The Narration of the Glory of Gangeshvara

Verse 1 (skanda.4.91.1)

।। स्कंद उवाच ।। ।। पार्वतीशस्य महिमा कथितस्ते मयानघ ।। मुने निशामयेदानीं गंगेश्वरसमुद्भवम्

|| skaṁda uvāca || || pārvatīśasya mahimā kathitaste mayānagha || mune niśāmayedānīṁ gaṁgeśvarasamudbhavam

Skanda said: The glory of Parvatisha has been told to you by me, O sinless one; now, O sage, hear the origin of Gangeshvara.

Verse 2 (skanda.4.91.2)

यं श्रुत्वा यत्रकुत्रापि गंगास्नानफलं लभेत् ।। चक्रपुष्करिणीतीर्थं यदा गंगा समागता ।।

yaṁ śrutvā yatrakutrāpi gaṁgāsnānaphalaṁ labhet || cakrapuṣkariṇītīrthaṁ yadā gaṁgā samāgatā ||

Hearing which, wherever one may be, one obtains the fruit of bathing in the Ganga. When Ganga arrived at the Chakrapushkarini tirtha,

Verse 3 (skanda.4.91.3)

तेन दैलीपिना सार्धमस्मिन्नानंदकानने ।। क्षेत्रप्रभावमतुलं ज्ञात्वा शंभुपरिग्रहात्

tena dailīpinā sārdhamasminnānaṁdakānane || kṣetraprabhāvamatulaṁ jñātvā śaṁbhuparigrahāt

together with that son of Dilipa, in this Anandakanana, knowing through Shambhu's grace the incomparable power of the sacred field,

Verse 4 (skanda.4.91.4)

स्मृत्वा लिंगप्रतिष्ठायाः काश्यां लोकोत्तरं फलम् ।। गंगया स्थापितं लिंगं विश्वेशात्पूर्वतः शुभम्

smṛtvā liṁgapratiṣṭhāyāḥ kāśyāṁ lokottaraṁ phalam || gaṁgayā sthāpitaṁ liṁgaṁ viśveśātpūrvataḥ śubham

and remembering the transcendent fruit of establishing a linga in Kashi, Ganga established an auspicious linga to the east of Vishveshvara.

Verse 5 (skanda.4.91.5)

गंगेश्वरस्य लिंगस्य काश्यां दृष्टिः सुदुर्लभा ।। तिथौ दशहरायां च यो गंगेशं समर्चयेत्

gaṁgeśvarasya liṁgasya kāśyāṁ dṛṣṭiḥ sudurlabhā || tithau daśaharāyāṁ ca yo gaṁgeśaṁ samarcayet

The sight of the linga of Gangeshvara in Kashi is exceedingly rare; whoever shall worship Gangesha well on the Dashahara tithi,

Verse 6 (skanda.4.91.6)

तस्य जन्मसहस्रस्य पापं संक्षीयते क्षणात् ।। कलौ गंगेश्वरं लिंगं गुप्तप्रायं भविष्यति

tasya janmasahasrasya pāpaṁ saṁkṣīyate kṣaṇāt || kalau gaṁgeśvaraṁ liṁgaṁ guptaprāyaṁ bhaviṣyati

the sin of his thousand births is destroyed in an instant. In the Kali age, the Gangeshvara linga will become, as it were, hidden.

Verse 7 (skanda.4.91.7)

तस्य संदर्शनं पुंसां जायते पुण्यहेतवे ।। दृष्टं गंगेश्वरं लिंगं येन काश्यां सुदुर्लभम्

tasya saṁdarśanaṁ puṁsāṁ jāyate puṇyahetave || dṛṣṭaṁ gaṁgeśvaraṁ liṁgaṁ yena kāśyāṁ sudurlabham

The sight of it becomes a cause of merit for men; by whoever has seen that exceedingly rare Gangeshvara linga in Kashi,

Verse 8 (skanda.4.91.8)

प्रत्यक्षरूपिणी गंगा तेन दृष्टा न संशयः ।। कलौ सुदुर्लभा गंगा सर्वकल्मषहारिणी

pratyakṣarūpiṇī gaṁgā tena dṛṣṭā na saṁśayaḥ || kalau sudurlabhā gaṁgā sarvakalmaṣahāriṇī

he has, without doubt, seen Ganga herself in her very visible form. In the Kali age, Ganga, remover of all sins, exceedingly rare —

Verse 9 (skanda.4.91.9)

भविष्यति न संदेहो मित्रावरुणनंदन।। ततोपि तिष्ये संप्राप्ते काश्यत्यंतं सुदुर्लभा

bhaviṣyati na saṁdeho mitrāvaruṇanaṁdana|| tatopi tiṣye saṁprāpte kāśyatyaṁtaṁ sudurlabhā

— will become, without doubt, O son of Mitra-Varuna [Agastya]. And still more so, when the Tishya nakshatra arrives, she becomes exceedingly rare in Kashi.

Verse 10 (skanda.4.91.10)

ततोपि दुर्लभं काश्यां लिंगं गंगेश्वराभिधम् ।। यस्य संदर्शनं पुंसां भवेत्पापक्षयाय वै

tatopi durlabhaṁ kāśyāṁ liṁgaṁ gaṁgeśvarābhidham || yasya saṁdarśanaṁ puṁsāṁ bhavetpāpakṣayāya vai

Rarer still, in Kashi, is the linga named Gangeshvara, the sight of which for men verily leads to the destruction of sins.

Verse 11 (skanda.4.91.11)

श्रुत्वा गंगेश माहात्म्यं न नरो निरयी भवेत् ।। लभेच्च पुण्यसंभारं चिंतितं चाधिगच्छति

śrutvā gaṁgeśa māhātmyaṁ na naro nirayī bhavet || labhecca puṇyasaṁbhāraṁ ciṁtitaṁ cādhigacchati

Having heard this glory of Gangesha, a man does not become a denizen of hell; he obtains a store of merit and attains whatever he desires.