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Ayodhyā-māhātmya · Chapter 5

Chapter 5

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Ayodhyā-māhātmya · Chapter 5

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।। व्यास उवाच ।। ।। भगवन्ब्रूहि तत्त्वेन कथं निर्बंधतो मुनिः ।। विश्वामित्रो निजं शिष्यं कौत्सं क्रोधेन तादृशम् ।। १ ।। दुष्प्राप्यमर्थं यत्नेन बहु प्रार्थितवांस्तदा ।। एतत्सर्वं च कथय मयि यद्यस्ति ते कृपा ।। २ ।। ।। अगस्त्य उवाच ।। ।। शृणु द्विज कथामेतां सावधानेंद्रियः स्वयम् ।। विश्वामित्रो मुनिश्रेष्ठः स दिव्यज्ञानलोचनः ।। ३ ।। निजाश्रमे तपो दुर्गं चकार प्रयतो व्रती ।। एकदा तमथो द्रष्टुं दुर्वासा मुनिरागतः ।। ४ ।। आगत्य च क्षुधाक्रांत उच्चैः प्रोवाच स द्विजः ।। भोजनं दीयतां मह्यं क्षुधापीडितचेतसे ।। पायसं शुचि चोष्णं च शीघ्रं क्षुधार्त्तिने द्विज ।। ५ ।। इति श्रुत्वा वचः क्षिप्रं विश्वामित्रः प्रयत्नतः ।। स्थाल्यां पायसमादाय तं समर्प्य ततः स्वयम्।। ६ ।। तदादायोत्थितं दृष्ट्वा दुर्वासास्तं विलोकयन् ।। उवाच मधुरं वाक्यं मुनिं लक्षणतत्परः ।। ७ ।। क्षणं सहस्व विप्रेन्द्र यावत्स्नात्वा व्रजाम्यहम् ।। तिष्ठतिष्ठ क्षणं तिष्ठ आगच्छाम्येष साप्रतम् ।। ८ ।। इत्युक्त्वा स जगामैव दुर्वासाः स्वाश्रमं तदा ।। ९ ।। विश्वामित्रस्तपोनिष्ठस्तदा सानुरिवाऽचलः ।। दिव्यं वर्षसहस्रं स तस्थौ स्थिरमतिस्तदा ।। 2.8.5.१० ।। तस्य शुश्रूषणपरो मुनिः कौत्सो यतव्रतः ।। बभूव परमोदारमतिर्विगतमत्सरः ।। ११ ।। पुनरागत्य स मुनिर्दुर्वासा गतकल्मषः ।। भुक्त्वा च पायसं सद्यः स जगाम निजाश्रमम् ।। १२ ।। तस्मिन्गते मुनिवरे विश्वामित्रस्तपोनिधिः ।। कौत्सं विद्यावतां श्रेष्ठं विससर्ज गृहान्प्रति ।। १३ ।। स विसृष्टो गुरुं प्राह दक्षिणा प्रार्थ्यतामिति ।। विश्वामित्रस्तु तं प्राह किं दास्यसि दक्षिणाम् ।। दक्षिणा तव शुश्रूषा गृहं व्रज यतव्रत ।। १४ ।। पुनःपुनर्गुरुं प्राह शिष्यो निर्बन्धवान्यदा ।। तदा गुरुर्गुरुक्रुद्धः शिष्यं प्राह च निष्ठुरम् ।। १५ ।। सुवर्णस्य सुवर्णस्य चतुर्दश समाहर ।। कोटीर्मे दक्षिणा विप्र पश्चाद्गच्छ गृहं प्रति ।। १६ ।। इत्युक्तो गुरुणा कौत्सो विचार्य समुपागमत् ।। काकुत्स्थं दिग्विजेतारं ययाचे गुरुदक्षिणाम्।। १७ ।। इत्युक्तं ते मुनिवर त्वया पृष्टं हि यत्पुनः ।। अतोऽन्यच्छृणु ते वच्मि तीर्थकारणमुत्तमम् ।। १८ ।। तस्माद्दक्षिणदिग्भागे संभेदः सिद्धसेवितः ।। तिलोदकीसरय्वोश्च संगत्या भुवि संश्रुतः ।। १९ ।। तत्र स्नात्वा महाभाग भवन्ति विरजा नराः ।। दशानामश्वमेधानां कृतानां यत्फलं भवेत् ।। तदाप्नोति स धर्मात्मा तत्र स्नात्वा यतव्रतः ।। 2.8.5.२० ।। स्वर्णादिकं च यो दद्याद्ब्राह्मणे वेदपारगे ।। शुभां गतिमवाप्नोति अग्निवच्चैव दीप्यते ।। २१ ।। तिलोदकीसरय्वोश्च संगमे लोकविश्रुते ।। दत्त्वान्नं च विधानेन न स भूयोऽभिजायते ।। २२ ।। उपवासं च यः कृत्वा विप्रान्संतर्पयेन्नरः ।। सौत्रामणेश्च यज्ञस्य फलमाप्नोति मानवः ।। २३ ।। एकाहारस्तु यस्तिष्ठेन्मासं तत्र यतव्रतः ।। यावज्जीवकृतं पापं सहसा तस्य नश्यति ।। २४ ।। नभस्य कृष्णामावस्यां यात्रा सांवत्सरी भवेत् ।। रामेण निर्मिता पूर्वं नदी सिंधुरिवापरा ।। २५ ।। सिंधुजानां तुरंगाणां जलपानाय सुव्रत ।। तिलवच्छ्याममुदकं यतस्तस्यां सदा बभौ ।। २६ ।। तिलोदकीति विख्याता पुण्यतोया सदा नदी ।। संगमादन्यतो यस्यां तिलोदक्यां शुचिव्रतः ।। स्नातो विमुच्यते पापैः सप्तजन्मार्जितैरपि ।। २७ ।। तस्मात्तिलोदकीस्नानं सर्वपापहरं मुने ।। कर्त्तव्यं सुप्रयत्नेन प्राणिभिर्धर्मकांक्षिभिः ।। स्नानं दानं व्रतं होमं सर्वमक्षयतां व्रजेत् ।। २८।। इति विविधविधानैस्तीर्थयात्रांक्रमेण प्रथितगुणविकासः प्राप्तपुण्योविधाय ।। हरिमुपहृतभावः पूजयन्सर्वतीर्थं व्रजति परमधाम न्यस्तपापः कथञ्चित् ।। २९ ।। इति श्रीस्कांदे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां द्वितीये वैष्णवखण्डेऽयोयामाहात्म्ये तिलोदर्काप्रभाववर्णनंनाम पञ्चमोऽध्यायः ।। ५ ।।

