The Greatness of Nageshvara Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.286.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। नर्मदादक्षिणे कूले नागतीर्थमनुत्तमम् । यत्र सिद्धा महानागा भये जाते ततो नृप ।

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| narmadādakṣiṇe kūle nāgatīrtham anuttamam| yatra siddhā mahānāgā bhaye jāte tato nṛpa||

Shri Markandeya said: On the southern bank of the Narmada is the unsurpassed Naga Tirtha, where, O king, when great fear arose, the great serpents attained perfection.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.286.2)

युधिष्ठिर उवाच। महाभयानां लोकस्य नागानां द्विजसत्तम । कथं जातं भयं तीव्रं येन ते तपसि स्थिताः ।

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca| mahābhayānāṁ lokasya nāgānāṁ dvijasattama| kathaṁ jātaṁ bhayaṁ tīvraṁ yena te tapasi sthitāḥ||

Yudhishthira said: O best of brahmins, how did such intense fear arise for the nagas, who are the terror of the world, that they took to austerities?

Verse 3 (skanda.5.286.3)

भूतं भव्यं भविष्यच्च यत्सुरासुरमानवे । तात ते विदितं सर्वं तेन मे कौतुकं महत् ।

bhūtaṁ bhavyaṁ bhaviṣyac ca yat surāsuramānave| tāta te viditaṁ sarvaṁ tena me kautukaṁ mahat||

O father, whatever has been, is, and shall be, among gods, asuras, and men - all of it is known to you; therefore great is my curiosity.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.286.4)

मम संतापजं दुःखं दुर्योधनसमुद्भवम् । तव वक्त्राम्बुजौघेन प्लावितं निर्वृतिं गतम् ।

mama saṁtāpajaṁ duḥkhaṁ duryodhanasamudbhavam| tava vaktrāmbujaughena plāvitaṁ nirvṛtiṁ gatam||

The anguish-born sorrow that Duryodhana caused me has been swept away by the flood from your lotus mouth, and has gone to peace.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.286.5)

श्रुत्वा तव मुखोद्गीतां कथां पापप्रणाशनीम् । भूयो भूयः स्मृतिर्जाता श्रवणे मम सुव्रत ।

śrutvā tava mukhodgītāṁ kathāṁ pāpapraṇāśinīm| bhūyo bhūyaḥ smṛtir jātā śravaṇe mama suvrata||

O one of good vows, hearing this sin-destroying tale sung from your mouth, my desire to hear it again and again has arisen.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.286.6)

न क्लेशत्वं द्विजे युक्तं न चान्यो जानते फलम् । विद्यादानस्य महतः श्रावितस्य सुतस्य च ।

na kleśatvaṁ dvije yuktaṁ na cānyo jānate phalam| vidyādānasya mahataḥ śrāvitasya sutasya ca||

It is not fitting to regard it as a burden for a brahmin, nor does anyone else know the fruit of the great gift of knowledge, of teaching, and of a worthy son.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.286.7)

एवं ज्ञात्वा यथान्यायं यः प्रश्नः पृच्छितो मया । कथा तु कथ्यतां विप्र दयां कृत्वा ममोपरि ।

evaṁ jñātvā yathānyāyaṁ yaḥ praśnaḥ pṛcchito mayā| kathā tu kathyatāṁ vipra dayāṁ kṛtvā mamopari||

Knowing this rightly, O brahmin, let the tale be told in answer to the question I have asked, showing compassion upon me.

Verse 8 (skanda.5.286.8)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच। यथा यथा त्वं नृप भाषसे च तथा तथा मे सुखमेति भारती । शैथिल्यभावाज्जरयान्वितस्य त्वत्सौहृदं नश्यति नैव तात ।

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca| yathā yathā tvaṁ nṛpa bhāṣase ca tathā tathā me sukham eti bhāratī| śaithilyabhāvāj jarayānvitasya tvatsauhṛdaṁ naśyati naiva tāta||

Markandeya said: O king, the more you speak, the more my speech finds joy. O father, though age has brought me frailty, my affection for you never perishes.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.286.9)

कथयामि यथावृत्तमितिहासं पुरातनम् । कथितं पूर्वतो वृद्धैः पारम्पर्येण भारत ।

kathayāmi yathāvṛttam itihāsaṁ purātanam| kathitaṁ pūrvato vṛddhaiḥ pāramparyeṇa bhārata||

O Bharata, I shall tell the ancient tale exactly as it happened, as related before by the elders in unbroken tradition.

