The Glory of Pashupatishvara

Verse 1 (skanda.5.135.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। शृणु त्वं पशुपत्याख्यं चतुःषष्टिकमीश्वरम्। यस्य दर्शनमात्रेण पशुयोनिर्न लभ्यते॥

īśvara uvāca| śṛṇu tvaṁ paśupatyākhyaṁ catuḥṣaṣṭikamīśvaram| yasya darśanamātreṇa paśuyonirna labhyate||

Ishvara said: "Know, O dear one, the sixty-fourth lord named Pashupati, by the mere sight of whom one does not obtain birth in an animal womb."

Verse 2 (skanda.5.135.2)

पशुपालो महादेवि बभूव भुवि विश्रुतः। राजा परम धर्मिष्ठः पशूनां पालने रतः॥

paśupālo mahādevi babhūva bhuvi viśrutaḥ| rājā parama dharmiṣṭhaḥ paśūnāṁ pālane rataḥ||

"O Mahadevi, there was on earth a renowned king named Pashupala, most righteous, devoted to the protection of animals."

Verse 3 (skanda.5.135.3)

दिदृक्षुः स कदाचिच्च गतस्तोयनिधिं प्रति। ददर्श तत्र पुरुषान्पंच प्राधान्यतः स्थितान्। एका स्त्री मुक्तकेशा सा भ्रमन्ती च पुनःपुनः॥

didṛkṣuḥ sa kadācicca gatastoyanidhiṁ prati| dadarśa tatra puruṣānpaṁca prādhānyataḥ sthitān| ekā strī muktakeśā sā bhramantī ca punaḥpunaḥ||

"Once, desiring to see something, he went toward the ocean; there he saw five men standing foremost, and a woman with disheveled hair wandering again and again."

Verse 4 (skanda.5.135.4)

अथ राजा भयाविष्टो विसंज्ञः समपद्यत। संवेष्टितो दस्युभिस्तैस्तया नार्या विशेषतः॥

atha rājā bhayāviṣṭo visaṁjñaḥ samapadyata| saṁveṣṭito dasyubhistaistayā nāryā viśeṣataḥ||

"Then the king, seized with fear, became senseless, surrounded by those bandits, and especially by that woman."

Verse 5 (skanda.5.135.5)

ततोन्ये समपातं च आगत्य नृपसत्तमम्। संवेष्ट्य संस्थितैः सर्वैस्ततो रुद्धो महीपतिः॥

tatonye samapātaṁ ca āgatya nṛpasattamam| saṁveṣṭya saṁsthitaiḥ sarvaistato ruddho mahīpatiḥ||

"Then others came rushing upon that excellent king; surrounded and hemmed in by all of them, the lord of earth was thus blocked."

Verse 6 (skanda.5.135.6)

रुद्धे राजनि ते सर्वे एकीभूतास्तु दस्यवः। घातिताः पशुपालेन न मृताः पुनरुत्थिताः॥

ruddhe rājani te sarve ekībhūtāstu dasyavaḥ| ghātitāḥ paśupālena na mṛtāḥ punarutthitāḥ||

"With the king thus beset, all those bandits became united as one; struck down by Pashupala, they did not die but rose up again."

Verse 7 (skanda.5.135.7)

तस्य तां धृष्टतां ज्ञात्वा स्थैर्यं च नृपतेर्मृधे। तस्यैव नृपतेर्देहे लीनास्ते दश दस्यवः॥

tasya tāṁ dhṛṣṭatāṁ jñātvā sthairyaṁ ca nṛpatermṛdhe| tasyaiva nṛpaterdehe līnāste daśa dasyavaḥ||

"Knowing his boldness and his steadfastness in battle, those ten bandits merged into the very body of that king."

Verse 8 (skanda.5.135.8)

अमूर्ता इव ते सर्वे एकीभूतास्ततोऽभवन्। तान्दृष्ट्वा दुःखितो राजा पशुपालोऽभवत्क्षणात्॥

amūrtā iva te sarve ekībhūtāstato'bhavan| tāndṛṣṭvā duḥkhito rājā paśupālo'bhavatkṣaṇāt||

"As if formless, all of them became united then; seeing them, the king Pashupala became distressed in that instant."

