66 - Glory of Gangadvara (Or Haridvara)

Mohini submitted: 

1. O most excellent one among the Brahmanas, the greatness of Kurukshetra * that is exceedingly destructive of sins, and which bestows Siddhis on men, has been heard from you.

* The editor of the Sk. Text remarks: 

Thus, the greatness of Kurukshetra is completely recounted. Now the greatness of Gangadvara is begun. 

2. O preceptor, blessed are you. Kindly recount to me the meritorious Tirtha well known as Gangadvara.¹ There is great desire in my heart to hear about it.

1. The same as Hari (ra) dvara (U. P.). Although the name Haridvara implying Gangadvara is uscd in the Sk. P. IV and the Pd. P., Gangadvara was more popular in ancient times as Hiuen Tsang and Al Biruni called it Gangadvara (‘the Gate of the Ganga’ as the Chinese traveller put it). It is one of the seven holiest cities in India. It is also called Maya or Mayapuri.

Vasu narrated: 

3. Listen, gentle lady, I shall describe to you the greatness of Gangadvara that destroys sins. It is holy and auspicious to those who listen and read. 

4. It is at this place that the holy Ganga named Alakananda reaches the Earth piercing through the mountains in thousand places and following the chariot of Bhagiratha.  

5. It is here that Daksha,¹ the Prajapati, formerly worshipped Yajnesha (Lord of Yajnas). That holy place bestows merits on men and destroys sins.

1. It is at a distance of about half a mile or so from modern Haridvara that we are shown the place of Daksha’s famous sacrifice. The story of destruction of Daksha’s sacrifice is given in Mbh. Shanti 283. 32-37 and in other Purinas like the Bb. P.  

6. In this Yajna, Devas with their leaders like Indra and others had been invoked. With a desire to partake of their shares in the Yajna, they came here accompanied by their attendants. 

7. O auspicious lady, the divine sages, pure Brahmanical sages and saintly kings together with their disciples and their disciples’ disciples had come there. 

8-9A. All of them had been invited by that intelligent son of Brahma. The Gandharvas, Apsaras, Yakshas, Siddhas, Vidyadharas and serpents-all came to the place of Yajna, except Shiva, the Pinaka-bearing deity. 

9B-10. As the invitees were going in their aerial chariots along with their wives, they were extolling the festivities in the Yajna of Daksha delightedly. The beautiful lady Sati heard (their descriptions) and became eager (to see it for herself). She therefore requested Mahadeva for permission to go. 

11-12. On hearing it, the Lord said: “It is not conducive to welfare to go there”. In view of the gravity of the inevitable future, she disregarded the lord and went there to participate in the celebration of the Yajna by her father. When she reached there, she was neither honoured nor welcomed by anyone. 

13-15A. The beautiful lady laid down her life there and that spot became an excellent holy centre.² Those who take their holy bath in that Tirtha and perform the rite of Tarpana to the Devas and Pitris, shall be favourites of the goddess. They will be able to enjoy worldly pleasures as well as salvation. Those who cast off their lives there by means of fasts etc. attain Shiva himself. They are not reborn in Samshara. 

2. This is called Sati-Kunda.

15B-16. On hearing about the death of his beloved from Narada, lord Nilalohita (Shiva) created Virabhadra. Accompanied by all the Pramathas, he destroyed that Yajna completely. 

17. By the subsequent prayer of Brahma God Shiva was immediately propitiated. He reorganized the Yajna. The disorganized Yajna was brought back to normalcy. 

18. Thereafter, that Tirtha has become unequalled and destructive of all sins. By performing ablution into it, the moon-god became free from the grip of consumptive diseases. 

19. No doubt need be entertained in this respect, O daughter of Brahma. He who duly takes bath in that Tirtha attains every desire he cherishes. 

20. Hari Tirtha is that holy centre where the immutable lord Vishnu, the lord of Yajnas, was eulogised by Daksha and Devas. 

21. The man who duly takes a holy bath there at Haripada, O chaste lady, shall be a beloved favourite of Vishnu and the receptacle of worldly pleasures and salvation. 

22. To the east of this is the well-known holy centre Triganga. The Tripathaga (Ganga flowing along the three paths) is directly seen there by the people. 

23. By taking a holy bath therein and by performing the rite of Tarpana to the Devas, sages, Pitris and human beings, the man endowed with perfect faith rejoices in heaven like a god. 

24. O chaste lady, he who falls into the current and abandons his life, shall go to the abode of Vishnu. He is duly honoured by Devas. 

25. Thereafter, the devotee should go to the Tirtha, Kanakhala¹ in the southern direction. In observing fast for three nights and by taking a holy dip in the Tirtha, one is liberated from all sins.