Verse 10 (skanda.5.286.10)

द्वे भार्ये कश्यपस्यास्तां सर्वलोकेष्वनुत्तमे । गरुत्मतो वै विनता सर्पाणां कद्रुरेव च ।

dve bhārye kaśyapasyāstāṁ sarvalokeṣv anuttame| garutmato vai vinatā sarpāṇāṁ kadrur eva ca||

Kashyapa had two wives, unsurpassed in all the worlds: Vinata, mother of Garutman, and Kadru, mother of the serpents.

Verse 11 (skanda.5.286.11)

अश्वसंदर्शनात्ताभ्यां कलिरूपं व्यवस्थितम् । प्रभातकाले राजेन्द्र भास्कराकारवर्चसम् ।

aśvasaṁdarśanāt tābhyāṁ kalirūpaṁ vyavasthitam| prabhātakāle rājendra bhāskarākāravarcasam||

O king of kings, from their seeing a horse of radiance shaped like the sun, at the hour of dawn, a quarrel arose between the two.

Verse 12 (skanda.5.286.12)

तं दृष्ट्वा विनता रूपमश्वं सर्वत्र पाण्डुरम् । अथ तां कद्रूमवोचत्सा पश्य पश्य वरानने ।

taṁ dṛṣṭvā vinatā rūpam aśvaṁ sarvatra pāṇḍuram| atha tāṁ kadrūm avocat sā paśya paśya varānane||

Seeing that horse, entirely white in form, Vinata said to Kadru: 'Look, look, O fair-faced one!'

Verse 13 (skanda.5.286.13)

उच्चैःश्रवसः सादृश्यं पश्य सर्वत्र पाण्डुरम् । धावमानमविश्रान्तं जवेन पवनोपमम् ।

uccaiḥśravasaḥ sādṛśyaṁ paśya sarvatra pāṇḍuram| dhāvamānam aviśrāntaṁ javena pavanopamam||

'See the likeness of Uchchaihshravas, wholly white, running tirelessly, swift as the wind.'

Verse 14 (skanda.5.286.14)

तं दृष्ट्वा सहसा यान्तमीर्ष्याभावेन मोहिता । कृष्णं मत्वा तथाजल्पत्तया सह नृपोत्तम ।

taṁ dṛṣṭvā sahasā yāntam īrṣyābhāvena mohitā| kṛṣṇaṁ matvā tathājalpat tayā saha nṛpottama||

O best of kings, seeing him going swiftly, Kadru, deluded by a spirit of envy, claiming him to be black, spoke thus with her.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.286.15)

विनते त्वं मृषा लोके नृशंसे कुलपांसनि । कृष्णं चैनं वद श्वेतं नरकं यास्यसे परम् ।

vinate tvaṁ mṛṣā loke nṛśaṁse kulapāṁsani| kṛṣṇaṁ cainaṁ vada śvetaṁ narakaṁ yāsyase param||

'O Vinata, you speak falsely in this world, cruel one, disgrace of your family! If you call this black one white, you shall go to the deepest hell.'

Verse 16 (skanda.5.286.16)

विनतोवाच। सत्यानृते तु वचने पणोऽयं ते ममैव तु । सहस्रं वत्सरान्दासी भवेयं तव वेश्मनि ।

vinatovāca| satyānṛte tu vacane paṇo 'yaṁ te mamaiva tu| sahasraṁ vatsarān dāsī bhaveyaṁ tava veśmani||

Vinata said: 'Let this be our wager over the truth or falsehood of the statement - I shall become your maidservant in your house for a thousand years, if I am wrong.'

Verse 17 (skanda.5.286.17)

तथेति ते प्रतिज्ञाय रात्रौ गत्वा स्वकं गृहम् । परित्यज्य उभे ते तु क्रोधमूर्छितमूर्छिते ।

tatheti te pratijñāya rātrau gatvā svakaṁ gṛham| parityajya ubhe te tu krodhamūrchitamūrchite||

Having agreed to this, the two, both overcome and confounded with anger, went that night to their own homes.

Verse 18 (skanda.5.286.18)

बन्धुगर्वस्य गत्वा तु कथयामास तं पणम् । कद्रूर्विनतया सार्द्धं यद्वृत्तं प्रमदालये ।

bandhugarvasya gatvā tu kathayāmāsa taṁ paṇam| kadrūr vinatayā sārddhaṁ yad vṛttaṁ pramadālaye||

Kadru went to her proud kinsmen and related that wager - what had transpired with Vinata in her dwelling.