Verse 9 (skanda.5.135.9)

अथापश्यत्तदाऽऽयांतं नारदं मुनिपुंगवम्। ब्रह्मपुत्रं तपोयुक्तं पप्रच्छ स नृपस्तदा॥

athāpaśyattadā''yāṁtaṁ nāradaṁ munipuṁgavam| brahmaputraṁ tapoyuktaṁ papraccha sa nṛpastadā||

"Then he saw Narada, the bull among sages, the son of Brahma endowed with austerity, approaching; the king then questioned him."

Verse 10 (skanda.5.135.10)

पशु पाल उवाच। भगवन्ब्रह्मपुत्राद्य मया दृष्टं तु कौतुकम्। अकस्मात्पुरुषाः पंच समायाता भयावहाः॥

paśu pāla uvāca| bhagavanbrahmaputrādya mayā dṛṣṭaṁ tu kautukam| akasmātpuruṣāḥ paṁca samāyātā bhayāvahāḥ||

"Pashupala said: 'O Lord, son of Brahma, today I have seen a wonder — suddenly five terrifying men appeared.'"

Verse 11 (skanda.5.135.11)

तैरहं वेष्टितो दुष्टैर्व्याकुलश्च कृतस्तदा। मुष्टिभिर्हन्यमानोऽहं स्वस्थो जातो द्विज क्षणात्॥

tairahaṁ veṣṭito duṣṭairvyākulaśca kṛtastadā| muṣṭibhirhanyamāno'haṁ svastho jāto dvija kṣaṇāt||

"'Surrounded by those wicked ones, I was made distraught; struck by fists, yet, O brahmin, I became well again in an instant.'"

Verse 12 (skanda.5.135.12)

ततोऽन्ये पुरुषाः पञ्च समायाता नियुध्य माम्। हन्यतां हन्यतामेष मुक्तिकामो नृपाधमः॥

tato'nye puruṣāḥ pañca samāyātā niyudhya mām| hanyatāṁ hanyatāmeṣa muktikāmo nṛpādhamaḥ||

"'Then five other men came, fighting me, crying: \"Let this vile king, desiring liberation, be slain, be slain!\"'"

Verse 13 (skanda.5.135.13)

एवं तैः पीडितोऽत्यर्थं पुनर्मोहमुपागतः। एतस्मिन्नन्तरे सा स्त्री मामुवाच पुनःपुनः॥

evaṁ taiḥ pīḍito'tyarthaṁ punarmohamupāgataḥ| etasminnantare sā strī māmuvāca punaḥpunaḥ||

"'Thus tormented exceedingly by them, I fell again into confusion; meanwhile that woman spoke to me again and again.'"

Verse 14 (skanda.5.135.14)

दृढो भव महाराज मा विषादं कुरु प्रभो। हीनवीर्या ह्यमी चोराः समर्थस्त्वं स्थिरो भव॥

dṛḍho bhava mahārāja mā viṣādaṁ kuru prabho| hīnavīryā hyamī corāḥ samarthastvaṁ sthiro bhava||

"'\"Be firm, O great king, do not despair, O lord; these thieves are devoid of strength — you are capable, be steadfast.\"'"

Verse 15 (skanda.5.135.15)

तस्या वाक्येन विप्रेंद्र मया धैर्येण संयुगे। दश प्रधान पुरुषा जितास्ते न मृताः प्रभो॥

tasyā vākyena vipreṁdra mayā dhairyeṇa saṁyuge| daśa pradhāna puruṣā jitāste na mṛtāḥ prabho||

"'By her words, O foremost of brahmins, and by my own courage, I overcame in battle those ten chief men — they did not die, O lord.'"

