Ayodhyā Māhātmya

Ayodhyā Māhātmya, simply known as Ayodhya Mahatmya, Sanskrit: अयोध्या माहात्म्य, Telugu: అయోధ్యా మాహాత్మ్యం, Hindi: अयोध्या माहात्म्य.

The Ayodhyā Māhātmya is a ten-chapter section of the Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa of the Skanda Purāṇa (the Skanda Mahā Purāṇa). It gives the glory of Ayodhyā, the city of Rāma. Its main subject is the sacred geography of the city, which stands on the Sudarśana Cakra (discus) of Bhagavān Vishṇu. It describes, one by one, the city’s tīrthas (holy bathing places), its kuṇḍas (sacred pools) and the devatās present at each of them.

The outer frame is set at Kurukshetra. There the assembled ṛshis (seers) ask Sūta Romaharshaṇa to tell them the glory of Ayodhyā. Sūta traces how the teaching came down: Skanda told it to Nārada, Nārada passed it to Agastya, and Agastya passed it to Kṛshṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa. From then on the Māhātmya goes forward as Agastya’s narration to Vyāsa.

What the Māhātmya contains

Besides its long account of the tīrthas, kuṇḍas and devatās of Ayodhyā, the Māhātmya keeps several important narratives:

• the installation of Vishṇuhari by the brāhmaṇa Vishṇuśarmā;
• Lakshmaṇa’s departure at Sahasradhārā;
• Kautsa, Raghu and Kubera, and the shower of gold;
• the hidden tapas (austerity) of Bhagavān Vishṇu, as Guptahari, for the defeat of the asuras;
• Rāma’s Mahāprasthāna (last journey) at Gopratāra with all the citizens of Ayodhyā;
• the creation of Santānika Loka for Rāma’s followers.

It also gives a full udyāpana (concluding rite) for the Candrasahasra Vrata, which is kept after a person has seen one thousand full moons, that is, at the age of 83 years and 4 months. It gives a complete pilgrimage route through Ayodhyā, and a well-known passage that names seven inner virtues as the true Mānasa Tīrthas (tīrthas of the mind).

Chapter by chapter

Chapter 1: The greatness of Vishṇuhari

The ṛshis at Kurukshetra ask Sūta Romaharshaṇa about the glory of Ayodhyā. Sūta gives the line through which it came: Skanda, Nārada, Agastya, Vyāsa and then Sūta himself. Agastya’s narration begins.

Agastya describes the city. It lies on the Sarayū. The Sarayū issues from the left foot of Bhagavān Vishṇu, as the Gaṅgā issues from his right foot. The city is shaped like a fish. Its boundaries run from Sahasradhārā to Samatā (east to west) and from the Sarayū to the Tamasā (north to south).

The name of the city holds the Trimūrti: A stands for Brahman or Brahmā, YA for Vishṇu and DHA for Rudra. Ayodhyā does not touch the earth. It stands for ever on the Sudarśana Cakra of Bhagavān Vishṇu.

Then comes the account of the brāhmaṇa Vishṇuśarmā. For three years he kept intense tapas at Ayodhyā in the five-fire form. Bhagavān Vishṇu appeared to him on Garuḍa. Vishṇuśarmā offered a stotra (hymn of praise) and asked only for unshakeable devotion. Bhagavān Vishṇu dug the earth with his Sudarśana and made the Gaṅgā rise up from the nether worlds. This place became Cakratīrtha. Bhagavān Vishṇu declared that the mūrti (sacred image) there would bear the name Vishṇuhari, and that its yearly festival would run from Kārtika Śukla Daśamī (the tenth day of the bright half of Kārtika) to the Paurṇimā (full moon).

Chapter 2: Brahmakuṇḍa and Sahasradhārā

Brahmā heard that Bhagavān Vishṇu had made his home at Ayodhyā. He came there, performed a yajña (fire ritual), and made Brahmakuṇḍa to the east of Cakratīrtha. The devas who bathed there became radiant. The yearly festival of Brahmakuṇḍa falls on Kārtika 14.

