Chapter Ten Gomaty-upākhyāne cakra-tīrtha-māhātmya In the Description of the Gomatī River, the Glories of Cakra-tīrtha

Anyone who sees Dvārakā City attains opulences like Lord Nārāyaṇa. Even a donkey that dies in Dvārakā becomes a four-armed resident of Vaikuṇṭha.

A person who sees Dvārakā, hears about it, or speaks the word “Dvārakā", thinks everything else to be like a piece of straw. When he dies he attains the supreme destination.

One day Lord Kṛśṇa appeared before King Revata. Seeing that His devotee Revata was filled with the bliss of spiritual love, Lord Kṛśṇa shed tears that glided down His face.

From one of the Lord's teardrops the great Gomatī river was created. Simply by seeing this river one becomes freed from the sin of killing a brāhmaṇa.

A person who touches the sacred dust on the Gomatī's shore becomes free from the sins committed in a hundred births. Of this there is no doubt.

A person who, as he bathes, says the word “Gomatī" attains the pious result of bathing in the Gomatī. Of this there is no doubt.

O king of Videha, a person who bathes at Prayāga in the month of Māgha (January-February) when the sun is in Capricorn attains the pious result of performing a hundred aśvamedha-yajṣas.

A person who bathes in the Gomatī at that time, when the sun is in Capricorn, attains a pious result a thousand times greater than that attained at Prayāga. Even the demigod Brahmā is not able to properly describe all the glories of the sacred Gomatī river.

By the Gomatī is a sacred place named Cakra-tīrtha. All the stones there are incarnations of thr Lord's Sudarśana-cakra. They should be worshiped with great care.

A person, even though he is a great reservoir of sins, who on the dvādaśī day bathes at Cakra-tīrtha, which bears the mark of the Lord's cakra, attains the abode of Lord Kṛśṇa, who holds the cakra in His hand.

Degraded person who has sinned in many millions of births attains liberation if he comes to the steps of Cakra-tīrtha.

There once was a great, pious, and wealthy king named Alakeśa, who performed a Viśṇu-yajṣa on the summit of Mount Kailāsa.

vāyur yamo raviḥ somaḥ kśitiḥ sarva-janeśvarī gandharvāpsarasaḥ siddhāḥ sarve tatra samāyayuḥ tasya—of him; yajṣe—at the yajna; svayam—personally; viśṇuḥ—Lord Viśṇu; āgataḥ—came; vai—indeed; sva-dhāmataḥ—from His own abode; brahmā—Brahmā; śivaḥ—Śiva; jambhabhedī—Indra; varuṇaḥ—Varuṇa; yadasām—of the waters; patiḥ—thbe master; vāyuḥ—Vayu; yamaḥ—Yama; raviḥ—Surya; somaḥ—Candra; kśitiḥ—Ksiti; sarva-janeśvarī—the queen of all people; gandharvāpsarasaḥ—the Gandharvas and Apsaras; siddhāḥ—the Siddhas; sarve—all; tatra—there; samāyayuḥ—came. Traveling from His own abode, Lord Viśṇu personally came to his yajṣa, and Brahmā, Śiva, Indra, Varuṇa king of the waters, Vāyu, Yama, Sūrya, Candra, Kśiti the earth goddess who rules all people, and all the Gandharvas, Apsarās, and Siddhas also came.

vāyur yamo raviḥ somaḥ kśitiḥ sarva-janeśvarī gandharvāpsarasaḥ siddhāḥ sarve tatra samāyayuḥ tasya—of him; yajṣe—at the yajna; svayam—personally; viśṇuḥ—Lord Viśṇu; āgataḥ—came; vai—indeed; sva-dhāmataḥ—from His own abode; brahmā—Brahmā; śivaḥ—Śiva; jambhabhedī—Indra; varuṇaḥ—Varuṇa; yadasām—of the waters; patiḥ—thbe master; vāyuḥ—Vayu; yamaḥ—Yama; raviḥ—Surya; somaḥ—Candra; kśitiḥ—Ksiti; sarva-janeśvarī—the queen of all people; gandharvāpsarasaḥ—the Gandharvas and Apsaras; siddhāḥ—the Siddhas; sarve—all; tatra—there; samāyayuḥ—came. Traveling from His own abode, Lord Viśṇu personally came to his yajṣa, and Brahmā, Śiva, Indra, Varuṇa king of the waters, Vāyu, Yama, Sūrya, Candra, Kśiti the earth goddess who rules all people, and all the Gandharvas, Apsarās, and Siddhas also came.

