{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/dg/dg08.htm","path":"hin/dg/dg08.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/dg/dg08.htm","text":"1-2. The Him\u00e2lay\u00e2s said:--\"O on this earth that are prominent, sacred, and worth visiting and which Thou likest best. O Mother! Also sanctify us by describing the vows and utsabs that are pleasing to Thee, and by performing which, men become blessed and get themselves satisfied.\n3-10. The Dev\u00ee spoke:--\"O Himavan! All the places that are on this earth are all Mine and all should be visited. And every moment is fit for taking vows and utsabs. For I am of the nature pervading every moment; so whatever actions are performed at any moment are all equal to taking My vows and utsabs. O King of Mountains! Still I am now telling something out of My affection to My Bhaktas. Hear. There is a great place of pilgrimage named Kolh\u00e2pura in the southern country. Here the Dev\u00ee Laksmi always dwells. The second place is M\u00e2tripura in the Sahy\u00e2dr\u00ee mountain; here the Dev\u00ee Renuk\u00e2 dwells. The third place is Tulaj\u00e2pur; next is the place Saptas'ringa, the great places of Hingul\u00e2 and Jv\u00e2l\u00e2 Mukh\u00ee. Then the great places of S\u00e2kambhar\u00ee, Bhr\u00e2m\u00e2ri, S'r\u00eeraktadantik\u00e2 and D\u00fbrg\u00e2. The best of all places is that of Vindhy\u00e2chala V\u00e2sin\u00ee, the great places of Annapurn\u00e2 and the excellent K\u00e2nchipur (Conjiverum). Next come the placesof Bh\u00eem\u00e2 Dev\u00ee, Vimal\u00e2 Dev\u00ee, S'r\u00ee Chandral\u00e2 Dev\u00ee of Karn\u00e2t, andthe place of Kaus'ik\u00ee. Then the great placeof N\u00eel\u00e2mb\u00e2 on the top of the N\u00eel\u00e2parvata, the place of J\u00e2mb\u00fbnades'var\u00ee, and the beautiful S'r\u00eenagara.\n11-20. The great place of S'r\u00ee Guhya K\u00e2l\u00ee, well established in Nepal, and that of S'r\u00ee M\u00een\u00e2ks\u00ee Dev\u00ee established in Ch\u00eedamvaram. The great\nplace named Ved\u00e2ranya where the Sundar\u00ee Dev\u00ee is residing; then the place named Ek\u00e2mvaram, and the place Bhuvanes'vara near Purusottama where I always dwell as Par\u00e2 S'akti Bhuvanes'var\u00ee. The famous place of Mah\u00e2las\u00e2, known in the south by the name Mall\u00e2ri; the place of Yoges'var\u00ee Var\u00e2t, and the widely known place of N\u00eela S'arasvat\u00ee in China. The excellent place of Bagal\u00e2 in Baidyan\u00e2th, the supreme place Manidv\u00eepa of S'r\u00eemat\u00ee Bhuvanes'var\u00ee where I always reside. The Yonimandala K\u00e2m\u00e2khy\u00e2, the place of S'rimat\u00ee Tripur\u00e2 Bhariav\u00ee, the excellent of all the places in this earth, where the Dev\u00ee Mah\u00e2 M\u00e2y\u00e2 always dwells. There is no other place better than this on the earth. Here the Dev\u00ee becomes every month in Her course of menstruation and where the virtuous men are seen. Here all the Devas remain in the form of mountains and where on the mountains the excellent Devas inhabit. The sages say: That all the places there are of the nature of the Dev\u00ee; there is no better place than this K\u00e2m\u00e2khy\u00e2 Yonimaindala. Puskara, the sacred place, is the seat of G\u00e2yatr\u00ee; the place of Chandik\u00e2 in Amares'a: and the excellent place of Puskareksin\u00ee in Frabh\u00e2sa. The place of Linga-dh\u00e2rin\u00ee Dev\u00ee in Naimis\u00e2ranya, and the place of Purubut\u00e2 in Puskar\u00e2ksa; Rati dwells in \u00c2s\u00e2dh\u00ee.\n21-30. Dandin\u00ee Parames'vari dwells in Chandamund\u00ee. Bh\u00fbti dwells in Bh\u00e2rabh\u00fbti; and Nakule S'var\u00ee dwells in N\u00e2kula. Chandrik\u00e2 dwells in Haris'chandra; S'\u00e2nkari in S'r\u00eegiri; Tris'\u00fbl\u00e2 in Japes'vara; and Suksm\u00e2 in \u00c2mr\u00e2ta Kes'vara. S'\u00e2nkar\u00ee dwells in Ujjain, S'arv\u00e2n\u00ee in the place Madhyam\u00e2, and M\u00e2rga D\u00e2yini dwells in the holy Ksetra Ked\u00e2ra. The celebrated Bhairav\u00ee dwells in the place named Bhairava; Mangal\u00e2 in Gay\u00e2 Ksettra; Sth\u00e2nupriy\u00e2 in Kuruksetra; and Sv\u00e2yambhuv\u00ee Dev\u00ee dwells in N\u00e2kula; Ugr\u00e2 dwells in Kankhal; Vis'ves\u00e2 dwells in Vimales'vara, Mah\u00e2nand\u00e2 in Attah\u00e2sa and Mah\u00e2ntak\u00e2 in Mahendra. Bhimes'var\u00ee dwells in Bh\u00eema; the Bhav\u00e2n\u00ee