Vayu Purana

गयायां चाक्षयं श्राद्धं जपहोमतपांसि च। सर्वमानन्त्यमाहुर्वै यद्दत्तं भरताश्रमे ।। ४६.

In Gayā, the śrāddha is imperishable, as are recitation, oblation, and austerities; all is said to be infinite that is given in Bharata's hermitage.

चतुर्युगस्वरूपेण चतस्रो रविमूर्त्तयः । दृष्टाः स्पृष्टाः पूजितास्ताः पितॄणां मुक्तिदायकाः ।। ४६.

In the form of the four yugas, four manifestations of the Sun are seen, touched, and worshipped there; they grant liberation to the ancestors.

मुक्तिर्वांमन इत्येव तारकाख्यो विधिः परः। संसारार्णवतप्तानां नावावेतौ सुरेश्वरौ। तारकं ब्रह्म विश्वेषां मृतानां जीवतामिदम् ।। ४६.

Liberation is indeed by mind and speech—this is the supreme rule called Tāraka; for those scorched by the ocean of worldly existence, these two lords are the boat; this Tāraka Brahman is for all beings, both the dead and the living.

त्रिविक्रमञ्च ब्रह्माणं यः पश्येत्पुरुषोत्तमम्। पितृभिः सह धर्मात्मा स याति परमां गतिम् ।। ४६.

Whoever sees Trivikrama, Brahmā, and the Supreme Person, together with his ancestors, that righteous one attains the highest state.

शिलाया वामपादेऽपि तथाभ्युद्यन्तको गिरिः । स्थापितः पिण्डदस्तत्र पितॄन्ब्रह्मपुरं नयेत् ।। ४६.

Even on the left foot of the stone, the rising mountain is thus established; there, having offered piṇḍa, one leads the ancestors to Brahmapura.

नैमिषारण्यपार्श्वे तु ईचे ब्रह्मा सुरैः सह। मुख्यसंज्ञं हि तत्तीर्थं देवास्तत्र पदे स्थिताः ।। ४६.

On the side of Naimiṣāraṇya, Brahmā, together with the gods, declared: 'That is the chief holy place,' for there the gods stand at the footprint.

त्रिषु तेषु पदेष्वेव तीर्थेषु मुनिसत्तम। यत्किञ्चिदशुभं कर्म तत्प्रणश्यति नारद ।। ४६.

In those three places, O best of sages, whatever unwholesome deed there may be, O Nārada, it is destroyed.

तन्नैमिषवनं पुण्यं सेवितं पुण्यपूरुषैः। तत्र व्यासः शुकः पैलः कण्वो वेधाः शिवो हरिः ।। ४६.

That holy Naimiṣa forest, served by the most virtuous men, there Vyāsa, Śuka, Paila, Kaṇva, Vedhas, Śiva, and Hari reside.

तेषां दर्शनमात्रेण मुच्यते पातकैर्नरः। वामहस्ते शिलायास्तु तथा चोद्यन्तको गिरिः ।। ४६.

By merely seeing them, a man is freed from sins; on the stone in the left hand, likewise, is the rising mountain.

स पर्वतः समानीतो ह्यगस्त्येन महात्मना। तत्र ब्रह्मा हरश्चैव तपश्चोग्रञ्च चक्रतुः ।। ४६.

That mountain was brought by the great-souled Agastya; there Brahmā and Hara performed severe austerities.

तत्रागस्त्यस्य हि वरं कुण्डं त्रैलोक्यदुर्लभम्। यत्र मुन्यष्टकं सिद्धं तपस्तप्त्वा शिवं गतम्। कुण्डे मुन्यष्टकं नत्वा पितॄन्ब्रह्मपुरं नयेत् ।। ४६.

There is Agastya's sacred pond, difficult to obtain even in the three worlds, where the eight great sages, having performed austerities, attained blessedness; by bowing to the eight sages at the pond, one leads the ancestors to Brahmapura.

अगस्त्येनाथ देवर्षे ह्युदयाद्रेर्महात्मना। शिलाया वामहस्तेऽपि स्थापितो गिरिराट् शुभः। वादित्राद्यैर्दिव्यगीतैराढ्यो वादित्रको गिरिः ।। ४६.

Then, O divine sage, by Agastya, the great soul, the auspicious king of mountains was established even on the left hand of the stone of Udayādri, resounding with celestial music and songs, the mountain of music.

तत्र विद्याधरो नाम गन्धर्वाप्सरसाङ्गणैः। समेतोऽद्यापि कीतानि दिव्यानि सह गीयते ।। ४६.

There, a Vidyādhara by name, together with Gandharvas and groups of Apsarases, even today sings divine songs in unison.

मोहनश्च सुनीथश्च शैलूजो मोहनोत्तमः। पर्वतो नारदध्यानी सङ्गीती पुष्पदन्तकः। हाहा हूहूप्रभृतयो गीतदानं प्रजक्रिरे ।। ४६.

Mohana, Sunitha, Shailuja, the supreme Mohana, Parvata, Naradadhyani, Sangiti, Pushpadantaka, as well as Haha and Huhu and others, offered songs as gifts.

तथा चित्ररथो नाम सर्वगन्धर्वसंवृतः। गायति मधुराण्येव गीतान्यद्रौ महोत्सवम् ।। ४६.

