The Glory of Shveta-tirtha

Verse 1 (padma.6.137.1)

महादेव उवाच। अथ नंदिप्रदेशात्तु यथा साभ्रमती नदी । समायाता विकीर्णं च वनं विप्रर्षिसेवितम्

mahādeva uvāca atha naṁdipradeśāttu yathā sābhramatī nadī samāyātā vikīrṇaṁ ca vanaṁ viprarṣisevitam

Mahadeva said: 'Then, flowing onward from the Nandi region, the river Sabarmati arrived at Vikirna, a forest frequented by brahmin sages.'

Verse 2 (padma.6.137.2)

बहुधा जलवेगेन पर्वतानां च रोधसः । सप्तधा प्रविभक्ता च दक्षिणोदधिगामिनी

bahudhā jalavegena parvatānāṁ ca rodhasaḥ saptadhā pravibhaktā ca dakṣiṇodadhigāminī

'There, through the force of her waters and the barriers of the mountains, she split into seven streams and flowed onward toward the southern ocean.'

Verse 3 (padma.6.137.3)

आद्या साभ्रमती पुण्या द्वितीया सेटिका तधा । तृतीया वल्किनी पुण्या चतुर्थी च हिरण्मयी

ādyā sābhramatī puṇyā dvitīyā seṭikā tadhā tṛtīyā valkinī puṇyā caturthī ca hiraṇmayī

'The first stream is the meritorious Sabarmati herself; the second is Setika; the third the meritorious Valkini; and the fourth Hiranmayi.'

Verse 4 (padma.6.137.4)

सर्वपापहरा प्रोक्ता हस्तिमत्यथ पंचमी । वेत्रवती सा च षष्ठी वृत्रेण निर्मिता पुरा

sarvapāpaharā proktā hastimatyatha paṁcamī vetravatī sā ca ṣaṣṭhī vṛtreṇa nirmitā purā

'The fifth stream is Hastimati, declared to remove every sin; and the sixth is Vetravati, fashioned long ago by Vritra.'

Verse 5 (padma.6.137.5)

इयं सा परमा देवी वृत्रकूपाद्विनिःसृता । वेत्रवती ततो जाता महापापप्रणाशिनी

iyaṁ sā paramā devī vṛtrakūpādviniḥsṛtā vetravatī tato jātā mahāpāpapraṇāśinī

'This is that supreme goddess who emerged from Vritra's well; from her arose the Vetravati, destroyer of great sins.'

Verse 6 (padma.6.137.6)

भद्रामुखी शुभप्राया सप्तमी लोकपावनी । एतैस्तु सप्तभिर्देवि तांस्तान्जनपदांस्तथा

bhadrāmukhī śubhaprāyā saptamī lokapāvanī etaistu saptabhirdevi tāṁstānjanapadāṁstathā

'The seventh stream is Bhadramukhi, bringer of auspiciousness and purifier of the world. By these seven streams, O goddess, each their own respective lands —'

Verse 7 (padma.6.137.7)

पवित्रीकृत्य चैकेन सप्तस्रोता प्रतिष्ठिता । विकीर्णतीर्थे यः श्राद्धं पितॄनुद्दिश्य दास्यति

pavitrīkṛtya caikena saptasrotā pratiṣṭhitā vikīrṇatīrthe yaḥ śrāddhaṁ pitṝnuddiśya dāsyati

'were made pure, and together the seven streams became established as the Saptasrota. Whoever offers shraddha for the sake of his ancestors at the ford of Vikirna,'

Verse 8 (padma.6.137.8)

गयापिंडप्रदानस्य फलं यत्तद्भविष्यति । अवकीर्णा च्युता ये च लुप्तपिंडोदकक्रियाः

gayāpiṁḍapradānasya phalaṁ yattadbhaviṣyati avakīrṇā cyutā ye ca luptapiṁḍodakakriyāḥ

'shall obtain that very fruit which comes from offering the funeral rice-ball at Gaya. Those who have fallen from grace, who have declined, and whose funerary rites have lapsed,'

Verse 9 (padma.6.137.9)

ते विकीर्णे प्रमुच्यंते दत्तपिंडोदकक्रियाः । तत्र श्राद्धं तु यः कुर्याद्गाणपत्यं भवेद्ध्रुवम्

te vikīrṇe pramucyaṁte dattapiṁḍodakakriyāḥ tatra śrāddhaṁ tu yaḥ kuryādgāṇapatyaṁ bhaveddhruvam

'are freed once the funerary rice-ball and water rites are offered for them at Vikirna. Whoever performs shraddha there certainly attains the realm of Ganapati.'