Lomaśa came on pilgrimage and bathed at Ruṇamocana Tīrtha. This tīrtha lies in the waters of the Sarayū, 700 dhanus (bow-lengths) north-east of Brahmakuṇḍa. Lomaśa became free of all debts: the threefold debt to the devas, to the pitṛs (ancestors) and to the ṛshis.

Pāpamocana Tīrtha lies 200 dhanus east of Ruṇamocana. It is described through the account of Narahari of Pāñcāla. He was a man of many pāpas (sins) who came to Ayodhyā with a group of pilgrims. Here his pāpas were burnt away, and he rose to the higher worlds on a divine vimāna (aerial chariot). The special bath here is on Māgha Kṛshṇa 14 (the fourteenth day of the dark half of Māgha).

Sahasradhārā Tīrtha is told through the account of Lakshmaṇa. Rāma was in a closed conference with Kāla. Lakshmaṇa entered it to announce that Durvāsa had come. Rāma could not break his vow, and so he gave Lakshmaṇa up. Lakshmaṇa came to the Sarayū, meditated on the Supreme Consciousness and was absorbed into Śesha. Śesha pierced the earth in a thousand places with his hoods. Hence the place is called Sahasradhārā. Its yearly festival is on Śrāvaṇa 5. A bath here in the month of Vaiśākha is especially powerful, because in that month all the tīrthas come together here.

Chapter 3: Svargadvāra, Candrahari and the Candrasahasra Vrata

Svargadvāra Tīrtha lies 636 dhanus east of Sahasradhārā. All the tīrthas of the earth and of svarga (heaven) gather here at dawn. One who dies here is sure to reach Vaikuṇṭha. In the Kali Yuga, staying in Rāma’s city for even half a moment gives the puṇya (merit) of 60,000 years at Kāśī. A bath here on Ekādaśī gives moksha (freedom from rebirth) equal to that of the yogīs and of those who die in Vārāṇasī.

The yearly festival of Candrahari is on Jyeshṭha 15. Candra, the deva of the Moon, came to Ayodhyā and pleased Bhagavān Vishṇu with great tapas. He installed a mūrti that bears his own name: Candrahari.

The udyāpana of the Candrasahasra Vrata is to be performed here. When a person has seen exactly 1,000 full moons (83 years and 4 months), he performs this rite on Jyeshṭha 14 and 15. The text gives the full procedure:

1. pūjā of the Mātṛkās (the divine Mothers);
2. the Vṛddhi Śrāddha;
3. 1,000 replicas of the Moon (or 500, or 250, or at the least 16);
4. the Soma mantras with homa (offerings into the fire);
5. nyāsa (placing by touch) of the Moon and his 16 kalās (digits);
6. pūjā with the 16 names of the Moon, of which these fifteen are recorded: Himāṃśu, Somacandra, Candra, Vidhu, Kumudabandhu, Soma, Sudhāṃśu, Oshadhīśa, Abja, Mṛgāṅka, Kalānidhi, Nakshatranātha, Śarvarīpati, Jaivātṛka and Dvijarāja;
7. arghya (water offering) together with Rohiṇī;
8. sixteen kalaśas (pots) of milk;
9. abhisheka (ritual bathing);
10. a gift of money.

This vrata purifies even brahmahatyā (killing a brāhmaṇa), drunkenness, theft and the violation of the guru’s bed.

Chapter 4: The greatness of Dharmahari

Dharmahari lies south-east of Candrahari. A brāhmaṇa named Dharma came there on pilgrimage. The glory of Ayodhyā filled him with joy, he danced in ecstasy, and he offered a stotra. Bhagavān Vishṇu appeared before him in yellow robes and gave him a vara (boon): a mūrti would be installed under Dharma’s own name, as Dharmahari. Merely remembering Dharmahari gives moksha, and Dharmahari destroys the pāpas of the Kali age. Its yearly festival is on Āshāḍha 11.

