Puruṣottama-kṣetra-māhātmya · Chapter 35
Source।। जैमिनिरुवाच ।। ।। अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि रथरक्षाकरं विधिम्।। भूतप्रेतादयो घोरा दारुणान्यद्भुतानि च ।। १ ।। न बाधंते रथान्येन मुनयो वश्च यन्मतम् ।। प्रत्यहं पूजयेद्देवान्कृष्णादीन्ध्वजसंस्थितान् ।। २ ।। गंधपुष्पाक्षतैर्माल्यैरुपहारैरनुत्तमैः ।। गीतनृत्तादिकैश्चैव धूपदीपनिवेदनैः ।। ।। ३ ।। दिक्पालेभ्यो बलिं दद्यात्पायसान्नेन चान्वहम् ।। भूतप्रेतपिशाचेभ्यो दद्याच्च बलिमुत्तमम् ।। ४ ।। रक्षेच्च यत्नतस्तान्वै रथानारोहणोचितान् ।। यथा न कश्चिदारोहेन्नरो ग्राम्यपशुस्तथा ।। पक्षिणश्च विशेषेण येषां वासो न शोभनः ।। ५ ।। अष्टमेऽह्नि पुनः कृत्वा दक्षिणाभिमुखान्रथान्।। विभूषयेद्वस्त्रमाल्यपताकैश्चामरादिभिः ।। ६ ।। नवम्यां वासयेद्देवांस्तेषु प्रातः समृद्धिमत् ।। ७ ।। दक्षिणाभिमुखा यात्रा विष्णोरेषा सुदुर्लभा ।। यात्रा प्रयत्नतः सा हि भक्तिश्रद्धासमन्वितैः ।। ८ ।। यथा पूर्वा तथा चेयं द्वे च मुक्तिप्रदायिके ।। यात्राप्रवेशौ देवस्य एक एवोत्सवो मतः ।। ९ ।। पुराविदो वदंत्येतां यात्रां नवदिनात्मिकाम् ।। एषा त्र्यवयवा यात्रा संपूर्णा यैरुपासिता ।। 2.2.35.१० ।। सुसंपूर्णफलस्तेषां महावेदीमहोत्सवः ।। ११ ।। गुंडिचामंडपात्कृष्णमायांतं दक्षिणामुखम् ।। रथस्थं बलिनं भद्रां पश्यंतो मुक्तिभागिनः । १२ ।। उत्तराभिमुखान्दृदृष्ट्वा लभंते यादृश फलम् ।। रामादीन्स्यंदनस्थान्ये पश्यंत्येवं महोदयान् ।। यादृशं फलमाप्नुयुस्तादृशं दक्षिणामुखान् ।। ।। १३ ।। पदा यांतं रथे यांतं यः पश्येद्दक्षिणामुखम् ।। तस्य जन्म कृतार्थं स्याद्वाजिमेधः पदे पदे ।। १४ ।। स्तुतिभिः प्रणिपातैश्च पुष्पवृष्टिभिरेव च ।। नानानृत्तोपहारैश्च व्यजनच्छत्रचामरैः ।। उपायनैर्बहुविधैरुपतिष्ठेद्रथाग्रतः ।। १५ ।। नीलाचलं समायांतं रथस्थं दक्षिणामुखम्। ये पश्यंति हृषीकेशं सुभद्रां लांगलायुधम् ।। १६ ।। कामकल्पतरुं पुंसां दर्शनादेव मुक्तिदम् ।। ते व्रजंति महात्मानो वैकुण्ठ भवनं हरेः ।। १७ ।। रथेन विचरंतं तं सिन्धुतीरे जनार्दनम् ।। पश्यन्तं करुणापांगैः प्रणतान्पुरतो नरान् ।। १८ ।। दक्षिणाभिमुखं यांतं प्रासादं नीलभूधरे ।। सर्वतीर्थनिधिं सर्वदानकल्पतरुं हरिम् ।। १९ ।। स्तुवंतः प्रणमंतश्च श्रद्दधानाश्च ये नराः ।। न ते पुनरिहायांति ब्रह्मलोकस्थिता ध्रुवम्।। 2.2.35.२० ।। मुनयः कथितो वोऽयं महावेदीमहोत्सवः ।। यस्य संकीर्त्तनादेव निर्मलो जायते नरः ।। २१ ।। यश्चेदं कीर्तयेन्नित्यं प्रातरुत्थाय मानवः ।। शृणुयादपि बुद्धिस्थः शक्रलोकं व्रजेदसौ ।। २२ ।। प्रत्यर्चारूपमपि वा रथमास्थाप्य यो हरेः ।। कुर्याद्यात्रामिमां श्रद्धाभक्तिभावेन मानवः ।। २३ ।। सोऽपि विष्णोः प्रसादेन गुंडिचोत्सवजं फलम्।। प्राप्य वैकुण्ठभवनं याति नात्र विचारणा ।। २४ ।। पश्य श्रीर्यावती विप्रा भक्तिर्वा श्रद्धयान्विता ।। तावतीयं महायात्रा यो यथा कर्तुमिच्छति ।। २५ ।। इदं पवित्रं परमं रहस्यं वेधसोदितम् ।। कारयित्वाथवा दृष्ट्वा यन्नरो नावसीदति ।। २६ ।। ।। इति श्रीस्कांदे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां द्वितीये वैष्णवखण्डे पुरुषोत्तमक्षेत्रमाहात्म्ये पञ्चत्रिंशोऽध्यायः ।। ३५ ।।
