The Greatness of Rohini-Somanath Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.263.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। ततो गच्छेन्महीपाल रोहिणीतीर्थमुत्तमम्। विख्यातं त्रिषु लोकेषु सर्वपापहरं परम्।

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| tato gacchenmahīpāla rohiṇītīrthamuttamam| vikhyātaṁ triṣu lokeṣu sarvapāpaharaṁ param||

Shri Markandeya said: Thereafter, O king, one should go to the excellent Rohini tirtha, renowned in the three worlds, supreme remover of all sins.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.263.2)

युधिष्ठिर उवाच। रोहिणीतीर्थमाहात्म्यं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम्। श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वेन तन्मे त्वं वक्तुमर्हसि।

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca| rohiṇītīrthamāhātmyaṁ sarvapāpapraṇāśanam| śrotumicchāmi tattvena tanme tvaṁ vaktumarhasi||

Yudhishthira said: I wish to hear in truth the greatness of the Rohini tirtha, the destroyer of all sins; you should tell it to me.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.263.3)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। तस्मिन्नेकार्णवे घोरे नष्टे स्थावरजङ्गमे। उदधौ च शयानस्य देवदेवस्य चक्रिणः।

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| tasminnekārṇave ghore naṣṭe sthāvarajaṅgame| udadhau ca śayānasya devadevasya cakriṇaḥ||

Shri Markandeya said: In that terrible single ocean of dissolution, when all that is fixed and moving had perished, of the God of gods bearing the discus, lying upon the ocean -

Verse 4 (skanda.5.263.4)

नाभौ समुत्थितं पद्मं रविमण्डलसन्निभम्। कर्णिकाकेसरोपेतं पत्रैश्च समलंकृतम्।

nābhau samutthitaṁ padmaṁ ravimaṇḍalasannibham| karṇikākesaropetaṁ patraiśca samalaṁkṛtam||

- from his navel arose a lotus, resembling the orb of the sun, furnished with pericarp and filaments, adorned with petals.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.263.5)

तत्र ब्रह्मा समुत्पन्नश्चतुर्वदनपङ्कजः। किं करोमीति देवेश आज्ञा मे दीयतां प्रभो।

tatra brahmā samutpannaścaturvadanapaṅkajaḥ| kiṁ karomīti deveśa ājñā me dīyatāṁ prabho||

There Brahma arose, with four lotus-faces: 'What shall I do, O Lord of gods? May the command be given to me, O Lord.'

Verse 6 (skanda.5.263.6)

एवमुक्तस्तु देवेशः शङ्खचक्रगदाधरः। उवाच मधुरां वाणीं तदा देवं पितामहम्।

evamuktastu deveśaḥ śaṅkhacakragadādharaḥ| uvāca madhurāṁ vāṇīṁ tadā devaṁ pitāmaham||

Thus addressed, the Lord of gods, bearer of the conch, discus, and mace, spoke sweet words then to the god, the Grandsire.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.263.7)

सरस्वत्यां महाबाहो लोकं कुरु ममाज्ञया। भूतग्राममशेषस्य उत्पादनविधिक्षयम्।

sarasvatyāṁ mahābāho lokaṁ kuru mamājñayā| bhūtagrāmamaśeṣasya utpādanavidhikṣayam||

'O mighty-armed one, by my command create the world through Sarasvati - the complete process of production and dissolution of the whole multitude of beings.'

Verse 8 (skanda.5.263.8)

एतच्छ्रुतं तु वचनं पद्मनाभस्य भारत। चिन्तयामास भगवान्सप्तर्षीन्हितकाम्यया।

etacchrutaṁ tu vacanaṁ padmanābhasya bhārata| cintayāmāsa bhagavānsaptarṣīnhitakāmyayā||

O Bharata, having heard this word of Padmanabha, the Lord Brahma pondered, out of a wish for their welfare, upon the seven sages.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.263.9)

क्रमात्ते चिन्तिताः प्राज्ञाः पुलस्त्यः पुलहः क्रतुः। प्राचेतसो वसिष्ठश्च भृगुर्नारद एव च।

kramātte cintitāḥ prājñāḥ pulastyaḥ pulahaḥ kratuḥ| prācetaso vasiṣṭhaśca bhṛgurnārada eva ca||

In order, those wise ones were thought of: Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Pracetas, Vasishtha, Bhrigu, and also Narada.

Verse 10 (skanda.5.263.10)

यज्ञे प्राचेतसो दक्षो महातेजाः प्रजापतिः। दक्षस्यापि तथा जाताः पञ्चाशद्दुहितरोऽनघ।

yajñe prācetaso dakṣo mahātejāḥ prajāpatiḥ| dakṣasyāpi tathā jātāḥ pañcāśadduhitaro'nagha||

In the sacrifice, Daksha, son of Pracetas, became the greatly radiant Prajapati; O sinless one, from Daksha too were born fifty daughters.

Verse 11 (skanda.5.263.11)

ददौ स दश धर्माय कश्यपाय त्रयोदश। तथैव स महाभागः सप्तविंशतिमिन्दवे।

dadau sa daśa dharmāya kaśyapāya trayodaśa| tathaiva sa mahābhāgaḥ saptaviṁśatimindave||

He gave ten to Dharma, thirteen to Kashyapa; and likewise that greatly fortunate one gave twenty-seven to the Moon.

