The Greatness of Narayani (Badarikashrama)

Verse 1 (skanda.5.250.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच - ततो गच्छेत्तु राजेन्द्र बदर्याश्रममुत्तमम्। सर्वतीर्थवरं पुण्यं कथितं शंभुना पुरा

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca - tato gacchettu rājendra badaryāśramamuttamam| sarvatīrthavaraṁ puṇyaṁ kathitaṁ śaṁbhunā purā

Shri Markandeya said: "Then, O Rajendra, one should go to the excellent Badaryashrama, the best and most sacred of all fords, declared by Shambhu long ago."

Verse 2 (skanda.5.250.2)

यश्चैष भारतस्यार्थे तत्र सिद्धः किरीटभृत्। भ्राता ते फाल्गुनो नाम विद्ध्येनं नरदैवतम्

yaścaiṣa bhāratasyārthe tatra siddhaḥ kirīṭabhṛt| bhrātā te phālguno nāma viddhyenaṁ naradaivatam

"And he who, for Bharata's sake, attained perfection there, the crown-bearer — know him to be your brother named Phalguna, a god among men."

Verse 3 (skanda.5.250.3)

नरनारायणौ द्वौ तावागतौ नर्मदातटे। ज्ञानं तस्यैव यो राजन्भक्तिमान्वै जनार्दने

naranārāyaṇau dvau tāvāgatau narmadātaṭe| jñānaṁ tasyaiva yo rājanbhaktimānvai janārdane

The two, Nara and Narayana, came to the bank of the Narmada. O king, whoever has knowledge of him, and is devoted to Janardana,

Verse 4 (skanda.5.250.4)

समं पश्यति सर्वेषु स्थावरेषु चरेषु च। ब्राह्मणं श्वपचं चैव तत्र प्रीतो जनार्दनः

samaṁ paśyati sarveṣu sthāvareṣu careṣu ca| brāhmaṇaṁ śvapacaṁ caiva tatra prīto janārdanaḥ

beholds all beings equally, the moving and the unmoving — a brahmin and an outcaste dog-cooker alike; with him Janardana is pleased.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.250.5)

ऐकात्म्यं पश्य कौन्तेय मयि चात्मनि नान्तरम्। नरनारायणाभ्यां हि कृतं बदरिकाश्रमम्

aikātmyaṁ paśya kaunteya mayi cātmani nāntaram| naranārāyaṇābhyāṁ hi kṛtaṁ badarikāśramam

"Behold the oneness, O son of Kunti, that there is no difference between me and the Self." By Nara and Narayana indeed was Badarikashrama made.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.250.6)

स्थापितः शङ्करस्तत्र लोकानुग्रहकारणात्। त्रिमूर्तिस्थापितं लिङ्गं स्वर्गमार्गानुमुक्तिदम्

sthāpitaḥ śaṅkarastatra lokānugrahakāraṇāt| trimūrtisthāpitaṁ liṅgaṁ svargamārgānumuktidam

Shankara was established there for the favoring of the worlds; the linga, established there in threefold form, grants liberation along the path of heaven.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.250.7)

तत्र गत्वा शुचिर्भूत्वा ह्येकरात्रोपवासकृत्। रजस्तमस्तथा त्यक्त्वा सात्त्विकं भावमाश्रयेत्

tatra gatvā śucirbhūtvā hyekarātropavāsakṛt| rajastamastathā tyaktvā sāttvikaṁ bhāvamāśrayet

Having gone there, become pure, and keeping a one-night fast, one should cast off passion and ignorance and take refuge in a sattvic disposition.

Verse 8 (skanda.5.250.8)

रात्रौ जागरणं कृत्वा मधुमासाष्टमीदिने। अथवा च चतुर्दश्यामुभौ पक्षौ च कारयेत्

rātrau jāgaraṇaṁ kṛtvā madhumāsāṣṭamīdine| athavā ca caturdaśyāmubhau pakṣau ca kārayet

Having kept vigil at night on the eighth of the sweet spring month, or on the fourteenth, one should observe this in both fortnights.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.250.9)

आश्विनस्य विशेषेण कथितं तव पाण्डव। स्नापयेत्परया भक्त्या क्षीरेण मधुना सह

āśvinasya viśeṣeṇa kathitaṁ tava pāṇḍava| snāpayetparayā bhaktyā kṣīreṇa madhunā saha

Especially in the month of Ashvina has this been declared to you, O Pandava; one should bathe the Lord with supreme devotion, with milk together with honey,

Verse 10 (skanda.5.250.10)

दध्ना शर्करया युक्तं घृतेन समलंकृतम्। पञ्चामृतमिदं पुण्यं स्नापयेद्वृषभध्वजम्

dadhnā śarkarayā yuktaṁ ghṛtena samalaṁkṛtam| pañcāmṛtamidaṁ puṇyaṁ snāpayedvṛṣabhadhvajam

with curds mixed with sugar, adorned also with ghee — with this sacred five-fold nectar one should bathe the bull-bannered Shiva.

