1-Brahm Puraan,   2-Padm Puraan,  3-Vishnu Puraan,  4-Shiv Puraan,  5-Bhaagvat Puraan,
6-Naarad Puraan,  7-Maarkandeya Puraan,  8-Agni Puraan,  9-Bhavishya Puraan,
10-Brahm Vaivart Puraan,  11-Ling Puraan,   12-Varaah Puraan, 13-Skand Puraan,
14-Vaaman Puraan,  15-Koorm Puraan,  16-Matsya Puraan,  17-Garud Puraan,  18-Brahmaand Puraan
 

1-Maaheshwar Khand

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(p 72) Muni asked - "O Soot Jee, Please describe the 5 Teerth on Southern Sea because many Muni talk a lot about them." Ugrashravaa Jee said - "First I will tell you that story which Naarad Jee told about Arjun. In the days of yore, once Arjun went to Teerth Yaatraa. Passing via Manipur, he came to Southern Sea coast where he desired to take bath in 5 Teerth Places. These Teerth were the same Teerth which were abandoned even by Tapaswee and instructed others also not to go there. Among those 5 Teerth, the first Teerth is Kumaaresh which is favorite Teerth of all Muni. The second Teerth is Stammesh, which is favorite of Saubhadra Muni. The third Teerth is Varkaareshwar which is favorite of Indra's wife Shachee. The fourth one is Mahaakaaleshwar  which is favorite Teerth of Raajaa Karandham. And the fifth name is Siddhesh which is favorite to Maharshi Bharadwaaj.

Arjun had the Darshan of all these 5 Teerth. In fact these 5 Teerth were the roots of great Punya. Arjun asked Naarad etc Muni - "These Teerth are very beautiful and seem to be very auspicious, then why Brahmchaaree have abandoned them?" Tapaswee replied - "Hey Kuru Nandan, Five crocodiles live in these 5 Teerth. Whoever goes in these waters, they pull them away inside the waters that is why these Teerth have been abandoned." Hearing this Arjun  desired to take bath in those Teerth. Muni said to him - "Arjun, You must not go there, because those crocodiles have already killed many kings and Muni. You have already visited so many Teerth during your 12 years travel, then why are you after these Teerth? Don't go there like the insect who gives his life on the flame."

Arjun said - "Hey Munivar, So kind of you to warn me about all this, still I wish to say something - "Whoever goes with the desire of doing good to others, Mahaatmaa do not stop him to do that. This life is short-lived like a lightening, so if it goes in doing good to others, it is good. Whose life, wealth, wife, son, farms and house are gone in doing the Punya actions, only they are the worthy to be called as human beings." So Tapswee there had to permit him to go there. Arjun greeted all the Muni and with their blessings he took bath in the Teerth Stammesh, which was favorite of Saubhadra Muni. At the same time a large crocodile caught his foot. Arjun was very powerful, so he pulled the crocodile out of the water. And as he brought the crocodile out of the water, that crocodile turned into a beautiful woman adorned with beautiful clothes and ornaments. Arjun asked her - "Kalyaanee, Who are you? How did you get this form of the crocodile? Why did you commit such a great sin?"

That woman said - "Hey Kuntee Nandan, I am an Apsaraa who lived in Nandan Van of Indra Lok. My name is Varchaa. I have four more friends who are all beautiful and can wander at will. One day we all five went to a forest from Indra's palace. There we saw a Braahman who was sitting alone and was studying. He was very handsome. The whole forest was shining by his Tej of his Tapasyaa. Seeing this I came near him with the disturbing his Tap. Saurabheyee, Saameyee, Budbudaa, Lataa and I all came to him together and started to attract him by singing and playing. In spite of doing all this, he was not attracted to us. He got tired of our all efforts, so he cursed us - "You all become crocodile and live in water for 100 years." Hearing this curse we all got afraid and went to him for his forgiveness. We requested him to forgive us - "We have done very wrong with you, still you are able to forgive our mistake. Please forgive us."

The sage kindly said to us - "We ask why are you born? What is the use of your life? Answer after thinking properly. We do not insult women who are the mothers of all. We insult only those men who do not behave properly with women. Brahmaa Jee has created the man and woman couple to expand his creation, therefore they should behave only with their feelings. Whoever woman has been given to a man in the presence of Agni, keeping the relationship with the same woman is considered the best. In this city of 5 comforts, there are 11 warriors vigilating it. A man who has his own wife and children, how does he become senseless? One lives with a woman so that he can have a son who can do good to the world. But who establishes his seed in somebody else' field, Yam Raaj says about him that first he is the enemy of Anna (grains and cereals, or food), then he is the enemy of Pitri and in the end he is the enemy of the whole world. Such man lives in dark Hell for unlimited time. Devtaa, Pitri, Rishi, Manushya (A-Tithi or guest) all live depending upon human beings, therefore it is apt for a human being that he should always be ready to do their good.

Who has controlled his mind, speech, tongue (taste), hands and ears, he is called Hans Teerth, rest are Kaak Teerth. Whoever Tamo Gunee people live among Kaak Teerth people with the Hans Teerth mind, what purpose they have with Devtaa? Whoever thinks that the world is made in this way, how he can commit any sin to get even Tri-Lok kingdom? O Apsaraa, I have seen this directly in Yam Lok, then how can I be deluded (Mohit)? You will live as a crocodile in the water in a forest. After living for some time when some good man will pull you out of the water, then only you will regain your own original form. I have never told a lie even in jest. As a person has to do Praayashchit (atonement) for drinking a bad drink or for touching an impure thing in the same way, you will also be pure after this curse."

The woman said - "After that we went around that Rishi and came back. We were about this curse, so we started thinking that how to spend minimum time under this curse so that we can reach to that person as quickly as possible. In the meantime Naarad Jee came there. We all greeted him  with respect and stood before him. He asked the reason of our worry and we told him the whole story. Naarad Jee advised us to go to the 5 Teerth on Southern Sea. Arjun will come there and free you from this curse, so we all come here and started living here. Now you can make his words true." Hearing all this from Varchaa, Arjun went in all the Teerth, pulled out all the crocodiles and freed all the 5 Apsaraa from that Rishi's curse. All Apsaraa greeted and blessed Arjun and went away to their Lok.

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