Purūravastīrtha
Purūravastīrtha · purūravas-tīrtha, “the tīrtha of Purūravas”
Deva-tīrtha has other meanings too: see all meanings of Deva-tīrtha.
Purūravastīrtha is a tīrtha on the Gautamī Gaṅgā (the Godāvarī), at the place where a river Sarasvatī joins Gaṅgā. It is also called Sarasvatīsaṅgama and Brahmatīrtha. Here King Purūravas performed tapas (austerity) and worshipped Siddheśvara, Bhagavān Śiva, and by the grace of Gaṅgā gained all his cherished desires. Brahmā tells Nārada its account in the Gautamī Māhātmya of the Brahma Purāṇa: how Purūravas saw the divine river Sarasvatī in Brahmaloka, how Brahmā’s śāpa made her a great river, and how Gaṅgā pleaded for her. The tīrtha destroys all pāpas even when it is only remembered, and gives every cherished thing.
Purūravas and Sarasvatī
Brahmā says that the tīrtha named Purūravas destroys all pāpas even when remembered; how much more when it is visited. Those who know the Vedas know it.
King Purūravas went to Brahmaloka, the abode of Brahmā. There, by chance, he saw the divine river Sarasvatī, rich in beauty, laughing at Brahmā’s side. He asked Urvaśī: “Who is this beautiful lady near Brahmā? She is the most excellent of all the ladies gathered here, and she seems to light up this assembly.” Urvaśī said: “This is the splendid divine river Sarasvatī, the daughter of Brahmā. She comes here every day and goes back.”
The king was astonished and said, “Bring her to me.” Urvaśī answered the king, who gave wealth freely as dāna: “I shall tell her everything and fetch her.” The king, pleased, sent her, and Urvaśī went and repeated his words. Sarasvatī agreed, saying “So be it”, and went to the place where Purūravas stayed. He lived with her in love on the banks of the Sarasvatī for many years. Sarasvān was born to her as her son, and Sarasvān’s son was Bṛhadratha.
Brahmā’s śāpa and Gaṅgā’s plea
Brahmā tells Nārada: “I saw Sarasvatī going every day to the king’s abode. I saw Sarasvān, her son, and I saw signs of the same conduct towards others as well. So I pronounced a śāpa (curse) on her: ‘Be a Mahānadī, a great river.'”
Under the śāpa, Sarasvatī, here called Vāgīśā, went to the divine river Gautamī: the holy mother who purifies the whole world, born of Brahmā’s kamaṇḍalu (water pot), who ends the three kinds of suffering and gives enjoyment here and hereafter. Sarasvatī told her the whole account of the śāpa. Then Gaṅgā said to Brahmā: “It is fitting that you free her from the śāpa. It was not right to pronounce a śāpa on Sarasvatī. This is the nature of young women: they desire men, and they are by nature unsteady. O Padmāsana, lotus-seated one, you are the creator of the universe; how is it that you do not know this? Whom does Kāma not deceive?”
Then Brahmā withdrew the śāpa and said, “Sarasvatī shall be visible too.” Because of that śāpa the river Sarasvatī is both visible and invisible in the world of mortals.
Purūravas worships Siddheśvara
Purūravas, the most excellent and dhārmika of kings, went to the place where the divine river Sarasvatī, under the śāpa, joined Gaṅgā. There he performed tapas and worshipped Siddheśvara, and by the grace of Gaṅgā he obtained all his cherished desires.
Names and phala
From then on the tīrtha is called Purūravas, after the king. It is also called Sarasvatīsaṅgama, the confluence of the Sarasvatī, and Brahmatīrtha. Its deity is Siddheśvara, and the tīrtha gives every cherished thing. It destroys all pāpas even when it is only remembered, and still more when it is visited.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 31
Sources
- Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 31