Bindusaras

Bindusaras · bindu-saras, “the lake of drops”

Bindusaras, “the lake of drops”, is a holy lake encircled by the river Sarasvatī, its water like amṛta, frequented by hosts of maharshis. The Bhāgavata Purāṇa tells that it was formed from the tears of Śrī Hari himself. When Kardama Maharshi performed tapas on the bank of the Sarasvatī, Śrī Hari gave him darśana there, and seeing Kardama, who had taken refuge in him, his heart filled with compassion and drops fell from his eyes on that place. On its bank stood Kardama’s āśrama, where Svāyambhuva Manu brought his daughter Devahūti to be Kardama’s wife, where Śrī Hari was born as Kapila, and where Devahūti attained moksha. Bathing in it fulfils every wish. It is named among the holiest places, and Balarāma visited it on his tīrthayātrā.

The name and the waters

Maitreya tells Vidura that Brahmā told Kardama to create beings, and Kardama performed tapas for ten thousand years on the bank of the Sarasvatī, worshipping Śrī Hari with one-pointed mind. At the beginning of the Kṛta yuga the lotus-eyed Śrī Hari, pleased, gave him darśana, and promised to be born as his son. Then he went from Bindusaras, encircled by the Sarasvatī, to his own loka, while Kardama watched.

When he saw Kardama, who had taken refuge in him, the heart of Śrī Hari was filled with exceeding compassion; drops of water fell from his eyes and dropped on that place of the āśrama. Therefore that place became renowned by the name Bindusaras. Kardama himself later tells Devahūti that Śrī Hari made this lake with his tears of joy.

Source: Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 3, Chapters 21, 23

Kardama’s āśrama

After Śrī Hari went to his loka, Kardama stayed in his āśrama on the bank of Bindusaras, awaiting Manu, and on the very day Śrī Hari had appointed, Manu came there with his wife and daughter. The āśrama was full of holy trees and creepers, of holy animals and birds, of trees that had sprung up of themselves, and of the flowers and fruits of every season. Maddened bees played there, flocks of birds chirped, peacocks danced and cuckoos seemed to call people in. Its trees were the kaḍimi (kadamba), sampeṅga (campaka), aśoka, pogaḍa (bakula), vēgi, kōḍise and young mango, with jasmine and mandāra. Kannelēḷḷu, ducks, haṃsas, pennaḍa birds, water-fowl, beggurū birds, cakravākas and “moonlight birds” called sweetly there, and irrilu deer, wild boars, porcupines, gurupōtulu, elephants, langurs, lions, monkeys, mongooses and musk-deer lived there. Manu called it a great puṇya-kshetra.

On the banks of the Sarasvatī all around stood the āśramas of maharshis devoted to nivṛtti, shining with the wealth of nature. When Kapila was born, Brahmā came with Marīci and the maharshis to Kardama’s āśrama encircled by the Sarasvatī.

Source: Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 3, Chapters 21–22, 24

Devahūti’s bath

When Kardama by his yoga had made a wondrous vimāna and Devahūti took no delight in it, he said to her: “O Devahūti, timid by nature, bathe in this lake and climb into this vimāna. Śrī Hari himself made this lake with his tears of joy. Men who bathe in it have their wishes fulfilled.” Devahūti, in a worn sari, her hair matted and her body grey with dust, entered Bindusaras, belonging to the Sarasvatī and full of pure waters. There maidens rose to meet her, calling themselves her servants; they bathed her with fragrant substances, gave her fine clothes, ornaments and food, and she came out shining.

Source: Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 3, Chapter 23

Kapila and Devahūti

After Kardama went to the forest, Bhagavān Kapila stayed at that same Bindusaras to do what was dear to his mother, and there he taught her. When he had gone, Devahūti practised the yoga he had taught and remained in samādhi in that very āśrama, which shone like a garland tied in the hair of the river Sarasvatī. There she became one with Śrī Hari; the kshetra where she attained siddhi became famous as Siddhapada, and her body became a river that gives siddhi.

Source: Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 3, Chapters 25, 33

Among the holiest places

Nārada Maharshi, teaching Yudhishṭhira the dharma of the gṛhastha, names Bindu-saras with Naimishāraṇya, Phālguna kshetra, Setubandha, Prabhāsa, Dvārakā, Kāśī, Mathurā and Pampā-saras as holy places. One who seeks welfare should go to these places again and again, for dharma done in them gives a thousand times more fruit. On his tīrthayātrā, Balarāma went up the Sarasvatī from Prabhāsa and visited Pṛthūdaka, Bindusaras, Tritakūpa and the other tīrthas along it.

Source: Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 7, Chapter 14; Skandha 10, Chapter 78

Sources

• Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 3, Chapters 21–25, 33; Skandha 7, Chapter 14; Skandha 10, Chapter 78