155 - Power of Akrüratirtha

Varäha said:

1. O goddess, I shall tell you about another important tirtha named Ananta.

2. I remain there permanently for the good of the world, and people who see me there, attain salvation.

3.Those who go there during equinoxes, solstices and Vishnupadi, get freed from all sins.

4. We get then the tirtha called Akrüra, by bathing in which during solar eclipse, one attains the fruit of Räjasüya and Ašhvamedha sacrifices.

5. Akrüra is the king of all tirthas, and a bath there confers the same result as of a bath in Prayäga.

6. O Earth, lišten to an old story in connection with this tirtha.

7. There was a devotee of mine named Sudhana, a merchant affluent in money and grain.

8. He was happy with his wife, children and relatives and was highly devoted to me.

9. He was spending a lot of money for his family and in this way a long time passed.

10. Never did he commit any fraud either with the weighing balance or with the weights.

11. Every day at the proper time he performed the worship of Hari with flowers, lamps and fragrant sandal paste, and also with incense and offering of food.

12. On the Ekädašhi days in both the (bright and dark) fortnights of the month he used to fast and keep awake in the night.

13. He once went to this Akrüra tirtha and was dancing before me.

14. And when he was doing this keeping himself awake in the night, he was caught by a Brahmaräkshasa.

15. Who was huge in form, black in colour, fierce to look at and with hair vertical on the head.

16. He caught (Sudhana) by the feet and said:

17. “O merchant, I am a Räkshasa living in this forest. I shall get high satisfaction by eating you up today.”

Sudhana said:

18. “Please wait for a while. I shall offer you this fat body of mine nurtured by sumptuous food.

19. Let me complete this vow of keeping awake before Lord Hari.

  20. After this is done, I shall come to you quickly when the sun starts rising.

21. You can devour my body when I return to you after this vow of keeping awake meant to propitiate Lord Vishnu.

22. Please don’t obstruct the performance of this vow. You may eat me as you like soon after my return.”

23. Hearing these words of Sudhana, the Brahmaräkshasa who was oppressed by severe hunger, spoke softly to him.

24. “O simple man, what you say is false. How will you come back? Which man will come back when once he is let off from the clutches of the Räkshasa?”

25. At these words of the Räkshasa, the merchant said:

26. “The whole world originates from truth and it is established in truth. The great sages well-versed in the Vedas attain their aim through truth.

  27. As one Who has never been defiled by any bad action in the past life and hence born as man, I swear before you that I will return.

28. After keeping awake and joyfully dancing (before the lord), I shall certainly come back to you. There is nothing false in what I say.

29. By truth is a girl given in marriage. The Brahmins speak truth. The kings remain in truth and the earth is held by truth.

30. Heaven is desired through truth, salvation is got by truth. The sun blazes by truth and the moon shines by truth.

31. Yama takes away (life) by truth, Indra sways by truth. That truth will be lost if I do not return to you.

32-33. If I do not return, I will he stained by the same sin as befalls a person who rapes the wife of another out of lust.

34. If I do not return, the same sin will fall on me as of taking away the gift of land once made.

35. If I do not return, the same sin will fall on me as of disowning a woman after enjoying her well and full.

36. If I do not return, the same sin will fall on me as of breaking a row of persons entitled to remain in the same row when eating.

37. If I do not return, the same sin will fall on me as of cohabiting with a woman after performing šhräddha on the new moon day.

  38. If I do not return, I will go the way of those who do not bathe on the Shashthi, Ashtami and Amäväsyä days,

39. As also the sin similar to the one that accrues as a result of raping in lust the wife of the teacher, brother, son, uncle or friend, will fall upon me.

40. If I do not return, I will get the same sin as of cohabiting with the wife of a king, wife of a Brahmin or a widow.

41. If I do not return, the same sin will fall on me as of one, who having given a daughter once in marriage, gives her to another.

42. If I do not return, I will be stained by the same sin as is incurred by one doing sacrifice for the king or the villagers (for the sake of money).

43. If I do not return, my way will be the same as of those who kill Brahmins, drink liquor, steal (money) or obstruct a vow”.

Varãha said:

44. Hearing the words of Sudhana, the Bràhmaräkshasa was pleased and he allowed him to go.

  45. Released by the Brahmaräkshasa thus, the merchant with a determination danced before me in devotion.

46. When day was dawning he danced more intensely and repeatedly uttered namo näräyanäya (bow to Näräyana).

47. When the period of keeping awake was over, he bathed in Yamunä and after seeing my divine form, went to the city of Mathurä.

48. I then appeared before him as a celestial man and asked him where he was going in such haste.

49. Sudhana then said that he was going quickly to the Brahmaräkshasa.

50. I then forbade him pointing out that is for the living and, when once dead, there can be neither dharma nor fame.

51. The merchant then replied to the man “I shall tell you the truth. I have to go to the Brahmaräkshasa.”

52. (He went to the Brahmaräkshasa accordingly and said) “I have now returned after happily dancing before Lord Vishnu and after keeping awake.

53. O you may eat up this body (of mine) as you like.

54. I have never uttered falsehood, O Brahmaräkshasa; you may, therefore, devour me now.”

55. Hearing these words of the merchant, the Brahmaräkshasa said in soft tone; 

56. “O merchant, I am glad that you have upheld both truth and righteousness. You have great knowledge and merit and that is why you are so.

57. Please transfer to me the whole merit of your having kept awake, and danced, so that I can liberate myself by it.”

Sudhana said:

58. “I shall not give you the merit acquired by my dancing, O man-eater, full, half, quarter or even less.”

59. Hearing these words Of Sudhana, the Brahmaräkshasa said again: “Give me, O magnanimous merchant, the merit of a single dance.”

Sudhana said:

60. “I shall not give you my merit. You may do what we have agreed upon.

61. By what fault did you attain this State of being a Bramaräkshasa? Tell me all that secret.”

62. Hearing the words of Sudhana, the Räkshasa laughed and said: “You may know that I was your neighbour, a Vedic Brahmin named Agnidatta. 

63. I was stealing the bricks of others with a view to building a house for myself. And on my death, I became Räkshasa.

64. You have now met me. Please do me this help. Give me the merit of a single respite in your service (to god).”.

65. The merchant was full of pity, and he said: “O Räkshasa, I give you the merit of a single dance.”

66. By the power of the merit of that single dance, the Räkshasa gained liberation.

Varãha said:

67. O Goddess, Sudhana then saw lord Janärdana of universal form standing in front of him.

68. The great lord Janärdana in his divine body holding the conch, disc and mace, spoke to him sweetly:

69. “Get into this splendid aerial car and arrive in my world.” So saying, the lord disappeared there.

70. Sudhana, although he was in human form, got into the aerial car with his family, and reached the world of Vishnu.

71. O Earth, I have thus told you about the power of Akrüratirtha, a greater one than which there never has been and never will be.

72. By the power of this tirtha Sudhana got salvation.

73. He who bathes in it on the Dvädašhï day in the bright half of the month Kumuda, attains the fruit of Räjasüya sacrifice.

74. He who performs in this tirtha in the month Kärttiki the Vrushotsarga ceremony (letting loose a bull), liberates all his manes.

75. He who performs Shräddha there during Kärttikï, immediately liberates all forefathers.