To the south of Dharmahari is Svarṇakhanī, the gold mine where Kubera made gold rain down out of fear of King Raghu. Raghu had performed the Viśvadigjaya (Viśvajit) yajña. He gave all his wealth to brāhmaṇas and was left with nothing. Kautsa, a disciple of Viśvāmitra, then came to him seeking 14 crore gold pieces as the fee for his guru. Raghu had nothing to give, but he promised to try, and he made ready to march against Kubera. As Raghu came near, Kubera sent gold raining down rather than face him. Kautsa took only the exact amount he needed and gave the rest back to Raghu. He blessed Raghu with sons and declared the spot a holy tīrtha. The yearly festival of Svarṇakhanī is on Vaiśākha Śukla 12.

Chapter 5: The power of Tilodakī

Vyāsa asks why Viśvāmitra demanded such an impossible sum. Agastya tells him. Durvāsa once came, hungry, to Viśvāmitra, who was preparing a milk pudding. Durvāsa asked him to wait while he went to bathe, and then did not come back for 1,000 divine years. All that time Viśvāmitra stood without moving, the pudding in his hand. Kautsa served him patiently throughout. When Durvāsa at last returned, ate and left, Viśvāmitra, worn out and vexed, released Kautsa from his service. Kautsa insisted on paying a fee for his teaching. In his anger and exasperation, Viśvāmitra demanded 14 crore gold pieces.

Then Tilodakī Tīrtha is described. It is the confluence of the Tilodakī river and the Sarayū, south of Svarṇakhanī. Rāma made this river to give drinking water to the horses from the Sindhu country. Its water is dark like tila (sesame, gingelly) seeds. A bath at the confluence equals ten aśvamedha yajñas (horse rituals). Its yearly festival is on Bhādrapada Amāvāsyā (the new moon of Bhādrapada).

Chapter 6: The greatness of Svargadvāra and Gopratāra

Sītākuṇḍa lies west of the Tilodakī confluence. Sītā herself made it, and Rāma gave it a vara. A holy bath here on Mārgaśīrsha Kṛshṇa 14 destroys all pāpas, and a bath at any time gives Vishṇu-loka.

Cakrahari lies west of Vishṇuhari. It is the place where the Sudarśana fell from the hand of Bhagavān Vishṇu when he came to Ayodhyā in secret. Its yearly festival is on Mārgaśīrsha 11. Harismṛti lies west of Cakrahari; the sight of it alone gives moksha.

Guptahari: when the asuras defeated the devas, the devas went for refuge to Bhagavān Vishṇu in the Milk Ocean. Śiva offered a great stotra to Vishṇu, which the text gives in full. Bhagavān Vishṇu said that he would go secretly to Ayodhyā and perform tapas there to increase the strength of the devas. Hence the name Guptahari, “the hidden Hari”. The Sudarśana fell at the spot where he arrived, and that spot became Cakrahari. After this the devas defeated the asuras, came to Ayodhyā and worshipped Bhagavān Vishṇu. The yearly festival of Guptahari is on Kārtika Paurṇimā.

Gopratāra Tīrtha belongs with the confluence of the Sarayū and the Ghargharā, which lies 3 yojanas west of Gopratāra. Hundreds of crores of tīrthas live here. The devas, Brahmā, Vishṇu and Śiva are always present. A bath here in Kārtika is supreme; even Prayāga comes here in Kārtika to be purified. Gopratāra is the greatest of all.

Then comes the account of Rāma’s Mahāprasthāna. When he had finished the work of the devas, Rāma called his brothers together. He told Vibhīshaṇa to rule Laṅkā for ever. He told Hanumān to live as long as people recite his story. Then Rāma, with Bharata and Śatrughna, all the citizens, the women, the ministers, the brāhmaṇas, the animals and even the armies of Sugrīva, went to Svargadvāra. Brahmā arrived with all the devas. Rāma touched the Sarayū and entered the fiery world of Vishṇu. Brahmā created Santānika, a loka beyond Brahmaloka, for those followers of Rāma who drowned at Gopratāra. Sugrīva entered the disc of the Sun, and the monkeys returned to their divine origins.

