42 - The greatness of the various holy centres on Narmada 

Märkandeya said: 

1. O leading king, thereafter, one should go to the excellent Bhrugutīrtha. Formerly holy lord Bhrugu propitiated Rudra there. 

2. By visiting that lord, one is immediately freed from sins. This holy centre is very large and destructive of all sins. 

3-4. Those who take bath there go to heaven. Those who die here are not reborn. In accordance with his (donor's) capacity, a pair of shoes, a chariot horse, gold, cooked food and full meal should be given. It (the dāna given here) is said to be everlasting. All (other) dānas, offerings, sacrifices and penance and rituals perish. 

5-6a. O Yudhishthira, the penance performed in the Bhrugutirtha is imperishable. O Yudhishthira, the presence of Rudra, the enemy of the Tripuras, there, is due to his Bhrugu's own severe penance. It is said so by Rudra, the enemy of the Tripuras. 

6b-8a. O leading king, thereafter one should go to the excellent Tirtha Gautameśhvara. It was here that Gautama propitiated the Trident-bearing lord and attained Siddhi. O king, a man who takes bath there and is devoted to the observance of fast, goes to Brahmaloka by means of a golden aerial chariot. He is honoured in the Brahmaloka. 

8b-9a. Thereafter, one should go to the Vrushotsarga Tirtha. He shall attain the eternal region. Those foolish men deluded by the Māyā of Vişhnu do not know the glory of this Tirtha. 

9b-10. Thereafter, one should go to the Dhautapāpā holy centre where the sins are washed by means of this meritorious act. It is situated on Narmada. O king, it is destructive of all sins. A man taking bath in that holy centre, dispels the sin of Brāhmaṇa-slaughter. 

1. Bhrugu Tīrtha-Bhera-ghat, 12 miles to the West of Jabalpur (De, P. 34). It has now a temple of 64 Yoginis. Here Parashurama regained his energy taken away by Rama the son of Dasharatha. 

11. O leading king, he who abandons his life there in that holy centre, shall be blessed with four arms and three eyes. He shall be as mighty as Hara. 

12. He shall reside in the Shivaloka for ten thousand Kalpas and more with exploits similar to that of Shiva. After a long time, he is born on the Earth. He shall then be a sole Emperor over the world. 

13. O leading king, thereafter, one should go to the excellent Tīrtha called Hastatīrtha (v.l. Hamsa-Tīrtha). O king, a man who takes bath there, is honoured in the Brahmaloka. 

14. O leading king, thereafter, one should go to that holy centre where Janārdana is settled. It is called Varāha tirtha. It yields the capacity to go to Vişhnuloka. 

15-16a. O leading king, thereafter, one should go to the excellent Chandratirtha. One should perform the rite of ablution there, particularly on the full moon day. Immediately after the bath, a man shall be the sole emperor on the Earth. 

16b-17a. Thereafter, one should go to Devatirtha which is bowed by all the other holy centres. O leading king, on taking bath there, one rejoices alongwith the deities. 

17b-18a. O leading king, thereafter one should go to the excellent Shankhatirtha. What is given as charitable gift there shall become a hundred million times (more beneficial). 

18b-19a. O leading king, thereafter one should go to the auspicious Paitāmahatīrtha. The Shraddha offered there shall wholly become inexhaustible in merit. 

19b-20a. He who abandons his life after reaching the holy centre Sāvitrītīrtha shall shake off all sins. He is honoured in the Brahmaloka. 

20b-2la. There itself the Manohara (charming) Tirtha is extremely splendid. O king, a man taking bath there is honoured in the Rudraloka. 

2lb-23a. O leading king, thereafter, one should go to the excellent Kanyātīrtha. O king, a man taking bath there is freed from all sins. One shall perform the rite of ablution here on the third day in the bright half of the month. Immediately after the bath, the man shall become the sole Sovereign ruler over the Earth. 

23b-24a. Thereafter, one should go to the holy centre Sarga Bindu which is bowed to by Devas. O king, a man who takes bath there, never sees mishaps and ill fortune. 

24b-25a. Thereafter, one should go to Apsareśha. He should perform the rite of ablution there. He sports in the heavenly world and rejoices alongwith celestial damsels. 

25b-26. O leading king, thereafter one should go to the excellent holy centre Bhārabhūti. He should worship the lord after the observance of fast. He is honoured in the Rudraloka. O king, one who dies in this holy centre, shall attain the chieftainship of the Gaņas. 

27. In the month of Kärttika, one shall worship the lord of Devas, the consort of Pārvati. Learned men assert that it is ten times more beneficial horse-sacrifice. 

28-29. He who gifts away a bull as lustrous (white) as the Kunda flower and the moon goes to the Rudraloka by means of a vehicle to which a bull is yoked. He who abandons his life after reaching the holy centre, shall be freed from all sins. He goes to Rudraloka. 

30. O ruler of men, he who enters water (and drowns himself) in that holy centre goes to the heavenly world by means of a vehicle to which swans are yoked. 

31. The Confluence of the rivers Erandi¹ and Narmada is well-known in the world. That holy centre is also highly meritorious and destructive of all sins. 

1. Erandi-sangama--the confluence of Erandi (mod. Uri) and the Narmadā near Karnali in former Baroda State (now Gujarat)-De, P. 59. 

32. One who regularly observes fasts and performs holy rites devotedly, O king, is freed even from the sin of Brāhmaṇa-slaughter after taking bath there. 

33. O leading king, thereafter one should go to the confluence of Narmada and the ocean. It is famous as Jamadagni and there Janārdana is present. 

4. O king, a man who takes bath in the meeting point of Narmadā and the ocean obtains thrce times the benefit of a horse-sacrifice. 

35. O leading king, thereafter one should go to the excellent Pingaleśhvara. O king, a man who takes his bath there. is honoured in the Brahmaloka. 

36. He who visits Vimaleśhvara after observing fast there, dispels sins committed in seven births and goes to Shiva's abode. 

37-38a. O leading king, thereafter, one should go the excellent Ali tīrtha (v.l. Alakā-tirtha). He should observe fast for a night with regulated conduct and diet. Thanks to the greatness of this holy centre, he is freed from the sin of Brāhmaṇa-slaughter. 

38b-39a. These holy centres have been recounted to you in brief and in view of their importance. O son of Pandu, the number of the holy centres is big. They cannot be narrated in detail. 

39b-41a. This large sacred river is well-known in the three worlds. Narmadā is the most excellent of all rivers. It is the beloved of Mahādeva. O Yudhishthira there is no doubt in this that he who mentally remembers Narmadā, obtains the benefit of a hundred Chandrāyana rites, or even more. 

41b-42a. Those persons who do not have faith, those who have resorted to terrible non-belief, do fall in the terrible hell. So says Parameśhvara. 

42b. Lord Maheśhvara himself resorts to Narmada. Hence, this river should be known as very meritorious, and destructive of the sin of Brāhmaṇa-slaughter.