Lomasha Recounts Sacred Sites to Yudhishthira
As Yudhishthira journeys through the wilderness, the sage Lomasha begins describing the sacred sites that lie ahead — places where gods performed austerities, rivers served a rishi, and the Ganga herself splintered a mountain. Each spot carries its own history, and together they form a path that might lead the anxious king to peace.
Yudhishthira was walking through the forest, and Lomasha walked beside him, telling him what lay ahead.
First came Vishakhayupa. In ancient times, Lomasha said, many gods had gathered there — Indra and Varuna among them — and performed austerities. The spot had become extremely sacred because of what they had done there.
Then Palashaka, lovely and holy. That was where the great rishi Jamadagni, immensely fortunate and immensely famous, had performed a sacrifice. All the best of rivers had come in person to meet him, each bringing its own waters, and they had stood around him in servitude. Vishvavasu himself had gone there and witnessed the valour of that great-souled and brave one. He had chanted a shloka: "When the great-souled Jamadagni sacrificed to the gods, all the rivers arrived and worshipped him with honey."
Then Gangadvara — the place where the supreme peak of the mountain had been swiftly splintered by the Ganga. The spot was made beautiful by gandharvas, yakshas, rakshasas and apsaras. It was the habitation of kiratas and kinnaras. It was famous and sacred, frequented by masses of brahmarshis.
Then Kanakhala, where Sanatkumara dwelt. And the mountain named Puru, where Pururava was born. And Bhrigutunga — the hermitage on the great mountain where Bhrigu had performed his austerities, visited by masses of maharshis.
And finally, Badari.
Lomasha's voice changed when he spoke of Badari. This was the hermitage of the lord Vishnu Narayana — eternal, supreme among beings, all that is, all that was, and all that will be. His hermitage was glorious, holy, extensive, famous and renowned in the three worlds as a sacred place. The Ganga that flowed there carried warm waters in one form and cool waters laced with gold in another. The rishis and the gods always came and showed their obeisance to the lord god Narayana, immensely fortunate and immensely energetic.
"Where the supreme-souled eternal god Narayana dwells," Lomasha said, "the entire universe and all its tirthas are also there. He is sanctity. He is the supreme brahman. He is the tirtha. He is the hermitage of austerities. The devarshis, the siddhas and all the other ascetics also dwell there. Madhusudana is the original god, he is the great yogi. You should have no doubt that the place where he dwells is the most holy among all that is holy."
Lomasha looked at Yudhishthira. "O king, these are the sacred spots on the earth. The Vasus, the Sadhyas, the Adityas, the Maruts, the Ashvins, and the great-souled rishis who know about the nature of the brahman frequent these places. If you go to these places with the bulls among the brahmanas and your immensely fortunate brothers, you will discard all anxiety." Aranyaka Parva, Chapter 385