Śivaśarya (River)

Śivaśarya · śiva-śarya

Śivaśarya is a river that joined the Gautamī, the Godāvarī, when the devas performed a great yajña on its southern bank to win back Soma from the gandharvas. Brahmā names it fourteenth among the rivers and tīrthas that came there for the sake of Soma, in Chapter 35 of the Gautamī Māhātmya of the Brahma Purāṇa. Every river that joined the Gautamī at that time has a tīrtha in its own name, and so the confluence of the Śivaśarya with the Gautamī is a tīrtha. Bathing there, or performing japa, homa and tarpaṇa to the pitṛs, fulfils every wish and gives bhoga and moksha.

How Soma was bought

Brahmā tells Nārada of the Somatīrtha, which increases the delight of the pitṛs. Long ago Soma, full of amṛta (nectar), the giver of the vital breaths to the devas, was with the gandharvas and was their king, not the king of the devas. The devas came to Brahmā and said: “Soma has been taken away by the gandharvas, and the ṛshis and devas are in great distress. Let some means be found so that Soma may be ours.”

Then Vāk, Devī Sarasvatī, said to the devas: “The gandharvas are always fond of women. Give me to them and bring back Soma.” The devas answered: “We cannot give you away. We cannot live without Soma, and we cannot live without you.” Vāk said: “I shall come back to you. Let an excellent yajña be performed on the southern bank of the Gautamī, and exchange me there for Soma.” The devas agreed.

Through messengers they invited the devas, yakshas, gandharvas and nāgas, each separately, to the sacred mountain, and from then on that mountain was named Devagiri. Devas, gandharvas, yakshas, rākshasas, siddhas, ṛshis and the eight kinds of devayonis came. While the ṛshis performed the great yajña on the bank of the Gautamī, Indra, the thousand-eyed, surrounded by the devas, honoured the gandharvas and said in Sarasvatī’s presence: “Give us Soma, whose self is amṛta, in exchange for Sarasvatī.” The gandharvas gave Soma to the devas and took Sarasvatī. Yet she came secretly to the devas every day, saying, “Let it remain a secret.” So the devas had both Soma and Sarasvatī, and the gandharvas had neither. “That is how, O Nārada, Soma was bought,” says Brahmā; and so, when Soma is bought, one speaks in a low voice.

The rivers that came for Soma

For the sake of Soma there came to the Gautamī the cows, the devas, the mountains, the yakshas, rākshasas and siddhas, the ṛshis, the guhyakas, gandharvas, Maruts and nāgas, the healing herbs, the Mātṛs, the guardians of the quarters, the Rudras, Ādityas, Vasus and Aśvins, and the other devas who share in the yajña. Twenty-five rivers joined the Gaṅgā there. The place where the full offering of ghee (pūrṇāhuti) was given is called Pūrṇatīrtha, and every river that joined the Gautamī has a tīrtha in its own name.

Brahmā names the tīrthas in order: Somatīrtha, Gāndharva, Devatīrtha, Pūrṇatīrtha, Sala, the confluences of Śrīparṇā, Ilā, Kusumā, Pushṭi, Karṇikā, Vaiṇavī, Kruśarā and Vāsavī, then Śivaśarya, Śikhī, Kusumbhikā, Uparathya, Śāntijā, Devajā, Ajā, Vṛddhā, Surā and Bhadrā: all these joined the Gautamī. These and many other holy rivers went to the mountain Devaparvata for the sake of Soma, and joined the Gaṅgā in due order. Some flow east, some west; some are lakes and some are streams; each tīrtha is known by its own name. Twenty rivers are named between Pūrṇā and Pravarā, and five more are divine rivers, whom Brahmā calls his daughters: twenty-five in all.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 35

The phala

  • Bathing in these tīrthas, or performing japa, homa and pitṛ-tarpaṇa (water offered to the pitṛs) there, fulfils every wish men hold dear and gives both bhoga (enjoyment) and moksha.
  • Those who read of these tīrthas or remember them are freed from all pāpas and go to the loka of Bhagavān Vishṇu.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 35

Sources

  • Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 35