Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
IN QUEST OF ĀḶANDĪ-MĀHĀTMYA
Author(s): Irina Glushkova
Source: Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Vol. 78, No. 1/4 (1997), pp.
199-213
Published by: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/41694947
Accessed: 12-03-2019 06:43 UTC
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IN QUEST OF ÃLAND1-MÃHÃTMYA
By
Irina Glushkova
1 I am deeply indebted to Dr. V. V. Vertogradova and Dr. Mrs. Sucheta Paraojpe for their
help in the interpretation of the Sanskrit Aiahkn-mahatmya. My thanks to Prof Erik
Sand, Mr. V. L. Manjul, Prof. Anne Feldhaus and Dr. R C. Dhere who read the first
draft of this article.
Enumeration of abhahgas is made according to Šrisakalasantagatha. Pune ;
Shrisantavangmay Prakashan Mandir, 1967 ( Second Edition ).
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200 Annals BORI, LXXVIII ( 1997 )
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Glushkova s In Quest of Alandï -Mãhõtmya 20t
stated the idea that the text has been kept with the temple's library or in some
priest's house, and mentioned concrete names. But it was found neither in
the library, nor at any priest's house, nor in the library of the VSrkari áikçaç
Samsthä in Alandi.
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202 Annals BORI . LXXVIII (1997)
about the fate of the manuscript. In any case, besides the San
mentioned above and used in a number of other publications, som
small fragments with a reference to Sahyädri-khanda ( as far as Sa
tations go ) and to Aland! -mãhâtmya and Dnyandev-lilãmrt
Marathi quotations ) áre quoted.10
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Glushkova : In Quest of Ãlandl-Mãhõtmya 203
The manuscript number 47, 141 consists of six sheets filled, except one
on both sides by Appa Joshi under the surname of Vaidya was completed on
the 10th day of the dark half of Bhädrapad in 1778 Shalivahana, i. e. in
1856 A. D. The text is a compilation : after the first 22 šloka-s ascribed to
the 60th chapter of SahySdri-khagda, a new enumeration begins ; the source
of the subsequent 123 šloka-s ( 100-1-23) is named for the first time as the
61st chapter of SahySdrikhanda. The text is characterised by a great number
of different spelling and grammar mistakes ; it has, for example : logical gaps,
failures in metre, confusion of genders and numbers, mistakes in vowels',
length, usage of the vocative in place of the nominative, etc. The '• corrupted
Sanskrit " alternates with the perfect one. One of the šloka-s at page 7 was
written by somebody else - the letters are uneven, as though they have been
written by a child or a person having no proper skill. One word, omitted
by a new scribe, was added later at the margin, by Vaidya, the main scribfe
The manuscript itself13, as it becomes clear from a note at the title-page, was
presented to the BhSrat ItihSs Samšodhak Magdal by a member of the
Vaidya family.
Mythological Information
" The Essence of Alakã mãhõtmya " informs us that the woods surro»
unding that place were called Anandavan, were linked up with the woods
adjoining Bhimashankar, and were a constant place of pastime of god Šiva;
In length, Alandi was six yojana-s, or 24 koša-s. " The Essence " tells about
the ancient nature of the local rural god Siddheshvar, established by Kubera,
who followed his master from the KailSs mount to this place, and mentions
that Alankäpür was one of the eighteen šivapítha s, especially significant for
achievement of all siddhi- s. The tirtha formed by the confluence of the Indrg»
yaçl river flowing there with a small spring called the KuberagangS is also
named after Kubera. Ablutions there on Sundays during the month of Paug*
are considered especially favourable. Close by there is a small peninsula
known as Siddhabet chosen by rsi s and slddha- s for performing austerities.
Indra's appearance there was responsible for the emergence of the IndrSyaQi
river. On:e, when ài va was performing his tãndava dance and all gods änd
sages were enjoying his art, Indra made fun of Siva's looks. Párvatl got
enraged and cursed him : From now on you will exist in the form of water,
13 To be found separately edited under the title A lamkãmahãtmya by Dr. Mrs Sucheta
Paranjape, elsewehre below in this very Volume. -Ed.
