91 - The Description of Kusatarpana and other Holy Centres

Brahmä said: 

1. The holy centre well known in the worlds as Kusatarpana and Pranitasangama yields worldly pleasures and liberation. 

2. I shall mention its characteristic features. Listen. It is auspicious and it dispels sins. On the southern side of the Vindhya there is the great mountain Sahya. 

3-6. It is from its feet that the rivers Godavari, Bhimarathi and others arose. The place where the Ekavira arose is Virajā (free from sins). Its greatness cannot be described by anyone. Listen attentively (to what happened) in the holy spot on that mountain, O Nārada. I shall tell the secret of secrets. It is auspicious and directly mentioned by the Vedas. Even sages, Devas, Pitrus and Asuras do not know. I shall recount for your pleasure. It gives all cherished things on being listened to. 

That supreme Puruşha should be known as Unmainfest' and Imperishable. 

7. The inferior one (Apara) is Ksara (Perishable). Hence it is accompanied by Prakruti. The Puruşha with limbs was born from the Nirākära (that which has no form or shape). 

8-9. The waters were born of him and the Puruşha was born of waters (?) From both of them a lotus was born and I was born there, O sage. 

The elements Earth, Wind, Ether, Waters, and Fire are anterior to me. They were evolved simultaneously, O sage. 

10. I saw only these and no other beings whether mobile or immobile. Nor were the Vedas present then. I could not see anything 

11. I could not see even that (lotus) from which I was born. When I remained silent I heard this excellent speech. 

The Ethereal Voice said: 

12-14. O Brahmä, perform the rite of creation of the Universe, of the mobile and immobile beings.

 Brahmā said: 

Thereupon I spoke to that voice of the Divine Puruşha there, O Nārada: 

"How shall I create this Universe? With what shall I create it?”  

The same divine voice said: "It is the mother (of the Universe) that is called Prakruti and works under the guidance of Vişhnu." The Ethereal Voice said: 

15-16. Perform Yajña. Undoubtedly you will have the power there from. O Brahma, the eternal Sruti says, “Verily Yajña is Vişhnu". What is it that cannot be achieved by performers of Yajña in this world and the next one?

Brahma said: 

17. Again I spoke to that goddess, "O highly fortunate lady, where should Yajña be performed? By what should it be performed?  Tell me.” 

Thereupon she said to me.

The Ethereal Voice said: 

18-20. The goddess who was Omkāra, who was identical with the universe and who was like a mother (unto all, said): "Here in the Karmabhūmi (the land of holy rites) perform the worship of the lord of Yajñas, the Puruşha of Yajñas. 

He alone shall be your means and instrument, o lord of holy rites. Worship him with that. Hari alone is all these viz., Yajña, Svāhā, Svadha, Mantras, brahmins, Havis etc. Hence everything is derived from Vişhnu.

 Brahmā said: 

21-22. Again I said to that goddess, “Where is the Land of holy rites, laid out ?" At that time, O Nārada, there was neither Bhāgirathi nor Narmadā. There was no Yamuna, no Täpi, neither Sarasvati nor Gautami. There was neither sea nor river, no lake, no pool free of dirt. That divine power said to me again and again.

 The Divine Voice said: 

23. To the southern side of Sumeru as well as of Himavān, to the south of Vindhya, to the south of the Sahya is Karmabhūmi (land of holy rites) with the auspicious rise for everyone at all times. Brahma said: 

24. On hearing those words I left the great mountain Meru. After coming to that place I thought "Where should I stay?" Thereupon the same Unembodied Voice, spoke to me. 

The Ethereal Voice said: 

25-26. Go this way. Stay this side. Sit here alone. Determine to perform Yajña. That Yajña will be concluded. 

After Samkalpa has been performed for the sake of Yajña, O Brahma, O most excellent Deva, perform those things which those Vedas say.

Brahma said: 

27. The Itihāsas, Puranas and other verbal texts, came out of their own accord to my mouth and they came to my recollection. 

28. At the very same moment, the meaning of Vedas was understood by me. Thereupon I remembered the Puruşha Sūkta (Hymn of Creation) that is world-renowned. 

29. I prepared the necessary constituents of the Yajña mentioned therein. I made vessels of Yajñas as mentioned in it.  

30. Where I stayed after being purified and having con trolled myself and where I got initiated was a land of brahmins. It is glorified after my name. 

31-36. The holy place of my Yajña is remembered by the name Brahmagiri. O great sage, the holy place of my Yajña extended for twenty-four Yojanas to the east of Brahmagiri. There in the middle of the Altar I prepared three sacrificial fires viz. Gärhapatya¹, Dakshina² and Ahavaniya³.

1.    The family fire that the householder receives from passes on to his descendents.

 2. The fire placed at the sonthern corner of the altar. 

3. Fire prepared from the family fire and placed at the eastern corner of the altar to receive oblations. 

A Yajña cannot be successfully completed without the wife—so says the Veda. (Hence) O sage, I split my body into two. The former half became my wife for the fulfilment of the Yajña. The latter half was I myself. “Half of oneself is one's wife", says the Śruti. 

O Nárada, I fashioned the excellent season Vasanta (spring) in the form of ghee offering. Grīşhma (summer) was considered Idhma (sacred twigs). Sarat (autumn) was the Havis offering. I fashioned the season of rains as Barhis (Kuša grass). 

37. The Vedas were the seven Paridhis. Kală (moments), Kāṣṭhā and Nimesa (units of time) are remembered as sacred twig, Vessel and Kuśa. 

