The Pilgrimage of the Fourteen Fords

Verse 1 (skanda.5.20.1)

सनत्कुमार उवाच । मासमेकं नरो भक्त्या पश्येद्वा वटयक्षिणीम् । पूजयेत्स्वर्णपुष्पैश्च तस्य सिद्धिर्न हीयते

sanatkumāra uvāca māsamekaṁ naro bhaktyā paśyedvā vaṭayakṣiṇīm pūjayetsvarṇapuṣpaiśca tasya siddhirna hīyate

Sanatkumāra said: "The man who, for one month, beholds Vaṭayakṣiṇī with devotion, or worships her with golden flowers, never loses his accomplishment."

Verse 2 (skanda.5.20.2)

इति वटयक्षिणीमाहात्म्यम् । पिशाचके नरः स्नात्वा चतुर्दश्यां विशेषतः । तिलान्ददाति यो भक्त्या न पिशाचः प्रजायते

iti vaṭayakṣiṇīmāhātmyam piśācake naraḥ snātvā caturdaśyāṁ viśeṣataḥ tilāndadāti yo bhaktyā na piśācaḥ prajāyate

Thus [ends] the glory of Vaṭayakṣiṇī. A man who bathes at Piśācaka, especially on the fourteenth lunar day, and offers sesame seeds with devotion, is never born as a piśāca.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.20.3)

यं समुद्दिश्य यद्दत्तं तदक्षयतरं भवेत् । तत्कुलं हि पिशाचत्वान्मुच्यते नात्र संशयः

yaṁ samuddiśya yaddattaṁ tadakṣayataraṁ bhavet tatkulaṁ hi piśācatvānmucyate nātra saṁśayaḥ

Whatever is offered there, dedicated to any departed soul, becomes exceedingly imperishable in merit; that person's lineage is freed from the state of piśācahood — of this there is no doubt.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.20.4)

यस्य नाम्ना नरः स्नाति पिशाचत्वात्स मुच्यते । कुंभान्वा करकान्वापि योऽत्र दद्यात्समंडकान्

yasya nāmnā naraḥ snāti piśācatvātsa mucyate kuṁbhānvā karakānvāpi yo'tra dadyātsamaṁḍakān

He in whose name a man bathes there is freed from piśācahood; and whoever offers there pitchers or water-jars together with round cakes --

Verse 5 (skanda.5.20.5)

तस्य वै शाश्वती मुक्तिः कुले प्रेतो न जायते । शिप्रागुंफेश्वरं दृष्ट्वा रुद्रभक्तो जितेंद्रियः

tasya vai śāśvatī muktiḥ kule preto na jāyate śiprāguṁpheśvaraṁ dṛṣṭvā rudrabhakto jiteṁdriyaḥ

-- he obtains everlasting liberation; no preta is ever born again in his family. A self-controlled devotee of Rudra who beholds Śiprāguṃpheśvara --

Verse 6 (skanda.5.20.6)

मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यः कंचुकेन फणी यथा । स्नात्वागस्त्येश्वरं पश्येद्योऽतिभक्त्या च मानवः

mucyate sarvapāpebhyaḥ kaṁcukena phaṇī yathā snātvāgastyeśvaraṁ paśyedyo'tibhaktyā ca mānavaḥ

-- is freed from all sins, as a serpent sheds its slough. A man who, having bathed, beholds Agastyeśvara with the greatest devotion --

Verse 7 (skanda.5.20.7)

त्यक्त्वा यमगृहं व्यास रुद्रलोकं स गच्छति । शिप्रायां यो नरः स्नात्वा पश्येड्ढुंढेश्वरं शिवम्

tyaktvā yamagṛhaṁ vyāsa rudralokaṁ sa gacchati śiprāyāṁ yo naraḥ snātvā paśyeḍḍhuṁḍheśvaraṁ śivam

-- O Vyāsa, leaves behind Yama's abode and goes to the world of Rudra. The man who bathes in the Śiprā and beholds Śiva as Ḍhuṇḍheśvara --

Verse 8 (skanda.5.20.8)

सोऽश्वमेधफलं व्यास लभते नात्र संशयः । देवेनात्र पुरा व्यास वादितो डमरुर्यतः

so'śvamedhaphalaṁ vyāsa labhate nātra saṁśayaḥ devenātra purā vyāsa vādito ḍamaruryataḥ

-- O Vyāsa, obtains the fruit of an aśvamedha sacrifice, without doubt. Because, O Vyāsa, here of old the god sounded his ḍamaru --

Verse 9 (skanda.5.20.9)

