas, O king, are present in that Kupa. Bathing there, O king, aperson obtaineth heaven. Bathing also in the Ganga-hrada and adoringMaheswara, one obtaineth the status of Ganapatya and rescueth his ownrace. One should next proceed to Sthanuvata, celebrated over the threeworlds. Bathing there, O king, one obtaineth heaven. One should thenproceed to Vadaripachana, the asylum of Vasishtha. Having tasted therefor three nights, one should eat jujubes. He that liveth on jujubes fortwelve years, and he that fasteth at the tirtha for three nights,acquireth merit that is eternal. Arriving then at Indramarga, O king, andfasting there for a day and night the pilgrim becometh adored in theabode of Indra. Arriving next at the tirtha called Ekaratra, a personthat stayeth there for one night, with regulated vows and refraining fromuntruth, becometh adored in the abode of Brahma. One should next go, Oking, to the asylum of Aditya–that illustrious god who is a mass ofeffulgence. Bathing in that tirtha celebrated over three worlds, andworshipping the god of light, one goeth to the region of Aditya andrescueth his own race. The pilgrim then, O king, bathing in the tirtha ofSoma, obtaineth, without doubt, the region of Soma. One should nextproceed, O virtuous one, to the most sacred tirtha of the illustriousDadhicha, that sanctifying tirtha which is celebrated over the wholeworld. It was here that Angiras, that ocean of ascetic austeritiesbelonging to the Saraswata race, was born, Bathing in that tirtha, oneobtaineth the merit of the horse-sacrifice, and without doubt, gainethalso residence in the legion of Saraswati. With subdued senses andleading a Brahmacharya mode of life, one should next proceed toKanyasrama. Residing there for three nights, O king, with subdued sensesand regulated diet, one obtaineth a hundred celestial damsels and goethalso to the abode of Brahma. One should next, O virtuous one, proceed tothe tirtha called Sannihati. Sojourning thither the gods with Brahma attheir head and Rishis endued with wealth of asceticism earn much virtue.Bathing in the Saraswati during a solar eclipse, one obtaineth the meritof a hundred horse-sacrifices, and any sacrifice that one may performthere produceth merit that is eternal. Whatever tirthas exist on earth orin the firmament, all the rivers, lakes, smaller lakes, springs, tanks,large and small, and spots sacred to particular gods, without doubt, allcome, O tiger among men, month after month, and mingle with Sannihati, Oking of men! And it is because that all other tirthas are united togetherhere, that this tirtha is so called. Bathing there and drinking of itswater, one becometh adored in heaven. Listen now, O king, to the meritacquired by that mortal who performeth a Sraddha on the day of the newmoon during a solar eclipse. The person that performeth a Sraddha there,after having bathed in that tirtha, obtaineth the merit that one earnethby properly celebrating a thousand horse-sacrifices. Whatever sins a manor woman committeth, are, without doubt, all destroyed as soon as onebatheth in that tirtha. Bathing there one also ascendeth to the abode ofBrahma on the lotus-coloured tar. Bathing next in Koti-tirtha, afterhaving worshipped the Yaksha doorkeeper, Machakruka, one obtaineth themerit of giving away gold in abundance. Near to this, O best of theBharatas, is a tirtha called Gangahrada. One should bathe there, Ovirtuous one, with subdued soul and leading a Brahmacharya mode of life.By this, one obtaineth merit that is greater than that of a Rajasuya andhorse-sacrifices. The tirtha called Naimisha is productive of good onearth. Pushkara is productive of good in the regions of the firmament;Kurukshetra, however, is productive of good in respect of all the threeworlds. Even the dust of Kurukshetra, carried by the wind, leadeth sinfulmen to a highly blessed state. They that reside in Kurukshetra, whichlieth to the north of the Drishadwati and the south of the Saraswati,really reside in heaven. ‘I will go to Kurukshetra,’ ‘I will dwell inKurukshetra,’ he that uttereth those words even once, becometh cleansedof all sins. The sacred Kurukshetra which is worshipped by Brahmarshis,is regarded as the sacrificial altar of the celestials. Those mortalsthat dwell there, have nothing to grieve for at any time. That whichlieth between Tarantuka and Arantuka and the lakes of Rama and Machakrukais Kurukshetra. It is also called Samantapanchaka and is said to be thenorthern sacrificial altar of the Grandsire.’