62 - The greatness of the most Eminent Tirtha Prayäga - The Procedure of Pilgrimage

Vasisshtha Said

1-3. O king Mãndhâtä, on hearing this greatness of Purusottama (kshetra), that bestows worldly pleasures and salvation, Mohinï the daughter of Brahmâ asked that Brähmana Vasu, her own family priest.

Mohini requested:

O Brâhmana, the very wonderful glory of Purushottama kshetra has been heard. Now tell me the greatness of Prayäga too, O Brâhmana, observer of holy rites. O preceptor, that the Tïrtha Prayäga is the king of all Tirthas, has been heard by me before.

4-5. Narrate to me its greatness along with the procedure of its pilgrimages. What specific formalities be observed by men devoted to virtuous rites in regard to special sacred places regarded as highly meritorious and respectable, Tirthas in particular.

6. O king on hearing those words uttered by Mohini, that Brähmana recounted to her the traditional account of Prayäga with the enunciation of the general rules of pilgrimage at the outset.

Vasu said:

7. Listen, O gentle lady, I shall recount the rules of procedure in undertaking pilgrimages. It is only by observing those rules that a man can attain the benefit as mentioned. Going to a pilgrimage is meritorious; It surpasses even Yajñas.

8. A man becomes indigent by not observing fast for three days, by not giving gold in gift and by not offering cows after visiting holy places.

9. Even by performing Agnishtoma and other Yajñas with magnificent monetary gifts, one does not attain that benefit which results from undertaking pilgrimages.

10. Even he who casually visits a holy centre unwittingly shall attain all desires and flourish. He is honoured in the heavently world.

11. He perpetually obtains a position that is full of wealth and food-grains. He shall be full of perfect knowledge and prosperity. He shall have pleasures for ever.

12. The Pitris (manes) and great-grand-fathers have been redeemed from hell by that pcrson whose hands, feet and mind are well-controlled.

13. One who refrains from accepting monetary gifts, one who is satisfied with whatever one gets shall attain learning, penance, renown and the benefit of pilgrimage.

14-15A He who is devoid ofegotism shall attain the benefit of pilgrimage. A person not conforming to the prescribed rules of a ceremony (akalpaka), * a person who does not undertake elaborate worldly activities, a person of restricted diet, a person who has conquered the sense-organs and one who is liberated from all attachments shall reap the benefit of pilgrimage.

*This appears to be a misprint as its meaning is inappropriate. Probably akalmqa i.e. 'A person devoid of sin,' may be the original reading.

15B-17. Even though a person has committed sins, if he frequents sacred places, is self-possessed, faithful and is calm in mind, becomes pure by pilgrimage. What then if a man of pure rites undertakes it? The following five persons never reap the benefit of a pilgrimage viz.—a person who has no faith, a person distressed with sins, an atheist, a person whose doubts are not cleared and a Hetunishtha (a heretic stubbornly clinging to arguments). In a holy place the sins of sinners are absolved.

18. The Tirtha yields the benefits as mentioned above in the case of those men whose soul is pure. If a person enters the Tirtha after conquering lust, fury and covetousness there is nothing which is not attained by him through the pilgrimage undertaken. Those men who move about holy centres adhering to the rules of procedure laid down (for the performance of the pilgrimage to the particular firtha) are self-possessed men and can bear Dvandvas (mutually clashing opposites), go to heaven.

19. The fishes stay in the sacred rivers like Gañgä etc. There are flocks of birds in a temple. But since they are devoid of devotional emotions, they do not attain any benefit from the Tirtha or the important temple.

20-21a. Hence, a person of calm and concentratcd mind shall retain devotional emotion in the lotus-like heart and then resort to the Tirthas. A Brahmacñrin duly uudertakes that pilgrimage which is described, undertaken and approved of by leading sages.

21b-22. He is urged to do it by his preceptor and he has full restraint of senses. When all possessions perish, or when persons supporting him become very fèw or when his capacity to perform sacrifices comes to an end, a Brâhmana should undertake pilgrimage and roam about the Tïrthas, after keeping Brâhmanas at the head, since the benefit of Yajñas is also said to be resulting from Tirthas, by leading sages of pure nature.

23. "In regard to a person who is authorised to perform Homas and Yajñas, the house itself and all the duties of a householder are excellent. Pilgrimage to holy centres is forbidden by ancient authorities in regard to a person who maintains a householder's life thus. Some opine that even all the Tirthas put together are not equal to Agnihotra"¹

1. do not advise recourse to pilgrimage in dereliction of one's duties as a householder vide Kürma P. Il. 44.20, also Bm. P. quoted by Tírtha-Kalpataru P. 9 (v. 23 in the NP. here is the same as in the Bm. P. mentioned above).

24. He who wishes to go on a pilgrimage should at the outset remain in a house (i.e. be a householder) with self-restraint. Staying in the house, he should maintain purity and be non negligent. Humble with devotion he should worship god Ganešha.

25. The intelligent Brähmana pilgrim should propitiate Devas, Pitris, Brähmanas and ascetics assiduously and in accordance with his affluence. After returning from the pilgrimage also he shall again worship Devas, Pitris and Brãhmanas.¹

l. VV. 24 and 25 are the same as those in Bm. P. quoted by Tïrtha-Kalþataru p. 9. Cf. The Sk. P Kåshi 6. 56-57 and the Pd. P. Uttara 237. 36-38, There is a great similarity (Practically unanimity) in Puräqas about the procedure to be observed by the pilgrim.