|| jaiminiruvāca || || ataḥ paraṃ pravakṣyāmi ratharakṣākaraṃ vidhim|| bhūtapretādayo ghorā dāruṇānyadbhutāni ca || 1 || na bādhaṃte rathānyena munayo vaśca yanmatam || pratyahaṃ pūjayeddevānkṛṣṇādīndhvajasaṃsthitān || 2 || gaṃdhapuṣpākṣatairmālyairupahārairanuttamaiḥ || gītanṛttādikaiścaiva dhūpadīpanivedanaiḥ || || 3 || dikpālebhyo baliṃ dadyātpāyasānnena cānvaham || bhūtapretapiśācebhyo dadyācca balimuttamam || 4 || rakṣecca yatnatastānvai rathānārohaṇocitān || yathā na kaścidārohennaro grāmyapaśustathā || pakṣiṇaśca viśeṣeṇa yeṣāṃ vāso na śobhanaḥ || 5 || aṣṭame'hni punaḥ kṛtvā dakṣiṇābhimukhānrathān|| vibhūṣayedvastramālyapatākaiścāmarādibhiḥ || 6 || navamyāṃ vāsayeddevāṃsteṣu prātaḥ samṛddhimat || 7 || dakṣiṇābhimukhā yātrā viṣṇoreṣā sudurlabhā || yātrā prayatnataḥ sā hi bhaktiśraddhāsamanvitaiḥ || 8 || yathā pūrvā tathā ceyaṃ dve ca muktipradāyike || yātrāpraveśau devasya eka evotsavo mataḥ || 9 || purāvido vadaṃtyetāṃ yātrāṃ navadinātmikām || eṣā tryavayavā yātrā saṃpūrṇā yairupāsitā || 2.2.35.10 || susaṃpūrṇaphalasteṣāṃ mahāvedīmahotsavaḥ || 11 || guṃḍicāmaṃḍapātkṛṣṇamāyāṃtaṃ dakṣiṇāmukham || rathasthaṃ balinaṃ bhadrāṃ paśyaṃto muktibhāginaḥ | 12 || uttarābhimukhāndṛdṛṣṭvā labhaṃte yādṛśa phalam || rāmādīnsyaṃdanasthānye paśyaṃtyevaṃ mahodayān || yādṛśaṃ phalamāpnuyustādṛśaṃ dakṣiṇāmukhān || || 13 || padā yāṃtaṃ rathe yāṃtaṃ yaḥ paśyeddakṣiṇāmukham || tasya janma kṛtārthaṃ syādvājimedhaḥ pade pade || 14 || stutibhiḥ praṇipātaiśca puṣpavṛṣṭibhireva ca || nānānṛttopahāraiśca vyajanacchatracāmaraiḥ || upāyanairbahuvidhairupatiṣṭhedrathāgrataḥ || 15 || nīlācalaṃ samāyāṃtaṃ rathasthaṃ dakṣiṇāmukham| ye paśyaṃti hṛṣīkeśaṃ subhadrāṃ lāṃgalāyudham || 16 || kāmakalpataruṃ puṃsāṃ darśanādeva muktidam || te vrajaṃti mahātmāno vaikuṇṭha bhavanaṃ hareḥ || 17 || rathena vicaraṃtaṃ taṃ sindhutīre janārdanam || paśyantaṃ karuṇāpāṃgaiḥ praṇatānpurato narān || 18 || dakṣiṇābhimukhaṃ yāṃtaṃ prāsādaṃ nīlabhūdhare || sarvatīrthanidhiṃ sarvadānakalpataruṃ harim || 19 || stuvaṃtaḥ praṇamaṃtaśca śraddadhānāśca ye narāḥ || na te punarihāyāṃti brahmalokasthitā dhruvam|| 2.2.35.20 || munayaḥ kathito vo'yaṃ mahāvedīmahotsavaḥ || yasya saṃkīrttanādeva nirmalo jāyate naraḥ || 21 || yaścedaṃ kīrtayennityaṃ prātarutthāya mānavaḥ || śṛṇuyādapi buddhisthaḥ śakralokaṃ vrajedasau || 22 || pratyarcārūpamapi vā rathamāsthāpya yo hareḥ || kuryādyātrāmimāṃ śraddhābhaktibhāvena mānavaḥ || 23 || so'pi viṣṇoḥ prasādena guṃḍicotsavajaṃ phalam|| prāpya vaikuṇṭhabhavanaṃ yāti nātra vicāraṇā || 24 || paśya śrīryāvatī viprā bhaktirvā śraddhayānvitā || tāvatīyaṃ mahāyātrā yo yathā kartumicchati || 25 || idaṃ pavitraṃ paramaṃ rahasyaṃ vedhasoditam || kārayitvāthavā dṛṣṭvā yannaro nāvasīdati || 26 || || iti śrīskāṃde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ dvitīye vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍe puruṣottamakṣetramāhātmye pañcatriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ || 35 ||
English translation
Jaimini said :
1-3. Henceforth I shall describe the procedure of protecting the chariot, whereby terrible goblins, ghosts and others as well as hideous supernatural beings do not harm the chariots. O sages, (I shall tell you) what will be approved by you all.
