The Story of Kaladhara and Kantishali

Verse 1 (skanda.1.137.1)

कलाधर उवाच । कांबोजेषु हयो भूत्वा कांतिशाली सुहृन्मम । अयासीदौपवाह्यत्वं भवतो राजपुंगव

kalādhara uvāca kāṁbojeṣu hayo bhūtvā kāṁtiśālī suhṛnmama ayāsīdaupavāhyatvaṁ bhavato rājapuṁgava

Kaladhara said: O foremost of kings, my friend Kantishali, having become a horse in the land of Kamboja, became your mount.

Verse 2 (skanda.1.137.2)

अहं च गंधमृगतां गतः स्वांगप्रसूतिना । सुगंधिना मदेनास्य संचारं चाचरं गिरेः

ahaṁ ca gaṁdhamṛgatāṁ gataḥ svāṁgaprasūtinā sugaṁdhinā madenāsya saṁcāraṁ cācaraṁ gireḥ

And I, having become a musk-deer, by the fragrant musk born of my own body, wandered around this mountain.

Verse 3 (skanda.1.137.3)

धर्मात्मन्मृगयाव्याजादागतेन त्वयाधुना । आवां शोणाद्रिनाथस्य प्रापितौ हि प्रदक्षिणाम्

dharmātmanmṛgayāvyājādāgatena tvayādhunā āvāṁ śoṇādrināthasya prāpitau hi pradakṣiṇām

O righteous one, by you, who came here on the pretext of hunting, we two have now indeed been brought to the circumambulation of the Lord of the Red Mountain.

Verse 4 (skanda.1.137.4)

वाहारोहणदोषेण तवासीदीदृशी दशा । पादप्रचारपुण्येन प्राप्तं नौ प्राक्तनं पदम्

vāhārohaṇadoṣeṇa tavāsīdīdṛśī daśā pādapracārapuṇyena prāptaṁ nau prāktanaṁ padam

Because of the fault of mounting a horse, such was your condition; and through the merit of walking on foot, we two have regained our former state.

Verse 5 (skanda.1.137.5)

राजेंद्र तव संबंधादस्मात्तिर्यक्त्वबंधनात् । मुक्तावावां स्वकं धाम प्राप्तौ स्वस्त्यस्तु ते सदा

rājeṁdra tava saṁbaṁdhādasmāttiryaktvabaṁdhanāt muktāvāvāṁ svakaṁ dhāma prāptau svastyastu te sadā

O king of kings, through this connection with you, we two have been freed from the bondage of animal existence and have attained our own abode; may you always be blessed.

Verse 6 (skanda.1.137.6)

इत्युदीर्य निजं धाम यियासंतं कलाधरम् । कांतिशालिनं च राजा जगाद रचितांजलिः

ityudīrya nijaṁ dhāma yiyāsaṁtaṁ kalādharam kāṁtiśālinaṁ ca rājā jagāda racitāṁjaliḥ

Having spoken thus, as Kaladhara and Kantishali were about to depart for their own abode, the king, with joined palms, addressed them.

Verse 7 (skanda.1.137.7)

एवं युवां शोणशैलशंकरस्य प्रभावतः । शापार्णवं समुत्तीर्णौ कथं मे पुनरुच्छ्रयः

evaṁ yuvāṁ śoṇaśailaśaṁkarasya prabhāvataḥ śāpārṇavaṁ samuttīrṇau kathaṁ me punarucchrayaḥ

Thus you two, through the power of Shankara of the Red Mountain, have crossed the ocean of the curse; but how shall my own downfall be reversed?

Verse 8 (skanda.1.137.8)

भ्राम्यतीव मम स्वांतमाधाय तदवेक्षणम् । निर्यांतीव मम प्राणास्तत्र दैवं बलोत्तरम्

bhrāmyatīva mama svāṁtamādhāya tadavekṣaṇam niryāṁtīva mama prāṇāstatra daivaṁ balottaram

My heart, fixed upon that concern, seems to reel; my life-breaths seem about to leave me; in this matter, fate alone holds the greater power.