Verse 11 (skanda.5.250.11)

स्नाप्यमानं शिवं भक्त्या वीक्षते यो विमत्सरः। तस्य वासः शिवोपान्ते शक्रलोके न संशयः

snāpyamānaṁ śivaṁ bhaktyā vīkṣate yo vimatsaraḥ| tasya vāsaḥ śivopānte śakraloke na saṁśayaḥ

Whoever, free of envy, beholds Shiva being bathed with devotion — his abode is by Shiva's side, in Indra's world; of this there is no doubt.

Verse 12 (skanda.5.250.12)

शाठ्येनापि नमस्कारः प्रयुक्तः शूलपाणिने। संसारमूलबद्धानामुद्वेष्टनकरो हि यः

śāṭhyenāpi namaskāraḥ prayuktaḥ śūlapāṇine| saṁsāramūlabaddhānāmudveṣṭanakaro hi yaḥ

Even a salutation offered to Shulapani in deceit bears fruit — for he is the one who unbinds those bound at the very root of worldly existence.

Verse 13 (skanda.5.250.13)

तेनाधीतं श्रुतं तेन तेन सर्वमनुष्ठितम्। येनौं नमः शिवायेति मन्त्राभ्यासः स्थिरीकृतः

tenādhītaṁ śrutaṁ tena tena sarvamanuṣṭhitam| yenauṁ namaḥ śivāyeti mantrābhyāsaḥ sthirīkṛtaḥ

By him is everything studied, everything heard, everything performed, by whom the practice of the mantra "Om namaḥ Shivāya" has been made firm.

Verse 14 (skanda.5.250.14)

यः पुनः स्नापयेद्भक्त्या एकभक्तो जितेन्द्रियः। तस्यापि यत्फलं पार्थ वक्ष्ये तल्लेशतस्तव

yaḥ punaḥ snāpayedbhaktyā ekabhakto jitendriyaḥ| tasyāpi yatphalaṁ pārtha vakṣye talleśatastava

And whoever, again, with devotion bathes the Lord, taking but one meal, with senses conquered — his fruit too, O Partha, I shall tell you in brief.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.250.15)

पीडितो वृद्धभावेन तव भक्त्या वदाम्यहम्। ते यान्ति परमं स्थानं भित्त्वा भास्करमण्डलम्

pīḍito vṛddhabhāvena tava bhaktyā vadāmyaham| te yānti paramaṁ sthānaṁ bhittvā bhāskaramaṇḍalam

Afflicted though I am by old age, I speak to you out of devotion: such men, piercing through the solar orb, go to the supreme abode.

Verse 16 (skanda.5.250.16)

संसारे सर्वसौख्यानां निलयास्ते भवन्ति च। आश्चर्यं ज्ञातिवर्गाणां धर्माणां निलयास्तु ते

saṁsāre sarvasaukhyānāṁ nilayāste bhavanti ca| āścaryaṁ jñātivargāṇāṁ dharmāṇāṁ nilayāstu te

They become, in this transmigratory world, the abode of every happiness; and, wondrously, they become the abode of the virtues of their kinsmen too.

Verse 17 (skanda.5.250.17)

सम्पन्नाः सर्वकामैस्ते पृथिव्यां पृथिवीपते। श्राद्धं तत्रैव यः कुर्यान्नर्मदोदकमिश्रितम्

sampannāḥ sarvakāmaiste pṛthivyāṁ pṛthivīpate| śrāddhaṁ tatraiva yaḥ kuryānnarmadodakamiśritam

They are endowed with every desire upon this earth, O lord of the earth. Whoever there performs the shraddha mixed with the water of the Narmada,

Verse 18 (skanda.5.250.18)

योग्यैश्च ब्राह्मणैर्राजन्कुलीनैर्वेदपारगैः। सुरूपैश्च सुशीलैश्च स्वदारनिरतैः शुभैः

yogyaiśca brāhmaṇairrājankulīnairvedapāragaiḥ| surūpaiśca suśīlaiśca svadāranirataiḥ śubhaiḥ

with worthy brahmins, O king — well-born, versed in the Vedas, handsome, of good character, devoted to their own wives, and auspicious,

Verse 19 (skanda.5.250.19)

आर्यदेशप्रसूतैश्च श्लक्ष्णैश्चैव सुरूपिभिः। कारयेत्पिण्डदानं वै भास्करे कुतपस्थिते

āryadeśaprasūtaiśca ślakṣṇaiścaiva surūpibhiḥ| kārayetpiṇḍadānaṁ vai bhāskare kutapasthite

born in the Aryan land, gentle and comely — one should have the pinda-offering made while the sun stands at the kutapa hour, the eighth muhurta of midday.

