09.048
Library: Significance of the auspicious pilgrimage site known as Rāmatīrtha.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaishampayana said:
indratīrthaṃ tato gatvā yadūnāṃ pravaro balī। viprebhyo dhanaratnāni dadau snātvā yathāvidhi ॥9-48-1॥
Bali, the chief of the Yadus, went to the sacred place of Indra and, after bathing according to the prescribed rules, gave wealth and jewels to the Brahmins.
tatra hy amararājo'sāv īje kratuśatena ha। bṛhaspateś ca deveśaḥ pradadau vipulaṃ dhanam ॥9-48-2॥
There, indeed, the king of the gods performed a hundred sacrifices. And the lord of the gods, Bṛhaspati, bestowed abundant wealth.
nirargalānsajāroothyānsarvānvividhadakṣiṇān। ājahāra kratūṃstatra yathoktānvedapāragaiḥ ॥9-48-3॥
He conducted all the rituals there smoothly, with chariots, horses, and various offerings, following the prescriptions of the Vedic scholars.
tānkratūnbharataśreṣṭha śatakṛtvo mahādyutiḥ। pūrayāmāsa vidhivattataḥ khyātaḥ śatakratuḥ ॥9-48-4॥
O best of the Bharatas, the greatly effulgent one fulfilled those sacrifices a hundred times properly; hence, he is known as Śatakratu.
tasya nāmnā ca tattīrthaṃ śivaṃ puṇyaṃ sanātanam। indratīrthamiti khyātaṃ sarvapāpapramocanam ॥9-48-5॥
By his name, that holy place is auspicious, sacred, and eternal. It is known as Indra's holy place, which is famous for removing all sins.
upaspṛśya ca tatrāpi vidhivanmusalāyudhaḥ। brāhmaṇānpūjayitvā ca pānācchādanabhojanaiḥ ॥ śubhaṃ tīrthavaraṃ tasmādrāmatīrthaṃ jagāma ha ॥9-48-6॥
Musalāyudha, after performing the rituals properly and honoring the Brahmins with offerings of drinks, clothes, and food, proceeded to the auspicious pilgrimage site known as Rāmatīrtha.
yatra rāmo mahābhāgo bhārgavaḥ sumahātapāḥ। asakṛtpṛthivīṃ sarvāṃ hatakṣatriyapuṅgavām ॥9-48-7॥
In the place where Rama, the illustrious descendant of Bhrigu, known for his great penance, repeatedly annihilated all the warrior leaders on earth.
upādhyāyaṃ puraskṛtya kaśyapaṃ munisattamam। ayajadvājapeyena so'śvamedhaśatena ca ॥ pradadau dakṣiṇārthaṃ ca pṛthivīṃ vai sasāgarām ॥9-48-8॥
After honoring his teacher Kaśyapa, the eminent sage, he conducted a Vājapeya and a hundred Aśvamedha sacrifices. He then gifted the entire earth, including its oceans.
rāmo dattvā dhanaṃ tatra dvijebhyo janamejaya। upaspṛśya yathānyāyaṃ pūjayitvā tathā dvijān ॥9-48-9॥
Rama, after giving wealth to the Brahmins there, O Janamejaya, purified himself according to the rules and worshipped the Brahmins accordingly.
puṇye tīrthe śubhe deśe vasu dattvā śubhānanaḥ। munīṁścaivābhivādyātha yamunātīrthamāgamat ॥9-48-10॥
In the sacred and auspicious land, after offering wealth and paying respects to the sages, the one with the auspicious face arrived at the Yamuna pilgrimage site.
yatrānayāmāsa tadā rājasūyaṃ mahīpate। putro'ditērmahābhāgō varuṇō vai sitaprabhaḥ ॥9-48-11॥
At the place where the Rājasūya sacrifice was brought, O king, there was Varuṇa, the son of Aditi, who was greatly fortunate and shone with a bright light.
tatra nirjitya saṅgrāme mānuṣāndaivatāṃstathā। varaṃ kratuṃ samājahre varuṇaḥ paravīrahā ॥9-48-12॥
There, after defeating both humans and gods in battle, Varuna, the destroyer of enemy heroes, received the boon of performing a sacrifice.
tasmin kratuvare vṛtte saṅgrāmaḥ samajāyata। devānāṃ dānavānāṃ ca trailokyasya kṣayāvahaḥ ॥9-48-13॥
After the completion of the great sacrifice, a battle ensued that was destructive to both the gods and demons, threatening the three worlds.
rājasūye kratuśreṣṭhe nivṛtte janamejaya। jāyate sumahāghoraḥ saṅgrāmaḥ kṣatriyānprati ॥9-48-14॥
After the completion of the Rājasūya, the greatest of sacrifices, a very dreadful battle arose against the Kshatriyas, O Janamejaya.
sīrāyudhastadā rāmas tasmiṁs tīrthavare tadā। tatra snātvā ca dattvā ca dvijebhyo vasu mādhavaḥ ॥9-48-15॥
Then Sīrāyudha and Rama were in that great pilgrimage place. There, Madhava bathed and gave wealth to the Brahmins.
vanamālī tato hṛṣṭaḥ stūyamāno dvijātibhiḥ। tasmādādityatīrthaṃ ca jagāma kamalekṣaṇaḥ ॥9-48-16॥
The forest-dweller, pleased and praised by the twice-born, then went to the sacred place of the sun, the lotus-eyed one.
yatreṣṭvā bhagavāñjyotirbhāskaro rājasattama। jyotiṣāmādhipatyaṃ ca prabhāvaṃ cābhyapadyata ॥9-48-17॥
Where, O best of kings, having worshipped the blessed sun, he attained the sovereignty and influence over the luminaries.
tasyā nadyāstu tīre vai sarve devāḥ savāsavāḥ। viśvedevāḥ samaruto gandharvāpsarasaśca ha ॥9-48-18॥
On the bank of her river, all the gods including Indra, the universal gods with the Maruts, along with the Gandharvas and Apsaras, were indeed present.
dvaipāyanaḥ śukaścaiva kṛṣṇaśca madhusūdanaḥ। yakṣāśca rākṣasāścaiva piśācāśca viśāṃ pate ॥9-48-19॥
Vyasa, Shuka, Krishna, and Madhusudana, along with the Yakshas, Rakshasas, and Pisachas, O lord of men.
ete cānye ca bahavo yogasiddhāḥ sahasraśaḥ। tasmiṁstīrthe sarasvatyāḥ śive puṇye parantapa ॥9-48-20॥
In that sacred and auspicious place of Sarasvati, thousands of others, perfected in yoga, also reside, O conqueror of enemies.
tatra hatvā purā viṣṇurasurau madhukaiṭabhau। āpluto bharataśreṣṭha tīrthapravara uttame ॥9-48-21॥
In that place, Viṣṇu, after having slain the demons Madhu and Kaiṭabha, was once immersed in the most excellent of holy places, O best of the Bharatas.
dvaipāyanaśca dharmātmā tatraivāplutya bhārata। samprāptaḥ paramaṃ yogaṃ siddhiṃ ca paramāṃ gataḥ ॥9-48-22॥
Vyasa, the righteous soul, after bathing there, O Bharata, achieved the supreme state of union and reached the highest perfection.
asito devalaścaiva tasminneva mahātapāḥ। paramaṃ yogamāsthāya ṛṣiryogamavāptavān ॥9-48-23॥
Asita and Devala, the great ascetics, practiced supreme yoga in that very place, and the sage attained the ultimate state of yoga.
