The Power of the Nila-Gandhavati River

Verse 1 (skanda.5.16.1)

सनत्कुमार उवाच। अथान्यत्संप्रवक्ष्यामि तीर्थानां तीर्थमुत्तमम्। स्थापितं परमं तीर्थं स्वनाम्ना मुनिसत्तम

sanatkumāra uvāca| athānyatsaṁpravakṣyāmi tīrthānāṁ tīrthamuttamam| sthāpitaṁ paramaṁ tīrthaṁ svanāmnā munisattama

Sanatkumara said: Now I shall declare yet another tirtha, the foremost among tirthas; O best of sages, that supreme tirtha was established under its own name.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.16.2)

एकदा समये व्यास कपालक्षालनाय वै। शीर्षोदकं गृहीत्वा तु कपालेन महेश्वरः

ekadā samaye vyāsa kapālakṣālanāya vai| śīrṣodakaṁ gṛhītvā tu kapālena maheśvaraḥ

Once, O Vyasa, at a certain time, for the purpose of washing the skull, Maheshvara, taking water for his head into the skull-bowl...

Verse 3 (skanda.5.16.3)

प्रक्षाल्य चाक्षिपद्भूमौ तत्र तीर्थमनुत्तमम्। नाम्ना गन्धवती पुण्या नदी त्रैलोक्यविश्रुता

prakṣālya cākṣipadbhūmau tatra tīrthamanuttamam| nāmnā gandhavatī puṇyā nadī trailokyaviśrutā

...washed it, and cast the water down upon the earth; there arose a supreme tirtha, a sacred river by the name Gandhavati, renowned throughout the three worlds.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.16.4)

ब्रह्मणो रुधिरेणाशु परिपूर्णाभवत्क्षणात्। तस्यां स्नानं सदा शस्तं स्वयं देवेन भाषितम्

brahmaṇo rudhireṇāśu paripūrṇābhavatkṣaṇāt| tasyāṁ snānaṁ sadā śastaṁ svayaṁ devena bhāṣitam

It swiftly filled, in a single moment, with the blood of Brahma; bathing in it has ever been praised, declared so by the god himself.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.16.5)

श्राद्धं च तर्पणं कृत्वा तत्सर्वं चाक्षयं भवेत्। वायुभूतास्तु पितरस्तस्यास्तीरे तु दक्षिणे

śrāddhaṁ ca tarpaṇaṁ kṛtvā tatsarvaṁ cākṣayaṁ bhavet| vāyubhūtāstu pitarastasyāstīre tu dakṣiṇe

Performing the ancestral rite and libation there makes all of it imperishable; the ancestors, taking the form of wind, abide upon its southern bank...

Verse 6 (skanda.5.16.6)

तिष्ठंति मुनिशार्दूल चिंतयंति स्वगोत्रजम्। आगमिष्यति पुत्रोऽद्य नप्ता वा संतताविह

tiṣṭhaṁti muniśārdūla ciṁtayaṁti svagotrajam| āgamiṣyati putro'dya naptā vā saṁtatāviha

...O tiger among sages, thinking of their own kinsman: 'Will a son or a grandson of our line come here today?'

Verse 7 (skanda.5.16.7)

संयावं पायसं वापि श्यामाकं सनिवारकम्। सकृत्क्षौद्रतिलैर्युक्तं पिण्डं दास्यति वै कदा

saṁyāvaṁ pāyasaṁ vāpi śyāmākaṁ sanivārakam| sakṛtkṣaudratilairyuktaṁ piṇḍaṁ dāsyati vai kadā

'Will he ever offer us a rice-ball of sweet cake, or rice-pudding, or millet and wild rice, mixed with honey and sesame?'

Verse 8 (skanda.5.16.8)

तेन पिंडप्रदानेन तृप्तिर्भवति चाक्षया। यस्तु स्नात्वा च वै पिंडं दद्याद्वै चंद्रं पर्वणि

tena piṁḍapradānena tṛptirbhavati cākṣayā| yastu snātvā ca vai piṁḍaṁ dadyādvai caṁdraṁ parvaṇi

From that offering of the rice-ball comes an imperishable satisfaction; whoever, having bathed, offers a rice-ball at the lunar conjunction...

