Brahma Purana — Chapter 116
BrP 116.1
महानलम् इति ख्यातं वडवानलम् उच्यते महानलो यत्र देवो वडवा यत्र सा नदी ॥
mahānalam iti khyātaṃ vaḍavānalam ucyate mahānalo yatra devo vaḍavā yatra sā nadī //
What is known as Mahānala is called Vaḍavānala: where the god Mahānala is, where that river Vaḍavā is.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 116.2
तत् तीर्थं पुत्र वक्ष्यामि मृत्युदोषजरापहम् पुरासन् नैमिषारण्ये ऋषयः सत्त्रकारिणः ॥
tat tīrthaṃ putra vakṣyāmi mṛtyudoṣajarāpaham purāsan naimiṣāraṇye ṛṣayaḥ sattrakāriṇaḥ //
That sacred place, my son, I shall describe, which removes death, fault and old age. Formerly, in the Naimiṣa forest, there were sages performing a sattra sacrifice.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 116.3
शमितारं च ऋषयो मृत्युं चक्रुस् तपस्विनः वर्तमाने सत्त्रयागे मृत्यौ शमितरि स्थिते ॥
śamitāraṃ ca ṛṣayo mṛtyuṃ cakrus tapasvinaḥ vartamāne sattrayāge mṛtyau śamitari sthite //
And those ascetic sages made Death the slaughterer (of the sacrificial victim). While the sattra sacrifice was going on, with Death stationed as the slaughterer,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 116.4
न ममार तदा कश्चिद् उभयं स्थास्नु जङ्गमम् विना पशून् मुनिश्रेष्ठ मर्त्यं चामर्त्यतां गतम् ॥
na mamāra tadā kaścid ubhayaṃ sthāsnu jaṅgamam vinā paśūn muniśreṣṭha martyaṃ cāmartyatāṃ gatam //
then nothing died, of either kind, standing or moving — except the sacrificial animals, O best of sages — and the mortal attained immortality.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 116.5
ततस् त्रिविष्टपे शून्ये मर्त्ये चैवातिसंभृते मृत्युनोपेक्षिते देवा राक्षसान् ऊचिरे तदा ॥
tatas triviṣṭape śūnye martye caivātisaṃbhṛte mṛtyunopekṣite devā rākṣasān ūcire tadā //
Then, with heaven empty and the mortal world overfull, Death being taken up (elsewhere), the gods then spoke to the Rākṣasas:
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 116.6
गच्छध्वम् ऋषिसत्त्रं तन् नाशयध्वं महाध्वरम् इति देववचः श्रुत्वा प्रोचुस् ते राक्षसाः सुरान् ॥
gacchadhvam ṛṣisattraṃ tan nāśayadhvaṃ mahādhvaram iti devavacaḥ śrutvā procus te rākṣasāḥ surān //
"Go, destroy that sattra of the sages, that great sacrifice!" Having heard this speech of the gods, those Rākṣasas said to the gods:
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 116.7
विध्वंसयामस् तं यज्ञम् अस्माकं किं फलं ततः प्रवर्तते विना हेतुं न कोपि क्वापि जातुचित् ॥
vidhvaṃsayāmas taṃ yajñam asmākaṃ kiṃ phalaṃ tataḥ pravartate vinā hetuṃ na kopi kvāpi jātucit //
"We will wreck that sacrifice—but what profit comes to us from it? No one anywhere ever (acts) without a motive."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 116.8
देवा अप्य् असुरान् ऊचुर् यज्ञार्धं भवताम् अपि भवेद् एव ततो यान्तु ऋषीणां सत्त्रम् उत्तमम् ॥
devā apy asurān ūcur yajñārdhaṃ bhavatām api bhaved eva tato yāntu ṛṣīṇāṃ sattram uttamam //
The gods then said to the demons: "Half of the sacrifice shall be yours as well." So they set out for the excellent sacrificial session of the sages.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 116.9
ते श्रुत्वा त्वरिताः सर्वे यत्र यज्ञः प्रवर्तते जग्मुस् तत्र विनाशाय देववाक्याद् विशेषतः ॥
