The Sages Ask for the Foremost Shaiva Place

Verse 1 (skanda.1.115.1)

श्रीगणेशाय नमः । अथारुणाचलमाहात्म्योत्तरार्धम् । व्यास उवाच । वसंतो नैमिषारण्ये मुनयः सूतमब्रुवन् । मुनय ऊचुः । स्थानानामुत्तमं शैवं यत्स्थलं तद्वदस्व नः

śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ athāruṇācalamāhātmyottarārdham vyāsa uvāca vasaṁto naimiṣāraṇye munayaḥ sūtamabruvan munaya ūcuḥ sthānānāmuttamaṁ śaivaṁ yatsthalaṁ tadvadasva naḥ

Salutation to Sri Ganesha. Now begins the Uttarardha of the Arunachala Mahatmya. Vyasa said: The sages dwelling in the Naimisha forest said to Suta. The sages said: Tell us that foremost Shaiva place among all places.

Verse 2 (skanda.1.115.2)

सूत उवाच । यूयं शृणुत यत्पूर्वं नंदीश्वरमुखाच्छ्रुतम् । मार्कण्डेयेन तद्वक्ष्ये मुनयः शृणुतादरात्

sūta uvāca yūyaṁ śṛṇuta yatpūrvaṁ naṁdīśvaramukhācchrutam mārkaṇḍeyena tadvakṣye munayaḥ śṛṇutādarāt

Suta said: Hear that which was heard of old from Nandishvara's own mouth, and told by Markandeya; O sages, listen to it with reverence.

Verse 3 (skanda.1.115.3)

मार्कंडेय उवाच । नंदीश्वर त्वया प्रोक्तो महिमा माध्यमेश्वरः । मयाप्यवधृतः सर्वो भक्तिश्रद्धार्द्रचेतसा

mārkaṁḍeya uvāca naṁdīśvara tvayā prokto mahimā mādhyameśvaraḥ mayāpyavadhṛtaḥ sarvo bhaktiśraddhārdracetasā

Markandeya said: O Nandishvara, the glory of Madhyameshvara which you have declared — all of it I have grasped, my heart made moist with devotion and faith.

Verse 4 (skanda.1.115.4)

तथापि वद मे भूयो देवदेव दयानिधे । अहं यत्परिपृच्छामि भवंतं विहितादरः

tathāpi vada me bhūyo devadeva dayānidhe ahaṁ yatparipṛcchāmi bhavaṁtaṁ vihitādaraḥ

Even so, O God of gods, O ocean of compassion, tell me still more; for this is what, with all reverence, I now ask of you.

Verse 5 (skanda.1.115.5)

त्वयाप्यविदितं किंचिन्नास्त्यत्र भुवनत्रये । सर्वागमपुराणेषु बाह्येष्वाभ्यंतरेषु च

tvayāpyaviditaṁ kiṁcinnāstyatra bhuvanatraye sarvāgamapurāṇeṣu bāhyeṣvābhyaṁtareṣu ca

In the three worlds, in all the outer and inner Agamas and Puranas alike, there is nothing at all unknown to you.

Verse 6 (skanda.1.115.6)

स्वर्गापवर्गयोः पुंसां भूमिरेव विशिष्यते । सर्वकर्माणि निर्मातुं तत्तत्फलपरायणैः

svargāpavargayoḥ puṁsāṁ bhūmireva viśiṣyate sarvakarmāṇi nirmātuṁ tattatphalaparāyaṇaiḥ

For both heaven and liberation, it is the earth alone that is distinguished as fit for men, devoted to their various fruits, to accomplish every work.

Verse 7 (skanda.1.115.7)

फलं च त्रिविधं पुंसां त्वयैव कथितं पुरा । भूमौ सुखं स्वर्गभोगः कैवल्यमिति भेदतः

phalaṁ ca trividhaṁ puṁsāṁ tvayaiva kathitaṁ purā bhūmau sukhaṁ svargabhogaḥ kaivalyamiti bhedataḥ

And the threefold fruit of men was declared by you yourself before — earthly happiness, the enjoyment of heaven, and liberation — by this division.

Verse 8 (skanda.1.115.8)

पुण्यक्षयेण क्षीयेत प्रायः प्राथमिकं द्वयम् । क्षीयते न तृतीयं तु कर्मणामेव नाश्रयात्

puṇyakṣayeṇa kṣīyeta prāyaḥ prāthamikaṁ dvayam kṣīyate na tṛtīyaṁ tu karmaṇāmeva nāśrayāt

Through the exhaustion of merit, the first two generally wane; but the third does not wane, since it has no dependence upon deeds at all.

