The Greatness of Linga-Varaha Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.304.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। तस्यैवानन्तरं तीर्थं लिङ्गेश्वरमिति श्रुतम् । दर्शनाद्देवदेवस्य यत्र पापं प्रणश्यति ॥

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| tasyaivānantaraṁ tīrthaṁ liṅgeśvaramiti śrutam | darśanāddevadevasya yatra pāpaṁ praṇaśyati ||

Shri Markandeya said: Immediately after that there is a tirtha known as Lingeshvara, where, by the mere sight of the god of gods, sin is destroyed.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.304.2)

कृत्वा तु कदनं घोरं दानवानां युधिष्ठिर । वाराहं रूपमास्थाय नर्मदायां व्यवस्थितः ॥

kṛtvā tu kadanaṁ ghoraṁ dānavānāṁ yudhiṣṭhira | vārāhaṁ rūpamāsthāya narmadāyāṁ vyavasthitaḥ ||

O Yudhishthira, having wrought terrible destruction upon the demons, the Lord, having assumed the form of a boar, took his place at the Narmada.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.304.3)

तत्र तीर्थे तु यः स्नानं कृत्वा देवं नमस्यति । स मुच्यते नृपश्रेष्ठ महापापैः पुराकृतैः ॥

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ snānaṁ kṛtvā devaṁ namasyati | sa mucyate nṛpaśreṣṭha mahāpāpaiḥ purākṛtaiḥ ||

O best of kings, one who bathes at that tirtha and bows to the god is freed from great sins committed in the past.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.304.4)

द्वादश्यां कृष्णपक्षस्य शुक्ले च समुपोषितः । गन्धमाल्यैर्जगन्नाथं पूजयेत्पाण्डुनन्दन ॥

dvādaśyāṁ kṛṣṇapakṣasya śukle ca samupoṣitaḥ | gandhamālyairjagannāthaṁ pūjayetpāṇḍunandana ||

O joy of Pandu, on the twelfth lunar day of both the dark and bright fortnights, one should fast and worship the lord of the universe with fragrance and garlands.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.304.5)

ब्राह्मणांश्च महाभाग दानसंमानभोजनैः । पूजयेत्परया भक्त्या तस्य पुण्यफलं शृणु ॥

brāhmaṇāṁśca mahābhāga dānasaṁmānabhojanaiḥ | pūjayetparayā bhaktyā tasya puṇyaphalaṁ śṛṇu ||

O greatly fortunate one, one should honour brahmins with gifts, respect, and feasting, with the utmost devotion. Hear the merit of this.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.304.6)

सत्रयाजिफलं जन्तुर्लभते द्वादशाब्दकैः । ब्राह्मणान्भोजयंस्तत्र तदेव लभते फलम् ॥

satrayājiphalaṁ janturlabhate dvādaśābdakaiḥ | brāhmaṇānbhojayaṁstatra tadeva labhate phalam ||

The fruit that a being obtains from a twelve-year sattra sacrifice is the very fruit obtained by feeding brahmins there.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.304.7)

तर्पयित्वा पितॄन् देवान् स्नात्वा तद्गतमानसः । जपेद्द्वादशनामानि देवस्य पुरतः स्थितः ॥

tarpayitvā pitṝn devān snātvā tadgatamānasaḥ | japeddvādaśanāmāni devasya purataḥ sthitaḥ ||

Having offered libations to the ancestors and gods, and bathed, one should stand before the god with a mind absorbed in him and recite his twelve names.

Verse 8 (skanda.5.304.8)

मासि मासि निराहारो द्वादश्यां कुरुनन्दन । केशवं पूजयेन्नित्यं मासि मार्गशिरे बुधः ॥

māsi māsi nirāhāro dvādaśyāṁ kurunandana | keśavaṁ pūjayennityaṁ māsi mārgaśire budhaḥ ||

O joy of the Kurus, fasting on the twelfth day of every month, in the month of Margashirsha a wise man should daily worship Keshava,

Verse 9 (skanda.5.304.9)

पौषे नारायणं देवं माघमासे तु माधवम् । गोविन्दं फाल्गुने मासि विष्णुं चैत्रे समर्चयेत् ॥

pauṣe nārāyaṇaṁ devaṁ māghamāse tu mādhavam | govindaṁ phālgune māsi viṣṇuṁ caitre samarcayet ||

in Pausha, the god Narayana; in the month of Magha, Madhava; in Phalguna, Govinda; and in Chaitra one should worship Vishnu.

