The Greatness of Sarpa Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.316.1)

ततो गच्छेन्महाराज सर्पतीर्थमनुत्तमम्। यत्र सिद्धा महासर्पास्तपस्तप्त्वा युधिष्ठिर॥

tato gacchenmahārāja sarpatīrthamanuttamam| yatra siddhā mahāsarpāstapastaptvā yudhiṣṭhira||

Shri Markandeya said: O great king Yudhishthira, thereafter one should go to the unsurpassed Sarpa-tirtha, where great serpents, having performed austerities, attained perfection.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.316.2)

वासुकिस्तक्षको घोरः सार्प ऐरावतस्तथा। कालियश्च महाभागः कर्कोटकधनंजयौ॥

vāsukistakṣako ghoraḥ sārpa airāvatastathā| kāliyaśca mahābhāgaḥ karkoṭakadhanaṁjayau||

Vasuki, the terrible Takshaka, the serpent-king Airavata, the illustrious Kaliya, Karkotaka and Dhananjaya -

Verse 3 (skanda.5.316.3)

शङ्खचूडो महातेजा धृतराष्ट्रो वृकोदरः। कुलिको वामनश्चैव तेषां ये पुत्रपौत्रिणः॥

śaṅkhacūḍo mahātejā dhṛtarāṣṭro vṛkodaraḥ| kuliko vāmanaścaiva teṣāṁ ye putrapautriṇaḥ||

- the greatly radiant Shankhachuda, Dhritarashtra, Vrikodara, Kulika and Vamana, and their sons and grandsons as well,

Verse 4 (skanda.5.316.4)

तत्र तीर्थे महापुण्ये तपस्तप्त्वा सुदुष्करम्। भुञ्जन्ति विविधान्भोगान्क्रीडन्ति च यथासुखम्॥

tatra tīrthe mahāpuṇye tapastaptvā suduṣkaram| bhuñjanti vividhānbhogānkrīḍanti ca yathāsukham||

- having performed extremely difficult austerities at that most meritorious tirtha, enjoy manifold pleasures and sport there at will.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.316.5)

तत्र तीर्थे तु यः स्नात्वा तर्पयेत्पितृदेवताः। वाजपेयफलं तस्य पुरा प्रोवाच शङ्करः॥

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ snātvā tarpayetpitṛdevatāḥ| vājapeyaphalaṁ tasya purā provāca śaṅkaraḥ||

He who, having bathed at that tirtha, offers libations to ancestors and gods, obtains the fruit of the Vajapeya sacrifice - so Shankara declared of old.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.316.6)

स्नातानां सर्पतीर्थे तु नराणां भुवि भारत। सर्पवृश्चिकजातिभ्यो न भयं विद्यते क्वचित्॥

snātānāṁ sarpatīrthe tu narāṇāṁ bhuvi bhārata| sarpavṛścikajātibhyo na bhayaṁ vidyate kvacit||

O Bharata, men who bathe at Sarpa-tirtha never have any fear from serpents or scorpions anywhere on earth.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.316.7)

मृतो भोगवतीं गत्वा पूज्यमानो महोरगैः। नागकन्यापरिवृतो महाभोगपतिर्भवेत्॥

mṛto bhogavatīṁ gatvā pūjyamāno mahoragaiḥ| nāgakanyāparivṛto mahābhogapatirbhavet||

Upon death, he goes to the city of Bhogavati, and, worshipped by great serpents, surrounded by naga-maidens, becomes a lord of great enjoyment.

Verse 8 (skanda.5.316.8)

मार्गशीर्षस्य मासस्य कृष्णपक्षे च याष्टमी। सोपवासः शुचिर्भूत्वा लिङ्गं सम्पूरयेत्तिलैः। यथाविभवसारेण गन्धपुष्पैः समर्चयेत्॥

mārgaśīrṣasya māsasya kṛṣṇapakṣe ca yāṣṭamī| sopavāsaḥ śucirbhūtvā liṅgaṁ sampūrayettilaiḥ| yathāvibhavasāreṇa gandhapuṣpaiḥ samarcayet||

On the eighth day of the dark fortnight of the month of Margashirsha, having fasted and become pure, one should fill the Linga with sesame seeds, and worship it with sandal-paste and flowers according to one's means.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.316.9)

एवं विधाय विधिवत्प्रणिपत्य क्षमापयेत्। तस्य यत्फलमुद्दिष्टं तच्छृणुष्व नरेश्वर॥

evaṁ vidhāya vidhivatpraṇipatya kṣamāpayet| tasya yatphalamuddiṣṭaṁ tacchṛṇuṣva nareśvara||

Having thus performed it duly, one should bow and ask forgiveness. Hear, O lord of men, the fruit that has been declared for this.

Verse 10 (skanda.5.316.10)

तिलास्तत्र च यत्संख्याः पत्रपुष्पफलानि च। तावत्स्वर्गपुरे राजन्मोदते कालमीप्सितम्॥

tilāstatra ca yatsaṁkhyāḥ patrapuṣpaphalāni ca| tāvatsvargapure rājanmodate kālamīpsitam||

For as many sesame seeds, leaves, flowers, and fruits as are there, O king, for that long a time he rejoices at will in the city of heaven.

Verse 11 (skanda.5.316.11)

ततः स्वर्गात्परिभ्रष्टो जायते विमले कुले। सुरूपः सुभगश्चैव धनकोटिपतिर्भवेत्॥

tataḥ svargātparibhraṣṭo jāyate vimale kule| surūpaḥ subhagaścaiva dhanakoṭipatirbhavet||

Thereafter, fallen from heaven, he is born into a spotless family, handsome and fortunate, and becomes the lord of crores of wealth.