The Greatness of Kamada Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.261.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। ततो गच्छेन्महीपाल तीर्थं परमशोभनम्। सौभाग्यकरणं दिव्यं नरनारीमनोरमम्।

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| tato gacchenmahīpāla tīrthaṁ paramaśobhanam| saubhāgyakaraṇaṁ divyaṁ naranārīmanoramam||

Shri Markandeya said: Thereafter, O king, there is a most beautiful tirtha - divine, bestowing good fortune, delighting the hearts of men and women.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.261.2)

तत्र या दुर्भगा नारी नरो वा नृपसत्तम। स्नात्वार्चयेदुमारुद्रौ सौभाग्यं तस्य जायते।

tatra yā durbhagā nārī naro vā nṛpasattama| snātvārcayedumārudrau saubhāgyaṁ tasya jāyate||

O best of kings, there any unfortunate woman or man, having bathed and worshipped Uma and Rudra, obtains good fortune.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.261.3)

तृतीयायामहोरात्रं सोपवासो जितेन्द्रियः। निमन्त्रयेद्द्विजं भक्त्या सपत्नीकं सुरूपिणम्।

tṛtīyāyāmahorātraṁ sopavāso jitendriyaḥ| nimantrayeddvijaṁ bhaktyā sapatnīkaṁ surūpiṇam||

On the third lunar day, self-controlled, fasting day and night, one should with devotion invite a handsome brahmin together with his wife.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.261.4)

गन्धमाल्यैरलंकृत्य वस्त्रधूपादिवासितम्। भोजयेत्पायसान्नेन कृसरेणाथ भक्तितः।

gandhamālyairalaṁkṛtya vastradhūpādivāsitam| bhojayetpāyasānnena kṛsareṇātha bhaktitaḥ||

Having adorned them with fragrance and garlands, perfumed with cloth and incense, one should feed them with rice-pudding and with a rice-and-lentil dish, with devotion.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.261.5)

भोजयित्वा यथान्यायं प्रदक्षिणमुदाहरेत्। प्रीयतां मे महादेवः सपत्नीको वृषध्वजः।

bhojayitvā yathānyāyaṁ pradakṣiṇamudāharet| prīyatāṁ me mahādevaḥ sapatnīko vṛṣadhvajaḥ||

Having fed them duly, one should then offer circumambulation: 'May Mahadeva, bull-bannered, together with his consort, be pleased with me.'

Verse 6 (skanda.5.261.6)

यथा ते देवदेवेश न वियोगः कदाचन। ममापि करुणां कृत्वा तथास्त्विति विचिन्तयेत्।

yathā te devadeveśa na viyogaḥ kadācana| mamāpi karuṇāṁ kṛtvā tathāstviti vicintayet||

'O Lord of gods, just as you are never separated from your consort, so, showing mercy on me too, may it be thus for me' - thus one should meditate.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.261.7)

एवं कृते ततस्तस्य यत्पुण्यं समुदाहृतम्। तत्ते सर्वं प्रवक्ष्यामि यथा देवेन भाषितम्।

evaṁ kṛte tatastasya yatpuṇyaṁ samudāhṛtam| tatte sarvaṁ pravakṣyāmi yathā devena bhāṣitam||

When this is done, whatever merit thereby accrues to him, all that I shall now tell you, as declared by the god.

Verse 8 (skanda.5.261.8)

दौर्भाग्यं दुर्गतिश्चैव दारिद्र्यं शोकबन्धनम्। वन्ध्यत्वं सप्तजन्मानि जायते न युधिष्ठिर।

daurbhāgyaṁ durgatiścaiva dāridryaṁ śokabandhanam| vandhyatvaṁ saptajanmāni jāyate na yudhiṣṭhira||

O Yudhishthira, misfortune, evil states, poverty, the bondage of grief, and barrenness do not arise for seven births.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.261.9)

ज्येष्ठमासे सिते पक्षे तृतीयायां विशेषतः। तत्र गत्वा तु यो भक्त्या पञ्चाग्निं साधयेत्ततः।

jyeṣṭhamāse site pakṣe tṛtīyāyāṁ viśeṣataḥ| tatra gatvā tu yo bhaktyā pañcāgniṁ sādhayettataḥ||

Especially on the third day of the bright fortnight of the month of Jyeshtha, whoever goes there and with devotion practices the five-fire austerity -

Verse 10 (skanda.5.261.10)

सोऽपि पापैरशेषैस्तु मुच्यते नात्र संशयः। गुग्गुलं दहते यस्तु द्विधा चित्तविवर्जितः।

so'pi pāpairaśeṣaistu mucyate nātra saṁśayaḥ| guggulaṁ dahate yastu dvidhā cittavivarjitaḥ||