|| vyāsa uvāca || || bhagavanbrūhi tattvena kathaṃ nirbaṃdhato muniḥ || viśvāmitro nijaṃ śiṣyaṃ kautsaṃ krodhena tādṛśam || 1 || duṣprāpyamarthaṃ yatnena bahu prārthitavāṃstadā || etatsarvaṃ ca kathaya mayi yadyasti te kṛpā || 2 || || agastya uvāca || || śṛṇu dvija kathāmetāṃ sāvadhāneṃdriyaḥ svayam || viśvāmitro muniśreṣṭhaḥ sa divyajñānalocanaḥ || 3 || nijāśrame tapo durgaṃ cakāra prayato vratī || ekadā tamatho draṣṭuṃ durvāsā munirāgataḥ || 4 || āgatya ca kṣudhākrāṃta uccaiḥ provāca sa dvijaḥ || bhojanaṃ dīyatāṃ mahyaṃ kṣudhāpīḍitacetase || pāyasaṃ śuci coṣṇaṃ ca śīghraṃ kṣudhārttine dvija || 5 || iti śrutvā vacaḥ kṣipraṃ viśvāmitraḥ prayatnataḥ || sthālyāṃ pāyasamādāya taṃ samarpya tataḥ svayam|| 6 || tadādāyotthitaṃ dṛṣṭvā durvāsāstaṃ vilokayan || uvāca madhuraṃ vākyaṃ muniṃ lakṣaṇatatparaḥ || 7 || kṣaṇaṃ sahasva viprendra yāvatsnātvā vrajāmyaham || tiṣṭhatiṣṭha kṣaṇaṃ tiṣṭha āgacchāmyeṣa sāpratam || 8 || ityuktvā sa jagāmaiva durvāsāḥ svāśramaṃ tadā || 9 || viśvāmitrastaponiṣṭhastadā sānurivā'calaḥ || divyaṃ varṣasahasraṃ sa tasthau sthiramatistadā || 2.8.5.10 || tasya śuśrūṣaṇaparo muniḥ kautso yatavrataḥ || babhūva paramodāramatirvigatamatsaraḥ || 11 || punarāgatya sa munirdurvāsā gatakalmaṣaḥ || bhuktvā ca pāyasaṃ sadyaḥ sa jagāma nijāśramam || 12 || tasmingate munivare viśvāmitrastaponidhiḥ || kautsaṃ vidyāvatāṃ śreṣṭhaṃ visasarja gṛhānprati || 13 || sa visṛṣṭo guruṃ prāha dakṣiṇā prārthyatāmiti || viśvāmitrastu taṃ prāha kiṃ dāsyasi dakṣiṇām || dakṣiṇā tava śuśrūṣā gṛhaṃ vraja yatavrata || 14 || punaḥpunarguruṃ prāha śiṣyo nirbandhavānyadā || tadā gururgurukruddhaḥ śiṣyaṃ prāha ca niṣṭhuram || 15 || suvarṇasya suvarṇasya caturdaśa samāhara || koṭīrme dakṣiṇā vipra paścādgaccha gṛhaṃ prati || 16 || ityukto guruṇā kautso vicārya samupāgamat || kākutsthaṃ digvijetāraṃ yayāce gurudakṣiṇām|| 17 || ityuktaṃ te munivara tvayā pṛṣṭaṃ hi yatpunaḥ || ato'nyacchṛṇu te vacmi tīrthakāraṇamuttamam || 18 || tasmāddakṣiṇadigbhāge saṃbhedaḥ siddhasevitaḥ || tilodakīsarayvośca saṃgatyā bhuvi saṃśrutaḥ || 19 || tatra snātvā mahābhāga bhavanti virajā narāḥ || daśānāmaśvamedhānāṃ kṛtānāṃ yatphalaṃ bhavet || tadāpnoti sa dharmātmā tatra snātvā yatavrataḥ || 2.8.5.20 || svarṇādikaṃ ca yo dadyādbrāhmaṇe vedapārage || śubhāṃ gatimavāpnoti agnivaccaiva dīpyate || 21 || tilodakīsarayvośca saṃgame lokaviśrute || dattvānnaṃ ca vidhānena na sa bhūyo'bhijāyate || 22 || upavāsaṃ ca yaḥ kṛtvā viprānsaṃtarpayennaraḥ || sautrāmaṇeśca yajñasya phalamāpnoti mānavaḥ || 23 || ekāhārastu yastiṣṭhenmāsaṃ tatra yatavrataḥ || yāvajjīvakṛtaṃ pāpaṃ sahasā tasya naśyati || 24 || nabhasya kṛṣṇāmāvasyāṃ yātrā sāṃvatsarī bhavet || rāmeṇa nirmitā pūrvaṃ nadī siṃdhurivāparā || 25 || siṃdhujānāṃ turaṃgāṇāṃ jalapānāya suvrata || tilavacchyāmamudakaṃ yatastasyāṃ sadā babhau || 26 || tilodakīti vikhyātā puṇyatoyā sadā nadī || saṃgamādanyato yasyāṃ tilodakyāṃ śucivrataḥ || snāto vimucyate pāpaiḥ saptajanmārjitairapi || 27 || tasmāttilodakīsnānaṃ sarvapāpaharaṃ mune || karttavyaṃ suprayatnena prāṇibhirdharmakāṃkṣibhiḥ || snānaṃ dānaṃ vrataṃ homaṃ sarvamakṣayatāṃ vrajet || 28|| iti vividhavidhānaistīrthayātrāṃkrameṇa prathitaguṇavikāsaḥ prāptapuṇyovidhāya || harimupahṛtabhāvaḥ pūjayansarvatīrthaṃ vrajati paramadhāma nyastapāpaḥ kathañcit || 29 || iti śrīskāṃde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ dvitīye vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍe'yoyāmāhātmye tilodarkāprabhāvavarṇanaṃnāma pañcamo'dhyāyaḥ || 5 ||