te śrutvā tvaritāḥ sarve yatra yajñaḥ pravartate jagmus tatra vināśāya devavākyād viśeṣataḥ //
Hearing that, they all hastened to where the sacrifice was in progress, and went there to destroy it, chiefly because of the gods' word.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 116.10
तज् ज्ञात्वा ऋषयो मृत्युम् आहुः किं कुर्महे वयम् आगता देववचनाद् राक्षसा यज्ञनाशिनः ॥
taj jñātvā ṛṣayo mṛtyum āhuḥ kiṃ kurmahe vayam āgatā devavacanād rākṣasā yajñanāśinaḥ //
Learning of this, the sages said to Death: "What are we to do? By the word of the gods the rākṣasas have come, destroyers of the sacrifice."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 116.11
मृत्युना सह संमन्त्र्य नैमिषारण्यवासिनः सर्वे त्यक्त्वा स्वाश्रमं तं शमित्रा सह नारद ॥
mṛtyunā saha saṃmantrya naimiṣāraṇyavāsinaḥ sarve tyaktvā svāśramaṃ taṃ śamitrā saha nārada //
Having taken counsel with Death, all the dwellers of the Naimiṣa forest abandoned that hermitage of theirs, together with the immolator, O Nārada.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 116.12
अग्निमात्रम् उपादाय त्यक्त्वा पात्रादिकं तु यत् क्रतुनिष्पत्तये जग्मुर् गौतमीं प्रति सत्वराः ॥
agnimātram upādāya tyaktvā pātrādikaṃ tu yat kratuniṣpattaye jagmur gautamīṃ prati satvarāḥ //
Taking only the fire, and leaving behind the vessels and the rest, they went in haste to the Gautamī (Godāvarī) for the completion of the rite.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 116.13
तत्र स्नात्वा महेशानं रक्षणायोपतस्थिरे कृताञ्जलिपुटास् ते तु तुष्टुवुस् त्रिदशेश्वरम् ॥
tatra snātvā maheśānaṃ rakṣaṇāyopatasthire kṛtāñjalipuṭās te tu tuṣṭuvus tridaśeśvaram //
Bathing there, they approached the Great Lord for protection, and with hands folded in añjali they praised the Lord of the thirty (gods).
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 116.14
यो लीलया विश्वम् इदं चकार धाता विधाता भुवनत्रयस्य यो विश्वरूपः सदसत्परो यः सोमेश्वरं तं शरणं व्रजामः
yo līlayā viśvam idaṃ cakāra dhātā vidhātā bhuvanatrayasya yo viśvarūpaḥ sadasatparo yaḥ someśvaraṃ taṃ śaraṇaṃ vrajāmaḥ
He who in play made this universe, who is the creator and ordainer of the three worlds, who has the universe for his form, who is beyond being and non-being—to that Someśvara we go for refuge.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 116.15
इच्छामात्रेण यः सर्वं हन्ति पाति करोति च तम् अहं त्रिदशेशानं शरणं यामि शंकरम् ॥
icchāmātreṇa yaḥ sarvaṃ hanti pāti karoti ca tam ahaṃ tridaśeśānaṃ śaraṇaṃ yāmi śaṃkaram //
He who by mere will destroys, protects, and creates all—to him, the Lord of the thirty (gods), Śaṃkara, I go for refuge.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 116.16
महानलं महाकायं महानागविभूषणम् महामूर्तिधरं देवं शरणं यामि शंकरम् ॥
mahānalaṃ mahākāyaṃ mahānāgavibhūṣaṇam mahāmūrtidharaṃ devaṃ śaraṇaṃ yāmi śaṃkaram //
To Mahānala (the Great Fire), of vast body, adorned with the great serpents, the god who bears a mighty form—to Śaṃkara I go for refuge.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 116.17
ततः प्रोवाच भगवान् मृत्यो का प्रीतिर् अस्तु ते ॥
tataḥ provāca bhagavān mṛtyo kā prītir astu te //
Then the Blessed One spoke: "O Death, what would please you?"
