The Greatness of Kambukeshvara Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.275.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि कम्बुकेश्वरमुत्तमम् । हिरण्यकशिपुर्दैत्यो दानवो बलदर्पितः ।

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| ataḥ paraṁ pravakṣyāmi kambukeśvaram uttamam| hiraṇyakaśipur daityo dānavo baladarpitaḥ||

Shri Markandeya said: Next I shall tell of the excellent Kambukeshvara. The daitya Hiranyakashipu was a danava puffed up with strength.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.275.2)

अवध्यः सर्वलोकानां त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतः । तस्य पुत्रो महातेजाः प्रह्लादो नाम नामतः ।

avadhyaḥ sarvalokānāṁ triṣu lokeṣu viśrutaḥ| tasya putro mahātejāḥ prahlādo nāma nāmataḥ||

Invincible to all the worlds, renowned in the three worlds; his son, greatly radiant, was named Prahlada.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.275.3)

विष्णुप्रसादाद्भक्त्या च तस्य राज्ये प्रतिष्ठितः । विरोचनस्तस्य सुतस्तस्यापि बलिरेव च ।

viṣṇuprasādād bhaktyā ca tasya rājye pratiṣṭhitaḥ| virocanas tasya sutas tasyāpi balir eva ca||

By the grace of Vishnu and through devotion he was established in his kingdom. His son was Virochana, and his son in turn was Bali.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.275.4)

बलिपुत्रोऽभवद्बाणस्तस्मादपि च शम्बरः । शम्बरस्यान्वये जातः कम्बुर्नाम महासुरः ।

baliputro 'bhavad bāṇas tasmād api ca śambaraḥ| śambarasyānvaye jātaḥ kambur nāma mahāsuraḥ||

Bali's son was Bana, and from him came Shambara. In Shambara's line was born a great asura named Kambu.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.275.5)

ज्ञात्वा विष्णुमयं घोरं महद्भयमुपस्थितम् । दानवानां विनाशाय नान्यो हेतुः कदाचन ।

jñātvā viṣṇumayaṁ ghoraṁ mahad bhayam upasthitam| dānavānāṁ vināśāya nānyo hetuḥ kadācana||

Knowing that a terrible, great fear pervaded by Vishnu had arisen, and that there was never any other cause for the destruction of the danavas,

Verse 6 (skanda.5.275.6)

स त्यक्त्वा पुत्रदारांश्च सुहृद्बन्धुपरिग्रहान् । चचार मौनमास्थाय तपः कम्बुर्महामतिः ।

sa tyaktvā putradārāṁś ca suhṛdbandhuparigrahān| cacāra maunam āsthāya tapaḥ kambur mahāmatiḥ||

That great-minded Kambu, abandoning his sons, wife, friends, kinsmen and possessions, observed silence and performed austerities.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.275.7)

अक्षसूत्रकरो भूत्वा दण्डी मुण्डी च मेखली । शाकयावकभक्षश्च वल्कलाजिनसंवृतः ।

akṣasūtrakaro bhūtvā daṇḍī muṇḍī ca mekhalī| śākayāvakabhakṣaś ca valkalājinasaṁvṛtaḥ||

Holding a rosary in hand, carrying a staff, shaven-headed, girdled with a cord, eating only vegetables and barley-gruel, clad in bark and deerskin,

Verse 8 (skanda.5.275.8)

स्नात्वा नित्यं धृतिपरो नर्मदाजलमाश्रितः । पूजयंस्तु महादेवमर्बुदं वर्षसंख्यया ।

snātvā nityaṁ dhṛtiparo narmadājalam āśritaḥ| pūjayaṁs tu mahādevam arbudaṁ varṣasaṅkhyayā||

Bathing daily, steadfast, resorting to the waters of the Narmada, he worshipped Mahadeva for a countless number of years.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.275.9)

ततस्तुतोष भगवान्देवदेवो महेश्वरः । उवाच दानवं काले मेघगम्भीरया गिरा ।

tatas tutoṣa bhagavān devadevo maheśvaraḥ| uvāca dānavaṁ kāle meghagambhīrayā girā||

Then the blessed Maheshvara, god of gods, was pleased, and in due time spoke to the danava in a voice deep as thunderclouds.

