The Greatness of Ahalyeshvara Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.291.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। ततो गच्छेन्महीपाल चाहल्येश्वरमुत्तमम् । यत्र सिद्धा महाभागा त्वहल्या तापसी पुरा ।

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| tato gacchenmahīpāla cāhalyeśvaram uttamam| yatra siddhā mahābhāgā tv ahalyā tāpasī purā||

Shri Markandeya said: Thereafter, O lord of the earth, one should go to the excellent Ahalyeshvara, where the greatly blessed Ahalya, once an ascetic, attained perfection.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.291.2)

गौतमो ब्राह्मणस्त्वासीत्साक्षाद्ब्रह्मेव चापरः । सत्यधर्मसमायुक्तो वानप्रस्थाश्रमे रतः ।

gautamo brāhmaṇas tv āsīt sākṣād brahmeva cāparaḥ| satyadharmasamāyukto vānaprasthāśrame rataḥ||

There was a brahmin named Gautama, like a second incarnate Brahma, endowed with truth and dharma, devoted to the vanaprastha stage of life.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.291.3)

तस्य पत्नी महाभागा ह्यहल्या नाम विश्रुता । रूपयौवनसम्पन्ना त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुता ।

tasya patnī mahābhāgā hy ahalyā nāma viśrutā| rūpayauvanasampannā triṣu lokeṣu viśrutā||

His wife was the greatly blessed one renowned by the name Ahalya, endowed with beauty and youth, famed in the three worlds.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.291.4)

अस्या अप्यतिरूपेण देवराजः शतक्रतुः । मोहितो लोभयामास ह्यहल्यां बलसूदनः ।

asyā apy atirūpeṇa devarājaḥ śatakratuḥ| mohito lobhayāmāsa hy ahalyāṁ balasūdanaḥ||

By her exceeding beauty, the king of gods, Shatakratu, the slayer of Bala, was deluded and sought to tempt Ahalya.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.291.5)

मां भजस्व वरारोहे देवराजमनिन्दिते । क्रीडयस्व मया सार्द्धं त्रिषु लोकेषु पूजिता ।

māṁ bhajasva varārohe devarājam anindite| krīḍayasva mayā sārddhaṁ triṣu lokeṣu pūjitā||

'O flawless one of beautiful form, favour me, the king of gods; sport with me, and you shall be honoured in the three worlds.'

Verse 6 (skanda.5.291.6)

किं करिष्यसि विप्रेण शौचाचारकृशेन तु । तपःस्वाध्यायशीलेन क्लिश्यन्तीव सुलोचने ।

kiṁ kariṣyasi vipreṇa śaucācārakṛśena tu| tapaḥsvādhyāyaśīlena kliśyantīva sulocane||

'O fair-eyed one, what will you gain from this brahmin, emaciated by ritual purity and observance, devoted to austerity and study, as if in constant hardship?'

Verse 7 (skanda.5.291.7)

एवमुक्ता वरारोहा स्त्रीस्वभावात्सुचञ्चला । मनसाध्याय शक्रं सा कामेन कलुषीकृता ।

evam uktā varārohā strīsvabhāvāt sucañcalā| manasādhyāya śakraṁ sā kāmena kaluṣīkṛtā||

Thus addressed, that beautiful woman, fickle by feminine nature, meditating on Shakra in her mind, became sullied by desire.

Verse 8 (skanda.5.291.8)

तस्या विदित्वा तं भावं स देवः पाकशासनः । गौतमं वञ्चयामास दुष्टभावेन भावितः ।

tasyā viditvā taṁ bhāvaṁ sa devaḥ pākaśāsanaḥ| gautamaṁ vañcayāmāsa duṣṭabhāvena bhāvitaḥ||

Knowing that disposition of hers, the god Pakashasana, possessed of wicked intent, deceived Gautama.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.291.9)

विदित्वा चान्तरं तस्य गृहीत्वा वेषमुत्तमम् । अहल्यां रमयामास विश्वस्तां मन्दिरान्तिके ।

viditvā cāntaraṁ tasya gṛhītvā veṣam uttamam| ahalyāṁ ramayāmāsa viśvastāṁ mandirāntike||

Knowing his absence, and assuming his very form, he took his pleasure with the trusting Ahalya near the dwelling.

