Vayu Purana

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.

प्रार्थितोऽत्र महानद्या राम स्नातो भवेति च। रामतीर्थं ततो भूत्वा त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम् ।। ४६.

Here, Rāma was requested to bathe in the great river, and so he did; thus, Rāma's Tīrtha became renowned in the three worlds.

जन्मान्तरशतं साग्रं यत्कृतं दुष्कृतं मया। तत्सर्वं विलयं यातु रामतीर्थाभिषेचनात् ।। ४६.

All the evil deeds I have committed over a hundred lifetimes, with their remnants, are completely destroyed by the ablution at Rāma's Tīrtha.

मन्त्रेणानेन यः स्नात्वा श्राद्धं कुर्वीत मानवः। रामतीर्थे पिण्डदस्तु विष्णुलोकं प्रयात्यसौ। तथेत्युक्त्वा स्थितो रामः सीतया भरताग्रजः ।। ४६.

Whoever bathes here with this mantra and performs the ancestral rite at Rāma's Tīrtha, offering the rice-ball, attains the world of Viṣṇu; after affirming this, Rāma remained there with Sītā, the elder brother of Bharata.

राम राम महाबाहो देवानामभयङ्कर। त्वां नमस्येऽत्र देवेशं मम नश्यतु पातकम् ।। ४६.

O Rāma, Rāma, mighty-armed, who dispels fear among the gods, I bow to you here, O lord of the gods; let my sin be destroyed.

मन्त्रेणानेन यः स्नात्वा श्राद्धं कुर्यात्सपिण्डकम् । प्रेतत्वात्तस्य पितरो विमुक्ताः पितृतां ययुः ।। ४६.

Whoever bathes here with this mantra and performs the ancestral rite with the rice-ball, his ancestors are released from the state of departed souls and attain ancestral status.

आपस्त्वमसि देवेश ज्योतिषां पतिरेव च। पाप नाशय मे देव मनोवाक्कायकर्मजम् ।। ४६.

You are the waters, O lord of the gods, and indeed the master of the luminaries; O god, destroy my sin arising from mind, speech, and bodily actions.

नमस्कृत्य प्रभासेशं भासमानं शिवं व्रजेत्। तञ्च शम्भुं नमस्कृत्य कुर्याद्यमबलिं ततः ।। ४६.

After bowing to the lord of Prabhāsa, shining, one should approach Śiva; and after bowing to Śambhu, one should then perform the rice-ball offering.

रामे वनं गते शैलमागत्य भरतः स्थितः । पितृपिण्डादिकं कृत्वा रामं संस्थाप्य तत्र च ।। ४६.

When Rāma went to the forest, Bharata arrived at the mountain and remained there; after performing the ancestral rites, he established Rāma there as well.

रामं सीतां लक्ष्मणञ्च मुनीन्स्थापितवान्प्रभुः। भरतस्याश्रमे पुण्ये नित्यं पुण्यतमैर्वृतम्। मतङ्गस्य पदं तत्र दृश्यते सर्वमानुषैः ।। ४६.

The lord established Rāma, Sītā, Lakṣmaṇa, and the sages in Bharata's sacred hermitage, always surrounded by the most virtuous; there, the footprint of Mataṅga is visible to all people.

स्थापितं धर्मसर्वस्वं लोकस्यास्य निदर्शनात्। मतङ्गस्य पदे श्राद्धी सर्वांस्तारयते पितॄन् ।। ४६.

The essence of Dharma was established there, as an example for the world; at the footprint of Mataṅga, the performance of the ancestral rite saves all ancestors.

रामतीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा रामं सीतां समर्च्य च। रामेश्वरं प्रणम्याथ न देही जायते पुनः ।। ४६.

Whoever bathes at Rāma's Tīrtha, worships Rāma and Sītā, and bows to Rāmeśvara, does not take birth again as an embodied being.

शिलाया जघनं भूयः समाक्रान्तं नगेन तु। धर्मराजेन संप्रोक्तो न गच्छेति नगः स्मृतः ।। ४६.

The lower part of the stone was again covered by the mountain; Dharma-rāja declared that the mountain should not be approached, and thus it is remembered as the forbidden mountain.

यमराजधर्मराजौ निश्चलार्थं व्यवस्थितौ। ताभ्यां बलिं प्रयच्छामि पितॄणां मुक्ति हेतवे ।। ४६.

Yama and Dharma-rāja, steadfast in their purpose, are established there; to them I offer the rice-ball for the sake of the ancestors' liberation.

द्वौ श्वानौ श्यामशबलौ वैवस्वतकुलोद्भवौ। ताभ्यां बलिं प्रयच्छामि स्यातामेतावहिंसकौ ।। ४६.

Two dogs, one dark and one spotted, born in the lineage of Vaivasvata, to them I offer the rice-ball; let them not be violent.

ऐन्द्रवारुण वायन्ययाम्यनैऋत्यसंस्थिताः। वायसाः प्रतिगृह्णन्तु भूयो पिण्डं मया स्थितम् ।। ४६.

Let the crows, stationed in the directions of Indra, Varuṇa, Vāyu, Yama, and Nairṛta, accept again the rice-ball I have placed.

यमोऽसि यमदूतोऽसि वायसोऽसि महाबल। सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं बलिं भुक्त्वा विनाशय ।। ४६.

You are Yama, you are Yama's messenger, you are the powerful crow; after consuming the offering, destroy the sin accumulated over seven births.

रामे वनं गते शैलमागत्य भरतेन हि। पितुः पिण्डादिकं कृत्वा रामेशः स्थापितोऽत्र वै ।। ४६.

When Rāma went to the forest, Bharata came to the mountain, performed the ancestral rites for his father, and there established the image of Rāma.

स्नात्वा नत्वा च रामेशं रामसीता समन्वितम्। तत्र श्राद्धं सपिण्डञ्च कृत्वा विष्णुपुरं व्रजेत्। पितृभिः सह धर्मात्मा कुलानाञ्च शतैःसह ।। ४६.

Having bathed and bowed to Rāmeśa, accompanied by Rāma and Sītā, one should perform the śrāddha and piṇḍa offerings there, and then proceed to Viṣṇupura, together with the ancestors and hundreds of one's lineage, being righteous.

रामं सीतां लक्ष्मणञ्च मुनीन्स्थापितवान्प्रभुः। भरतस्याश्रमे पुण्ये नित्यं पुण्यतमैर्वृतम्। मतङ्गस्य पदं तत्र दृश्यते सर्वमानुषैः ।। ४६.

The Lord established Rāma, Sītā, Lakṣmaṇa, and the sages in the holy hermitage of Bharata, always surrounded by the most virtuous; there, the footprint of Mataṅga is seen by all people.

वह्निर्द्वौ वरुणौ रुद्राश्चत्वारः पितृमोक्षदाः। भरताश्रममासाद्य तान्नमेत्पूजयेन्नरः ।। ४६.

The fire, two Varuṇas, four Rudras—these bestowers of liberation for the ancestors—having reached Bharata's hermitage, a man should worship them with food.