Pulastya Discourses on the Merits of Tirthas

Pulastya said: Listen with an attentive mind. I will recount the fruits from the tirthas (sacred pilgrimage sites), the ultimate goal of all the rishis. He who has controlled his hands, feet and mind — he who has learning, asceticism and deeds — obtains the fruits of the tirthas. He who is satisfied, controlled and pure, does not receive gifts and has restrained his ego, obtains the fruits of the tirthas. He who is without deceit, without undertakings, eats lightly, controls his senses and is freed from all sins, obtains the fruits of the tirthas. He who is without anger, truthful in conduct and firm in his vows, and who regards all beings as his own self, obtains the fruits of the tirthas. The rishis have recounted in the Vedas all the fruits from sacrifices, exactly as they occur, in this life and the afterlife. But the poor cannot perform these sacrifices. Sacrifices require many objects and a lot of ingredients in large quantities. Kings can attain them, and so can some rich men. They cannot be attained by those without riches, without objects, without means, and those who are alone. But listen to what the poor can obtain — the supreme equal of the fruits of sacred sacrifices. This is the supreme mystery of the rishis: the pure merit from visiting tirthas, superior even to sacrifices. He who has not fasted for three nights, not visited tirthas and not donated gold and cattle, is known as poor. The fruits obtained from agnishtoma (a soma sacrifice) and other sacrifices, with large quantities of donations, are inferior to those obtained from visiting tirthas. There is in the world of men a tirtha of the god of the gods. It is famous in the three worlds and is known by the name of Pushkara. Those who are immensely fortunate go there. At the time of the three sandhyas (dawn, noon and dusk), ten thousand crores of tirthas can be found in Pushkara. The Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, Sadhyas, with the Maruts and gandharvas and apsaras, are always present there. It was there that the gods, demons and brahmarshis performed austerities and attained great merits and celestial yoga. Even if one only desires Pushkara in one's mind, all the sins of that intelligent one are cleansed and he is revered in the vault of heaven. The immensely fortunate grandfather — Brahma — always dwells there, happily worshipped by the gods and the demons. He who bathes there and worships the gods and the ancestors obtains ten times the merits of an ashvamedha (horse sacrifice). He who goes to Pushkara forest and feeds only a single brahmana obtains through that deed happiness in this life and the afterlife. If he himself survives on vegetables, roots and fruits and faithfully offers that to a brahmana, that wise man obtains the fruits of a horse sacrifice. Great-souled brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras who bathe in this tirtha are not reborn as inferior species. A man who specially goes to Pushkara at the time of the full moon in the month of Kartika extends his merits and they become inexhaustible. He who joins his hands in salutation and remembers Pushkara in the morning and the evening attains the fruits of bathing in all the tirthas. That man obtains Brahma's eternal world, without decay. Whatever sins a woman or a man has committed since birth are all instantly destroyed from bathing in Pushkara. Just as Madhusudana (Vishnu) is the origin of all the gods, Pushkara is known as the origin of all the tirthas. He who lives constantly and purely in Pushkara for twelve years obtains all the sacrifices and attains Brahma's world. He who performs agnihotra (fire sacrifice) for one hundred years and he who lives in Pushkara on the night of the full moon in Kartika are like equals. It is difficult to go to Pushkara. It is difficult to perform austerities in Pushkara. It is difficult to donate in Pushkara. It is extremely difficult to live there. Having lived in Pushkara for twelve nights, restrained and with a controlled diet, one should circumambulate it and go to Jambumarga. Jambumarga is frequented by the gods, the rishis and the ancestors. Once one has entered, one obtains the fruits of a horse sacrifice and goes to Vishnu's world. A man who lives there for five nights and eats once in three days never confronts calamity and achieves supreme success. Having left Jambumarga, one goes to Tandulikashrama and never confronts calamity, being worshipped in heaven. He who goes to Agastya's lake and engages himself in worshipping the ancestors and the gods, residing there for three nights, obtains the merits of an agnishtoma. He lives there on vegetables and fruits and obtains the supreme abode of Kumara (Skanda). He then reaches Kanva's hermitage, full of prosperity and worshipped in the world. From the beginning, that has been a sacred forest, full of dharma. As soon as one enters there, one is freed from all sins. He who restrains himself and controls his diet there, worshipping the ancestors and the gods, obtains all the objects of desire and the fruits of all sacrifices. Having circumambulated it, one should go to the place where Yayati fell. This gives one the merits from a horse sacrifice. Restrained and controlled in diet, one should then go to Mahakala. Having bathed in Kotitirtha, one obtains the fruits of a horse sacrifice. One who is learned in dharma should then go to the sacred place of Uma's consort — Shiva. This is famous in the three worlds by the name of Bhadravata. Having gone there and seen Ishana (Shiva), he obtains the fruits of donating one thousand cows. Through Mahadeva's grace, he obtains the status of a ganapatya (attendant of Shiva). One then goes on to the river named Narmada, famous in the three worlds. Having offered oblations to the ancestors and the gods, one obtains the fruits of agnishtoma. The brahmachari (celibate student) who is in control of his senses goes on to the southern waters, attains agnishtoma and ascends a celestial chariot. Controlling himself and controlling his diet, he then goes to Charmanvati, and obtaining Rantideva's permission, attains the fruits of agnishtoma. He then goes on to Arbuda, the son of the Himalayas. In earlier times, there used to be a hole in the earth here. Vasishtha's hermitage, famous in the three worlds, is there. He who spends a single night there obtains the fruits of one thousand cows. As a brahmachari in control of one's senses, one should bathe in Pingatirtha and obtain the fruits from one hundred tawny cows. One then goes to Prabhasa, famous in the worlds. The fire-god is himself always present there. The brave Anala (Agni) is the mouth of the gods and has the wind for his chariot. A man who bathes in that supreme tirtha, pure and restrained in mind, obtains the fruits of both agnishtoma and atiratra (an overnight soma sacrifice). One then goes to the place where Sarasvati unites with the ocean. He obtains the fruits of one thousand cows and attains the world of heaven, blazing in resplendence like the fire. One should stay there for three nights and offer oblations to the ancestors and the gods. One then shines like the moon and attains ashvamedha. One then goes to the tirtha where a boon was granted. Durvasa granted a boon to Vishnu there. A man who bathes where the boon was granted obtains the fruits of one thousand cows.