Brahma Purana — Chapter 135
BrP 135.1
वाणीसंगमम् आख्यातं यत्र वागीश्वरो हरः तत् तीर्थं सर्वपापानां मोचनं सर्वकामदम् ॥
vāṇīsaṃgamam ākhyātaṃ yatra vāgīśvaro haraḥ tat tīrthaṃ sarvapāpānāṃ mocanaṃ sarvakāmadam //
Vāṇīsaṃgama is (the place) declared where Hara is the lord of speech; that ford releases from all sins and grants all desires.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 135.2
तत्र स्नानेन दानेन ब्रह्महत्यादिनाशनम् ब्रह्मविष्ण्वोश् च संवादे महत्त्वे च परस्परम् ॥
tatra snānena dānena brahmahatyādināśanam brahmaviṣṇvoś ca saṃvāde mahattve ca parasparam //
There, by bathing and by giving, comes the destruction of brahmin-murder and the rest—in the conversation of Brahmā and Viṣṇu, and (in the dispute) about greatness between the two.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
BrP 135.3
तयोर् मध्ये महादेवो ज्योतिर्मूर्तिर् अभूत् किल तत्रैव वाग् उवाचेदं दैवी पुत्र तयोः शुभा ॥
tayor madhye mahādevo jyotirmūrtir abhūt kila tatraiva vāg uvācedaṃ daivī putra tayoḥ śubhā //
Between the two, Mahādeva appeared, they say, in the form of light; and right there a divine, auspicious Speech said this to those two, my son.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 135.4
अहम् अस्मि महांस् तत्र अहम् अस्मीति वै मिथः दैवी वाक् ताव् उभौ प्राह यस् त्व् अस्यान्तं तु पश्यति ॥
aham asmi mahāṃs tatra aham asmīti vai mithaḥ daivī vāk tāv ubhau prāha yas tv asyāntaṃ tu paśyati //
“I am the greater there!”—“I am!”—thus (they spoke) to each other; the divine Speech said to them both: “Whoever sees the end of this (light),
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 135.5
स तु ज्येष्ठो भवेत् तस्मान् मा वादं कर्तुम् अर्हथः तद्वाक्याद् विष्णुर् अगमद् अधो ऽहं चोर्ध्वम् एव च ॥
sa tu jyeṣṭho bhavet tasmān mā vādaṃ kartum arhathaḥ tadvākyād viṣṇur agamad adho 'haṃ cordhvam eva ca //
he shall be the elder; therefore you two ought not to make a dispute.” At that utterance Viṣṇu went downward, and I upward.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 135.6
ततो विष्णुः शीघ्रम् एत्य ज्योतिःपार्श्व उपाविशत् अप्राप्यान्तम् अहं प्रायां दूराद् दूरतरं मुने ॥
tato viṣṇuḥ śīghram etya jyotiḥpārśva upāviśat aprāpyāntam ahaṃ prāyāṃ dūrād dūrataraṃ mune //
Then Viṣṇu came back quickly and sat down beside the light; but I, not reaching the end, went on farther and farther, O sage.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 135.7
ततः श्रान्तो निवृत्तो ऽहं द्रष्टुम् ईशं तु तं प्रभुम् तदैवं मम धीर् आसीद् दृष्टश् चान्तो मया भृशम् ॥
tataḥ śrānto nivṛtto 'haṃ draṣṭum īśaṃ tu taṃ prabhum tadaivaṃ mama dhīr āsīd dṛṣṭaś cānto mayā bhṛśam //
Then, wearied, I turned back to see that lord, the ruler; and then this thought of mine arose: “The end has been thoroughly seen by me,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 135.8
अस्य देवस्य तद् विष्णोर् मम ज्यैष्ठ्यं स्फुटं भवेत् पुनश् चापि मम त्व् एवं मतिर् आसीन् महामते ॥
asya devasya tad viṣṇor mama jyaiṣṭhyaṃ sphuṭaṃ bhavet punaś cāpi mama tv evaṃ matir āsīn mahāmate //
of this god—so my seniority over that Viṣṇu would be manifest.” And then again this thought of mine arose, O great-minded one:
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 135.9
सत्यैर् वक्त्रैः कथं वक्ष्ये पीडितो ऽप्य् अनृतं वचः नानाविधेषु पापेषु नानृतात् पातकं परम् ॥
satyair vaktraiḥ kathaṃ vakṣye pīḍito 'py anṛtaṃ vacaḥ nānāvidheṣu pāpeṣu nānṛtāt pātakaṃ param //
“How shall I speak a false word with truthful mouths, even under pressure? Among sins of many kinds there is no greater offence than untruth.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 135.10
सत्यैर् वक्त्रैर् असत्यां वा वाचं वक्ष्ये कथं त्व् इति ततो ऽहं पञ्चमं वक्त्रं गर्दभाकृतिभीषणम् ॥
