The Greatness of Yojaneshvara Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.298.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। ततो गच्छेन्महाराज योजनेश्वरमुत्तमम् । यत्र सिद्धौ पुरा कल्पे नरनारायणावृषी ॥

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| tato gacchenmahārāja yojaneśvaramuttamam | yatra siddhau purā kalpe naranārāyaṇāvṛṣī ||

Shri Markandeya said: O great king, from there one should go to the supreme Yojaneshvara, where in a former age the two sages Nara and Narayana attained perfection.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.298.2)

तत्र तीर्थे तपस्तप्त्वा सङ्ग्रामे देवदानवैः । जयं प्राप्तौ महात्मानौ नरनारायणावुभौ ॥

tatra tīrthe tapastaptvā saṅgrāme devadānavaiḥ | jayaṁ prāptau mahātmānau naranārāyaṇāvubhau ||

Having performed austerity at that tirtha, those two great souls, Nara and Narayana, gained victory in the battle between gods and demons.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.298.3)

पुनस्त्रेतायुगे प्राप्ते तौ देवौ रामलक्ष्मणौ । तत्र तीर्थे पुनः स्नात्वा रावणो दुर्जयो हतः ॥

punastretāyuge prāpte tau devau rāmalakṣmaṇau | tatra tīrthe punaḥ snātvā rāvaṇo durjayo hataḥ ||

Then, when the Treta age arrived, those same two gods became Rama and Lakshmana; bathing again at that tirtha, they slew the unconquerable Ravana.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.298.4)

पुनः पार्थ कलौ प्राप्ते तौ देवौ बलकेशवौ । वसुदेवकुले जातौ दुष्करं कर्म चक्रतुः ॥

punaḥ pārtha kalau prāpte tau devau balakeśavau | vasudevakule jātau duṣkaraṁ karma cakratuḥ ||

O son of Pritha, then when the Kali age arrives, those same two gods, born into the lineage of Vasudeva as Bala and Keshava, perform arduous deeds.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.298.5)

नरकं कालनेमिं च कंसं चाणूरमुष्टिकौ । शिशुपालं जरासंधं जघ्नतुर्बलकेशवौ ॥

narakaṁ kālanemiṁ ca kaṁsaṁ cāṇūramuṣṭikau | śiśupālaṁ jarāsaṁdhaṁ jaghnaturbalakeśavau ||

Bala and Keshava slew Naraka, Kalanemi, Kamsa, Chanura, Mushtika, Shishupala, and Jarasandha.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.298.6)

ततस्तत्र रिपून्संख्ये भीष्मद्रोणपुरःसरान् । कर्णदुर्योधनादींश्च निहनिष्यति स प्रभुः ॥

tatastatra ripūnsaṁkhye bhīṣmadroṇapuraḥsarān | karṇaduryodhanādīṁśca nihaniṣyati sa prabhuḥ ||

Then in battle that Lord (Krishna) will destroy enemies headed by Bhishma and Drona, and by Karna, Duryodhana, and the rest.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.298.7)

धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे तत्र युध्यन्ति ते क्षणम् । भीमार्जुननिमित्तेन शिष्यौ कृत्वा परस्परम् ॥

dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre tatra yudhyanti te kṣaṇam | bhīmārjunanimittena śiṣyau kṛtvā parasparam ||

On the field of Dharma, Kurukshetra, they will fight there for a moment for the sake of Bhima and Arjuna, and in that encounter will make one another disciples.

Verse 8 (skanda.5.298.8)

तत्र तीर्थे पुनर्गत्वा तपः कृत्वा सुदुष्करम् । पूजयित्वा द्विजान्भक्त्या यास्येते द्वारकां पुनः ॥

tatra tīrthe punargatvā tapaḥ kṛtvā suduṣkaram | pūjayitvā dvijānbhaktyā yāsyete dvārakāṁ punaḥ ||

Going once more to that tirtha, and performing the most arduous austerity, and devotedly worshipping the brahmins, those two will return again to Dvaraka.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.298.9)

तत्र तीर्थे तु यः स्नात्वा पूजयेद्बलकेशवौ । तेन देवो जगद्धाता पूजितस्त्रिगुणात्मवान् ॥

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ snātvā pūjayedbalakeśavau | tena devo jagaddhātā pūjitastriguṇātmavān ||

One who bathes at that tirtha and worships Bala and Keshava thereby worships the sustainer of the universe, who is of the nature of the three gunas.