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 116.18
राक्षसेभ्यो भयं घोरम् आपन्नं त्रिदशेश्वर यज्ञम् अस्मांश् च रक्षस्व यावत् सत्त्रं समाप्यते ॥
rākṣasebhyo bhayaṃ ghoram āpannaṃ tridaśeśvara yajñam asmāṃś ca rakṣasva yāvat sattraṃ samāpyate //
"A terrible danger from the rākṣasas has befallen (us), O Lord of the thirty; protect the sacrifice and us, until the session is completed."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 116.19
तथा चकार भगवांस् त्रिनेत्रो वृषभध्वजः शमित्रा मृत्युना सत्त्रम् ऋषीणां पूर्णतां ययौ ॥
tathā cakāra bhagavāṃs trinetro vṛṣabhadhvajaḥ śamitrā mṛtyunā sattram ṛṣīṇāṃ pūrṇatāṃ yayau //
So the Blessed One, the three-eyed, whose banner is the bull, did; and with the immolator Death (present), the sages' session came to completion.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 116.20
हविषां भागधेयाय आजग्मुर् अमराः क्रमात् तान् अवोचन् मुनिगणाः संक्षुब्धा मृत्युना सह ॥
haviṣāṃ bhāgadheyāya ājagmur amarāḥ kramāt tān avocan munigaṇāḥ saṃkṣubdhā mṛtyunā saha //
In due order the immortals came for their share of the oblations. The bands of sages, agitated, along with Death, said to them:
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 116.21
अस्मन्मखविनाशाय राक्षसाः प्रेषिता यतः तस्माद् भवद्भ्यः पापिष्ठा राक्षसाः सन्तु शत्रवः ॥
asmanmakhavināśāya rākṣasāḥ preṣitā yataḥ tasmād bhavadbhyaḥ pāpiṣṭhā rākṣasāḥ santu śatravaḥ //
"Since the rākṣasas were sent to destroy our sacrifice, therefore let those most wicked rākṣasas be enemies to you."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 116.22
ततः प्रभृति देवानां राक्षसा वैरिणो ऽभवन् कृत्यां च वडवां तत्र देवाश् च ऋषयो ऽमलाः ॥
tataḥ prabhṛti devānāṃ rākṣasā vairiṇo 'bhavan kṛtyāṃ ca vaḍavāṃ tatra devāś ca ṛṣayo 'malāḥ //
From that time on the rākṣasas became foes of the gods. And there the gods and the spotless sages (made) a kṛtyā (spell-being) into a mare,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
BrP 116.23
मृत्योर् भार्या भव त्वं ताम् इत्य् उक्त्वा ते ऽभ्यषेचयन् अभिषेकोदकं यत् तु सा नदी वडवाभवत् ॥
mṛtyor bhāryā bhava tvaṃ tām ity uktvā te 'bhyaṣecayan abhiṣekodakaṃ yat tu sā nadī vaḍavābhavat //
saying to her, "Be the wife of Death"—and they consecrated her. The water of that consecration became the river Vaḍavā.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 116.24
मृत्युना स्थापितं लिङ्गं महानलम् इति श्रुतम् ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थं वडवासंगमं विदुः ॥
mṛtyunā sthāpitaṃ liṅgaṃ mahānalam iti śrutam tataḥ prabhṛti tat tīrthaṃ vaḍavāsaṃgamaṃ viduḥ //
The liṅga installed by Death is known as Mahānala; from that time on they know that ford as the Vaḍavā confluence.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 116.25
महानलो यत्र देवस् तत् तीर्थं भुक्तिमुक्तिदम् सहस्रं तत्र तीर्थानां सर्वाभीष्टप्रदायिनाम् उभयोस् तीरयोस् तत्र स्मरणाद् अघघातिनाम् ॥
mahānalo yatra devas tat tīrthaṃ bhuktimuktidam sahasraṃ tatra tīrthānāṃ sarvābhīṣṭapradāyinām ubhayos tīrayos tatra smaraṇād aghaghātinām //
Where the god Mahānala is, that ford grants enjoyment and liberation. There are a thousand fords there, granting every wish, on both banks, destroying sin by the mere remembering of them.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition