Description of Ravi Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.189.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। तत्रैव तु भवेदन्यदादित्यस्य महात्मनः । कीर्तयामि नरश्रेष्ठ यदि ते श्रवणे मतिः

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| tatraiva tu bhavedanyadādityasya mahātmanaḥ | kīrtayāmi naraśreṣṭha yadi te śravaṇe matiḥ

Sri Markandeya said: There, O best of men, is yet another account of the great-souled Aditya (the Sun); I shall relate it, if you have a mind to hear it.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.189.2)

युधिष्ठिर उवाच। एतदाश्चर्यमतुलं श्रुत्वा तव मुखोद्गतम् । विस्मयाद्धृष्टरोमाहं जातोऽस्मि मुनिसत्तम

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca| etadāścaryamatulaṁ śrutvā tava mukhodgatam | vismayāddhṛṣṭaromāhaṁ jāto'smi munisattama

Yudhishthira said: O foremost of sages, hearing this unparalleled wonder issuing from your mouth, I have become thrilled with astonishment.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.189.3)

सहस्रकिरणो देवो हर्ता कर्ता निरञ्जनः । अवतारेण लोकानामुद्धर्ता नर्मदातटे

sahasrakiraṇo devo hartā kartā nirañjanaḥ | avatāreṇa lokānāmuddhartā narmadātaṭe

The thousand-rayed god, stainless, who is both destroyer and creator, taking incarnation on the bank of the Narmada, becomes the deliverer of the worlds —

Verse 4 (skanda.5.189.4)

पुरुषाकारो भगवानुताहो तपसः फलात् । कस्य गोत्रे समुत्पन्नः कस्य देवोऽभवद्वशी

puruṣākāro bhagavānutāho tapasaḥ phalāt | kasya gotre samutpannaḥ kasya devo'bhavadvaśī

Did the Lord appear in human form, or as the fruit of austerity? In whose lineage was he born, and by whose devotion did that god come to be subject?

Verse 5 (skanda.5.189.5)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। कुलिकान्वयसम्भूतो ब्राह्मणो भक्तिमाञ्छुचिः । ईक्ष्यामीति रविं तत्र तीर्थे यात्राकृतोद्यमः

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| kulikānvayasambhūto brāhmaṇo bhaktimāñchuciḥ | īkṣyāmīti raviṁ tatra tīrthe yātrākṛtodyamaḥ

Sri Markandeya said: A devout and pure brahmin, born in the Kulika lineage, resolving 'I shall behold the Sun,' set out with effort on a pilgrimage to that tirtha.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.189.6)

योजनानां शतं साग्रं निराहारो गतोदकः । प्रस्थितो देवदेवेन स्वप्नान्ते वारितः किल

yojanānāṁ śataṁ sāgraṁ nirāhāro gatodakaḥ | prasthito devadevena svapnānte vāritaḥ kila

Travelling more than a hundred yojanas without food or water, as he set out toward the god of gods, at the end of a dream he was indeed restrained.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.189.7)

भोभो मुने महासत्त्व अलं ते व्रतमीदृशम् । सर्वं व्याप्य स्थितं पश्य स्थावरं जङ्गमं च माम्

bhobho mune mahāsattva alaṁ te vratamīdṛśam | sarvaṁ vyāpya sthitaṁ paśya sthāvaraṁ jaṅgamaṁ ca mām

'O sage of great resolve, enough of such a vow for you. Behold, I stand pervading everything, both the moving and the unmoving.'

Verse 8 (skanda.5.189.8)

तपाम्यहं ततो वर्षं निगृह्णाम्युत्सृजामि च । न मृतं चैव मृत्युं च यः पश्यति स पश्यति

tapāmyahaṁ tato varṣaṁ nigṛhṇāmyutsṛjāmi ca | na mṛtaṁ caiva mṛtyuṁ ca yaḥ paśyati sa paśyati

'It is I who perform austerity, who withhold and release the rain. He who truly perceives death for what it is, he alone truly sees.'

Verse 9 (skanda.5.189.9)

वरं वरय भद्रं त्वमात्मनो यस्तवेप्सितम्

varaṁ varaya bhadraṁ tvamātmano yastavepsitam

'O blessed one, ask for yourself whatever boon you desire.'

Verse 10 (skanda.5.189.10)

ब्राह्मण उवाच। यदि तुष्टोऽसि मे देव देयो यदि वरो मम । उत्तरे नर्मदाकूले सदा संनिहितो भव

brāhmaṇa uvāca| yadi tuṣṭo'si me deva deyo yadi varo mama | uttare narmadākūle sadā saṁnihito bhava

The brahmin said: 'O god, if you are pleased with me, if a boon is to be given to me, then remain ever present on the northern bank of the Narmada.'

Verse 11 (skanda.5.189.11)

ये भक्त्या परया देव योजनानां शते स्थिताः । स्मरिष्यन्ति जितात्मानस्तेषां त्वं वरदो भव

ye bhaktyā parayā deva yojanānāṁ śate sthitāḥ | smariṣyanti jitātmānasteṣāṁ tvaṁ varado bhava

'O god, whoever, with self-restrained mind and supreme devotion, remembers you even while dwelling a hundred yojanas away, be the bestower of boons to them.'

Verse 12 (skanda.5.189.12)

कुब्जान्धबधिरा मूका ये केचिद्विकलेन्द्रियाः । तव पादौ नमस्यन्ति तेषां त्वं वरदो भव

kubjāndhabadhirā mūkā ye kecidvikalendriyāḥ | tava pādau namasyanti teṣāṁ tvaṁ varado bhava

'Those who are hunchbacked, blind, deaf, mute, or afflicted in any limb, who bow to your feet — for them too be the giver of boons.'