Verse 16 (skanda.5.135.16)

प्रलीना मच्छरीरे तु केप्यते कापि साऽबला। पशुपालवचः श्रुत्वा नारदो वाक्यमब्रवीत्॥

pralīnā maccharīre tu kepyate kāpi sā'balā| paśupālavacaḥ śrutvā nārado vākyamabravīt||

"'They dissolved into my own body; but where that woman went, I do not know.' Having heard Pashupala's words, Narada spoke thus."

Verse 17 (skanda.5.135.17)

ये त्वया पुरुषा दृष्टास्त्वयि लीना जिता मृधे। बुद्धीन्द्रियाणि ते पञ्च पंच कर्मेन्द्रियाणि च। भ्रमन्ती या च नारी सा त्वया दृष्टा नृपोत्तम॥

ye tvayā puruṣā dṛṣṭāstvayi līnā jitā mṛdhe| buddhīndriyāṇi te pañca paṁca karmendriyāṇi ca| bhramantī yā ca nārī sā tvayā dṛṣṭā nṛpottama||

"'The five men whom you saw, who merged into you, conquered in battle, are your five organs of knowledge and your five organs of action; and the woman wandering about whom you saw, O best of kings—'"

Verse 18 (skanda.5.135.18)

मनोरूपेण सा बुद्धिर्भ्रमत्येव हि न स्थिरा। जितानि तानि पूर्वेण ब्रह्मणा लोककर्तृणा॥

manorūpeṇa sā buddhirbhramatyeva hi na sthirā| jitāni tāni pūrveṇa brahmaṇā lokakartṛṇā||

"'—she is the intellect in the form of the mind, ever wandering, never steady. These same faculties were, long ago, conquered by Brahma, the creator of the worlds.'"

Verse 19 (skanda.5.135.19)

सोऽपि क्रोधवशं नीत इन्द्रियैर्विषयैः प्रियैः। पितामहेन स्वे यज्ञे शम्भोर्भागो न कल्पितः॥

so'pi krodhavaśaṁ nīta indriyairviṣayaiḥ priyaiḥ| pitāmahena sve yajñe śambhorbhāgo na kalpitaḥ||

"'He too was brought under the sway of anger by the senses and their beloved objects, when the grandsire, in his own sacrifice, did not allot Shambhu's share.'"

Verse 20 (skanda.5.135.20)

महादेवो जगन्नाथः सृष्टिसंहारकारकः। इंद्रियैर्मोहितो राजन्क्रोधं चक्रे सुरा न्प्रति॥

mahādevo jagannāthaḥ sṛṣṭisaṁhārakārakaḥ| iṁdriyairmohito rājankrodhaṁ cakre surā nprati||

"'Mahadeva, O king, the lord of the world, the maker of creation and dissolution, deluded by the senses, grew wrathful toward the gods.'"

Verse 21 (skanda.5.135.21)

सुरा विभूतयो यस्य क्रीडार्थं भुवनत्रयम्। तेन भागनिमित्तार्थं चक्रे सज्यं धनुस्तदा॥

surā vibhūtayo yasya krīḍārthaṁ bhuvanatrayam| tena bhāganimittārthaṁ cakre sajyaṁ dhanustadā||

"'He, for whom the gods are but manifestations and the three worlds a mere sport, for the sake of his share then strung his bow.'"

Verse 22 (skanda.5.135.22)

पूष्णश्च दंताः संभग्ना मोहितश्च दिवाकरः। नेत्रे भग्ने भगस्यापि विद्धो यज्ञो मृगाकृतिः॥

pūṣṇaśca daṁtāḥ saṁbhagnā mohitaśca divākaraḥ| netre bhagne bhagasyāpi viddho yajño mṛgākṛtiḥ||

"'Pushan's teeth were broken, the sun was struck senseless, Bhaga's eyes were destroyed, and the sacrifice, having taken the form of a deer, was pierced.'"

Verse 23 (skanda.5.135.23)

पशवश्च कृता देवा मुनयो वेदवर्जिताः। ऋषीणां धर्मशास्त्राणि हृतानि विभुना तथा॥

paśavaśca kṛtā devā munayo vedavarjitāḥ| ṛṣīṇāṁ dharmaśāstrāṇi hṛtāni vibhunā tathā||

"'The gods were turned into animals, the sages deprived of the Vedas; the dharma-shastras of the sages were likewise seized by that Lord.'"

