Chapter 117 - Emergence of Bhaṭṭikātīrtha (Bhaṭṭikā Tīrtha)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

The sages said:

1-3. O Sūtanandana, the lady named Bhaṭṭikā was described by you earlier. How did the fangs of the Nāgas get broken when they came into contact with her body? O Sūtanandana, is it the power of her penance? Is it the power of magic spells? We are highly curious about this. How even in the body of a hūman being got shattered those poisonous fangs of the serpents in particular. Do describe everything.

Sūta said:

4. That Brāhmaṇa lady became a widow even when she was in her father’s house during her childhood. That was a result of her previous Karmas.

5. Even in her childhood, she had the opportunity to listen to the various scriptural texts. She took part in religious pilgrimages. With great mental concentration and purity, she used to take holy bath in Tīrthas.

6. She used to go to the temple of Lord Kedāra with great mental concentration everyday. She used to get up early in the morning and sing devoutly before the deity.

7. Urged by the temptation to listen to her songs Takṣaka and Vāsuki assumed the form of two Brāhmaṇas and came there from Pātāla.

8-10. Her songs were exquisite with the Tānas and Mūrcchanās in the proper order. All the seven notes of the gamut embellished her songs. The Yatis, Gramas and Varṇagrāmas were of different kinds. The four types of musical instruments viz. Tata (stringed ones), Vitata (drums etc.,), Ghana (cymbals etc.), Suṣira (flutes etc.) have their own Tālas (beating of the time), Kālakriyā (the process of timing) etc. The Brāhmaṇa lady was of course not an expert in those different aspects of music. Merely by the purity of the mellifluous voice of her throat, she delighted those two.

11. Getting up early in the morning with avidity (great attraction) for her music, all the citizens of that town eagerly assembled in the Kedāra shrine.

12. Once those two Nāgas forcibly took her to their city even as all the people were watching.

13. They had resumed their serpent form of terrible nature, causing great fright to the people and coiled their bodies around her. They then took her to Pātāla.

14. After taking her to their abode, those two serpents afflicted by lasciviousness said to her: “O lady of large eyes, become our faithful wife. It is for this that you have been brought here to Pātāla from the surface of the earth.”

Bhaṭṭikā said:

15-16. O Takṣaka, I am a quiet woman born of the family of a Brāhmaṇa. I am indifferent to the gaiety of sexual activity. Still you had assumed the form of a Brāhmaṇa and abducted me. You have further touched me with your mind and soul swayed by lust. In view of these things you will become a human being.

17. O wicked one, if you ravish me per force your head will immediately shatter into a hundred pieces.

18. On hearing her terrible curse, he became extremely terrified and bewildered. He stood with palms joined in reverence and tried to pacify her:

19. “I admit that out of delusion you have been brought here by me overcome by passion. So be pleased to bring about the end of the curse.”

Sūta said:

20. Thus the daughter of the Brāhmaṇa was propitiated by that Takṣaka. Then she said to him with her eyes dimmed with tears:

21. “O Takṣaka, if you take me again to the human world I shall undoubtedly bring about an end to the curse there.”

22. In the meantime Takṣaka’s wives^[1] came to know that a human female had come to the abode; in fact she had been brought there by Takṣaka whose mind had been overcome by lust.

23. Overwhelmed with great jealousy, she came there apparently to destroy her. Her eyes were red due to anger.

24. Takṣaka understood her intention very well. Moreover, he was already frightened and he keenly desired the final dissolution of the curse from the lady (Brāhmaṇa).

25. He recollected the magical spell named Vajra and in order to protect her body cast the spell on her body. Presently, the serpent lady too came upon the scene.

26. She took the chaste daughter of the Brāhmaṇa for her co-wife and consequently became highly infuriated. She at once bit her only to get her fangs shattered thereby.

27. On seeing the serpent lady vitiated by jealousy and the feelings of animosity the daughter of the Brāhmaṇa became angry and cursed her also:

28. “I am without any fault. Still you consider me as full of defects. So, O sinful one, be born a human female experiencing misery.”

29. Then Takṣaka, the most excellent one among Nāgas, carried her off and left her at the Kedāra shrine at midnight.

30. Standing there with his palms joined together in reverence, he spoke to that fair lady: “O chaste lady, bring about an end to my curse so that I can go to my abode.”

Bhaṭṭikā said:

31. O serpent, you will become a king named Raivataka in the land of Saurāṣṭra on the earth. You will always enjoy worldly pleasures.

32. Then, by abandoning your body in the holy shrine in the middle of the hermitage in the holy place, you will regain your own original position by the power of the holy spot.

Takṣaka said:

33. Let this beloved wife of mine whom also you have cursed be my wife even during the human life.

34. At least do this favour to this distressed soul of mine earnestly requesting you. Let there be no contact of another male person with her.

Bhaṭṭikā said:

35. She will be born as the splendid daughter of King Ānarta. Then after the marriage, she will become your wife.

36. She will be well-known as Kṣemaṃkarī. She will be equipped with beauty of form and prime of youth. After enjoying many pleasures on the surface of the earth, the splendid lady will follow you to the other world too.

Sūta said:

37. On being told thus by her, he became delighted. After respectfully bowing down to her and saying, “May you be pleased to forgive”, he went to his own abode.