Verse 9 (skanda.1.115.9)

तत्सिद्धिस्तु त्वया प्रोक्ता विशुद्धज्ञानगोचरा । सर्वेषां दुर्लभं शुद्धज्ञानं देहभृतां पुनः

tatsiddhistu tvayā proktā viśuddhajñānagocarā sarveṣāṁ durlabhaṁ śuddhajñānaṁ dehabhṛtāṁ punaḥ

Its accomplishment you have declared to lie within the very domain of pure knowledge alone; yet such pure knowledge is difficult indeed for embodied beings to attain.

Verse 10 (skanda.1.115.10)

तज्ज्ञानं कुत्र वा क्षेत्रे शास्त्रादिपठनं विना । शिवपूजनमात्रेण सिद्ध्येत्सर्वशरीरिणाम्

tajjñānaṁ kutra vā kṣetre śāstrādipaṭhanaṁ vinā śivapūjanamātreṇa siddhyetsarvaśarīriṇām

In what place might that knowledge, without even the study of scripture, come to be accomplished for all embodied beings through the mere worship of Shiva?

Verse 11 (skanda.1.115.11)

ज्ञानयोगक्रियाचर्यास्वशेषाणां शरीरिणाम् । अपि शैवागमोक्तासु न बुद्धिः संप्रवर्त्तते

jñānayogakriyācaryāsvaśeṣāṇāṁ śarīriṇām api śaivāgamoktāsu na buddhiḥ saṁpravarttate

The understanding of embodied beings, taken as a whole, scarcely engages even with the disciplines of knowledge, yoga, ritual action, and conduct declared in the Shaiva Agamas.

Verse 12 (skanda.1.115.12)

यस्य स्थानस्य माहात्म्यादल्पैरपि शरीरिणः । लप्स्यते नियमैः शुद्धज्ञानं तन्मम कथ्यताम्

yasya sthānasya māhātmyādalpairapi śarīriṇaḥ lapsyate niyamaiḥ śuddhajñānaṁ tanmama kathyatām

Tell me of that place by whose very greatness even an embodied being of few observances shall come to obtain pure knowledge.

Verse 13 (skanda.1.115.13)

भस्मरुद्राक्षवहनादीश्वरस्मरणात्सकृत् । यत्र मुग्धैरपि श्रेयो लभ्यं तत्स्थानमुच्यताम्

bhasmarudrākṣavahanādīśvarasmaraṇātsakṛt yatra mugdhairapi śreyo labhyaṁ tatsthānamucyatām

Tell me that place where, merely by bearing ash and rudraksha, or by a single remembrance of the Lord, even the deluded may attain their highest good.

Verse 14 (skanda.1.115.14)

अबुद्धिपूर्वकेणापि यत्र वासेन देहिनाम् । अविघ्नं सेत्स्यते श्रेयः स्थानं तन्मेऽनुगृह्यताम्

abuddhipūrvakeṇāpi yatra vāsena dehinām avighnaṁ setsyate śreyaḥ sthānaṁ tanme'nugṛhyatām

That place where, even through an unintentional dwelling, the good of embodied beings is unfailingly accomplished — grant that to me, out of grace.

Verse 15 (skanda.1.115.15)

जातानां वर्णसांकर्य्ये तैरश्ची योनिमीयुषाम् । स्थावराणामपि श्रेयो यत्र तत्क्षेत्रमुच्यताम्

jātānāṁ varṇasāṁkaryye tairaścī yonimīyuṣām sthāvarāṇāmapi śreyo yatra tatkṣetramucyatām

That field where even those born of mixed castes, those who have come to the wombs of beasts, and even the unmoving creatures too attain their highest good — name that place for me.

Verse 16 (skanda.1.115.16)

इतीरयित्वा स मृकंडुनंदनः समं मुनींद्रैरपरैर्महात्मभिः । पपात तस्यांघ्रिसरोरुहद्वये शिलादसूनोरखिलागमाब्धेः

itīrayitvā sa mṛkaṁḍunaṁdanaḥ samaṁ munīṁdrairaparairmahātmabhiḥ papāta tasyāṁghrisaroruhadvaye śilādasūnorakhilāgamābdheḥ

Having spoken thus, that son of Mrikandu, Markandeya, together with other great-souled lords of sages, fell at the two lotus feet of that son of Shilada, Nandishvara, ocean of all the Agamas.