Verse 20 (skanda.5.250.20)

पितॄणां परमं लोकं यदीच्छेद्धर्मनन्दन। वर्जयेत्तान्प्रयत्नेन काणान्दुष्टांश्च दाम्भिकान्

pitṝṇāṁ paramaṁ lokaṁ yadīccheddharmanandana| varjayettānprayatnena kāṇānduṣṭāṁśca dāmbhikān

If one desires the supreme world for the ancestors, O joy of Dharma, one should carefully avoid the one-eyed, the wicked, and the hypocritical among the brahmins.

Verse 21 (skanda.5.250.21)

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन योग्यं विप्रं समाश्रयेत्। नरकान्मोचयेत्प्रेतान्कुम्भीपाकपुरोगमान्

tasmātsarvaprayatnena yogyaṁ vipraṁ samāśrayet| narakānmocayetpretānkumbhīpākapurogamān

Therefore, with every effort, one should resort to a worthy brahmin; thereby one releases the departed ancestors from the hells beginning with Kumbhipaka.

Verse 22 (skanda.5.250.22)

मोक्षो भवति सर्वेषां पितॄणां नृपनन्दन। विप्रेभ्यः काञ्चनं दद्यात्प्रीयतां मे पितामहः

mokṣo bhavati sarveṣāṁ pitṝṇāṁ nṛpanandana| viprebhyaḥ kāñcanaṁ dadyātprīyatāṁ me pitāmahaḥ

Liberation comes to all the ancestors, O joy of kings. One should give gold to brahmins, saying, "may my forefathers be pleased."

Verse 23 (skanda.5.250.23)

अन्नं च दापयेत्तत्र भक्त्या वस्त्रं च भारत। गां वृषं मेदिनीं दद्याच्छत्रं शस्तं नृपोत्तम

annaṁ ca dāpayettatra bhaktyā vastraṁ ca bhārata| gāṁ vṛṣaṁ medinīṁ dadyācchatraṁ śastaṁ nṛpottama

One should have food given there with devotion, O Bharata, and cloth as well; a cow, a bull, land, and a fine umbrella should be given, O best of kings.

Verse 24 (skanda.5.250.24)

स पुमान्स्वर्गमाप्नोति इत्येवं शङ्करोऽब्रवीत्। प्राणत्यागं तु यः कुर्याच्छिखिना सलिलेन वा

sa pumānsvargamāpnoti ityevaṁ śaṅkaro'bravīt| prāṇatyāgaṁ tu yaḥ kuryācchikhinā salilena vā

That man attains heaven — so spoke Shankara. And whoever there gives up his life-breath by fire or by water,

Verse 25 (skanda.5.250.25)

अनाशकेन वा भूयः स गच्छेच्छिवमन्दिरम्। नरनारायणीतीरे देवद्रोण्यां च यो नृप

anāśakena vā bhūyaḥ sa gacchecchivamandiram| naranārāyaṇītīre devadroṇyāṁ ca yo nṛpa

or again by fasting to death — he goes to the abode of Shiva. And, O king, whoever does so on the bank of Naranarayani, or in the Devadroni,

Verse 26 (skanda.5.250.26)

स वसेदीश्वरस्याग्रे यावदिन्द्राश्चतुर्दश। पुनः स्वर्गाच्च्युतः सोऽपि राजा भवति वीर्यवान्

sa vasedīśvarasyāgre yāvadindrāścaturdaśa| punaḥ svargāccyutaḥ so'pi rājā bhavati vīryavān

dwells before Ishvara for as long as the reigns of fourteen Indras; fallen once more from heaven, he becomes a mighty king,

Verse 27 (skanda.5.250.27)

सर्वैश्वर्यगुणैर्युक्तः प्रजापालनतत्परः। ततः स्मरति तत्तीर्थं पुनरेवागमिष्यति

sarvaiśvaryaguṇairyuktaḥ prajāpālanatatparaḥ| tataḥ smarati tattīrthaṁ punarevāgamiṣyati

endowed with every quality of sovereignty, devoted to the protection of his subjects — and then, remembering that ford, he comes there once again.