38. Even as a part of the night still remained, she stood before Lord Kedāra and began her songs highly delightful to the ears.

39. Thereafter, many hundreds of Brāhmaṇas endowed with devotion to Kedāra deity came there with a desire to see the deity.

40. On seeing the daughter of the Brāhmaṇa, the lady Bhaṭṭikā who had returned there, they were surprised and they began to question her:

41. “O highly splendid lady, who was this serpent who had come in the form of a Brāhmaṇa? Where were you taken to by him? Why? Do tell us.”

42. Why were you set free again? Do mention everything in the manner it had occurred. A great curiosity has heen generated in us on account of you.

Sūta said:

43. She narrated everything concerning the story of Takṣaka, the curse and the subsequent pacification.

44. In the meantime all the members of her family came there. On hearing that she had returned, their misery increased and they were crying loudly.

45. With her eyes turned turbid, her mother embraced her. Her companions too with affectionate mind closely clasped her.

46. They took her to their abode listening to the narration of the events that happened in Nāgaloka. They were extremely surprised in their minds.

47-49. The citizens of the city met together and said to one another: “An improper act has been committed by this wicked-minded Brāhmaṇa. His youthful daughter who had stayed in the mansion of others has been brought back. Other Brāhmaṇas too here have many women to take care of, who are young, beautiful and unfortunately overtaken by the state of widowhood. This may set a bad precedent unto all of them resulting in promiscuous sexual relationships and mixture of castes. Hence she should be banished.”

50. All those excellent Brāhmaṇas gathered together and spoke to him these words in a gentle manner conforming to scriptural texts:

51-53. “O Brāhmaṇa, this beautiful and youthful daughter of yours was carried off to Pātāla by a lustful Nāga.

Yet on being released by that lustful one she says, ‘I am blemishless and pure’. People do not believe that she can be considered pure.

Hence, O excellent Brāhmaṇa, let her pass through a Divya (ordeal) to prove her purity to leading Brāhmaṇas. In this way, O wise one, the downfall of other young women can be prevented.”

54-55. “So it shall be”, he said and he asked his daughter privately away from the people: “If you have any blemish confess it out. Otherwise undergo the ordeal to satisfy the Brāhmaṇas and demonstrate your purity.”

Bhatṭikā said:

56. Dear father, what is proper has been said by you as well as the other Brāhmaṇas. The purity of a woman can be called into question even on stepping out of the door.

57. All the more so in my case, who had been to an alien land with a lustful person. Hence, I shall take the holy bath in the morning and (enter) fire.

58. By entering fire I shall demonstrate my purity to all the Brāhmaṇas undoubtedly. Food or beverage whatever I have to take in, I shall take in only after getting the clearance through the fire-ordeal.

59. On being told thus by her, he was extremely pleased. Getting up early in the morning, he piled up logs of wood at the outskirts of the city.

60-61. Bhaṭṭikā took her bath and made herself pure. She wore white clothes and was accompanied by members of her family as well as by friends and attendants. With the face beaming with pleasure, she meditated upon Viṣṇu and went to that place where the huge pile of logs was made.

62. Then, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, she set it on fire herself. After circumambulating it three times, she said with palms joined in reverence.

63-64. “If there is an iota of blemish arising from lust in my body forcefully caused by that wicked-minded Takṣaka or by anyone else, or if such a blemish may arise later, let this well-kindled fire burn me quickly.”

65. After saying thus, that chaste lady entered the burning fire as if it were her own mansion. The well-kindled fire turned into cool water.

66. She saw herself moving about in the middle of water. The splendid lady felt the coolness everywhere. A great shower of flowers fell from the sky.

67-72. A messenger of gods seated in an aerial chariot spoke these words: “O highly esteemed one, you are pure due to the chastity of the limbs.

No other woman will ever be equal to you. O highly esteemed one, in all the limbs together in a human body, there are altogether thirty-five million hairs.

Among them, O chaste lady, not a single one is sinful. Hence hasten back to your abode along with your kinsmen.

Do meritorious acts. Propitiate Keśava. This spot of the fire orderal filled now with water shall become a Tīrtha well-known after your name. Those who take their holy bath here at the time of Śayana and Bodhan of Hari (eleventh day in Āṣāḍha and Kārttika) will attain great Siddhis which even the immortal ones cannot.”

After saying this, the messenger of gods stopped.

73-75. Bhaṭṭikā became highly delighted. She bowed down to her father and said: “I will not go home. What will I do in the house?

Here itself in my own Tīrtha I shall propitiate Acyuta always. Further I shall perform penance with the food received as alms as my sustenance.

Hence, O dear father, I shall stay here in this place of resort.”

76. Then her father and those citizens went home with great delight, praising her individually.

77. Earlier an idol of Trivikrama was installed by her and later the Liṅga of Maheśvara after building the excellent palatial shrine.

78. Then she performed a great penance taking the alms received as her food. She was praised by all the people of Camatkāra city.

Sūta said:

79-80. Thus, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, everything whatever I was asked, has been narrated to you by me, I have told you how her body remained firm and unbreakable always to serpents and others such as weapons etc. One who reads this excellent narrative of Bhaṭṭikā, O execellent Brāhmaṇas, will never meet with calumny caused by wicked people.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The plural form ‘wives’ is used to indicate the plural ‘kalatrāṇi’ in the text. It is only one wife intended in the story.