Māheśvaratīrtha (Gautamī)

Māheśvaratīrtha · māheśvara-tīrtha, “the tīrtha of Maheśvara”

Māheśvaratīrtha is a tīrtha on the Gautamī Gaṅgā (the Godāvarī) where brāhmaṇas expert in all holy rites praised and worshipped Bhagavān Śiva with devoted minds, and where King Abhishṭuta offered him a great pūjā. After that pūjā the rulers of the devas granted the king bhukti (worldly enjoyment) and moksha, and gave the tīrtha excellent power; from then on it is also called Śaiva and Vaishṇava, belonging to Śiva and to Vishṇu. Brahmā tells its account to Nārada in the Gautamī Māhātmya of the Brahma Purāṇa, and names it with Bhānutīrtha, Tvāshṭra, Aindra, Yāmya and Āgneya as tīrthas that destroy all pāpas.

King Abhishṭuta’s aśvamedha

King Abhishṭuta began an aśvamedha (horse yajña) to honour the devas, with sixteen ṛtvijas led by Vasishṭha and Atri. On Vasishṭha’s counsel the king prayed to Sūrya, the divine kshatriya, and Savitṛ gave him the yajña ground of the devas; that place is Bhānutīrtha. When daityas and dānavas in the guise of brāhmaṇas came in and mocked the yajña, Viśvarūpa recognised them; Tvashṭṛ and the devas sprinkled water with kuśa grass and burned them, and that place is Tvāshṭra Tīrtha. Yama slew the fallen daityas with the Kāladaṇḍa, the Kālapāśa and the cakra, at Yāmya. Agni was satisfied by the unbroken stream of offerings at Agnitīrtha, and Indra with the Maruts promised the king his friendship.

The king’s pūjā of Maheśvara

The tīrtha where Śiva was praised and worshipped by the brāhmaṇas is called Māheśvaratīrtha. There the king, with a concentrated mind, worshipped Maheśvara, who is worthy of all honour, with:

  1. Vedic mantras,
  2. stotras not from the Veda,
  3. dances,
  4. songs,
  5. musical instruments,
  6. pañcāmṛta (the five sweet offerings),
  7. namaskāras (prostrations),
  8. pradakshiṇas (circumambulations),
  9. dhūpa (incense),
  10. dīpa (lights),
  11. flowers,
  12. gandha (scents), and
  13. naivedya (food offerings).

Then the delighted rulers of the devas granted the great king Abhishṭuta varas together with great power: both bhukti and moksha. In the same way they granted the tīrtha excellent power. Thereafter the tīrtha is called Śaiva and Vaishṇava.

The phala

A snāna (holy bath) and gifts of wealth made at Māheśvaratīrtha grant all cherished desires. One who remembers or reads about all the tīrthas of this account is freed from all pāpas and goes to the cities of Śiva and Vishṇu. In this holy place there are a hundred tīrthas.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 98

Sources

  • Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 98