The Glory of Rudra's Lake

Verse 1 (skanda.5.22.1)

श्रीसनत्कुमार उवाच । यमेश्वरं तु यः पश्येत्स्नापयित्वा तिलांभसा । कुंकुमेन समालिप्य पूजयेदुत्पलैस्ततः

śrīsanatkumāra uvāca yameśvaraṁ tu yaḥ paśyetsnāpayitvā tilāṁbhasā kuṁkumena samālipya pūjayedutpalaistataḥ

Śrī Sanatkumāra said: "Whoever beholds Yameśvara, having bathed him with sesame-water, anointed him with kuṅkuma, and then worshipped him with blue lotuses --"

Verse 2 (skanda.5.22.2)

दहेत्कृष्णागरुं धूपं दापयेत्तिलतण्डुलान् । य एवमर्चयेद्देवमीश्वरं शूलहस्तकम्

dahetkṛṣṇāgaruṁ dhūpaṁ dāpayettilataṇḍulān ya evamarcayeddevamīśvaraṁ śūlahastakam

"-- should burn black aloe-wood as incense, and offer sesame and rice — whoever thus worships the Lord who bears the trident --"

Verse 3 (skanda.5.22.3)

यत्र कुत्र मृतस्यापि यमः पितृसमो भवेत्

yatra kutra mṛtasyāpi yamaḥ pitṛsamo bhavet

"-- for him, wherever he may die, Yama becomes like a father to him."

Verse 4 (skanda.5.22.4)

इति यमेश्वरमाहात्म्यम् । सनत्कुमार उवाच । कथयामि परं व्यास तीर्थं तीर्थेषु चोत्तमम् । नाम्ना रुद्रसरः प्रोक्तं त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम्

iti yameśvaramāhātmyam sanatkumāra uvāca kathayāmi paraṁ vyāsa tīrthaṁ tīrtheṣu cottamam nāmnā rudrasaraḥ proktaṁ triṣu lokeṣu viśrutam

Thus ends the glory of Yameśvara. Sanatkumāra said: "I shall now tell, O Vyāsa, of a supreme ford, the best among fords, called by the name Rudrasaras, renowned in all three worlds."

Verse 5 (skanda.5.22.5)

तत्र स्नात्वा शुचिर्भूत्वा पश्येत्कोटेश्वरं शिवम् । मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो रुद्रलोकं स गच्छति

tatra snātvā śucirbhūtvā paśyetkoṭeśvaraṁ śivam mucyate sarvapāpebhyo rudralokaṁ sa gacchati

Bathing there and becoming pure, one who beholds Śiva as Koṭeśvara is freed from all sins and goes to the world of Rudra.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.22.6)

श्राद्धं तत्रैव कृत्वा तु शृणु यत्फलमाप्नुयात् । दशानामश्वमेधानां वाजपेयशतस्य च

śrāddhaṁ tatraiva kṛtvā tu śṛṇu yatphalamāpnuyāt daśānāmaśvamedhānāṁ vājapeyaśatasya ca

Hear what fruit one obtains by performing the śrāddha rite right there — equal to ten aśvamedha sacrifices and a hundred vājapeya sacrifices.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.22.7)

फलं कोटिगुणं व्यास लभते नात्र संशयः । पितॄनुद्दिश्य यत्किंचित्कोटितीर्थे प्रदीयते

phalaṁ koṭiguṇaṁ vyāsa labhate nātra saṁśayaḥ pitṝnuddiśya yatkiṁcitkoṭitīrthe pradīyate

O Vyāsa, he obtains a ten-million-fold fruit — of this there is no doubt. Whatever, however little, is offered at Koṭitīrtha for the sake of the ancestors --

Verse 8 (skanda.5.22.8)

तत्सर्वं कोटिगुणितं जायते नात्र संशयः । कोटितीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा ध्यायेद्यः परमाक्षरम्

tatsarvaṁ koṭiguṇitaṁ jāyate nātra saṁśayaḥ koṭitīrthe naraḥ snātvā dhyāyedyaḥ paramākṣaram

"-- all of that becomes multiplied ten million times — of this there is no doubt. The man who bathes at Koṭitīrtha and meditates on the Supreme Imperishable --"

Verse 9 (skanda.5.22.9)

मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो निर्मोकेन यथोरगः । प्रातरुत्थाय यो विप्र तत्र स्नानं करोति वै

mucyate sarvapāpebhyo nirmokena yathoragaḥ prātarutthāya yo vipra tatra snānaṁ karoti vai

"-- is freed from all sins, as a serpent from its slough. The brāhmaṇa who rises at dawn and bathes there --"

Verse 10 (skanda.5.22.10)

दृष्ट्वा देवं महाकालं गोसहस्रफलं लभेत् । कोटितीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा सप्तरात्रोषितः शुचिः

dṛṣṭvā devaṁ mahākālaṁ gosahasraphalaṁ labhet koṭitīrthe naraḥ snātvā saptarātroṣitaḥ śuciḥ

"-- and beholds the god Mahākāla obtains the fruit of giving a thousand cows. The man who, having bathed at Koṭitīrtha, fasts purely for seven nights --"

Verse 11 (skanda.5.22.11)

चांद्रायणसहस्रस्य फलं प्राप्नोति मानवः । जागरं तत्र कुर्याद्यो ह्यनंतफलमश्नुते

cāṁdrāyaṇasahasrasya phalaṁ prāpnoti mānavaḥ jāgaraṁ tatra kuryādyo hyanaṁtaphalamaśnute

"-- obtains the fruit of a thousand cāndrāyaṇa vows. He who keeps a night-vigil there attains boundless fruit."

Verse 12 (skanda.5.22.12)

गन्धपुष्पार्चनं कृत्वा महास्नपनपूर्वकम् । य एवं नयते रात्रिं सोपवासो जितेंद्रियः

gandhapuṣpārcanaṁ kṛtvā mahāsnapanapūrvakam ya evaṁ nayate rātriṁ sopavāso jiteṁdriyaḥ

He who, having performed worship with scent and flowers preceded by a great bathing-rite, spends the night thus, fasting and self-controlled --

Verse 13 (skanda.5.22.13)

लभते सर्वकामित्वं यत्सुरैरपि दुर्लभम् । कार्तिक्यामथ वैशाख्यां देवं तत्र प्रपूजयेत्

labhate sarvakāmitvaṁ yatsurairapi durlabham kārtikyāmatha vaiśākhyāṁ devaṁ tatra prapūjayet

"-- obtains the fulfilment of all desires, which is hard to attain even for the gods. In Kārtika or in Vaiśākha one should worship the god there --"

Verse 14 (skanda.5.22.14)

गंधपुष्पैश्च कालीनैस्तथा वस्त्रैः सुशोभनैः । कर्पूरं कुंकुमं चैव श्रीखण्डमगरुं तथा

gaṁdhapuṣpaiśca kālīnaistathā vastraiḥ suśobhanaiḥ karpūraṁ kuṁkumaṁ caiva śrīkhaṇḍamagaruṁ tathā

"-- with scent, seasonal flowers, and beautiful garments; also with camphor, kuṅkuma, sandalwood, and aloe-wood --"

Verse 15 (skanda.5.22.15)

समभागानि कृत्वा तु शिलापृष्ठे च पेषयेत् । अनुलिप्य महाकालं रुद्रस्यानुचरो भवेत्

samabhāgāni kṛtvā tu śilāpṛṣṭhe ca peṣayet anulipya mahākālaṁ rudrasyānucaro bhavet

"-- taking these in equal portions and grinding them on a stone slab; by anointing Mahākāla with this paste, one becomes an attendant of Rudra."