Verse 19 (skanda.5.286.19)

तच्छ्रुत्वा बान्धवाः सर्वे कद्रूपुत्रास्तथैव च । न मन्यन्ते हितं कार्यं कृतं मात्रा विगर्हितम् ।

tac chrutvā bāndhavāḥ sarve kadrūputrās tathaiva ca| na manyante hitaṁ kāryaṁ kṛtaṁ mātrā vigarhitam||

Hearing this, all her kinsmen, and likewise Kadru's sons, did not regard as beneficial the reprehensible deed their mother had done.

Verse 20 (skanda.5.286.20)

अकृष्णः कृष्णतामम्ब कथं गच्छेद्धयोत्तमः । दासत्वं प्राप्स्यसे त्वं हि पणेनानेन सुव्रते ।

akṛṣṇaḥ kṛṣṇatām amba kathaṁ gacched dhayottamaḥ| dāsatvaṁ prāpsyase tvaṁ hi paṇenānena suvrate||

'O mother, how could that best of horses, not black, become black? O virtuous one, you yourself shall attain servitude by this wager.'

Verse 21 (skanda.5.286.21)

कद्रूरुवाच। भवेयं न यथादासी तत्कुरुध्वं हि सत्वरम् । विशध्वं रोमकूपेषु तस्याश्वस्य मतिर्मम ।

kadrūr uvāca| bhaveyaṁ na yathā dāsī tat kurudhvaṁ hi satvaram| viśadhvaṁ romakūpeṣu tasyāśvasya matir mama||

Kadru said: 'Act quickly so that I do not become a maidservant - my counsel is that you enter into the hair-pores of that horse.'

Verse 22 (skanda.5.286.22)

क्षणमात्रं कृते कार्ये सा दासी च भवेन्मम । ततः स्वस्थोरगाः सर्वे भविष्यथ यथासुखम् ।

kṣaṇamātraṁ kṛte kārye sā dāsī ca bhaven mama| tataḥ svasthoragāḥ sarve bhaviṣyatha yathāsukham||

'Once this deed is done in a moment, she shall become my maidservant; then all you serpents shall be at ease, however you please.'

Verse 23 (skanda.5.286.23)

सर्पा ऊचुः। यथा त्वं जननी देवि पन्नगानां मता भुवि । तथापि सा विशेषेण वञ्चितव्या न कर्हिचित् ।

sarpā ūcuḥ| yathā tvaṁ jananī devi pannagānāṁ matā bhuvi| tathāpi sā viśeṣeṇa vañcitavyā na karhicit||

The serpents said: 'O goddess, though you are honoured on earth as mother of serpents, yet she should by no means be deceived through this trick.'

Verse 24 (skanda.5.286.24)

कद्रूरुवाच। मम वाक्यमकुर्वाणा ये केचिद्भुवि पन्नगाः । हव्यवाहमुखं सर्वे ते यास्यन्त्यविचारिताः ।

kadrūr uvāca| mama vākyam akurvāṇā ye kecid bhuvi pannagāḥ| havyavāhamukhaṁ sarve te yāsyanty avicāritāḥ||

Kadru said: 'Whichever serpents on earth do not carry out my word shall all, without further consideration, go into the mouth of fire.'

Verse 25 (skanda.5.286.25)

एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु वचनं घोरं मातृमुखोद्भवम् । केचित्प्रविष्टा रोमाणि तथान्ये गिरिसंस्थिताः ।

etac chrutvā tu vacanaṁ ghoraṁ mātṛmukhodbhavam| kecit praviṣṭā romāṇi tathānye girisaṁsthitāḥ||

Hearing this terrible speech issue from their mother's mouth, some serpents entered the hairs of the horse, while others took refuge on mountains.

Verse 26 (skanda.5.286.26)

केचित्प्रविष्टा जाह्नव्यामन्ये च तपसि स्थिताः ।

kecit praviṣṭā jāhnavyām anye ca tapasi sthitāḥ||

Some entered the Ganga, and others took to austerities.

Verse 27 (skanda.5.286.27)

ततो वर्षसहस्रान्ते तुतोष परमेश्वरः । महादेवो जगद्धाता ह्युवाच परया गिरा ।

tato varṣasahasrānte tutoṣa parameśvaraḥ| mahādevo jagaddhātā hy uvāca parayā girā||

Then, at the end of a thousand years, Parameshvara, Mahadeva, the upholder of the world, became pleased, and spoke with a supreme voice.

