Vana Parva, Mahabharata/Book III Chapter 85

Mahabharata - Vana Parva

Vana Parva, Mahabharata/Book III Chapter 85: English

SECTION LXXXVII:

mentions sacred asylums, tirthas, mountans and regions of eastern country

Vaisampayana said, "Beholding the Pandavas afflicted with anxiety and depressed in spirits, Dhaumya, who resembled Vrihaspati, spake thus, comforting them, 'O bull of the Bharata race, O sinless one, listen to me as I mention certain sacred asylums and regions and tirthas and mountains that are approved of by Brahmanas. O king, listen to me as I speak, thyself with the daughter of Drupada and thy brothers, wilt, O lord of men, be relieved from grief. And, O son of Pandu, by hearing only of these places, thou wilt acquire merit. And by visiting them thou wilt obtain merit a hundred times greater, O best of men! First, O king, I will, so far as I recollect, speak of the beautiful eastern country, much regarded, O Yudhishthira, by royal Rishis. In that direction, O Bharata is a place called

• Naimisha (नैमिष) (III.85.4) which is regarded by the celestials. There in that region are several sacred tirthas belonging to the gods. There also is the sacred and beautiful
• Gomati (गॊमती) (III.85.5) which is adored by celestial Rishis and there also in [possibly 'is'?--JBH] the sacrificial region of the gods and the sacrificial stake of
• Surya. In that quarter also is that best of hills called
• Gaya (गय) (III.85.6), which is sacred and much regarded by royal ascetics. There on that hill, is the auspicious lake called
• Brahmasara (ब्रह्मसर) (III.85.6) which is adored by celestial Rishis. It is for this that the ancients say that one should wish for many sons, so that even one among them may visit
• Gaya(गय) (III.85.8), celebrate the horse-sacrifice or give away a nila bull, and thereby deliver ten generations of his race up and down. There, O monarch, is a great river, and spot called
• Gayashira (गय शिर) (III.85.8). In Gayasira is a banian, which is called by the Brahmanas the
• Akshaya vata (अक्षय वटः) (III.85.8), the Eternal banian, for the food that is offered there to the Pitris becometh eternal, O exalted one! The great river that floweth by the place is known by the name of
• Phalgu (फल्गु) (III.85.9), and its waters are all sacred. And, O bull among the Bharatas, there also, in that place, is the
• Kausiki (कौशिकी) (III.85.9), whose basin abounds in various fruit and roots, and where
• Vishwamitra (विश्वा मित्र) (III.85.9) endued with wealth of asceticism acquired Brahmanahood. Towards that direction also is the sacred
• Ganga (गङ्गा) (III.85.10), on whose banks
• Bhagiratha (भगीरथ) (III.85.10) celebrated many sacrifices with profuse gifts (to Brahmanas). They say that in the country of
• Panchala (पाञ्चाल) (III.85.11), there is a wood called
• Utpala (उत्पल) (III.85.11), where Vishwamitra of Kushika's race had performed sacrifices with his son, and where beholding the relics of Viswamitra's superhuman power, Rama, the son of Jamadagni, recited the praises of his ancestry. At
• Kanya Kubja (कन्य कुब्ज) (III.85.12), Kusika's son had quaffed the
• Soma (सॊम) (III.85.12) juice with Indra. Then abandoning the Kshatriya order, he began to say, I am a Brahmana.' In that quarter, O hero is the sacred confluence of Ganga and Yamuna which is celebrated over the world. Holy and sin-destroying, that tirtha is much regarded by the Rishis. It is there that the soul of all things, the Grandsire, had, in olden days, performed his sacrifice, (p. 200) and it is for this, O chief of the Bharata race, that the place hath come to be called
• Prayaga (प्रयाग) (III.85.14). In this direction, O foremost of kings, lieth the excellent asylum of
• Agastya (अगस्त्य) (III.85.15), O monarch, and the forest called Tapasa, decked by many ascetics. And there also is the great tirtha called
• Hiranyavinda (हिरण्यबिन्दु) (III.85.15) on the
• Kalanjara (कालंजर) (III.85.15) hills, and that best of mountains called
• Agastya , which is beautiful, sacred and auspicious. In that quarter, O descendant of the Kuru race, is the mountain called
• Mahendra (महेन्द्र) (III.85.16), sacred to the illustrious Rama of the Bhrigu race. There, O son of Kunti, the Grandsire performed sacrifices of yore. There, O Yudhishthira, the sacred
• Bhagirathi (भागीरथी) (III.85.17) entereth a lake and there also, O king, is that sacred river known by the name of the merit-bestowing
• Brahmasala (ब्रह्म शाल) (III.85.18), whose banks are inhabited by persons whose sins have been washed away, and whose sight alone produceth merit. In that direction also lieth the high-souled
• Matanga's (मतङ्ग आश्रम) (III.85.19) excellent asylum, called
• Kedara (केदार) (III.85.19) which is sacred and auspicious and celebrated over the world. And there also is the mountain called
• Kundoda (कुण्डॊद) (III.85.20), which is so delightful and abounding in fruits and roots and waters, and where the king of the
• Nishadhas (निषध) (III.85.20) (Nala) had slaked his thirst and rested for a while. In that quarter also is the delightful
• Deva-vana (देव वन) (III.85.21) which is graced by ascetics. There also are the rivers
• Bahuda (बाहुदा) (III.85.21) and
• Nanda (नन्दा) (III.85.21) on the mountain's crest. O mighty king, I have described unto thee all the tirthas and sacred spots in the Eastern quarter. Do thou now hear of the sacred tirthas, and rivers and mountains and holy spots in the other three quarters!'"

