Adhyaya 156

This adhyāya points out a supremely purifying tīrtha east of Dugdhēśvara, at the confluence of the Candrabhāgā, where Mahādeva (Śiva) abides as Candreśvara. The site’s holiness is traced to Soma’s long austerities and Śukra’s tapas by the river, explaining the liṅga’s name and its preeminence among tīrthas. It enjoins key observances—bathing, drinking the sacred water, daily meditation, and Śiva-pūjā—declaring that they bestow dharma and artha and erase even grievous sins. Special acts such as Rudra-mantra japa, vṛṣotsarga, śrāddha with sesame piṇḍa, and charity are praised; a Kali-yuga tradition speaks of the tīrtha’s concealment yet a visible golden liṅga. Planting a banyan on the bank is said to grant Śiva’s abode for vast cosmic spans.