Uttara-khaṇḍa · Chapter 143
Sourceएकधारं ततो गच्छेत्तीर्थं परमपावनम् । एकधारे नरः स्नात्वा एकरात्रमुपोषितः १। अर्चयन्स्वामिदेवेशं कुलानां तारयेच्छतम् । स्वामितीर्थसमं ज्ञेयं यत्र तीर्थेऽवगाहनम् २। रुद्रलोके नरो गच्छेत्तीर्थस्यास्य प्रभावतः । यत्र स्नात्वा च पीत्वा च ब्रह्मलोके च गच्छति ३। त्रैलोक्ये पुण्यकर्माणस्तटेऽस्मिन्संवसंति हि ४। न भयं विद्यते तेषां खड्गधारादिकं च यत् । सत्सर्वमाशु नश्येत तीर्थे ह्येकप्रधारके ५। इति एकधारतीर्थवर्णनम् । सप्तधारं ततो गच्छेत्तीर्थानां तीर्थमुत्तमम् । सप्तसारस्वतं नाम यत्कृते मुनिभिः कृतम् ६। त्रेतायुगे मंकितीर्थं कृतं मंकि महर्षिणा । द्वापरे पांडुपुत्रैस्तु सप्तधारं प्रवर्तितम् ७। सप्तधारकतां प्राप्तं तीर्थं हरजटा च्युतम् । सप्तरूपाणि गंगाया यामि लोकेषु सप्तसु ८। वहंति तानि पुण्यानि तीर्थेऽस्मिन्सप्तधारके । सप्तधारे कृतं श्राद्धं पितॄणां तृप्तिदायकम् ९। शृणु देवि प्रवक्ष्यामि इतिहासं पुरातनम् । यच्छ्रुत्वा देवदेवेशि ब्रह्मलोकं व्रजेद्ध्रुवम् १०। कौषीतकस्य पुत्रो वै मंकि नामेति विश्रुतः । विष्णुध्यानरतो नित्यं विष्णुलोकप्रपूजकः ११। वेदाध्ययनकर्ता च अग्निहोत्रपरायणः । सुरूपा विश्वरूपेति स्त्रियौ द्वेस्तस्तु तद्गृहे १२। ताभ्यां पुत्रविहीनाभ्यां दृष्ट्वा देविविशंकितः । किंकर्तव्यमिति ध्यायन्नति चिंतापरोऽभवत् १३। स्थिरो वंशस्तु पुत्रेण ह्यन्यथा नरकं व्रजेत् । एवं चिंतां प्रकुर्वाणो न सुखं लभते क्वचित् १४। तदा स्वगृहमुत्सृज्य गतो वै गुरुसन्निधौ । नमो वै गुरुवे तुभ्यं देवानामुपकारिणे १५। त्वं नाथः सर्वलोकानां ब्राह्मणानां च रक्षकः । यज्ञानां त्वं प्रकर्त्ता च द्विजराज नमोस्तु ते १६। अपुत्रोऽहं तु विप्रर्षे किं कर्त्तव्यमिति प्रभो । वद त्वं तु यथा सर्वं पुत्रो भवति निश्चितम् १७। अपुत्रस्य गतिर्नास्ति स्वर्गे नैव च नैव च । येनकेनाप्युपायेन पुत्रस्य जननं चरेत् १८। इति वाक्यं तु संस्मर्य्य ह्यागतस्तव सन्निधौ १९। गुरुरुवाच। गच्छ त्वं मुनिशार्दूल यत्र साभ्रमती नदी । तत्र गत्वा मुनिश्रेष्ठ पुत्रान्वै प्राप्स्यसे ध्रुवम् २०। तद्वाक्यं तु समाकर्ण्य नमस्कृत्वा तु दंडवत् । स गतो विप्रराजस्तु नदीं साभ्रमतीं प्रति २१। मंकिनामा तु विप्रर्षिस्तत्र गत्वा तपो महत् । अतप्यत तदा देवि यावद्वर्षचतुष्टयम् २२। यत्र तीर्थं कृतं तेन मंकिना ब्रह्मवादिना । त्रेतायुगे तदा देवि तदा तीर्थं महाद्भुतम् २३। जातं तत्र न संदेहः पुत्रदं सार्वकामिकम् । अद्यापि मंकितीर्थाभं न भूतं न भविष्यति २४। स वै द्विजवरो मंकिः पुत्रान्प्राप्य यथासुखम् । भोगान्नानाविधान्भुक्त्वा स गतो मंदिरं मम २५। एतदाख्यानकं दिव्यं पवित्रं परमं महत् । पुत्रसौख्यादिकं सर्वं लभते श्रवणादतः २६। इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचापंचाशत्साहस्र्यां संहितायामुत्तरखंडे उमामहेश्वरसंवादे सप्तधारतीर्थमहिमानाम त्रिचत्वारिंशदधिकशततमोऽध्यायः १४३।
