||Om Nama: Shivaya||
Chapter – 24 – Vindhyeshwara
Samhitha – 12
Kshethre Papasya Karanam Dhridam Bhavathi Bhoosura: | PUnyakshethre Nivase Hi
Papamanavapicharathe || Himavath Girija Ganga Punya Shathamukha Nadhi | Thath Theere Chaiva Kashyadhi Punyakshethranayanekasha: ||
Thathra Theeram Prashastham Hi Mrige Mrigabhrigahaspathau| Shonabhadhro Dhashamukha:
Punyoabeeshtaphalapradha: || Thathra
Snanepavasena Padham Vainayakam
Labeth | Chathurvimhamukha PUnya Narmada
Cha Mahanadhi || Thasyam
Snanena Vasena Padham Vaishnavamapnuyath | Thamasa Dhvadhashamukha Reva Dhashamukha Nadhi || Godavari Mahapunya Bhrama Govadhanashini | Ekavimshamukha Proktha Rudralokapradhayini || Krishnaveni
PUnyanadhi Sarvapapakshayavaha |
Sashtradhashamukha Proktha Vishnulokapradhayini ||Thungabhadhra Dhashamukha
Bhramalokapradhyini | Suvarnnamukhari Punya Proktha Navamukha
Thatha ||
Sutha Pauranika speaks “ Oh!
Prajja, listen to me carefully, I shall describe the sacred Shivakshethra on
the Earth which could provide Mukthi to the worshiper, you have arrived in the Dharmakshethra
Prayagaraj with an intention for the
welfare of the Universe. The fifty crores of
Yojanas on the Earth enfold the mountain, dense forest, and forest of shrubs
and creepers, at the command of supreme Lord Shiva. The compassionate Lord Mahadeva established
numerous Shivakshethram for the welfare of the living beings on the Earth and
showers abundance of grace and Moksham as well.
The Supreme Lord Shiva appeared as a self-manifested Linga in these
Shivakshethras, and showered his grace upon all the living beings, Rishis and
deities. The sacred Kshethras are
established for the performance of Snana/holy bath, Japa/recitation, Dhanam/performance
of charities, etc. otherwise people will undergo various ailments, poverty,
blindness, etc. The people
who do not engage in any of the pious deeds meet unexpected death in the shrine
of self-manifest Linga Shivashkethra would attain human life once again. Oh! Bhusura, the performance of sinful deeds in
the Shivakshethra would bring endless miseries; therefore no one should engage
in sinful deeds in these sacred places.
There are several Shiva shrines located close to rivers and oceans. Whoever lives close to the river Saraswathi
which is surrounded by sacred shrines and perform various austerities would
attain Bhramapadham. The sacred shrine
Kashi located on the river banks of Ganga, the place where the daughter of
Himavan, Girija resides is considered as one of the sacred shrines on the
Earth. The shrine located on the sacred
river bank of Shonabhadhra where Dhashamukha
performed austerities and attained abundance of piousness, therefore whoever
perform austerities on the riverbank of Shonabhadhra would become
intellectuals and all the desires would get fulfilled. Whoever undertakes austerities living on the
river banks of Mahanadhi Narmada, would obtain the grace of Lord Ganesha and an abundance
of piousness. Whoever undertakes
austerities living on the riverbank of Thamasa and Reva would attain the
devotion upon the supreme Lord Vishnu.
Whoever undertakes austerities on the river banks of Godavari, would showers
abundance of grace/Mahapunya, it relieves the sins of Bhramahathya and killing
of cows, ultimately it would provide the Rudraloka to the worshiper. The sacred river Krishnaveni Punyanadhi would
remove all the sins of the worshiper, whoever undertakes austerities living on
the riverbank of Krishnaveni would attain the abode of Lord Vishnu. The river Thungabhadhra is
Bhramalokapradhayini, whoever undertakes austerities on the riverbank of
Thungabhadhra would attain the abode of Lord Bhrama, the river Suvarnnamukhari
is equally capable to provide an abundance of piousness. The river Saraswathi, Pampa, Kanya
Shwethanadhi, are highly auspicious, whoever conducts austerities on these
river banks would attain Indraloka. The
rivers located on the Sahyadri hills and river Kaveri are considered as highly
auspicious, therefore whoever follows austerities on these sacred river banks
would attain commendable meritorious rewards, it would provide heavenly abode
and the abode of Bhrama and Vishnu as well.
Whoever performs austerities on the hills of Badari and Naimisharanya
would attain the abode of Lord Shiva.
Whoever performs austerities on the riverbank of Sindhu would attain
the abode of Lord Bhrama. The
performance of austerities on the river banks of Kedhara and Godavari would provide an abundance of piousness and Shivaloka.
The performance of austerities performed on the river banks of Yamuna,
and Shona would bring an abundance of merits, the performance of austerities on the
riverbank of Kaveri and worship of Lord Vishnu would fulfill all the desires
of the worshiper. The austerities
performed on the riverbank of Narmada would provide Vishnu Loka. The austerities performed on the riverbank
of Suvarnnamukhari would provide the Shivaloka, Bhrama Loka and Vishnuloka
respectively. The performance of austerities
on the riverbank of Ganga during the auspicious Magha and Kumbhamela, and perform
ancestral rites and Pindadhanam would please the Pithrus. The performance of austerities on the riverbank of Krishnaveni would bring an abundance of piousness. The performance of austerities in Ganga and
Krishnaveni would bring Indhrapadham.
The performance of the austerities in the sacred Theerthas would provide
Rudraloka. The performance of
austerities on the riverbank of Thamraparnni and Vegavathi would provide Bhramaloka
and Swargaloka respectively. Oh! Deities
on the Earth/Bhusura, every sacred land on Earth could provide an abundance of
meritorious rewards to the person who undertakes strict austerities,
disciplines, and perform Japam and Dhanam.
Therefore, any austerities and charities and rites performed in the
Punyakshethra would provide an abundance of piousness, in the same manner, any minor
misdeed or sin committed with the mind, body or words, on these Punyakshethra
would provide endless miseries. The
worship of supreme Lord Shiva in the Punyakshethra following sincere
austerities, without performing any sin by words, mind, or intellect would
definitely provide an abundance of meritorious rewards, all the sins committed
in the several births would get destroyed.
The performance of austerities followed with Japa and charities in the
Punyakshethra is compulsory, it would remove all the sins committed by Manasa
Vacha and Karmana, otherwise the sins remain with the individual for several
births, the piousness as well as the wisdom would get vanished, ultimately it
would push the individual to the cycles of repeated births. Whoever undertakes extreme pleasure in the material world would accumulate sins, it can get rid only with the performance
of noble deeds. Therefore, whoever
performs Devaradhana/worship of deities, charities to twice-born, performs austerities
and pious deeds in these sacred shrines would remove all their sins.”