Chapter 7: Bṛhaspati, Rukmiṇī and other kuṇḍas

• Kshīrodaka Tīrtha (north-west of Sītākuṇḍa): here Daśaratha performed his Putreshṭi yajña for a son. Agnihotra appeared with a golden vessel of milk: the havis (offering) mixed with the radiance of Vishṇu. Yearly festival: Āśvina 11.
• Bṛhaspati Kuṇḍa (south-west of Kshīrodaka): Bṛhaspati performed a yajña here, and the devas who bathed in it gained beauty. Yearly festival: Bhādrapada 5. A bath on a Thursday is beneficial.
• Rukmiṇī Kuṇḍa (south of Bṛhaspati Kuṇḍa): Rukmiṇī herself built it. Bhagavān Vishṇu dwells in its waters. Even the impotent beget sons by bathing here. Yearly festival: Kārtika 9 of the dark half.
• Dhanayaksha Tīrtha (north-west of Rukmiṇī Kuṇḍa): the wealth of Hariścandra was stored here, guarded by the Yaksha Pramanthura. Viśvāmitra had taken Hariścandra’s kingdom and had given all its wealth into the keeping of this Yaksha. Because of a king’s śāpa (curse), the Yaksha had a foul smell. Viśvāmitra bathed him in the water of the tīrtha, and his body became fragrant. The Yaksha asked that the spot be made famous, and Viśvāmitra named it Dhanayaksha. The nine nidhis (treasures) are all present here: Mahāpadma, Padma, Śaṅkha, Makara, Kacchapa, Mukunda, Kunda, Nīla and Kharva. Pūjā of Lakshmī here brings every kind of prosperity. Yearly festival: Māgha 14 of the dark half.
• Vasishṭha Kuṇḍa (north of Dhanayaksha): Vasishṭha, Arundhatī and Vāmadeva are always present here. Yearly festival: Bhādrapada 5.
• Sāgara Kuṇḍa (west of Vasishṭha Kuṇḍa): a bath here gives the puṇya of bathing in the sea on a Paurṇimā. Special day: Āśvina Paurṇimā.
• Yoginī Kuṇḍa (south-west of Sāgara Kuṇḍa): the 64 Yoginīs are here, and they grant all siddhis (spiritual powers). Yearly festival: Āśvina 8.
• Urvaśī Kuṇḍa (east of Yoginī Kuṇḍa): Raibhya Ṛshi was keeping tapas on the Himavān. This Raibhya is not the Raibhya of Badarī. Indra sent Urvaśī to disturb his tapas. Raibhya laid a śāpa on her that she would become ugly. When she repented, he sent her to Ayodhyā. She bathed here and got back her beauty, and the tīrtha is named after her. Yearly festival: Bhādrapada 3.
• Ghoshārka Kuṇḍa (south of Urvaśī Kuṇḍa): King Ghosha of the Solar dynasty suffered from festering wounds because of past karma. Wandering in the forest, he bathed in a lake near ṛshis who were performing their sandhyā (twilight rites), and he was healed. He offered a stotra to Sūrya. Sūrya appeared and gave him a vara: an image bearing Ghosha’s name. Yearly festivals: Bhādrapada 6 and Māgha 6, and the Sundays of Pausha.

Chapter 8: Ratikuṇḍa and other holy tīrthas

• Ratikuṇḍa (west of Ghoshārka) and Kusumāyudha Kuṇḍa (west of Ratikuṇḍa): couples who bathe in both become famous like Rati and Kāma. Yearly festival: Māgha 5 (Vasanta Pañcamī).
• Mantreśvara Śiva Liṅga (west of Kusumāyudha Kuṇḍa): Rāma installed it after his secret consultation with Kāla. Yearly festival: Caitra 14.
• Śītalā (north of Mantreśvara): pūjā here on Mondays protects from smallpox.
• Bandī (north of Śītalā): grants freedom to prisoners; her days are Tuesdays.
• Cūḍakī (north of Bandī): grants siddhis; her day is Caturdaśī.
• Mahāratna (east of Cūḍakī): yearly festival on Bhādrapada 14 of the dark half.
• Durbhara and Mahābhāra lakes (south-west of Mahāratna): pūjā of Śiva is done here; both Vishṇu and Rudra are pleased here. Yearly festival: Bhādrapada 14.
• Mahāvidyā (north-east of Durbhara): the sight of her grants siddhis; her time is Navarātri.
• Siddhapīṭha: for mantra-siddhi (mastery of a mantra).
• Dugdheśvara Kuṇḍa: Rāma came back here after defeating Rāvaṇa. The divine Kāmadhenu appeared, with milk overflowing. Vasishṭha showed that Śiva had appeared in the milk, and Rāma worshipped the Dugdheśvara Liṅga as Vasishṭha taught him. This Sītākuṇḍa was made holy by the presence of Sītā. Yearly festival: Jyeshṭha 14.
• Tapoṇidhi, made by Sugrīva; Hanumatkuṇḍa; Vibhīshaṇasaras; Bharatakuṇḍa, where Bharata stayed at Nandigrāma and installed an image of Rāma; and Jaṭākuṇḍa, where Rāma and Lakshmaṇa removed their matted hair. Yearly festival: Caitra 14 of the dark half.

