Naimisharanya, Part 3

By editor - 25.6 2016

 Vyas Gaddi

The Bhagavat Purana says that there is no holy place on earth that compares to Naimisharanya. In this sacred tirtha, Maha Vishnu killed the demons Gayasura and Durjaya and his followers with Sudarshana Chakra. When the the demon Gayasura was struck down by Sudarshana Chakra, his body was cut into three parts. The pieces fell at Paada Gaya (Gaya Kshetra in Bihar), Naabhi Gaya in Naimisharanya, and Kapali Gaya in Badari Kshetra. Naimisharanya is therefore called Nabhi Gaya Kshetra.

In Naimisharanya, Swayambhuva Manu and Satrupa performed yajnas and rigorous penance for 23,000 years, in order to beget Nirakara Parabrahma Lord Narayana as their son.

Srimad Bhagavatam 10.79.30 there is a description of Lord Balarama’s visit to Naimisharanya:

tam punar naimisham praptam
rishayo ‘yajayan muda
kratv-angam kratubhih sarvair
nivrittakhila-vigraham

Later Lord Balarama returned to Naimisharanya, where the sages joyfully engaged Him, the embodiment of all sacrifice, in performing various kinds of Vedic sacrifice. Lord Balarama was now retired from warfare.

Srila Prabhupada writes:

“[When Lord Balarama] went to the holy place of pilgrimage at Naimisharanya,… the sages, saintly persons and brahmanas all received Him standing. They understood that Lord Balarama, although a kshatriya, was now retired from the fighting business. The brahmanas and the sages, who were always for peace and tranquillity, were very pleased at this. All of them embraced Balarama with great affection and induced Him to perform various kinds of sacrifices in that sacred spot of Naimisharanya. Actually Lord Balarama had no business performing the sacrifices recommended for ordinary human beings; He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore He Himself is the enjoyer of all such sacrifices. As such, His exemplary action in performing sacrifices was only to give a lesson to the common man, to show how one should abide by the injunctions of the Vedas.”

Lord Ramacandra also performed Aswamedha yajna at this place, after killing Ravana. Sita Devi was accepted by Mother Bhumi, vanishing after Luv and Kush were reunited with their father. It the great dhama of Naimisharanya, Srila Vedavyasa composed four Vedas, six Sastras and 18 Puranas, and preached Samaveda to his beloved disciple, Maharishi Gemini.

Vyas Gaddi

One of the most sacred spots in Naimisharanya is the place where Srila Veda Vyasa bifurcated the Vedas into 6 Sastras, 18 Puranas, and composed Srimad Bhagavatam, and Sri Mahabharata. Here at Vyas Gaddi (also known as Vyasa Vatika or Vyasadhama), Veda Vyasa lectured on The Bhagavata to his own son, Srila Sukadeva Goswami.

In ancient times, Maharishi Vaishampayan and Maharishi Vedavyasa ascertained eternal radiance in the Banyan Tree here, for which divine blessings circle around the tree at all times. Devotee who perform penance under this tree are saved from incurable diseases.

vyasaaya vishnu-roopaaya vyaasa roopaaya vishnave
namo vai brahma nidhaye vaasisthaaya namo namah

May Lord Vedavyasa bestow on all of us the divine knowledge

Among the unlimited numbers of tirthas on earth, Naimisharanya is the foremost among them. The best among all tirthas, Naimisharanya is said to be ten times more important than any other. Thirty thousand tirthas live in the area of Naimisharanya at all times, and it is a favoured abode of the Trimurti: Brahma, Visnu and Shiva.

Naimisharanya has a particular importance in Satya Yuga, just as Pushkar has a special significance in Tretha Yuga, Kurukshetra in Dvapara Yuga, and Ganga has special significance during the Kali Yuga. A special place of yajna for the Lord and His associates, Naimisharanya is worshipped by all the Rishis. The Holy Gomati River and the Akshaya Paathra of the nn always exists here. Likewise, all the rivers and seas of the earth exist here at every moment.

Entrance to Veda Vyasa’s Abode

When penance is done at Naimisharanya, the sins of seven janmas (births) will vanish. It is said that just by thinking of visiting this tirtha, half of one’s sins vanish. By entering the Dhama, one’s sins vanish fully. If penance is done at Naimisharanya for 12 years, one will enter into Brahmaloka.

One who takes bath here gets the benefit of bathing at all the tirthas, because all tirthas on earth simultaneously exist at Naimisharanya. Taking bath in Ganga, arriving at Varanasi, Dwaraka and Badarikasrama yield punya, but one gets such pious credits as soon as he leaves home to come to Sri Naimisharanya.

Taking bath in Naimisharanya is especially potent during Mahakumbha, when the Sun is in Mesha Raasi, every 12 years. It is believed that if pinda daan is done here, one’s ancestors get a place in the heavenly planets. During Caturmasa especially, if charity is given at this tirtha, one’s ancestors are believed to be satisfied until Kalpaparyant. One who hears the Vishnu Charithra for one or two days at Naimisharanya Tirtha secures a place in Vaikuntha.

The Pandavas visited Naimisharanya during their exile, and the Mahabharata states that ‘anyone who fasts, prays, and attains perfection at Naimisharanya finds happiness in all the worlds’.

Praying at Aadi Ganga (Gomti)