The sage Nārada, in his instruction on the pursuit of spiritual perfection to the sons of Pāṇḍu, expounded in detail the sanctity of the sacred waters and holy shrines spread over the earth. Among these, he said, there is a revered place known as Gaṅgādvāra, where the celestial and the terrestrial worlds seem to meet, ever thronged by sages of luminous wisdom and honoured by men of virtue. A single bath in that sacred stream equals the merit of a hundred crore pilgrimages. At the confluence of the seven streams of Ganga, at the union of the Ganga, Yamuna, and Sarasvati, at places called Surakarta and Kingsvale, he declared, holy bathing ensures entry into the divine realms.
For the accomplishment of every righteous desire, he taught, one must take holy baths and worship Rudra at Bhadrakārṇeśvara. Beneath the shade of the sacred banyan planted by Arundhatī—known as Arundhatīvata—the pilgrim finds the birthplaces of Sindhu and Yamunā. Visits to the sanctified lands of Vedikā, Ṛṣikulya, Kṛttikā, Māgha, Vidyā, and Vethasikā cleanse the soul of all impurity. The waters of Brahma Tīrtha, if one bathes and fasts there, lead directly to Satyaloka. O Dharmarāja, just beholding the forest of Naimiṣa destroys sin; to dwell there for a month in righteousness grants unending virtue, and a single day of pure fasting there bestows the merit of many pilgrimages and holy baths.
He told of Gaṅgodbhēda, the sacred source of Gaṅgā, and Indīvara Tīrtha, where Gaṅgā descended from heaven to earth at the place now called Haridvāra. Bathing in these rivers equals the merit of performing the Vājapeya sacrifice. At Saryū, where Śrī Rāma ascended to heaven, or at the Gopradasa Tīrtha, holy baths confer blessings equal to those earned by great austerities. In Gomati, the ritual bath equals the fruit of an Aśvamedha; in Bahudā, one gains the reward of long sacrifice; and in Diśāpati Tīrtha, the merit of Vājapeya. Worshipping Kārttikeya at Koti Tīrtha or Śiva in Kāśī, or bathing in Kapila Hrada, yields the virtue of Rājasūya.
The sacred confluence of Gaṅgā and Gomati, sanctified by sage Mārkaṇḍeya and by the sacrificial post of Brahmā, bestows again the reward of Vājapeya. Nārada proclaimed that men and ancestors alike await a son who would visit Gayā, offer oblations, and gift a white bull, acts equal in merit to an Aśvamedha. A month’s stay in Gayā and offerings to both paternal and maternal lineages release generations from impurity, leading them to higher worlds. Bathing in the Phālguna Tīrtha ensures felicity in this life, while drinking of Yakṣiṇī Tīrtha purifies both body and mind.
The waters of Mani Nāga guard against the venom of serpents; the Ahalyā Hrada in the grove of Gautama, or the Udāpāna Kṣetra, yield the merit of Aśvamedha. Janaka’s well leads the pilgrim toward Vaikuṇṭha. The streams of Kampanā and Mahānadi bring the fruits of the Puṇḍarīka sacrifice, and Devapuṣkaraṇi, Maheśvaradhāra, and Maheśvara Pāda each hold the power of Aśvamedha within their sacred depths. Once, he said, a demon in the form of a tortoise stole Koti Tīrtha, but Viṣṇu recovered it and sanctified it anew at Maheśvara Pāda. Bathing there, in the well-known as the vessel of the four oceans, is said to open the gates of Vaikuṇṭha.
In the forest of Campaka lies Bharata’s hermitage; worship of Śiva and Pārvatī there leads to the realm of Mitra and Varuṇa. Giving a maiden in marriage at the holy place of Kanyāsamvedya earns boundless merit. The waters of Devakūṭa lead to Satyaloka. Where Viśvāmitra attained the rank of Brahmarṣi, at Kausika Hrada, bathing and dwelling for a month in Kumāra Vīrāśrama grants the fruit of Aśvamedha. In Agnidhāra Tīrtha, the current born from Brahma Saras—the Kumāradhārā—purifies one who fasts three nights, dissolving the stains of fate. Bathing at Urvaśī Tīrtha makes one fit for divine worship; in Gokarṇa, one remembers former births.