Verse 10 (skanda.5.275.10)

भोभोः कम्बो महाभाग तुष्टोऽहं तव सुव्रत । इष्टं व्रतानां परमं मौनं सर्वार्थसाधनम् ।

bhobhoḥ kambo mahābhāga tuṣṭo 'haṁ tava suvrata| iṣṭaṁ vratānāṁ paramaṁ maunaṁ sarvārthasādhanam||

O Kambu, most fortunate one of good vows, I am pleased with you. Silence is the most cherished of vows, the accomplisher of all ends.

Verse 11 (skanda.5.275.11)

चरितं च त्वया लोके देवदानवदुश्चरम् । वरं वृणीष्व भद्रं ते यत्ते मनसि रोचते ।

caritaṁ ca tvayā loke devadānavaduścaram| varaṁ vṛṇīṣva bhadraṁ te yat te manasi rocate||

You have practised in this world what even gods and danavas find hard to accomplish. Choose a boon - may good befall you - whatever pleases your mind.

Verse 12 (skanda.5.275.12)

कम्बुरुवाच। यदि प्रसन्नो देवेश यदि देयो वरो मम । अक्षय्यश्चाव्ययश्चैव स्वेच्छया विचराम्यहम् ।

kamburuvāca| yadi prasanno deveśa yadi deyo varo mama| akṣayyaś cāvyayaś caiva svecchayā vicarāmy aham||

Kambu said: If you are pleased, O lord of gods, and if a boon is to be given to me, let me be imperishable and undecaying, and let me wander at my own will.

Verse 13 (skanda.5.275.13)

दैत्यदानवसङ्घानां संयुगेष्वपलायिता । भयं चान्यन्न विद्येत मुक्त्वा देवं गदाधरम् ।

daityadānavasaṅghānāṁ saṁyugeṣv apalāyitā| bhayaṁ cānyan na vidyeta muktvā devaṁ gadādharam||

Among the hosts of daityas and danavas I should never flee in battle, and I should have no fear of anyone except the mace-bearing god (Vishnu).

Verse 14 (skanda.5.275.14)

तस्याहं संयुगे साध्यो येनोपायेन शङ्कर । भवामि न सदा कालं तं वदस्व वरं मम ।

tasyāhaṁ saṁyuge sādhyo yenopāyena śaṅkara| bhavāmi na sadā kālaṁ taṁ vadasva varaṁ mama||

Tell me, O Shankara, that boon by which I shall never at any time be vulnerable to him (Vishnu) in battle.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.275.15)

ईश्वर उवाच। मम संनिहितो यत्र त्वं भविष्यसि दानव । तत्र विष्णुभयं नास्ति वसात्र विगतज्वरः ।

īśvara uvāca| mama saṁnihito yatra tvaṁ bhaviṣyasi dānava| tatra viṣṇubhayaṁ nāsti vasātra vigatajvaraḥ||

Ishvara said: O danava, wherever you shall be in my presence, there is no fear from Vishnu; dwell there free of anguish.

Verse 16 (skanda.5.275.16)

तस्य देवाधिदेवस्य वेदगर्भस्य संयुगे । शङ्खचक्रधरस्येशा नाहं सर्वे सुरासुराः ।

tasya devādhidevasya vedagarbhasya saṁyuge| śaṅkhacakradharasyeśā nāhaṁ sarve surāsurāḥ||

In battle against that god of gods, the womb of the Vedas, the bearer of conch and discus - neither I nor all the gods and asuras together are his match.

Verse 17 (skanda.5.275.17)

किं पुनर्यो द्विषत्येनं लोकालोकप्रभुं हरिम् । स सुखी वर्तते कालं न निमेषं मतं मम ।

kiṁ punar yo dviṣaty enaṁ lokālokaprabhuṁ harim| sa sukhī vartate kālaṁ na nimeṣaṁ matam mama||

What then of one who hates this Hari, lord of all the worlds and beyond - in my opinion, he does not remain happy even for the blink of an eye.

