Veṅkaṭācala-māhātmya · Chapter 25
Source।। अथ जाबालितीर्थमाहात्म्यवर्णनम् ।। ।। श्रीसूत उवाच ।। ।। भोभोस्तपोधनाः सर्वे नैमिषारण्यवासिनः ।। वेंकटाद्रौ महापुण्ये सर्वपातकनाशने ।। १ ।। ततो जाबालितीर्थस्य माहात्म्यं वर्णयाम्यहम् ।। दुराचाराभिधो यत्र स्नात्वा मुक्तोऽभवद्द्विजाः ।। २ ।। ।। मुनय ऊचुः ।। ।। दुराचाराभिधः कोऽसौ सूत तत्त्वार्थकोविद ।। किञ्च पापं कृतं तेन दुराचारेण वै मुने ।। ३ ।। कथं वा पातकान्मुक्तस्तीर्थेस्मिन्स्नानवैभवात् ।। एतच्छुश्रूषमाणानां विस्तराद्वद नो मुने ।। ४ ।। ।। अथ कावेरीतीरवासिदुराचाराख्यद्विजोदन्तः ।। ।।श्रीसूत उवाच ।। ।। मुनयः श्रूयतां तस्य दुराचारस्य पातकम् ।। जाबालितीर्थस्नानेन यथा मुक्तश्च पातकात्।। ५ ।। दुराचाराभिधो विप्रः कावेरीतीरमाश्रितः ।। कश्चिदास्ते द्विजः पापी क्रूरकर्मरतः सदा ।। ६ ।। ब्रह्मघ्नैश्च सुरापैश्च स्तेयिभिर्गुरुतल्पगैः ।। सदा संसर्गदुष्टोऽसौ तैः साकं न्यवसद्द्विजाः ।। ७ ।। महापातकसंसर्गदोषेणास्य द्विजस्य वै ।। ब्राह्मण्यं सकलं नष्टं निःशेषेण द्विजोत्तमाः ।। ८ ।। महापातकिभिः सार्धं दिनमेकं तु यो द्विजः ।। निवसेत्सादरं तस्य तत्क्षणाद्वै द्विजन्मनः ।। ९ ।। ब्राह्मणस्य तु चैकांशो नश्यत्येव न संशयः ।। द्विदिनं सेवनात्स्पर्शाद्दर्शनाच्छयनात्तथा ।। 2.1.25.१० ।। भोजनात्सह पंक्तौ च महापातकिभिर्द्विजाः ।। द्वितीयभागो नश्येत ब्राह्मण्यस्य न संशयः ।। ११ ।। त्रिदिनाच्च तृतीयांशो नश्यत्येव न संशयः ।। चतुर्दिनाच्चतुर्थांशो विलयं याति हि धुवम् ।। १२ ।। अतः परं च तैः साकं शयनासनभोजनैः ।। तत्तुल्यपातकी भूयान्महापातकिसंगवान् ।। १३ ।। तेन ब्राह्मण्यहीनोऽयं दुराचाराभिधो द्विज. ।। ग्रस्तोऽभवद्भीषणेन व्यालेनेव बलीयसा ।। १४ ।। असौ परवशस्तेन वेतालेनातिपीडितः ।। देशाद्देशं भ्रमन्विप्रो वनाच्चैव वनान्तरम् ।। १५ ।। पूर्वपुण्यविपाकेन दैवयोगेन स द्विजः ।। वेंकटाद्रिं महापुण्यं सर्वपातकनाशनम् ।। १६ ।। ।। अथ ज्ञाबालितीर्थस्नानाद्दुराचारवेतालयोर्महपातकादिनिवृत्तिः ।। ।। अनुद्रुतः पिशाचेन वेतालेन द्विजो ययौ ।। न्यमज्जयत्स वेतालो महापातकनाशने ।। १७ ।। जाबालितीर्थे विप्रेन्द्रा महापातकिसंगिनम् ।। उदतिष्ठत्क्षणादेव वेतालेन विमोचितः ।। १८ ।। उत्थितोऽसौ द्विजो विप्रास्तस्मात्तीर्थात्तु पावनात् ।। स्वस्थो व्यचिन्तयत्कोऽयं स्वर्णमुख्याः समीपतः ।। १९ ।। कथं मयागतमहो कावेरीतीरवासिना ।। इति चिन्ताकुलः सोऽयं जाबालेस्तीर्थमुत्तमम् ।। 2.1.25.२० ।। जाबालिं च महात्मानं योगीन्द्रवरमुत्तमम् ।। समागम्य प्रणम्यासौ दुराचारोऽभ्यभाषत ।। २१ ।। न जाने भगवन्विप्र पर्वतोऽयं वदाधुना ।। कावेरीतीरनिलयो दुराचाराभिधो ह्यहम् ।। २२ ।। कृपया ब्रूहि मे ब्रह्मन्मयात्र कथमागतम्।। इति पृष्टो मुनिस्तेन दुराचारेण सुव्रतः ।। २३ ।। ध्यात्वा मुहुर्तमवदद्दुराचारं कृपानिधिः ।। २४ ।। ।। ।। अथ जाबालिवर्णितपार्वणश्राद्धाकरणदोषकथनम् ।। ।। जाबालिरुवाच ।। ।। महापातकिसंसर्गाद्दुराचारस्य ते पुरा ।। ब्राह्मण्यं नष्टमभवद्वेतालस्त्वां ततोऽग्रहीत् ।। २५ ।। तेनाविष्टस्त्वमायातो विवशोऽत्र विमूढधीः ।। न्यमज्जयत्त्वां वेतालस्तीर्थेऽस्मिन्नतिपावने ।। २६ ।। अत्र मज्जनमात्रेण विमुक्तः पातकाद्भवान् ।। जाबालितीर्थे ये स्नानं पुण्यं कुर्वन्ति मानवाः।। २७।। तेषां नश्यंति वै सत्यं पञ्चपातकसंचयाः ।। सत्कर्मसाधने पुण्यतीर्थेऽस्मिन्स्नानमात्रतः ।। २८ ।। महापातकिसंसर्गदोषस्ते विलयं गतः ।। त्वामग्रहीद्यो वेतालः पुरायं ब्राह्मणोऽभवत् ।। २९ ।। मृतेऽहनि पितृश्राद्धं नाकरोत्पार्वणेन वै ।। तेन स्वपितृभिः शप्तो वेतालत्वमगादयम् ।। 2.1.25.३० ।। सोऽपि जाबालितीर्थस्य जले स्नानप्रभावतः ।। वेतालत्वं विहायैव विष्णुलोकमवाप्तवान्।। ३१ ।। न कुर्याद्यो नरः श्राद्धं मातापित्रोर्मृतेऽहनि ।। वेतालत्वमवाप्याशु पश्चान्नरकमश्नुते ।। ३२ ।। ।। श्रीसूत उवाच ।। ।। दुराचारो महापापी तीर्थेऽस्मित्स्नानमात्रतः ।। प्राप्तवान्विष्णुलोकं वै पुनरावृत्तिवर्जितम् ।। ३३ ।। एवं वः कथितं पुण्यं दुराचारविमोक्षणम्।। तस्मात्पुण्यतमं तीर्थं सर्वपापहरं शुभम् ।। ३४ ।। यत्र हि स्नानमात्रेण दुराचारो विमोचितः ।। यानि निष्कृतिहीनानि पापान्यपि विनाशयेत् ।। ३५ ।। शूद्रेण पूजितं लिङ्गं विष्णुं वा यो नमेद्द्विजः ।। प्रायश्चित्तं न स्मृतिषु तस्योक्तं परमर्षिभिः ।। ३६ ।। नश्येत्तस्यापि तत्पापं तीर्थे जाबालिसंज्ञके ।। विप्रनिन्दाकृतां चैव प्रायश्चित्तं न विद्यते ।। ३७ ।। विश्वासघातुकानां च कृतघ्नानां च निष्कृतिः ।। भ्रातृभार्यारतानां च प्रायश्चित्तं न विद्यते ।। ३८ ।। तेषां जाबालितीर्थे वै स्नानाच्छुद्धिर्भविष्यति ।। एवं वः कथितं विप्रा जाबालेस्तीर्थवैभवम् ।। ३९ ।। यच्छ्रुत्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मुच्यते मानवो भुवि ।। 2.1.25.४० ।। इति श्रीस्कान्दे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां द्वितीये वैष्णवखण्डे श्रीवेंकटाचलमाहात्म्ये जाबालितीर्थमहिमानुवर्णनंनाम पञ्चविंशोऽध्यायः ।। २५ ।।
|| atha jābālitīrthamāhātmyavarṇanam || || śrīsūta uvāca || || bhobhostapodhanāḥ sarve naimiṣāraṇyavāsinaḥ || veṃkaṭādrau mahāpuṇye sarvapātakanāśane || 1 || tato jābālitīrthasya māhātmyaṃ varṇayāmyaham || durācārābhidho yatra snātvā mukto'bhavaddvijāḥ || 2 || || munaya ūcuḥ || || durācārābhidhaḥ ko'sau sūta tattvārthakovida || kiñca pāpaṃ kṛtaṃ tena durācāreṇa vai mune || 3 || kathaṃ vā pātakānmuktastīrthesminsnānavaibhavāt || etacchuśrūṣamāṇānāṃ vistarādvada no mune || 4 || || atha kāverītīravāsidurācārākhyadvijodantaḥ || ||śrīsūta uvāca || || munayaḥ śrūyatāṃ tasya durācārasya pātakam || jābālitīrthasnānena yathā muktaśca pātakāt|| 5 || durācārābhidho vipraḥ kāverītīramāśritaḥ || kaścidāste dvijaḥ pāpī krūrakarmarataḥ sadā || 6 || brahmaghnaiśca surāpaiśca steyibhirgurutalpagaiḥ || sadā saṃsargaduṣṭo'sau taiḥ sākaṃ nyavasaddvijāḥ || 7 || mahāpātakasaṃsargadoṣeṇāsya dvijasya vai || brāhmaṇyaṃ sakalaṃ naṣṭaṃ niḥśeṣeṇa dvijottamāḥ || 8 || mahāpātakibhiḥ sārdhaṃ dinamekaṃ tu yo dvijaḥ || nivasetsādaraṃ tasya tatkṣaṇādvai dvijanmanaḥ || 9 || brāhmaṇasya tu caikāṃśo naśyatyeva na saṃśayaḥ || dvidinaṃ sevanātsparśāddarśanācchayanāttathā || 2.1.25.10 || bhojanātsaha paṃktau ca mahāpātakibhirdvijāḥ || dvitīyabhāgo naśyeta brāhmaṇyasya na saṃśayaḥ || 11 || tridinācca tṛtīyāṃśo naśyatyeva na saṃśayaḥ || caturdināccaturthāṃśo vilayaṃ yāti hi dhuvam || 12 || ataḥ paraṃ ca taiḥ sākaṃ śayanāsanabhojanaiḥ || tattulyapātakī bhūyānmahāpātakisaṃgavān || 13 || tena brāhmaṇyahīno'yaṃ durācārābhidho dvija. || grasto'bhavadbhīṣaṇena vyāleneva balīyasā || 14 || asau paravaśastena vetālenātipīḍitaḥ || deśāddeśaṃ bhramanvipro vanāccaiva vanāntaram || 15 || pūrvapuṇyavipākena daivayogena sa dvijaḥ || veṃkaṭādriṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ sarvapātakanāśanam || 16 || || atha jñābālitīrthasnānāddurācāravetālayormahapātakādinivṛttiḥ || || anudrutaḥ piśācena vetālena dvijo yayau || nyamajjayatsa vetālo mahāpātakanāśane || 17 || jābālitīrthe viprendrā mahāpātakisaṃginam || udatiṣṭhatkṣaṇādeva vetālena vimocitaḥ || 18 || utthito'sau dvijo viprāstasmāttīrthāttu pāvanāt || svastho vyacintayatko'yaṃ svarṇamukhyāḥ samīpataḥ || 19 || kathaṃ mayāgatamaho kāverītīravāsinā || iti cintākulaḥ so'yaṃ jābālestīrthamuttamam || 2.1.25.20 || jābāliṃ ca mahātmānaṃ yogīndravaramuttamam || samāgamya praṇamyāsau durācāro'bhyabhāṣata || 21 || na jāne bhagavanvipra parvato'yaṃ vadādhunā || kāverītīranilayo durācārābhidho hyaham || 22 || kṛpayā brūhi me brahmanmayātra kathamāgatam|| iti pṛṣṭo munistena durācāreṇa suvrataḥ || 23 || dhyātvā muhurtamavadaddurācāraṃ kṛpānidhiḥ || 24 || || || atha jābālivarṇitapārvaṇaśrāddhākaraṇadoṣakathanam || || jābāliruvāca || || mahāpātakisaṃsargāddurācārasya te purā || brāhmaṇyaṃ naṣṭamabhavadvetālastvāṃ tato'grahīt || 25 || tenāviṣṭastvamāyāto vivaśo'tra vimūḍhadhīḥ || nyamajjayattvāṃ vetālastīrthe'sminnatipāvane || 26 || atra majjanamātreṇa vimuktaḥ pātakādbhavān || jābālitīrthe ye snānaṃ puṇyaṃ kurvanti mānavāḥ|| 27|| teṣāṃ naśyaṃti vai satyaṃ pañcapātakasaṃcayāḥ || satkarmasādhane puṇyatīrthe'sminsnānamātrataḥ || 28 || mahāpātakisaṃsargadoṣaste vilayaṃ gataḥ || tvāmagrahīdyo vetālaḥ purāyaṃ brāhmaṇo'bhavat || 29 || mṛte'hani pitṛśrāddhaṃ nākarotpārvaṇena vai || tena svapitṛbhiḥ śapto vetālatvamagādayam || 2.1.25.30 || so'pi jābālitīrthasya jale snānaprabhāvataḥ || vetālatvaṃ vihāyaiva viṣṇulokamavāptavān|| 31 || na kuryādyo naraḥ śrāddhaṃ mātāpitrormṛte'hani || vetālatvamavāpyāśu paścānnarakamaśnute || 32 || || śrīsūta uvāca || || durācāro mahāpāpī tīrthe'smitsnānamātrataḥ || prāptavānviṣṇulokaṃ vai punarāvṛttivarjitam || 33 || evaṃ vaḥ kathitaṃ puṇyaṃ durācāravimokṣaṇam|| tasmātpuṇyatamaṃ tīrthaṃ sarvapāpaharaṃ śubham || 34 || yatra hi snānamātreṇa durācāro vimocitaḥ || yāni niṣkṛtihīnāni pāpānyapi vināśayet || 35 || śūdreṇa pūjitaṃ liṅgaṃ viṣṇuṃ vā yo nameddvijaḥ || prāyaścittaṃ na smṛtiṣu tasyoktaṃ paramarṣibhiḥ || 36 || naśyettasyāpi tatpāpaṃ tīrthe jābālisaṃjñake || vipranindākṛtāṃ caiva prāyaścittaṃ na vidyate || 37 || viśvāsaghātukānāṃ ca kṛtaghnānāṃ ca niṣkṛtiḥ || bhrātṛbhāryāratānāṃ ca prāyaścittaṃ na vidyate || 38 || teṣāṃ jābālitīrthe vai snānācchuddhirbhaviṣyati || evaṃ vaḥ kathitaṃ viprā jābālestīrthavaibhavam || 39 || yacchrutvā sarvapāpebhyo mucyate mānavo bhuvi || 2.1.25.40 || iti śrīskānde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ dvitīye vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍe śrīveṃkaṭācalamāhātmye jābālitīrthamahimānuvarṇanaṃnāma pañcaviṃśo'dhyāyaḥ || 25 ||
English translation
Śrī Sūta said :
1-2. O ye all ascetics, O residents of the Naimiṣa forest, I shall describe the greatness of Jābālitīrtha on the Veṅkaṭādri of great merit and destructive of all sins. O Brāhmaṇas , (a sinner) named Durācāra became liberated by bathing there.
The sages enquired :
3-4. O Sūta , knower of the exact nature of reality, who was this person named Durācāra? What sin had been committed by that Durācāra, O sage? How was he liberated from the sin, due to the greatness of the bath in this Tīrtha ? O sage, we are desirous of hearing this. Relate it to us in detail.
[ The Episode of the Brāhmaṇa Named Durācāra Who Lived on the Banks of Kāverī ]:—
Śrī Sūta said :
5. O sages, let the sin of that Durācāra be heard. So also (listen) how he was liberated from the sin by taking his holy bath in Jābālitīrtha.
6. There was a certain Brāhmaṇa named Durācāra who had resorted to the banks of Kāverī. This Brāhmaṇa who was a sinner, was always engaged in cruel activities.
7. O Brāhmaṇas, this sinner was defiled due to his frequent associations with Brāhmaṇa-slayers, liquor-drinkers, thieves and defilers of preceptor’s bed. He always lived with them.
8. O excellent Brāhmaṇas, the Brahminical power of this sinner was entirely destroyed on account of the evil of association with great sinners.
9-11. If a Brāhmaṇa eagerly stays with great sinners for one day, one part (i.e. one fourth) of his Brahminhood will undoubtedly be lost at that very moment. By serving them, touching them, seeing them, lying with them and taking food with them in the same row, by remaining for two days with great sinners thus, O Brāhmaṇas, a second part (i.e. one half) of his Brahminhood is undoubtedly lost.