Bathing at Sarasvatī and Vṛṣabha Tīrthas and worshipping Kārttikeya grants ascent to higher worlds. The union of Nandā, Oulakā, and Karatoyā with the ocean yields the merit of a hundred Aśvamedhas. The sources of Sona and Narmadā, and the Tīrtha of Badarī, bless with longevity. The waters of Mahendra, Rāmateertha, Mātaṅga, Kedāra, and Vaṁśagulma are said to yield Aśvamedha’s fruit. Of all holy places, Śrīśaila is supreme; a bath in Deva Hrada and worship of Lord Śiva there fulfills every desire and cleanses all sin.
In ancient days, Indra performed a hundred sacrifices on the banks of the Kṛṣṇaveṇī; a bath there absolves the soul of every impurity. The mountain of the Pāṇḍyas at the Kaverī, the Tunga-Bhadrā, and the southern sea at Kanyakumārī—all yield the fruit of Aśvamedha. Three nights’ chanting of the Gāyatrī in her own sacred kṣetra frees the soul from rebirth. The holy waters of Penna sharpen intellect and awaken knowledge; bathing in Godāvarī grants the merit of ten Aśvamedhas.
The Payoshnī, Dandaka Forest, and the ashrams of Śarabhaṅga, Śukra, and Sūrpāraka—once visited by Jamadagni—along with the sevenfold Godāvarī at Dakṣārāma, are portals to higher worlds. At Tuṅgāraṇya, where Aṅgiras taught the Vedas to Sarasvata and Bhṛgu performed sacrifice, all stains of birth are cleansed. Bathing in Deva Hrada on Mount Kalājara brings fulfillment and clarity of intellect. Mandākinī’s waters, worship of Kārttikeya at Pitṛsthāna, and the Ganga near Śṛṅgiberapura, once sanctified by Rāma’s presence, absolve all sin.
The sages hold that it is better to dwell in Prayāga performing austerities than to conduct a hundred sacrifices, for there stands Brahmā’s own altar of fire, where the Vedas took form and all tīrthas draw their sanctity. Pulastya has declared that sixty crores and ten thousand holy places derive their divine power from this kṣetra unceasingly. Whoever bathes there attains the merit of Rājasūya and Aśvamedha, and the blessed state of truth and wisdom. Those who read or hear of these sacred places with devotion receive the virtue of bathing in all of them. Yet not all are fit for such a pilgrimage—those who are impure, irreverent, or unrighteous cannot partake of this sanctity.
Nārada, beholding Dharmarāja radiant with noble qualities and wisdom, exhorted him to undertake the pilgrimage, saying, “O King, may your desires be fulfilled. The greatness of these sacred places, as once told by Pulastya to Bhishma, I have repeated to you. Set forth and pursue this sacred journey.” Thus, like Puru, Purūrava, Bhagīratha, and Rāma of old, Dharmarāja was urged to uphold his dharma and protect the earth.
Nārada then foretold, “A divine sage named Romasa will come to you. Guided by his counsel and by your priest Dhaumya, you shall undertake a journey of self-realization.” When Nārada departed to his heavenly abode, Dharmarāja spoke to Dhaumya, “Arjuna, beloved of us all, has gone in search of celestial weapons. Without him, this Kāmyaka forest brings us no joy. We await him as the pied cuckoo waits for the rain-cloud. He will not return until his quest is fulfilled. Until then, let us go on pilgrimage.” Dhaumya approved his words and expounded once more the sanctity of holy baths, fasts, and sacred shrines. Thus Nārada, having prepared the path, departed; and fortune turned ever toward Dharmarāja, for righteousness governs the course of destiny, and every event bears within it the hidden cause of universal welfare. The teaching of Nārada became not only the blessing of the Pāṇḍavas but a guiding light to all souls aspiring toward the eternal path.