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204 Annals BORI , LXXVllI ( 1997 )
and people will stop worshipping you. " ( Since then there are no r
honour Indra. ) The Indrãyaql source is in the mountains, not far fro
vla and is considered an Indratîrtha. Among other sacred places con
with the worship of god Šiva ( Dhaneshvar, Maruteshvar, Vasishthe
etc. ), the Indreshvar Ungarn is mentioned. It was established by In
the place of the confluence of the Indrâyanî with the Bhimã near T
as supposed by E. P. iChlkarni ). From Siddhabet to the village of C
the Indrãyani flows south, and this section is considered highly aus
In AlakS (Alandi) itself ablutions in Chakratirtha (situated beh
temple of Pundalika, as indicated by E, P. Kulkami ) are especially m
ous. Once, when Šiva was meditating, an asura named Cakra cam
feeling lust, decided to kidnap Pãrvati. As Pãrvati was unable to
áiva's meditation, she called Visnu in her mind, who after a terrible
defeated the asura by his cakra . The asura happened to be a vidyãdh
had been cursed, and now was relieved of the curse with the streng
Visnu's cakra ; he asked the god to name the place after this w
Behind the temple of Dattãtreya under the pimpal-tree, ( as indicat
P. Kulkarni) there are Visnupada - footprints of Visnu. Ancestor w
is considered especially meritorious in this place.
" Our Alandi," proceeding not only from Namdev, Parisa Bhag
Eknath and other saints, but referring also to Sahyädri-khanda ( fra
. in Sanskrit ), Alandi-mãhãtmya and Dnyandev-lílãmrt ( quotations i
thi), supplies the following information about the greatness of Alan
was the habitat of Šiva, all gods used to come there to perform aus
At a distance of about 10 miles from Alandi ( in Indori ? ) there
remnants of pits which are believed to have b^en used by Indra duri
ficial ceremonies. The rather short Indrãyaçí ( 50-60 miles long ) is
for its miraculous power. Devendrá, who had been affected with ulce
cured after he followed áiva's advice and washed himself with Indrâ
water. Because of Šiva's constant stay there, Alandi became the
Prayag, with a triple confluence of the invisible Bhãgirathi with the
Maçikarnikã and Indrãyani. This is the very place where the asu
decided to vex Pãrvati, and since the latter could not break Siva's me
she appealed to Ví§qu. Cakra was ready to die at the hand of Vis^
relieved from the curse put upon him, but as a preliminary he asked
to name the place of his destruction after him. Thus appeared Chakr
which is used for immersing the remnants left after cremation, which ar
jieved to get transformed into pure water there. The Siddhabet pen
washed by the Indrãyani and the Kuberagangã, named after Kubera
practised austerities here and satisfied god Siva. Referring to the Dn
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GlushKOVa : In Quest of Aland i - Mãhã t my a 205
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206 Amais BORI, LXXVllI ( 1991 )
eighth day of each half of the month in the sacred Kaubera river. Kuber
founded the Ungarn of MahSsiva, i. e. Kaubera, at the place where alread
god Siddhešvar had been living. The subsequent lines contain details abou
the IndrSpi ( Indrãyaní ) rjver and Chakratirtha, and mention also oth
significant spots at the described place. Indra again made fun of Šiva and
was cursed by Pãrvati. Indra first mollified Pãrvati and then satisfied Ši
by a severe penance, who, though unable to nullify Parvati's curse, co
forted Indra as follows : " The river born from your body will be my fav
urite" (43). And thus the Indrãyaní came from índratirtha. Indra,
the way, established the Indresvara lingaiti at the place of his penance on o
of the Sahyãdri peaks, and this place along with ( the liňgam of) Siddhesh
( ! ) was named Devaküta ( God's peak ). The theme of a fight betw
Vi§nu and Cakra, the asura , who insulted Pãrvati by revealing his lust, i
elaborated in detail. Not wishing to disturb Šiva, who fell into deep medit
tion after their merry pastime, Pãrvati invoked Jagannãtha in her though
and Viçnu appeared there immediately. The asura was destroyed with the
cakra and asked to preserve the name of the weapon as a toponym, and t
endow the place with the same destructive poweras regards sins. Visnu s
gled out the place and made it " the king of tirtha -s," which was able to
provide all merits and in which ancestor's bones were to be immersed. Tho
sands of footprints of Visnu remained there, too, which are used for mak
offerings to ancestors. Visnu himself rejoiced at the place and decided to
stay there.
Alongside the elaboration of the two themes of the Indrãyaçl river and
Chakratirtha, information about other sacred spots of the place is included,
too. The theme of the Indrãyaní contains mentions of Vasishtheshvar and
Marut liñgam-s ; of the lake Siddha, situated in the Indrãyaní, and of
Siddhabet, situated in front of the confluence of ( probably.) the Indrãyaçl
with the Kaubera, the bathing in which cures T. B., leprosy, poisoning and
epilepsy ; of Shalitirtha, Vayutirtha, Chandikatirtha, Kamatirtha and Siddha-
tirtha, situated nearby and close to each other. Then Alakãvati, i. e. Alandi,
is identified with Chakratirtha, where three rivers become one -the Indrã-
yaní. Ablution performed in this place brings the greatest merits, which are
described at great length, and one who bathes there attains the paradise of
Visçiu and becomes one with Visiiu. Immediately after that comes the infor-
mation that god Mahešvara ( ! ) dwells in the confluence of the three rivers.
Further the greatness of Alandi is stressed once more, and then an enumera-
tion of successive tîrtha-s - Kotitirtha, Chakratirtha (! ), Bhairavatirtha,
Vasishthatirtha, Sarvatitirtha, Kapilamochanatirtha, Chagadatirtha, Gunavi-
mochanatirtha, Sandhyatirtha, Vishvatirtha, Hariharatirtha, Gokarnatirtha
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Glushkova : In Quest of Alandi -Mãhãtmya 207
14 K. Neurgavkar, 25.
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208 Annals BORI , LXXVIII ( 1997 )
one of the generally accepted names of Alaka, cannot but bring reminiscenc
of the mythological AlakS from the Himalayas, the ancestral place of Kuber
In the light of the " river problematics " and the etymology of Alaka on
may be reminded that the first flow of the Bhägirathl ( which is mention
in connection with a triple confluence ), i. e„ the celestial GaňgS, descend
to the earth due to the eflors of king Bhngîratha and became known as th
AlakanandS. The same name is attributed to one of the streamlets formin
the proper Gangã.lS
The role of Kubera attracts even more attention due to the fact that it
is he, an ardent adept of Šiva, who is considered the founder of the Siddhe
svara Ungarn. Nevertheless, according to the Sanskrit mãhãtmya, Kubera
established the Ungarn of Mahäsiva under the name of Kaubera at the pla
where Siddhesvara ( may be already ? ) had b ¿en dwelling, and the followin
iloka concludes : " This place of pilgrimage, like Alakä, alloted by Siddhesvar
possesses Šiva who is called Kaubera, and there is Nandl, a giver of wealth
( 21 ). The mäbätmya states that the Indresvara Ungarn was erected at th
SahySdri peak by the repenting Indra and that " this place, along with th
Siddhešvara liňgam, was named DevakO{a ( God's peak ). " ( 32 ). Further, th
location of Siddhesvara has shifted - it is mentioned again after the enume
ration of all other tirtha- s situated either in Alakä itself or outside it ( 75
One more touch to the ambiguities arising regarding the location of Siddh
svara is added by one of Namdev's abhaňga- s denoting Khed ( now the cen
of taluka embracing Alandi ) as a place of Siddh-'svara's dwelling ( " ... ther
is the god Siddhesvara to the north at the village of Khetak Bh igirathi //
( 996 ), and the contemporary author Sadanandamaharaj Alandikar under-
stands this as referring to the place of Rajguru in Khed).u This is wor
15 The name of tbe Manikarniks, one of the constituents of the " triple confluence,"
minds of the Manikaraa lake situated in Himachal-Pradesh. According to traditiona
belief the lake got its name after a precious stone had dropped from Siva's ear into
the lake.