Verse 18 (skanda.5.275.18)

तस्मात्त्वं परया भक्त्या सर्वभूतहिते रतः । वसिष्यसि चिरं कालमित्युक्त्वादर्शनं गतः ।

tasmāt tvaṁ parayā bhaktyā sarvabhūtahite rataḥ| vasiṣyasi ciraṁ kālam ity uktvādarśanaṁ gataḥ||

Therefore, devoted with supreme devotion to the welfare of all beings, you shall dwell here for a long time. Having said this, he vanished from sight.

Verse 19 (skanda.5.275.19)

गते चादर्शनं देवे तत्र तीर्थे महामतिः । स्थापयामास देवेशं शिवं शान्तमनामयम् ।

gate cādarśanaṁ deve tatra tīrthe mahāmatiḥ| sthāpayāmāsa deveśaṁ śivaṁ śāntam anāmayam||

When the god had vanished from sight, the great-minded one installed there at that tirtha the lord of gods, Shiva, peaceful and free from affliction.

Verse 20 (skanda.5.275.20)

तस्मिंस्तीर्थे महादेवं स्थापयित्वा दिवं गतः । तदाप्रभृति तत्पार्थ कम्बुतीर्थमिति श्रुतम् । विख्यातं सर्वलोकेषु महापातकनाशनम् ।

tasmiṁs tīrthe mahādevaṁ sthāpayitvā divaṁ gataḥ| tadāprabhṛti tat pārtha kambutīrtham iti śrutam| vikhyātaṁ sarvalokeṣu mahāpātakanāśanam||

Having installed Mahadeva at that tirtha, he went to heaven. From that time onward, O Partha, it has been known as Kambu Tirtha, renowned in all worlds as the destroyer of great sins.

Verse 21 (skanda.5.275.21)

कम्बुतीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा विधिनाभ्यर्च्य भास्करम् । ऋग्यजुःसाममन्त्रैश्च स्तूयमानो नृपोत्तम ।

kambutīrthe naraḥ snātvā vidhinābhyarcya bhāskaram| ṛgyajuḥsāmamantraiś ca stūyamāno nṛpottama||

O best of kings, a man who bathes at Kambu Tirtha and duly worships the sun, being praised with mantras of the Rig, Yajur and Sama,

Verse 22 (skanda.5.275.22)

तस्य पुण्यं समुद्दिष्टं ब्राह्मणैर्वेदपारगैः । तत्सर्वं तु शृणुष्वाद्य ममैव गदतो नृप ।

tasya puṇyaṁ samuddiṣṭaṁ brāhmaṇair vedapāragaiḥ| tat sarvaṁ tu śṛṇuṣvādya mamaiva gadato nṛpa||

gains the merit declared by brahmins versed in the Vedas. O king, hear it all today as I tell it.

Verse 23 (skanda.5.275.23)

ऋग्यजुःसामगीतेषु साङ्गोपाङ्गेषु यत्फलम् । तत्फलं समवाप्नोति गायत्रीमात्रमन्त्रवित् ।

ṛgyajuḥsāmagīteṣu sāṅgopāṅgeṣu yat phalam| tat phalaṁ samavāpnoti gāyatrīmātramantravit||

The fruit that comes from the recitation of the Rig, Yajur and Sama together with their limbs and sub-limbs - that very fruit is obtained by one who knows merely the Gayatri mantra.

Verse 24 (skanda.5.275.24)

तत्र तीर्थे तु यः स्नात्वा तर्पयेत्पितृदेवताः । पूजयेद्देवमीशानं सोऽग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत् ।

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ snātvā tarpayet pitṛdevatāḥ| pūjayed devam īśānaṁ so 'gniṣṭomaphalaṁ labhet||

One who bathes at that tirtha and offers tarpana to the ancestors and gods, and worships lord Ishana, obtains the fruit of the Agnishtoma sacrifice.

Verse 25 (skanda.5.275.25)

अकामो वा सकामो वा तत्र तीर्थे कलेवरम् । यस्त्यजेन्नात्र सन्देहो रुद्रलोकं स गच्छति ।

akāmo vā sakāmo vā tatra tīrthe kalevaram| yas tyajen nātra sandeho rudralokaṁ sa gacchati||

Whether without desire or with desire, whoever gives up the body at that tirtha, without doubt goes to the world of Rudra.