The Greatness of Sangameshvara Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.313.1)

ततो गच्छेत्परं तीर्थं सङ्गमेश्वरमुत्तमम्। नर्मदादक्षिणे कूले सर्वपापभयापहम्॥

tato gacchetparaṁ tīrthaṁ saṅgameśvaramuttamam| narmadādakṣiṇe kūle sarvapāpabhayāpaham||

Shri Markandeya said: Thereafter one should go to the supreme tirtha, the excellent Sangameshvara, situated on the southern bank of the Narmada, which dispels the fear of all sin.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.313.2)

धनदस्तत्र विश्रान्तो मुहूर्तं नृपसत्तम। पितृलोकात्समायातः कैलासं धरणीधरम्॥

dhanadastatra viśrānto muhūrtaṁ nṛpasattama| pitṛlokātsamāyātaḥ kailāsaṁ dharaṇīdharam||

O best of kings, Kubera, coming from the world of the ancestors towards Kailasa, the mountain that upholds the earth, rested there for a moment.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.313.3)

प्रत्ययार्थं नृपश्रेष्ठ ह्यद्यापि धरणीतले। कृष्णवर्णा हि पाषाणा दृश्यन्ते स्फटिकोज्ज्वलाः॥

pratyayārthaṁ nṛpaśreṣṭha hyadyāpi dharaṇītale| kṛṣṇavarṇā hi pāṣāṇā dṛśyante sphaṭikojjvalāḥ||

O best of kings, as proof of this, even today upon the earth there, black-coloured stones, gleaming like crystal, may be seen.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.313.4)

विन्ध्यनिर्झरनिष्क्रान्ता पुण्यतोया सरिद्वरा। प्रविष्टा नर्मदातोये सर्वपापप्रणाशने॥

vindhyanirjharaniṣkrāntā puṇyatoyā saridvarā| praviṣṭā narmadātoye sarvapāpapraṇāśane||

An excellent river, of holy waters, issuing from a cascade of the Vindhya, entered into the waters of the Narmada, destroyer of all sin.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.313.5)

सङ्गमे तत्र यः स्नात्वा पूजयेत्सङ्गमेश्वरम्। अश्वमेधस्य यज्ञस्य फलं प्राप्नोत्यसंशयम्॥

saṅgame tatra yaḥ snātvā pūjayetsaṅgameśvaram| aśvamedhasya yajñasya phalaṁ prāpnotyasaṁśayam||

He who, having bathed at that confluence, worships Sangameshvara, obtains without doubt the fruit of the Ashvamedha sacrifice.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.313.6)

घण्टापताकावितनं यो ददेत्सङ्गमेश्वरे। हंसयुक्तविमानस्थो दिव्यस्त्रीशतसंवृतः॥

ghaṇṭāpatākāvitanaṁ yo dadetsaṅgameśvare| haṁsayuktavimānastho divyastrīśatasaṁvṛtaḥ||

He who offers a spread of bells and banners at Sangameshvara, mounted upon a chariot yoked with swans, surrounded by hundreds of celestial women,

Verse 7 (skanda.5.313.7)

स रुद्रपदमाप्नोति रुद्रस्यानुचरो भवेत्। दधि भक्ते न देवस्य यः कुर्याल्लिङ्गपूरणम्॥

sa rudrapadamāpnoti rudrasyānucaro bhavet| dadhi bhakte na devasya yaḥ kuryālliṅgapūraṇam||

- attains the state of Rudra and becomes an attendant of Rudra. He who, with devotion, fills the Linga of the god with curd,

Verse 8 (skanda.5.313.8)

सिक्थसंख्यं शिवे लोके स वसेत्कालमीप्सितम्। श्रीफलैः पूरयेल्लिङ्गं निःस्वो भूत्वा भवस्य तु॥

sikthasaṁkhyaṁ śive loke sa vasetkālamīpsitam| śrīphalaiḥ pūrayelliṅgaṁ niḥsvo bhūtvā bhavasya tu||

he dwells in the realm of Shiva for as long a time as there are grains in that curd. He who, though penniless, fills the Linga of Shiva with bilva fruits,

Verse 9 (skanda.5.313.9)

सोऽपि तत्फलमाप्नोति गतः स्वर्गे नरेश्वर। अक्षया सन्ततिस्तस्य जायते सप्तजन्मसु॥

so'pi tatphalamāpnoti gataḥ svarge nareśvara| akṣayā santatistasya jāyate saptajanmasu||

he too, O lord of men, obtains that fruit and goes to heaven. His progeny remain unbroken through seven births.

Verse 10 (skanda.5.313.10)

स्नपनं देवदेवस्य दध्ना मधुघृतेन वा। यः करोति विधानेन तस्य पुण्यफलं शृणु॥

snapanaṁ devadevasya dadhnā madhughṛtena vā| yaḥ karoti vidhānena tasya puṇyaphalaṁ śṛṇu||

Whoever, in accordance with rite, performs the ablution of the god of gods with curd, honey, or ghee - hear the meritorious fruit that is his.