Verse 10 (padma.6.137.10)

तस्मात्त्रयीविधानेन श्रद्धया श्राद्धमाचरेत् । अस्मिंस्तीर्थे विशेषेण सप्तनद्युदये द्विजाः

tasmāttrayīvidhānena śraddhayā śrāddhamācaret asmiṁstīrthe viśeṣeṇa saptanadyudaye dvijāḥ

'Therefore one should perform shraddha with faith, according to the threefold prescribed rite. At this ford especially, at the source of the seven rivers, O brahmins —'

Verse 11 (padma.6.137.11)

स्नानं कुरुत विप्रेंद्रा ऋषिलोकमभीप्सवः । इत्युक्तं कश्यपेनाथ द्विजान्प्रति विशेषतः

snānaṁ kuruta vipreṁdrā ṛṣilokamabhīpsavaḥ ityuktaṁ kaśyapenātha dvijānprati viśeṣataḥ

'bathe there, O foremost brahmins, longing for the realm of the sages.' Thus did Kashyapa speak, in particular, to the brahmins.

Verse 12 (padma.6.137.12)

यदि चेत्क्रियते स्नानं सर्वदुःखापहं सदा । तीर्थानां प्रवरं तीर्थं क्षेत्राणामुत्तमोत्तमम्

yadi cetkriyate snānaṁ sarvaduḥkhāpahaṁ sadā tīrthānāṁ pravaraṁ tīrthaṁ kṣetrāṇāmuttamottamam

'If one bathes there, it ever removes every sorrow. This is the most excellent among sacred fords, the very best among sacred fields.'

Verse 13 (padma.6.137.13)

तीर्थमेतद्विकीर्णं च शुभदं रोगदोषहृत् । कुर्वंत्यत्र विशेषेण ये स्नानं सर्वदा कलौ

tīrthametadvikīrṇaṁ ca śubhadaṁ rogadoṣahṛt kurvaṁtyatra viśeṣeṇa ye snānaṁ sarvadā kalau

'This ford of Vikirna bestows auspiciousness and removes disease and fault. Those who bathe here always, especially in the Kali age,'

Verse 14 (padma.6.137.14)

ते नराः पुण्यभाजो हि जायंते नात्र संशयः । गयातीर्थसमं तीर्थं विकीर्णं पावनं परम् । पितॄणां पुण्यदं नित्यं लोकानां दुःखनाशनम्

te narāḥ puṇyabhājo hi jāyaṁte nātra saṁśayaḥ gayātīrthasamaṁ tīrthaṁ vikīrṇaṁ pāvanaṁ param pitṝṇāṁ puṇyadaṁ nityaṁ lokānāṁ duḥkhanāśanam

'those men certainly become sharers in merit. The ford of Vikirna, equal to the ford of Gaya, is supremely purifying — it ever bestows merit upon the ancestors and destroys the sorrow of the people.'

Verse 15 (padma.6.137.15)

इति विकीर्णतीर्थम् । तीर्थादस्मात्परं तीर्थं श्वेतोद्भवमनुत्तमम् । यत्र श्वेता नदी जाता मत्पृष्ठोदरभस्मना

iti vikīrṇatīrtham tīrthādasmātparaṁ tīrthaṁ śvetodbhavamanuttamam yatra śvetā nadī jātā matpṛṣṭhodarabhasmanā

Thus is Vikirna-tirtha described. Beyond this ford lies the unsurpassed ford called Shvetodbhava, where the river Shveta arose from the ash of my own back and belly.

