1G8 Ram Narayan — Translation of the Ayodhyu-Mahdtmya. [Xu. 2, 



fortably resided at Ayodhya, Bharata went to pay Lis visit to Bhairava and 

 built a temple for him." 



Chapter XXVI. 



Then Mahadeva said, " Goddess, at that time there appeared a cow, 

 from the teats of which sweet milk spontaneously issued. It fell upon the 

 ground, on seeing which monkeys and bears were struck with astonishment, 

 and asked S'ri Raghunandana, what the cause of its appearance was. Rarna- 

 chandra answered, ' You should ask the spiritual guide Vasishtha this ques- 

 tion.' They then went to him, headed by Raghundtha, and recpuested him 

 to reply to the point in epiestion. After some meditation, he said that the 

 cow had come for their sake, and that the place where its milk had fallen, 

 should in future be called Kshira-kunda. Kshires'var Mahadeva had 

 appeared in it, pleased with him because he had subdued his enemies and 

 performed the work of the gods ; he should therefore worship him with 

 Janaki. Raghunandan worshipped the image as told by Vas'ishtha, and from 

 that time it has been called D ugh d e s' vara, and the kunda, Sita- 

 kunda, because it was built by her. He who visits Dughdes 'vara and 

 bathes in it, is absolved from his sins ; and he who worships Sita, Rama, 

 Lakshmana, and Dughdes'vara here, obtains his wishes. The pilgrimage to 

 it is performed on the fourteenth of the light half of Jyaishtha. He who per- 

 forms it goes to heaven, and is freed from all kinds of grief. 



" To the east of it is Sugriva-kund, near which is Shabh, where 

 by bathing, giving alms, and worshipping Rama, a man gains that very day 

 his desires. East of it is H a n u m a t - k u n d a, to the west of which is 

 Bibhishana Sar. A man by bathing in both, giving alms and wor- 

 shipping Rama here immediately obtains his wishes. West of it is the 

 abode of A s t i k a Muni, by visiting which one is freed from the fear of 

 serpents. In its neighbourhood is the residence of R am an ik a Muni, 

 the mere sight of which destroys all sins. 



" West of that is the kund of Gr h r i t a c h i Apsara in the water of 

 the Sarayu, like that of Nirmala. In former times, there was a devotee named 

 Vatsa, who wandered about on the Himalaya without food, and restrained his 

 passions. Indra saw him and became jealous, lest he might seize his throne, 

 and sent Ghritachi Apsara to disturb him. The Muni saw how adorned she 

 was with beautiful clothes and costly ornaments, became restless, and in his 

 anger cursed her. He said, ' Thou art proud of thy beauty and disturbest 

 devotees, go and be ugly !' Deformed through the curse she fell to his feet, 

 and solicited him with folded hands, and spoke thus — ' Have pity on me and 

 forgive my fault, I am not independent ; I have come here at the command 

 of another ; tell me, therefore, how I may be released from your curse.' The 

 Muni replied, ' There is a kund at Ayodhya, in the water of the Sarayu, west 



