Tristhalisetu

(“The bridge to the Three Holy Cities”)
Pilgrimage text written by the great
scholar Narayana Bhatta (approx.
1513–1570) that was intended to give the
readers precise instructions for correctly
performing the pilgrimage rites at three
important sites: Allahabad, a bathing
(snana) place at the junction of the
Ganges and Yamuna Rivers; Benares,
which is renowned as a city of culture
and religious learning; and Gaya in
Bihar, a major site for the shraddha
rites for the dead. The text begins with a
710
Trishanku
section devoted to pilgrimage in general,
giving the rules for its performance, and
continues with three sections giving the
prescriptions for pilgrimages to
Allahabad, Benares, and Gaya. The
Tristhalisetu is an important example of
the class of commentarial literature
known as nibandhas (“collections”).
The nibandhas were compendia of
Hindu lore, in which the compilers
culled references on a particular theme
from the Vedas, dharma literature,
puranas, and other authoritative religious texts, and then compiled these
excerpts into a single volume, often with
their own commentary. Narayana
Bhatta was one of the most learned men
of his time, and he was attempting to
define everything precisely, based on his
sources, so that people would know how
to do the right thing. The initial section
of this text has been edited and translated
by Richard Salomon as The Bridge to the
Three Holy Cities, 1985.