The Glory of Kapileshvara Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.330.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। उत्तरे नर्मदाकूले भृगुक्षेत्रस्य मध्यतः । कपिलेश्वरं तु विख्यातं विशेषात्पापनाशनम् ॥ १ ॥

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| uttare narmadākūle bhṛgukṣetrasya madhyataḥ | kapileśvaraṁ tu vikhyātaṁ viśeṣātpāpanāśanam || 1 ||

Sri Markandeya said: On the northern bank of the Narmada, in the midst of Bhrigukshetra, there is the renowned Kapileshvara, especially destructive of sin.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.330.2)

योऽसौ सनातनो देवः पुराणे परिपठ्यते । वासुदेवो जगन्नाथः कपिलत्वमुपागतः ॥ २ ॥

yo'sau sanātano devaḥ purāṇe paripaṭhyate | vāsudevo jagannāthaḥ kapilatvamupāgataḥ || 2 ||

That eternal god who is spoken of in the Puranas — Vasudeva, the lord of the world — took the form of Kapila.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.330.3)

पातालं सुतलं नाम तस्यैव नितलं ह्यधः । गभस्तिगं च तस्याधो ह्यन्धतामिस्रमेव च ॥ ३ ॥

pātālaṁ sutalaṁ nāma tasyaiva nitalaṁ hyadhaḥ | gabhastigaṁ ca tasyādho hyandhatāmisrameva ca || 3 ||

Below the earth lie Patala, then Sutala, then below that Nitala; below that, Gabhastimat; and below that again, Andhatamisra —

Verse 4 (skanda.5.330.4)

पातालं सप्तमं यच्च ह्यधस्तात्संस्थितं महत् । वसते तत्र वै देवः पुराणः परमेश्वरः ॥ ४ ॥

pātālaṁ saptamaṁ yacca hyadhastātsaṁsthitaṁ mahat | vasate tatra vai devaḥ purāṇaḥ parameśvaraḥ || 4 ||

— and the seventh, the great Patala situated at the very bottom. There indeed dwells the ancient, supreme god.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.330.5)

स ब्रह्मा स महादेवः स देवो गरुडध्वजः । पूज्यमानः सुरैः सिद्धैस्तिष्ठते ब्रह्मवादिभिः ॥ ५ ॥

sa brahmā sa mahādevaḥ sa devo garuḍadhvajaḥ | pūjyamānaḥ suraiḥ siddhaistiṣṭhate brahmavādibhiḥ || 5 ||

He is Brahma, he is Mahadeva, he is the god with the Garuda-banner. Worshipped by the gods, the Siddhas, and the expounders of Brahman, he abides there.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.330.6)

वसतस्तस्य राजेन्द्र कपिलस्य जगद्गुरोः । विनाशं चाग्रतः प्राप्ताः क्षणेन सगरात्मजाः ॥ ६ ॥

vasatastasya rājendra kapilasya jagadguroḥ | vināśaṁ cāgrataḥ prāptāḥ kṣaṇena sagarātmajāḥ || 6 ||

O lord of kings, while Kapila, the guru of the world, dwelt there, the sons of Sagara came before him and, in an instant, met their destruction.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.330.7)

भस्मीभूतांस्तु तान्दृष्ट्वा कपिलो मुनिसत्तमः । जगाम परमं शोकं चिन्त्यमानोऽथ किल्बिषम् ॥ ७ ॥

bhasmībhūtāṁstu tāndṛṣṭvā kapilo munisattamaḥ | jagāma paramaṁ śokaṁ cintyamāno'tha kilbiṣam || 7 ||

Seeing them reduced to ashes, Kapila, best of sages, fell into deep sorrow, reflecting upon the sin thus incurred.

Verse 8 (skanda.5.330.8)

सर्वसङ्गपरित्यागे चित्ते निर्विषयीकृते । अयुक्तं षष्टिसहस्राणां कर्तं मम विनाशनम् ॥ ८ ॥

sarvasaṅgaparityāge citte nirviṣayīkṛte | ayuktaṁ ṣaṣṭisahasrāṇāṁ kartaṁ mama vināśanam || 8 ||

With his mind wholly detached from all worldly bonds and freed from objects, he thought: 'It was not fitting that I should have caused the destruction of these sixty thousand.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.330.9)

कृतस्य करणं नास्ति तस्मात्पापविनाशनम् । गत्वा तु कापिलं तीर्थं मोचयाम्यघमात्मनः ॥ ९ ॥

kṛtasya karaṇaṁ nāsti tasmātpāpavināśanam | gatvā tu kāpilaṁ tīrthaṁ mocayāmyaghamātmanaḥ || 9 ||

What is done cannot be undone; therefore, to destroy that sin, I shall go to the Kapila tirtha and free myself of this taint.'

Verse 10 (skanda.5.330.10)

पातालं तु ततो मुक्त्वा कपिलो मुनिसत्तमः । तपश्चचार सुमहन्नर्मदातटमास्थितः ॥ १० ॥

pātālaṁ tu tato muktvā kapilo munisattamaḥ | tapaścacāra sumahannarmadātaṭamāsthitaḥ || 10 ||

Then Kapila, best of sages, left Patala and, established on the bank of the Narmada, performed very great austerities.