देवस्तेन समाख्यातो नाम्ना डमरुकेश्वरः । भक्त्या पश्येन्नरो यस्तु देवं डमरुकेश्वरम्

devastena samākhyāto nāmnā ḍamarukeśvaraḥ bhaktyā paśyennaro yastu devaṁ ḍamarukeśvaram

-- that god came to be known by the name Ḍamarukeśvara. Whatever man beholds the god Ḍamarukeśvara with devotion --

Verse 10 (skanda.5.20.10)

नैव व्याधिभयं तस्य मृतः शिवपुरं व्रजेत् । अनादिकल्पेश्वरं यस्तु भक्त्या पश्यति मानवः

naiva vyādhibhayaṁ tasya mṛtaḥ śivapuraṁ vrajet anādikalpeśvaraṁ yastu bhaktyā paśyati mānavaḥ

-- has no fear of disease at all, and after death goes to Śivapura. And the man who beholds Anādikalpeśvara with devotion --

Verse 11 (skanda.5.20.11)

राज्यं स लभते स्वर्गं यथा देवः पुरंदरः । देवानामप्यसौ व्यास स्पर्धनीयः सदा भवेत्

rājyaṁ sa labhate svargaṁ yathā devaḥ puraṁdaraḥ devānāmapyasau vyāsa spardhanīyaḥ sadā bhavet

-- obtains a heavenly kingdom like the god Purandara; O Vyāsa, he becomes ever an object of longing even to the gods.

Verse 12 (skanda.5.20.12)

कल्पकोटिशतं साग्रं भोगयुक्तस्तु मोदते । पश्येत्सिद्धेश्वरं यस्तु वीरभद्रं च चंडिकाम्

kalpakoṭiśataṁ sāgraṁ bhogayuktastu modate paśyetsiddheśvaraṁ yastu vīrabhadraṁ ca caṁḍikām

He rejoices, endowed with heavenly enjoyments, for more than a hundred crore kalpas. And whoever beholds Siddheśvara, Vīrabhadra, and Caṇḍikā --

Verse 13 (skanda.5.20.13)

सोत्रैव लभते सिद्धिं जयं सर्वत्र मानवः । स्वर्णजालेश्वरं दृष्ट्वा स्नातस्तीर्थे त्रिविष्टपे

sotraiva labhate siddhiṁ jayaṁ sarvatra mānavaḥ svarṇajāleśvaraṁ dṛṣṭvā snātastīrthe triviṣṭape

-- that man obtains accomplishment right here, and victory everywhere. Having bathed at the ford Triviṣṭapa and beheld Svarṇajāleśvara --

Verse 14 (skanda.5.20.14)

स्वर्णेन पूजयेद्देवं सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते । स्नात्वा पश्येन्नरो भक्त्या यः कर्कोटेश्वरं शिवम्

svarṇena pūjayeddevaṁ sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate snātvā paśyennaro bhaktyā yaḥ karkoṭeśvaraṁ śivam

-- one should worship the god with gold; thus one is freed from all sins. The man who, having bathed, beholds Śiva as Karkoṭeśvara with devotion --

Verse 15 (skanda.5.20.15)

सर्पतो न भयं तस्य दारिद्यं नैव जायते । यः पश्येत्परया भक्त्या महामायां सनातनीम्

sarpato na bhayaṁ tasya dāridyaṁ naiva jāyate yaḥ paśyetparayā bhaktyā mahāmāyāṁ sanātanīm

-- has no fear of serpents, and poverty never befalls him. He who beholds the eternal Mahāmāyā with supreme devotion --

Verse 16 (skanda.5.20.16)

विष्णुमायाविनिर्मुक्तः स याति परमं पदम् । अर्चयेत्परया भक्त्या यः कपालेश्वरं नरः

viṣṇumāyāvinirmuktaḥ sa yāti paramaṁ padam arcayetparayā bhaktyā yaḥ kapāleśvaraṁ naraḥ

-- is freed from Viṣṇu's māyā and goes to the supreme abode. The man who worships Kapāleśvara with supreme devotion --

Verse 17 (skanda.5.20.17)

स मुच्येत महापापैर्यद्यपि ब्रह्महा भवेत् । स्वर्गद्वारे नरः स्नात्वा दृष्ट्वा देवं च भैरवम्

sa mucyeta mahāpāpairyadyapi brahmahā bhavet svargadvāre naraḥ snātvā dṛṣṭvā devaṁ ca bhairavam

-- is freed from great sins, even were he a slayer of a brāhmaṇa. The man who bathes at Svargadvāra and beholds the god Bhairava --

Verse 18 (skanda.5.20.18)

दर्शनात्तस्य देवस्य शतयज्ञफलं भवेत्

darśanāttasya devasya śatayajñaphalaṁ bhavet

-- by the mere sight of that god obtains the fruit of a hundred sacrifices.