Greatness of the Confluence of the Vishalya

Verse 1 (skanda.5.178.1)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच। तत्रैव सङ्गमे राजन्भक्त्या परमया नृप । प्राणांस्त्यजन्ति ये मर्त्यास्ते यान्ति परमां गतिम्

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca| tatraiva saṅgame rājanbhaktyā paramayā nṛpa | prāṇāṁstyajanti ye martyāste yānti paramāṁ gatim

Markandeya said: O king, mortals who, with supreme devotion, give up their life at that very confluence attain the supreme destination.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.178.2)

संन्यस्तसर्वसंकल्पो यस्तु प्राणान्परित्यजेत् । अमरेश्वरमासाद्य स स्वर्गे नियतं वसेत्

saṁnyastasarvasaṁkalpo yastu prāṇānparityajet | amareśvaramāsādya sa svarge niyataṁ vaset

He who, renouncing every worldly resolve, gives up his life-breath, having reached Amareshvara, dwells assuredly in heaven.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.178.3)

शैलेन्द्रं यः समासाद्य आत्मानं मुञ्चते नरः । विमानेनार्कवर्णेन स गच्छेदमरावतीम्

śailendraṁ yaḥ samāsādya ātmānaṁ muñcate naraḥ | vimānenārkavarṇena sa gacchedamarāvatīm

The man who, having reached that lord of mountains, releases his body, goes in a chariot resplendent as the sun to Amaravati.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.178.4)

नरं पतन्तमालोक्य नगादमरकण्टकात् । ब्रुवन्त्यप्सरसः सर्वा मम भर्ता भवेदिति

naraṁ patantamālokya nagādamarakaṇṭakāt | bruvantyapsarasaḥ sarvā mama bhartā bhavediti

Seeing a man falling from the mountain Amarakantaka, all the Apsaras exclaim, 'May he become my husband!'

Verse 5 (skanda.5.178.5)

समं जलं धर्मविदो वदन्ति सारस्वतं गाङ्गमिति प्रबुद्धाः । तस्योपरिष्टात्प्रवदन्ति तज्ज्ञा रेवाजलं नात्र विचारणास्ति

samaṁ jalaṁ dharmavido vadanti sārasvataṁ gāṅgamiti prabuddhāḥ | tasyopariṣṭātpravadanti tajjñā revājalaṁ nātra vicāraṇāsti

The enlightened knowers of dharma declare the waters of the Sarasvati and the Ganga to be equal; but those who truly know declare the water of the Reva to surpass even that — of this there is no doubt.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.178.6)

अनेकविद्याधरकिन्नराद्यैरध्यासितं पुण्यतमाधिवासैः । रेवाजलं धारयतो हि मूर्ध्ना स्थानं सुरेन्द्राधिपतेः समीपे

anekavidyādharakinnarādyairadhyāsitaṁ puṇyatamādhivāsaiḥ | revājalaṁ dhārayato hi mūrdhnā sthānaṁ surendrādhipateḥ samīpe

It is inhabited by numerous Vidyadharas, Kinnaras and others in most sacred dwellings; indeed, for one who bears the water of the Reva upon his head, there is a place near the lord of the gods.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.178.7)

नर्मदा सर्वदा सेव्या बहुनोक्तेन किं नृप । यदीच्छेन्न पुनर्द्रष्टुं घोरं संसारसागरम्

narmadā sarvadā sevyā bahunoktena kiṁ nṛpa | yadīcchenna punardraṣṭuṁ ghoraṁ saṁsārasāgaram

The Narmada should always be resorted to — O king, what use is much speaking, if one wishes never again to behold the terrible ocean of transmigration.

Verse 8 (skanda.5.178.8)

त्रयाणामपि लोकानां महती पावनी स्मृता । यत्र तत्र मृतस्यापि ध्रुवं गाणेश्वरी गतिः

trayāṇāmapi lokānāṁ mahatī pāvanī smṛtā | yatra tatra mṛtasyāpi dhruvaṁ gāṇeśvarī gatiḥ

She is remembered as the great purifier of all three worlds; wherever death occurs there, the destiny is assuredly the realm of Ganeshvara.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.178.9)

अनेकयज्ञायतनैर्वृताङ्गी न ह्यत्र किंचिद्यदतीर्थमस्ति । तस्यास्तु तीरे भवता यदुक्तं तपस्विनो वाप्यतपस्विनो वा

anekayajñāyatanairvṛtāṅgī na hyatra kiṁcidyadatīrthamasti | tasyāstu tīre bhavatā yaduktaṁ tapasvino vāpyatapasvino vā

Her body is encircled by numerous sacrificial precincts; there is nothing here that is not a tirtha. On her banks, whatever has been declared by you — for the ascetic and the non-ascetic alike —

Verse 10 (skanda.5.178.10)

म्रियन्ति ये पापकृतो मनुष्यास्ते स्वर्गमायान्ति यथाऽमरेन्द्राः

mriyanti ye pāpakṛto manuṣyāste svargamāyānti yathā'marendrāḥ

even sinful men who die there go to heaven, like the very lords of the immortals.

Verse 11 (skanda.5.178.11)

एवं तु कपिला चैव विशल्या राजसत्तम । ईश्वरेण पुरा सृष्टा लोकानां हितकाम्यया

evaṁ tu kapilā caiva viśalyā rājasattama | īśvareṇa purā sṛṣṭā lokānāṁ hitakāmyayā

O best of kings, thus both the Kapila and the Vishalya were formerly created by Ishvara, out of desire for the welfare of the worlds.

Verse 12 (skanda.5.178.12)

तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्सोपवासो जितेन्द्रियः । अश्वमेधस्य महतोऽसंशयं फलमाप्नुयात्

tatra snātvā naro rājansopavāso jitendriyaḥ | aśvamedhasya mahato'saṁśayaṁ phalamāpnuyāt

O king, a man who bathes there, observing a fast with senses subdued, obtains without doubt the fruit of the great Ashvamedha sacrifice.

Verse 13 (skanda.5.178.13)

अनाशकं च यः कुर्यात्तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नराधिप । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तो याति वै शिवमन्दिरम्

anāśakaṁ ca yaḥ kuryāttasmiṁstīrthe narādhipa | sarvapāpavinirmukto yāti vai śivamandiram

O lord of men, whoever fasts unto death at that tirtha, freed from all sins, goes indeed to the abode of Shiva.

Verse 14 (skanda.5.178.14)

पृथिव्यां सागरान्तायां स्नानदानेन यत्फलम् । विशल्यासङ्गमे स्नात्वा सकृत्तत्फलमश्नुते

pṛthivyāṁ sāgarāntāyāṁ snānadānena yatphalam | viśalyāsaṅgame snātvā sakṛttatphalamaśnute

Whatever fruit is obtained by bathing and giving gifts throughout the earth bounded by the ocean, by bathing just once at the Vishalya confluence one obtains that same fruit.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.178.15)

एवं पुण्या पवित्रा च कथिता तव भूपते । भूयो मां पृच्छसि च यत्तच्चैव कथयाम्यहम्

evaṁ puṇyā pavitrā ca kathitā tava bhūpate | bhūyo māṁ pṛcchasi ca yattaccaiva kathayāmyaham

O king, thus her merit and purity have been declared to you. Whatever else you now ask me, that too I shall tell.