The Mahabharata in Sanskrit Book 3: Chapter 85

1 [व]
     तान सर्वान उत्सुकान दृष्ट्वा पाण्डवान दीनचेतसः
     आश्वासयंस तदा धौम्यॊ बृहस्पतिसमॊ ऽबरवीत
 2 बराह्मणानुमतान पुण्यान आश्रमान भरतर्षभ
     दिशस तीर्थानि शैलांश च शृणु मे गदतॊ नृप
 3 पूर्वं पराचीं दिशं राजन राजर्षिगणसेविताम
     रम्यां ते कीर्तयिष्यामि युधिष्ठिर यथा समृति
 4 तस्यां देवर्षिजुष्टायां नैमिषं नाम भारत
     यत्र तीर्थानि देवानां सुपुण्यानि पृथक पृथक
 5 यत्र सा गॊमती पुण्या रम्या देवर्षिसेविता
     यज्ञभूमिश च देवानां शामित्रं च विवस्वतः
 6 तस्यां गिरिवरः पुण्यॊ गयॊ राजर्षिसत्कृतः
     शिवं बरह्मसरॊ यत्र सेवितं तरिदशर्षिभिः
 7 यदर्थं पुरुषव्याघ्र कीर्तयन्ति पुरातनाः
     एष्टव्या बहवः पुत्रा यद्य एकॊ ऽपि गयां वरजेत
 8 महानदी च तत्रैव तथा गय शिरॊ ऽनघ
     यथासौ कीर्त्यते विप्रैर अक्षय्य करणॊ वटः
     यत्र दत्तं पितृभ्यॊ ऽननम अक्षय्यं भवति परभॊ
 9 सा च पुण्यजला यत्र फल्गु नामा महानदी
     बहुमूलफला चापि कौशिकी भरतर्षभ
     विश्वा मित्रॊ ऽभयगाद यत्र बराह्मणत्वं तपॊधनः
 10 गङ्गा यत्र नदी पुण्या यस्यास तीरे भगीरथः
    अयजत तात बहुभिः करतुभिर भूरिदक्षिणैः
11 पाञ्चालेषु च कौरव्य कथयन्त्य उत्पलावतम
    विश्वा मित्रॊ ऽयजद यत्र शक्रेण सह कौशिकः
    यत्रानुवंशं भगवाञ जामदग्न्यस तथा जगौ
12 विश्वामित्रस्य तां दृष्ट्वा विभूतिम अतिमानुषीम
    कन्य कुब्जे ऽपिबत सॊमम इन्द्रेण सह कौशिकः
    ततः कषत्राद अपाक्रामद बराह्मणॊ ऽसमीति चाब्रवीत
13 पवित्रम ऋषिभिर जुष्टं पुण्यं पावनम उत्तमम
    गङ्गायमुनयॊर वीर संगमं लॊकविश्रुतम
14 यत्रायजत भूतात्मा पूर्वम एव पिता महः
    परयागम इति विख्यातं तस्माद भरतसत्तम
15 अगस्त्यस्य च राजेन्द्र तत्राश्रमवरॊ महान
    हिरण्यबिन्दुः कथितॊ गिरौ कालंजरे नृप
16 अत्यन्यान पर्वतान राजन पुण्यॊ गिरिवरः शिवः
    महेन्द्रॊ नाम कौरव्य भार्गवस्य महात्मनः
17 अयजद यत्र कौन्तेय पूर्वम एव पिता महः
    यत्र भागीरथी पुण्या सदस्यासीद युधिष्ठिर
18 यत्रासौ बरह्म शालेति पुण्या खयाता विशां पतौ
    धूतपाप्मभिर आकीर्णा पुण्यं तस्याश च दर्शनम
19 पवित्रॊ मङ्गलीयश च खयातॊ लॊके सनातनः
    केदारश च मतङ्गस्य महान आश्रम उत्तमः
20 कुण्डॊदः पर्वतॊ रम्यॊ बहुमूलफलॊदकः
    नैषधस तृषितॊ यत्र जलं शर्म च लब्धवान
21 यत्र देव वनं रम्यं तापसैर उपशॊभितम
    बाहुदा च नदी यत्र नन्दा च गिरिमूर्धनि
22 तीर्थानि सरितः शैलाः पुण्यान्य आयतनानि च
    पराच्यां दिशि महाराज कीर्तितानि मया तव
23 तिसृष्व अन्यासु पुण्यानि दिक्षु तीर्थानि मे शृणु
    सरितः पर्वतांश चैव पुण्यान्य आयतनानि च