The Greatness of Shakra Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.293.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। ततो गच्छेत्पाण्डुपुत्र शक्रतीर्थमनुत्तमम् । यत्र सिद्धो महाभागो देवराजः शतक्रतुः ॥

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| tato gacchetpāṇḍuputra śakratīrthamanuttamam | yatra siddho mahābhāgo devarājaḥ śatakratuḥ ||

Shri Markandeya said: O son of Pandu, from there one should go to the incomparable Shakra Tirtha, where the greatly fortunate lord of the gods, Shatakratu, attained perfection.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.293.2)

गौतमेन पुरा शप्तं ज्ञात्वा देवाः सुरेश्वरम् । ब्रह्माद्या देवताः सर्व ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः ॥

gautamena purā śaptaṁ jñātvā devāḥ sureśvaram | brahmādyā devatāḥ sarva ṛṣayaśca tapodhanāḥ ||

Long ago, learning that the lord of the gods had been cursed by the sage Gautama, all the gods headed by Brahma, and the sages rich in austerity,

Verse 3 (skanda.5.293.3)

गौतमं प्रार्थयामासुर्वाक्यैः सानुनयैः शुभैः । गतराज्यं गतश्रीकं शक्रं प्रति मुनीश्वर ॥

gautamaṁ prārthayāmāsurvākyaiḥ sānunayaiḥ śubhaiḥ | gatarājyaṁ gataśrīkaṁ śakraṁ prati munīśvara ||

O lord of sages, with gracious and conciliatory words they entreated Gautama, on behalf of Shakra, who had lost both his kingdom and his glory.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.293.4)

इन्द्रेन रहितं राज्यं न कश्चित्कामयेद्द्विज । देवो वा मानवो वापि एतत्ते विदितं प्रभो ॥

indrena rahitaṁ rājyaṁ na kaścitkāmayeddvija | devo vā mānavo vāpi etatte viditaṁ prabho ||

O brahmin, no one — neither god nor man — desires a kingdom without Indra; O lord, this you yourself know well.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.293.5)

तस्य त्वं भगयुक्तस्य दयां कुरु द्विजोत्तम । गतश्चादर्शनं शक्रो दूषितः स्वेन पाप्मना ॥

tasya tvaṁ bhagayuktasya dayāṁ kuru dvijottama | gataścādarśanaṁ śakro dūṣitaḥ svena pāpmanā ||

O best of brahmins, have mercy on him whose portion this is — Shakra, tainted by his own sin, has vanished from sight.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.293.6)

देवानां वचनं श्रुत्वा गौतमो वेदवित्तमः । तथेति कृत्वा शक्रस्य वरं दातुं प्रचक्रमे ॥

devānāṁ vacanaṁ śrutvā gautamo vedavittamaḥ | tatheti kṛtvā śakrasya varaṁ dātuṁ pracakrame ||

Hearing the words of the gods, Gautama, foremost among knowers of the Veda, said "so be it" and began to grant Shakra a boon.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.293.7)

एतद्भगसहस्रं तु पुरा जातं शतक्रतो । तल्लोचनसहस्रं तु मत्प्रसादाद्भविष्यति ॥

etadbhagasahasraṁ tu purā jātaṁ śatakrato | tallocanasahasraṁ tu matprasādādbhaviṣyati ||

"O Shatakratu, these thousand marks that once appeared upon you shall, by my grace, become a thousand eyes."

Verse 8 (skanda.5.293.8)

एवमुक्तः सहस्राक्षः प्रणम्य मुनिसत्तमम् । ब्राह्मणांस्तान्महाभागान्नर्मदां प्रत्यगात्ततः ॥

evamuktaḥ sahasrākṣaḥ praṇamya munisattamam | brāhmaṇāṁstānmahābhāgānnarmadāṁ pratyagāttataḥ ||

Thus addressed, the thousand-eyed Indra bowed to that foremost sage and to those greatly fortunate brahmins, and then set out toward the Narmada.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.293.9)

स्नात्वा स विमले तोये संस्थाप्य त्रिपुरान्तकम् । जगाम त्रिदशावासं पूज्यमानोऽप्सरोगणैः ॥

snātvā sa vimale toye saṁsthāpya tripurāntakam | jagāma tridaśāvāsaṁ pūjyamāno'psarogaṇaiḥ ||

Bathing in that pure water and installing there the destroyer of Tripura, he went to the abode of the gods, honoured by hosts of celestial nymphs.

Verse 10 (skanda.5.293.10)

तत्र तीर्थे तु यः स्नात्वा पूजयेत्परमेश्वरम् । परदाराभिगमनान्मुच्यते पातकान्नरः ॥

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ snātvā pūjayetparameśvaram | paradārābhigamanānmucyate pātakānnaraḥ ||

One who bathes at that tirtha and worships the supreme Lord is freed even from the sin of approaching another man's wife.