The Glory of Bhutishvara Tirtha and the Five Sacred Baths

Verse 1 (skanda.5.332.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। भूतीश्वरं ततो गच्छेत्सर्वतीर्थेष्वनुत्तमम् । दर्शनादेव राजेन्द्र यस्य पापं प्रणश्यति ॥ १ ॥

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| bhūtīśvaraṁ tato gacchetsarvatīrtheṣvanuttamam | darśanādeva rājendra yasya pāpaṁ praṇaśyati || 1 ||

Sri Markandeya said: Thereafter one should go to Bhutishvara, unsurpassed among all tirthas, O lord of kings, by the mere sight of which sin is destroyed.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.332.2)

तत्र स्थाने पुरा पार्थ देवदेवेन शूलिना । उद्धूलनं कृतं गात्रे तेन भूतीश्वरं तु तत् ॥ २ ॥

tatra sthāne purā pārtha devadevena śūlinā | uddhūlanaṁ kṛtaṁ gātre tena bhūtīśvaraṁ tu tat || 2 ||

O son of Pritha, at that place, in ancient times, the trident-bearing god of gods smeared his body with sacred ash; hence it is called Bhutishvara.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.332.3)

पुष्ये वा जन्मनक्षत्रे अमावास्यां विशेषतः । भूतीश्वरे नरः स्नात्वा कुलकोटिं समुद्धरेत् ॥ ३ ॥

puṣye vā janmanakṣatre amāvāsyāṁ viśeṣataḥ | bhūtīśvare naraḥ snātvā kulakoṭiṁ samuddharet || 3 ||

On the Pushya nakshatra, or on one's birth-star, and especially on the new-moon day, a man who bathes at Bhutishvara delivers a crore of his family.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.332.4)

तत्र स्थाने तु यो भक्त्या कुरुते ह्यङ्गगुण्ठनम् । तस्य यत्फलमुद्दिष्टं तच्छृणुष्व नराधिप ॥ ४ ॥

tatra sthāne tu yo bhaktyā kurute hyaṅgaguṇṭhanam | tasya yatphalamuddiṣṭaṁ tacchṛṇuṣva narādhipa || 4 ||

O lord of men, hear now the fruit declared for whoever, with devotion, smears his limbs with the sacred ash at that place.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.332.5)

यावन्तो भूतिकणिका गात्रे लग्नाः शिवालये । तावद्वर्षसहस्राणि शिवलोके महीयते ॥ ५ ॥

yāvanto bhūtikaṇikā gātre lagnāḥ śivālaye | tāvadvarṣasahasrāṇi śivaloke mahīyate || 5 ||

As many particles of ash as cling to his body at the Shiva-shrine — for that same number of thousands of years, he is exalted in the world of Shiva.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.332.6)

सर्वेषामेव स्नानानां भस्मस्नानं परं स्मृतम् । पुराणैरृषिभिः प्रोक्तं सर्वशास्त्रेष्वनुत्तमम् ॥ ६ ॥

sarveṣāmeva snānānāṁ bhasmasnānaṁ paraṁ smṛtam | purāṇairṛṣibhiḥ proktaṁ sarvaśāstreṣvanuttamam || 6 ||

Of all baths, the bath of ash is remembered as supreme; it has been declared by the ancient sages, unsurpassed among all scriptures.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.332.7)

एककालं द्विकालं वा त्रिकालं चापि यः सदा । स्नानं करोति चाग्नेयं पापं तस्य प्रणश्यति ॥ ७ ॥

ekakālaṁ dvikālaṁ vā trikālaṁ cāpi yaḥ sadā | snānaṁ karoti cāgneyaṁ pāpaṁ tasya praṇaśyati || 7 ||

Whoever always performs the fire-born ash bath, once, twice, or even three times a day — his sin is destroyed.

Verse 8 (skanda.5.332.8)

दिव्यस्नानाद्वरं स्नानं वायव्यं भरतर्षभ । वायव्यादुत्तमं ब्राह्म्यं वरं ब्राह्म्यात्तु वारुणम् ॥ ८ ॥

divyasnānādvaraṁ snānaṁ vāyavyaṁ bharatarṣabha | vāyavyāduttamaṁ brāhmyaṁ varaṁ brāhmyāttu vāruṇam || 8 ||

O best of the Bharatas, better than the divine bath is the airy bath; better than the airy is the Brahma-bath; and better than the Brahma-bath is the water-bath.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.332.9)

आग्नेयं वारुणाच्छ्रेष्ठं यस्मादुक्तं स्वयम्भुवा । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन ह्याग्नेयं स्नानमाचरेत् ॥ ९ ॥

āgneyaṁ vāruṇācchreṣṭhaṁ yasmāduktaṁ svayambhuvā | tasmātsarvaprayatnena hyāgneyaṁ snānamācaret || 9 ||

And better than the water-bath is the fire-bath, as declared by the Self-born Brahma himself. Therefore, with all effort, one should practise the fire-bath.

Verse 10 (skanda.5.332.10)

युधिष्ठिर उवाच। आग्नेयं वारुणं ब्राह्म्यं वायव्यं दिव्यमेव च । किमुक्तं श्रोतुमिच्छामि परं कौतूहलं हि मे ॥ १० ॥

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca| āgneyaṁ vāruṇaṁ brāhmyaṁ vāyavyaṁ divyameva ca | kimuktaṁ śrotumicchāmi paraṁ kautūhalaṁ hi me || 10 ||

Yudhishthira said: 'What is meant by the fire-bath, the water-bath, the Brahma-bath, the air-bath, and the divine bath? I wish to hear, for my curiosity is great.'

