Adhyaya 166: The Greatness of the Sacred Pond Called Asikuṇḍa

Verse 1

धरण्युवाच ॥ श्रुतानि तु महादेव तीर्थानि विविधानि तु ॥ असिकुण्डेति संज्ञेयं तन्मे त्वं कथय प्रभो

The Earth said: “O Mahādeva, I have heard of various sacred fords (tīrthas). Please tell me, O Lord, about that which is known by the name Asikuṇḍa.”

Verse 2

श्रीवराह उवाच ॥ सुमतिर्नाम राजासीद्धार्मिको लोकविश्रुतः ॥ तीर्थयात्रानिमित्तेन स्वर्गलोकं गतः पुरा ॥

Śrī Varāha said: “Once there was a king named Sumati, righteous and renowned among the people. Formerly, on the occasion of a pilgrimage to the tīrthas (sacred fords), he went to the heavenly world.”

Verse 3

गते स्वर्गं तु नृपतौ पुत्रो राज्यं चकार ह ॥ विमतिर्नाम नाम्ना च राज्ये पैतामहे स्थितः ॥

“When the king had gone to heaven, his son assumed the kingdom. He was named Vimati, and he remained established in the ancestral, forefathers’ line of rule.”

Verse 4

राज्यं च कुर्वतस्तस्य आगतो नारदस्तदा ॥ विष्टरं पाद्यमर्घ्यं च तस्मै दत्तं यथोचितम् ॥

“While he was administering the kingdom, Nārada arrived there. A seat, water for washing the feet, and an honor-offering were given to him, as was proper.”

Verse 5

प्रतिगृह्य च तत्सर्वं तमुवाच स नारदः ॥ पितुर्ह्यनृणतां गत्वा स पुत्रो धर्मभाग्भवेत् ॥

“Having accepted all of that, Nārada said to him: ‘Only after attaining freedom from obligation—one’s debt—toward one’s father does a son become a rightful participant in dharma.’”

Verse 6

इत्युक्त्वा नारदस्तत्र तत्रैवान्तरधीयत ॥ नारदे तु गते राजा पप्रच्छ स्वात्ममन्त्रिणः ॥

“Having said this, Nārada vanished right there. When Nārada had departed, the king questioned his own ministers.”

Verse 7

तदा किमुक्तमृषिणा नारदेन पितुः कृते ॥ आनृण्यमिति यद्वाक्यं मया बुद्धं न किञ्चन ॥

“What, then, did the sage Nārada say concerning my father? As for the word ‘ānṛṇya’—freedom from debt and obligation—I have understood nothing.”

Verse 8

मन्त्रिणश्च ततो ज्ञात्वा पितुर्मरणमेव च ॥ तीर्थयात्रानिमित्तं च तस्मै राज्ञे न्यवेदयन् ॥

Then the ministers, having learned of the father’s death and also the occasion for the pilgrimage, reported it to the king.

Verse 9

अतएवोक्तमानृण्यं नारदेन पितुस्तव ॥ श्रुत्वा वाक्यं तदा राजा तीर्थयात्रां चकार ह ॥

“For this very reason Nārada spoke of ānṛṇya with regard to your father.” Hearing this statement, the king then undertook a pilgrimage.

Verse 10

सर्वाणि तत्र तीर्थानि तिष्ठन्ति विविधानि च ॥ आगते तु नृपे तत्र तीर्थान्यूचुः परस्परम् ॥

All the tīrthas were present there, varied in kind. And when the king arrived, the tīrthas spoke among themselves.

Verse 11

युद्धं विमतिना सार्द्धं स्वयं कर्त्तुं न शक्नुमः ॥ कल्पग्रामं तु गच्छामो वराहो यत्र तिष्ठति ॥

“We are not able to wage battle with Vimati by ourselves. Let us go instead to Kalpagrāma, where Varāha resides.”

Verse 12

यावन्निरीक्षयाम्यग्रं तावत्तिष्ठन्ति सन्निधौ ॥ तीर्थान्यूचुः ॥ जय विष्णो जयाचिन्त्य जय देव जयाच्युत ।

“So long as I behold the foremost manifestation, they remain present nearby.” The tīrthas (sacred fords) said: “Victory to Viṣṇu; victory to the Unthinkable; victory, O God; victory to Acyuta, the Unfailing.”

Verse 13

जय विश्वेश कर्त्तेश जय देव नमोऽस्तु ते ॥ श्रीवराह उवाच ॥ तीर्थैः स्तुतोऽहं वसुधे वचनं चेदमब्रुवम् ।

“Victory to the Lord of the universe, Lord of action; victory, O God—homage be to you.” Śrī Varāha said: “Thus praised by the tīrthas, O Vasudhā (Earth), I spoke these words.”

Verse 14

वरं वृणुत भद्रं वो यद्वो मनसि वर्त्तते ॥ तीर्थान्यूचुः ॥ वराह यदि देवेश अभयं दातुमर्हसि ।

“Choose a boon—may it be well for you—whatever abides in your mind.” The tīrthas said: “O Varāha, if, O Lord of the gods, you deem it fitting to grant fearlessness (protection)….”

Verse 15

सुपापिना विमतिना कृतस्त्रासः सुदारुणः ॥ तं नियच्छस्व पापिष्ठं यदि पश्यसि नः सुखम् ।

“A great sinner, of perverse understanding, has wrought a most dreadful terror. Restrain that most wicked one, if you wish to see our well-being.”