ekadhāraṃ tato gacchettīrthaṃ paramapāvanam | ekadhāre naraḥ snātvā ekarātramupoṣitaḥ 1| arcayansvāmideveśaṃ kulānāṃ tārayecchatam | svāmitīrthasamaṃ jñeyaṃ yatra tīrthe'vagāhanam 2| rudraloke naro gacchettīrthasyāsya prabhāvataḥ | yatra snātvā ca pītvā ca brahmaloke ca gacchati 3| trailokye puṇyakarmāṇastaṭe'sminsaṃvasaṃti hi 4| na bhayaṃ vidyate teṣāṃ khaḍgadhārādikaṃ ca yat | satsarvamāśu naśyeta tīrthe hyekapradhārake 5| iti ekadhāratīrthavarṇanam | saptadhāraṃ tato gacchettīrthānāṃ tīrthamuttamam | saptasārasvataṃ nāma yatkṛte munibhiḥ kṛtam 6| tretāyuge maṃkitīrthaṃ kṛtaṃ maṃki maharṣiṇā | dvāpare pāṃḍuputraistu saptadhāraṃ pravartitam 7| saptadhārakatāṃ prāptaṃ tīrthaṃ harajaṭā cyutam | saptarūpāṇi gaṃgāyā yāmi lokeṣu saptasu 8| vahaṃti tāni puṇyāni tīrthe'sminsaptadhārake | saptadhāre kṛtaṃ śrāddhaṃ pitṝṇāṃ tṛptidāyakam 9| śṛṇu devi pravakṣyāmi itihāsaṃ purātanam | yacchrutvā devadeveśi brahmalokaṃ vrajeddhruvam 10| kauṣītakasya putro vai maṃki nāmeti viśrutaḥ | viṣṇudhyānarato nityaṃ viṣṇulokaprapūjakaḥ 11| vedādhyayanakartā ca agnihotraparāyaṇaḥ | surūpā viśvarūpeti striyau dvestastu tadgṛhe 12| tābhyāṃ putravihīnābhyāṃ dṛṣṭvā deviviśaṃkitaḥ | kiṃkartavyamiti dhyāyannati ciṃtāparo'bhavat 13| sthiro vaṃśastu putreṇa hyanyathā narakaṃ vrajet | evaṃ ciṃtāṃ prakurvāṇo na sukhaṃ labhate kvacit 14| tadā svagṛhamutsṛjya gato vai gurusannidhau | namo vai guruve tubhyaṃ devānāmupakāriṇe 15| tvaṃ nāthaḥ sarvalokānāṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ ca rakṣakaḥ | yajñānāṃ tvaṃ prakarttā ca dvijarāja namostu te 16| aputro'haṃ tu viprarṣe kiṃ karttavyamiti prabho | vada tvaṃ tu yathā sarvaṃ putro bhavati niścitam 17| aputrasya gatirnāsti svarge naiva ca naiva ca | yenakenāpyupāyena putrasya jananaṃ caret 18| iti vākyaṃ tu saṃsmaryya hyāgatastava sannidhau 19| gururuvāca| gaccha tvaṃ muniśārdūla yatra sābhramatī nadī | tatra gatvā muniśreṣṭha putrānvai prāpsyase dhruvam 20| tadvākyaṃ tu samākarṇya namaskṛtvā tu daṃḍavat | sa gato viprarājastu nadīṃ sābhramatīṃ prati 21| maṃkināmā tu viprarṣistatra gatvā tapo mahat | atapyata tadā devi yāvadvarṣacatuṣṭayam 22| yatra tīrthaṃ kṛtaṃ tena maṃkinā brahmavādinā | tretāyuge tadā devi tadā tīrthaṃ mahādbhutam 23| jātaṃ tatra na saṃdehaḥ putradaṃ sārvakāmikam | adyāpi maṃkitīrthābhaṃ na bhūtaṃ na bhaviṣyati 24| sa vai dvijavaro maṃkiḥ putrānprāpya yathāsukham | bhogānnānāvidhānbhuktvā sa gato maṃdiraṃ mama 25| etadākhyānakaṃ divyaṃ pavitraṃ paramaṃ mahat | putrasaukhyādikaṃ sarvaṃ labhate śravaṇādataḥ 26| iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe paṃcāpaṃcāśatsāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāmuttarakhaṃḍe umāmaheśvarasaṃvāde saptadhāratīrthamahimānāma tricatvāriṃśadadhikaśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ 143|
English translation
Mahādeva said :
1-5. Then a man should go to the very purifying holy place (called) Ekadhāra. A man, having bathed at Ekadhāra and fasted for a night, and worshipping the master, the lord of gods, would emancipate a hundred (members) of his family. The bath here should be regarded as equal to (a bath in) Svāmitīrtha . Due to the efficacy of this holy place a man would go to Rudra ’s heaven. By bathing and drinking (water) here he goes to Brahma ’s heaven. Those doing meritorious deeds in the three worlds, live on this bank. They do not have a fear that is due to the sword’s edge etc. All that would quickly perish at this holy place Ekapradhāraka.