12. If the association lasts for three days a third part (i.e. three fourths) is lost undoubtedly. If it lasts for four days, (the last) fourth part is certainly obliterated.
13. If any person associates with great sinners beyond this period by sitting, lying or taking food with them, he shall become a sinner of (their) equal grade.
14. Therefore, the Brāhmaṇa named Durācāra became completely bereft of Brahminhood. He was haunted by an evil spirit. It was as though he was swallowed by a powerful and terrible snake or beast of prey.
15-21. Excessively afflicted by that vampire, he became distressed. He wandered from country to country and from forest to forest. Due to his previous merit and his good luck, that Brāhmaṇa reached the highly meritorious Veṅkaṭādri (which was) destructive of all sins. He was pursued there by the vampire (the ghost).
[ Durācāra and the Vampire Get Rid of Their Sins by Taking Holy Bath in Jābālitīrtha ]:—
The Brāhmaṇa closely pursued by the evil spirit came to the mount Veṅkaṭa . The vampire immersed the Brāhmaṇa who was associated with great sinners, in Jābālitīrtha that is destructive of great sins, O great Brāhmaṇas. Within a moment he was released by the vampire and he stood up (free).
Getting out of that holy Tīrtha, O Brāhmaṇas, that Brāhmaṇa regained composure. He pondered, ‘I was residing on the banks of Kāveri . How have I come to a place near Svarṇamukhī?’
With these thoughts agitating him, Durācāra bowed down to the excellent Tīrtha of Jābāli as well as Jābāli, the noble-souled excellent great Yogin . After approaching him he spoke:
22-24. “O holy lord, O Brāhmaṇa, I do not know what this mountain is- Tell me. I am a resident of the banks of Kāveri. My name is Durācāra. Kindly tell me how I happened to come here?”
On being asked thus by Durācāra that sage of good holy rites, the storehouse of mercy, meditated for a short while and spoke to Durācāra:
[ Narration of the Defect of Non-Performance of Pārvaṇa Śrāddha as Described by Jābāli ]:—
Jābāli told :
25-29. On account of your contact with great sinners formerly, O Durācāra, your Brahminhood got destroyed. Then a vampire seized you. Because you were possessed by him, you became helpless and deluded in your mind. In that confounded state you came here. The vampire immersed you in this extremely sacred Tīrtha. Merely by taking your bath here you became rid of the sins.
If men take their holy bath in Jābālitīrtha, all the heaps of their five types of sins perish. It is true. Merely by the bath in this holy Tīrtha which is the cause of good holy rites, your sin due to your association with great sinners has perished. The vampire that seized you was formerly a Brāhmaṇa.
30-31. He did not perform the Śrāddha rite unto the Manes on the day of death in accordance with the Pārvaṇa rite. So he was cursed by his Manes and he attained the state of vampire.
Due to the power of taking the holy bath in the waters of Jābālitīrtha, he cast off his vampire-hood and attained the world of Viṣṇu .
32. A man who does not perform the Śrāddha unto his father and mother (every year) on the day of death becomes a vampire immediately and falls into hell later.
Śrī Sūta said :
33-34. Merely by taking his holy bath in this Tīrtha, Durācāra, the great sinner, attained the world of Viṣṇu from which no one returned (to Saṃsāra ). Thus the holy story of the liberation of Durācāra has been recounted to you all. Hence this Tīrtha is the most sacred (of all Tīrthas ). It is auspicious and destructive of all sins.
35-39a. Durācāra was liberated merely by a bath therein. This holy Tīrtha shall destroy even those sins which have no other way of expiation. If a Brāhmaṇa bows to a Liṅga or the idol of Viṣṇu (once) worshipped by a Śūdra no means of expiation has been laid down for him in the Smṛtis by the great sages. But even that sin of his shall perish in the Tīrtha named (after) Jābāli.
There is no means of atonement for those who censure Brāhmaṇas. Similarly there is no expiation for those who commit breach of trust, those who are ungrateful and those who carnally approach the wives of their brothers. But due to their holy bath in Jābālitīrtha they will become pure.
39b-40. Thus, O Brāhmaṇas, the greatness of Jābāli’s Tīrtha has been described to you all. On hearing this men on the earth become liberated from all sins.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 22899, revision 71026 (2016-06-09T21:05:04Z). English is G. V. Tagare’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-skanda-purana/d/doc370704.html and the archival publication witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.