The Liberation of the King of Kashi at Shulabheda

Verse 1 (skanda.5.210.1)

उत्तानपाद उवाच। माहात्म्यं तीर्थजं दृष्ट्वा चित्रसेनो नरेश्वरः। किं चकार क्व वा वासं किमाहारो बभूव ह॥

uttānapāda uvāca| māhātmyaṁ tīrthajaṁ dṛṣṭvā citraseno nareśvaraḥ| kiṁ cakāra kva vā vāsaṁ kimāhāro babhūva ha||

Uttanapada said: "Having seen the greatness born of that tirtha, what did King Chitrasena do? Where did he dwell, and what was his food?"

Verse 2 (skanda.5.210.2)

ईश्वर उवाच। भृगुतुङ्गं समारुह्य ऐशानीं दिशमाश्रितः। तपश्चचार विपुलं कुण्डे तत्र नृपोत्तमः॥

īśvara uvāca| bhṛgutuṅgaṁ samāruhya aiśānīṁ diśamāśritaḥ| tapaścacāra vipulaṁ kuṇḍe tatra nṛpottamaḥ||

Ishvara said: "Ascending Bhrigutunga, taking his place in the northeast quarter, that best of kings performed vast austerity there at that pool.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.210.3)

सर्वान् देवान् हृदि ध्यात्वा ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वरान्। विचिक्षेप यदात्मानं प्रत्यक्षौ रुद्रकेशवौ। करे गृहीत्वा राजानं रुद्रो वचनमब्रवीत्॥

sarvān devān hṛdi dhyātvā brahmaviṣṇumaheśvarān| vicikṣepa yadātmānaṁ pratyakṣau rudrakeśavau| kare gṛhītvā rājānaṁ rudro vacanamabravīt||

Meditating in his heart upon all the gods — Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara — just as he was about to cast away his own body, Rudra and Keshava appeared before him in visible form; taking the king by the hand, Rudra spoke these words:

Verse 4 (skanda.5.210.4)

ईश्वर उवाच। प्राणत्यागं महाराज मा काले त्वं कृथा वृथा। अद्याप्यसि युवा त्वं वै न युक्तं मरणं तव॥

īśvara uvāca| prāṇatyāgaṁ mahārāja mā kāle tvaṁ kṛthā vṛthā| adyāpyasi yuvā tvaṁ vai na yuktaṁ maraṇaṁ tava||

Ishvara said: "O great king, do not vainly cast away your life before its time; you are still young — death is not fitting for you.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.210.5)

स्वस्थानं गच्छ शीघ्रं त्वं भुक्त्वा भोगान्यथेप्सितान्। कुरु निष्कण्टकं राज्यं नाके शक्र इवापरः॥

svasthānaṁ gaccha śīghraṁ tvaṁ bhuktvā bhogānyathepsitān| kuru niṣkaṇṭakaṁ rājyaṁ nāke śakra ivāparaḥ||

Return quickly to your own place; enjoy pleasures as you desire, and rule your kingdom free of thorns, like a second Indra in heaven."

Verse 6 (skanda.5.210.6)

चित्रसेन उवाच। न राज्यं कामये देव न पुत्रान्न च बान्धवान्। न भार्यां न च कोशं च न गजान्न तुरंगमान्॥

citrasena uvāca| na rājyaṁ kāmaye deva na putrānna ca bāndhavān| na bhāryāṁ na ca kośaṁ ca na gajānna turaṁgamān||

Chitrasena said: "O God, I desire neither kingdom, nor sons, nor kinsmen, nor wife, nor treasury, nor elephants, nor horses.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.210.7)

मुञ्च मुञ्च महादेव मा विघ्नः क्रियतां मम। स्वर्गप्राप्तिर्ममाद्यैव त्वत्प्रसादान्महेश्वर॥

muñca muñca mahādeva mā vighnaḥ kriyatāṁ mama| svargaprāptirmamādyaiva tvatprasādānmaheśvara||

Release me, release me, O Mahadeva! Let no obstacle be placed before me. O Maheshvara, by your grace let heaven be attained by me this very day."