Verse 24 (skanda.5.135.24)

दुर्जयानीन्द्रियाण्याहुर्मुनयो वेदपारगाः। मनोरूपेण या बुद्धिः सा चातीव सुदुर्जया॥

durjayānīndriyāṇyāhurmunayo vedapāragāḥ| manorūpeṇa yā buddhiḥ sā cātīva sudurjayā||

"'Sages versed in the Vedas declare the senses to be hard to conquer; but the intellect in the form of the mind is exceedingly harder still to conquer.'"

Verse 25 (skanda.5.135.25)

तस्माद्राजन्महाबाहो मा विषादं वृथा कृथाः। तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा नारदस्य महात्मनः। पशुपालो महादेवि वक्तुं समुपचक्रमे॥

tasmādrājanmahābāho mā viṣādaṁ vṛthā kṛthāḥ| tasya tadvacanaṁ śrutvā nāradasya mahātmanaḥ| paśupālo mahādevi vaktuṁ samupacakrame||

"'Therefore, O mighty-armed king, do not indulge in vain despair.' Having heard these words of the great-souled Narada, O Mahadevi, Pashupala began to speak."

Verse 26 (skanda.5.135.26)

पशुपाल उवाच। कथं ते भगवन्मुक्ता देवाः शक्रपुरोगमाः। पशुभावाच्च ब्रह्मापि श्रोतुमिच्छामि कथ्यताम्॥

paśupāla uvāca| kathaṁ te bhagavanmuktā devāḥ śakrapurogamāḥ| paśubhāvācca brahmāpi śrotumicchāmi kathyatām||

"Pashupala said: 'O Lord, how were the gods headed by Shakra, and Brahma too, freed from the state of animal-nature? I wish to hear it — please tell me.'"

Verse 27 (skanda.5.135.27)

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा नारदः पुनरब्रवीत्। पशु त्वेऽपि गता देवा ऋषिभिर्मुनिभिः सह॥

tasya tadvacanaṁ śrutvā nāradaḥ punarabravīt| paśu tve'pi gatā devā ṛṣibhirmunibhiḥ saha||

"Having heard his words, Narada spoke again: 'The gods too had fallen into the state of animals, together with the rishis and munis.'"

Verse 28 (skanda.5.135.28)

ब्रह्माणमग्रतः कृत्वा गताः शरणमीश्वरम्। स्तुतिभिस्तोषितो देवो भक्तानुग्रहकारकः॥

brahmāṇamagrataḥ kṛtvā gatāḥ śaraṇamīśvaram| stutibhistoṣito devo bhaktānugrahakārakaḥ||

"'Placing Brahma at their head, they went for refuge to Ishvara; the god, the bestower of grace upon devotees, was pleased by their hymns of praise.'"

Verse 29 (skanda.5.135.29)

उवाच वचनं राजन्यत्कर्तव्यं तदुच्यताम्॥

uvāca vacanaṁ rājanyatkartavyaṁ taducyatām||

"'He spoke these words, O king: \"Tell me what is to be done.\"'"

Verse 30 (skanda.5.135.30)

देवा ऊचुः। वेदशास्त्राणि विज्ञानं देहि नो भव मा चिरम्। देवस्त्वं पूर्ववद्देव यदि तुष्टो महेश्वरः॥

devā ūcuḥ| vedaśāstrāṇi vijñānaṁ dehi no bhava mā ciram| devastvaṁ pūrvavaddeva yadi tuṣṭo maheśvaraḥ||

"'The gods said: \"Give us back the Vedas, the shastras, and knowledge; delay not. Be as before, O god, if Maheshvara is pleased.\"'"

Verse 31 (skanda.5.135.31)

ईश्वर उवाच। भवंतः पशवः सर्वे मया सार्द्धं च गम्यताम्। महाकालवने क्षेत्रे पशुभावविमोक्षके॥