Everyday the devotee should worship Kṛṣṇa and other deities stationed on the flags with sweet-smelling flowers, raw rice-grains, wreaths, excellent offerings and services, songs, dances etc. as well as incense, lamps and food-offerings.
4. Oblation should be offered to the Guardians of the Quarters everyday with rice cooked in milk. Excellent oblations should be offered to goblins, ghosts and evil spirits.
5. With great efforts (and care) those chariots should be kept in a condition fit for the riding (of the deities). It should be seen that no man or domestic animal climbs on them. Particularly birds whose habitation is inauspicious should not be allowed to occupy them.
6-11. On the eighth day the chariots should be kept facing the South. The devotee should adorn (the deities and the chariots) with cloths, wreaths, flags, chowries etc. On the morning of the ninth day the Devas should be installed in them luxuriously.
This South-facing journey of Viṣṇu is very difficult to be accomplished. That journey (procession) should be carried out with great effort, devotion and faith.
Just as the previous (procession), so also this—both of these yield salvation. Both these—the journey (procession) and re-entry of the Lord, are considered to constitute one festival alone.
Those who are conversant with tradition and mythology say that this journey is of nine days’ duration. This three-limbed (three-staged) journey (procession) [1] should be attended to in full. To those who do so, the great festival of the Great Altar will yield complete benefit.
12. Those who watch Kṭṣṇa while returning from the Guṇḍicā Pavilion with face to the South and seated in the chariot along with Balarāma and Subhadrā , attain liberation.
13. That kind of benefit derived by those who witness the splendid Lords Rāma and others seated in the chariot with their faces to the North, is also obtained by those who see them (Rāma and others) facing the South.
14. If anyone sees (the Lord) going on foot or in the chariot facing the South, his birth is blessed, for at every step he obtains the merit of a horse-sacrifice.
15. The devotee should attend to the Lord in front with eulogies, prostrations, showers of flowers, different kinds of dances, offerings and services with fans, umbrellas, chowries and presents of various kinds.
16-17. Those who see Hṛṣīkeśa , the Lord who is like the wish-yielding Kalpa tree, who grants salvation to men merely by his sight, along with Subhadrā and Balarāma coming to Nīla mountain seated in the chariot and facing the South, are noble souls. They go to Hari ’s abode, Vaikuṇṭha .
18-20. While Hari returns to his palace on Mount Nīla with his face to the South, those devout believers who eulogize him and prostrate themselves before him who is the abode of all the Tīrthas and is like a wish-yielding tree donating (anything and) everything, do not return to this world (after death). They get established in Brahmā ’s region.
21. O sages, this great festival of the Great Altar has been described to you. By glorifying this a man becomes free from impurities (and sins).
22. The man who gets up early in the morning and recites this or listens to this or retains this in his memory, shall go to the world of Śakra .
23-24. If anyone makes a replica or a picture of Hari, places it on the chariot and carries out this procession with faith and devotion, that man shall obtain the merit of the festival of Guṇḍicā by the favour of Viṣṇu. He then goes to the abode of Vaikuṇṭha. There is no doubt about this.
25-26. A person should perform this Yātrā (procession) in accordance with his affluence, devotion and faith. By sponsoring or witnessing this one ceases to be afflicted and worried. This holy and great secret has been revealed by Brahma .
[1]: [1] : Tryavayavā Yātrā : The procession of three limbs i.e. stages, viz. (1) Journey from the temple of Guṇḍicā; (2) Return journey from Guṇḍicā to Nīlācala; (3) The visit of Dakṣiṇāmūrti (i.e. turning the chariots to the South).
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 22956, revision 71139 (2016-06-12T11:33:03Z). English is G. V. Tagare’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-skanda-purana/d/doc370755.html and the archival publication witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.