Verse 8 (skanda.5.210.8)

ईश्वर उवाच। यस्याग्रतो भवेद्ब्रह्मा विष्णुः शम्भुस्तथैव च। स्वर्गेण तस्य किं कार्यं स गतः किं करिष्यति॥

īśvara uvāca| yasyāgrato bhavedbrahmā viṣṇuḥ śambhustathaiva ca| svargeṇa tasya kiṁ kāryaṁ sa gataḥ kiṁ kariṣyati||

Ishvara said: "He before whom Brahma, Vishnu, and Shambhu themselves stand — what use has he for heaven? Having gone there, what would he do?

Verse 9 (skanda.5.210.9)

तुष्टा वयं त्रयो देवा वृणीष्व वरमुत्तमम्। यथेप्सितं महाराज सत्यमेतदसंशयम्॥

tuṣṭā vayaṁ trayo devā vṛṇīṣva varamuttamam| yathepsitaṁ mahārāja satyametadasaṁśayam||

We three gods are pleased; choose, O great king, a supreme boon as you desire — this is true, without doubt."

Verse 10 (skanda.5.210.10)

चित्रसेन उवाच। यदि तुष्टास्त्रयो देवा ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः। अद्यप्रभृति युष्माभिः स्थातव्यमिह सर्वदा॥

citrasena uvāca| yadi tuṣṭāstrayo devā brahmaviṣṇumaheśvarāḥ| adyaprabhṛti yuṣmābhiḥ sthātavyamiha sarvadā||

Chitrasena said: "If the three gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara, are pleased, then from this day forth may you dwell here always.

Verse 11 (skanda.5.210.11)

गयाशिरो यथा पुण्यं कृतं युष्माभिरेव च। तथैवेदं प्रकर्तव्यं शूलभेदं च पावनम्॥

gayāśiro yathā puṇyaṁ kṛtaṁ yuṣmābhireva ca| tathaivedaṁ prakartavyaṁ śūlabhedaṁ ca pāvanam||

Just as merit was established by you at Gayashira, so let the same be done here, at this purifying Shulabheda.

Verse 12 (skanda.5.210.12)

यत्रयत्र स्थिता यूयं तत्रतत्र वसाम्यहम्। गणानां चैव सर्वेषामाधिपत्यमथास्तु मे॥

yatrayatra sthitā yūyaṁ tatratatra vasāmyaham| gaṇānāṁ caiva sarveṣāmādhipatyamathāstu me||

Wherever you shall dwell, there I too shall dwell; and let the lordship of all the ganas be mine."

Verse 13 (skanda.5.210.13)

ईश्वर उवाच। अद्यप्रभृति तिष्ठामः शूलभेदे नरेश्वर। त्रिकालां हि त्रयो देवाः कलांशेन वसामहे॥

īśvara uvāca| adyaprabhṛti tiṣṭhāmaḥ śūlabhede nareśvara| trikālāṁ hi trayo devāḥ kalāṁśena vasāmahe||

Ishvara said: "O lord of men, from this day we shall abide at Shulabheda; the three gods shall dwell here, each in a fractional portion, through the three times of day.

Verse 14 (skanda.5.210.14)

नन्दिसंज्ञो गणाधीशो भविष्यति भवान्ध्रुवम्। मत्समीपे तु भवत आदौ पूजा भविष्यति॥

nandisaṁjño gaṇādhīśo bhaviṣyati bhavāndhruvam| matsamīpe tu bhavata ādau pūjā bhaviṣyati||

You shall surely become the chief of the ganas, named Nandi; in my presence, worship shall be offered to you first of all.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.210.15)

प्रक्षिप्य तानि चास्थीनि यत्र दीर्घतपा ययौ। सकुटुम्बो विमानस्थः स्वर्गतस्त्वं तथा कुरु॥

prakṣipya tāni cāsthīni yatra dīrghatapā yayau| sakuṭumbo vimānasthaḥ svargatastvaṁ tathā kuru||

Casting the bones there, where Dirghatapas, with his family, mounted a celestial chariot and went to heaven — do you likewise so."

Verse 16 (skanda.5.210.16)

एवं देवा वरं दत्त्वा चित्रसेनाय पार्थिव। कुण्डमूर्धनि याम्यायां त्रयो देवास्तदा स्थिताः॥

evaṁ devā varaṁ dattvā citrasenāya pārthiva| kuṇḍamūrdhani yāmyāyāṁ trayo devāstadā sthitāḥ||

O king, having thus granted this boon to Chitrasena, the three gods then took their place at the head of the pool, in the southern quarter.

