The Glory of Dwarka

Verse 1 (skanda.3.78.1)

व्यास उवाच । मार्कंडेयोद्धाटितं वै स्वर्गद्वारमपावृतम् तत्र ये देहसंत्यागं कुर्वंति फलकांक्षया

vyāsa uvāca mārkaṇḍeyoddhāṭitaṁ vai svargadvāram apāvṛtam tatra ye dehasaṁtyāgaṁ kurvanti phalakāṅkṣayā

Vyasa said: Markandeya threw open the very gate of heaven there, leaving it unbarred forever. Those who give up their bodies there, desiring its fruit —

Verse 2 (skanda.3.78.2)

लभंते तत्फलं ह्यंते विष्णोः सायुज्यमाप्नुयुः अतः किं बहुनोक्तेन द्वारवत्यां सदा नरैः

labhante tat phalaṁ hy ante viṣṇoḥ sāyujyam āpnuyuḥ ataḥ kiṁ bahunoktena dvāravatyāṁ sadā naraiḥ

they attain that fruit in the end and obtain union (sāyujya) with Vishnu. What need is there to say more? At Dvāravatī, men should always —

Verse 3 (skanda.3.78.3)

देहत्यागः प्रकर्तव्यो विष्णोर्लोकजिगीषया अनाशके जले वाग्नौ ये च संति नरोत्तमाः सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्ता यांति विष्णोः पुरीं सदा

dehatyāgaḥ prakartavyo viṣṇor lokajigīṣayā anāśake jale vāgnau ye ca santi narottamāḥ sarvapāpavinirmuktā yānti viṣṇoḥ purīṁ sadā

give up the body, desiring to conquer Vishnu's world. Those excellent men who forsake the body through fasting, or in water or fire, freed from all sin, go forever to Vishnu's city.

Verse 4 (skanda.3.78.4)

अन्योपि व्याधिरहितो गच्छेदनशनं तु यः सर्वपाप विनिर्मुक्तो याति विष्णोः पुरीं नरः

anyo 'pi vyādhirahito gacched anaśanaṁ tu yaḥ sarvapāpavinirmukto yāti viṣṇoḥ purīṁ naraḥ

Even another man, free of any illness, who undertakes fasting unto death — that man too, freed from all sin, goes to Vishnu's city.

Verse 5 (skanda.3.78.5)

शतवर्षसहस्राणां वसेदंते दिवि द्विजः ब्राह्मणेभ्यः परं नास्ति पवित्रं पावनं भुवि

śatavarṣasahasrāṇāṁ vased ante divi dvijaḥ brāhmaṇebhyaḥ paraṁ nāsti pavitraṁ pāvanaṁ bhuvi

In the end, a twice-born who does so dwells in heaven for a hundred thousand years. There is nothing on earth more sacred or purifying than brahmins.

Verse 6 (skanda.3.78.6)

उपवासै स्तथा तुल्यं तपः कर्म्म न विद्यते नास्ति वेदात्परं शास्त्रं नास्ति मातृसमो गुरु

upavāsais tathā tulyaṁ tapaḥ karma na vidyate nāsti vedāt paraṁ śāstraṁ nāsti mātṛsamo guruḥ

There is no austerity equal to fasting; there is no scripture higher than the Veda; there is no teacher equal to the mother.

Verse 7 (skanda.3.78.7)

न धर्मात्परमस्तीह तपो नानशनात्परम् स्नात्वा यः कुरुते ऽत्रापि श्राद्धं पिंडोदकक्रियाम्

na dharmāt param astīha tapo nānaśanāt param snātvā yaḥ kurute 'trāpi śrāddhaṁ piṇḍodakakriyām

There is nothing here higher than dharma, and no austerity higher than fasting. Whoever bathes here and performs the shraddha rite of pinda and water offerings —

Verse 8 (skanda.3.78.8)

तृप्यंति पितरस्तस्य यावद्ब्रह्मदिवानिशम् तत्र तीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा केशवं यस्तु पूजयेत्

tṛpyanti pitaras tasya yāvad brahmadivāniśam tatra tīrthe naraḥ snātvā keśavaṁ yas tu pūjayet

his ancestors remain satisfied for as long as Brahma's day and night last. Whatever man bathes at that tirtha and worships Keshava —

Verse 9 (skanda.3.78.9)

स मुक्तपातकैः सर्वेर्विष्णुलोकमवाप्नुयात् तीर्थानामुत्तमं तीर्थं यत्र संनिहितो हरिः

sa muktapātakaiḥ sarver viṣṇulokam avāpnuyāt tīrthānām uttamaṁ tīrthaṁ yatra saṁnihito hariḥ

he, freed from all sins, attains Vishnu's world. This is the foremost of all tirthas, where Hari himself is ever present.

