36 - Amrutāsangama and other holy centres

Brahmā said: 

1. Mahanadi is an excellent river. Its confluence is called Pravară-Sangama. Lord Siddheśvara presides over this holy centre. He renders help unto all his devotees. 

2. There was an extremely horrible fight between Devas and Dänavas. (Later on) there was mutual love and amity too between them, O great sage. 

3. They went to the mountain Meru. Devas and Dänavas consulted one another. They wished for the welfare of each other.

Devas and Daityas said: 

4. It is possible to obtain immortality through nectar. Let us make the excellent nectar and drink it. We shall become immortal. 

5-6. We shall join together and protect the worlds. Aband- oning fight we shall attain happiness. Fighting is a cause of misery. With pleasure and avoiding jealousy, we shall enjoy riches earned by us. Loving treatment is always pleasant to us. 

7. What has happened to the contrary should never be remembered. The pleasure that one derives from absence of enmity is not obtained even by our rule over the three worlds or by acquiring a higher position or even in salvation.

Brahmă said: 

8-9. Thus becoming friendly to one another Devas and Dänavas joined together with great delight and churned the Ocean. They made the Mandara mountain their churning rod and Vasuki the rope. Devas and Dänavas churned the ocean. 

10. Therefrom the holy nectar dear to Devas came out. When the holy nectar was produced they said to one another: 

11-13. "We shall go to our abodes. We have done our duty. We are tired. Let this be distributed among all in an equitable manner. In an auspicious hour when all have assembled together, O excellent Devas, let this holy nectar be distributed.” After saying thus Daityas, Dānavas and Räkşhasas went away. After they had gone Devas began to consult ona another.

Devas said: 

14. Our enemies, our suppressors have gone after confiding in us. The nectar should not at all be given to them.

Brahmā said: 

15-18. Bruhaspati agreed and said to Devas thus:

Bruhaspati said: 

Drink this nectar in such a manner that our enemies do not become aware of it. This is the secret advice to defeat our enemies. Those who are conversant with the science of politics know that the enemies are to be hated in every respect. The enemies are never to be trusted. They should never be told (any secret). They should never be consulted. Nectar should not be given to them. They are likely to become immortal thereby. When those enemies, Daityas, become immortal we will not be able to defeat them. Therefore, the nectar should not be given to them. 

Brahma said: 

19-21. After consulting each other thus, Devas said to Bruhaspati:

Devas said: 

Where shall we go? Where shall we have secret counsel? Where shall we drink it? Where shall we stay? We shall do that alone first. O Bruhaspati, tell us.

Bruhaspati said: 

Let the immortal beings go to Brahma and ask him the great expedient in this matter. He alone is the knower, donor and speaker (thereof).

Brahma said: 

22-27. On hearing the words of Bruhaspati Devas came near me. After bowing down to me they intimated to me what had transpired. 

O son, at the instance of Devas I went to Hari along with Devas. Everything was then mentioned to Vişhnu and Sambhu the remover of poison. 

Vişhnu, Sambhu and I went to the cave of Meru along with Devas, Gandharvas and Kinnaras without the knowledge of Asuras. After making Hari the watchman we sat for drinking Soma juice. 

Aditya was the person to take note of those who partook of Soma. Soma was the distributor of share of nectar and the discus-bearing lord was the watchman. Neither Daityas nor Dănavas nor Räkşhasas knew it except Rāhu the highly intelligent son of Simhikā. He drank the Soma juice. Rāhu who had acquired efficacy to assume any form he desired entered the place. 

28. He assumed the form of Deva and held the drinking bowl. On realising that it was a Daitya, the Sun-god intimated to Soma. 

29. Soma gave nectar to that Daitya who had the form of a non-Daitya but informed Vişhnu. 

30. By means of his discus, Vişhņu lifted the Daitya who could manage to gulp nectar. Visņu cut off his head immediately. But, О dear one, that head became immortal. 

31-32. The body bereft of head fell on the Earth. The body that had touched the nectar fell on the southern bank of Gautami, O great sage, and shook the Earth. The body too became immortal, O son, and that was mysterious. 

33. The body was dependent on the head and the head was dependent on the body. Both of them became immortal. This demon became extremely powerful. Devas thought: 

34. "(if) the head were joined to the body it will eat all Devas. Hence we shall destroy at first this body which has come down to the Earth". Then all the excited Devas said to Sankara: 

Devas said: 

35. Destroy the demon's body that has come down to the Earth, O lord, excellent among Devas. You are the ocean of mercy and the saviour of those who seek refuge in you. 

36. Kindly do something so that the body of the demon does not join the head. 

Brahmä said: 

37-38. Isha sent his excellent Sakti, the goddess Mother the protectress of the worlds, along with the "Mothers" Th goddess held the weapons of Isha. She was full of the enero Isa. Desirous of eating it up she went to the place where the body came down to the Earth. 

39. Devas pacified the head alone there itself on the Meru The body fought with the goddess for many years. 

40-41. Rāhu said to Devas: Pierce my body at the very outset. The excellent juice is within it. Extract it from the body. When the juice is separated, the body shall be reduced to ashes. Hence do that at the outset.

Brahma said: 

42. On hearing these words of Rāhu Devas became pleased. They performed his consecration, "Be pleased. Be the most excellent of all planets." 

43-46. At the instance of Devas, Sakti who is mentioned as Isvarī, pierced the body of the lord of Daityas. Equipped with the power of Devas she immediately extracted the excellent nectar outside. After placing that body there Ambikă devoured it. Ambikā of great strength is called Kälarătri and Bhadrakāli. The excellent juice, the most excellent juice of all juices that had been placed there, oozed out and became the river Pravara. She took in the nectar too that had been extracted and placed. 

47-48. Then the excellent river Pravară was born. It is auspicious and nectarous. It was born of the body of Råhu and is fully endowed with the Sakti of Rudra. It is the most excellent and beautiful of all rivers. It is induced by nectar. There are five thousand meritorious holy centres there. 

49-51. Worshipped by Devas Sambhu himself stayed there. The delighted Devas gave unto the divine river excellent boons, severally: "Whenever Sambhu, the lord of Devas, is worshipped, you too shall be worshipped with a desire for the welfare of worlds. O goddess, stay here. O goddess of juice, stay here, always bestowing all (spiritual and worldly) achievements. 

52-56. You will be the bestower of cherished things on being eulogized, glorified or meditated upon. At the behest of deities all the desires will be fulfilled, the desires of those who bow down to you with devotion and de ire for anything whatsoever. 

Sages call this Nivāsapuram (city of residence) since the eternal residence of Siva and Sakti has taken place there. The highly delighted Devas gave excellent boons to Pravara. The confluence of Pravarà with Gangă is the favourite of Devas. It has been described to you. Worldly pleasures and salvation will be obtained by all who take their holy dip therein. Whatever they desire in their minds will be realised even if it happens to be inaccessible to the gods”. 

After granting this, Devas went away. 

57-58. Thenceforth, they know it as the holy centre of Pravarā Sangama. The place where the Sakti was induced by the Lord of Devas is called Prerità. It is also well known as Amrutā. In this manner Pravarā is a great river. Know that a holy dip and distribution of charities etc. at the confluence of Pravară is of everlasting benefit. It yields pleasure to the Manes.