M A fuller context might be helpful-#« he sivaktetra pratyakia / pürve miïtulihg
sUksa I tethehi ke'sava pratyaksa / caturbhiya rUps ase II 7 // daksin puttyekva
devo I nãgesvar tnahãdcvo I mUaJptthi nãgendri pãhTivo / trivenirïïpc vïïhata
II 8 II paicitne induriye devo / brahme'svar uttam fhSvo / uttare siddhesvar
devo I khetak grämt bhãgtrathi II 9 II. It would be unjust to omit the followin
lines - madhyasthali he indrZyant / sarsi bhãítratht v ah ini / siddhe'svar sobh
sthãnl / dnyUnadevo sahita // 10 II, Namdev is describing the location of four tem
ples, one of which - the Siddhesvara - is situated to the north of the central point
which might be understood as a point of observation. It is the Indräyaat which
situated in the middle ( or, to be more precise, a concrete spot at its bank, i. e. Alanka-
puri I Alandi ). Further Namdev mentions the Siddhesvara for the second time, bu
pow it is found in immediate proximity to Dnyaneshvar, i. e. to his samãdhi. Ther
( Continued.on the next page. )
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Glushkova s In Quest of Hlandl-Mãhã tmya 209
Among the tlrtha- s linked to Alandi and besides such sacred spots as
Chakratirtha and Siddhabet there are mentions of Vasishtheshvar and Maru-
teshvar in " The Essence " and the Sanskrit mãhãtmya, and of Shalitirtha,
Vayutirtha and Chandikatirtha in the ( once ) available pages of the Marathi
mãhãtmya. The names of other tïrtha-s, enumerated in greater numbers in
the Sanskrit mãhãtmya, are generally used within Indian religious geography,
and each of th;m is repeated over and over again in different parts of India
in general and Maharashtra in particular. Thus, for example, Chakratirtha,19
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2i0 Àìtnals BORI, LXXVIII ( 1997 )
whose legend forms one of the two stable themes, might have been
related to Chakratirtha of Kuruk§etra, which originated as a result o
throwing his cakra at Bhlçma. The most famous Chakratirthas
rashtra itself are situated close to Mahur and near Nasik. It is also almost
impossible to count the number of Kofitlrthas, explained in the light of diffe-
rent mystifications connected with áiva, such as his ten million appearances,
or water brought by him from ten million tïrtha- s, etc. One of the Chakra-
tirthas, for example, is found at the source of the NarmadS, and another
on the right bank of the GodSvarl. Gokargitirtha in situated between
Karvar and Akola, and, according to the traditional belief, it was there that
after an episode with Ahalyä the cursed Indra washed away his sin ( cf. a
similar episode from " Our Alandi, " in which Devendrá was purified by
Indrãyaç! wit¿r ). Tne information about the more renowned tïrtha- s of
the same name can be provid :d regarding almost each unit mentioned in
the Sanskrit mãhãtmya and what is more, in a number of places tlrtha-s
are enumerated in approximately the same sequence : thus, there is Kotitirtha,
situated near the above mentioned Gokarnatirlha ; Hariharatirtha, situated
near Chakratirtha at the TungabhadrS river, etc. Kurukshetra, Gaya, and
Pandharpur too, as well as many other places have their own Vi§Qupadas.
Some of these tirtha & from the Sanskrit mãhãtmya are Vaiçnava, others are
Saiva, and their combination in the framework of one " glorification, " devo-
ted to some sacred place, can be explained by two adjacent plots with the lead-
ing role of Šiva and Visiju respectively, and, in a broader, sense, by the reli-
gious history of the relationship of áaivism and Vaiçnavism in Maharashtra.
