Rāmasetu

Rāmasetu is the bridge (setu) that Bhagavān Rāma built across the ocean to Laṅkā. The Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa tells that Rāma set up a Śivaliṅga at the middle of the bridge. There Bhagavān Śiva himself appeared with Pārvatī, gave Rāma a vara (boon), and declared that he would be present, unseen, at the setu for as long as the world lasts. All bathing (snāna), giving (dāna), tapas and śrāddha done at Rāmasetu give akshaya-phala, fruit that never ends.

The building of the Setu

Rāma took counsel with Hanumān and Lakshmaṇa, and then resolved to cross the ocean and make war on the rākshasa Rāvaṇa. With hundreds of thousands of vānara warriors he built a bridge over the sea, crossed it and came to Laṅkā. There he killed Rāvaṇa, together with Rāvaṇa’s son Indrajit and his brother Kumbhakarṇa. With Hanumān’s help he brought Sītā back.

The Rāmeśvara liṅga is installed

In the middle of this bridge Rāma installed and worshipped a Śivaliṅga, the form of Bhagavān Śiva as Īśāna, who wears animal hide as his garment. At that moment Bhagavān Mahādeva, with Pārvatī, appeared before Rāma himself and gave him a supreme vara.

Bhagavān Śiva’s vara at the Setu

Bhagavān Śiva said to Rāma:

“Any dvijāti (twice-born) person who sees the liṅga you have set up here will have his pāpa destroyed, even if it is great. The other pāpas of those who bathe in this ocean near the setu will also be destroyed by the darśana of this liṅga alone. There is no doubt of this. As long as mountains stand on the earth, as long as this earth lasts, as long as this setu itself remains, I shall dwell here unseen. Whatever snāna, dāna, tapas and śrāddha are done at this setu shall never perish (akshaya). One who only thinks of this liṅga will have all the pāpa of that very day destroyed.”

After saying this, Bhagavān Śiva embraced Rāma. Then he disappeared, together with Nandīśvara and the pramathagaṇas.

Rāma’s reign after the Setu

After he had conquered Laṅkā and returned, the righteous Rāma was consecrated (paṭṭābhisheka) and ruled with dharma, together with Bharata. He honoured all brāhmaṇas, and he honoured Bhagavān Śiva with special reverence. He did an Aśvamedha yajña, and he honoured Śaṅkara, the destroyer of Daksha’s yajña. The Ikshvāku line went on through his son Kuśa.

Setu Māhātmya in the Nārada Mahā Purāṇa

The Uttarārdha of the Nārada Mahā Purāṇa (Chapter 76), in the conversation of Vasu and Mohinī, gives the Setu Māhātmya. It centres on the spiritual power of Rāmeśvara and the many tīrthas in the Setu-kshetra. Those who have darśana of the Setu are freed from the ocean of saṃsāra (the cycle of birth and death) itself. One darśana of Rāmeśvara, where Śrī Rāmacandra dwells for ever, gives amṛtatva (immortality). A person who worships Rāmeśvara with a steady mind gains all the things he wants.

The tīrthas of the Setu-kshetra

The Uttarārdha lists many tīrthas in and around the Setu. Each gives its own gift.

Phalaśruti

Those who hear or read this Setu Māhātmya are freed completely from all pāpa.

Setu Māhātmya in the Skanda Mahā Purāṇa

The Brahma Khaṇḍa of the Skanda Mahā Purāṇa has the fullest account of Rāmasetu. Twenty-two chapters are given to the Setu Māhātmya. The text describes the Setu-kshetra as including both the bridge itself and Mount Gandhamādana on the southern shore. It places seventeen major tīrthas there, besides the Rāmeśvara Śivaliṅga.

The highest glory of the Setu

The Setu Māhātmya opens by declaring Rāmasetu the most purifying kshetra in the three worlds. Even animals and insects that cross the setu have all their stored pāpa destroyed. One darśana of Rāmeśvara gives amṛtatva. All snāna, dāna, tapas and śrāddha done at the setu give akshaya-phala, fruit that never perishes. This is from Chapter 1.

The building of the Setu

Bhagavān Rāma gathered his vānara army at Devīpattana, the sacred town on the southern shore. It was made holy when Devī slew Mahishāsura at the Dharma Pushkariṇī on Mount Gandhamādana. Nala, son of Viśvakarman, was chosen as chief builder. The bridge was a hundred yojanas long across the ocean to Laṅkā. While it was being built, Nala set up nine specially consecrated floating stones (nava-pāshāṇa). Rāma crossed to Laṅkā by this setu, killed Rāvaṇa and came back with Sītā. This is from Chapters 2 and 7.

The tīrthas of the Setu-kshetra

The Setu Māhātmya lists twenty-four tīrthas of the Setu-kshetra. Each has its own origin account, its presiding deva or devī, and its own phalas. The main tīrthas include:

• Cakra Tīrtha. Here the Sudarśana Cakra struck and killed the asura Durgama. It lies next to the Dharma Pushkariṇī. It frees beings caught in cursed births.
• Vetāla Varada Tīrtha. Here the vidyādhara Sudarśana was freed from his vetāla form.
• Pāpavināśana Tīrtha. It destroys all pāpa, including brahmahatyā.
• Sītā Kuṇḍa. Sītā herself made it. Indra was freed here from brahmahatyā.
• Maṅgala Tīrtha. King Manojava was restored here and led to Śivaloka.
• Amṛtavāpī and Ekāntarāmanātha. Here Rāma took private counsel before the battle.
• Brahma Kuṇḍa. Here Brahmā was forgiven after eighty thousand years of tapas.
• Hanumat Kuṇḍa. It gives children to those who have none.
• Agastya Tīrtha. Here the wishes of Kakshīvanta were fulfilled through a divine elephant.
• Rāma Tīrtha. It destroys all mahāpātakas. Sūtīkshṇa gained all siddhis here, and Yudhishṭhira was purified here.
• Lakshmaṇa Tīrtha. Here Balarāma was freed from brahmahatyā, which a whole year of tīrtha-yātrā (journey to tīrthas) could not remove.
• Jaṭā Tīrtha. Here Rāma washed his jaṭās (matted locks). It gives purity of mind (citta-śuddhi). Śuka reached self-realisation here.
• Lakshmī Tīrtha. It gives aiśvarya (prosperity). Here Yudhishṭhira received the wealth for the Rājasūya yajña.
• Agni Tīrtha. Here Agni rose from the ocean to bear witness to Sītā’s purity.

This is from Chapters 3 to 22.

Sources

• Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapter 21
• Nārada Mahā Purāṇa, Uttarārdha, Chapter 76
• Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, Setu Māhātmya, Chapters 1–22 (Chapters 1, 2, 7 and 3–22 as cited above)