The Greatness of Siddheshvari Devi

Verse 1 (skanda.5.321.1)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच। ततः सिद्धेश्वरी देवी वैष्णवी पापनाशिनी। आनन्दं परमं प्राप्ता दृष्ट्वा स्थानं सुशोभनम्॥

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca| tataḥ siddheśvarī devī vaiṣṇavī pāpanāśinī| ānandaṁ paramaṁ prāptā dṛṣṭvā sthānaṁ suśobhanam||

Markandeya said: Thereafter comes the goddess Siddheshvari, a form of Vaishnavi, destroyer of sin, who attained supreme joy upon beholding that beautiful place.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.321.2)

तत्र तीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा पूजयेत्पितृदेवताः। देवीं पश्यति यो भक्त्या मुच्यते सर्वपातकैः॥

tatra tīrthe naraḥ snātvā pūjayetpitṛdevatāḥ| devīṁ paśyati yo bhaktyā mucyate sarvapātakaiḥ||

Having bathed at that tirtha, a man should worship the ancestors and gods. He who beholds the goddess with devotion is freed from all sins.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.321.3)

मृतवत्सा तु या नारी वन्ध्या स्त्रीजननी तथा। पुत्रं सा लभते नारी शीलवन्तं गुणान्वितम्॥

mṛtavatsā tu yā nārī vandhyā strījananī tathā| putraṁ sā labhate nārī śīlavantaṁ guṇānvitam||

A woman whose children die, or who is barren, or who bears only daughters - that woman, by the goddess's grace, obtains a virtuous and accomplished son.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.321.4)

तत्र तीर्थे तु यः स्नात्वा पश्येद्देवीं सुभक्तितः। अष्टम्यां वा चतुर्दश्यां सर्वकालेऽथवा नृप॥

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ snātvā paśyeddevīṁ subhaktitaḥ| aṣṭamyāṁ vā caturdaśyāṁ sarvakāle'thavā nṛpa||

O king, he who, on the eighth or fourteenth day, or indeed at any time, having bathed at that tirtha, beholds the goddess with true devotion,

Verse 5 (skanda.5.321.5)

सङ्गमे तु ततः स्नाता नारी वा पुरुषोऽपि वा। पुत्रं धनं तथा देवी ददाति परितोषिता॥

saṅgame tu tataḥ snātā nārī vā puruṣo'pi vā| putraṁ dhanaṁ tathā devī dadāti paritoṣitā||

- having bathed at that confluence, whether woman or man, the goddess, pleased, grants him a son and wealth.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.321.6)

गोत्ररक्षां प्रकुरुते दृष्टा देवी सुपूजिता। प्रजां च पाति सततं पूज्यमाना न संशयः॥

gotrarakṣāṁ prakurute dṛṣṭā devī supūjitā| prajāṁ ca pāti satataṁ pūjyamānā na saṁśayaḥ||

Well-worshipped and beheld, the goddess protects the lineage; continually worshipped, she without doubt protects one's offspring.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.321.7)

नवम्यां च महाराज स्नात्वा देवीमुपोषितः। पूजयेत्परया भक्त्या श्रद्धापूतेन चेतसा॥

navamyāṁ ca mahārāja snātvā devīmupoṣitaḥ| pūjayetparayā bhaktyā śraddhāpūtena cetasā||

O great king, having bathed on the ninth day, fasting, with a mind purified by faith, one should worship the goddess with supreme devotion -

Verse 8 (skanda.5.321.8)

स गच्छेत्परमं लोकं यः सुरैरपि दुर्लभः॥

sa gacchetparamaṁ lokaṁ yaḥ surairapi durlabhaḥ||

- he attains that supreme realm, which is hard to reach even for the gods.