Both " Our Alandi " and the Sanskrit mãhãtmya exploit the dialogue
between BrahmS and NSrada in which the former explains to the latter the
greatness of Alandi. " Our Alandi " attributes this dialogue to Dnyãndeva •
lilãmrta. So, though there are no full coincidences in the four publications
under discussion, the parallelism of plots and a number of common toponyms
lead to an assumption of the existence of a normative source ( a meta-möAäf-
myaì ) used by the authors of all four narratives. As all of them unanimo-
usly refer to the Sahyâdri-khaçda of the Skanda-purãna, it would be natural
to pay attention to this source, in the first place, and to look for an Alakã /
Ãlandí -mãhãtmya there. As far as I am aware, the only printed edition of
SahyBdri-khagda, a mythological, historical and geographical description of
Western India, was compiled in Bombay in 18*77 by Jerson da Cunha, on the
basis of fourteen manuscripts. L0 Neither in the 21st, 60th chapters of the first
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Glushkovà i In Quest of Âlandí-Mãhãtmya 211
half, nor in the 21st chapter of the second half and the supplementary
mãhãtmya-s , is there anything similar to any name of Alandi. The dialogue
between BrahmS and Närada is also absent. And, though it is generally
accepted that the Skanda-purãna , being the vastest of the Purägas, is chara-
cterised by friability and uncertainty with respect to its constituents, and that
much of what is ascribed to it exists as independent legends,21 one cannot
neglect the fact that the above-mentioned volume of the Sahyãdri-khanda
was prepared on the basis of fourteen manuscripts ! Therefore, the next stage
of research can be formulated as the search for other manuscripts of the
Sahyãdri-khanda and/or the Alakã / Ãlandi -mahatmya. True, as the SahyS-
dri-khanda contains substantial fragments dedicated to different castes and
the origin of Chitpavan Brahmans, in particular ( and to a much lesser extent
to the description of sacred places ), and is written with a distinctly negative
attitude towards Chitpavans, during the Peshvas' times copies of the SahyS-
dri-khanda were withdrawn from circulation and destroyed, and their owners
were subjected to punishment.22
Afterword
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212 Annals BORI , LXXVIll f 1997 )
myself a good target for " shooting " questions like those of P
Bakker, whom I had asked to read the paper : " Where does this infor
come from ? is there an Ãlandi-mãhãtmya in existence ? When it is
etc." Launching the search for the Ãlandí-mãhãtmya, I did not
that its results would turn out to be so scant. I do not think, never
that it is time to lose heari, and I am positively sure that search sho
continued. Many times Dr. R. C. Dhere, an untiring scholar of
rashtrian sacral literature and folklore, has come out with the same
Stating an important idea that Álandi is not an " old " šivapitha onl
devï pít ha too, he could not but exclaim : " What sense there could
speaking about other places, if even Alandi has not yet become an o
intense search ! At the same time, by the way, R. C. Dhere men
odd pages of the Marathi Alakãmãhãtmya available at the Bhärat
Samsodhak Mandai, probably being unaware that they are not there an
After this article had been written I visited Alandi again and co
a few pieces of new information. I met Vijay Eknath Kulkami, son of
Eknath Pandharinath Kulkami, and a freelance priest in the temple co
of the Dnyaneshvar samãdhi. He confirmed the existence of Alandi
mya in the form of a chãpll pot hi ( a printed book ) and added tha
been borrowed by somebody after his father's death in 1980 and never ret
ed it. He eventually succeaded with the help of his old mother to re
the identity of the borrower, and now is trying to get that book b
also made an attempt to identify some Ungarns mentioned by his f
" The Essence of Ãlandí-mãhãtmya'9 by locating Dhaneshvar in D
( about 6 km to the east of Alandi ), Maruteshvar in Markal ( about
to the east of Alandi ), and Vasishtheshvar under the name of Vaghes
Charholi.
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Glushkova : In Quest of Ãlandi-Mãhãtmya 2l3
There are two spots which are habitually percepted as the points of the
triple confluence in Alandi. One of them is located close to Pundalika-
temple and Chakratirtha and Í3 known as " Triveçï Bhäglrathl Kuçda. "
Nothing like actual confluence can be traced there, but, according to general
belief, it takes place underground. The other spot at the place traditionally
called Siddhabet is marked by the actual confluence of the IndrSyanI and the
KuberagangS. V. L. Manjul suggested that the triple confluence might be
related to the confluence of the BhlmS, BhSmS and Indrãyagl at the place of
Tulapur, situated some 7 km from Alandi.
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