īśvara uvāca| bhavaṁtaḥ paśavaḥ sarve mayā sārddhaṁ ca gamyatām| mahākālavane kṣetre paśubhāvavimokṣake||

"'Ishvara said: \"All of you who are now animals must come with me to the sacred field of Mahakalavana, the place of release from the state of animal-nature.\"'"

Verse 32 (skanda.5.135.32)

अहं पतिर्वो भविता ततो मोक्षमवाप्स्यथ। भवतामनुकंपार्थं लोकानुग्रहकारणम्। लिंगरूपी भविष्यामि नाम्ना पशुपतीश्वरः॥

ahaṁ patirvo bhavitā tato mokṣamavāpsyatha| bhavatāmanukaṁpārthaṁ lokānugrahakāraṇam| liṁgarūpī bhaviṣyāmi nāmnā paśupatīśvaraḥ||

"'\"I shall become your lord; thereby you shall attain liberation. Out of compassion for you, and for the benefit of the world, I shall become manifest in the form of a linga, by the name Pashupatishvara.\"'"

Verse 33 (skanda.5.135.33)

अथ ते त्रिदशाः सर्वे दृष्ट्वा देवं तमीश्वरम्। पशुभावविनिर्मुक्ता गता हृष्टास्त्रिविष्टपम्। ब्रह्मा पशुपतिं प्राह प्रसन्नेनांतरात्मना॥

atha te tridaśāḥ sarve dṛṣṭvā devaṁ tamīśvaram| paśubhāvavinirmuktā gatā hṛṣṭāstriviṣṭapam| brahmā paśupatiṁ prāha prasannenāṁtarātmanā||

"'Then all those gods, having beheld that lord Ishvara, were freed from the state of animal-nature and went, rejoicing, to heaven; and Brahma, with a joyful heart, spoke to Pashupati.'"

Verse 34 (skanda.5.135.34)

ये त्वां पश्यन्ति देवेश भक्त्या परमया युताः। तेषां कुले पशुत्वं च ये गताः पितरः प्रभो। स्वकैः कर्मविपाकैश्च तेषां मोक्षो भविष्यति॥

ye tvāṁ paśyanti deveśa bhaktyā paramayā yutāḥ| teṣāṁ kule paśutvaṁ ca ye gatāḥ pitaraḥ prabho| svakaiḥ karmavipākaiśca teṣāṁ mokṣo bhaviṣyati||

"'\"O lord of gods, those who behold you endowed with supreme devotion — even the ancestors in their lineage, O lord, who had fallen into the state of animals through the ripening of their own deeds, for them too liberation shall come to be.\"'"

Verse 35 (skanda.5.135.35)

अज्ञानाज्ज्ञानतो वापि यत्पापं क्रियते नरैः। तत्पापं विलयं यातु तस्य देवस्य पूजनात्॥

ajñānājjñānato vāpi yatpāpaṁ kriyate naraiḥ| tatpāpaṁ vilayaṁ yātu tasya devasya pūjanāt||

"'\"Whatever sin is committed by men, whether knowingly or unknowingly, let that sin be dissolved through the worship of that god.\"'"

Verse 36 (skanda.5.135.36)

ते नराः पशवो लोके किं तेषां जीविते फलम्। यैर्न दृष्टः पशुपतिः पशुयोनिविमोचकः॥

te narāḥ paśavo loke kiṁ teṣāṁ jīvite phalam| yairna dṛṣṭaḥ paśupatiḥ paśuyonivimocakaḥ||

"'\"Those men by whom Pashupati, the liberator from the animal womb, is not seen — they are but animals in this world; what is the fruit of their life?\"'"

Verse 37 (skanda.5.135.37)

कौमारे यौवने बाल्ये वार्द्धके यदुपार्जितम्। तत्पापं विलयं याति दृष्ट्वा पशुपतिं शिवम्॥

kaumāre yauvane bālye vārddhake yadupārjitam| tatpāpaṁ vilayaṁ yāti dṛṣṭvā paśupatiṁ śivam||

