The Greatness of Kalhodi Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.248.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच - ततो गच्छेत्तु राजेन्द्र कल्होडीतीर्थमुत्तमम्। विख्यातं भारते लोके गङ्गायाः पापनाशनम्

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca - tato gacchettu rājendra kalhoḍītīrthamuttamam| vikhyātaṁ bhārate loke gaṅgāyāḥ pāpanāśanam

Shri Markandeya said: "Then, O Rajendra, one should go to the excellent Kalhodi ford, renowned in the land of Bharata, destroyer of the sin of the Ganga."

Verse 2 (skanda.5.248.2)

दुर्लभं मनुजैः पार्थ रेवातटसमाश्रितम्। प्राणिनां पापनाशाय ऊषरं पुष्करं तथा

durlabhaṁ manujaiḥ pārtha revātaṭasamāśritam| prāṇināṁ pāpanāśāya ūṣaraṁ puṣkaraṁ tathā

Rare of attainment for men, O Partha, it lies on the bank of the Reva, for the destruction of the sin of living beings — and Ushara and Pushkara likewise.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.248.3)

तत्तु तीर्थमिदं पुण्यमित्येवं शूलिनो वचः। जाह्नवी पशुरूपेण तत्र स्नानार्थमागता

tattu tīrthamidaṁ puṇyamityevaṁ śūlino vacaḥ| jāhnavī paśurūpeṇa tatra snānārthamāgatā

"That is indeed a sacred ford" — so spoke Shulin (Shiva); and Jahnavi (Ganga), in the form of an animal, came there to bathe.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.248.4)

अतस्तद्विश्रुतं लोके कल्होडीतीर्थमुत्तमम्। त्रिरात्रं कारयेत्तत्र पूर्णिमायां युधिष्ठिर

atastadviśrutaṁ loke kalhoḍītīrthamuttamam| trirātraṁ kārayettatra pūrṇimāyāṁ yudhiṣṭhira

Hence it became renowned in the world as the excellent Kalhodi ford; O Yudhishthira, one should keep a three-night observance there on the full moon.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.248.5)

रजस्तमस्तथा क्रोधं दम्भं मात्सर्यमेव च। एतांस्त्यजति यः पार्थ तेनाप्तं मोक्षजं फलम्

rajastamastathā krodhaṁ dambhaṁ mātsaryameva ca| etāṁstyajati yaḥ pārtha tenāptaṁ mokṣajaṁ phalam

Whoever, O Partha, casts off passion, ignorance, anger, hypocrisy, and envy — by him is obtained the fruit that leads to liberation.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.248.6)

पयसा स्नापयेद्देवं त्रिसन्ध्यं च त्र्यहं तथा। पयो गोसम्भवं सद्यः सवत्सा जीवपुत्रिणी

payasā snāpayeddevaṁ trisandhyaṁ ca tryahaṁ tathā| payo gosambhavaṁ sadyaḥ savatsā jīvaputriṇī

One should bathe the god in milk, at the three daily junctures, for three days — fresh milk from a cow with a living calf, one whose young survives —

Verse 7 (skanda.5.248.7)

कृत्वा तत्ताम्रजे पात्रे क्षौद्रेण चैव योजिते। ओं नमः श्रीशिवायेति स्नानं देवस्य कारयेत्

kṛtvā tattāmraje pātre kṣaudreṇa caiva yojite| oṁ namaḥ śrīśivāyeti snānaṁ devasya kārayet

having placed it in a copper vessel, joined also with honey, one should perform the god's bathing with the mantra "Om namaḥ Shri-Shivāya."

Verse 8 (skanda.5.248.8)

स याति त्रिदशस्थानं नाकस्त्रीभिः समावृतः। यस्तत्र विधिवत्स्नात्वा दानं प्रेतेषु यच्छति

sa yāti tridaśasthānaṁ nākastrībhiḥ samāvṛtaḥ| yastatra vidhivatsnātvā dānaṁ preteṣu yacchati

He goes to the abode of the thirty gods, surrounded by heaven's women — whoever, having duly bathed there, gives gifts on behalf of the departed,

Verse 9 (skanda.5.248.9)

शुक्लां गां दापयेत्तत्र प्रीयतां मे पितामहाः। ब्राह्मणे शौचसम्पन्ने स्वदारनिरते सदा

śuklāṁ gāṁ dāpayettatra prīyatāṁ me pitāmahāḥ| brāhmaṇe śaucasampanne svadāranirate sadā

should there have a white cow given, saying, "may my forefathers be pleased," to a brahmin endowed with purity, ever devoted to his own wife —

Verse 10 (skanda.5.248.10)

सवत्सां वस्त्रसंयुक्तां हिरण्योपरि संस्थिताम्। सत्त्वयुक्तो ददद्राजञ्छाम्भवं लोकमाप्नुयात्

savatsāṁ vastrasaṁyuktāṁ hiraṇyopari saṁsthitām| sattvayukto dadadrājañchāmbhavaṁ lokamāpnuyāt

together with her calf, decked with cloth, standing upon gold — whoever gives thus, endowed with goodness, O king, attains the world of Shambhu.