Sakuntala (Tīrtha)

Sakuntala

Sakuntala is a holy tīrtha named in the Uttara Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa among the places where one bathes on the morning of Kārtikī pūrṇimā, the full moon of Kārttika.

The bath of Kārtikī pūrṇimā

Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa tells King Yudhishṭhira the account of Queen Kaliṅgabhadrā and the Mahākārtikī vrata, and then, when Yudhishṭhira asks, the vidhi of the Kṛttikā vrata. Mahākārtikī comes only after many years and by great puṇya, so one should fast on the ordinary Kārtikī pūrṇimā as well. On its morning, after cleaning the teeth, one takes the niyama of nakta-vrata (one meal at night) or of upavāsa (fasting). Then one bathes at any holy tīrtha such as Pushkara, Prayāga, Kurukshetra, Naimisha, Śālagrāma, Kuśāvarta, Mūlasthāna, Sakuntala, Gokarṇa, Arbuda or Amarakaṇṭaka, or in one’s own house. After this one does pūjā of the devatās, ṛshis, pitṛs and guests, offers homa, and in the evening sets up the images of the six Kṛttikās.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 103

Sources

• Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 103