English translation

Vyāsa said :

1-2. O holy lord, tell me exactly how (and why) Sage Viśvāmitra , on being repeatedly requested and pressed, angrily asked his own disciple Kautsa to bring such a huge amount that was very difficult to get even with the greatest endeavour. If you have any kindness for me, narrate to me the entire episode. [1]

Agastya said :

3-9. O Brāhmaṇa , listen with the concentration of all sense-organs on this story.

Once Viśvāmitra, the most excellent of all sages, endowed with the divine vision born of knowledge, performed a very difficult penance. He observed Vratas with great purity. Once Sage Durvāsas came there to see him. On arrival that Brāhmaṇa (Durvāsas) who was afflicted with hunger cried loudly: “I am thoroughly afflicted with hunger. Let food be served to me. I am famished; give me quickly hot pudding of pure milk, O Brāhmaṇa.”

On hearing these words, Viśvāmitra immediately (prepared the pudding) with great effort. He took the pudding in a pot and was about to give it to Durvāsas. On seeing him rising, holding the pudding in his hand, Durvāsas who was given to play his characteristic (pranks), spoke these sweet words to the sage:

“O eminent Brāhmaṇa, wait for a moment so that I shall take my bath and return. Stay for a moment; stay, do stay. I shall come presently.”

After saying this, Durvāsas went away to his hermitage then.

10-14. Viśvāmitra, the ascetic, remained motionless like a mountain for a thousand years in accordance with the divine reckoning. He stood there steadfast in mind.

Sage Kautsa devoted to holy rites remained there serving him. He was of great liberal mind, free from jealousy. Durvāsas devoid of sins came back once again, consumed the milk pudding and went away to his own hermitage.

When that excellent sage had gone, Viśvāmitra, the storehouse of penance, discharged Kautsa, the most excellent one among the learned, and permitted him to go home (to take to the householder’s life).

On being discharged, he said to the preceptor, “Let the fee be asked for.” Viśvāmitra said to him: “What fee will you give? Your service itself is my fee. Go back to your house, O sage devoted to holy rites.”

15-18. The disciple said this again and again to the preceptor and repeatedly pressed him. Then the preceptor became exceedingly furious and spoke these harsh words to the disciple:

“Bring me fourteen crores of gold pieces of excellent colour as my fee, O Brāhmaṇa, and go home thereafter.”

On being told thus by his preceptor, Kautsa pondered over it and approached the descendant of Kakutstha , the conqueror of the quarters. He requested him for the preceptor’s fee.

Thus, O excellent sage, what has been asked by you has been recounted.

Once again, listen to another Tīrtha , the excellent cause (of welfare).

19-23. To the south of this holy spot is the confluence that is resorted to by Siddhas . It is well-known on the earth due to the confluence of Tilodakī and Sarayū . [2]

By taking a holy bath there, O highly fortunate one, men become free from sins. A righteous-souled one, devoted to holy rites, should, by taking the holy bath there, attain that benefit which is obtained if ten horse-sacrifices are performed.

He who gives gold etc. to a Brāhmaṇa who has mastered the Vedas obtains the auspicious goal. He shines like fire.

By giving cooked rice in accordance with the injunctions at the confluence of Tilodakī and Sarayū, that is well-known in the worlds, one is not reborn.

One who observes fast and propitiates Brāhmaṇas obtains the fruit of Sautrāmaṇi Yajña .

24. If a person stays there for a month while regularly performing holy rites and taking a single meal per day, all the sins committed by him throughout his life shall perish instantaneously.

25-28. On the new-moon day, in the month of Nabhasya ( Bhādrapada ) the annual festival is to be celebrated. Formerly this river was created by Rāma , as if it is another Sindhu . O sage of good holy rites, it was intended for the drinking purposes of the horses from Sindhu territory. Since the water therein shines always dark like gingelly seeds, it has come to be famous as Tilodakī. This river is of meritorious water always. If a person takes his holy bath in Tilodakī anywhere other than at the confluence, he is liberated from sins accruing in the course of seven births.

Hence the bath in the Tilodakī is destructive of all sins, O sage. It should be carefully undertaken by all living beings desirous of piety. Bath, gifts, Vrata and Homa here shall have infinite merit.

29. A person who performs pilgrimage in accordance with the different injunctions and acquires merit shall go to the greatest abode. His good qualities will develop gradually. He should worship Hari in all the Tīrthas with dedicated feelings. Somehow he shall get rid of all his sins.

[1]: [1] : VV 1-18 describe why Viśvāmitra demanded such an exorbitant Dakṣiṇā from his favourite pupil Kautsa.

[2]: [2] : VV 19-29 describe the greatness of the confluence of Sarayū and Tilodakī—a river created by Rāma for horses from Sindhu (v 26). The confluence is to the south of Svarṇa-khani. Its annual festival is celebrated on the new-moon day of Bhādrapada.

Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 23150, revision 71617 (2016-06-21T11:27:12Z). English is G. V. Tagare’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-skanda-purana/d/doc371733.html and the archival publication witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.