68 - The Legend of Kamoda 

The printed Text of the N. P. has this following introductory remark. 

Thus, the greatness of Badarikashrama has been recounted. Henceforth, the greatness of Kamoda is being recounted.

Mohini said: 

1. O excellent Brahmana, recount to me the greatness of Kamoda.¹ On hearing it directly from your mouth, I shall feel contented and delighted.

1. Kamoda is the name of a beautiful virgin churned out of the Milk-ocean, who married Vishnu. She stays in a ‘city’ on an unscalable mountain covered with snow. The city is also called Kamoda and is said to be on the bank of Ganga at a distance of ten Yojanas upstream of Ganga from Gangadvara. When she laughs with delight, her tears of joy are transformed into fragrant yellow lotuses called Kamoda. It is generally on the 12th day of Caitra when she smiles at the vernal beauty. 

These flowers can be collected from the current of Ganga. If god Shiva is worshipped with these, the worshipper gets his desirable objects. If she weeps with sorrow, the tears turn out to be lotuses of bad odour, The Pd. P. Chs. 119-121 tell us the story how demon Vihunda worshipped god Shiva with such fiowers and was killed by Parvati. From all accounts, Kamoda seems to be a mythological town, though the NP advises pilgrims to visit and stay in the city. 

There is also a Tirtha there called Kamoda. That becomes accessible after the melting away of snow. 

Vasu said: 

2. O gentle lady, listen, I shall narrate to you the auspicious details of Kamoda. O hearing it, onc is released from all sins. There is no doubt about it. 

3. O gentle lady, the city Kamoda is situated on the banks of Ganga. It is here that Kamoda, the beloved of Hari, resides along with Devas. 

4. O gentle lady, it was when the milk-ocean was churned that Kamoda was born among the four jewels of Virgins. 

5. The virgin Rama was the first and the second was Varuni. The girl Kamoda was the third; the fourth was Vara.  

 6. Among them three girls were obtained by the powerful Vishnu. O chaste lady, Varuni was taken away by the Asuras at the behest of Lord Vishnu. 

7. Ever since that time, Lakshmi has established herself on the chest of Vishnu. O auspicious lady, she became the wife of Vishnu. She was devoid of any co-wife. 

8. Realising the task to be achieved in the future, Devas, at the behest of Vishnu, worship goddess Kamoda in the city called Kamoda. 

9. She stays there perpetually with the desire for the union with Vishnu. She has attained the state of his wife in imagination. She is engaged in meditation on Vishnu. 

10. Lord Vishnu, the great omnipresent deity, approachable through sincerity and devotion by her, stays there perpetually near her. 

11. O gentle lady, that deity, the Atman of the universe, is imperceptible to the Devas, Asuras, sages and human beings. He can be visualised by means of meditation. 

12-15. Devas and sages observe the lord only through meditation. O Mohini, when Kamoda, the highly blessed lady laughs overwhelmed with delight, tears of delight fall down into Ganga. O goddess of Devas, these tears become lotuses named Kamoda. They are yellow, fragrant and extremely pleasant. He who comes to acquire them, thanks to his good luck, and worships Shiva with them, shall attain cherished desires. This is the behest of Parameshvara (The Supreme Lord Shiva). 

16. Sometimes tears of misery too fall. From those tears lotuses of bad odour crop up. 

17. Deluded by the previous sins, if any one worships lord Shankara, the benefactor of the worlds, with those lotus flowers of bad odour he will be oppressed by all miseries. 

18-21. Kamoda is situated ten Yojanas above Gangadvara. The devotee should perform the Japa of twelve syllabled Mantra for the whole of a year. O daughter of Brahma, at the end of the year on the twelfth day in the month of Caitra, she will see the splendour of the spring and thanks to her delight, will laugh continuously; then the devotee may get those lotuses and by no means at any other time. The man who is devoted to Vishnu and who takes a holy bath there after contemplating on the city of Kamoda, shall be a favourite of Vishnu. There is no doubt in this that he will be a favourite with the Devas and Pitris. 

22. O splendid-faced lady, he who stays there for twelve years engaged in the repetition of Japa shall obtain the vision of Kamoda herself. 

23. O lady, by means of holy bath alone, the pure man attains whatever worldly pleasure he may seek. 

24. O gentle lady, this is an impassable rugged place. When the snow is melted away on the mountain, this greatest Tirtha may be accessible, thanks to good luck. 

25. Thus the auspicious account of Kamoda has been wholly recounted. The man who listens to this with devotion is liberated from sins.