Verse 10 (skanda.5.298.10)

उपवासी नरो भूत्वा यस्तु कुर्यात्प्रजागरम् । मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो गायंस्तस्य शुभां कथाम् ॥

upavāsī naro bhūtvā yastu kuryātprajāgaram | mucyate sarvapāpebhyo gāyaṁstasya śubhāṁ kathām ||

A man who, keeping a fast, holds a night vigil and sings his auspicious tale is freed from all sins.

Verse 11 (skanda.5.298.11)

यावतस्तत्र तीर्थे तु वृक्षान् पश्यन्ति मानवाः । ब्रह्महत्यादिकं पापं तावदेषां प्रणश्यति ॥

yāvatastatra tīrthe tu vṛkṣān paśyanti mānavāḥ | brahmahatyādikaṁ pāpaṁ tāvadeṣāṁ praṇaśyati ||

For as many trees as men behold at that tirtha, so much of their sin, even sin as grave as the killing of a brahmin, is destroyed.

Verse 12 (skanda.5.298.12)

प्रातरुत्थाय ये केचित्पश्यन्ति बलकेशवौ । तेनैव सदृशाः सर्वे देवदेवेन चक्रिणा ॥

prātarutthāya ye kecitpaśyanti balakeśavau | tenaiva sadṛśāḥ sarve devadevena cakriṇā ||

Whoever rises at dawn and beholds Bala and Keshava — all of them become like that very discus-bearing lord of gods.

Verse 13 (skanda.5.298.13)

ते पूज्यास्ते नमस्कार्यास्तेषां जन्म सुजीवितम् । ये नमन्ति जगत्पूज्यं देवं नारायणं हरिम् ॥

te pūjyāste namaskāryāsteṣāṁ janma sujīvitam | ye namanti jagatpūjyaṁ devaṁ nārāyaṇaṁ harim ||

Those who bow to Narayana Hari, the god worshipped by the whole world, are themselves worthy of worship and homage, and their birth is a life well lived.

Verse 14 (skanda.5.298.14)

तत्र तीर्थे तु यद्दानं स्नानं देवार्चनं नृप । क्रियते तत्फलं सर्वमक्षयायोपकल्पते ॥

tatra tīrthe tu yaddānaṁ snānaṁ devārcanaṁ nṛpa | kriyate tatphalaṁ sarvamakṣayāyopakalpate ||

O king, whatever charity, bathing, and worship of the god is performed at that tirtha — all of it becomes fit for imperishable reward.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.298.15)

अग्नेरपत्यं प्रथमं सुवर्णं भूर्वैष्णवी सूर्यसुताश्च गावः । लोकास्त्रयस्तेन भवन्ति दत्ता यः काञ्चनं गां च भुवं च दद्यात् ॥

agnerapatyaṁ prathamaṁ suvarṇaṁ bhūrvaiṣṇavī sūryasutāśca gāvaḥ | lokāstrayastena bhavanti dattā yaḥ kāñcanaṁ gāṁ ca bhuvaṁ ca dadyāt ||

Gold is the firstborn child of Agni, the earth belongs to Vishnu, and cows are daughters of the sun; whoever gives gold, a cow, and land is deemed to have given the three worlds themselves.

Verse 16 (skanda.5.298.16)

एतत्ते कथितं सर्वं तीर्थमाहात्म्यमुत्तमम् । अतीतं च भविष्यच्च वर्तमानं महाबलम् ॥

etatte kathitaṁ sarvaṁ tīrthamāhātmyamuttamam | atītaṁ ca bhaviṣyacca vartamānaṁ mahābalam ||

Thus I have told you the whole supreme greatness of this tirtha — its great power in the past, the future, and the present.

Verse 17 (skanda.5.298.17)

श्रुत्वा वापि पठित्वेदं श्रावयिपत्वाथ धार्मिकान् । मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो नात्र कार्या विचारणा ॥

śrutvā vāpi paṭhitvedaṁ śrāvayipatvātha dhārmikān | mucyate sarvapāpebhyo nātra kāryā vicāraṇā ||

Whether by hearing this, or reciting it, or reading it aloud to the righteous, one is freed from all sins — of this there should be no doubt.