1. Kanakhala is at a distance of about three miles from ki Paidi. 

26. O gentle lady, he who gives a cow there to a Brahmana who has mastered the Vedas never sees Vaitarani nor Yama. 

27A. Anything given or offered into the sacred fire, or Japa, or penance performed here attains everlasting benefit. 

27B-28. The Jahnu Tirtha is also here where formerly that river was drunk up by the royal sage Jahnu after making a mouthful of her. When he was propitiated, the river was released by him and it came out of his ear. 

29-30A. O blessed lady, the man who takes his holy dip there, who observes fast, who is equipped with faith and who duly propitiates a Brahmana who has mastered the Vedas, by feeding him with excellent cooked rice, shall stay in the heaven for the duration of a Kalpa. 

30B-31. O lady of fine waist-line, thereafter, the devotee should go to the Kotitirtha which is in the western direction. By visiting Kotisha the merit acquired is a crore of times more. By observing fast for a night there, the devotee shall attain the benefit of Pundarika sacrifice. 

32. Similarly, in the northern quarter, there is the great Tirtha well known as Saptaganga.¹ O gentle lady, it is destructive of all sins.

1. It is called Sapta-dhara now. It is at a distance of a mile or so from Bhima-Goda. 

33-34A. O highly intelligent lady, the holy hermitages of the seven sages are there. By taking a holy bath severally in those Tirthas and by performing the rite of Tarpana to the gods and to the Pitris, the man obtains the eternal world of sages. 

34B-35. When the Divine river Ganga was being brought by king Bhagiratha, the river, thanks to her love and fondness for them (seven sages), flowed in seven currents. Therefore, the Tirtha became famous as Saptaganga. 

36. The devotee then goes to the Avarta and performs Tarpana rite to all, beginning with the Devas, after the holy bath. Thereby, he rejoices in the abode of Devendra for the period of a Yuga. 

37. Thereafter, O gentle lady, the devotee should go to the excellent Kapilahrada. By giving a cow as gift to an excellent Brahmana he shall attain the benefit of giving a thousand cows. 

38. The extremely sacred Tirtha of Nagaraja, (king of serpents), is here itself. He who performs the rite of ablution here, shall derive protection from serpents. 

39. Thereafter, the devotee should go to Lalitaka and the excellent Tirtha of Shantanu. By taking the holy bath therein and performing the rite of Tarpana in accordance with injunctions the gods and others, the devotee attains salvation. 

40. It was here that Ganga who had come in a human form was attained by Shantanu. After giving birth to the Vasus year by year, it was here that she threw them in and finally cast off her body. 

41-42A. Where the body was cast off, medicinal trees grew up. The man who takes bath there and eats parts of the trees never sees any misfortune by the grace of goddess Ganga. 

42B. Thereafter, the devotee shall go to the Tirtha Bhimasthala.¹ He who takes a holy bath there is a meritorious man.

1. Probably the same as Bhima-goda, a holy centre on the way from Haridvara to Rishikesh (Kalyana 31. 1. P. 64). 

43. After enjoying pleasures here, the devotee shall attain heavenly status after death. 

O gentle lady, these holy centres have been narrated to you very briefly. 

44-45A. O blessed lady, there are thousands of other Tirthas there. He who takes a holy dip in this sacred holy centre when Jupiter is in Aquaries and the sun is in Aries, shall be a master of speech and shall be like the Sun god himself in refulgence. 

45B-46. After having completed the pilgrimage of Prayaga and other holy centres full of sacred waters, the pilgrim should assiduously take a holy bath in the following Tirthas Viz: Varuna, Yoga, Mahavaruna and Mahamahavaruna. He shall take holy bath in accordance with injunctions. 

47-48. By worshipping the Brahmanas devotedly, he shall attain the region of Brahma. If he makes any charitable gift during the transit of the Sun, or on the new-moon day, or when the Vyatipata period of time occurs, or on the anniversary day of the beginning of Yugas, or during other sacred days, it shall have a crore times more benefit. It is the truth that has been declared by me. 

49. He who remembers Gangadvara even when he is far away, attains good goal like the person who remembers Hari in the end. 

50. That deity whom pure man worships at Haridvara shall become delighted and fulfil his desires. 

51. The place where Ganga entered the Earth is itself a place of penance, it is a place of Japa and the place of Homa. 

52. The man who observes restraints and after taking a holy dip, repeats the thousand epithets of the Ganga three times per day, shall attain a line of progeny that gets never extinct. 

53. O blessed lady, he who devoutly listens to the Purana at Gangadvara with due observance of restraints, attains the unchanging region (i.e. the permanent abode of the Supreme Lord). 

54. The excellent man who listens to or reads the greatness of Haridvara with great devotion shall acquire the benefit of the holy bath there. 

55-56. O gentle lady, there is no cause of fear from serpents, thieves, fires, evil planets or tyrannous kings. All the riches increase, thanks to the grace of lord Vishnu.