Adhyaya 161: The Efficacy of the Sacred Forests: The Merit of Pilgrimage to Mathurā’s Twelve Groves

Verse 1

अथ देववनप्रभावः ॥ धरण्युवाच ॥ ये धर्मविमुखा मूढाः सर्वज्ञानविवर्जिताः ॥ का गतिः कृष्ण तेषां हि विहिता नरके सुरैः

Now (follows) the account of the power of Devavana. The Earth said: “Those who turn away from dharma—deluded and bereft of all knowledge—what destiny, O Kṛṣṇa, have the gods assigned for them in hell?”

Verse 2

अभुक्त्वा नारकं दुःखं सुकृतैः पुण्यदैर्नृणाम् ॥ प्रयान्ति कर्मणा येन तमुपायं ब्रवीहि मे

“Without undergoing the suffering of hell, by the meritorious deeds of human beings that bestow puṇya—by what action do they proceed beyond that suffering? Tell me that means.”

Verse 3

श्रीवराह उवाच ॥ सर्वधर्मविहीनानां पुरुषाणां दुरात्मनाम् ॥ नरकार्त्तिहरादेवी मथुरा पापघातिनी ॥

Śrī Varāha said: For men bereft of all dharma and of wicked disposition, the Goddess Mathurā removes the afflictions of hell and destroys sin.

Verse 4

मथुरावासिनो ये च तीर्थानां चोपसेवकाः ॥ वनानां दर्शको वाथ मथुराक्रमकोऽपि वा ॥

Those who dwell in Mathurā, and those who attend upon the sacred tīrthas; likewise one who merely beholds the forests, or even one who sets foot in Mathurā—

Verse 5

एषां मध्ये कृतं यैश्च एकं च शतमोजसा ॥ न ते नरकभोक्तारः स्वर्गभाजो भवन्ति ते ॥

And among these, those who perform this observance with vigor—whether once or a hundred times—do not become experiencers of hell; they become partakers of heaven.

Verse 6

आदौ मधुवनं नाम द्वितीयं तालमेव च ॥ वनं कुन्दवनं चैव तृतीयं वनमुत्तमम् ॥

First is the forest called Madhuvana; the second is Tālavana. The third, indeed, is the excellent forest named Kundavana.

Verse 7

चतुर्थं काम्यकवनं वनानां वनमुत्तमम् ॥ पञ्चमं वै बहुवनं षष्ठं भद्रवनं स्मृतम् ॥

The fourth is Kāmyakavana, an excellent forest among forests. The fifth is Bahuvana; the sixth is remembered as Bhadravana.

Verse 8

सप्तमं तु वनं भूमे खादिरं लोकविश्रुतम् ॥ महावनं चाष्टमं तु सदैव च मम प्रियम् ॥

The seventh forest, O Earth, is Khādira, renowned in the world. The eighth is Mahāvana, ever dear to me.

Verse 9

लोहर्गलवनं नाम नवमं पातकापहम् ॥ वनं बिल्ववनं नाम दशमं देवपूजितम् ॥

The ninth is called Lohargalavana, a remover of transgression. The tenth is the forest called Bilvavana, honored in divine worship.

Verse 10

यथाक्रमेण ये यात्रां वनानां च जितेन्द्रियाः ॥ करिष्यन्ति वरारोहे इन्द्रलोकं व्रजन्ति ते ॥

Those who, self-restrained, will undertake the pilgrimage of the forests in due sequence, O fair-hipped one, they go to Indra’s world.

Verse 11

एकादशं तु भाण्डीरं द्वादशं वृन्दका वनम् ॥ एतानि ये प्रपश्यन्ति न ते नरकभोगिनः ॥

The eleventh is Bhāṇḍīra; the twelfth is Vṛndakā forest. Those who behold these are not experiencers of hell.