Verse 16

श्रीवराह उवाच ॥ हिताय सर्वतीर्थानां हनिष्यामि महारिपुम् ॥ तत्र तीर्थनियोगेन आगतो मथुरां पुरीम् ।

Śrī Varāha said: “For the benefit of all the tīrthas I shall slay the great enemy. There, by the commission of the tīrthas, I came to the city of Mathurā.”

Verse 17

तत्रागते तु वसुधे युद्धं कृत्वा तु तेन वै ॥ तदासिना तु दिव्येन स राजा बलदर्पितः ॥ सूदितो हि मया देवि अस्यग्रं निहितं भुवि ।

When I arrived there, O Vasudhā, and fought with him, that king—swollen with pride of strength—was slain by me with that divine sword. O Goddess, his foremost part (his head) was placed upon the earth.

Verse 18

तत्राश्चर्यं प्रवक्ष्यामि मनःकर्णसुखावहम् ॥ पश्यन्ति मनुजाः सिद्धाः सर्वपापविवर्जिताः ।

There I shall describe a marvel, bringing delight to mind and ear. Perfected persons (siddhas)—humans free from all sin—behold its results.

Verse 19

द्वादश्यां च चतुर्दश्यां श्रद्धधानाः जितेन्द्रियाः ॥ फलानि तस्य पश्यन्ति लभन्ते न सुनिश्चिताः ।

On the twelfth and on the fourteenth lunar day, those who are faithful and self-controlled behold its fruits; they obtain them—indeed, with certainty.

Verse 20

तस्मिन्काले ह्यहं देवि मथुरायां समागतः ॥ तत्र तिष्ठाम्यहं भद्रे पश्चिमां दिशमाश्रितः ।

At that time, O Goddess, I came to Mathurā. There, O gracious one, I remain, having taken the western direction as my abode.

Verse 21

तत्र कृत्वा च हैरण्याः मूर्त्तयश्च चतुर्विधाः ॥ तीर्थे वराहसंज्ञे तु मथुरायां व्यवस्थिताः ।

There, having fashioned golden images of four kinds, they were established in Mathurā, at the sacred ford (tīrtha) named “Varāha”.

Verse 22

सुदृढाः सुदृशः सुभ्रू यः पश्यति स मुच्यते ॥ एका वराहसंज्ञा च तथा नारायणस्य च ॥

O fair-browed one, whoever beholds these firm and auspicious forms is released; one image is named “Varāha,” and likewise one is of Nārāyaṇa.

Verse 23

वामनस्य तृतीया वै चतुर्थी राघवस्य च ॥ एताश्चतस्रो यः पश्येत्स्नात्वा कुण्डेऽसिसंज्ञिते ॥

The third is indeed of Vāmana, and the fourth is of Rāghava; whoever, after bathing in the pond called “Asi,” beholds these four (forms) …

Verse 24

चतुःसागरपर्यन्ता क्रान्ता तेन धरा ध्रुवम् ॥ तीर्थानां माठुराणां च सर्वेषां फलमश्नुते ॥

Surely, by that act the Earth bounded by the four oceans is as though traversed; and one obtains the fruit of all the Mathurā tīrthas.

Verse 25

तत्र सर्वेषु तीर्थेषु असिकुण्डं महत्तरम् ॥ या संख्या कथिता पूर्वं तीर्थानां दक्षिणोत्तरे ॥

Among all those pilgrimage-sites, Asikuṇḍa is the greatest. The enumeration previously stated of the tīrthas to the south and to the north …

Verse 26

असिकुण्डं समारभ्य तीर्थानुक्रमणिका वरा ॥ सुप्तोत्थितोऽपि द्वादश्यामसिकुण्डाप्लुतो नरः ॥

Beginning with Asikuṇḍa is the excellent sequential register of tīrthas. Even a man who rises from sleep, if immersed in Asikuṇḍa on the twelfth lunar day (dvādaśī) …

Verse 27

गतानि तत्र तीर्थानि कल्पग्रामं वसुन्धरे ॥ तत्र वाराहरूपेण स्थितोऽहं च यदृच्छया ॥

O Vasundharā, the tīrthas there have gone to Kalpagrāma. And there, by chance, I too remained present in the form of Varāha.

Verse 28

विमतेर्बुद्धिरुत्पन्ना गच्छामो मथुरां पुरीम् ॥ चतुरो वार्षिकान्मासान्मथुरायां वसामहे ॥

A resolve arose in Vimati: “Let us go to the city of Mathurā; let us dwell in Mathurā for four months of the rainy season.”

Verse 29

असेरग्रेण तूद्धृत्य मृत्तिकां वरवर्णिनि ॥ तत्र कुण्डं महद्दिव्यं देवर्षिविधिनिर्मितम् ॥ असिकुण्डेति संज्ञा च प्राप्ता तेन वसुन्धरे ॥

O fair-complexioned one, having lifted up earth with the tip of a sword, there a great and wondrous pond was made according to the ordinance of divine seers; thus it obtained the designation “Asikuṇḍa,” O Vasundharā.

Verse 30

मूर्त्तीः पश्यति यस्तास्तु ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते ॥ नास्तीह पुनरावृत्तिर्भवेत्कालविपर्यये ॥

But whoever beholds those images becomes fit for brahma-state (brahmabhūya). Here there is no return (rebirth), even when time undergoes reversal.