Verse 13 (skanda.5.189.13)

शीर्णघ्राणा गतधियो ह्यस्थिचर्मावशेषिताः । तेषां त्वं करुणां देव अचिरेण कुरुष्व ह

śīrṇaghrāṇā gatadhiyo hyasthicarmāvaśeṣitāḥ | teṣāṁ tvaṁ karuṇāṁ deva acireṇa kuruṣva ha

'Those whose sense of smell has withered, whose understanding has failed, who are left as mere bone and skin — O god, upon them swiftly bestow your compassion.'

Verse 14 (skanda.5.189.14)

येऽपि त्वां नर्मदातोये स्नात्वा तत्र दिने दिने । अर्चयन्ति जगन्नाथ तेषां त्वं वरदो भव

ye'pi tvāṁ narmadātoye snātvā tatra dine dine | arcayanti jagannātha teṣāṁ tvaṁ varado bhava

'O lord of the universe, whoever bathes in the waters of the Narmada and worships you there each and every day — for them too be the bestower of boons.'

Verse 15 (skanda.5.189.15)

प्रभाते ये स्तविष्यन्ति स्तवैर्वैदिकलौकिकैः । अभिप्रेतं वरं देव तेषां त्वं दद भोच्युत

prabhāte ye staviṣyanti stavairvaidikalaukikaiḥ | abhipretaṁ varaṁ deva teṣāṁ tvaṁ dada bhocyuta

'O god, O Achyuta, to those who at dawn shall praise you with Vedic and worldly hymns, grant the boon they desire.'

Verse 16 (skanda.5.189.16)

तवाग्रे वपनं देव कारयन्ति नरा भुवि । स्वामिंस्तेषां वरो देय एष मे परमो वरः

tavāgre vapanaṁ deva kārayanti narā bhuvi | svāmiṁsteṣāṁ varo deya eṣa me paramo varaḥ

'O lord, to the men on this earth who perform the tonsure-rite before you, to them also grant the boon — this is my supreme boon.'

Verse 17 (skanda.5.189.17)

एवमस्त्विति तं चोक्त्वा मुनिं करुणया पुनः । शतभागेन राजेन्द्र स्थित्वा चादर्शनं गतः

evamastviti taṁ coktvā muniṁ karuṇayā punaḥ | śatabhāgena rājendra sthitvā cādarśanaṁ gataḥ

O king of kings, saying 'so be it' and, out of compassion for that sage, remaining there present in a hundredth part of his radiance, the god then vanished from sight.

Verse 18 (skanda.5.189.18)

तत्र तीर्थे नरो भक्त्या गत्वा स्नानं समाचरेत् । तर्पयेत्पितृदेवांश्च सोऽग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत्

tatra tīrthe naro bhaktyā gatvā snānaṁ samācaret | tarpayetpitṛdevāṁśca so'gniṣṭomaphalaṁ labhet

A man who goes to that tirtha with devotion, bathes, and offers libations to the ancestors and gods, obtains the fruit of the Agnishtoma sacrifice.

Verse 19 (skanda.5.189.19)

अग्निप्रवेशं यः कुर्यात्तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नराधिप । द्योतयन्वै दिशः सर्वा अग्निलोकं स गच्छति

agnipraveśaṁ yaḥ kuryāttasmiṁstīrthe narādhipa | dyotayanvai diśaḥ sarvā agnilokaṁ sa gacchati

O lord of men, whoever enters fire at that tirtha, illumining all quarters, goes to the world of Agni.

Verse 20 (skanda.5.189.20)

यस्तत्तीर्थं समासाद्य त्यजतीह कलेवरम् । स गतो वारुणं लोकमित्येवं शङ्करोऽब्रवीत्

yastattīrthaṁ samāsādya tyajatīha kalevaram | sa gato vāruṇaṁ lokamityevaṁ śaṅkaro'bravīt

Whoever, having reached that tirtha, gives up his body there, attains the world of Varuna — so spoke Shankara.

Verse 21 (skanda.5.189.21)

तत्र तीर्थे तु यः कश्चित्संन्यासेन तनुं त्यजेत् । षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणि स्वर्गलोके महीयते

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ kaścitsaṁnyāsena tanuṁ tyajet | ṣaṣṭivarṣasahasrāṇi svargaloke mahīyate

Whoever there gives up the body by renunciation at that tirtha is glorified in the heavenly world for sixty thousand years.

Verse 22 (skanda.5.189.22)

अप्सरोगणसंकीर्णे दिव्यशब्दानुनादिते । उषित्वायाति मर्त्ये वै वेदवेदाङ्गविद्भवेत्

apsarogaṇasaṁkīrṇe divyaśabdānunādite | uṣitvāyāti martye vai vedavedāṅgavidbhavet

Having dwelt in that world, thronged with hosts of Apsaras and resounding with celestial sounds, he then returns to the world of mortals and becomes learned in the Vedas and their auxiliary sciences.

Verse 23 (skanda.5.189.23)

व्याधिशोकविनिर्मुक्तो धनकोटिपतिर्भवेत् । पुत्रदारसमोपेतो जीवेच्च शरदः शतम्

vyādhiśokavinirmukto dhanakoṭipatirbhavet | putradārasamopeto jīvecca śaradaḥ śatam

Freed from disease and grief, he becomes lord of countless wealth, and, blessed with wife and sons, lives a hundred autumns.

Verse 24 (skanda.5.189.24)

प्रातरुत्थाय यस्तत्र स्मरते भास्करं तदा । आजन्मजनितात्पापान्मुच्यते नात्र संशयः

prātarutthāya yastatra smarate bhāskaraṁ tadā | ājanmajanitātpāpānmucyate nātra saṁśayaḥ

Whoever rises at dawn there and remembers Bhaskara, the sun, is freed from the sins accumulated since birth — of this there is no doubt.