Kashmir - Nilamanta Purana

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Kashmir is the most beautiful region in the Bharata

Varsa. Its history is documented in the Nilamanta

Purana ( at http://www.jammu-kashmir.org/KOA/Purana ).

 

1-2. Having paid homage to the god Hari - the abode of

Sri, the giver of boons, the highest lord, the master

of three worlds, the finder of cow (earth), the

imperishable and the unchangeable - the honourable

king Janamejaya, the supporter of the family of

Pariksita, asked Vyasa's pupil Vaisampayana.

 

3. Janamejaya (said): "Kings of various countries -

the great heroes - came to the great Bharata war of my

forefathers.

 

4-5. Say, why did not the king of Kas'mira come there

? Why was that king not chosen by the sons of Pandu

and Dhrtarastra? The region of Kas'mira, of course,

occupies an important place in the world.

 

6. Vaisampayana (said): "Accompanied by his four-fold

armies (the king of Kas'mira) went to the Svayamvara

to fight with Madhava, the son of Vasudeva.

 

7. A fight between him and the wise Vasudeva took

place there as had taken place between Naraka and

Vasudeva.

 

8-9. Consequently he was thrown down by Vasudeva in

that good combat. Out of respect for that country,

Vasudeva coronated his pregnant queen, so that the

posthumous son might rule.

 

10. Afterwards, she gave birth to a male child who was

named Gonanda. Being a child, he was brought neither

by the Pandavas nor by the Kauravas."

 

11. Janamejaya (spoke): "O best among the twice-born,

why did the high-minded Vasudeva honour (so much) the

country that he himself coronated a woman ?"

 

12- 13. Vaisampayana (said): "O best amongst the

kings, the goddess Uma is the same as Kas'mira. What

was formerly, an enjoyable, heart-enrapturing lake for

six Manvantaras since the beginning of the Kalpa,

became a beautiful territory in this Manvantara.

 

14-16. Filled with rows of rice-fields, fully thriving

and endowed with good fruits etc., inhabited by the

people who perform sacrifices and are engaged in

self-study and contemplation - virtuous ascetics

well-versed in the Vedas and the Vedangas - by highly

prosperous Ksatriyas adept in (the use of) all the

arms and weapons, by Vaisyas engaged in (earning) the

means of livelihood, and by gudras serving the

twice-born, it is bedecked with the temples of the

gods and all the holy places, and is auspicious.

 

17. 0 protector of men ! all the sacred places, which

are on the earth, are there. Thronged with the

hermitages of the sages ( it is ) pleasant in heat and

cold and is auspicious.

 

18. Unconquerable by the enemy-kingdoms, ignorant of

the fears born of them, rich in cows, horses.

elephants etc. it is devoid of the fear of famines.

 

19. Not dependent on rains, enjoyable, holy,

beneficial for living beings, endowed with the

qualities (of producing) all grains, it is devoid of

dangers and is thickly populated.

 

20. Possessed of the grace like that of a temple due

to the (presence of) tender ladies, it is devoid of

evil serpents, tigers, buffaloes and bears.

 

21. Always full of festivals, twangings of the bows

and the sounds of the Vedic recitals, it is crowded

with ever- sportive men and is surrounded by ever

happy persons.

 

22. Full of gardens and pleasure-groves and resounding

with the sounds of drums and lutes, it is always

crowded with people fond of drinks and is dear to the

hearts of good men.

 

23. Laden with various types of flowers, fruits,

trees, creepers and medicinal herbs, it is full of

hosts of wild beasts and is enjoyed by the Siddhas and

the Caranas.

 

24-25. O controller of the enemies, the holy region of

Kas'mira is possessed of all the sacred places. There

are sacred lakes of the Nagas and the holy mountains;

there are holy rivers and also the holy lakes; there

are highly sacred temples and also the hermitages

attached to them.

 

 

 

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