Verse 9 (skanda.5.16.9)

पितरौ द्वादशाब्दानि तृप्तिं यास्यंति तस्य वै। येऽत्रागत्य सुविद्वांसो मानवा वा तथा द्विजाः

pitarau dvādaśābdāni tṛptiṁ yāsyaṁti tasya vai| ye'trāgatya suvidvāṁso mānavā vā tathā dvijāḥ

...for him, both his ancestors attain satisfaction for twelve years. Those learned men, or Brahmins, who, coming here...

Verse 10 (skanda.5.16.10)

पितॄन्संतर्पयिष्यंति स्वर्गस्तेषां सदाऽक्षयः। तत्र यद्दीयते दानं त्रुटिमात्रं तु कांचनम्

pitṝnsaṁtarpayiṣyaṁti svargasteṣāṁ sadā'kṣayaḥ| tatra yaddīyate dānaṁ truṭimātraṁ tu kāṁcanam

...shall offer libation to their ancestors, for them heaven shall be ever imperishable. Whatever gift is given there, even a mere particle of gold...

Verse 11 (skanda.5.16.11)

अक्षयं तस्य तत्प्रोक्तं ब्रह्मणा वै स्वयंभुवा। गंगाद्वारे प्रयागे च कुरुक्षेत्रेऽथ पुष्करे

akṣayaṁ tasya tatproktaṁ brahmaṇā vai svayaṁbhuvā| gaṁgādvāre prayāge ca kurukṣetre'tha puṣkare

...that has been declared imperishable by the self-born Brahma himself. At Gangadvara, at Prayaga, at Kurukshetra, and at Pushkara...

Verse 12 (skanda.5.16.12)

वाराणस्यां गयायां च सा न तृप्तिर्भविष्यति। तुष्टाश्च पितरो नृणां दास्यंति कांक्षितान्वरान्

vārāṇasyāṁ gayāyāṁ ca sā na tṛptirbhaviṣyati| tuṣṭāśca pitaro nṛṇāṁ dāsyaṁti kāṁkṣitānvarān

...at Varanasi and at Gaya, that same satisfaction shall not be equalled. The ancestors, once satisfied, grant to men the boons they desire.

Verse 13 (skanda.5.16.13)

यो यमुद्दिश्य वैकाममिह श्राद्धं करिष्यति। तस्य तज्जायते सर्वं मृतस्य परमा गतिः

yo yamuddiśya vaikāmamiha śrāddhaṁ kariṣyati| tasya tajjāyate sarvaṁ mṛtasya paramā gatiḥ

Whoever performs shraddha here, dedicated to whomever he wishes, obtains for the deceased all of it—the supreme destiny.

Verse 14 (skanda.5.16.14)

नवमी अष्टमी चैव अमावास्याथ पूर्णिमा। सर्वाण्येतानि वै व्यास रवेः संक्रम एव च

navamī aṣṭamī caiva amāvāsyātha pūrṇimā| sarvāṇyetāni vai vyāsa raveḥ saṁkrama eva ca

The ninth, the eighth, and likewise the new moon and the full moon—all these, O Vyasa, and also the sun's transition into a new sign...

Verse 15 (skanda.5.16.15)

ब्रह्मेंद्र रुद्रदेवांश्च सूर्याग्निब्रह्मदैवतान्। विश्वेदेवान्सगन्धर्वान्यक्षाश्च मनुजान्पशून्

brahmeṁdra rudradevāṁśca sūryāgnibrahmadaivatān| viśvedevānsagandharvānyakṣāśca manujānpaśūn

...Brahma, Indra, and the Rudra-gods, and the deities Surya, Agni, and Brahma; the Vishvedevas together with the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, men, and beasts...