Verse 11 (skanda.5.332.11)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच। आग्नेयं भस्मना स्नानमवगाह्य च वारुणम् । आपोहिष्ठेति च ब्राह्म्यं वायव्यं गोरजः स्मृतम् ॥ ११ ॥

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca| āgneyaṁ bhasmanā snānamavagāhya ca vāruṇam | āpohiṣṭheti ca brāhmyaṁ vāyavyaṁ gorajaḥ smṛtam || 11 ||

Markandeya said: The fire-bath is bathing with ash; the water-bath is immersion in water; the Brahma-bath is bathing while reciting the 'Apo hi shtha' mantra; and the air-bath is remembered as bathing in the dust raised by cattle.

Verse 12 (skanda.5.332.12)

सूर्ये दृष्टे तु यत्स्नानं गङ्गातोयेन तत्समम् । तत्स्नानं पञ्चमं प्रोक्तं दिव्यं पाण्डवसत्तम ॥ १२ ॥

sūrye dṛṣṭe tu yatsnānaṁ gaṅgātoyena tatsamam | tatsnānaṁ pañcamaṁ proktaṁ divyaṁ pāṇḍavasattama || 12 ||

O best of the Pandavas, the bath performed while beholding the sun is equal to bathing in the waters of the Ganga; that fifth bath is declared the divine bath.

Verse 13 (skanda.5.332.13)

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन स्नात्वा भूतीश्वरे तु यः । पूजयेद्देवमीशानं स बाह्याभ्यन्तरः शुचिः ॥ १३ ॥

tasmātsarvaprayatnena snātvā bhūtīśvare tu yaḥ | pūjayeddevamīśānaṁ sa bāhyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ || 13 ||

Therefore, whoever, having bathed with all effort at Bhutishvara, worships the god Ishana, becomes pure both outwardly and inwardly.

Verse 14 (skanda.5.332.14)

तत्र स्थाने तु ये नित्यं ध्यायन्ति परमं पदम् । सूक्ष्मं चातीन्द्रियं नित्यं ते धन्या नात्र संशयः ॥ १४ ॥

tatra sthāne tu ye nityaṁ dhyāyanti paramaṁ padam | sūkṣmaṁ cātīndriyaṁ nityaṁ te dhanyā nātra saṁśayaḥ || 14 ||

Those who at that place ever meditate upon the supreme state — subtle, beyond the senses, eternal — they are indeed blessed, of this there is no doubt.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.332.15)

मुक्तितीर्थं तु तत्तीर्थं सर्वतीर्थेष्वनुत्तमम् । दर्शनादेव यस्यैव पापं याति महत्क्षयम् ॥ १५ ॥

muktitīrthaṁ tu tattīrthaṁ sarvatīrtheṣvanuttamam | darśanādeva yasyaiva pāpaṁ yāti mahatkṣayam || 15 ||

This is indeed a tirtha of liberation, unsurpassed among all tirthas, by whose mere sight great sin is destroyed.

Verse 16 (skanda.5.332.16)

जायते पूजया राज्यं तत्र स्तुत्वा महेश्वरम् । जपेन पापसंशुद्धिर्ध्यानेनानन्त्यमश्नुते ॥ १६ ॥

jāyate pūjayā rājyaṁ tatra stutvā maheśvaram | japena pāpasaṁśuddhirdhyānenānantyamaśnute || 16 ||

Through worship there, one gains a kingdom; through praising Maheshvara, one gains merit; through japa, purification from sin; and through meditation, one attains infinitude.

Verse 17 (skanda.5.332.17)

ओं ज्योतिः स्वरूपमनादिमध्यमनुत्पाद्यमानमनुचार्यमाणाक्षरम् । सर्वभूतस्थितं शिवं सर्वयोगेश्वरं सर्वलोकेश्वरं मोहशोकहीनं महाज्ञानगम्यम् ॥ १७ ॥

oṁ jyotiḥ svarūpamanādimadhyamanutpādyamānamanucāryamāṇākṣaram | sarvabhūtasthitaṁ śivaṁ sarvayogeśvaraṁ sarvalokeśvaraṁ mohaśokahīnaṁ mahājñānagamyam || 17 ||

Om — that which is of the nature of light, without beginning or middle, unproduced, the imperishable syllable ever being recited; abiding in all beings, auspicious, lord of all yoga, lord of all worlds, free of delusion and grief, attainable only through great wisdom.

Verse 18 (skanda.5.332.18)

तत्र तीर्थे तु यो गत्वा स्नानं कुर्यान्नरेश्वर । अश्वमेधस्य यज्ञस्य फलं प्राप्नोति मानवः । एवम्भूतं न जानन्ति मोक्षापेक्षणिका नराः ॥ १८ ॥

tatra tīrthe tu yo gatvā snānaṁ kuryānnareśvara | aśvamedhasya yajñasya phalaṁ prāpnoti mānavaḥ | evambhūtaṁ na jānanti mokṣāpekṣaṇikā narāḥ || 18 ||

O lord of men, whoever goes there and bathes at that tirtha obtains the fruit of the Ashvamedha sacrifice. Yet those men who seek only liberation take no account of such ritual fruits.