satyair vaktrair asatyāṃ vā vācaṃ vakṣye kathaṃ tv iti tato 'haṃ pañcamaṃ vaktraṃ gardabhākṛtibhīṣaṇam //
How indeed shall I speak an untrue word with truthful mouths?” Then I (made) a fifth mouth, terrible with the shape of an ass,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 135.11
कृत्वा तेनानृतं वक्ष्य इति ध्यात्वा चिरं तदा अब्रवं तं हरिं तत्र आसीनं जगतां प्रभुम् ॥
kṛtvā tenānṛtaṃ vakṣya iti dhyātvā ciraṃ tadā abravaṃ taṃ hariṃ tatra āsīnaṃ jagatāṃ prabhum //
and having made (it), thinking for a long time then, “With it I shall speak the untruth,” I said to that Hari, the lord of the worlds, seated there:
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 135.12
अस्य चान्तो मया दृष्टस् तेन ज्यैष्ठ्यं जनार्दन ममेति वदतः पार्श्वे उभौ तौ हरिशंकरौ ॥
asya cānto mayā dṛṣṭas tena jyaiṣṭhyaṃ janārdana mameti vadataḥ pārśve ubhau tau hariśaṃkarau //
“And the end of this has been seen by me; by that, Janārdana, the seniority is mine.” As I spoke thus, those two, Hari and Śaṃkara, at (my) side,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 135.13
एकरूपत्वम् आपन्नौ सूर्याचन्द्रमसाव् इव तौ दृष्ट्वा विस्मितो भीतश् चास्तवं ताव् उभाव् अपि ततः क्रुद्धौ जगन्नाथौ वाचं ताम् इदम् ऊचतुः ॥
ekarūpatvam āpannau sūryācandramasāv iva tau dṛṣṭvā vismito bhītaś cāstavaṃ tāv ubhāv api tataḥ kruddhau jagannāthau vācaṃ tām idam ūcatuḥ //
had come to be of one single form, like the sun and the moon. Seeing them I was amazed and afraid, and I praised them both. Then the two lords of the world, angered, said this to that Speech:
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 135.14
दुष्टे त्वं निम्नगा भूया नानृताद् अस्ति पातकम् ॥
duṣṭe tvaṃ nimnagā bhūyā nānṛtād asti pātakam //
“Wicked one, may you become a river flowing downward! There is no offence (worse) than untruth.”
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 135.15
ततः सा विह्वला भूत्वा नदीभावम् उपागता तद् दृष्ट्वा विस्मितो भीतस् ताम् अब्रवम् अहं तदा ॥
tataḥ sā vihvalā bhūtvā nadībhāvam upāgatā tad dṛṣṭvā vismito bhītas tām abravam ahaṃ tadā //
Then she, becoming distraught, took on the condition of a river; seeing that I was amazed and afraid, and I then said to her:
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 135.16
यस्माद् असत्यम् उक्तासि ब्रह्मवाचि स्थिता सती तस्माद् अदृश्या त्वं भूयाः पापरूपास्य् असंशयम् ॥
yasmād asatyam uktāsi brahmavāci sthitā satī tasmād adṛśyā tvaṃ bhūyāḥ pāparūpāsy asaṃśayam //
"Since you, though a chaste woman, standing in Brahmā's speech, have spoken what is untrue, therefore may you become invisible; you are of sinful form, without doubt."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 135.17
एतच् छापं विदित्वा तु तौ देवौ प्रणता तदा विशापत्वं प्रार्थयन्ती तुष्टाव च पुनः पुनः ॥
etac chāpaṃ viditvā tu tau devau praṇatā tadā viśāpatvaṃ prārthayantī tuṣṭāva ca punaḥ punaḥ //
But when she knew this curse, she then bowed to those two gods and, begging for release from the curse, praised (them) again and again.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 135.18
ततस् तुष्टौ देवदेवौ प्रार्थितौ त्रिदशार्चितौ प्रीत्या हरिहराव् एवं वाचं वाचम् अथोचतुः ॥
tatas tuṣṭau devadevau prārthitau tridaśārcitau prītyā hariharāv evaṃ vācaṃ vācam athocatuḥ //
Then the two gods of gods, honoured by the thirty (gods), being entreated, were pleased, and Hari and Hara thus spoke this word with affection.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 135.19
गङ्गया संगता भद्रे यदा त्वं लोकपावनी तदा पुनर् वपुस् ते स्यात् पवित्रं हि सुशोभने ॥
gaṅgayā saṃgatā bhadre yadā tvaṃ lokapāvanī tadā punar vapus te syāt pavitraṃ hi suśobhane //
"When you, purifier of the worlds, are joined with Gaṅgā, O good lady, then your body shall again be pure, O lovely one."
