DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.614#0180
140 BENARES, PAST AND PBESENT.
the deities peculiar to them. He has thus traversed
the city from south to north, having kept upon the
bank of the river throughout the whole distance, and
passed over every ghat, This pilgrimage is called the
Panch-tfrth, to perform which is considered a very
meritorious act.
The legend connected with the Dasasamedh temple
and ghat, as the foundation of the sanctity of both,
and on account of which the Hindus regard them as
the very gateway to heaven, must not be omitted here.
It is another of the legends connected with the famous
Divodas. It is said that Siva and Gauri (his wife) were
sitting together, one day, on the Mandarachal moun-
tain, when the former exhibited great distress of mind
at not having received any intelligence from Benares
for some time. The city was then in the hands of
Eaja Divodas, who, as already narrated, on accepting
its sovereignty, had expelled from it all the gods, and
S'iva, the head of them all, amongst the number.
Although S'iva had sent several persons, successively,
to inquire into the state of the city, yet none of them
had returned; inasmuch as, on reaching it, every one
had been so captivated with its tranquillity and blessed-
ness, as to have been powerless to quit so happy a
region. In his anxiety, S'iva thought to himself, that,
should I send Brahma (the first god of the Hindu triad),
who is a dear friend of mine, he will, without fail,
bring me word again about its condition. He then
fixed his thoughts on Brahma, who, in obedience to
the secret summons, was immediately at his side. On
arriving, S'iva unburthened his mind to him, and wished
the deities peculiar to them. He has thus traversed
the city from south to north, having kept upon the
bank of the river throughout the whole distance, and
passed over every ghat, This pilgrimage is called the
Panch-tfrth, to perform which is considered a very
meritorious act.
The legend connected with the Dasasamedh temple
and ghat, as the foundation of the sanctity of both,
and on account of which the Hindus regard them as
the very gateway to heaven, must not be omitted here.
It is another of the legends connected with the famous
Divodas. It is said that Siva and Gauri (his wife) were
sitting together, one day, on the Mandarachal moun-
tain, when the former exhibited great distress of mind
at not having received any intelligence from Benares
for some time. The city was then in the hands of
Eaja Divodas, who, as already narrated, on accepting
its sovereignty, had expelled from it all the gods, and
S'iva, the head of them all, amongst the number.
Although S'iva had sent several persons, successively,
to inquire into the state of the city, yet none of them
had returned; inasmuch as, on reaching it, every one
had been so captivated with its tranquillity and blessed-
ness, as to have been powerless to quit so happy a
region. In his anxiety, S'iva thought to himself, that,
should I send Brahma (the first god of the Hindu triad),
who is a dear friend of mine, he will, without fail,
bring me word again about its condition. He then
fixed his thoughts on Brahma, who, in obedience to
the secret summons, was immediately at his side. On
arriving, S'iva unburthened his mind to him, and wished