Verse 28 (skanda.5.286.28)

भो भोः सर्पा निवर्तध्वं तपसोऽस्य महत्फलम् । यमिच्छथ ददाम्यद्य नात्र कार्या विचारणा ।

bho bhoḥ sarpā nivartadhvaṁ tapaso 'sya mahat phalam| yam icchatha dadāmy adya nātra kāryā vicāraṇā||

'O serpents, desist! I shall today grant the great fruit of this austerity, whatever you desire; there is no need for deliberation over this.'

Verse 29 (skanda.5.286.29)

सर्पा ऊचुः। कद्रूशापभयाद्भीता देवदेव महेश्वर । तव पार्श्वे वसिष्यामो यावदाभूतसम्प्लवम् ।

sarpā ūcuḥ| kadrūśāpabhayād bhītā devadeva maheśvara| tava pārśve vasiṣyāmo yāvad ābhūtasamplavam||

The serpents said: 'O god of gods, Maheshvara, frightened by fear of Kadru's curse, we shall dwell by your side until the dissolution of all beings.'

Verse 30 (skanda.5.286.30)

देवदेव उवाच। एकश्चायं महाबाहुर्वासुकिर्भुजगोत्तमः । मम पार्श्वे वसेन्नित्यं सर्वेषां भयरक्षकः ।

devadeva uvāca| ekaś cāyaṁ mahābāhur vāsukir bhujagottamaḥ| mama pārśve vasen nityaṁ sarveṣāṁ bhayarakṣakaḥ||

Devadeva said: 'Let this one alone, the mighty-armed Vasuki, best of serpents, dwell by my side forever, protector from fear for all the others.'

Verse 31 (skanda.5.286.31)

अन्येषां चैव सर्पाणां भयं नास्ति ममाज्ञया । आप्लुत्य नर्मदातोये भुजगास्ते च रक्षिताः ।

anyeṣāṁ caiva sarpāṇāṁ bhayaṁ nāsti mamājñayā| āplutya narmadātoye bhujagās te ca rakṣitāḥ||

'By my decree there is no fear for the other serpents either; those serpents, having bathed in the waters of the Narmada, are protected.'

Verse 32 (skanda.5.286.32)

नास्ति मृत्युभयं तेषां वसध्वं यत्र चेप्सितम् । कद्रूशापभयं नास्ति ह्येष मे विस्तरः परः ।

nāsti mṛtyubhayaṁ teṣāṁ vasadhvaṁ yatra cepsitam| kadrūśāpabhayaṁ nāsti hy eṣa me vistaraḥ paraḥ||

'They shall have no fear of death; dwell wherever you wish; there shall be no fear of Kadru's curse - this is my full decree.'

Verse 33 (skanda.5.286.33)

एवं दत्त्वा वरं तेषां देवदेवो महेश्वरः । जगामाकाशमाविश्य कैलासं धरणीधरम् ।

evaṁ dattvā varaṁ teṣāṁ devadevo maheśvaraḥ| jagāmākāśam āviśya kailāsaṁ dharaṇīdharam||

Having thus granted them the boon, the god of gods, Maheshvara, entering the sky, went to Kailasa, the mountain that bears the earth.

Verse 34 (skanda.5.286.34)

गते चादर्शनं देवे वासुकिप्रमुखा नृप । स्थापयित्वा तथा जग्मुर्देवदेवं महेश्वरम् ।

gate cādarśanaṁ deve vāsukipramukhā nṛpa| sthāpayitvā tathā jagmur devadevaṁ maheśvaram||

O king, when the god had vanished from sight, Vasuki and the others, having installed the god of gods, Maheshvara there, departed.

Verse 35 (skanda.5.286.35)

तत्र तीर्थे तु यः कश्चित्पञ्चम्यामर्चयेच्छिवम् । तस्य नागकुलान्यष्टौ न हिंसन्ति कदाचन ।

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ kaścit pañcamyām arcayec chivam| tasya nāgakulāny aṣṭau na hiṁsanti kadācana||

Whoever worships Shiva at that tirtha on the fifth lunar day - the eight naga clans never harm him.

Verse 36 (skanda.5.286.36)

मृतः कालेन महता तत्र तीर्थे नरेश्वर । शिवस्यानुचरो भूत्वा वसते कालमीप्सितम् ।

mṛtaḥ kālena mahatā tatra tīrthe nareśvara| śivasyānucaro bhūtvā vasate kālam īpsitam||

O lord of men, one who dies after a great span of time at that tirtha becomes an attendant of Shiva and dwells there for as long as he desires.