Chapter 89 - Vañjarāsaṅgama and other Holy Centres

Brahmā said:

1. The holy centre named Vañjarāsaṅgama is well known throughout the three worlds. It is always frequented by sages, Siddhas and royal sages.

2. Formerly, the bird Garuḍa had become a slave to the serpents. Due to the slavery of his mother his mind was extremely distressed and he felt miserable. Once he found himself in a secluded spot and thought thus heaving sighs of grief.

Garuḍa said:

3-4. Only they are blessed in this world, only they are the meritorious persons, who are free from servility to others and miseries.

They are happy, they sing and sleep and laugh. They are blessed ones, lords of their own bodies. Fie, fie upon those who remain under the control of others!

Brahmā said:

5. After being worried by these thoughts the miserable Garuḍa approached his mother. Vainateya of unmeasured soul asked his mother,

Garuḍa said:

6. O mother, by whose fault have you obtained the state of a slave? Is it that of the father, that of mine or of anyone else? Tell me the reason even as I ask you.

Brahmā said:

7-10. She^[1] spoke to her own beloved son, Aruṇa’s younger brother.

Vinatā said:

It is not anyone else’s fault. It is my own fault. It was said by me—“She whose word is proved false shall become the slave of the other.”

Kadrū and I (argued). She went (there) along with me. My dispute was with Kadrū; I was defeated by her deceitfully.

Dear boy, fate is all-powerful. What acts does it not do? It was thus that I became the slave of Kadrū. When I became a slave you too became a slave, O son of a brahmin.

Brahmā said:

11. Then Garuḍa remained silent because he was extremely distressed. He did not say anything to his mother. He began to think of the inevitability of events.

12. Desiring the welfare of her own sons and her own prosperity Kadrū once said to Vinatā, the mother of birds:

Kadrū said:

13. Your son goes to bow down to the sun without being obstructed. Oh, even though you are a slave you are highly blessed in the three worlds.

Brahmā said:

14-17. She was extremely surprised and concealing her sorrow, she said to Kadrū:

Vinatā said:

Why don’t your sons go to see the Sun-god?

Kadrū said:

O excessively fortunate lady, take my sons to the Nāgaland. That cool lake is near the sea.

Brahmā said:

Suparṇa (Garuḍa) carried serpents and Vinatā carried Kadrū. Thereupon she was delighted and spoke to the mother of Vainateya:

18. “Let Garuḍa take my sons to the abode of Devas.” The mother of serpents then spoke to Garuḍa who was endowed with humility.

The mother of serpents said:

19. My sons wish to see Haṃsa (the Sun-god here), the preceptor of the the three worlds. After bowing down to the Sun they will come back to my abode. O Vinatā, take my sons to the solar zone everyday.

Brahmā said:

20-21. Trembling and distressed, Vinatā said thus to Kadrū.

Vinatā said:

O mother of serpents, I am not capable of it. My son will carry your sons (there). After seeing the Sun-god let them return.

Brahmā said:

22-24. Vinatā said to her son, the lord of birds: “The mother of serpents has emphatically told me that the serpents that have attained overlordship wish to see the Sun-god.”

After saying “So be it” Garuḍa said, “Let the serpents mount me.”

Thereupon the host of serpents rode on Garuḍa, the lord of birds, and slowly approached the spot where the Sun was. Being scorched by the fierce heat of the sun they became distressed.

The Serpents said:

25. Return, O highly intelligent one. Obeisance to the Sun. Enough of our desire to go to the abode of the Sun. We are burned by the splendour of the Sun, O Garuḍa: We shall go along with you or leave you alone.

Brahmā said:

26. On being requested thus by the serpents Garuḍa said: “I shall show Sun-god to you all.” After saying thus he hastened through the sky towards the Sun.

27. Hundreds and thousands of those serpents fell down on the island Vīrana with their bodies burned. They were afflicted and their bodies were scorched.

28. On hearing the cry of anguish of her sons who fell down on the surface of Earth, the extremely excited Kadrū came there to console them.

Kadrū said to Vinatā:

29-32. Your son has committed a grave misdeed. He is extremely evil-minded. There is no means of calming it down. The lord of serpents does not come to alter the words of the master (?). If Kaśyapa of great brilliance had been here we would have been free from ailments. As it is, O beautiful lady, how can there be peace for my sons?

On hearing those words of Kadrū, Vinatā became terrified. She said to her noble-souled son, Garuḍa, the lord of birds.

Vinatā said:

33-35. This is not befitting you, O son. This is not proper. It is said (by elders) that it is proper to behave humbly. Otherwise it is not proper. Treachery should never be committed by good men even with regard to enemies. The moon shines impartially over the learned brahmin as well as the basest born.

My son, only those base men who are incapable of doing anything directly and forcibly, cause harm to others by fraudulent means.

Brahmā said:

36-37. Then Vinatā asked the mother of serpents as to how the remedy should be effected.

Vinatā said:

How can peace return to your sons? I shall do what should be done for the same. They are seized by old age. Tell me the means of calming it down. I shall do so.

Brahmā said:

38. Kadrū said to Vinatā—“There is water (Gaṅgā) in the nether worlds. If my sons are sprinkled with it they will have peace.”

39. On hearing those words of Kadrū, Garuḍa brought water from the nether worlds in a moment and sprinkled it on the serpents. Then Garuḍa spoke to lord Indra who had performed a hundred sacrifices.

Garuḍa said:

40-42. Let clouds shower here. They are the helpers of three worlds.

Brahmā said:

Accordingly the clouds showered and the serpents became happy. The Gangetic water was brought by Garuḍa from nether worlds. It revived the serpents. It had been brought by Garuḍa for removing sorrow due to old age. Where the serpents had been showered with it, is the land of Nāgas.

43. The place from where the water was brought by Garuḍa is nether worlds. That water of Gaṅgā is the destroyer of all sins of the people.

44. Because it prevented old age, the serpents became happy. The water from the nether worlds revived the serpents because it was (the water) of Gaṅgā.

45. For destroying the grief of old age it became the river Vañjarā that had Amṛta directly flowing along with it on the southern bank of Gaṅgā.

46-49. It dispels old age, poverty and mental distress. It prevents physical pain.

If there is a confluence of Gaṅgā of the nether worlds with that of the mortal world, how can it be (adequately) described? Merely by remembering it all sins disappear. Who is competent to recount the benefit accruing from the holy plunge and charitable gifts performed there? Learned men say that there are one hundred and twenty five thousand holy centres there. They bestow all riches, they dispel all sins. There is no holy centre anywhere else equal to Vañjarā Saṅgama. Merely by remembering it all adversities are destroyed.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Kadrū and Vinatā, two of several daughters of Dakṣa, all married to Kaśyapa, gave birth to serpents and Aruṇa and Garuḍa respectively. Aruṇa became the charioteer of Sun-god and Garuḍa became the vehicle of Lord Viṣṇu.