Suparṇāsaṅgama

Suparṇāsaṅgama · suparṇā-saṅgama, “the confluence of the Suparṇā”

Suparṇāsaṅgama is the confluence (saṅgama) where the river Suparṇā, also called Sauparṇikā, joins the Gaṅgā, the Gautamī (the Godāvarī). Brahmā tells Nārada in the Gautamī Māhātmya of the Brahma Purāṇa that there are two tīrthas, Suparṇāsaṅgama and Kādravasaṅgama, where Maheśvara has come to dwell on the banks of the Gaṅgā. The river Suparṇā was once Suparṇā, the wife of Kaśyapa Prajāpati, who became a river by the śāpa of the brāhmaṇas and regained her body by touching the Gaṅgā, through the vara of Bhagavān Śiva. The tīrtha of the confluence is a little holier than Vārāṇasī; it suppresses all pāpas and gives the fruit of all yajñas.

How Suparṇā became a river

The Vālakhilyas, the great ṛshis, were harassed by Indra. They gave half of their tapas to the ṛshi Kaśyapa and said: “Beget a splendid son through whom Indra’s arrogance can be quelled.” Kaśyapa said, “So be it,” and made his wives Suparṇā and Kadrū, the mother of the nāgas, pregnant. Before leaving home he told them: “You must not commit any offence, and you must not go anywhere. If you go elsewhere, a śāpa will surely fall on you.”

When he had gone, both went to a yajña of the ṛshis on the banks of the Gaṅgā, where the yajña hall was crowded with brāhmaṇas. Proud of their youth and wealth, they spoiled the offerings of the yajña, though the ṛshis who see the truth (tattvadarśins) forbade them many times. The brāhmaṇas pronounced a śāpa: “Since you cling to the wrong path, you will become rivers.” And Suparṇā and Kadrū became rivers.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 30

Kaśyapa’s stotra and the vara of Bhagavān Śiva

Kaśyapa returned, heard of the śāpa, and asked the Vālakhilyas what to do. They said: “Go to the Gautamī and praise Maheśāna, and they will become your wives again. Go to the place in the middle of the Gaṅgā where Bhagavān Maheśvara dwells for ever as Madhyameśvara.” Kaśyapa bathed in the Gaṅgā and praised Maheśvara: the sole master of the three worlds, who has not the least pride of possession; Siddhanātha, maker of the whole universe and husband of Śivā; the one who alone dispels the threefold misery of all embodied beings, who run here and there scorched by it; whose union with sattva, rajas and tamas not even Indra can tell; Soma, of many wonderful acts.

Bhagavān Śiva, the beloved of Gaurī, was pleased and granted Kaśyapa many varas. He said: “Your two wives will have the forms of rivers. They will reach the Gaṅgā, the most excellent river, and by that contact alone they will regain their own bodies.” By the grace of the Gaṅgā they became pregnant again. Kaśyapa, joyful at regaining his wives, invited the brāhmaṇas of the Gautamī’s banks, performed the sīmantonnayana (the rite of parting the hair of a pregnant wife), and fed them as the rules direct.

As the brāhmaṇas ate, Kadrū winked and laughed at them, and by their śāpa she became blind in one eye. Kaśyapa pacified them, and they said: “The Gautamī, most excellent of rivers, when resorted to, will protect one from thousands of wrongs.” Kaśyapa resorted to the Gautamī with his wives.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 30

The confluence and its kuṇḍas

From then on the confluence of the two rivers is known as a tīrtha. The river Kadrū is all round, and the river Sauparṇikā is in the east; the tīrtha Jaṭādhara extends from the Kadrū eastward as far as the Sauparṇikā. There are holy pools (kuṇḍas) at the place: Agnikuṇḍa, and the Raudra, Vaishṇava, Saura, Saumya, Brāhma, Kaumāra and Vāruṇa kuṇḍas.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 30

The phala

The tīrtha of the confluence is a little holier than Vārāṇasī. It suppresses all pāpas and gives the fruit of all yajñas.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 30

Sources

• Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 30