brahma

 

Essence Of
Brahma Purana

 

17    Quick Review of Bharata Varsha’s Prominent Tirthas

Lord Brahma asserted that Purushottama Tirtha was indeed the best rated among all the Tirthas in Bharata Varsha where a human being ought to stay for a year or a month or atleast visit once in a life time and imbibe as much of Brahma Vidya as possible to perform Puja, Japa, Homa, Daana and Tapasya in favour of Yogeswara Shri Hari and most certainly avoid further involvement of the vicious circle of life-death-and life again! The Munis at Nimisha expressed gratitude for the narration of the Mahatmya of this Tirtha Raja and desired however about the other significant Tirthas on Bharata Varsha, keeping in view the obvious limitations of movement from various other regions of the Trilokas. Thus Brahma outlined some of the other significant Tirthas in the Karma Bhumi of Bharata.Within Himalayas and Vindhyas there were twelve Deva Sambhava Nadis/ Rivers materialised by Devas of utmost importance which were closely associated with Brahma-Vishnu-Maheswaras-six of them from Himalayas to Vindhyas viz. Bhagirathi, Narmada, Yamuna, Saraswati, Vishoka and Vitasta and six more from Vindhyaparvata to Dakshina Samudra viz. Godavari, Bhimarathi, Tungabhadra, Krishnaveni, Tapi and Payoshni. Of these Asura-Sambandha Nadis viz. Gayasura, Kollasura, Vrittha, Tripura, Andhaka, Hayamurtha, Lavanasura, Namuchi, Shrinka, Yama, Patalaketu, Maya, and Pushkarasura.Then there were Rishi-Sambhava Nadis viz. Prabhasa, Bhargava, Agasti, Nara Narayana, Vasishta, Bharadwaja, Goutama and Kashyapa. These Tirthas apart, there also were Illustrious Manushya Sambhava Nadis in the memory of Ambarisha, Harischandra, Maandhata, Kuru, Kankhala, Bhadraashwa, Sagara, Ashwayupa, Nachiketa, Vrishaakapi, and Arindama. Countless other Rivers, Sarovaras and Tirthas dotted the length and breadth of Bharata Varsha but Brahma Deva mentioned the more popular ones. Following was a concised version of the more significant ones highlighted by Brahma:

 

Mahadaitya Bali was the invincible enemy of Devatas who were dislodged out of Swarga but significantly enough was full of Dharma, Guru Bhakti, Satya /Truthful, Tyagaseela and Satparipalaka, but above all the Parama Bhakta of Bhagavan Vishnu! The fugitive Devas approached Bhagavan Vishnu for a solution. Vishnu Deva stated that no force in the Lokas could ever possibly subdue King Bali but he would assume soon an Incarnation of Vamana Deva / a midget and win him over with Satyavachana, Dharma and steadfast Vishnu Bhakti. At an Yagna being conducted by him, King Bali granted the ‘smallest’ and ‘innocuous’ wish to Vamanadeva of charity of a ‘mere’ three feet of place for Tapasya as he was not fond of riches, or anything else. Despite the silent protest of Daitya Guru Shukraachaarya that the Vamana was a fake Brahmachari and was actually Lord Vishnu Himself, Bali Chakravarti who was indeed aware of it and most willingly performed the charity by Jala-Sankalpa or the proposal signifying the Daana as Vamana Deva expanded his physique and occupied the entire Universe with two of his feet and having materialized the third foot pushed the King and his consort to Rasatala to be contented to rule the Sub-terrain Sapta Lokas. The Mantrayukta Sankalpa Jala fell on the feet of Vishnu where Meru Parvata was situated and got distributed in four directions on Bhumi; the southward sprinkle fell on Bhagavan Shankara’s head stored in his Jataajuta or his twisted hair, the westward sprinkle fell in Vamana Deva’s Kamandulu, the Upward sprinkle was accepted by Vishnu and the East-bound scattering reached Devatas, Pitras and Lokapalakas!



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