Vayu Purana

गदाधरो दृश्यतीर्थं सर्व्वतीर्थोत्तमोत्तमम्। स्थास्यन्ति च मरिष्यन्ति यान्तु ब्रह्मपुरीं नराः। वाराणसी प्रयागश्च पुरुषोत्तमसंज्ञकम् ।। ४५.

Gadadhara, the supreme among all holy places, will remain visible; those who die there shall go to Brahma's city. Varanasi and Prayaga are known as Purushottama.

गङ्गासागरसंज्ञञ्च नित्यं तिष्ठतु फल्गुनि। गदाधराधिष्ठितं तत्सर्व्वतीर्थोत्तमोत्तमम्। मुक्तिर्भवेत् पितॄणां च मृतानां श्राद्धतः सदा ।। ४५.

Let the place called Gangasagara always remain at Phalguni, presided over by Gadadhara, the highest of all holy places; liberation is always attained for the ancestors of those who perform the funeral rites there.

जरायुजाण्डजा वापि स्वेदजा वापि चोद्भिदः। त्यक्त्वा देहं शिलायान्ते यान्तु विष्णुस्वरूपताम् ।। ४५.

Whether born from womb, egg, sweat, or sprout, whoever gives up the body at the end of the stone attains the form of Vishnu.

यथार्च्चिते हरौ सर्व्वे यज्ञाः पूर्णा भवन्ति हि। तथा श्राद्धं तर्पणञ्च स्नानं चाक्षयमस्त्विह ।। ४५.

Just as all sacrifices become complete when offered to Hari, so too may the ancestral rites, offerings, and bathing here be inexhaustible.

मम देहे सुरेशानां ये जपन्ति श्रुतादिकम्। अचिरेणापि ते सिद्धाः सिद्धिभाजो भवन्तु वै ।। ४५.

Whoever recites the Vedas and other scriptures in my body, O lords of the gods, let them quickly attain success and become possessors of accomplishment.

पितॄणां कुलसाहस्रमात्मना सहितं नरः। श्राद्धादिना समुद्धृत्य विष्णुलोकं नयेद्‌ध्रुवम् ।। ४५.

A man, together with thousands of his ancestors, is certainly led to the world of Vishnu by performing ancestral rites and related acts.

यावत्यो हि सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा गङ्गाद्याश्च ह्रदाः शुभाः। समुद्राद्याः सरोमुख्या मानसाद्याः सुरेश्वराः। नृणां श्राद्धं विदधतो मुक्तये निवसन्तु मे ।। ४५.

Let all the foremost rivers, such as Ganga, the auspicious lakes, the principal oceans, and the divine lakes like Manasa, reside in me for the liberation of those who perform ancestral rites.

शरीरेण समायान्तु क्वचिन्नो यान्तु देवताः। एको विष्णुस्त्रिधामूर्त्तिर्यावत्सङ्कीर्त्यते बुधैः ।। ४५.

Let the deities enter with their bodies, or not depart at all, as long as Vishnu, in his threefold form, is praised by the wise.

तावच्छिलायां सर्व्वाणि तीर्थानि सह दैवतैः। सदा तिष्ठन्तु मुनयो गन्धर्व्वाणां गणाश्च ये ।। ४५.

Let all the holy places, along with their deities, always remain in the stone as long as Vishnu is praised, together with sages and hosts of Gandharvas.

सर्व्वदेवस्वरूपा च नामेयं देवरूपिणी। यावत्तिष्ठति ब्रह्माण्डं तावत्तिष्ठतु वै शिला। मम देहेऽश्मरूपे च ये जपन्ति तपन्ति च ।। ४५.

This stone is the very form of all the gods, and she is called the one who embodies the gods; as long as the universe exists, let this stone remain. Whoever recites or performs austerities upon my stone form, or upon my body, which is of stone—

जुहोत्यग्नौ च तेषां वै तदक्षय्योपतिष्ठताम् । अक्षयन्तु भवेच्छ्राद्धं जपहोमतपांसि च। शिलापर्व्वतरूपेण मयि तिष्ठतु सर्व्वदा ।। ४५.

—and whoever offers oblations into the fire for me—may their offerings be inexhaustible. May their ancestral rites, recitations, sacrifices, and austerities be unfailing. Let me always abide in the form of a stone mountain.

पतिव्रतावचः श्रुत्वा देवाः प्रोचुः पतिव्रताम्। त्वया यत्प्रार्थितं सर्व्वं तद्भविष्यत्यसंशयम् ।। ४५.

Hearing the words of the devoted wife, the gods said to her: 'All that you have requested will surely come to pass, without doubt.'

गयासुरस्य शिरसि भविष्यसि यदा स्थिरा। तदा पादादिरूपेण स्थास्यामस्त्वयि सुस्थिराः। वरं शिलायै दत्त्वैवं तत्रैवान्तर्द्दधुः सुराः ।। ४५.

When you become firmly established upon the head of Gayāsura, then we shall also remain upon you, steadfastly, in the form of feet and other aspects. Having thus granted the boon to the stone, the gods disappeared right there.

