The Glory of Daruka Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.191.1)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच। ततो गच्छेच्च राजेन्द्र दारुतीर्थमनुत्तमम्। दारुको यत्र संसिद्ध इन्द्रस्य दयितः पुरा

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca| tato gaccheccha rājendra dārutīrthamanuttamam| dāruko yatra saṁsiddha indrasya dayitaḥ purā

Markandeya said: O Rajendra, one should next go to the supreme Daru tirtha, where in ancient times Daruka, beloved of Indra, attained perfection.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.191.2)

युधिष्ठिर उवाच। दारुकेण कथं तात तपश्चीर्णं पुरानघ। विधानं श्रोतुमिच्छामि त्वत्सकाशाद्द्विजोत्तम

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca| dārukeṇa kathaṁ tāta tapaścīrṇaṁ purānagha| vidhānaṁ śrotumicchāmi tvatsakāśāddvijottama

Yudhishthira said: O sinless father, how did Daruka once perform his austerities? O best of the twice-born, I wish to hear that account from you.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.191.3)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। हन्त ते कथयिष्यामि विचित्रं यत्पुरातनम्। वृत्तं स्वर्गसभामध्ये ऋषीणां भावितात्मनाम्

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| hanta te kathayiṣyāmi vicitraṁ yatpurātanam| vṛttaṁ svargasabhāmadhye ṛṣīṇāṁ bhāvitātmanām

Shri Markandeya said: Well then, I shall tell you that wondrous ancient event, which occurred in the midst of the heavenly assembly of purified-souled sages.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.191.4)

सूतो वज्रधरस्येष्टो मातलिर्नाम नामतः। स पुत्रं शप्तवान्पूर्वं कस्मिंश्चित्कारणान्तरे

sūto vajradharasyeṣṭo mātalirnāma nāmataḥ| sa putraṁ śaptavānpūrvaṁ kasmiṁścitkāraṇāntare

The beloved charioteer of the wielder of the thunderbolt was named Matali; on some earlier occasion, for some reason, he had cursed his own son.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.191.5)

शापाहतो वेपमान इन्द्रस्य चरणौ शुभौ। प्रपीड्य मूर्ध्ना देवेशं विज्ञापयति भारत

śāpāhato vepamāna indrasya caraṇau śubhau| prapīḍya mūrdhnā deveśaṁ vijñāpayati bhārata

O Bharata, struck by the curse and trembling, he pressed his head against Indra's auspicious feet and pleaded with the lord of gods.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.191.6)

तमुवाचाभिशप्तं चाप्यनाथं च सुरेश्वरः। कर्मणा केन शापस्य घोरस्यान्तो भविष्यति

tamuvācābhiśaptaṁ cāpyanāthaṁ ca sureśvaraḥ| karmaṇā kena śāpasya ghorasyānto bhaviṣyati

The lord of gods spoke to that accursed and helpless one: By what act will the end of this terrible curse come about?

Verse 7 (skanda.5.191.7)

नर्मदातटमाश्रित्य तोषयन्वै महेश्वरम्। तिष्ठ यावद्युगस्यान्तं पुनर्जन्म ह्यवाप्स्यसि

narmadātaṭamāśritya toṣayanvai maheśvaram| tiṣṭha yāvadyugasyāntaṁ punarjanma hyavāpsyasi

Dwelling on the bank of the Narmada, pleasing Maheshvara, remain there until the end of the age; then you shall obtain rebirth.

Verse 8 (skanda.5.191.8)

पुनर्भूत्वा तु पूतस्त्वं दारुको नाम विश्रुतः। संसेव्य परमं देवं शङ्खचक्रगदाधरम्

punarbhūtvā tu pūtastvaṁ dāruko nāma viśrutaḥ| saṁsevya paramaṁ devaṁ śaṅkhacakragadādharam

Reborn and purified, you shall become renowned by the name Daruka, and having served the supreme god who bears the conch, discus, and mace,

Verse 9 (skanda.5.191.9)

मानुषं भावमापन्नस्ततः सिद्धिमवाप्स्यसि। एवमुक्तस्तु देवेन सहस्राक्षेण धीमता

mānuṣaṁ bhāvamāpannastataḥ siddhimavāpsyasi| evamuktastu devena sahasrākṣeṇa dhīmatā

having taken on a human form, you shall then attain perfection. Thus addressed by the wise, thousand-eyed god (Indra),

Verse 10 (skanda.5.191.10)