Verse 12 (skanda.5.263.12)

रोहिणीनाम या तासां मध्ये तस्य नराधिप। अनिष्टा सर्वनारीणां भर्तुश्चैव विशेषतः।

rohiṇīnāma yā tāsāṁ madhye tasya narādhipa| aniṣṭā sarvanārīṇāṁ bhartuścaiva viśeṣataḥ||

O king, among these, the one named Rohini, especially beloved of the husband, became an object of resentment for all his other wives.

Verse 13 (skanda.5.263.13)

ततः सा परमं कृत्वा वैराग्यं नृपसत्तम। आगत्य नर्मदातीरे चचार विपुलं तपः।

tataḥ sā paramaṁ kṛtvā vairāgyaṁ nṛpasattama| āgatya narmadātīre cacāra vipulaṁ tapaḥ||

Then, O best of kings, having formed supreme dispassion, she came to the bank of the Narmada and practiced extensive austerity.

Verse 14 (skanda.5.263.14)

एकरात्रैस्त्रिरात्रैश्च षड्द्वादशभिरेव च। पक्षमासोपवासैश्च कर्शयन्ति कलेवरम्।

ekarātraistrirātraiśca ṣaḍdvādaśabhireva ca| pakṣamāsopavāsaiśca karśayanti kalevaram||

With fasts of one night, three nights, six and twelve nights, and with fasts of a fortnight and a month, she wasted away her body.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.263.15)

आराधयन्ती सततं महिषासुरनाशिनीं। देवीं भगवतीं तात सर्वार्तिविनिवारणीम्।

ārādhayantī satataṁ mahiṣāsuranāśinīṁ| devīṁ bhagavatīṁ tāta sarvārtivinivāraṇīm||

O son, ever worshipping the goddess Bhagavati, destroyer of the buffalo-demon, remover of all afflictions.

Verse 16 (skanda.5.263.16)

स्नात्वा स्नात्वा जले नित्यं नर्मदायाः शुचिस्मिता। ततस्तुष्टा महाभागा देवी नारायणी नृप।

snātvā snātvā jale nityaṁ narmadāyāḥ śucismitā| tatastuṣṭā mahābhāgā devī nārāyaṇī nṛpa||

Bathing again and again daily in the waters of the Narmada, the fair-smiling one - then, O king, the greatly fortunate goddess Narayani was pleased.

Verse 17 (skanda.5.263.17)

प्रसन्ना ते महाभागे व्रतेन नियमेन च। एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु वचनं रोहिणी शशिनः प्रिया।

prasannā te mahābhāge vratena niyamena ca| etacchrutvā tu vacanaṁ rohiṇī śaśinaḥ priyā||

'I am pleased with you, O greatly fortunate one, by your vow and discipline.' Having heard this word, Rohini, beloved of the Moon -

Verse 18 (skanda.5.263.18)

यथा भवामि न चिरात्तथा भवतु मानदे। एवमस्त्विति सा चोक्त्वा भवानी भक्तवत्सला।

yathā bhavāmi na cirāttathā bhavatu mānade| evamastviti sā coktvā bhavānī bhaktavatsalā||

- said: 'O bestower of honor, may it soon come to be that I remain thus forever.' 'So be it,' said Bhavani, affectionate to her devotees, having spoken thus -

Verse 19 (skanda.5.263.19)

स्तूयमाना मुनिगणैस्तत्रैवान्तरधीयत। तदाप्रभृति तत्तीर्थं रोहिणी शशिनः प्रिया।

stūyamānā munigaṇaistatraivāntaradhīyata| tadāprabhṛti tattīrthaṁ rohiṇī śaśinaḥ priyā||

- being praised by the groups of sages, vanished right there. From that time onward, that tirtha, named for Rohini, beloved of the Moon -

Verse 20 (skanda.5.263.20)

संजाता सर्वकालं तु वल्लभा नृपसत्तम। तत्र तीर्थे तु या नारी नरो वा स्नानि भक्तितः।

saṁjātā sarvakālaṁ tu vallabhā nṛpasattama| tatra tīrthe tu yā nārī naro vā snāni bhaktitaḥ||

- became, O best of kings, forever the most beloved. There, at that tirtha, whatever woman or man bathes with devotion -

Verse 21 (skanda.5.263.21)

वल्लभा जायते सा तु भर्तुर्वै रोहिणी यथा। तत्र तीर्थे तु यः कश्चित्प्राणत्यागं करोति वै।

vallabhā jāyate sā tu bharturvai rohiṇī yathā| tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ kaścitprāṇatyāgaṁ karoti vai||

- becomes beloved of their spouse, just as Rohini was. Whoever gives up their life at that tirtha -

Verse 22 (skanda.5.263.22)

सप्तजन्मानि दाम्पत्यवियोगो न भवेत्क्वचित्।

saptajanmāni dāmpatyaviyogo na bhavetkvacit||

- for seven births there will never be any separation of the married couple.