Verse 16 (skanda.5.16.16)

सरीसृपान्पितृगणान्यच्चान्यद्भुवि संस्थितम्। श्राद्धं वै श्रद्धया कुर्वन्प्रीणयत्यखिलं जगत्

sarīsṛpānpitṛgaṇānyaccānyadbhuvi saṁsthitam| śrāddhaṁ vai śraddhayā kurvanprīṇayatyakhilaṁ jagat

...reptiles, the hosts of ancestors, and whatever else exists upon the earth—performing the ancestral rite with faith brings satisfaction to the entire world.

Verse 17 (skanda.5.16.17)

मासिमास्यसिते पक्षे पंचदश्यां द्विजोत्तम। इन्दुक्षये यदा मैत्रं विशाखां चैव रोहिणीम्

māsimāsyasite pakṣe paṁcadaśyāṁ dvijottama| indukṣaye yadā maitraṁ viśākhāṁ caiva rohiṇīm

O foremost of the twice-born, on the fifteenth day of the dark fortnight of every month, when the moon wanes, and under the constellations Anuradha, Vishakha, and Rohini...

Verse 18 (skanda.5.16.18)

श्राद्धे पितृगणास्तृप्तिं प्रयांति पितरोऽर्जिताम्। वासवाजैकपादर्क्षे पितॄणां तृप्तिमिच्छता

śrāddhe pitṛgaṇāstṛptiṁ prayāṁti pitaro'rjitām| vāsavājaikapādarkṣe pitṝṇāṁ tṛptimicchatā

...through the rite, the hosts of ancestors attain the satisfaction thereby earned. Under the constellations of Dhanishtha and Purva-bhadrapada, for one who desires the satisfaction of his ancestors...

Verse 19 (skanda.5.16.19)

भक्त्या श्राद्धं प्रकर्तव्यं पितरस्तेन तर्पिताः। अपि धन्याः कुले जाता अस्माकं मतिशालिनः

bhaktyā śrāddhaṁ prakartavyaṁ pitarastena tarpitāḥ| api dhanyāḥ kule jātā asmākaṁ matiśālinaḥ

...the ancestral rite should be devotedly performed, by which the ancestors are satisfied. 'Blessed indeed are they, endowed with wisdom, who are born in our lineage.'

Verse 20 (skanda.5.16.20)

ये कुर्वंति च वै श्राद्धं पिंडान्ये निर्वपंति च। तेन पिंडप्रदानेन तृप्तिर्नो भविताऽक्षया

ye kurvaṁti ca vai śrāddhaṁ piṁḍānye nirvapaṁti ca| tena piṁḍapradānena tṛptirno bhavitā'kṣayā

'Those who perform the rite and offer rice-balls—by that offering our satisfaction shall become imperishable.'

Verse 21 (skanda.5.16.21)

इहैत्य वै पुण्यजलेषु सम्यक्स्नात्वा नरस्तांस्तु लभेत कामान्। यान्प्राप्य च प्रेतगणैः समेतः स मोदते देववृतोऽथ सिद्धः

ihaitya vai puṇyajaleṣu samyaksnātvā narastāṁstu labheta kāmān| yānprāpya ca pretagaṇaiḥ sametaḥ sa modate devavṛto'tha siddhaḥ

A man who comes here and bathes properly in these sacred waters obtains whatever he desires; having attained it, joined with the hosts of the departed and honoured by the gods, he rejoices and becomes accomplished.

Verse 22 (skanda.5.16.22)

चित्तं च वित्तं च नृणां च शुद्धं शस्तश्च कालः कथितो विधिश्च। पात्रं यथोक्तं परमा च भक्तिर्नृणां प्रयच्छंति हि वांछितानि

cittaṁ ca vittaṁ ca nṛṇāṁ ca śuddhaṁ śastaśca kālaḥ kathito vidhiśca| pātraṁ yathoktaṁ paramā ca bhaktirnṛṇāṁ prayacchaṁti hi vāṁchitāni

A pure mind, wealth, and a time declared auspicious, together with the proper rite, a fitting recipient as prescribed, and supreme devotion—these are what grant men their heart's desire.