The Greatness of Brahma Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.284.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। ततो गच्छेन्महीपाल ब्रह्मतीर्थमनुत्तमम् । अन्येषां चैव तीर्थानां परात्परतरं महत् ।

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| tato gacchenmahīpāla brahmatīrtham anuttamam| anyeṣāṁ caiva tīrthānāṁ parāt parataraṁ mahat||

Shri Markandeya said: Thereafter, O lord of the earth, one should go to the unsurpassed Brahma Tirtha, great, higher than the highest of other tirthas.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.284.2)

तत्र तीर्थे सुरश्रेष्ठो ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः । चतुर्णामपि वर्णानां नर्मदातटमाश्रितः ।

tatra tīrthe suraśreṣṭho brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ| caturṇām api varṇānāṁ narmadātaṭam āśritaḥ||

There, at that tirtha, resorting to the bank of the Narmada, is Brahma, foremost of gods, grandsire of the worlds, belonging to all four varnas alike.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.284.3)

वाचिकं मानसं पापं कर्मजं यत्पुराकृतम् । तत्क्षालयति देवेशो दर्शनादेव पातकम् ।

vācikaṁ mānasaṁ pāpaṁ karmajaṁ yat purākṛtam| tat kṣālayati deveśo darśanād eva pātakam||

Whatever sin, from speech, mind, or past deeds, has been previously committed, the lord of gods washes away that sin by his mere sight.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.284.4)

श्रुतिस्मृत्युदितान्येव तत्र स्नात्वा द्विजर्षभाः । प्रायश्चित्तानि कुर्वन्ति तेषां वासस्त्रिविष्टपे ।

śrutismṛtyuditāny eva tatra snātvā dvijarṣabhāḥ| prāyaścittāni kurvanti teṣāṁ vāsas triviṣṭape||

Foremost brahmins who bathe there and perform the expiations prescribed by shruti and smriti dwell in heaven.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.284.5)

ये पुनः शास्त्रमुत्सृज्य कामलोभप्रपीडिताः । प्रायश्चित्तं वदिष्यन्ति ते वै निरयगामिनः ।

ye punaḥ śāstram utsṛjya kāmalobhaprapīḍitāḥ| prāyaścittaṁ vadiṣyanti te vai nirayagāminaḥ||

But those who, abandoning scripture, afflicted by desire and greed, would merely proclaim their own expiation, go to hell.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.284.6)

स्नात्वादौ पातकी ब्रह्मन्नत्वा तु कीर्तयेदघम् । तस्य तन्नश्यते क्षिप्रं तमः सूर्योदये यथा ।

snātvādau pātakī brahmann atvā tu kīrtayed agham| tasya tan naśyate kṣipraṁ tamaḥ sūryodaye yathā||

O brahmin, a sinner, having first bathed and bowed, should confess his sin; that sin of his is destroyed swiftly, as darkness at sunrise.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.284.7)

तत्र तीर्थे तु यः स्नात्वा पूजयेत्पितृदेवताः । अग्निष्टोमस्य यज्ञस्य स लभेत्फलमुत्तमम् ।

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ snātvā pūjayet pitṛdevatāḥ| agniṣṭomasya yajñasya sa labhet phalam uttamam||

One who bathes at that tirtha and worships the ancestors and gods obtains the excellent fruit of the Agnishtoma sacrifice.

Verse 8 (skanda.5.284.8)

तत्र तीर्थे तु यद्दानं ब्रह्मोद्दिश्य प्रयच्छति । तदक्षयफलं सर्वमित्येवं शङ्करोऽब्रवीत् ।

tatra tīrthe tu yad dānaṁ brahmoddiśya prayacchati| tad akṣayaphalaṁ sarvam ity evaṁ śaṅkaro 'bravīt||

Whatever gift one offers at that tirtha, dedicated to Brahma, all of it becomes imperishable in fruit - so said Shankara.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.284.9)

गायत्रीसारमात्रोऽपि तत्र यः क्रियते जपः । ऋग्यजुःसामसहितः स भवेन्नात्र संशयः ।

gāyatrīsāramātro 'pi tatra yaḥ kriyate japaḥ| ṛgyajuḥsāmasahitaḥ sa bhaven nātra saṁśayaḥ||

Even mere recitation of the essence of the Gayatri performed there becomes equal to the recitation of the Rig, Yajur and Sama together - of this there is no doubt.

Verse 10 (skanda.5.284.10)

तत्र तीर्थे तु यो भक्त्या त्यजेद्देहं सुदुस्त्यजम् । अनिवर्तिका गतिस्तस्य ब्रह्मलोकान्न संशयः ।

tatra tīrthe tu yo bhaktyā tyajed dehaṁ sudustyajam| anivartikā gatis tasya brahmalokān na saṁśayaḥ||

Whoever devotedly gives up the body, so hard to give up, at that tirtha - his destination, without doubt, is the non-returning world of Brahma.

Verse 11 (skanda.5.284.11)

यावदस्थीनि तिष्ठन्ति ब्रह्मतीर्थे च देहिनाम् । तावद्वर्षसहस्राणि देवलोके महीयते ।

yāvad asthīni tiṣṭhanti brahmatīrthe ca dehinām| tāvad varṣasahasrāṇi devaloke mahīyate||

For as long as the bones of embodied beings remain at Brahma Tirtha, for that many thousand years is he honoured in the world of the gods.

Verse 12 (skanda.5.284.12)

अवतीर्णस्ततो लोके ब्रह्मज्ञो जायते कुले । उत्तमः सर्ववर्णानां देवानामिव देवता ।

avatīrṇas tato loke brahmajño jāyate kule| uttamaḥ sarvavarṇānāṁ devānām iva devatā||

Descending thereafter into this world, he is born in a family as a knower of Brahman, foremost of all varnas, like a deity among gods.

Verse 13 (skanda.5.284.13)

विद्यास्थानानि सर्वाणि वेत्ति वेदाङ्गपारगः । जायते पूजितो लोके राजभिः स न संशयः ।

vidyāsthānāni sarvāṇi vetti vedāṅgapāragaḥ| jāyate pūjito loke rājabhiḥ sa na saṁśayaḥ||

He knows all the branches of learning, becoming versed in the Vedangas; he is born honoured in the world, and by kings - of this there is no doubt.

Verse 14 (skanda.5.284.14)

पुत्रपौत्रसमोपेतः सर्वव्याधिविवर्जितः । जीवेद्वर्षशतं साग्रं ब्रह्मतीर्थप्रभावतः ।

putrapautrasamopetaḥ sarvavyādhivivarjitaḥ| jīved varṣaśataṁ sāgraṁ brahmatīrthaprabhāvataḥ||

Blessed with sons and grandsons, free of all disease, he lives more than a hundred years by the power of Brahma Tirtha.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.284.15)

एतत्पुण्यं पापहरं तीर्थं ज्ञानवतां वरम् । ये पश्यन्ति महात्मानो ह्यमृतत्वं प्रयान्ति ते ।

etat puṇyaṁ pāpaharaṁ tīrthaṁ jñānavatāṁ varam| ye paśyanti mahātmāno hy amṛtatvaṁ prayānti te||

This meritorious, sin-removing tirtha is the best for those possessed of knowledge; the great souls who behold it attain immortality.