"'\"Whatever sin is accumulated in childhood, youth, prime, or old age, that sin comes to dissolution upon beholding auspicious Pashupati.\"'"

Verse 38 (skanda.5.135.38)

पौषमासे तु संप्राप्ते ये त्वां पश्यंति मानवाः। तेषां त्वं वरदो देव सदाभीष्टकरो भवेत्॥

pauṣamāse tu saṁprāpte ye tvāṁ paśyaṁti mānavāḥ| teṣāṁ tvaṁ varado deva sadābhīṣṭakaro bhavet||

"'\"When the month of Pausha has come, those men who behold you — O god, may you ever be the bestower of boons to them, granting their desires.\"'"

Verse 39 (skanda.5.135.39)

सूर्यग्रहे यथा दत्तं कुरुक्षेत्रे विशेषतः। पात्रे दानं सुवर्णस्य प्रोक्तमक्षय्यमव्ययम्॥

sūryagrahe yathā dattaṁ kurukṣetre viśeṣataḥ| pātre dānaṁ suvarṇasya proktamakṣayyamavyayam||

"'\"As gold given in gift to a worthy recipient during a solar eclipse, especially at Kurukshetra, is declared imperishable and inexhaustible—\"'"

Verse 40 (skanda.5.135.40)

पौषमासे दिनैकेन नराणामधिकं तथा। तद्दर्शनेन देवेश भविष्यति न संशयः॥

pauṣamāse dinaikena narāṇāmadhikaṁ tathā| taddarśanena deveśa bhaviṣyati na saṁśayaḥ||

"'\"—so, even more, will men obtain merit in a single day of the month of Pausha; through the sight of you, O lord of gods, this shall come to be, without doubt.\"'"

Verse 41 (skanda.5.135.41)

इत्युक्त्वा भगवान्ब्रह्मा ब्रह्मलोकं गतो नृप। कृतकृत्यः प्रहृष्टात्मा मुनिभिः कविभिः सह॥

ityuktvā bhagavānbrahmā brahmalokaṁ gato nṛpa| kṛtakṛtyaḥ prahṛṣṭātmā munibhiḥ kavibhiḥ saha||

"'Having said this, the blessed Brahma, O king, went to Brahmaloka, his purpose fulfilled, his heart rejoicing, together with the sages and the poet-seers.'"

Verse 42 (skanda.5.135.42)

तस्मात्त्वमपि राजेंद्र यदीच्छसि परां गतिम्। समाराधय तल्लिंगं पशुयोनिविमोचनम्। महाकालवनं गत्वा इन्द्रेश्वरस्य दक्षिणे॥

tasmāttvamapi rājeṁdra yadīcchasi parāṁ gatim| samārādhaya talliṁgaṁ paśuyonivimocanam| mahākālavanaṁ gatvā indreśvarasya dakṣiṇe||

"'Therefore, O king of kings, if you desire the supreme goal, go to Mahakalavana and worship that linga, the liberator from the animal womb, situated to the south of Indreshvara.'"

Verse 43 (skanda.5.135.43)

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा नारदस्य महात्मनः। जगाम पशुपालोऽपि महाकालवनं प्रिये। दर्शनात्तस्य लिंगस्य गतोऽसौ परमां गतिम्॥

tasya tadvacanaṁ śrutvā nāradasya mahātmanaḥ| jagāma paśupālo'pi mahākālavanaṁ priye| darśanāttasya liṁgasya gato'sau paramāṁ gatim||

"Having heard these words of the great-souled Narada, O dear one, Pashupala too went to Mahakalavana; by the sight of that linga he attained the supreme goal."

Verse 44 (skanda.5.135.44)

एष ते कथितो देवि प्रभावः पापनाशनः। पशुपत्याख्यदेवस्य शृणु ब्रह्मेश्वरं शिवम्॥

eṣa te kathito devi prabhāvaḥ pāpanāśanaḥ| paśupatyākhyadevasya śṛṇu brahmeśvaraṁ śivam||

"This, O Devi, is the sin-destroying power of the god named Pashupati that I have told you; now hear of auspicious Brahmeshvara."