Verse 11 (skanda.5.313.11)

धृतक्षीरवहा नद्यो यत्र वृक्षा मधुस्रवाः। तत्र ते मानवा यान्ति सुप्रसन्ने महेश्वरे॥

dhṛtakṣīravahā nadyo yatra vṛkṣā madhusravāḥ| tatra te mānavā yānti suprasanne maheśvare||

When Maheshvara is well pleased, those men go to that realm where rivers flow with ghee and milk, and trees drip with honey.

Verse 12 (skanda.5.313.12)

पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यस्तु दद्यान्महेश्वरे। तत्सर्वं सप्तजन्मानि ह्यक्षयं फलमश्नुते॥

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yastu dadyānmaheśvare| tatsarvaṁ saptajanmāni hyakṣayaṁ phalamaśnute||

Whoever offers a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water to Maheshvara, enjoys, over seven births, the imperishable fruit of it all.

Verse 13 (skanda.5.313.13)

सर्वेषामेव पात्राणां महापात्रं महेश्वरः। तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन पूजनीयो महेश्वरः॥

sarveṣāmeva pātrāṇāṁ mahāpātraṁ maheśvaraḥ| tasmātsarvaprayatnena pūjanīyo maheśvaraḥ||

Among all worthy recipients, Maheshvara is the supreme recipient; therefore, with every effort, Maheshvara should be worshipped.

Verse 14 (skanda.5.313.14)

ब्रह्मचर्यस्थितो नित्यं यस्तु पूजयते शिवम्। इह जीवन्स देवेशो मृतो गच्छेदनामयम्॥

brahmacaryasthito nityaṁ yastu pūjayate śivam| iha jīvansa deveśo mṛto gacchedanāmayam||

He who, ever established in celibacy, worships Shiva, becomes, while living, one with the lord of gods, and upon death goes to the realm free of affliction.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.313.15)

शिवे तु पूजिते पार्थ यत्फलं प्राप्यते बुधैः। योगीन्द्रे चैव तत्पार्थ पूजिते लभते फलम्॥

śive tu pūjite pārtha yatphalaṁ prāpyate budhaiḥ| yogīndre caiva tatpārtha pūjite labhate phalam||

O Partha, the fruit that the wise obtain by worshipping Shiva - that same fruit, O Partha, is obtained by worshipping a lord among yogis.

Verse 16 (skanda.5.313.16)

ते धन्यास्ते महात्मानस्तेषां जन्म सुजीवितम्। येषां गृहेषु भुञ्जन्ति शिवभक्तिरता नराः॥

te dhanyāste mahātmānasteṣāṁ janma sujīvitam| yeṣāṁ gṛheṣu bhuñjanti śivabhaktiratā narāḥ||

Blessed are they, great souls are they, and fruitful is their birth and life, in whose homes men devoted to Shiva-bhakti take their meals.

Verse 17 (skanda.5.313.17)

संनिरुध्येन्द्रियग्रामं यत्रयत्र वसेन्मुनिः। तत्र तत्र कुरुक्षेत्रं नैमिषं पुष्कराणि च॥

saṁnirudhyendriyagrāmaṁ yatrayatra vasenmuniḥ| tatra tatra kurukṣetraṁ naimiṣaṁ puṣkarāṇi ca||

Wherever a sage, having restrained the host of his senses, dwells - there, in that very place, are Kurukshetra, Naimisha, and Pushkara.

Verse 18 (skanda.5.313.18)

यत्फलं वेदविदुषि भोजिते शतसंख्यया। तत्फलं जायते पार्थ ह्येकेन शिवयोगिना॥

yatphalaṁ vedaviduṣi bhojite śatasaṁkhyayā| tatphalaṁ jāyate pārtha hyekena śivayoginā||

The fruit obtained by feeding a hundred knowers of the Veda - that same fruit, O Partha, is gained by feeding a single Shiva-yogin.

Verse 19 (skanda.5.313.19)

यत्र भुञ्जति भस्माङ्गी मूर्खो वा यदि पण्डितः। तत्र भुञ्जति देवेशः सपत्नीको वृषध्वजः॥

yatra bhuñjati bhasmāṅgī mūrkho vā yadi paṇḍitaḥ| tatra bhuñjati deveśaḥ sapatnīko vṛṣadhvajaḥ||

Wherever an ash-smeared devotee eats, whether he be foolish or learned, there the bull-bannered lord of gods eats, together with his consort.

Verse 20 (skanda.5.313.20)

विप्राणां वेदविदुषां कोटिं संभोज्य यत्फलम्। भिक्षामात्रप्रदानेन तत्फलं शिवयोगिनाम्॥

viprāṇāṁ vedaviduṣāṁ koṭiṁ saṁbhojya yatphalam| bhikṣāmātrapradānena tatphalaṁ śivayoginām||

The fruit obtained by feeding a crore of brahmins learned in the Veda - that same fruit is obtained merely by giving alms to Shiva-yogins.

Verse 21 (skanda.5.313.21)

सङ्गमेश्वरमासाद्य प्राणत्यागं करोति यः। न तस्य पुनरावृत्तिः शिवलोकात्कदाचन॥

saṅgameśvaramāsādya prāṇatyāgaṁ karoti yaḥ| na tasya punarāvṛttiḥ śivalokātkadācana||

He who, having reached Sangameshvara, relinquishes his life there, for him there is never any return from the realm of Shiva.