The Glory of Deva Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.192.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। ततो गच्छेत राजेन्द्र देवतीर्थमनुत्तमम्। येन देवास्त्रयस्त्रिंशत्स्नात्वा सिद्धिं परां गताः

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| tato gaccheta rājendra devatīrthamanuttamam| yena devāstrayastriṁśatsnātvā siddhiṁ parāṁ gatāḥ

Shri Markandeya said: O Rajendra, one should then go to the supreme Deva tirtha, bathing in which the thirty-three gods attained the highest perfection.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.192.2)

युधिष्ठिर उवाच। कथं तात सुराः सर्वे दानवैर्बलवत्तरैः। निर्जितास्तत्र तीर्थे च स्नात्वा सिद्धिं परां गताः

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca| kathaṁ tāta surāḥ sarve dānavairbalavattaraiḥ| nirjitāstatra tīrthe ca snātvā siddhiṁ parāṁ gatāḥ

Yudhishthira said: O father, how did all the gods, defeated by the mightier danavas, attain the highest perfection by bathing at that tirtha?

Verse 3 (skanda.5.192.3)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच। पुरा दैत्यगणैरुग्रैर्युद्धेऽतिबलवत्तरैः। इन्द्रो देवगणैः सार्द्धं स्वराज्याच्च्यावितो नृप

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca| purā daityagaṇairugrairyuddhe'tibalavattaraiḥ| indro devagaṇaiḥ sārddhaṁ svarājyāccyāvito nṛpa

Markandeya said: O king, in ancient times, in battle, the fierce and exceedingly mighty daityas drove Indra, together with all the gods, out of his own kingdom.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.192.4)

हस्त्यश्वरथयानौघैर्मर्दयित्वा वरूथिनीम्। विध्वस्ता भेजिरे मार्गं प्रहारैर्जर्जरीकृताः

hastyaśvarathayānaughairmardayitvā varūthinīm| vidhvastā bhejire mārgaṁ prahāraiḥ jarjarīkṛtāḥ

Crushing their army with hosts of elephants, horses, chariots, and vehicles, the shattered gods, battered by blows, fled along the road.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.192.5)

जम्भशुम्भैश्च कूष्माण्डकुहकादिभिः। वेपमानार्दिताः सर्वे ब्रह्माणमुपतस्थिरे

jambhaśumbhaiśca kūṣmāṇḍakuhakādibhiḥ| vepamānārditāḥ sarve brahmāṇamupatasthire

Tormented and trembling from the assault of Jambha, Shumbha, Kushmanda, Kuhaka, and others, all the gods took refuge with Brahma.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.192.6)

प्रणम्य शिरसा देवं ब्रह्माणं परमेष्ठिनम्। तदा विज्ञापयामासुर्देवा वह्निपुरोगमाः

praṇamya śirasā devaṁ brahmāṇaṁ parameṣṭhinam| tadā vijñāpayāmāsurdevā vahnipurogamāḥ

Bowing their heads to the supreme lord Brahma, the gods, with Agni at their head, then made this plea.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.192.7)

पश्य पश्य महाभाग दानवैः शकलीकृताः। वियोजिताः पुत्रदारैस्त्वामेव शरणं गताः

paśya paśya mahābhāga dānavaiḥ śakalīkṛtāḥ| viyojitāḥ putradāraistvāmeva śaraṇaṁ gatāḥ

O illustrious one, behold, behold — we have been torn to pieces by the danavas, separated from our sons and wives; we have come to you alone for refuge.

Verse 8 (skanda.5.192.8)

परित्रायस्व देवेश सर्वलोकपितामह। नान्या गतिः सुरेशान त्वां मुक्त्वा परमेश्वर

paritrāyasva deveśa sarvalokapitāmaha| nānyā gatiḥ sureśāna tvāṁ muktvā parameśvara

O lord of gods, grandsire of all worlds, save us! O ruler of the gods, O supreme lord, there is no other refuge for us but you.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.192.9)

ब्रह्मोवाच। दानवानां विघातार्थं नर्मदातटमास्थिताः। तपः कुरुध्वं स्वस्थाः स्थ तपो हि परमं बलम्

brahmovāca| dānavānāṁ vighātārthaṁ narmadātaṭamāsthitāḥ| tapaḥ kurudhvaṁ svasthāḥ stha tapo hi paramaṁ balam

Brahma said: For the destruction of the danavas, take your place on the bank of the Narmada and perform austerities with a settled mind — for austerity is the supreme power.

Verse 10 (skanda.5.192.10)

नान्योपायो न वै मन्त्रो विद्यते न च मे क्रिया। विना रेवाजलं पुण्यं सर्वपापक्षयंकरम्

nānyopāyo na vai mantro vidyate na ca me kriyā| vinā revājalaṁ puṇyaṁ sarvapāpakṣayaṁkaram

Apart from the sacred waters of the Reva, which destroy every sin, there is no other means, no mantra, nor any rite that I possess.

Verse 11 (skanda.5.192.11)

दारिद्र्यव्याधिमरणबन्धनव्यसनानि च। एतानि चैव पापस्य फलानीति मतिर्मम

dāridryavyādhimaraṇabandhanavyasanāni ca| etāni caiva pāpasya phalānīti matirmama

Poverty, illness, death, bondage, and misfortune — these, in my judgement, are but the fruits of sin.

Verse 12 (skanda.5.192.12)

एवं ज्ञात्वा ततश्चैव तपः कुरुत दुष्करम्। तथा चैव सुराः सर्वे देवा ह्यग्निपुरोगमाः

evaṁ jñātvā tataścaiva tapaḥ kuruta duṣkaram| tathā caiva surāḥ sarve devā hyagnipurogamāḥ

Knowing this, therefore perform arduous austerity — and so all the gods, with Agni at their head, did as told.

Verse 13 (skanda.5.192.13)

तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तथ्यं ब्रह्मणः परमेष्ठिनः। नर्मदामागताः सर्वे देवा ह्यग्निपुरोगमाः

tacchrutvā vacanaṁ tathyaṁ brahmaṇaḥ parameṣṭhinaḥ| narmadāmāgatāḥ sarve devā hyagnipurogamāḥ

Hearing these true words of the supreme lord Brahma, all the gods, with Agni at their head, came to the Narmada.

Verse 14 (skanda.5.192.14)

चेरुर्वै तत्र विपुलं तपः सिद्धिमवाप्नुवन्। तदाप्रभृति तत्तीर्थं देवतीर्थमनुत्तमम्

cerurvai tatra vipulaṁ tapaḥ siddhimavāpnuvan| tadāprabhṛti tattīrthaṁ devatīrthamanuttamam

There they performed extensive austerities and attained perfection; from that time onward that tirtha became known as the supreme Deva tirtha.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.192.15)

गीयते त्रिषु लोकेषु सर्वपापक्षयंकरम्। तत्र गत्वा च यो मर्त्यो विधिना संयतेन्द्रियः

gīyate triṣu lokeṣu sarvapāpakṣayaṁkaram| tatra gatvā ca yo martyo vidhinā saṁyatendriyaḥ

It is celebrated in the three worlds as the destroyer of every sin. Whoever, a mortal, goes there and with restrained senses, according to the rites,

Verse 16 (skanda.5.192.16)

स्नानं समाचरेद्भक्त्या स लभेन्मौक्तिकं फलम्। यस्तु भोजयते विप्रांस्तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नराधिप

snānaṁ samācaredbhaktyā sa labhenmauktikaṁ phalam| yastu bhojayate viprāṁstasmiṁstīrthe narādhipa

performs the bath with devotion, obtains the pearl-like fruit. O lord of men, whoever feeds brahmins at that tirtha,

Verse 17 (skanda.5.192.17)

स लभेन्मुख्यविप्राणां फलं साहस्रिकं नृप। तत्र देवशिला रम्या महापुण्यविवर्धिनी

sa labhenmukhyaviprāṇāṁ phalaṁ sāhasrikaṁ nṛpa| tatra devaśilā ramyā mahāpuṇyavivardhinī

O king, obtains the merit of feeding a thousand eminent brahmins. There stands the delightful Devashila, augmenting great merit.

Verse 18 (skanda.5.192.18)

संन्यासेन मृता ये तु तेषां स्यादक्षया गतिः। अग्निप्रवेशं यः कुर्यात्तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नराधिप

sannyāsena mṛtā ye tu teṣāṁ syādakṣayā gatiḥ| agnipraveśaṁ yaḥ kuryāttasmiṁstīrthe narādhipa

Those who die there by renunciation attain an imperishable destination. O lord of men, whoever enters fire at that tirtha,

Verse 19 (skanda.5.192.19)

रुद्रलोके वसेत्तावद्यावदाभूतसंप्लवम्। एवं स्नानं जपो होमः स्वाध्यायो देवतार्चनम्

rudraloke vasettāvadyāvadābhūtasaṁplavam| evaṁ snānaṁ japo homaḥ svādhyāyo devatārcanam

dwells in Rudra's world until the dissolution of the universe. Thus bathing, recitation, oblation, scriptural study, and worship of the deity —

Verse 20 (skanda.5.192.20)

सुकृतं दुष्कृतं वाऽपि तत्र तीर्थेऽक्षयं भवेत्। एष ते विधिरुद्दिष्ट उत्पत्तिश्चैव भारत

sukṛtaṁ duṣkṛtaṁ vā'pi tatra tīrthe'kṣayaṁ bhavet| eṣa te vidhiruddiṣṭa utpattiścaiva bhārata

whatever be done there, good or ill, becomes imperishable at that tirtha. O Bharata, this is the rite and origin, as instructed to you.

Verse 21 (skanda.5.192.21)

देवतीर्थस्य निखिला यथा वै शङ्कराच्छ्रुता। पठन्ति ये पापहरं सर्वदुःखविमोचनम्

devatīrthasya nikhilā yathā vai śaṅkarācchrutā| paṭhanti ye pāpaharaṁ sarvaduḥkhavimocanam

Those who recite this entire account of Deva tirtha, exactly as heard from Shankara — an account that destroys sin and liberates from every sorrow —

Verse 22 (skanda.5.192.22)

देवतीर्थस्य चरितं देवलोकं व्रजन्ति ते

devatīrthasya caritaṁ devalokaṁ vrajanti te

those who engage with this account of Deva tirtha go on to reach the world of the gods.