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 135.20
तथेत्य् उक्त्वा सापि देवी गङ्गया संगताभवत् भागीरथी गौतमी च ततश् चापि स्वकं वपुः ॥
tathety uktvā sāpi devī gaṅgayā saṃgatābhavat bhāgīrathī gautamī ca tataś cāpi svakaṃ vapuḥ //
Saying "so be it," that goddess too became joined with the Gaṅgā—with the Bhāgīrathī and the Gautamī—and thereupon (regained) her own body.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 135.21
देवी सा व्यगमद् ब्रह्मन् देवानाम् अपि दुर्लभम् गौतम्यां सैव विख्याता नाम्ना वाणीति पुण्यदा ॥
devī sā vyagamad brahman devānām api durlabham gautamyāṃ saiva vikhyātā nāmnā vāṇīti puṇyadā //
That goddess, O brahmin, attained what is hard to obtain even for the gods; in the Gautamī she is renowned by the name Vāṇī, the giver of merit.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 135.22
भागीरथ्यां सैव देवी सरस्वत्य् अभिधीयते उभयत्रापि विख्यातः संगमो लोकपूजितः ॥
bhāgīrathyāṃ saiva devī sarasvaty abhidhīyate ubhayatrāpi vikhyātaḥ saṃgamo lokapūjitaḥ //
In the Bhāgīrathī that same goddess is called Sarasvatī; in both places the confluence is famed and honoured by the world.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 135.23
सरस्वतीसंगमश् च वाणीसंगम एव च गौतम्या संगता देवी वाणी वाचा सरस्वती ॥
sarasvatīsaṃgamaś ca vāṇīsaṃgama eva ca gautamyā saṃgatā devī vāṇī vācā sarasvatī //
And (there is) the Sarasvatī confluence and likewise the Vāṇī confluence: the goddess Vāṇī, Sarasvatī, joined by speech with the Gautamī.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
BrP 135.24
सर्वत्र पूजितं तीर्थं तत्र वाचा शिवं प्रभुम् देवेश्वरं पूजयित्वा विशापम् अगमद् यतः ॥
sarvatra pūjitaṃ tīrthaṃ tatra vācā śivaṃ prabhum deveśvaraṃ pūjayitvā viśāpam agamad yataḥ //
The sacred ford is honoured everywhere, since there, by speech, having worshipped Śiva the lord, the lord of gods, she was freed from the curse.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain
BrP 135.25
ब्रह्मा विधूय वाग्दौष्ट्यं स्वं च धामागमत् पुनः तस्मात् तत्र शुचिर् भूत्वा स्नात्वा तत्र च संगमे ॥
brahmā vidhūya vāgdauṣṭyaṃ svaṃ ca dhāmāgamat punaḥ tasmāt tatra śucir bhūtvā snātvā tatra ca saṃgame //
Brahmā, having shaken off the fault of his speech, went again to his own abode; therefore, becoming pure there and bathing there at the confluence,
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 135.26
वागीश्वरं ततो दृष्ट्वा तावता मुक्तिम् आप्नुयात् दानहोमादिकं किंचिद् उपवासादिकां क्रियाम् ॥
vāgīśvaraṃ tato dṛṣṭvā tāvatā muktim āpnuyāt dānahomādikaṃ kiṃcid upavāsādikāṃ kriyām //
and then having seen Vāgīśvara, by that much one would attain liberation. Whatever gift, oblation and the like, or observance such as fasting—
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
BrP 135.27
यः कुर्यात् संगमे पुण्ये संसारे न भवेत् पुनः एकोनविंशतिशतं तीर्थानां तीरयोर् द्वयोः नानाजन्मार्जिताशेषपापक्षयविधायिनाम् ॥
yaḥ kuryāt saṃgame puṇye saṃsāre na bhavet punaḥ ekonaviṃśatiśataṃ tīrthānāṃ tīrayor dvayoḥ nānājanmārjitāśeṣapāpakṣayavidhāyinām //
—whoever performs (it) at the holy confluence would not come to be again in the round of rebirth. There are one hundred and nineteen fords on the two banks, which bring about the destruction of all the sins accumulated in various births.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition