Pravarā-saṅgama

Pravarā-saṅgama · pravarā-saṅgama, “the confluence of the Pravarā”

Siddheśvara has other meanings too: see all meanings of Siddheśvara.

Pravarā-saṅgama is a tīrtha at the confluence of the river Pravarā with the Gautamī Gaṅgā (the Godāvarī), on its southern bank, where the body of the asura Rāhu fell after the churning of the ocean. Bhagavān Śiva presides there as Siddheśvara and helps all his devotees. The Pravarā is a river born of the amṛta drawn from Rāhu’s body by Śiva’s Śakti, and the place is also called Amṛtā, Preritā, because there Śiva sent forth his Śakti, and Nivāsapura, because Śiva and Śakti dwell there for ever. Brahmā, who himself took part in the account, tells it to Nārada in the Gautamī Māhātmya of the Brahma Purāṇa. All who bathe there gain bhukti (enjoyment) and moksha (freedom), and a bath and dāna there give everlasting fruit and satisfy the pitṛs.

The churning of the ocean

Brahmā says: the great river is excellent, and its confluence is called Pravarā-saṅgama, where Bhagavān Śiva as Siddheśvara presides. After a terrible war, the devas and the dānavas made peace and went together to Mount Meru, wishing each other well. They said: “Immortality comes through amṛta. Let us make the excellent amṛta and drink it, and become immortal. Let us give up war, protect the worlds together and enjoy what we have won without jealousy. What happened before should never be remembered. The joy of being free of enmity is not found even in rule over the three worlds.”

So, in friendship, they churned the ocean, with the Mandara mountain as the churning rod and Vāsuki as the rope, and the holy amṛta, dear to the devas, came out. The daityas, dānavas and rākshasas said: “We are tired and have done our part. Let this be shared equally at an auspicious hour, when all are gathered.” Saying this, they went away.

Bṛhaspati’s counsel and the cave of Meru

When the asuras had gone, trusting them, the devas consulted among themselves, and Bṛhaspati said: “Drink this amṛta so that our enemies do not know of it. Those who know nīti (the science of polity) know that enemies are never to be trusted, told a secret or consulted. If the daityas become immortal, we shall never defeat them.” The devas asked where they should go, and Bṛhaspati sent them to Brahmā, who alone knows the means.

The devas came to Brahmā, bowed and told him all. Brahmā went with them to Bhagavān Vishṇu, and everything was told to Vishṇu and to Śambhu, the remover of poison. Then Vishṇu, Śambhu and Brahmā went to a cave of Meru with the devas, gandharvas and kinnaras, without the knowledge of the asuras, and sat down to drink the Soma, the amṛta. Āditya, Sūrya, kept watch over who drank; Soma, the Moon, gave out the shares; and Bhagavān Vishṇu, bearer of the cakra, guarded the place.

Rāhu and his body

None of the asuras knew of it except Rāhu, the highly intelligent son of Siṃhikā, who could take any form he wished. He entered in the form of a deva and held out the drinking bowl. Sūrya saw that he was a daitya and told Soma; Soma gave him the amṛta and told Bhagavān Vishṇu. With his cakra Vishṇu lifted up the daitya who had gulped the amṛta and cut off his head at once. But the head had become immortal.

The headless body, which had touched the amṛta, fell on the southern bank of the Gautamī and shook the earth, and it too was immortal, a great wonder. Head and body each depended on the other, and the asura became very powerful. The devas thought: “If the head joins the body, it will devour all the devas. Let us first destroy the body that has fallen to earth.” They said to Bhagavān Śiva: “O best of devas, ocean of mercy, saviour of those who take refuge in you, destroy the asura’s body, so that it never joins the head.”

Śiva’s Śakti and the birth of the Pravarā

Īśa sent forth his excellent Śakti, the Devī, the Mother who protects the worlds, together with the Mātṛs, the Mothers. Holding the weapons of Īśa and full of his tejas (radiant power), she went to the place where the body had fallen, to consume it. On Meru the devas pacified the head alone, while the body fought the Devī for many years. Then Rāhu said to the devas: “Pierce my body first. The excellent juice is inside it; draw it out, and the body will become ash.” The devas were pleased with Rāhu’s words and consecrated him: “Be pleased. Be the foremost of all grahas (planets).”

At the devas’ request, the Śakti called Īśvarī pierced the body of the daitya lord and, filled with the power of the devas, at once drew out the excellent amṛta. Ambikā, of great strength, who is called Kālarātri and Bhadrakālī, consumed the body. The excellent juice, the best of all juices, flowed out and became the river Pravarā, and Ambikā also took in the amṛta that had been drawn out. So the excellent river Pravarā was born: auspicious, full of amṛta, born of the body of Rāhu, filled with the Śakti of Rudra, the most excellent and beautiful of rivers. There are five thousand meritorious tīrthas on the Pravarā.

Śambhu dwells there

Worshipped by the devas, Śambhu himself stayed there. The devas, full of joy, gave the divine river varas: “Whenever Śambhu, the Deva of devas, is worshipped, you too shall be worshipped, for the welfare of the worlds. Stay here, O Devī of the juice, always granting every siddhi, spiritual and worldly. When you are praised, glorified or meditated upon, you shall grant what is cherished, and the desires of all who bow to you with devotion shall be fulfilled.”

The ṛshis call this place Nivāsapura, the city of residence, because Śiva and Śakti dwell there for ever. The confluence of the Pravarā with the Gaṅgā is dear to the devas. Having granted all this, the devas went away.

Names and phala

From then on it is known as the tīrtha of Pravarā-saṅgama. The place where the Deva of devas sent forth his Śakti is called Preritā, and it is also well known as Amṛtā. So the Pravarā is a great river.

All who bathe at the confluence gain bhukti and moksha, and whatever they desire in their minds is fulfilled, even what is beyond the reach of the devas. A bath, dāna and other rites at the confluence of the Pravarā give everlasting (akshaya) fruit and bring satisfaction to the pitṛs.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 36

Sources

• Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 36