The Glory of Brahmeshvara, Mokshesvara, and Garbheshvara

Verse 1 (skanda.1.91.1)

॥नारद उवाच॥ अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि ब्रह्मेशं लिंगमुत्तमम्॥ यस्य स्मरणमात्रेण वाजपेयफलं भवेत्

nārada uvāca ataḥ paraṁ pravakṣyāmi brahmeśaṁ liṁgamuttamam yasya smaraṇamātreṇa vājapeyaphalaṁ bhavet

Narada said: "Now, beyond this, I shall declare the excellent linga called Brahmesha, by whose mere remembrance the fruit of the Vajapeya sacrifice is obtained."

Verse 2 (skanda.1.91.2)

एकदा तु पुरा पार्थ सृष्टि कामेन ब्रह्मणा॥ तपः सुचरितं घोरं सार्धवर्षसहस्रकम्

ekadā tu purā pārtha sṛṣṭi kāmena brahmaṇā tapaḥ sucaritaṁ ghoraṁ sārdhavarṣasahasrakam

"Once, O Partha, in ancient times, Brahma, desiring to bring forth creation, performed terrible austerity, well and truly, for a full one and a half thousand years."

Verse 3 (skanda.1.91.3)

तपसा तेन सन्तुष्टः पार्वतीपतिशंकरः॥ वरमस्मै ततः प्रादाल्लोककर्त्रे स्ववांछितम्

tapasā tena santuṣṭaḥ pārvatīpatiśaṁkaraḥ varamasmai tataḥ prādāllokakartre svavāṁchitam

"Pleased by that austerity, Shankara, the lord of Parvati, then granted to him, the creator of the worlds, the boon that he desired."

Verse 4 (skanda.1.91.4)

ततो हृष्टः प्रमुदितः कृतकृत्यः पितामहः॥ ज्ञात्वा क्षेत्रस्य माहात्म्यं स्वयं लिंगं चकार ह

tato hṛṣṭaḥ pramuditaḥ kṛtakṛtyaḥ pitāmahaḥ jñātvā kṣetrasya māhātmyaṁ svayaṁ liṁgaṁ cakāra ha

"Then the grandsire, delighted, joyful, and his purpose fulfilled, having come to know the glory of this Field, himself fashioned a linga there."

Verse 5 (skanda.1.91.5)

चखान च सरः पुण्यं नाम्ना ब्रह्मसरः शुभम॥ महीनगरकात्पूर्वे महापातकनाशनम्

cakhāna ca saraḥ puṇyaṁ nāmnā brahmasaraḥ śubhama mahīnagarakātpūrve mahāpātakanāśanam

"And he dug a sacred, auspicious lake called Brahma-sarah, to the east of Mahinagaraka, a lake that destroys even the gravest sins."

Verse 6 (skanda.1.91.6)

अस्य तीरे महालिंगं स्थापयामास वै विभुः॥ तत्र देवः स्वयं साक्षाद्विद्यते किल शंकरः

asya tīre mahāliṁgaṁ sthāpayāmāsa vai vibhuḥ tatra devaḥ svayaṁ sākṣādvidyate kila śaṁkaraḥ

"On its bank, the mighty lord established a great linga; and there the god Shankara himself, in person, truly abides."

Verse 7 (skanda.1.91.7)

पुष्करादधिकं तीर्थं ब्रह्मेशंनाम फाल्गुन॥ तत्र स्नात्वा नरो भक्त्या पिण्डदानं समाचरेत्

puṣkarādadhikaṁ tīrthaṁ brahmeśaṁnāma phālguna tatra snātvā naro bhaktyā piṇḍadānaṁ samācaret

"O Phalguna, this tirtha called Brahmesha surpasses even Pushkara; a man who bathes there and performs the pinda-offering with devotion—"

Verse 8 (skanda.1.91.8)

दानं चैव यथाशक्त्या कार्तिक्यां च विशेषतः॥ देवं प्रपूजयेद्भक्त्या ब्रह्मेशं हृष्टमानसः

dānaṁ caiva yathāśaktyā kārtikyāṁ ca viśeṣataḥ devaṁ prapūjayedbhaktyā brahmeśaṁ hṛṣṭamānasaḥ

"—and gives gifts to the best of his ability, especially during the month of Kartika, and worships the god Brahmesha with devotion, his mind filled with joy—"

Verse 9 (skanda.1.91.9)

पितरस्तस्य तुष्यंति यावदाभूतसंप्लवम्॥ पुष्करेषु च यत्पुण्यं कुरुक्षेत्रे रविग्रहे

pitarastasya tuṣyaṁti yāvadābhūtasaṁplavam puṣkareṣu ca yatpuṇyaṁ kurukṣetre ravigrahe

"—for him, the ancestors remain satisfied until the very dissolution of the universe. Whatever merit exists at Pushkara, at Kurukshetra during a solar eclipse,"

Verse 10 (skanda.1.91.10)

गंगादिपुण्यतीर्थेषु यत्फलं प्राप्यते नरैः॥ तत्फलं समवाप्नोति तीर्थस्यास्यावगाहनात्

gaṁgādipuṇyatīrtheṣu yatphalaṁ prāpyate naraiḥ tatphalaṁ samavāpnoti tīrthasyāsyāvagāhanāt

"—and whatever fruit is obtained by men at the sacred tirthas beginning with the Ganga — that very fruit is fully obtained simply by bathing in this tirtha."

Verse 11 (skanda.1.91.11)

मोक्षलिंगस्य माहात्म्यं शृणु पार्थ महाद्भुतम्॥ मया स्थानहितार्थं च समाराध्य महेश्वरम्

mokṣaliṁgasya māhātmyaṁ śṛṇu pārtha mahādbhutam mayā sthānahitārthaṁ ca samārādhya maheśvaram

"Hear, O Partha, the most wondrous glory of the linga called Mokshalinga. By me, for the welfare of this place, having duly worshipped Maheshvara—"

Verse 12 (skanda.1.91.12)

स्थापितं प्रवरं लिंगं नाम्ना मोक्षेश्वरं हरम्॥ दर्भाग्रेण ततः पार्थ कूपं खनितवानहम्

sthāpitaṁ pravaraṁ liṁgaṁ nāmnā mokṣeśvaraṁ haram darbhāgreṇa tataḥ pārtha kūpaṁ khanitavānaham

"—an excellent linga, named Mokshesvara Hara, was established. Then, O Partha, I myself dug a well there with nothing more than the tip of a darbha-blade."

Verse 13 (skanda.1.91.13)

प्रसाद्य लोककर्तारं ब्रह्माणं परमेष्ठिनम्॥ कमण्डलोर्ब्रह्मणश्च समानीता सरस्वती

prasādya lokakartāraṁ brahmāṇaṁ parameṣṭhinam kamaṇḍalorbrahmaṇaśca samānītā sarasvatī

"Having propitiated Brahma, creator of the worlds, the supreme lord, Sarasvati was brought here from within Brahma's own water-pot."

Verse 14 (skanda.1.91.14)

कूपेऽस्मिन्मोक्षनाथस्य लोकानां प्रेतमुक्तये॥ कार्तिकस्य तु मासस्य शुक्लपक्षे चतुर्दशी

kūpe'sminmokṣanāthasya lokānāṁ pretamuktaye kārtikasya tu māsasya śuklapakṣe caturdaśī

"In this well of the Lord of Liberation, for the release of departed souls from the state of pretas — on the fourteenth day of the bright fortnight of Kartika,"

Verse 15 (skanda.1.91.15)

कूपे स्नात्वा नरस्तस्यां तिलपिण्डं समाचरेत्॥ प्रेतानुद्दिश्य नियतं मोक्षतीर्थफलं भवेत्

kūpe snātvā narastasyāṁ tilapiṇḍaṁ samācaret pretānuddiśya niyataṁ mokṣatīrthaphalaṁ bhavet

"—a man, having bathed in the well on that day, should offer a sesame pinda dedicated to the pretas; thereby the fruit of this Moksha-tirtha certainly results."

Verse 16 (skanda.1.91.16)

कुले न जायते तस्य प्रेतः पार्थ न संशयः॥ प्रेता मोक्षं प्रगच्छन्ति तीर्थस्यास्य प्रभावतः

kule na jāyate tasya pretaḥ pārtha na saṁśayaḥ pretā mokṣaṁ pragacchanti tīrthasyāsya prabhāvataḥ

"In his family, no preta is ever born again, O Partha — of this there is no doubt; through the power of this tirtha, pretas attain liberation."

Verse 17 (skanda.1.91.17)

जयादित्यकूपवरे नरः स्नात्वा प्रयत्नतः॥ गर्भेश्वरं नमस्कृत्य न स गर्भेषु मज्जति

jayādityakūpavare naraḥ snātvā prayatnataḥ garbheśvaraṁ namaskṛtya na sa garbheṣu majjati

"A man who diligently bathes in the excellent well of Jayaditya and bows down to Garbheshvara does not sink again into the cycle of rebirth through the womb."

Verse 18 (skanda.1.91.18)

इदं मया पार्थ तव प्रणीतं गुप्तस्य क्षेत्रस्य समासयोगात्॥ माहात्म्यमेतत्सकलं शृणोति यः स्याद्विशुद्धः किमु वच्मि भूयः

idaṁ mayā pārtha tava praṇītaṁ guptasya kṣetrasya samāsayogāt māhātmyametatsakalaṁ śṛṇoti yaḥ syādviśuddhaḥ kimu vacmi bhūyaḥ

"This has been declared to you by me, O Partha, in brief, out of the great glory of the Secret Field. Whoever hears this entire glory becomes wholly purified — what more, then, need I say?"