Verse 10 (skanda.3.78.10)

हरते सकलं पापं तस्मिंस्तीर्थे स्थितस्य सः मुक्तिदं मोक्षकामानां धनदं च धनार्थिनाम् आयुर्दं सुखद चैव सर्वकामफलप्रदम्

harate sakalaṁ pāpaṁ tasmiṁs tīrthe sthitasya saḥ muktidaṁ mokṣakāmānāṁ dhanadaṁ ca dhanārthinām āyurdaṁ sukhadaṁ caiva sarvakāmaphalapradam

He takes away all the sin of one who abides at that tirtha; it grants liberation to those who seek liberation, wealth to those who seek wealth, long life and happiness, and the fruit of every desire.

Verse 11 (skanda.3.78.11)

किमन्येनात्र तीर्थेन यत्र देवो जनार्द्दनः स्वयं वसति नित्यं हि सर्वेषामनुकम्पया

kim anyenātra tīrthena yatra devo janārdanaḥ svayaṁ vasati nityaṁ hi sarveṣām anukampayā

What need is there for any other tirtha here, where the god Janārdana himself dwells eternally, out of compassion for all beings?

Verse 12 (skanda.3.78.12)

तत्र यद्दीयते किचिद्दानं श्रद्धासमन्वितम् अक्षयं तद्भवेत्सर्वमिह लोके परत्र च

tatra yad dīyate kiṁcid dānaṁ śraddhāsamanvitam akṣayaṁ tad bhavet sarvam iha loke paratra ca

Whatever gift, however small, is given there with faith becomes imperishable, both in this world and the next.

Verse 13 (skanda.3.78.13)

यज्ञैर्दानैस्तपो भिश्च यत्फलं प्राप्यते बुधैः तदत्र स्नानमात्रेण शूद्रैरपि सुसेवकैः

yajñair dānais tapobhiś ca yat phalaṁ prāpyate budhaiḥ tad atra snānamātreṇa śūdrair api susevakaiḥ

Whatever fruit the wise obtain through sacrifices, gifts, and austerities, that same fruit even a devoted shudra obtains here by mere bathing.

Verse 14 (skanda.3.78.14)

तत्र श्राद्धं च यः कुर्यादेकादश्यामुपोषितः स पितॄनुद्धरे त्सर्वान्नरकेभ्यो न संशयः

tatra śrāddhaṁ ca yaḥ kuryād ekādaśyām upoṣitaḥ sa pitṝn uddharet sarvān narakebhyo na saṁśayaḥ

Whoever performs the shraddha there while fasting on Ekadashi undoubtedly delivers all his ancestors from hell.

Verse 15 (skanda.3.78.15)

अक्षय्यां तृप्तिमाप्नोति परमात्मा जनार्द्दनः दीयतेऽत्र यदुद्दिश्य तदक्षय्यमुदाहृतम् इति श्रीस्कांदे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां तृतीये ब्रह्मखण्डे पूर्वभागे धर्मारण्यमाहात्म्ये द्वारिकामाहात्म्यवर्णनं नाम षड्विंशोऽध्यायः

akṣayyāṁ tṛptim āpnoti paramātmā janārdanaḥ dīyate 'tra yad uddiśya tad akṣayyam udāhṛtam iti śrīskānde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṁ saṁhitāyāṁ tṛtīye brahmakhaṇḍe pūrvabhāge dharmāraṇyamāhātmye dvārikāmāhātmyavarṇanaṁ nāma ṣaḍviṁśo 'dhyāyaḥ

The Supreme Soul Janārdana himself attains imperishable satisfaction; therefore whatever is given here, dedicated to him, is declared imperishable. Thus ends the twenty-sixth chapter, called "The Glory of Dwarka," within the Glory of Dharmaranya, in the earlier portion of the third Brahma Khanda, in the Skanda Mahapurana's Samhita of eighty-one thousand verses.