Verse 10 (skanda.5.304.10)

वैशाखे मधुहन्तारं ज्येष्ठे देवं त्रिविक्रमम् । वामनं तु तथाषाढे श्रावणे श्रीधरं स्मरेत् ॥

vaiśākhe madhuhantāraṁ jyeṣṭhe devaṁ trivikramam | vāmanaṁ tu tathāṣāḍhe śrāvaṇe śrīdharaṁ smaret ||

In Vaishakha, the slayer of Madhu; in Jyeshtha, the god Trivikrama; in Ashadha, Vamana; and in Shravana one should remember Shridhara.

Verse 11 (skanda.5.304.11)

हृषीकेशं भाद्रपदे पद्मनाभं तथाश्विने । दामोदरं कार्त्तिके तु कीर्तयन्नावसीदति ॥

hṛṣīkeśaṁ bhādrapade padmanābhaṁ tathāśvine | dāmodaraṁ kārttike tu kīrtayannāvasīdati ||

In Bhadrapada, Hrishikesha; in Ashvina, Padmanabha; and in Kartika, Damodara — one who thus recites these names never falls into misery.

Verse 12 (skanda.5.304.12)

वाचिकं मानसं पापं कर्मजं यत्पुरा कृतम् । तन्नश्यति न सन्देहो मासनामानुकीर्तनात् ॥

vācikaṁ mānasaṁ pāpaṁ karmajaṁ yatpurā kṛtam | tannaśyati na sandeho māsanāmānukīrtanāt ||

Whatever sin has been committed before, in speech, mind, or deed, is destroyed by the recitation of these monthly names — of this there is no doubt.

Verse 13 (skanda.5.304.13)

स्वयं विनुद्धः सततमुन्मिषन्निमिषंस्तथा । शीघ्रं प्रपश्य भुञ्जानो मन्त्रहीनं समुद्गिरेत् ॥

svayaṁ vinuddhaḥ satatamunmiṣannimiṣaṁstathā | śīghraṁ prapaśya bhuñjāno mantrahīnaṁ samudgiret ||

Continually opening and closing the eyes, purified in oneself, watching swiftly even while eating — should one lack the mantra, one should cast it out and correct the fault.

Verse 14 (skanda.5.304.14)

परमापद्गतस्यापि जन्तोरेषा प्रतिक्रिया । यन्मासाधिपतेर्विष्णोर्मासनामानुकीर्तनम् ॥

paramāpadgatasyāpi jantoreṣā pratikriyā | yanmāsādhipaterviṣṇormāsanāmānukīrtanam ||

Even for a creature fallen into the direst distress, this remains the remedy: the recitation of the monthly names of Vishnu, the lord of the months.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.304.15)

ता निशास्ते च दिवसास्ते मासास्ते च वत्सराः । नराणां सफला येषु चिन्तितो भगवान्हरिः ॥

tā niśāste ca divasāste māsāste ca vatsarāḥ | narāṇāṁ saphalā yeṣu cintito bhagavānhariḥ ||

Those nights, those days, those months, and those years alone are fruitful for men, in which the Lord Hari has been contemplated.

Verse 16 (skanda.5.304.16)

परमापद्गतस्यापि यस्य देवो जनार्दनः । नावसर्पति हृत्पद्मात्स योगी नात्र संशयः ॥

paramāpadgatasyāpi yasya devo janārdanaḥ | nāvasarpati hṛtpadmātsa yogī nātra saṁśayaḥ ||

He from whose heart-lotus the god Janardana does not slip, even when fallen into the direst distress, is indeed the true yogi — of this there is no doubt.

Verse 17 (skanda.5.304.17)

ते भाग्यहीना मनुजाः सुशोच्यास्ते भूमिभाराय कृतावताराः । अचेतनास्ते पशुभिः समाना ये भक्तिहीना भगवत्यनन्ते ॥

te bhāgyahīnā manujāḥ suśocyāste bhūmibhārāya kṛtāvatārāḥ | acetanāste paśubhiḥ samānā ye bhaktihīnā bhagavatyanante ||

Those men who lack devotion to the infinite Lord are unfortunate, most pitiable, born only to add to the burden of the earth, insensate, and no different from beasts.

Verse 18 (skanda.5.304.18)

ते पूर्णकार्याः पुरुषाः पृथिव्यां ते स्वाङ्गपाताद्भुवनं पुनन्ति । विचक्षणा विश्वविभूषणास्ते ये भक्तियुक्ता भगवत्यनन्ते ॥

te pūrṇakāryāḥ puruṣāḥ pṛthivyāṁ te svāṅgapātādbhuvanaṁ punanti | vicakṣaṇā viśvavibhūṣaṇāste ye bhaktiyuktā bhagavatyanante ||

Those who are devoted to the infinite Lord are the truly fulfilled men on this earth; by the mere fall of their body they sanctify the world; they alone are wise, and they alone are the ornament of the universe.

Verse 19 (skanda.5.304.19)

स एव सुकृती तेन लब्धं जन्मतरोः फलम् । चित्ते वचसि काये च यस्य देवो जनार्दनः ॥

sa eva sukṛtī tena labdhaṁ janmataroḥ phalam | citte vacasi kāye ca yasya devo janārdanaḥ ||

He alone is truly blessed, he alone has gained the fruit of the tree of birth, in whose mind, speech, and body the god Janardana dwells.

Verse 20 (skanda.5.304.20)

एतत्तीर्थवरं पुण्यं लिङ्गो यत्र जनार्दनः । वञ्चयित्वा रिपून्संख्ये क्रोधो भूत्वा सनातनः ॥

etattīrthavaraṁ puṇyaṁ liṅgo yatra janārdanaḥ | vañcayitvā ripūnsaṁkhye krodho bhūtvā sanātanaḥ ||

This is that excellent and sacred tirtha where Janardana is present in the form of a linga — where, having outmatched his enemies in battle, he became eternal wrath itself.

Verse 21 (skanda.5.304.21)

उपप्लवे चन्द्रमसो रवेश्च यो ह्यष्टकानामयनद्वये च । पानीयमप्यत्र तिलैर्विमिश्रं दद्यात्पितृभ्यः प्रयतो मनुष्यः ॥

upaplave candramaso raveśca yo hyaṣṭakānāmayanadvaye ca | pānīyamapyatra tilairvimiśraṁ dadyātpitṛbhyaḥ prayato manuṣyaḥ ||

At a lunar or solar eclipse, on the ashtaka days, and at both solstices, whatever self-restrained man offers here even mere water mixed with sesame to his ancestors, attains great merit.

Verse 22 (skanda.5.304.22)

घोणोन्मीलितमेरुरन्ध्रनिवहो दुःखाब्धिमज्जत्प्लवः प्रादुर्भूतरसातलोदरबृहत्पङ्कार्धमग्नक्षुरः । फूत्कारोत्करनुन्नवातविदलद्दिग्दन्तिनादश्रुतिन्यस्तस्तब्धवपुः श्रुतिर्भवतु वः क्रोडो हरिः शान्तये ॥

ghoṇonmīlitamerurandhranivaho duḥkhābdhimajjatplavaḥ prādurbhūtarasātalodarabṛhatpaṅkārdhamagnakṣuraḥ | phūtkārotkaranunnavātavidaladdigdantinādaśrutinyastastabdhavapuḥ śrutirbhavatu vaḥ kroḍo hariḥ śāntaye ||

He whose snout has torn open the caverns of Mount Meru, who is a raft for those drowning in the ocean of sorrow, whose hooves are half-sunk in the vast mire risen from the depths of the netherworld, from whose snorting the gale splits apart the trumpeting of the elephants of the directions, whose fixed form rests upon the Veda itself — may that Hari in the form of a boar bring you peace.