Likewise, Citraratha by name, surrounded by all the Gandharvas, sings sweet songs on the mountain during the great festival.

अतः स पर्वतो देवैः सेव्यतेऽद्यापि नित्यशः। धर्मजास्तत्र देवेशो हरो भस्माङ्गरागवान् ।। ४६.

Therefore, that mountain is still always served by the gods; there, the Lord of the gods, Hara, adorned with ashes, was born of Dharma.

पार्वत्या सहितो रुद्रः पर्वते गीतनादिते। मोदते पूजितोद्येयः पितॄणां परमां गतिम् ।। ४६.

Rudra, together with Parvati, delights on the mountain amid the sound of singing, worshipped and praised, granting the highest state to the ancestors.

गयायां परमात्मा हि गोपतिर्वा गदाधरः। हीयते वैष्णवी माया तथा रुद्रार्च्चया मुने ।। ४६.

In Gaya, the Supreme Self, whether as the Lord of Cows or as Gadadhara, is present; O sage, the Vaishnava illusion is dispelled there, as is Rudra's worship.

शिलाया दक्षिणे हस्ते भस्मकूटो गिरिर्धृतः। धर्म्मराजेन तत्रास्ते ह्यगस्त्यः सह भार्य्यया ।। ४६.

On the southern side of the stone, the mountain called Bhasmakuta is held; there, Dharmaraja resides with Agastya and his wife.

अगस्त्यस्य पदे स्नातः पिण्डदो ब्रह्मलोकगः। ब्रह्मणस्तु वरं लेभे माहात्म्यं भुवि दुर्लभम् ।। ४६.

He who bathes at the place of Agastya and offers the ancestral cake attains the world of Brahma; he receives from Brahma a boon, a greatness rare on earth.

लोपामुद्रां तथा भार्य्यां पितॄणां परमां गतिम्। तत्रागस्त्येश्वरं दृष्ट्वा मुच्यते ब्रह्महत्यया ।। ४६.

Likewise, seeing Lopamudra, his wife, who grants the highest state to the ancestors, and beholding Agastyeshvara there, one is freed from the sin of killing a Brahmin.

अगस्त्यञ्च सभार्य्यञ्च पितॄन्ब्रह्मपुरं नयेत्। दण्डिनाथ तपस्तेपे सीताद्रेर्दक्षिणे गिरौ ।। ४६.

One who leads Agastya and his wife, along with the ancestors, to the city of Brahma—Dandinatha performed austerities on the southern mountain of Sitadri.

वटो वटेश्वरस्तत्र स्थितश्च प्रपितामहः। तदग्रे रुक्मिणीकुण्डं पश्चिमे कपिला नदी। कपिलेशो नदीतीरे ह्यमासोमसमागमे ।। ४६.

There stands the banyan tree, Vatashvara, and the great-grandfather; before it is Rukmini's pool, to the west flows the river Kapila, and on the riverbank is Kapilesha, at the conjunction of Amavasya and Purnima.

कपिलायां नरः स्नात्वा कपिलेशं समर्च्य च। कृते श्राद्धे पिण्डदाने पितरो मोक्षमाप्नुयुः ।। ४६.

One who bathes in the Kapila, worships Kapilesha, and performs the ancestral rites and offerings there, his ancestors attain liberation.

तत्राग्निधारा गिरिवरादागतोद्यन्तकादनु। तत्र सारस्वतं कुण्डं सरस्वत्या प्रकल्पितम् ।। ४६.

There, from the mountain, flows the stream of Agni; there is the Sarasvata pool, established by Sarasvati.

शुक्रस्तत्र सुतैः सार्द्धं षण्डामर्क्कादिभिः प्रभुः। तत्र तत्र मुनीन्द्राणां पदेषु मुनिसत्तम। श्राद्धपिण्डादिकृत्स्नातः पितॄंस्तारयते नरः ।। ४६.

There, Shukra, together with his sons and the leaders of the Sanda and Maruts, O best of sages, at the places of the great sages, one who bathes and offers the ancestral cake uplifts his ancestors.

शिलाया वामहस्तेऽपि गृद्रकूटो गिरिर्धृतः। गृध्ररूपेण संसिद्धास्तपस्तप्त्वा महर्षयः ।। ४६.

On the left side of the stone is the mountain called Gridhrakuta; there, the great sages, having performed austerities in the form of vultures, attained perfection.

अतो गिरिर्गृध्रकूटस्तत्र गृध्रेश्वरः स्थितः। दृष्ट्वा गृध्रेश्वरं नत्वा यायाच्छम्भोः पदं नरः ।। ४६.

Therefore, the mountain is called Gridhrakuta, and there stands Gridhrashvara; seeing Gridhrashvara and bowing, a person attains the abode of Shambhu.

तत्र गृध्रे गुहायाञ्च पिण्डदः शिवलोकभाक् । तत्र गृध्रे वटं नत्वा प्राप्तकामो दिवं व्रजेत् ।। ४६.

There, in the cave of the vulture, one who offers the ancestral cake attains the world of Shiva; bowing to the banyan tree at the vulture's place, one who has fulfilled his desires goes to heaven.