Vishṇu’s Mantra to Maheśa (Brahma Purāṇa)
Vishṇu Kṛta Maheśa Mantra · vishṇu kṛta mahā-īśa mantra, “the mantra to Maheśa spoken by Vishṇu”
Vishṇu’s Mantra to Maheśa is the mantra with which Bhagavān Vishṇu worshipped Bhagavān Śiva every day on the bank of the Godāvarī, offering a thousand divine golden lotuses, to win back his cakra. It is found in the Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 39 (verse 49), where Brahmā tells Nārada the glory of Cakratīrtha. The mantra bows to Maheśa, the bearer of the Pināka bow, who removes the great danger of the forest of saṃsāra and fulfils every desire. When one lotus was found missing, Bhagavān Vishṇu offered his own eye to complete the thousand; Bhagavān Śiva appeared with Bhavānī, embraced him and gave back his eye and his cakra.
The setting
Brahmā tells Nārada that Cakratīrtha destroys pāpas such as brahmahatyā, because it was there that Bhagavān Hari obtained his cakra by worshipping Śaṅkara.
At Daksha’s yajña, which Daksha held without inviting Śiva, Vīrabhadra and the bhūtas of Śiva destroyed the yajña. When the devas took refuge in Vishṇu, Hari released his cakra at the leader of the bhūtas, and the leader of the bhūtas seized it. Later, in a great battle between the devas and the daityas, the devas praised Vishṇu and asked for his protection. Hari said: “O devas, my cakra has been caught hold of by Hara. What shall I do? Yet your protection will be given by me. Let all the devas go back.”
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 39
The mantra
When the devas had gone, Bhagavān Vishṇu went to the Godāvarī and began the pūjā of Śambhu. With great devotion he performed the daily pūjā of Umāpati with a thousand divine, sweet-smelling golden lotuses, saying this mantra:
“Obeisance to the Pināka-bearing Maheśa, who removes the great danger in the forest of saṃsāra and who fulfils all cherished desires.”
With this mantra and with a mind full of bhakti, Bhagavān Vishṇu worshipped Śiva, the beloved of Bhavānī.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 39
The offering of the eye
As the pūjā went on, the lotuses were found to be one short of a thousand. Seeing this, Bhagavān Vishṇu plucked out his own eye and, with it making up the thousand, took the arghya vessel and, meditating on Śambhu alone, offered the arghya. He said: “You alone know the innermost feelings of men. You alone are the refuge and the overlord. What doubt can there be?” Speaking thus, he became merged, as it were, with Īśvara.
Then Śambhu appeared before him with Bhavānī. He embraced Hari closely and filled him with many varas, and Hari received back his own eye as it was, and the cakra. All the devas praised Hari and Śaṅkara, and they praised Gaṅgā, the best of rivers, and Bhagavān Śiva as Vṛshadhvaja, whose banner bears the bull.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 39
The phala
From then on the tīrtha is remembered as Cakratīrtha. By merely listening to its account one is freed from all pāpas. One who performs snāna, dāna and the rites for the pitṛs there is rid of every pāpa and goes to svarga with his pitṛs. The tīrtha can be seen with the mark of a cakra even today.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 39
Sources
- Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 39