Verse 17 (skanda.5.210.17)

परस्परं वदन्त्येवं पुण्यतीर्थमिदं परम्। यथा हि गयाशिरः पुण्यं पूर्वमेव पठ्यते। तथा रेवातटे पुण्यं शूलभेदं न संशयः॥

parasparaṁ vadantyevaṁ puṇyatīrthamidaṁ param| yathā hi gayāśiraḥ puṇyaṁ pūrvameva paṭhyate| tathā revātaṭe puṇyaṁ śūlabhedaṁ na saṁśayaḥ||

They said to one another: "This is indeed a supremely sacred tirtha; just as the sanctity of Gayashira is proclaimed first of all, so too is the sanctity of Shulabheda on the bank of the Reva, without doubt."

Verse 18 (skanda.5.210.18)

ईश्वर उवाच। इदं तीर्थं तथा पुण्यं यथा पुण्यं गयाशिरः। सकृत्पिण्डोदकेनैव नरो निर्मलतां व्रजेत्॥

īśvara uvāca| idaṁ tīrthaṁ tathā puṇyaṁ yathā puṇyaṁ gayāśiraḥ| sakṛtpiṇḍodakenaiva naro nirmalatāṁ vrajet||

Ishvara said: "This tirtha is as sacred as Gayashira is sacred; by a single offering of pinda and water here, a man attains purity.

Verse 19 (skanda.5.210.19)

एकं गयाशिरो मुक्त्वा सर्वतीर्थानि भूपते। शूलभेदस्य तीर्थस्य कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम्॥

ekaṁ gayāśiro muktvā sarvatīrthāni bhūpate| śūlabhedasya tīrthasya kalāṁ nārhanti ṣoḍaśīm||

O king, save for Gayashira alone, all other tirthas do not equal even a sixteenth part of the tirtha of Shulabheda.

Verse 20 (skanda.5.210.20)

कुण्डमुदीच्यां याम्यायां दशहस्तप्रमाणतः। रौद्रवारुणकाष्ठायां प्रमाणं चैकविंशति॥

kuṇḍamudīcyāṁ yāmyāyāṁ daśahastapramāṇataḥ| raudravāruṇakāṣṭhāyāṁ pramāṇaṁ caikaviṁśati||

The pool measures ten cubits from north to south, and in the direction between Rudra's and Varuna's quarters its measure is twenty-one.

Verse 21 (skanda.5.210.21)

एतत्प्रमाणं तत्तीर्थं पिण्डदानादिकर्मसु। नाधर्मनिरता दातुं लभन्ते दानमत्र हि॥

etatpramāṇaṁ tattīrthaṁ piṇḍadānādikarmasu| nādharmaniratā dātuṁ labhante dānamatra hi||

This is the measure of that tirtha for rites such as the offering of pinda; those devoted to unrighteousness do not obtain the merit of giving here.

Verse 22 (skanda.5.210.22)

विष्णुस्तु पितृरूपेण ब्रह्मरूपी पितामहः। प्रपितामहो रुद्रोऽभूदेवं त्रिपुरुषाः स्थिताः॥

viṣṇustu pitṛrūpeṇa brahmarūpī pitāmahaḥ| prapitāmaho rudro'bhūdevaṁ tripuruṣāḥ sthitāḥ||

Vishnu became present there in the form of the father, Brahma in the form of the grandfather, and Rudra became the great-grandfather — thus the three ancestral persons abide there.

Verse 23 (skanda.5.210.23)

कदा पश्यति तीर्थं वै कदा नस्तारयिष्यति। इति प्रतीक्षां कुर्वन्ति पुत्राणां सततं नृप। शूलभेदे नरः स्नात्वा दृष्ट्वा शूलधरं सकृत्॥

kadā paśyati tīrthaṁ vai kadā nastārayiṣyati| iti pratīkṣāṁ kurvanti putrāṇāṁ satataṁ nṛpa| śūlabhede naraḥ snātvā dṛṣṭvā śūladharaṁ sakṛt||

"When shall we behold that tirtha, when will it deliver us?" — thus, O king, do the ancestors ever wait in expectation of their descendants. A man who bathes at Shulabheda and beholds the wielder of the trident even once,

Verse 24 (skanda.5.210.24)

नापुत्रो नाधनो रोगी सप्तजन्मसु जायते। एकविंशतिं पितुः पक्षे मातुश्वैवेकविंशतिम्॥

nāputro nādhano rogī saptajanmasu jāyate| ekaviṁśatiṁ pituḥ pakṣe mātuśvaivekaviṁśatim||

shall not, through seven births, be sonless, poor, or diseased. Twenty-one generations on the father's side, and twenty-one on the mother's side,

Verse 25 (skanda.5.210.25)

भार्यापक्षे दशैवेह कुलान्येतानि तारयेत्। शूलभेदवने राजञ्छाकमूलफलैरपि॥

bhāryāpakṣe daśaiveha kulānyetāni tārayet| śūlabhedavane rājañchākamūlaphalairapi||

and ten on the wife's side — these lineages he redeems. O king, in the forest of Shulabheda, even with vegetables, roots and fruits,

Verse 26 (skanda.5.210.26)

एकस्मिन्भोजिते विप्रे कोटीर्भवति भोजिता। पञ्चस्थानेषु यः श्राद्धं कुरुते भक्तिमान्नरः॥

ekasminbhojite vipre koṭīrbhavati bhojitā| pañcasthāneṣu yaḥ śrāddhaṁ kurute bhaktimānnaraḥ||

feeding a single brahmin is as though a crore had been fed. The devoted man who performs the shraddha rite at the five sites

Verse 27 (skanda.5.210.27)

कुलानि प्रेतभूतानि सर्वाण्यपि हि तारयेत्। द्विजदेवप्रसादेन पितॄणां च प्रसादतः॥

kulāni pretabhūtāni sarvāṇyapi hi tārayet| dvijadevaprasādena pitṝṇāṁ ca prasādataḥ||

redeems even all his lineages who have become pretas (ghosts) — by the grace of the twice-born and the gods, and by the grace of the ancestors.

Verse 28 (skanda.5.210.28)

श्राद्धदो निवसेत्तत्र यत्र देवो महेश्वरः। स्युरात्मघातिनो ये च गोब्राह्मणहनाश्च ये॥

śrāddhado nivasettatra yatra devo maheśvaraḥ| syurātmaghātino ye ca gobrāhmaṇahanāśca ye||

Let the one who performs the shraddha dwell there, where the Lord Maheshvara is present. As for those who took their own lives, or who slew a cow or a brahmin,

Verse 29 (skanda.5.210.29)

दंष्ट्रिभिर्जलपाते च विद्युत्पातेषु ये मृताः। न येषामग्निसंस्कारो नाशौचं नोदकक्रिया॥

daṁṣṭribhirjalapāte ca vidyutpāteṣu ye mṛtāḥ| na yeṣāmagnisaṁskāro nāśaucaṁ nodakakriyā||

who died by the fangs of wild beasts, by drowning in water, or by the fall of lightning, for whom there was no rite of cremation, no observance of the period of impurity, nor water-offering —

Verse 30 (skanda.5.210.30)

तत्र तीर्थे तु यस्तेषां श्राद्धं कुर्वीत भक्तितः। मोक्षावाप्तिर्भवेत्तेषां युगमेकं न संशयः॥

tatra tīrthe tu yasteṣāṁ śrāddhaṁ kurvīta bhaktitaḥ| mokṣāvāptirbhavetteṣāṁ yugamekaṁ na saṁśayaḥ||

for all such as these, whoever performs the shraddha at that tirtha with devotion — they attain liberation within a single yuga, without doubt.

Verse 31 (skanda.5.210.31)

अज्ञानाद्यत्कृतं पापं बालभावाच्च यत्कृतम्। तत्सर्वं नाशयेत्पापं स्नानमात्रेण भूपते॥

ajñānādyatkṛtaṁ pāpaṁ bālabhāvācca yatkṛtam| tatsarvaṁ nāśayetpāpaṁ snānamātreṇa bhūpate||

O king, whatever sin is committed through ignorance, and whatever is committed in the state of childhood — all such sin is destroyed there by mere bathing.

Verse 32 (skanda.5.210.32)

रजकेन यथा धौतं वस्त्रं भवति निर्मलम्। तथा पापोऽपि तत्तीर्थे स्नातो भवति निर्मलः॥

rajakena yathā dhautaṁ vastraṁ bhavati nirmalam| tathā pāpo'pi tattīrthe snāto bhavati nirmalaḥ||

As a garment washed by a washerman becomes spotless, so too a sinner, having bathed at that tirtha, becomes spotless.

Verse 33 (skanda.5.210.33)

संन्यासं कुरुते योऽत्र तीर्थे विधिसमन्वितम्। ध्यायन्नित्यं महादेवं स गच्छेत्परमं पदम्॥

saṁnyāsaṁ kurute yo'tra tīrthe vidhisamanvitam| dhyāyannityaṁ mahādevaṁ sa gacchetparamaṁ padam||

Whoever takes up sannyasa there at that tirtha according to the prescribed rite, meditating ever upon Mahadeva, attains the Supreme State.

Verse 34 (skanda.5.210.34)

क्रीडित्वा स यथाकामं स्वेच्छया शिवमन्दिरे। वेदवेदाङ्गतत्त्वज्ञो जायतेऽसौ शुभे कुले॥

krīḍitvā sa yathākāmaṁ svecchayā śivamandire| vedavedāṅgatattvajño jāyate'sau śubhe kule||

Having sported there as he wished, freely, in the abode of Shiva, he is born again into a noble family, knowing the truth of the Vedas and the Vedangas,

Verse 35 (skanda.5.210.35)

रूपवान्सुभगश्चैव सर्वव्याधिविवर्जितः। राजा वा राजपुत्रो वाचारसमन्वितः॥

rūpavānsubhagaścaiva sarvavyādhivivarjitaḥ| rājā vā rājaputro vācārasamanvitaḥ||

handsome, fortunate, free from every disease — a king or a prince, endowed with good conduct.

Verse 36 (skanda.5.210.36)

एतत्ते कथितं राजंस्तीर्थस्य फलमुत्तमम्। यच्छ्रुत्वा मानवो नित्यं मुच्यते सर्वकिल्बिषैः॥

etatte kathitaṁ rājaṁstīrthasya phalamuttamam| yacchrutvā mānavo nityaṁ mucyate sarvakilbiṣaiḥ||

O king, this supreme fruit of that tirtha has now been told to you; hearing it, a man is ever freed from all sins.

Verse 37 (skanda.5.210.37)

य इदं श्रावयेन्नित्यमाख्यानं द्विजपुंगवान्। श्राद्धे देवकुले वापि पठेत्पर्वणि पर्वणि॥

ya idaṁ śrāvayennityamākhyānaṁ dvijapuṁgavān| śrāddhe devakule vāpi paṭhetparvaṇi parvaṇi||

Whoever daily causes this account to be heard by the foremost of the twice-born, or recites it at a shraddha or in a temple, on every sacred occasion,

Verse 38 (skanda.5.210.38)

गीर्वाणास्तस्य तुष्यन्ति मनुष्याः पितृभिः सह। पठतां शृण्वतां चैव नश्यते सर्वपातकम्॥

gīrvāṇāstasya tuṣyanti manuṣyāḥ pitṛbhiḥ saha| paṭhatāṁ śṛṇvatāṁ caiva naśyate sarvapātakam||

the gods are pleased with him, and men together with their ancestors are pleased; for both those who recite and those who hear, all sin is destroyed.

Verse 39 (skanda.5.210.39)

लिखित्वा तीर्थमाहात्म्यं ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ददाति यः। जातिस्मरत्वं लभते प्राप्नोत्यभिमतं फलम्॥

likhitvā tīrthamāhātmyaṁ brāhmaṇebhyo dadāti yaḥ| jātismaratvaṁ labhate prāpnotyabhimataṁ phalam||

Whoever, having written down the greatness of this tirtha, gives it to brahmins, attains the memory of past births and obtains the fruit he desires.

Verse 40 (skanda.5.210.40)

रुद्रलोके वसेत्तावद्यावदक्षरमन्वितम्॥

rudraloke vasettāvadyāvadakṣaramanvitam||

He dwells in the world of Rudra for as long as the imperishable syllable [Om] endures.