प्रणम्य शिरसा भूमिमागतोऽसौ ह्यचेतनः। नर्मदातटमाश्रित्य कर्षयन्निजविग्रहम्

praṇamya śirasā bhūmimāgato'sau hyacetanaḥ| narmadātaṭamāśritya karṣayannijavigraham

Bowing his head to the ground, he departed, as though bereft of his senses, and reaching the bank of the Narmada, began to waste his own body,

Verse 11 (skanda.5.191.11)

व्रतोपवाससंखिन्नो जपहोमरतः सदा। महादेवं महात्मानं वरदं शूलपाणिनम्

vratopavāsasaṁkhinno japahomarataḥ sadā| mahādevaṁ mahātmānaṁ varadaṁ śūlapāṇinam

worn thin with vows and fasting, ever devoted to recitation and oblation, worshipping the great-souled, boon-granting Mahadeva who bears the trident,

Verse 12 (skanda.5.191.12)

भक्त्या तु परया राजन्यावदाभूतसम्प्लवम्। अंशावतरणाद्विष्णोः सूतो भूत्वा महामतिः

bhaktyā tu parayā rājanyāvadābhūtasamplavam| aṁśāvataraṇādviṣṇoḥ sūto bhūtvā mahāmatiḥ

O king, with supreme devotion until the dissolution of the universe; being of Vishnu's very portion, that wise-minded one, having become a charioteer,

Verse 13 (skanda.5.191.13)

तोषयन् वै जगन्नाथं ततो यातो हि सद्गतिम्

toṣayan vai jagannāthaṁ tato yāto hi sadgatim

pleasing the lord of the universe, and thereafter attained the supreme destination.

Verse 14 (skanda.5.191.14)

एष तत्सम्भवस्तात दारुतीर्थस्य सुव्रत। कथितोऽयं मया पूर्वं यथा मे शङ्करोऽब्रवीत्

eṣa tatsambhavastāta dārutīrthasya suvrata| kathito'yaṁ mayā pūrvaṁ yathā me śaṅkaro'bravīt

O child of noble vows, this is the origin of Daru tirtha, told by me just as Shankara once related it to me.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.191.15)

ततो युधिष्ठिरः श्रुत्वा विस्मयं परमं गतः। भ्रातॄन् विलोकयामास हृष्टरोमा मुहुर्मुहुः

tato yudhiṣṭhiraḥ śrutvā vismayaṁ paramaṁ gataḥ| bhrātṝn vilokayāmāsa hṛṣṭaromā muhurmuhuḥ

Hearing this, Yudhishthira was struck with great wonder, and with hair standing on end, gazed at his brothers again and again.

Verse 16 (skanda.5.191.16)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा विधिपूर्वं नरेश्वर। उपास्य संध्यां देवेशमर्चयेद्यश्च शङ्करम्

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| tasmiṁstīrthe naraḥ snātvā vidhipūrvaṁ nareśvara| upāsya sandhyāṁ deveśamarcayedyaśca śaṅkaram

Shri Markandeya said: O lord of men, whoever bathes at that tirtha according to the proper rites, performs the twilight devotions, and worships the lord Shankara,

Verse 17 (skanda.5.191.17)

वेदाभ्यासं तु तत्रैव यः करोति समाहितः। सोऽश्वमेधफलं राजंल्लभते नात्र संशयः

vedābhyāsaṁ tu tatraiva yaḥ karoti samāhitaḥ| so'śvamedhaphalaṁ rājanllabhate nātra saṁśayaḥ

and whoever, with a composed mind, undertakes the study of the Vedas there, O king, undoubtedly obtains the fruit of the Ashvamedha sacrifice.

Verse 18 (skanda.5.191.18)

तस्मिंस्तीर्थे तु यो भक्त्या भोजयेद्ब्राह्मणाञ्छुचिः। स तु विप्रसहस्रस्य लभते फलमुत्तमम्

tasmiṁstīrthe tu yo bhaktyā bhojayedbrāhmaṇāñchuciḥ| sa tu viprasahasrasya labhate phalamuttamam

Whoever, being pure, devotedly feeds brahmins at that tirtha, obtains the supreme merit of feeding a thousand brahmins.

Verse 19 (skanda.5.191.19)

स्नानं दानं जपो होमः स्वाध्यायो देवतार्चनम्। यत्कृतं शुद्धभावेन तत्सर्वं सफलं भवेत्

snānaṁ dānaṁ japo homaḥ svādhyāyo devatārcanam| yatkṛtaṁ śuddhabhāvena tatsarvaṁ saphalaṁ bhavet

Bathing, charity, recitation, oblation, scriptural study, and worship of the deity — whatever is done there with a pure heart becomes entirely fruitful.