Verse 16 (padma.6.137.16)

विश्रुता त्रिषु लोकेषु सर्वपापप्रणाशिनी । हरांगभस्मसंयोगात्जाता देवैस्तु मानिता

viśrutā triṣu lokeṣu sarvapāpapraṇāśinī harāṁgabhasmasaṁyogātjātā devaistu mānitā

'She is renowned throughout the three worlds, a destroyer of every sin. Born from union with the ash of Hara's own body, she is honored even by the gods.'

Verse 17 (padma.6.137.17)

तस्यां स्नातः शुचिर्दांतस्त्रिरात्रमुषितः पुमान् । महाकालेश्वरं दृष्ट्वा रुद्रलोके महीयते

tasyāṁ snātaḥ śucirdāṁtastrirātramuṣitaḥ pumān mahākāleśvaraṁ dṛṣṭvā rudraloke mahīyate

'A man who bathes in her, becoming pure and self-controlled, and dwells there for three nights, having beheld Mahakaleshvara, is glorified in the world of Rudra.'

Verse 18 (padma.6.137.18)

पिंडं पितृभ्यो यो दद्यात्तस्यास्तीरे कुशैस्तिलैः । सुतृप्ताः पितरस्तस्य भवंतीति न संशयः

piṁḍaṁ pitṛbhyo yo dadyāttasyāstīre kuśaistilaiḥ sutṛptāḥ pitarastasya bhavaṁtīti na saṁśayaḥ

'Whoever, on her bank, offers the funeral rice-ball to his ancestors with kusha grass and sesame, his ancestors become fully satisfied — of this there is no doubt.'

Verse 19 (padma.6.137.19)

श्वेतगंगामहापुण्या दुःखदारिद्र्यमोचनी । यत्र स्नानेन भो देवि परं सुखमवाप्यते

śvetagaṁgāmahāpuṇyā duḥkhadāridryamocanī yatra snānena bho devi paraṁ sukhamavāpyate

'The Shveta Ganga is most meritorious, freeing one from sorrow and poverty. O goddess, by bathing there, supreme happiness is obtained.'

Verse 20 (padma.6.137.20)

तस्या वै संगमे पुण्ये नित्यं तिष्ठामि पार्वति । येऽत्र दानं प्रकुर्वंति स्नानं च तत्र सुंदरि

tasyā vai saṁgame puṇye nityaṁ tiṣṭhāmi pārvati ye'tra dānaṁ prakurvaṁti snānaṁ ca tatra suṁdari

'O Parvati, at her sacred confluence I dwell forever. O lovely one, those who give charity here and bathe here,'

Verse 21 (padma.6.137.21)

तदनंतफलं तस्य भवेद्वै नात्र संशयः । तत्र भूतेश्वरो देवः संगमे वसते ध्रुवम्

tadanaṁtaphalaṁ tasya bhavedvai nātra saṁśayaḥ tatra bhūteśvaro devaḥ saṁgame vasate dhruvam

'obtain boundless fruit thereby, without any doubt. There, the god Bhuteshvara certainly dwells at that confluence.'

Verse 22 (padma.6.137.22)

तत्र धूपं च दीपं च पुष्पमारार्तिकं तथा । ये कुर्वंति नरश्रेष्ठास्ते नराः पुण्यरूपिणः

tatra dhūpaṁ ca dīpaṁ ca puṣpamārārtikaṁ tathā ye kurvaṁti naraśreṣṭhāste narāḥ puṇyarūpiṇaḥ

'Excellent men who offer incense, lamp, flowers, and the waving of the arati light there — such men become the very embodiment of merit.'

Verse 23 (padma.6.137.23)

बिल्वदलं समादाय यो ददाति शिवोपरि । वांच्छितं लभते नित्यं श्वेतायां शिवसंनिधौ

bilvadalaṁ samādāya yo dadāti śivopari vāṁcchitaṁ labhate nityaṁ śvetāyāṁ śivasaṁnidhau

'Whoever takes a bilva leaf and offers it upon Shiva obtains his cherished desire always, at the Shveta river, in the presence of Shiva.'