Nanditaṭa
Nanditaṭa · nandi-taṭa, “the bank of Nandin”
Siṃha has other meanings too: see all meanings of Siṃha.
Nanditaṭa, also called Ānanda, is a tīrtha on the bank of the Gaṅgā, the Gautamī, known to those who know the Vedas. It is named for Nandin, the attendant of Bhagavān Śiva, who is installed there and always performs holy rites on the bank of the Gaṅgā. Brahmā tells Nārada its power in the Gautamī Māhātmya of the Brahma Purāṇa: here Tārā, the wife of Bṛhaspati, bathed in the Gautamī with her husband and was made pure after Candra had carried her off, and from that day the tīrtha destroys pāpas (sins) and gives all cherished desires. Here too Bṛhaspati, in his joy, granted the Gautamī the vara that all holy waters would come to her when he is in Siṃha.
Candra and Tārā
Candra (Soma), the radiant son of Atri, learnt the Vedas, the Dhanurveda (the science of archery) and all the other arts and sciences from Bṛhaspati. When his studies were done, Candra offered to honour his guru, and Bṛhaspati, pleased, told him to ask his wife Tārā, whose radiance was like that of Rati, what should be given. Candra went into the inner rooms, and seeing Tārā with her star-like face, he seized her by the hand and carried her off by force to his own abode. Brahmā adds that a man stays steady, wise and master of his senses only until he is caught in the snares of beauty; whose mind does not fall to the arrows of Kāma in a lonely place? So a woman of noble birth should guard her chastity.
Bṛhaspati, also called Jīva, heard of it from the servants, hurried there, rebuked Candra with harsh words and pronounced a śāpa (curse) on him, and with the help of the devas made war on him. But Candra was not harmed by the śāpas of the devas, by their weapons charged with mantras or by Bṛhaspati’s abhicāra mantras. Fearing no one, he kept Tārā in his abode for many years, together with Rohiṇī. Neither kings nor ṛshis, neither peaceful means (sāma) nor threat and punishment (daṇḍa), could win her back.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 82
Bṛhaspati goes to Śukra
When every means had failed, Bṛhaspati remembered his own nīti (the science of right policy): a wise man puts insult before him and pride behind him, and so gains his purpose; to let one’s purpose drop for false pride is folly. He went to Śukra, the guru of the daityas, who received him with honour as a guest, and told him everything from the beginning. Brahmā adds that those who turn away visitors from their homes are not good people.
Śukra admitted that Candra was guilty and made a vow: “O ruler of the grahas, dear brother, I shall not eat, drink, sleep or even speak until I bring back your wife. After worshipping Śiva and pronouncing a śāpa on Candra, who betrayed his guru, I shall fetch her.” With great effort he worshipped Bhagavān Śiva with bhakti and received many varas from Śaṅkara, for nothing is hard to gain when Īśvara is gracious. Then with Bṛhaspati he went to where Candra was with Tārā and pronounced his śāpa: “Since you have committed a pāpa out of arrogance, you shall be afflicted by disease (kushṭha).” At once Candra was scorched by the śāpa, and he gave up Tārā. Brahmā asks: who that betrays a guru, a master or a friend has not come to ruin?
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 82
Tārā made pure at the Gautamī
Śukra took Tārā and called together the devas, the ṛshis, the pitṛs, the rivers, the healing herbs (oshadhis) and the pativratās (wives devoted to their husbands), and asked them for the prāyaścitta (rite of purification) for her. The Vedas answered: “Let her bathe in the Gautamī with great devotion, together with Bṛhaspati, and she will become pure. This is a great secret, not to be told to just anyone: in every hardship the Gautamī is the one refuge of men.”
Tārā duly bathed there with her husband. Flowers rained down and cries of “Jaya!” rose up. Freed from pāpa and impurity, she was given back to the brāhmaṇa Bṛhaspati by the devas, by men and by kings of truthful conduct, and everything turned to welfare. From that day the tīrtha became the destroyer of pāpas and the giver of all cherished desires. The devas rejoiced, and the joy of Bṛhaspati, Śukra and Tārā was greatest of all.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 82
Bṛhaspati’s vara to the Gautamī
Filled with supreme joy, Bṛhaspati spoke to the Gaṅgā: “O Gautamī, you are worthy of pūjā by all and you give moksha to all. Especially when I am in Siṃha, you will become the purifier of the three worlds. O best of rivers, O Mother, when I am in Siṃha, the holy rivers, lakes, ponds and other waters of svarga, the mortal world and the nether worlds will come to you to take their holy bath.”
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 82
The names and the phala
The tīrtha is remembered as Nanditaṭa, “the bank of Nandin”, because Nandin of Śiva, installed there, always performs holy rites on the bank of the Gaṅgā. It is called Ānanda, “joy”, because it increases the joy of everyone. The tīrtha Ānanda gives wealth, fame and long life, increases health and prosperity, and brings good fortune and great wealth. Gautama Maharshi says there are five thousand tīrthas there. By remembering and reciting this account one attains what one wishes.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 82
Sources
- Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 82