What are the benefits of undertaking a pilgrimage to Pushkar Tirtha?

Question

The Pushkar Tirtha{pilgrimage place}, is a very holy place in India{located in the state of Rajasthan}.

It is believed that taking a bath at Pushkar Tirtha,destroys the sins of the devotees{including the sins that were caused in the previous birth}.

It is mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.12.61) that

When one self-controlled and fasting studies this collection of verses at [the holy places of] Pushkara, Mathurâ or Dvârakâ, one will be freed from the fear [of time, or of a material life, see also 1.13: 19].

Many well-known vedic Sages like Agastya, Pulastya, Markandeya and Vishwamitra,etc, have performed penance at Pushkar.

Pushkar Tirtha, has many temples. The most important temple in Pushkar Tirtha is the Brahma temple.

It is understood that many philosophers/theologians, from the present era, like Shri Adi Shankaracharya visited Pushkar Tirtha and performed worship there. Shri Adi Shankaracharya also got the Brahma Temple at Pushkar Tirtha renovated.

Tens of thousands of people visit Pushkar Tirtha, during the Karthika period {Oct/Nov} each year, and a great festival is also conducted there.

What is the significance of Pushkar Tirtha?

What are the benefits of undertaking a pilgrimage to Pushkar Tirtha?

Answer 1

Story of Puskara Tirtha is mentioned in detail in Shristi Khanda of Padma Purana.

When Savitri was late for Yajna, Brahma married a Gayatri at this Pushkara site. In anger, Savitri cursed all Gods and Goddesses. Savitri cursed the Brahma as follows:

145-148."If I have practised penance, if I have pleased my preceptors in the groups of brahmanas, and at various places, brahmanas will never offer you worship, except your annual worship (that falls) in the month of Kartika which the brahmanas will (alone) offer, but not other men at any other place on the earth.

So, people visit Pushkara during Kartika Masa.

Chapter 21, The Greatness of Puskara and Some Important Vows and subsequent chapters of Shristi Khanda describes greatness of Pushkara and Vows to be performed.

Benefits of Visiting Brahma tirtha or Pushkara Tirtha is mentioned in Chapter 129 of Reva Khanda- Avantya Khanda of Skanda Purana.

There at that Tirtha, Brahma, the most excellent one among Suras, the grandfather of all the worlds, resorted to the banks of Narmada. Merely by seeing him the Lord of Devas washes off the sins of the four Varnas, committed earlier, including all mental and verbal ones and those arising from activities of the body.

The eminent Brahmanas who take their holy bath and perform the expiatory rites enjoined by Srutis and Smrtis have their residence in heaven. Those who are oppressed by lust and greed and abandon the scriptural texts and then prescribe expiatory rites (as they please) fall into hell. A sinner should take his holy bath at the outset and bow down to Brahma. Then he shall confess his sin. His sin perishes quickly like darkness at sunrise.

He who takes his holy bath there in the Tirtha and adores Pitrs and deities, derives the excellent benefit of Agnistoma Yajña. Whatever is gifted away as Dana there at that Tirtha with Brahma in view, becomes everlasting in its benefits.

If Japa is carried out merely of the Gayatri Mantra there, it shall become as meritorious as one of the Rk, Yajus and Sama Vedas. There is no doubt about it. If anyone were to cast off his body, usually very difficult to be cast off, in the Tirtha there, his return from the world of Brahma is undoubtedly impossible. He is honoured in Devaloka for as many thousand years as there are bones of embodied beings in the Brahma Tirtha.

Thereafter, he comes down into the world (here) and is reborn as one knowing Brahman in a noble family. He shall be the most excellent one among all the Varnas like the great deity among Devas. He will be well-versed in all the lores and a master of the Vedas and their Angas. He will be undoubtedly honoured in the world by kings.

He will be accompanied by sons and grandsons and will be free from all ailments. By the power of Brahma Tirtha, he will live more than a hundred years.

The noble souls who visit this meritorious Tirtha, the most excellent one for those endowed with knowledge, a Tirtha that destroys all sins, attain immortality.

Answer 2

He is a poor man who having gone to a tirtha hath not fasted for three nights, who hath not given away gold, and who hath not distributed kine. Indeed, one acquireth not, by the performance of the Agnishtoma and other sacrifices distinguished by large gifts, that merit which one requireth by a sojourn to a tirtha. In the world of men, there is that tirtha of the God of gods, celebrated over the three worlds by the name of Pushkara. One that sojourneth there becometh equal unto that deity. O high-souled son of the Kuru race, during the two twilights and mid-day there is the presence of hundred thousand millions of tirthas in Pushkara. The Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the Sadhyas, the Maruts, the Gandharvas, and the Apsaras are ever present, O exalted one, in Pushkara. It was there, O king, that the gods, the Daityas and Brahmarshis, having performed ascetic devotions there, obtained great merit and finally attained to god-hood.'"

"Men of self-control, by even thinking mentally of Pushkara, are cleansed from their sins, and regarded in heaven. O king, the illustrious grand-sire having the lotus for his seat, had dwelt with great pleasure in this tirtha. O blessed one, it was in Pushkara that the gods with the Rishis having acquired of old great merit, finally obtained the highest success. The person who, devoted to the worship of the gods and the Pitris, batheth in this tirtha, obtaineth, it hath been said by the wise, merit that is equal to ten times that of the horse-sacrifice. Having gone to the Pushkara woods, he that feedeth even one Brahmana, becometh happy here and hereafter, O Bhishma, for that act. He that supporteth himself on vegetables and roots and fruits, may with pious regard and without disrespect, give even such fare to a Brahmana.

Sage Lomasa reciting to Yudhisthira the Pushkara Tirtha benefits of what Pulastya told to Bhishma about Pushkara Tirtha yatra.

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