The Greatness of Soma Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.294.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। ततो गच्छेन्महाराज सोमतीर्थमनुत्तमम् । यत्र सोमस्तपस्तप्त्वा नक्षत्रपथमास्थितः ॥

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| tato gacchenmahārāja somatīrthamanuttamam | yatra somastapastaptvā nakṣatrapathamāsthitaḥ ||

Shri Markandeya said: O great king, from there one should go to the supreme Soma Tirtha, where Soma, after performing austerity, was established in the path of the constellations.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.294.2)

तत्र तीर्थे तु यः स्नायादाचम्य विधिपूर्वकम् । कृतजाप्यो रविं ध्यायेत्तस्य पुण्यफलं शृणु ॥

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ snāyādācamya vidhipūrvakam | kṛtajāpyo raviṁ dhyāyettasya puṇyaphalaṁ śṛṇu ||

Hear the meritorious fruit of one who bathes at that tirtha, having sipped water according to rule, and, having recited japa, meditates upon the sun.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.294.3)

ऋग्वेदयजुर्वेदाभ्यां सामवेदेन भारत । जपतो यत्फलं प्रोक्तं गायत्र्या चात्र तत्फलम् ॥

ṛgvedayajurvedābhyāṁ sāmavedena bhārata | japato yatphalaṁ proktaṁ gāyatryā cātra tatphalam ||

O descendant of Bharata, the fruit declared for the recitation of the Rig, Yajur, and Sama Vedas — that same fruit is obtained here simply by reciting the Gayatri.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.294.4)

तत्र तीर्थे तु यो भक्त्या ब्राह्मणान् भोजयेच्छुचिः । तेन सम्यग्विधानेन कोटिर्भवति भोजिता ॥

tatra tīrthe tu yo bhaktyā brāhmaṇān bhojayecchuciḥ | tena samyagvidhānena koṭirbhavati bhojitā ||

One who, being pure, devotedly feeds brahmins there — through that properly performed act it is as though a crore of brahmins have been fed.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.294.5)

पादुकोपानहौ छत्रं वस्त्रकम्बलवाजिनः । यो दत्ते विप्रमुख्याय तस्य तत्कोटिसंमितम् ॥

pādukopānahau chatraṁ vastrakambalavājinaḥ | yo datte vipramukhyāya tasya tatkoṭisaṁmitam ||

Whoever gives wooden sandals, shoes, an umbrella, cloth, a blanket, or a horse to a leading brahmin — that gift becomes equal to a crore-fold offering.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.294.6)

सहस्रं तु सहस्राणामनृचां यस्तु भोजयेत् । एकस्य मन्त्रयुक्तस्य कलां नार्हति षोडशीम् ॥

sahasraṁ tu sahasrāṇāmanṛcāṁ yastu bhojayet | ekasya mantrayuktasya kalāṁ nārhati ṣoḍaśīm ||

One who feeds a thousand times a thousand brahmins ignorant of the Vedic mantras does not attain even a sixteenth part of the merit of feeding a single brahmin versed in mantra.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.294.7)

एवं तु भोजयेत्तत्र बह्वृचं वेदपारगम् । शाखान्तर्गमथाध्वर्युं छन्दोगं वा समाप्तिगम् ॥

evaṁ tu bhojayettatra bahvṛcaṁ vedapāragam | śākhāntargamathādhvaryuṁ chandogaṁ vā samāptigam ||

In the same way one should there feed a Bahvricha who has mastered the Rig Veda, an Adhvaryu accomplished in his branch, or a Chandoga who has completed his Veda.

Verse 8 (skanda.5.294.8)

अग्निहोत्रसहस्रस्य यत्फलं प्राप्यते बुधैः । समं तद्वेदविदुषा तीर्थे सोमस्य तत्फलम् ॥

agnihotrasahasrasya yatphalaṁ prāpyate budhaiḥ | samaṁ tadvedaviduṣā tīrthe somasya tatphalam ||

The fruit that the wise obtain from a thousand agnihotra rites — that same fruit is gained at the Soma Tirtha through a knower of the Veda.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.294.9)

भोजयेद्यः शतं तेषां सहस्रं लभते नरः । एकस्य योगयुक्तस्य तत्फलं कवयो विदुः ॥

bhojayedyaḥ śataṁ teṣāṁ sahasraṁ labhate naraḥ | ekasya yogayuktasya tatphalaṁ kavayo viduḥ ||

One who feeds a hundred such brahmins obtains a thousand-fold reward; but only the wise know the fruit of feeding a single brahmin united with yoga.

Verse 10 (skanda.5.294.10)

संनिरुध्येन्द्रियग्रामं यत्रयत्र वसेन्मुनिः । तत्रतत्र कुरुक्षेत्रं नैमिषं पुष्कराणि च ॥

saṁnirudhyendriyagrāmaṁ yatrayatra vasenmuniḥ | tatratatra kurukṣetraṁ naimiṣaṁ puṣkarāṇi ca ||

Wherever a sage dwells, having restrained the host of his senses, there Kurukshetra, Naimisha, and Pushkara are present.

Verse 11 (skanda.5.294.11)

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन ग्रहणे चन्द्रसूर्ययोः । संक्रान्तौ च व्यतीपाते योगी भोज्यो विशेषतः ॥

tasmātsarvaprayatnena grahaṇe candrasūryayoḥ | saṁkrāntau ca vyatīpāte yogī bhojyo viśeṣataḥ ||

Therefore, at a lunar or solar eclipse, at the solstice, and on the occasion of vyatipata, one should with all effort take special care to feed a yogi.

Verse 12 (skanda.5.294.12)

संन्यासं कुरुते यस्तु तत्र तीर्थे युधिष्ठिर । विमानेन महाभागाः स याति त्रिदिवं नरः ॥

saṁnyāsaṁ kurute yastu tatra tīrthe yudhiṣṭhira | vimānena mahābhāgāḥ sa yāti tridivaṁ naraḥ ||

O Yudhishthira, whoever renounces his body at that tirtha, that greatly fortunate man goes to heaven in a celestial chariot.

Verse 13 (skanda.5.294.13)

सोमस्यानुचरो भूत्वा तेनैव सह मोदते ॥

somasyānucaro bhūtvā tenaiva saha modate ||

And, becoming an attendant of Soma, he rejoices there together with him.