95 - Bhadratirtha 

Brahma said: 

1. The holy centre called Bhadratīrtha prevents all ill omens, destroys all sins and is conducive to great tranquility. 

2-3. Uşhă the chaste daughter of Tvaștr was the (first) beloved wife of Aditya (Sun). Chāya too was the wife of Sun-god and Sanaiśchara (Saturn) was her son. His sister known as Vişti was terrible and evil in appearance. "To whom shall I give her?" was the worry of the Sun-god about that girl. 

4-5. To whomsoever the Sun-god, the preceptor of the worlds, desired to give her he used to say on hearing about it, “What shall we do with this wife? She is terrible." 

In these circumstances the dejected girl said to her father: Visti said: 

6. A father who gives his daughter to a handsome person even while she is still a child shall become blessed in the world. If not, the father is a sinner. 

7. After the fourth year and before the completion of the tenth year the marriage of his daughter must be performed scrupulously by the father. 

8. The girl should be given to a bridegroom who is rich and prosperous, learned, youthful, born of a noble family, famous, liberal-minded, and one whose father is alive. 

9-10. If the father does not do accordingly he shall fall into hell. O Sun, just as a daughter is an instrument of virtue to the learned so also she is the cause of downfall into hell, of fools with minds impaired by lust. 

The entire Earth along with mountains, forests and parks shall be on one side and a good girl well bedecked and free from blemishes on the other. Both are then well balanced. 

11-17. If anyone sells his daughter, horse, cow or sesamum seeds, no atonement can ever save him from Raurava and other (hells). Postponement of the marriage of a daughter should never be done. If that is done, who can describe the sin accruing therefrom adequately? Before the daughter grows into a bashful girl, even while she continues to play with sand and dust, she should be given away in marriage. Otherwise the parents will have downfall. The son should be the very image of the father. He who is the father is the son as well. In this world who does not make himself happy? Charity, worship, supervision that a father performs for the sake of his daughter should be known as effectively made. What is given on behalf of them is of everlasting merit. What is given to those daughters is capable of having in finite fruit. O Sun, who does not make his sons and grandsons happy? He who makes his daughters happy shall possess riches.

 Brahma said: 

18-20. When his daughter Visti said thus Sun-god said to her. 

The Sun-god said: 

What shall I do? No one accepts you because of your hideous features. In negotiating mutual relationship such as marriage people look into the lineage, beauty, age, wealth, learning, conduct and good habits in both women and men. We have everything, O auspicious girl, except good qualities (beauty) in you. What shall I do? Where can I give you? Why do you blame me in vain?

Brahmā said: 

21-22. After saying thus the Sun said to Viști once again.

The Sun said: 

If you consider that you should be given to anyone, to whomsoever I may deem fit to give you, if you agree you shall be given away by me even today, O Vişti, permit me.

 Brahma said: 

23-26. Visti then said to her father, "Husband, sons, wealth, happiness, long life, beauty and joy-one gets these in accordance with the previous merit. Whatever action has been committed by a living being, whether good or evil, the result is derived in accordance with the same even in another birth. Only his own fault should be avoided carefully by the father. The benefit that one gets shall be only what corresponds to the previous performance of the person. Hence the giving away in marriage and the contract of alliance of his daughter shall be done by the father in accordance with the practice in his family. The rest is in the hands of fate. What should occur does occur.

 Brahmă said: 

27. On hearing those words of his daughter he gave terrible daughter Vişti who frightened the worlds, to Vishvarūpa, the son of Tvaştr. 

28-31. Višhvarūpa too was equally terrible with hideous features. Thus the couple matched with each other in regard to conduct and physical features. They wandered here and there in secret. Sometimes they had excessive mutual love. Sometimes they had mutual quarrel. They had seven sons, viz. Ganda, Atiganda, Raktākşha, Krodhana, Vyaya, Durmukha and the youngest son named Harşhaņa. This son was meritorious, well behaved, calm, fortunate, pure-minded and pure. Once he went to the abode of Yama to see his uncle. 

32-33. He saw many creatures, those who were in heaven and those who were miserable. He bowed down to his uncle and asked him for instruction regarding Eternal Virtue.

Harshaņa said: 

Sir, who are those who enjoy happiness? Who are those who rot in hell? 

Brahmā said: 

34. On being asked thus, Dharmarāja told everything accurately. He described to him the course of Karman in full. 

Yama said: 

35-37. Those men who never transgress injunctions never sce hell. 

Those who do not honour scripture, good conduct and persons with vast learning and those who transgress injunctions dwell in hell. 

Brahma said: 

On hearing the words of Dharma, Harșhaņa spoke again. Harshaņa said: 

38-40. O excellent one among Devas, tell me that holy rite whereby my terriblc father, the son of Tvastr, Vişti, my terrible mother and my brothers shall become noble-souled, calm-minded, handsome in features, bestowers of auspiciousness and free from blemishes. I shall perform it. Otherwise I will not go back to them. 

On being requested thus Dharmaraja said to Harshana of pure mind; 

"There is no doubt about about this. You are Harşhaņa (one who delights). 

41-44. There may be many sons but all of them do not perpetuate the line. There may be a single son but the entire family is sustained by him. 

He alone is the true son-he who is the support of the family, he who does what is pleasing to the parents and he who redeems his ancestors. He who is not so is an ailment. 

Since what is befitting me, what is pleasing to your maternal grandfather has been mentioned by you, go to Gautamī. After taking bath there eulogize Vishnu, the benign lord who is the origin of the universe, with a delighted and restrained mind. If he becomes pleased he will grant you everything you desire." 

Brahmā said: 

45-48. On hearing these words of Dharma, Harshana went to Gautamī. After taking bath, he eulogized Hari. Then lord of Devas, Hari became pleased. 

He granted the welfare of all the members of the family to Harşhaņa saying "Let there be welfare unto you and the prevention of all harms and injuries." 

Hence, Visti is called Bhadra. As the father was Bhadra, so also the sons. Thenceforth, that holy centre is called Bhadratīrtha. 

It bestows auspiciousness on men. Hari there is 'Bhadrapati' (Lord of Welfare). The Tirtha yields all Siddhis to the persons who resort to that holy centre. Vişhņu, the lord of Devas himself is the sole storehouse of auspiciousness.