S'ankar\u00ee dwells in Vastr\u00e2padma; and Rudr\u00e2n\u00ee in Ardha Kot\u00ee. Vis'al\u00e2ks\u00ee dwells in Avimukta; Mah\u00e2bh\u00e2g\u00e2 dwells in Mah\u00e2laya; Bhadrakarn\u00ee in Gokarna; and Bhadr\u00e2 resides in Bhadrakarnak; Utpal\u00e2ks\u00ee dwells in Suvarn\u00e2ksa; Sth\u00e2nv\u00ees'\u00e2 in Sth\u00e2nu; Kamal\u00e2 in Kamal\u00e2lay\u00e2; Chand\u00e2 in Chhagalandaka, situated in the south near the seacoast. Trisandhy\u00e2 dwells in Kurundala; Mukutes'var\u00ee in M\u00e2kota; S'\u00e2ndak\u00ee in Mandales'a; K\u00e2l\u00ee in K\u00e2lanjara; Dhvani in S'ankukarna; Sth\u00fbl\u00e2 in Sth\u00fblakes'vara; and Parames'var\u00ee Hrillekh\u00e2 dwells in the heart lotuses of the J\u00f1anins.\n31-34. The places mentioned above are all dearest to the Dev\u00ee. First the merits of these places are to be heard; next the Dev\u00ee is to be\nworshipped by the rites and ceremonies according to these rules. Or, O Mountain! All the holy places of pilgrimages exist in K\u00e2s'\u00ee. The Dev\u00ee always dwells there. Persons, devoted to the Dev\u00ee, see these places and if they make Japam and meditate on the lotus-feet of the Dev\u00ee, they will certainly be freed from the bondi of Sams\u00e2ra; there is no doubt in this. If anybody, getting up in the morning, recite the names of these places, all his sins would instantly be burnt away.\n35-40. And if one reads, in the time of S'r\u00e2ddha, before the Brahmins, these holy names of the Dev\u00ee, his Pitris will be purified of their sins in the Mah\u00e2k\u00e2s'a by the Mah\u00e2 Pr\u00e2na and will get their highest goal. O One of good vows! I will now describe to you the vows that are to be carefully observed by men and women; hear. Ananta Trit\u00eey\u00e2khys Vrata (vow), Rasakaly\u00e2n\u00ee Vrata, and \u00c2rdr\u00e2nandakara Vrata, these three Vratas are to be observed in the Trit\u00eey\u00e2 (third) tithi. The next come the Friday vow, the Krisna Chaturdas'i vows, the Tuesday vow, and the evening twilight vow. In this twilight vow, Mah\u00e2 Deva placed the Dev\u00ee in the evening on an \u00c2sana; and He, along with the other Devas, began to dance before Her. Fasting is enjoined in this vow; and then in the evening one must worship the Dev\u00ee, the Giver of all auspicious things. Especially in every fortnight, if the Dev\u00ee be worshipped, She gets extremely pleased.\n41. O Best of Mountains! The Monday vow is very agreeable to Me; the worship of the Dev\u00ee should be done and then in the night one must take one's food,\n42-43. The two nine nights vow called Navar\u00e2tra are to be observed, one in the autumn and the other in the spring season. These are very dear to Me. He is certainly My devotee and very dear who for My satisfaction performs these and the othar Nitya Naimittik vows, free from any pride and jealousy. He certainly gets the S\u00e2jujya Mukti with Me.\n44-46. O Nagar\u00e2ja! The Holy (Dol) festival in the month of Chait on tha third day of the white fortnight is very pleasing to Me and should be observed by all. My devotees perform the S'ayanotsava in the Paurnam\u00e2s\u00ee in the month of \u00c2s\u00e2dha; the J\u00e2garanotsava in the Paurnam\u00e2s\u00ee in the month of K\u00e2rtik, the Ratha J\u00e2tr\u00e2 in the 3rd of the white fortnight in \u00c2s\u00e2dha; the Damanotsava in Chaitra. And my dear festivals in the month of S'r\u00e2vana and various other festivals.\n47-49. In all these festivals one should feast well with gladness all My devotees, and the Kum\u00e2ris (virgins), well clothed and dressed, and the boys, thinking them all to be of My very nature. No miserliness is to be entertained and I should be worshipped with flowers, etc. He is blessed and attains his goal and is dear to Me who carefully and devotedly observes overy year all these festivals. O Nagendra! Thus I have described to you in brief all the vows that are pleasing to Me. These instructions are not to be given who is not a disciple nor to one who is not My devotee.\nHere ends the Thirty-eighth Chapter of the Seventh Book on the vows and the sacred places of the Dev\u00ee in the Mah\u00e2 Pur\u00e2nam S'r\u00ee Mad Dev\u00ee Bh\u00e2gavatam, of 18,000 verses, by Maharsi Veda Vy\u00e2sa.","title":"Chapter XXXVIII: The Vow and the Sacred Places of the Dev...","type":"page"}