26. There is not the slight doubt at all in this, that he who performs thus shall get the benefit mentioned (in Šhästras).

27. He who wishes to go on pilgrimage should perform Šhräddha with ghee. It is performed for the welfare during pilgrimage. During the return journey too the Šhrãddha should be performed.

28. When one is on a pilgrimage to Prayäga, one should shave off the hair on the head when father or mother is dead.² No one shall have the hair cut without reason.

2. The tonsure is recommended as it was believed that sins resort to the roots of the hair. vide v. 50 below. Vide Pd. P. Uttara Khaada 237. 45, Sk. P. KM 6.65.

29. If one endeavours to go to Gayä one must assiduously perform Šhräddha. He must adopt the dress of a pilgrim and perform the rite of circumambulation of the town.

30. After going to the other village, he should partake of the remnants of Sräddha food. ³ Then he shall go ahead every day without taking any monetary gift.

3. Vide Väyu P. 110. 2-3 for similar instructions.

31-32. At every step one takes to Gayã one gets the benefit of a horse-sacrifice.

O lady of good rites, he who rides on a bullock while going on a pilgrimage stays in the terrible hell. Indeed, the fury of the bull is terrible. From that embodied person his Pitris do not accept water libations.

33. If any person, either because of his affluence or due to greed or delusion goes out (on a pilgrimage) in a vehicle, his pilgrimage to that sacred place becomes fruitless for him. Hence, one should avoid the use of vehicles for pilgrimage.

34. If a cow (or a bull) is used as a vehicle, it is no better than cowslaughter; if a horse is used as a vehicle, the pilgrimage becomes fruitless. If a man is used as a vehicle, the benefit shall be halved; if one undertakes journey on foot, the pilgrim has four times the benefit.

35. If there is heavy downpour or if there is scorching sunshine, one should go out with an umbrella; if the path is gravelly and thorny, one shall use a staff as a prop; if the devotee is desirous of protecting the body, he should always walk about with a shoe on.

36. After reaching the Tirtha some-how and performing the rite of ablution, incidentally one may attain the benefit of ablution but not that of the pilgrimage.

37. He who goes on pilgrimage on another man's behalf attains a sixteenth part of the benefit. He who goes on a pilgrimage by force of circumstances derives half the benefit of pilgrimage.

38. One shall never test a Brähmana in the Tirthas. Manu has said that a suppliant that comes here is worthy of being fed.

39. He must offer Pindas with powdered fried grains, Samyäva (cake of wheat flour) milk pudding, Badara or Ämalaka fruits or an oil cake, O lady of beautiful eyes.

40. Šhräddha must be performed there without invoking Pitris by means of Ruk Mantras (as the ancestors are already present at holy places). The material offered in the Shräddha is not to be defiled by being seen by dogs, crows, vultures and sinners.

41-42. The Shräddha offered in Tirtha is conducive to the satisfaction of Pitris. Whether it is the proper time or not, the Tirthašhräddha should be done immediately on arrival. The Pitrutarpana rite must be performed always. There should not be any delay. Nor should any obstacle be put in.

43. If the image of any person made out of Kušha grass is sunk in the water of the Tïrtha, O lady of large eyes, he derives the eighth part of the benefit.

44. (Mantra) “thou art Kušha grass; Thou art the son of Kušha grass. Thou wert made by Brahmä formerly. If thou takest a holy bath, he whose image is represented by the tying of this knot, also performs a holy ablution."

45. Excepting Kurukshetra, Višhälä, Virajâ and Gayä the general rule in all the Tirthas lays down shaving of the head and observance of a fast.

46-47. Just as there are many limbs in the body but some are very important, so also some Tirthas are very important. Now listen to the reason for the meritorious state of worldly Tirthas. It is due to the influence of the Earth, water or fire or due to the acceptance for stay by sages that the holiness of Tirthas is prescribed in Smrtis.

48. O gentle lady, if any one, after reaching the Gañgâ does not get his head shaved off, his holy rites shall be otherwise. He shall be a traitor unto the Tirtha.

49. If any one does not get his head shaved off in the Bhaskara kshetra i.e. Prayàga, in the Gañgä, he shall fall into the Raurava hell for the duration of a Kalpa along with a crore of the members of his family.

50. After reaching the Gañgâ the excellent river, the multitudes of sins of the period of a Kalpa stay resorting to the tresses of hair. Hence, they must be cast off.

51. The devotee is honoured in the heavenly world as many thousands of years as the number of hairs and nails that fall in the waters of the Gañgä.

52. Excepting at Prayãga, nowhere else in the Gañgâ is the rite of tonsure laid down. He who, out of delusion, does it otherwise, shall fall into Mahâraurava hell.

53-54. O chaste lady, a person whose father is alive shall undergo Ksaura (shaving of the beard) rite after reaching the Tirtha. The knower of procedure shall not shave off his moustaches. O goddess, in Gayä and other places it is not shaving of the beard that is forbidden but only shaving of the moustache is forbidden.

55. Learned men know that the shaving of the moustaches, beard and the hair is Murdana (tonsure). O lady of beautiful eyebrows, mere shaving is not tonsure as mentioned by those who know the Vedas.