Vayu Purana

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.

ऋणमोक्षं पापमोक्षं शिवं दृष्ट्वा शिवं व्रजेत्। शूरक्षेत्रञ्च तत्रास्ते पिण्डदः स्वर्नयेत्पितॄन् ।। ४६.

By seeing Shiva, one is freed from debt and sin and attains Shiva; there is the field of Shura, where one who offers the ancestral cake leads his ancestors to heaven.

आदिपालेन गिरिणा समाक्रान्तं शिलोदरम्। तत्रास्ते गजरूपेण विघ्रेशो विग्ननाशनः। तं दृष्ट्वा मुच्यते विघ्नैः पितॄन् ब्रह्मपुरं नयेत् ।। ४६.

The hollow of the stone, seized by the primeval protector of the mountain, is there; there, in the form of an elephant, is Vighnesha, the remover of obstacles. Seeing him, one is freed from obstacles and leads the ancestors to the city of Brahma.

नितम्बे मुण्डपृष्ठस्य देवदारुवनं त्वभूत्। मुण्डपृष्ठारविन्द्राद्री दृष्ट्वा पापं विनाशयेत्। गयानाभौ सुषुम्नायां पिण्डदः स्वर्नयेत्पितॄन् ।। ४६.

On the lower back of the skull-shaped hill is the Deodar forest; seeing the skull-shaped hill and the Indra mountain there destroys sin. At the navel of Gaya, in the Sushumna channel, one who offers the rice-ball causes his ancestors to ascend to heaven.

शिलाया वामपादे तु स्थापितः प्रेतपर्वतः। धर्मराजेन पापेभ्यो गिरिः प्रेतशिलाह्वयः ।। ४६.

On the left foot of the stone is established the Preta Mountain by Dharmaraja, for the sake of sinners; that mountain is called Preta-shila.

पादेन दूरे निक्षिप्तः शिलायाः पादभारतः। गतः शिलायाः संसर्गात्प्रेतकूटः पवित्रताम् ।। ४६.

Cast far away by his foot, the weight of the stone, by contact with the stone, Preta-kuta became purified.

प्रेतकुण्डञ्च तत्रास्ते देवास्तत्र पदे स्थिताः। तत्र कुण्डादिकं कृत्वा प्रेतत्वान्मोचयेत्पितॄन् ।। ४६.

There is the Preta-kunda, and there the gods are established at that spot; by performing rites such as the offering at the kunda, one releases the ancestors from the state of being pretas.

पृथक्स्थिताश्च बहवो विघ्नकारिण एव ते। श्राद्धादिकारिणां नॄणां तीर्थे पितृविमुक्तये। प्रेता धानुष्करूपेण करग्रहणकारकाः ।। ४६.

Many obstacles stand apart there, causing hindrance to those performing shraddha and other rites at the sacred place for the liberation of ancestors; the pretas, in the form of bows, seize the hands of the performers.

पादाङ्कितां मुण्डपृष्ठां महादेवनिवासिनीम्। तां दृष्ट्वा सर्वलोकश्च मुक्तः पापोपपातकैः ।। ४६.

The skull-shaped hill, marked by the footprint and abode of Mahadeva—seeing that, all people are freed from the fall into all sins.

गयाशिरसि पुण्ये च सर्वपापैर्विवर्जिते। ग्रेतादिवर्जितं यस्मात्ततोऽतिपावनं वरम् ।। ४६.

On the sacred summit of Gaya, free from all sins and untouched by pretas and others, it is supremely pure and excellent.

कीकटेषु गया पुण्या पुण्यं राजगृहं वनम्। च्यवनस्याश्रमं पुण्यं नदी पुण्या पुनःपुना ।। ४६.

In the Kikata region is holy Gaya, the sacred forest of Rajagriha, the holy ashram of Cyavana, and the river, ever and again, is sacred.

वैकुण्ठो लोहदण्डश्च गृध्रकूटश्च शोणकः। अत्र श्राद्धादिना सर्वान्पितॄन्ब्रह्मपुरं नयेत् ।। ४६.

Vaikuntha, Lohadanda, Gridhrakuta, and Shonaka—here, by shraddha and similar rites, one leads all ancestors to the city of Brahma.

क्रौञ्चरूपेण हि मुनिर्मुण्डपृष्ठे तपोऽकरोत्। तस्य पादाङ्कितो यस्मात्क्रौञ्चपादस्ततः स्मृतः ।। ४६.

In the form of a krauncha-bird, the sage performed austerity on the skull-shaped hill; because his foot was imprinted there, it is known as Krauncha's Foot.

स्नातो जलाशये तत्र नयेत्स्वर्गं स्वकं कुलम्। बलिः काकशिलायाञ्च काकेभ्य ऋणमोक्षदः ।। ४६.

One who bathes in the lake there leads his own lineage to heaven; Bali, at the Kakashila, grants release from debts to the crows.

मुण्डपृष्ठस्य सानौ हि लोमशो लोमहर्षणः। द्वावेतौ परमं तप्त्वा तपःसिद्धिं परां गतौ ।। ४६.

On the summit of the skull-shaped hill, Lomasha and Lomaharshana—these two, after performing supreme austerity, attained the highest perfection of tapas.

आहूतास्तु सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा लोमशेन महानदी। शरावती वेत्रवती चन्द्रभागा सरस्वती ।। ४६.

Summoned by Lomasha, the best of rivers, the great rivers appeared: Sharavati, Vetravati, Chandrabhaga, and Sarasvati.

कावेरी सिन्धुरीरा च चन्दना च सरिद्वरा। वासिष्ठी सरयूर्गङ्गा यमुना गण्डकीन्दिरा ।। ४६.

Kaveri, Sindhuri, Chandana—the best of rivers—Vasishthi, Sarayu, Ganga, Yamuna, Gandaki, and Indira.

महावैतरणी नाम्ना निक्षरा च दिवौकसः । सावव्यलकनन्दा च ह्युदीची कन्काह्वया ।। ४६.

The great Vaitarani by name, and Nikshara, beloved of the gods; Savavyalakananda and the northern river called Kanka.

कौशिकी ब्रह्मदा ज्येष्ठा सर्वस्याघविमोचिनी। कृष्णवल्वा चर्म्मवती द्वे नद्यौ मुक्तिदायिके ।। ४६.

Kaushiki, Brahmada, Jyeshtha, the remover of all sin; Krishna-valva and Charmavati, two rivers bestowing liberation.

आहूते सरितां श्रेष्ठे लोमह्रर्षेण साहसात् । तपसस्तु प्रभावेण नर्म्मदा मुनिपुङ्गव। तासु सर्वासु यः स्नात्वा पिण्डदः स्वर्नयेत्पितॄन् ।। ४६.

Summoned by Lomaharshana's might and the power of his austerity, O best of sages, the Narmada appeared; among all these, one who bathes and offers the rice-ball causes his ancestors to ascend to heaven.

ब्रह्मयोनिं प्रविश्याथ निर्गच्छेद्यस्तु मानवः। परं ब्रह्म स यातीह विमुक्तो योनिसङ्कटात् ।। ४६.

One who enters the Brahmayoni and then departs from it, that person attains the supreme Brahman here, freed from the distress of rebirth.