Verse 11 (skanda.5.330.11)

व्रतोपवासैर्विविधैः स्नानदानजपादिकैः । परं निर्वाणमापन्नः पूजयन्रुद्रमव्ययम् ॥ ११ ॥

vratopavāsairvividhaiḥ snānadānajapādikaiḥ | paraṁ nirvāṇamāpannaḥ pūjayanrudramavyayam || 11 ||

Through various vows and fasts, through bathing, gifts, japa and the like, and worshipping the imperishable Rudra, he attained supreme liberation.

Verse 12 (skanda.5.330.12)

तत्र तीर्थे तु यः स्नात्वा पूजयेत्परमेश्वरम् । गोसहस्रफलं तस्य लभते नात्र संशयः ॥ १२ ॥

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ snātvā pūjayetparameśvaram | gosahasraphalaṁ tasya labhate nātra saṁśayaḥ || 12 ||

Whoever bathes at that tirtha and worships Parameshvara obtains the fruit of a thousand cows — of this there is no doubt.

Verse 13 (skanda.5.330.13)

ज्येष्ठमासे तु सम्प्राप्ते शुक्लपक्षे चतुर्दशी । तत्र स्नात्वा विधानेन भक्त्या दानं प्रयच्छति ॥ १३ ॥

jyeṣṭhamāse tu samprāpte śuklapakṣe caturdaśī | tatra snātvā vidhānena bhaktyā dānaṁ prayacchati || 13 ||

When the month of Jyeshtha arrives, on the fourteenth of the bright fortnight, having bathed there according to the rites, one gives a gift with devotion —

Verse 14 (skanda.5.330.14)

पात्रभूताय विप्राय स्वल्पं वा यदि वा बहु । अक्षयं तत्फलं प्रोक्तं शिवेन परमेष्ठिना ॥ १४ ॥

pātrabhūtāya viprāya svalpaṁ vā yadi vā bahu | akṣayaṁ tatphalaṁ proktaṁ śivena parameṣṭhinā || 14 ||

— to a worthy brahmin, be it little or much — that fruit is declared imperishable by Shiva, the Supreme Lord.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.330.15)

अङ्गारकदिने प्राप्ते चतुर्थ्यां नवमीषु च । स्नानं करोति पुरुषो भक्त्योपोष्य वराङ्गना ॥ १५ ॥

aṅgārakadine prāpte caturthyāṁ navamīṣu ca | snānaṁ karoti puruṣo bhaktyopoṣya varāṅganā || 15 ||

When Tuesday coincides with the fourth or ninth lunar day, a man who bathes there with devotion, or a beautiful woman who fasts and bathes there,

Verse 16 (skanda.5.330.16)

रूपमैश्वर्यमतुलं सौभाग्यं संततिं पराम् । लभते सप्तजन्मानि नित्यं नित्यं पुनः पुनः ॥ १६ ॥

rūpamaiśvaryamatulaṁ saubhāgyaṁ saṁtatiṁ parām | labhate saptajanmāni nityaṁ nityaṁ punaḥ punaḥ || 16 ||

— obtains beauty, matchless prosperity, good fortune, and excellent offspring, again and again in seven successive births.

Verse 17 (skanda.5.330.17)

पौर्णमास्याममावास्यां स्नात्वा पिण्डं प्रयच्छति । तस्य ते द्वादशाब्दानि तृप्ता यान्ति सुरालयम् ॥ १७ ॥

paurṇamāsyāmamāvāsyāṁ snātvā piṇḍaṁ prayacchati | tasya te dvādaśābdāni tṛptā yānti surālayam || 17 ||

Whoever bathes on the full-moon or the new-moon day and offers the pinda — for twelve years his ancestors, satisfied, go to the abode of the gods.

Verse 18 (skanda.5.330.18)

तत्र तीर्थे तु यो भक्त्या दद्याद्दीपं सुशोभनम् । जायते तस्य राजेन्द्र महादीप्तिः शारीरजा ॥ १८ ॥

tatra tīrthe tu yo bhaktyā dadyāddīpaṁ suśobhanam | jāyate tasya rājendra mahādīptiḥ śārīrajā || 18 ||

Whoever, with devotion, offers a beautiful lamp at that tirtha — O lord of kings, for him a great radiance arises within his very body.

Verse 19 (skanda.5.330.19)

तत्र तीर्थे मृतानां तु जन्तूनां सर्वदा किल । अनिवर्तिका भवेत्तेषां गतिस्तु शिवमन्दिरात् ॥ १९ ॥

tatra tīrthe mṛtānāṁ tu jantūnāṁ sarvadā kila | anivartikā bhavetteṣāṁ gatistu śivamandirāt || 19 ||

For all creatures who die at that tirtha, it is said, their path from the abode of Shiva is ever one from which there is no return.