- he too is freed from all sins, there is no doubt. Whoever burns guggulu resin with an undivided, single-pointed mind -

Verse 11 (skanda.5.261.11)

शरीरं भेदयेद्यस्तु गौर्याश्चैव समीपतः। तस्मिन्कर्मप्रविष्टस्य उत्क्रान्तिर्जायते यदि।

śarīraṁ bhedayedyastu gauryāścaiva samīpataḥ| tasminkarmapraviṣṭasya utkrāntirjāyate yadi||

- whoever offers his own body near Gauri - if, while engaged in that act, his life departs -

Verse 12 (skanda.5.261.12)

देहपाते व्रजेत्स्वर्गमित्येवं शङ्करोऽब्रवीत्। सितरक्तैस्तथा पीतैर्वस्त्रैश्च विविधैः शुभैः।

dehapāte vrajetsvargamityevaṁ śaṅkaro'bravīt| sitaraktaistathā pītairvastraiśca vividhaiḥ śubhaiḥ||

- then at the fall of the body he goes to heaven, thus said Shankara. With white, red, and yellow cloths, with various auspicious garments -

Verse 13 (skanda.5.261.13)

ब्राह्मणीं ब्राह्मणं चैव पूजयित्वा यथाविधि। पुष्पैर्नानाविधैश्चैव गन्धधूपैः सुशोभनैः।

brāhmaṇīṁ brāhmaṇaṁ caiva pūjayitvā yathāvidhi| puṣpairnānāvidhaiścaiva gandhadhūpaiḥ suśobhanaiḥ||

- having worshipped a brahmin woman and a brahmin man according to rule, with various flowers and with beautiful fragrances and incense -

Verse 14 (skanda.5.261.14)

कण्ठसूत्रकसिन्दूरैः कुङ्कुमेन विलेपयेत्। कल्पयेत स्त्रियं गौरीं ब्राह्मणं शिवरूपिणम्।

kaṇṭhasūtrakasindūraiḥ kuṅkumena vilepayet| kalpayeta striyaṁ gaurīṁ brāhmaṇaṁ śivarūpiṇam||

- one should anoint them with a marriage-thread, vermilion, and saffron, conceiving the woman as Gauri and the brahmin as the very form of Shiva.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.261.15)

तेषां तद्रूपकं कृत्वा दानमुत्सृज्यते ततः। कङ्कणं कर्णवेष्टं च कण्ठिकां मुद्रिकां तथा।

teṣāṁ tadrūpakaṁ kṛtvā dānamutsṛjyate tataḥ| kaṅkaṇaṁ karṇaveṣṭaṁ ca kaṇṭhikāṁ mudrikāṁ tathā||

Having thus envisioned them in that form, gifts should then be given: bracelets, ear-ornaments, a necklace, and a ring -

Verse 16 (skanda.5.261.16)

सप्तधान्यं तथा चैव भोजनं नृपसत्तम। अन्यान्यपि च दानानि तस्मिंस्तीर्थे ददाति यः।

saptadhānyaṁ tathā caiva bhojanaṁ nṛpasattama| anyānyapi ca dānāni tasmiṁstīrthe dadāti yaḥ||

- also the seven grains, and food, O best of kings; whoever gives these and other gifts as well at that tirtha -

Verse 17 (skanda.5.261.17)

सर्वदानैश्च यत्पुण्यं प्राप्नुयान्नात्र संशयः। सहस्रगुणितं सर्वं नात्र कार्या विचारणा।

sarvadānaiśca yatpuṇyaṁ prāpnuyānnātra saṁśayaḥ| sahasraguṇitaṁ sarvaṁ nātra kāryā vicāraṇā||

- whatever merit is obtained from all such gifts, all of it becomes multiplied a thousand-fold here, there is no doubt of this.

Verse 18 (skanda.5.261.18)

शङ्करेण समं तस्माद्भोगं भुङ्क्ते ह्यनुत्तमम्। सौभाग्यं तस्य विपुलं जायते नात्र संशयः।

śaṅkareṇa samaṁ tasmādbhogaṁ bhuṅkte hyanuttamam| saubhāgyaṁ tasya vipulaṁ jāyate nātra saṁśayaḥ||

Therefore he enjoys supreme, unsurpassed enjoyment equal to that of Shankara; his good fortune becomes abundant, there is no doubt.

Verse 19 (skanda.5.261.19)

अपुत्रो लभते पुत्रमधनो धनमाप्नुयात्। राजेन्द्र कामदं तीर्थं नर्मदायां व्यवस्थितम्।

aputro labhate putramadhano dhanamāpnuyāt| rājendra kāmadaṁ tīrthaṁ narmadāyāṁ vyavasthitam||

The sonless obtains a son, the poor obtains wealth. O lord of kings, this Kamada tirtha stands on the Narmada, granting all desires.