Verse 10 (skanda.5.291.10)

क्षणमात्रान्तरे तत्र देवराजस्य भारत । आजगाम मुनिश्रेष्ठो मन्दिरं त्वरयान्वितः ।

kṣaṇamātrāntare tatra devarājasya bhārata| ājagāma muniśreṣṭho mandiraṁ tvarayānvitaḥ||

O Bharata, but a moment after the king of gods had done this, the foremost of sages himself hastily arrived at the dwelling.

Verse 11 (skanda.5.291.11)

आगतं गौतमं दृष्ट्वा भीतभीतः पुरंदरः । निर्गतः स ततो दृष्ट्वा शक्रोऽयमिति चिन्तयन् ।

āgataṁ gautamaṁ dṛṣṭvā bhītabhītaḥ puraṁdaraḥ| nirgataḥ sa tato dṛṣṭvā śakro 'yam iti cintayan||

Seeing Gautama arriving, Purandara, thoroughly frightened, fled from there; Gautama, seeing him, thought, 'This is Shakra.'

Verse 12 (skanda.5.291.12)

ततः शशाप देवेन्द्रं गौतमः क्रोधमूर्छितः । अजितेन्द्रियोऽसि यस्मात्त्वं तस्माद्बहुभगो भव ।

tataḥ śaśāpa devendraṁ gautamaḥ krodhamūrchitaḥ| ajitendriyo 'si yasmāt tvaṁ tasmād bahubhago bhava||

Then Gautama, overcome with anger, cursed the lord of gods: 'Since you have not conquered your senses, be covered with a thousand marks.'

Verse 13 (skanda.5.291.13)

एवमुक्तस्तु देवेन्द्रस्तत्क्षणादेव भारत । भगानां तु सहस्रेण तत्क्षणादेव वेष्टितः ।

evam uktas tu devendras tatkṣaṇād eva bhārata| bhagānāṁ tu sahasreṇa tatkṣaṇād eva veṣṭitaḥ||

O Bharata, thus addressed, the lord of gods was instantly covered, that very moment, with a thousand marks.

Verse 14 (skanda.5.291.14)

त्यक्त्वा राज्यं सुरैः सार्द्धं गतश्रीको जगाम ह । तपश्चचार विपुलं गौतमेन महीतले ।

tyaktvā rājyaṁ suraiḥ sārddhaṁ gataśrīko jagāma ha| tapaś cacāra vipulaṁ gautamena mahītale||

Abandoning his kingdom along with the gods, bereft of glory, he departed and, by what Gautama had brought upon him, performed extensive austerity upon the earth.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.291.15)

अहल्यापि ततः शप्ता यस्मात्त्वं दुष्टचारिणी । प्रेक्ष्य मां रमसे शक्रं तस्मादश्ममयी भव ।

ahalyāpi tataḥ śaptā yasmāt tvaṁ duṣṭacāriṇī| prekṣya māṁ ramase śakraṁ tasmād aśmamayī bhava||

Ahalya too was then cursed: 'Since, wickedly conducted, you took pleasure with Shakra though you saw it was not me, therefore become made of stone.'

Verse 16 (skanda.5.291.16)

गते वर्षसहस्रान्ते रामं दृष्ट्वा यशस्विनम् । तीर्थयात्राप्रसङ्गेन धौतपापा भविष्यसि ।

gate varṣasahasrānte rāmaṁ dṛṣṭvā yaśasvinam| tīrthayātrāprasaṅgena dhautapāpā bhaviṣyasi||

'When a thousand years have passed, upon seeing the glorious Rama, in the course of a pilgrimage, you shall become one whose sin has been washed away.'