Thus is the description of the holy place Ekadhāra.
6-19. Then he should go to Saptadhāra, the best among sacred places, to which the sages have given the name Sapta-sārasvata . The great sage Maṅki made the Maṅkitīrtha in the Tretā age. In the Dvāpara age the sons of Pāṇḍu set up the Saptadhāra. The holy water that dropped from Śiva ’s matted hair had seven streams. All those seven auspicious forms of Gaṅgā which flow in the seven worlds are here in Saptadhāraka. The śrāddha offered at Saptadhāra gives satisfaction to the dead ancestors. O goddess, listen to an ancient account I shall tell, hearing which, O chief goddess, a man would certainly go to Brahmā ’s world. The son of Kaupītaka was well-known by the name Maṅki. He was always engaged in meditating upon Viṣṇu , and honoured Viṣṇu’s men. He studied the Vedas , and was interested in maintaining sacred fire. In his house he had two wives: Sarūpā and Viśvarūpā . Seeing them childless he feared; worried as to what to do, he was very much thoughtful. ‘Due to a son the family is stable. Otherwise the man would go to hell’. Thinking like this he never obtained pleasure. Then leaving his house, he went to the vicinity of his preceptor. “Salutation to you, O preceptor, who obliged gods. You are the lord of all the worlds, and protector of brāhmaṇas . You are the performer of sacrifices. O lord of brāhmaṇas, I salute you. O brāhmaṇa sage, I am sonless. O lord, what should I do? Tell me everything by which I shall certainly have a son. ‘A sonless man does not at all get a good position in heaven. He should, by this or that means, beget a son’. Having remembered this statement I have come to you.”
The preceptor said :
20-26. O best sage go there where the river Sābhramatī is. O best sage, having bathed there you will certainly obtain sons.
Having heard his words, and having saluted him (by prostrating himself) like a staff, the lord of brāhmaṇas went to Sābhramatī. The brāhmaṇa sage Maṅki, having gone there, then practised severe penance for fourteen years. There Maṅki, the teacher of Vedas, made in the Tretā age, a very wonderful holy place, O goddess. All that proved to be the giver of a son and as fulfilling his desires. Even till today there was or there will not be a holy place like Maṅkitīrtha. That best brāhmaṇa Maṅki, having obtained sons comfortably, and having enjoyed pleasures of various kinds, went to my abode. This is a divine, pure, and very great account. By listening to it a man gets everything like sons and grandsons.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 44884, revision 336567 (2022-04-24T15:54:16Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365722.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.