Mātṛtīrtha (Gautamī)
Mātṛtīrtha · mātṛ-tīrtha, “the tīrtha of the Mothers”
The Mātṛtīrthas, “the tīrthas of the Mothers”, are the holy places on the banks of the Gautamī Gaṅgā (the Godāvarī) where the Mātṛs were born or stayed. The Mātṛs were born from the drops of sweat that fell from Bhagavān Śiva‘s brow as he fought the asuras, and they followed the enemies of the devas into pātāla (the nether worlds) and slew them. Brahmā tells their account to Nārada in the Gautamī Māhātmya of the Brahma Purāṇa. Mātṛtīrtha brings every siddhi (achievement), and merely remembering it frees a creature from all ailments of the mind.
Brahmā and the devas go to Śiva
There was a terrible war between the devas and the asuras, and the devas could not conquer the dānavas. Brahmā went with the devas to Śūlapāṇi, Bhagavān Śiva, who holds the triśūla, and with joined palms praised him: “When the devas and asuras churned the ocean, the deadly poison Kālakūṭa rose. Who but you, O Maheśa, could have swallowed it? Manmatha, who holds the three worlds in his power with his flower-arrows and whom even the devas salute, met his end when he tried to extend his power over Hara. O enemy of Manmatha, you gave the amṛta to the devas and took the poison yourself; this is your true greatness.”
The three-eyed Ādideva was pleased and said, “I shall give you whatever you desire.” The devas said: “We are in great terror of the dānavas. O Vṛshadhvaja, whose banner bears the bull, come with us and slay our enemies. Save us; in you we have a protector.”
The birth of the Mātṛs
At that very moment Bhagavān Śiva went to the camp of the enemies of the devas, and a fierce battle raged. Śiva took on the Tāmasa form, and as he fought, drops of sweat fell from his forehead. In that form he slew the asuras, and seeing it, they fled from the summit of Meru down to the earth. Hara went down to the earth too, and the frightened daityas ran here and there. Rudra pursued them, and as before, drops of sweat fell as Śambhu fought. Wherever the drops touched the earth, the Mātṛs were born, in form like Śiva.
The Mātṛs said to Maheśvara, “We shall devour the asuras.” Surrounded by the devas, Bhagavān Śiva said: “The enemies who came from svarga to the earth have now gone into pātāla, afraid of me. Let the Mothers go wherever the enemies go. Follow them, all of you, into pātāla.” Piercing the earth, the Mātṛs went to where the daityas and dānavas were hiding, slew all those terrible enemies of the devas, and came back to the devas by the same path. In different places there were openings leading to pātāla.
Pratishṭhāna and the Mātṛtīrthas
From the time the Mātṛs went until they returned, the devas stayed on the banks of the Gautamī. Because the Mātṛs set out from there and the devas stood firm (pratishṭhita) there, that tīrtha is called Pratishṭhāna; it is holy and brings victory. Wherever the Mātṛs were born, there are separate tīrthas called Mātṛtīrthas.
The devas granted the Mātṛs a vara (boon): “Let them be worshipped in the world for ever, in the same way as Śiva.” Saying this, the devas vanished, and the Mātṛs remained there. Wherever the Mātṛ devīs stayed, those places are known as Mātṛtīrtha. They are fit to be resorted to even by the devas, how much more by human beings.
The phala
At the Mātṛtīrthas, snāna (holy bath), dāna (giving) and tarpaṇa (water offering) to the pitṛs all bear everlasting fruit, by the word of Bhagavān Śiva.
Phalaśruti
One who listens to, reads or remembers this account of the tīrthas of the Mātṛs becomes long-lived and happy.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 42
Sources
- Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 42