O king, the devarśis and Brahmarśis also came. Kuvera and his son Nalakūvara were also there.

Vīrabhadra was there as a guard. Gaṇeśa was there to render service. All the Maruts were there to serve meals.

sarva-śastra-vidāṁ śreśṭhau dānādhyakśau babhūvatuḥ evaṁ hi vidhi-vad yajṣo babhūva paramotsavaḥ bāhuleyaḥ—kārttikeya; sabhā—of the assembly; pūjām—worship; akarot—did; dharma-tat-paraḥ—pious; ghaṇṭānādaḥ—Ghantanada; pārśvamauliḥ—Parsvamauli; kuverasya—of Kuvera; tu—indeed; mantriṇau—the two ministers; sarva-śastra-vidām—of they who know all the scriptures; śreśṭhau—the best; dānādhyakśau—generous; babhūvatuḥ—were; evam—thus; hi—indeed; vidhi-vat—properly; yajṣaḥ—the yajna; babhūva—was; paramotsavaḥ—a great festival. Kārttikeya worshiped the assembly. Kuvera's two ministers, Ghaṇṭānāda and Pārśvamauli, who were very generous and most learned in the scriptures, were also there. In this way the yajṣa, carefully performed according to the rules and regulations, was a great and festive success.

sarva-śastra-vidāṁ śreśṭhau dānādhyakśau babhūvatuḥ evaṁ hi vidhi-vad yajṣo babhūva paramotsavaḥ bāhuleyaḥ—kārttikeya; sabhā—of the assembly; pūjām—worship; akarot—did; dharma-tat-paraḥ—pious; ghaṇṭānādaḥ—Ghantanada; pārśvamauliḥ—Parsvamauli; kuverasya—of Kuvera; tu—indeed; mantriṇau—the two ministers; sarva-śastra-vidām—of they who know all the scriptures; śreśṭhau—the best; dānādhyakśau—generous; babhūvatuḥ—were; evam—thus; hi—indeed; vidhi-vat—properly; yajṣaḥ—the yajna; babhūva—was; paramotsavaḥ—a great festival. Kārttikeya worshiped the assembly. Kuvera's two ministers, Ghaṇṭānāda and Pārśvamauli, who were very generous and most learned in the scriptures, were also there. In this way the yajṣa, carefully performed according to the rules and regulations, was a great and festive success.

Having performed the avabhṛta bath, the noble-hearted king gave sacrifical offerings to the demigods and dakśiṇā to the brāhmaṇas.

When the yajṣa was thus completed and the sages and demigods were all pleased, Durvāsā Muni, holding a stick and a parasol, suddenly arrived.

His beard was long. He carried a kamaṇḍalu and a kuśa-grass seat. He wore sandals and a deerskin garment. He was very thin and emaciated, and he was very angry.

Frightened, Kuvera approached him, worshiped him, circumambulated him, and bowed down before him.

Kuvera said: O brāhmaṇa, now that you have come here, my life is a success, my home is a success, and this yajṣa is a success.

Pleased by all this, the great sage Durvāsā spoke about the religious duties of human beings.

He said: You are a great king. You are pious, generous, and devoted to the brāhmaṇas. Your yajṣa has pleased Lord Viśṇu.

O Lord Kuvera, in the past I have never asked any favors of you, but today, aware that you are very generous by nature, I have a request to ask of you.

Please grant my request. If you do, I will give you a boon. If you do not, I will burn you to ashes with a frightening curse.

In your home you keep the nine treasures that are the most precious in the three worlds. Please give them to me. May your life be auspicious. For that purpose I have come.

As Kuvera was about to give the nine treasures, his two ministers, Ghaṇṭānāda and Pārśvamauli, who were bewildered with greed, spoke.

For the time of two eyeblinks the entire universe shook. Seeing Kuvera humbly bowing down before him, Durvāsā Muni proceeded to curse the two ministers.

Sinful, wicked, greedy Pārśvamauli, you are pushy like an elephant. I curse you: Become an elephant!

Durvāsā Muni said, “Because you have offered them to me, I give you the boon that your nine treasures will now become twice as valuable as they were." As soon as these words were spoken the nine treasures became twice as valuable. Chāpter Eleven Śrī Cakra-tīrthotpattau gaja-grāha-mokśa In the Creation of Cakra-tīrtha, the Liberation of the Elephant and the Crocodile