The Glory of the Fivefold Tirtha beginning with Dadhiskanda

Verse 1 (skanda.5.237.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। ततो गच्छेन्महीपाल वह्नितीर्थमनुत्तमम्। यत्र सिद्धो महातेजास्तपः कृत्वा हुताशनः

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| tato gacchenmahīpāla vahnitīrthamanuttamam| yatra siddho mahātejāstapaḥ kṛtvā hutāśanaḥ

Shri Markandeya said: Then go, O lord of the earth, to the incomparable Vahni Tirtha, where the mighty, radiant Fire attained accomplishment through austerity.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.237.2)

सर्वभक्ष्यः कृतो योऽसौ दण्डके मुनिना पुरा। नर्मदातटमाश्रित्य पूतो जातो हुताशनः

sarvabhakṣyaḥ kṛto yo'sau daṇḍake muninā purā| narmadātaṭamāśritya pūto jāto hutāśanaḥ

That Fire, who long ago had been made all-devouring by the sage Dandaka, took refuge on the bank of the Narmada and became purified once more.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.237.3)

तत्र तीर्थे तु यः स्नात्वा पूजयित्वा महेश्वरम्। अग्निप्रवेशं कुरुते स गच्छेदग्निसाम्यताम्

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ snātvā pūjayitvā maheśvaram| agnipraveśaṁ kurute sa gacchedagnisāmyatām

There at that tirtha, whoever bathes, worships Maheshvara, and enters the fire, attains equality with Agni himself.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.237.4)

भक्त्या स्नात्वा तु यस्तत्र तर्पयेत्पितृदेवताः। अग्निष्टोमस्य यज्ञस्य फलमाप्नोत्यसंशयम्

bhaktyā snātvā tu yastatra tarpayetpitṛdevatāḥ| agniṣṭomasya yajñasya phalamāpnotyasaṁśayam

Whoever, bathing there with devotion, offers tarpana to the ancestors and gods, obtains, without doubt, the fruit of the Agnishtoma sacrifice.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.237.5)

तस्यैवानन्तरं राजन्कौबेरं तीर्थमुत्तमम्। कुबेरो यत्र संसिद्धो यक्षाणामधिपः पुरा

tasyaivānantaraṁ rājankauberaṁ tīrthamuttamam| kubero yatra saṁsiddho yakṣāṇāmadhipaḥ purā

Immediately after that, O king, is the excellent Kaubera Tirtha, where Kubera, lord of the Yakshas, attained accomplishment long ago.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.237.6)

तत्र तीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा समभ्यर्च्य जगद्गुरुम्। उमया सहितं भक्त्या सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते

tatra tīrthe naraḥ snātvā samabhyarcya jagadgurum| umayā sahitaṁ bhaktyā sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate

A man who bathes there and, with devotion, duly worships the guru of the universe together with Uma, is freed from every sin.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.237.7)

तत्र तीर्थे तु यः स्नात्वा दद्याद्विप्राय कांचनम्। नाभिमात्रे जले तिष्ठन्स लभेतार्बुदं फलम्

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ snātvā dadyādviprāya kāṁcanam| nābhimātre jale tiṣṭhansa labhetārbudaṁ phalam

There at that tirtha, whoever bathes and, standing in water up to the navel, gives gold to a brahmin, obtains fruit multiplied a hundred million times.

Verse 8 (skanda.5.237.8)

दधिस्कन्दे मधुस्कन्दे नन्दीशे वरुणालये। आग्नेये यत्फलं तात स्नात्वा तत्फलमाप्नुयात्

dadhiskande madhuskande nandīśe varuṇālaye| āgneye yatphalaṁ tāta snātvā tatphalamāpnuyāt

My child, whatever fruit is obtained by bathing at Dadhiskanda, Madhuskanda, Nandisha, and the abode of Varuna — that same fruit is obtained by bathing at the Agneya (Fire) tirtha.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.237.9)

ते वन्द्या मानुषे लोके धन्याः पूर्णमनोरथाः। यैस्तु दृष्टं महापुण्यं नर्मदातीर्थपञ्चकम्

te vandyā mānuṣe loke dhanyāḥ pūrṇamanorathāḥ| yaistu dṛṣṭaṁ mahāpuṇyaṁ narmadātīrthapañcakam

Blessed and fortunate, their every wish fulfilled, worthy of homage in the human world, are those who have beheld this most sacred fivefold group of Narmada tirthas.

Verse 10 (skanda.5.237.10)

ते यान्ति भास्करे लोके परमे दुःखनाशने। भास्करादैश्वरे लोके चैश्वरादनिवर्तके

te yānti bhāskare loke parame duḥkhanāśane| bhāskarādaiśvare loke caiśvarādanivartake

They go to the world of the Sun, supreme destroyer of sorrow; from the world of the Sun to the world of Ishvara, and from the world of Ishvara to that state from which there is no return.

Verse 11 (skanda.5.237.11)

नीयते स परे लोके यावदिन्द्राश्चतुर्दश। ततः स्वर्गाच्च्युतो मर्त्यो राजा भवति धार्मिकः

nīyate sa pare loke yāvadindrāścaturdaśa| tataḥ svargāccyuto martyo rājā bhavati dhārmikaḥ

He is carried to that highest world for as long as fourteen Indras pass; then, falling from heaven, that mortal becomes a righteous king.

Verse 12 (skanda.5.237.12)

सर्वरोगविनिर्मुक्तो भुनक्ति सचराचरम्। विष्णुश्च देवता येषां नर्मदातीर्थसेविनाम्

sarvarogavinirmukto bhunakti sacarācaram| viṣṇuśca devatā yeṣāṁ narmadātīrthasevinām

Free of every disease, he rules over the whole moving and unmoving world; and Vishnu himself is the deity of those who serve the Narmada tirthas.

Verse 13 (skanda.5.237.13)

अखण्डितप्रतापास्ते जायन्ते नात्र संशयः। गङ्गा कनखले पुण्या कुरुक्षेत्रे सरस्वती

akhaṇḍitapratāpāste jāyante nātra saṁśayaḥ| gaṅgā kanakhale puṇyā kurukṣetre sarasvatī

They are born with unbroken splendour, without doubt; the Ganga is sacred at Kanakhala, the Sarasvati sacred at Kurukshetra,

Verse 14 (skanda.5.237.14)

ग्रामे वा यदि वारण्ये पुण्या सर्वत्र नर्मदा। रेवातीरे वसेन्नित्यं रेवातोयं सदा पिबेत्

grāme vā yadi vāraṇye puṇyā sarvatra narmadā| revātīre vasennityaṁ revātoyaṁ sadā pibet

but the Narmada is sacred everywhere, whether by village or in forest; one should dwell always on the bank of the Reva, and ever drink the waters of the Reva.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.237.15)

स स्नातः सर्वतीर्थेषु सोमपानं दिने दिने। गङ्गाद्याः सरितः सर्वाः समुद्राश्च सरांसि च। कल्पान्ते संक्षयं यान्ति न मृता तेन नर्मदा

sa snātaḥ sarvatīrtheṣu somapānaṁ dine dine| gaṅgādyāḥ saritaḥ sarvāḥ samudrāśca sarāṁsi ca| kalpānte saṁkṣayaṁ yānti na mṛtā tena narmadā

Such a one is as if bathed in every tirtha, drinking the soma day after day. The Ganga and all other rivers, the oceans and the lakes, perish at the end of the kalpa — but the Narmada, unlike them, never perishes.