Lord Shiva said:
WORSHIP me especially by circumambulating me everyday. For I, the Lord of Sonachala am pleased when devotees circumambulate me.
Gautama Rishi: As the Lord commanded I always live here and worship Arunachala.
Upon this Gowri asked the Sage: Knower of all dharmas! Gautama! Kindly describe to me the glory of circumambulating Arunachala. When is it to be done and how? Who are they who have till now circumambulated it and attained their objects? Who has attained the supreme state by doing so?
Gautama replied: ‘Goddess! Hear what the great Siva told me.
He said: While I abide gloriously on earth as Arunachala all the devatas and munis circumambulate Me.
At every step that one takes on the path round Me all the sins committed in one’s past lives are expiated. By circumambulating Me one obtains the merit of performing thousands of horse sacrifices, innumerable Vajapeyas (a particular sacrifice) and bathing in all the tirthas. Even a great sinner who has no good deed to his credit can attain all kinds of powers by circumambulating Me. Merit acquired by bathing in all the tirthas, by performing all the sacrifices, by studying all the scriptures and by following all the dharmas can be easily acquired by merely circumambulating Sonachala.
One attains this world, (i.e. the earth) at the first step, the middle world at the second step and the world of the devas at the third step. At the first step sins committed mentally are destroyed, at the second the sins committed by speech and at the third the sins committed by the body.
There are thousands of ashrams of munis and siddhas and abodes of devas around Me. I myself abide here always in the form of a Siddha worshipped by the devas. Let one imagine a divine abode gloriously existing within Me. What is known as Arunadri is really a Column of Effulgence. Meditating on this great Linga one should circumambulate it slowly. If one does so all sins will be
expiated. One will not be born again and will certainly become eternally one with Sonachala.
expiated. One will not be born again and will certainly become eternally one with Sonachala.
The moment one takes a step with the intention of circumambulating Sonagiri the very earth becomes extremely pure by coming into contact with the dust of one’s feet. At every point of the compass one should meditate and bring the palms together in praise and reverence. One should walk carefully, slowly and noiselessly. Before setting out a bath should be taken, clean clothes should be put on, sacred ash applied on the body, and rudraksha beads worn. While circumambulating one should meditate on Siva. Thousands of invisible manus, devatas, siddhapurushas and others accompany a devotee who circumambulates in this manner.
Therefore a wise man should, even amidst a crowd, tread with great care regarding the Hill as divine. One may also walk in the company of devotees singing the sacred names of Siva and dancing. Alms should be given on the way according to one’s means and one should remember Siva in the heart with love and devotion.
This Hill is incomprehensible, being beyond speech and thought. It is unapproachable, being a mass of fire. It is the Absolute and therefore called the Supreme.
A devotee who circumambulates the Hill on a Sunday penetrates the region of the Sun and attains Liberation. He gains the world of Siva. He who circumambulates the Hill on a Monday lives free from the afflictions of old age and death. He who circumambulates the Hill on a Tuesday is released from all debts and becomes an emperor. If pradakshina is done on Wednesday, he becomes omniscient and wise; on Thursday, he is worshipped by all the devas and attains fame as a guru. Circumambulation on a Friday brings prosperity and takes him to the abode of Vishnu; a Saturday pradakshina brings worldly success and averts the ill-effects threatened by the planets in one’s horoscope. If those who suffer from physical and mental ailments, as well as those who are weak and emaciated, circumambulate Me, their ailments are cured.
The nakshatras (stars) and the devatas (deities) presiding over the planets favour those who circumambulate the Hill. Tithi, karana, yoga, muhurta, hora etc., (divisions of time) are also favourably disposed.
The sound pra in the word pradakshina (circumambulation) means rooting out sins, da, granting desires, kshi, obliterating the fruits of karma and na, bestowing Liberation. This is the real meaning of the word pradakshina.
Arunachala Mahatmyam
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