03.087
Dhaumya said.
Indeed, in the western direction in the Avanti region, I will tell you of the holy and meritorious shrines that are found there. (03-87-1)
O Bhārata, there is the holy river Narmada, which flows westward, adorned with Vetiver groves and endowed with Priyangu and mango groves. (03-87-2)
A certain auspicious abode is renowned, where Kubera, the lord of wealth and the son of the sage Viśravas, who rides men as his vehicle, was born. (03-87-3)
There is an auspicious and holy excellent mountain named Vaiḍūryaśikhara, with a summit of beryl. There grow trees with divine flowers and fruits, their foliage bright green. (03-87-4)
O King, on the summit of that mountain there is a lake abounding in blooming lotuses, attended by the devas and gandharvas. (03-87-5)
O great king, many wonders are seen there on that mountain, which is holy, heavenly in appearance, divine, and always attended by divine sages. (03-87-6)
There, O conqueror of enemy cities, is the sacred lake, the holy ford, and the river of the royal sage—the sacred Viśvāmitra river, lying beyond. (03-87-7)
On the bank where, among the virtuous, Yayati, the son of Nahusha, fell, he again obtained the eternal virtues of the worlds. (03-87-8)
There, O dear, is a sacred lake, and also the mountain called Mainaka; and O hero, there is a mountain named Asita, rich in roots and fruits. (03-87-9)
O Yudhiṣṭhira, the hermitage of Kakṣasena is holy there; and the hermitage of Cyavana too is renowned everywhere, O Pāṇḍava. There, O mighty one, people attain success with little ascetic effort. (03-87-10)
O great king, Jambū Path is the most excellent hermitage of the purified-souled seers, tranquil and abundantly populated by groups of beasts and birds. (03-87-11)
Then, O king, the most sacred regions always frequented by ascetics—Ketumalā, Medhyā, the Ganga forest, and, O ruler of the earth, the renowned holy Sindhu forest frequented by Brahmins. (03-87-12)
O Bhārata, the lake of the Grandfather, called the holy Puṣkara, is dear as a hermitage to the Vaikhānasa sages, siddhas, and Ṛṣis. (03-87-13)
O best of Kurus, even here, for the sake of praise, the lord of creatures then sang among the Puṣkaras the song of the virtuous. (03-87-14)
Even by merely wishing in the mind, the high-minded person’s sins are destroyed at the sacred ponds, and he rejoices in heaven. (03-87-15)