Vasishṭha gives a short outline of the pilgrimage to the rākshasas and monkeys gathered there.

Chapter 9: The glory of various tīrthas

• Gayākūpa (south-east of Jaṭākuṇḍa): a śrāddha (rite for the departed) here frees the pitṛs from naraka (hell). Mondays on which the new moon falls are special.
• Piśācamocana (east of Gayākūpa): a bath here on Mārgaśīrsha 14 removes the state of a piśāca (ghoul).
• Mānasa Tīrtha (east of Piśācamocana): all pāpas of mind, speech and body are dissolved here. Yearly festival: Bhādrapada Paurṇimā.
• The Tamasā river (south of Mānasa Tīrtha): a sacred river. The āśrama of Māṇḍavya stands where the river begins, and the āśramas of Gautama, Cyavana and Parāśara all stand on its banks. Yearly bath: Mārgaśīrsha 15.
• Sītākuṇḍa on the Tamasā (near Dugdheśvara).
• Bhairava (south of the Sītākuṇḍa on the Tamasā): protects the pilgrimage. Yearly festival: Mārgaśīrsha 8 of the dark half.
• Bharatakuṇḍa (north of Bhairava): Bharata settled at Nandigrāma and meditated on Rāmacandra. He installed an image of Rāma in this kuṇḍa. It has trees, lotus flowers and swans, and it is very meritorious for śrāddha.
• Jaṭākuṇḍa (west of Bharatakuṇḍa): Rāma and Lakshmaṇa dropped their matted hair here when they came back from exile.

Chapter 10: Pilgrimage to Ayodhyā

• Vīra (north of the Amṛtakuṇḍa area): the elephant-formed devatā who defends Ayodhyā. He is worshipped on the fifth day of Navarātri.
• Surāsā: a rākshasī from Laṅkā who is now a lasting devotee of Bhagavān Vishṇu. Rāma brought her to be a guardian of the city. She is worshipped on the third day of Navarātri.
• Piṇḍāraka (west of Surāsā): a warrior guardian, worshipped in Navarātri.
• Vighneśvara (west of Piṇḍāraka): removes all obstacles.
• Rāmajanmabhūmi (north-east of Vighneśvara, north of Vasishṭha and west of Lomaśa): a visit here alone removes the need for any other tapas. A special vow is kept here on Navamī.

The Sarayū is described as “Brahman in the form of water”. A bath in it equals living at Kāśī for thousands of manvantaras. Even a moment’s remembrance of Rāma’s city equals bathing in the Gaṅgā for 60,000 years.

Agastya teaches the seven Mānasa Tīrthas, the inner virtues that are tīrthas:

1. Satyatīrtha (truth);
2. Kshamātīrtha (forbearance);
3. Indriya-nigraha (control of the senses);
4. Sarva-bhūta-dayā (kindness to all beings);
5. Satyavāditā (truthful speech);
6. Jñāna (knowledge);
7. Tapas.

Both the inner and the outer tīrtha-snāna (bath at a tīrtha) must be joined together for the highest fruit. A detailed order of the pilgrimage through Ayodhyā is then given.

Sūta closes with the phalaśruti (the fruit of hearing): reading or hearing this Māhātmya destroys all pāpas and leads to the abode of Hari.

Main tīrthas at a glance

Sources

• Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Ayodhyā Māhātmya, chapters 1–10