Siddhatīrtha
Siddhatīrtha · siddha-tīrtha, “the tīrtha of siddhi”
Siddhatīrtha is a tīrtha on the Gautamī, the Gaṅgā born of Bhagavān Śiva‘s matted hair, where Bhagavān Śiva is worshipped as Hara, called Siddheśvara. There Rāvaṇa, returning to Laṅkā from Kailāsa, worshipped Bhagavān Śiva with the water of the Gaṅgā and perfected the mantra of the hundred and eight names of Śiva that Brahmā had given him, and he received a sword from Bhagavān Śiva, with siddhis and every prosperity he desired. Brahmā tells its account to Nārada in the Gautamī Māhātmya of the Brahma Purāṇa, and himself acts in it. The tīrtha helps men gain every siddhi, grants cherished desires, destroys all pāpas, and is frequented by all the Siddhas.
The mantra of a hundred and eight names
Brahmā tells Nārada that the tīrtha well known as Siddhatīrtha helps men achieve all siddhis (spiritual powers), and that Bhagavān Śiva there is Hara, called Siddheśvara.
Rāvaṇa, born in the line of Pulastya, conquered every quarter and then went to Somaloka, the world of Soma. As the ten-headed rākshasa was about to fight Soma, Brahmā said to him: “O ten-headed one, stop this fight with Soma. I shall give you a mantra.” For the sake of peace, Brahmā gave him the mantra made of the hundred and eight names of Bhagavān Śiva. For in this world Śiva alone is the refuge of those who have lost their splendour, who are in adversity and suffer many troubles; no one else can be so.
Rāvaṇa stopped the fight, and the rākshasa gained victory in the world of Soma. With his ministers he went swiftly through all the worlds in his vimāna Pushpaka, visiting svarga, the sky, the earth, the nāgas, the elephants and the brāhmaṇas, and he saw the great mountain Kailāsa, the abode of Bhagavān Śiva.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 73
Rāvaṇa at Kailāsa
Proud of his victories over the guardians of the quarters, Rāvaṇa said: “Who is the noble one who lives on this mountain? I shall uproot it and take it to Laṅkā; there it will be truly splendid, and Laṅkā too will gain glory.” His ministers told him this was not proper, but he would not listen. Stopping Pushpaka, he leapt to the base of Kailāsa and began to shake the mountain to and fro.
Then Bhagavān Śiva pressed it down with his toe, and the ten-headed one was pressed down into pātāla, his body bruised, and he cried out loudly. Hearing his cry, Bhagavān Śiva laughed with the Devī. Then Śambhu was pleased with him and granted what he desired; Brahmā says that Śambhu gives varas even to the undeserving.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 73
Worship on the Gautamī
Having gained excellent varas by the grace of Bhava, the heroic Rāvaṇa went away happily. On his way to Laṅkā he came to the Gaṅgā born of Śambhu‘s jaṭā (matted hair) to worship him. He worshipped Śambhu with the waters of the Gaṅgā and repeated various mantras, and from Bhagavān Śiva, whose crest-jewel is the crescent moon, he received a sword. He gained siddhis and every kind of prosperity he desired.
Brahmā says: “I had given him the mantra to save Soma. He worshipped Bhava and practised that mantra, and when the mantra was perfected, the lord of the rākshasas went back to Laṅkā, content.”
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 73
The phala
From then on this tīrtha is very powerful. It bestows great siddhis and cherished desires, it destroys all pāpas, and all the Siddhas frequent it.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 73
Sources
- Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 73