Verse 17 (skanda.5.291.17)

एवं गते ततः काले दृष्टा रामेण धीमता । विश्वामित्रसहायेन त्यक्त्वा साश्ममयीं तनुम् ।

evaṁ gate tataḥ kāle dṛṣṭā rāmeṇa dhīmatā| viśvāmitrasahāyena tyaktvā sāśmamayīṁ tanum||

When that time had thus passed, she was seen by the wise Rama, accompanied by Vishvamitra, and she gave up her stone form.

Verse 18 (skanda.5.291.18)

पूजयित्वा यथान्यायं गतपापा विमत्सरा । आगता नर्मदातीरे तीर्थे स्नात्वा यथाविधि ।

pūjayitvā yathānyāyaṁ gatapāpā vimatsarā| āgatā narmadātīre tīrthe snātvā yathāvidhi||

Having duly worshipped him, her sin gone, free of envy, she came to the bank of the Narmada and bathed at the tirtha as prescribed.

Verse 19 (skanda.5.291.19)

कृतं चान्द्रायणं मासं कृच्छ्रं चान्यं ततः परम् । ततस्तुष्टो महादेवो दत्त्वा वरमनुत्तमम् ।

kṛtaṁ cāndrāyaṇaṁ māsaṁ kṛcchraṁ cānyaṁ tataḥ param| tatas tuṣṭo mahādevo dattvā varam anuttamam||

She performed the Chandrayana penance for a month, and other austerities thereafter; then Mahadeva, pleased, granted an unsurpassed boon.

Verse 20 (skanda.5.291.20)

जगामादर्शनं भूयो रेमे चोमापतिश्चिरम् । अहल्या तु गते देवे स्थापयित्वा जगद्गुरुम् ।

jagāmādarśanaṁ bhūyo reme comāpatiś ciram| ahalyā tu gate deve sthāpayitvā jagadgurum||

The consort of Uma, having long shown his favour, again vanished from sight. Ahalya, when the god had departed, installed the guru of the world.

Verse 21 (skanda.5.291.21)

अहल्येश्वरनामानं स्वगृहे चागमत्पुनः । तत्र तीर्थे तु यः स्नात्वा पूजयेत्परमेश्वरम् ।

ahalyeśvaranāmānaṁ svagṛhe cāgamat punaḥ| tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ snātvā pūjayet parameśvaram||

Under the name Ahalyeshvara, and then she returned again to her own home. Whoever bathes at that tirtha and worships Parameshvara -

Verse 22 (skanda.5.291.22)

स मृतः स्वर्गमाप्नोति यत्र देवो महेश्वरः । क्रीडयित्वा यथाकामं तत्र लोके महातपाः ।

sa mṛtaḥ svargam āpnoti yatra devo maheśvaraḥ| krīḍayitvā yathākāmaṁ tatra loke mahātapāḥ||

-upon death attains heaven where the god Maheshvara dwells; that greatly austere one sports there, in that world, as he pleases.

Verse 23 (skanda.5.291.23)

गते वर्षसहस्रान्ते मानुष्यं लभते पुनः । धनधान्यचयोपेतः पुत्रपौत्रसमन्वितः ।

gate varṣasahasrānte mānuṣyaṁ labhate punaḥ| dhanadhānyacayopetaḥ putrapautrasamanvitaḥ||

When a thousand years have passed, he obtains a human birth again, endowed with abundant wealth and grain, blessed with sons and grandsons.

Verse 24 (skanda.5.291.24)

वेदविद्याश्रयो धीमाञ्जायते विमले कुले । रूपसौभाग्यसम्पन्नः सर्वव्याधिविवर्जितः । जीवेद्वर्षशतं साग्रमहल्यातीर्थसेवनात् ।

vedavidyāśrayo dhīmāñ jāyate vimale kule| rūpasaubhāgyasampannaḥ sarvavyādhivivarjitaḥ| jīved varṣaśataṁ sāgram ahalyātīrthasevanāt||

Wise, devoted to Vedic learning, he is born into a spotless family, endowed with beauty and good fortune, free from all disease; by service to Ahalya Tirtha he lives more than a hundred years.