The Confluence of the Kaveri and Narmada: Kubera's Boon

Verse 1 (padma.3.16.1)

ऋषिरुवाच । पृच्छंति ते महात्मानो नारदं हि महाजनाः युधिष्ठिरपराः सर्वे ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः

ṛṣiruvāca pṛcchaṁti te mahātmāno nāradaṁ hi mahājanāḥ yudhiṣṭhiraparāḥ sarve ṛṣayaśca tapodhanāḥ

The sage said: Those great-souled ones, all the tapas-rich sages, led by Yudhishthira, question Narada —

Verse 2 (padma.3.16.2)

आख्याहि भगवंस्तथ्यं कावेरीसंगमे महत् लोकानां च हितार्थाय अस्माकं च विवृद्धये

ākhyāhi bhagavaṁstathyaṁ kāverīsaṁgame mahat lokānāṁ ca hitārthāya asmākaṁ ca vivṛddhaye

'Declare to us truly, O Lord, the great glory of the confluence of the Kaveri, for the benefit of the world and for our own advancement.'

Verse 3 (padma.3.16.3)

सदा पापरता ये तु नरा दुष्कृतिकारिणः मुच्यंते सर्वपापेभ्यो गच्छंति परमं पदम् एतदिच्छामि विज्ञातुं भगवन्वक्तुमर्हसि

sadā pāparatā ye tu narā duṣkṛtikāriṇaḥ mucyaṁte sarvapāpebhyo gacchaṁti paramaṁ padam etadicchāmi vijñātuṁ bhagavanvaktumarhasi

'Men ever devoted to sin, doers of evil deeds — how do they become freed from all sins and attain the supreme state? This we wish to know, O Lord; you are the one to tell us.'

Verse 4 (padma.3.16.4)

नारद उवाच । शृणुध्वं सहिताः सर्वे युधिष्ठिरपुरोगमाः अत्र कृत्वा महायज्ञं कुबेरः सत्यविक्रमः इदं तीर्थमनुप्राप्य साम्राज्यादधिकोऽभवत्

nārada uvāca śṛṇudhvaṁ sahitāḥ sarve yudhiṣṭhirapurogamāḥ atra kṛtvā mahāyajñaṁ kuberaḥ satyavikramaḥ idaṁ tīrthamanuprāpya sāmrājyādadhiko'bhavat

Narada said: Listen, all of you together, led by Yudhishthira. Here, having performed a great sacrifice, Kubera of true valor,

Verse 5 (padma.3.16.5)

सिद्धिं प्राप्तो महाराज तन्मे निगदतः शृणु कावेरी नर्मदां यत्र संगता लोकविश्रुताम्

siddhiṁ prāpto mahārāja tanme nigadataḥ śṛṇu kāverī narmadāṁ yatra saṁgatā lokaviśrutām

having attained this tirtha, obtained a state greater than mere sovereignty — attained perfection, O great king; hear this as I tell it. Where the Kaveri joins the world-renowned Narmada,

Verse 6 (padma.3.16.6)

तत्र स्नात्वा शुचिर्भूत्वा कुबेरः सत्यविक्रमः तपस्तप्यति यक्षेंद्रो दिव्यं वर्षशतं महत्

tatra snātvā śucirbhūtvā kuberaḥ satyavikramaḥ tapastapyati yakṣeṁdro divyaṁ varṣaśataṁ mahat

having bathed there and become pure, Kubera, of true valor, lord of the Yakshas, performed great austerity there for a hundred divine years.

Verse 7 (padma.3.16.7)

तस्य तुष्टो महादेवः प्रदद्याद्वरमुत्तमम् भो भो यक्ष महासत्व वरं ब्रूहि यथेप्सितम् ब्रूहि कार्यं यथेष्टं तु यद्वा मनसि वर्त्तते

tasya tuṣṭo mahādevaḥ pradadyādvaramuttamam bho bho yakṣa mahāsatva varaṁ brūhi yathepsitam brūhi kāryaṁ yatheṣṭaṁ tu yadvā manasi varttate

Pleased with him, Mahadeva began to invite him to ask for a supreme boon: 'O Yaksha, O greatly powerful one, ask for the boon you desire; tell me whatever task rests in your mind.'

Verse 8 (padma.3.16.8)

कुबेर उवाच । यदि तुष्टोसि देवेश यदि देयो वरो मम आदिकृच्चैव सर्वेषां यक्षाणामधिपो भवेत्

kubera uvāca yadi tuṣṭosi deveśa yadi deyo varo mama ādikṛccaiva sarveṣāṁ yakṣāṇāmadhipo bhavet

Kubera said: 'O Lord of gods, if you are pleased, if a boon is to be given to me, let me become the very first among all the Yakshas, and their lord.'

Verse 9 (padma.3.16.9)

कुबेरस्य वचः श्रुत्वा तुष्टो देवो महेश्वरः एवमस्तु ततश्चोक्त्वा तत्रैवांतरधीयत

kuberasya vacaḥ śrutvā tuṣṭo devo maheśvaraḥ evamastu tataścoktvā tatraivāṁtaradhīyata

Having heard Kubera's words, the pleased god Maheshvara said, 'So be it,' and thereupon vanished from that very place.

Verse 10 (padma.3.16.10)

सोऽपि लब्धवरो यक्षः शीघ्रं यक्षकुलं गतः पूजितः सर्वयक्षेंद्रैरभिषिक्तस्तु पार्थिवः

so'pi labdhavaro yakṣaḥ śīghraṁ yakṣakulaṁ gataḥ pūjitaḥ sarvayakṣeṁdrairabhiṣiktastu pārthivaḥ

That Yaksha too, having obtained his boon, went swiftly to the Yaksha clan; honored by all the lords of the Yakshas, he was anointed as their king.

Verse 11 (padma.3.16.11)

कावेरीसंगमं तत्र सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् ये नरा नाभिजानंति वंचितास्ते न संशयः

kāverīsaṁgamaṁ tatra sarvapāpapraṇāśanam ye narā nābhijānaṁti vaṁcitāste na saṁśayaḥ

That confluence of the Kaveri is the destroyer of all sin; those men who do not know of it are, without doubt, deceived.

Verse 12 (padma.3.16.12)

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन तत्र स्नायीत मानवः कावेरी च महापुण्या नर्मदा च महानदी

tasmātsarvaprayatnena tatra snāyīta mānavaḥ kāverī ca mahāpuṇyā narmadā ca mahānadī

Therefore, with every effort, a man should bathe there. The greatly sacred Kaveri, and the great river Narmada —

Verse 13 (padma.3.16.13)

तत्र स्नात्वा तु राजेंद्र अर्चयेद्वृषभध्वजम् अश्वमेधफलं प्राप्य रुद्रलोके महीयते

tatra snātvā tu rājeṁdra arcayedvṛṣabhadhvajam aśvamedhaphalaṁ prāpya rudraloke mahīyate

having bathed there, O lord of kings, one should worship the bull-bannered Shiva; having obtained the fruit of the Ashvamedha, he is honored in the world of Rudra.

Verse 14 (padma.3.16.14)

अग्निप्रवेशं यः कुर्याद्यश्च कुर्य्यादनाशनम् अनिवर्तिका गतिस्तस्य यथा मे शंकरोऽब्रवीत्

agnipraveśaṁ yaḥ kuryādyaśca kuryyādanāśanam anivartikā gatistasya yathā me śaṁkaro'bravīt

Whoever there enters fire, or gives up food and life together, his path becomes one of no return — so Shankara himself told me.

Verse 15 (padma.3.16.15)

सेव्यमानो वरस्त्रीभिर्मोदते दिवि रुद्रवत् षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणि षष्टिकोट्यस्तथापरे

sevyamāno varastrībhirmodate divi rudravat ṣaṣṭivarṣasahasrāṇi ṣaṣṭikoṭyastathāpare

Attended by the finest women, he rejoices in heaven like Rudra, for sixty thousand years, and for sixty crore years more besides,

Verse 16 (padma.3.16.16)

मोदते रुद्रलोकस्थो यत्र यत्रैव गच्छति पुण्यक्षयात्परिभ्रष्टो राजा भवति धार्मिकः

modate rudralokastho yatra yatraiva gacchati puṇyakṣayātparibhraṣṭo rājā bhavati dhārmikaḥ

abiding in the world of Rudra, he rejoices wherever he goes. When his merit is exhausted, he falls and becomes a righteous king,

Verse 17 (padma.3.16.17)

भोगवान्धर्मशीलश्च महांश्चैव कुलोद्भवः तत्र पीत्वा जलं सम्यक्चांद्रायणफलं लभेत्

bhogavāndharmaśīlaśca mahāṁścaiva kulodbhavaḥ tatra pītvā jalaṁ samyakcāṁdrāyaṇaphalaṁ labhet

prosperous, devoted to dharma, and born into a great lineage. Having drunk that water there properly, he obtains the fruit of the Chandrayana vow.

Verse 18 (padma.3.16.18)

स्वर्गं गच्छंति ते मर्त्या ये पिबंति जलं शुभम् गंगायमुनयोर्मध्ये यत्फलं यांति मानवाः

svargaṁ gacchaṁti te martyā ye pibaṁti jalaṁ śubham gaṁgāyamunayormadhye yatphalaṁ yāṁti mānavāḥ

Those mortals who drink that auspicious water go to heaven; whatever fruit men obtain by bathing between the Ganga and the Yamuna,

Verse 19 (padma.3.16.19)

कावेरीसंगमे स्नात्वा तत्फलं तस्य जायते एवं तु तस्य राजेंद्र कावेरीसंगमं महत् पत्रेश्वरेति विख्यातं सर्वपापहरं परम्

kāverīsaṁgame snātvā tatphalaṁ tasya jāyate evaṁ tu tasya rājeṁdra kāverīsaṁgamaṁ mahat patreśvareti vikhyātaṁ sarvapāpaharaṁ param

that same fruit is obtained by bathing at the confluence of the Kaveri. Thus, O lord of kings, is that great confluence of the Kaveri, renowned as Patreshvara, the supreme remover of all sin.