Verse 9 (skanda.1.137.9)

कलाधरकांतिशालिनावूचतुः । अवधारय निस्तारं कथयाव तवास्यदम् । समाहितेन मनसा निर्धूतनिखिलाधिना

kalādharakāṁtiśālināvūcatuḥ avadhāraya nistāraṁ kathayāva tavāsyadam samāhitena manasā nirdhūtanikhilādhinā

Kaladhara and Kantishali said: Attend to your means of deliverance; we shall tell you what will bring you comfort — listen with a composed mind, freed from all anxiety.

Verse 10 (skanda.1.137.10)

जगत्सर्गस्थितिध्वंसविधानानुग्रहेश्वरे । अरुणाद्रीश्वरे चित्तं निधेहि करुणानिधौ

jagatsargasthitidhvaṁsavidhānānugraheśvare aruṇādrīśvare cittaṁ nidhehi karuṇānidhau

Fix your mind upon the Lord of Arunachala, the ocean of compassion, who ordains the creation, preservation, dissolution and grace of the universe.

Verse 11 (skanda.1.137.11)

प्रत्यक्षितं त्वयेदानीमस्य देवस्य वैभवम् । तिरश्चोरावयोरेतदीदृशत्वं वितन्वतः

pratyakṣitaṁ tvayedānīmasya devasya vaibhavam tiraścorāvayoretadīdṛśatvaṁ vitanvataḥ

You have now witnessed with your own eyes the majesty of this God, granting to us two, who were in animal form, such a transformation as this.

Verse 12 (skanda.1.137.12)

कुरु प्रदक्षिणां पादचारी मृगमदादृतैः । कल्हारैः पूजयेशानं देवं मृगमदप्रियम्

kuru pradakṣiṇāṁ pādacārī mṛgamadādṛtaiḥ kalhāraiḥ pūjayeśānaṁ devaṁ mṛgamadapriyam

Circumambulate on foot, and worship with musk-scented water-lilies the Lord who delights in musk.

Verse 13 (skanda.1.137.13)

यावती तव संपत्तिस्तावतीमखिलां विभो । प्राकारगोपुरागारनवीकाराय कल्पय

yāvatī tava saṁpattistāvatīmakhilāṁ vibho prākāragopurāgāranavīkārāya kalpaya

O lord, whatever wealth you possess, devote all of it to the renovation of the walls, gateways, and buildings of the shrine.

Verse 14 (skanda.1.137.14)

अचिरादेव सिद्धिस्ते भविष्यति गरीयसी । मनुमांधातृनाभागभगीरथवदाधिका

acirādeva siddhiste bhaviṣyati garīyasī manumāṁdhātṛnābhāgabhagīrathavadādhikā

Very soon you shall attain a great accomplishment, even greater than that of Manu, Mandhatri, Nabhaga and Bhagiratha.

Verse 15 (skanda.1.137.15)

नंदिकेश्वर उवाच । इत्थं निशम्य च तयोर्निजमेव धाम विद्याभृतोः सपदि संश्रुतयोर्नरेन्द्रः । निःसंशयेन मनसा निरतस्तदानीं भक्तिं बबंध भगवत्यरुणाद्रिनाथे

naṁdikeśvara uvāca itthaṁ niśamya ca tayornijameva dhāma vidyābhṛtoḥ sapadi saṁśrutayornarendraḥ niḥsaṁśayena manasā niratastadānīṁ bhaktiṁ babaṁdha bhagavatyaruṇādrināthe

Nandikeshvara said: Having thus heard the words of the two Vidyadharas, who then instantly departed for their own abode, the king, his mind free of all doubt, devoted himself from that moment on to unwavering devotion for the blessed Lord of Arunachala.