वक्ष्ये शिलाया माहात्म्यं श्रृणु नारद मुक्तिदम्। यस्या गायन्ति देवाश्च माहात्म्यं मुनिपुङ्गवाः ।। ४६.

I will now speak of the greatness of the stone—listen, O Nārada, for it bestows liberation. The gods and the foremost sages sing of her glory.

शिला स्थिता पृथिव्यां सा देवरूपातिपावनी। विचित्राख्यं शिलातीर्थं त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम् ।। ४६.

That stone, established upon the earth, is divine and supremely pure. The holy place called Vicitra, renowned in the three worlds, is named after this stone.

तस्याः संस्पर्शनाल्लोकाः सर्वे हरिपुरं ययुः। शून्ये लोकत्रये जाते शून्या यमपुरी ह्यभूत् ।। ४६.

By merely touching her, all beings attained the abode of Hari; when the three worlds became empty, even the city of Yama was deserted.

यम इन्द्रादिभिर्गत्वा ऊचे ब्रह्माणमद्भुतम्। अधिकारं गृहाणाथ यमदण्डं पितामह ।। ४६.

Yama, together with Indra and the other gods, went and spoke to Brahmā: 'O Grandfather, take up the authority and the staff of Yama.'

यममूचे ततो ब्रह्मा स्वगृहे धारयस्व ताम्। ब्रह्मोक्तो धर्मराजस्तु गृहे तां समधारयत् ।। ४६.

Then Brahmā said to Yama, 'Keep her in your own house.' As Brahmā instructed, the Lord of Dharma kept her in his abode.

यमोऽधिकारं स्वं चक्रे पापिनां शासनादिकम्। एवंविधा गुरुतरा शिला जगति विश्रुता ।। ४६.

Yama then exercised his authority, administering punishment to the wicked. Thus, this most weighty stone became renowned in the world.

यथा ब्रह्ना यथा विष्णुर्यथा देवो महेश्वरः। ब्रह्माण्डे च यथा मेरु स्तथेयं देवरूपिणी ।। ४६.

Just as Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and the god Maheśvara are established, and as Meru stands in the universe, so too does this divine stone remain.

गयासुरस्य शिरसि गुरुत्वाद्धारिता यतः । अतः पवित्रयोर्योगः पितॄणां मोक्षदायकः ।। ४६.

Because she was placed, with great weight, upon the head of Gayāsura, therefore her union with the two sacred rivers grants liberation to the ancestors.

पवित्रयोर्द्वयोर्योगे हयमेध मजोऽकरोत्। भागार्थमागतान्दृष्ट्वा विष्ण्वादीनब्रवीच्छिला ।। ४६.

At the union of the two sacred rivers, a horse sacrifice was performed. When Viṣṇu and the others came to receive their shares, the stone spoke to them—

शिलास्थितिप्रतिज्ञां तु कुर्वन्तु पितृमुक्तये। तथेत्युक्त्वा शिलायान्ते देवा विष्ण्वादयः स्थिताः ।। ४६.

'Let them make a vow to remain in the form of the stone for the liberation of the ancestors.' Having agreed, Viṣṇu and the other gods remained at the end of the stone.

शिलारूपेण मूर्त्त्या च पदरूपेण देवताः। मूर्त्तामूर्तस्वरूपेण स्थिताः पूर्वप्रतिज्ञया ।। ४६.

In the form of the stone, as an image, and as a footprint, the deities—both with form and without form—remained there, according to their earlier vow.

दैत्यस्य मुण्ड पृष्ठे तु यस्मात्सा संस्थिता शिला। तस्मात्स मुण्डपृष्ठाद्रिः पितॄणां ब्रह्मलोकदः ।। ४६.

Because that stone was established upon the skull of the demon, therefore that skull-mountain grants the world of Brahmā to the ancestors.

आच्छादितः शिलापादः प्रभासेनाद्रिणा यतः। भासितो भास्करेणेति प्रभासः परिकल्पितः ।। ४६.

The foot of the stone was covered by the mountain called Prabhāsa; because it was illuminated by the sun, it came to be known as Prabhāsa.

प्रभासं हि विनिर्भिद्य शिलाङ्गुष्ठो विनिर्गतः। अङ्गुष्ठोत्थित ईशोऽपि प्रभासेशः प्रकीर्त्तितः ।। ४६.

Splitting open Prabhāsa, the stone's thumb emerged; since the Lord arose from the thumb there, he is called Prabhāseśa, the Lord of Prabhāsa.

शिलाङ्गुष्ठैकतेशो यः सा च प्रेतशिला स्मृता। पिण्डदानाद्यतस्तस्यां प्रेतत्वान्मुच्यते नरः ।। ४६.

That stone, which is shaped like a single thumb, is known as the Preta stone; by offering the rice-ball and other rites upon it, a man is freed from the condition of a departed soul.

महानदीप्रबासाद्योः सङ्गमे स्नानकृन्नरः। रामो देव्या सह स्नातो रामतीर्थं ततः स्मृतम् ।। ४६.

At the confluence of the great river Prabāsa, whoever bathes there, just as Rāma bathed with the goddess, that place is therefore called Rāma's Tīrtha.