38-39. O divine sage, Time which is beginningless and endless assumed the form of Yūpa. The three Gunas beginning with Sattva became the post for tying the sacrificial animal, but there was no sacrificial animal. Thereupon, I spoke to the unembodied speech of Vişhnu: 

40. “Without a sacrificial animal this Yajña cannot be concluded." Thereupon, that very same eternal unembodied voice spoke to me.

 The Ethereal Voice said: 

41-44. Eulogize that supreme Puruşha by means of the hymn called Puruşha Sūkta.

Brahmā said: 

Saying "So, be it" I began to eulogize Janārdana, the lord of Devas and my progenitor, devoutly by means of the Puruşhasūkta. That goddess then said to me, "O Brahma, make me your Pashu.” Then I realised the unchanging Puruşha as my progenitor. I placed him at the side of Kālayūpa and tied him his father and up with Guņapāśhas (the three Guņas as the halter). The Purusha stood in front of me. 

45. In the meantime this entire universe cropped up from him, the brahmins from his face and the Ksatriyas from his arms. 

46. Then Indra and Agni were born of his mouth, the wind was born of his vital air, the quarters were born of his ear and the heaven was born of his head. 

47. The moon was born of his mind, the sun was born of his cye, the atmosphere was born of his navel and the Vaiśhyas were born of his thighs. 

48. The Sūdra was born of his feet. So also the Earth was born, sages were born of the pores of hairs and the medicinal herbs were born of his hair, 

49. The domestic and wild animals were born all round from his nails, the worms and insects etc. were born of his anus and genitals. 

50. Some of the mobile and immobile beings and some of the visible and invisible beings of the world were born of him. Devas were born of me. In the meantime, the Ethereal Voice spoke to me: 

The Ethereal Voice said: 

51-53. Everything has been concluded. The desired creation has taken place. Now consign all utensils to the fire. Ceremoniously cast off the Yūpa, Pranītā vessel and Kuša grasses. Cast off the form of the Rutviks and Yajña, that which is intended and that which is to be meditated upon. Sruva (sacrificial ladle), Puruşha, halters--cast off all these, O Brahmā.

 Brahma said: 

54-58. Simultaneous with these words I began to perform sacrifice in the three sacrificial fires viz. Gārhapatya, Dakshina and Ahavaniya after meditating upon the cause of the Universe, the Puruşha sanctified by the Mantras. 

Thereupon the pure lord of Yajña, the lord of the worlds identical with the Universe, the maker of the cosmos appeared near the sacrificial pits. Vişhnu assumed white form in the Ahavanīya fire. Vişhnu was dark in colour in the Dakşhiņa fire and yellow in the Garhapatya fire. Vişhnu was present every where at all times. There was nothing without Vişhnu, the cause of the Universe. 

59. Repeating the Mantras I performed the rite of Pranaya (taking forward) of the Pranītā vessel. The water from the Pranītā vessel became the splendid river Pranită. 

60-61. I ceremoniously discharged Praņītă after scrubbing it with Kusa grass. When the scrubbing was performed, drops of water from Praņītā fell in various places and all those places became holy centres of great merit. O chief among sages, the river became the bestower of benefits of sacrifices when holy bath was taken therein. 

62. It is for ever bedecked and embellished by Śāranga (bow)-bearing lord of Devas. It is the flight of steps for everyone to ascend to Vaikuntha. 

63. The spot on the holy ground where the scrubbed Kusa grasscs fell down is called Kuśatarpana. It yields much of merit and benefit, 

64-65. All these were propitiated by means of the Kusa grass. Therefore the place is called Kusatarpanam. Afterwards for another reason the Gautami joined the Praņītă, o highly intelligent one. That became the Pranitāsangama (the confluence of the Praņītā). The holy centre at the spot where Kuśa grass was used for propitiation is Kuśatarpaņam. 

66. The sacrificial post fashioned by me there itself to the north of Vindhya was ceremoniously cast off. It became the resort of Vişhnu. It is worthy of worship by the worlds. 

67. The glorious one became free from decay. Hence the holy fig free became Akşhaya Yața. In the form of Time it is eternal. On being remembered it yields the merit of sacrifices. 

68. The place of my divine Yajña is called Dandaka forest. When the Yajña was concluded Vişhnu was propitiated by me. 

69-70. After bowing down I ceremoniously cast off the lord of the chief of Devas who is called Virat in the Vedas, from whom the various acts of piety were born, from whom I was born and whose creation is this universe. 

The splendid holy spot where I performed the divine sacrifice extended to twenty-four Yojanas. 

71. There are three sacrificial pits there even today, O Nārada. They are of the form of Yajñeśvara, the discus-bearing Vishnu. 

72. Thenceforth that holy spot of my sacrifice is well-known. Even the worms and insects there attain liberation after death. 

73. The Dandaka forest is called the seed of virtue and the seed of salvation. Especially the place in contact with the Gautami is extremely meritorious. 

74. He who performs the holy bath and distributes charitable gifts etc., at the confluence of the Praņītā or in the Kusatarpana shall go to the supreme region. 

75. Know that by remembering, reading or listening to this narrative with devotion all cherished desires are fulfilled. It bestows worldly pleasures and salvation, 

76. Learned men say that there are eightysix thousand holy centres on both the banks. The meritoriousness of the places has been already described. 

77-78. O sage, the holy centre Kusatarpaņa is more excellent than even Vārāṇasī. There is no other holy centre equal to this in the world consisting of mobile and immobile beings. 

Merely by being remembered it destroys the sin accruing from brahmin slaughter and other sins. This holy centre, O sage, is said to be the gate unto heaven on the surface of the Earth.