The Glory of Gangavahaka Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.333.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। ततो गच्छेत्तु राजेन्द्र गङ्गावाहकमुत्तमम् । नर्मदायां महापुण्यं भृगुतीर्थसमीपतः ॥ १ ॥

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| tato gacchettu rājendra gaṅgāvāhakamuttamam | narmadāyāṁ mahāpuṇyaṁ bhṛgutīrthasamīpataḥ || 1 ||

Sri Markandeya said: Thereafter, O lord of kings, one should go to Gangavahaka, the excellent and greatly meritorious tirtha on the Narmada, near Bhrigutirtha.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.333.2)

तत्र गङ्गा महापुण्या चचार विपुलं तपः । पुरा वर्षशतं साग्रं परमं व्रतमास्थिता ॥ २ ॥

tatra gaṅgā mahāpuṇyā cacāra vipulaṁ tapaḥ | purā varṣaśataṁ sāgraṁ paramaṁ vratamāsthitā || 2 ||

There the greatly meritorious Ganga once performed vast austerities, observing a supreme vow for more than a hundred years,

Verse 3 (skanda.5.333.3)

ध्यात्वा देवं जगद्योनिं नारायणमकल्मषम् । आत्मानं परमं धाम सरित्सा जगतीपते ॥ ३ ॥

dhyātvā devaṁ jagadyoniṁ nārāyaṇamakalmaṣam | ātmānaṁ paramaṁ dhāma saritsā jagatīpate || 3 ||

— O lord of the earth, that river meditated upon the god Narayana, the womb of the world, stainless, her own self, the supreme abode.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.333.4)

ततो जनार्दनो देव आगत्येदमुवाच ह ॥ ४ ॥

tato janārdano deva āgatyedamuvāca ha || 4 ||

Then the god Janardana, having come, spoke thus:

Verse 5 (skanda.5.333.5)

विष्णुरुवाच। तपसा तव तुष्टोऽहं मत्पादाम्बुजसम्भवे । मत्तः किमिच्छसे देवि ब्रूहि किं करवाणि ते ॥ ५ ॥

viṣṇuruvāca| tapasā tava tuṣṭo'haṁ matpādāmbujasambhave | mattaḥ kimicchase devi brūhi kiṁ karavāṇi te || 5 ||

Vishnu said: 'I am pleased by your austerity, O you who arose from the lotus of my foot. What do you desire from me, O goddess? Tell me, what shall I do for you?'

Verse 6 (skanda.5.333.6)

गङ्गोवाच। त्वत्पादकमलाद्भ्रष्टा गङ्गा सहचरा विभो । यदृच्छया त्रिलोकेश वन्द्यमाना दिवौकसैः ॥ ६ ॥

gaṅgovāca| tvatpādakamalādbhraṣṭā gaṅgā sahacarā vibho | yadṛcchayā trilokeśa vandyamānā divaukasaiḥ || 6 ||

Ganga said: 'O mighty lord, I, Ganga, fell from your lotus feet as your companion; O lord of the three worlds, by chance I wander freely, worshipped by the dwellers of heaven.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.333.7)

नृपो भगीरथस्तस्मात्तपः कृत्वा सुदुष्करम् । समाराध्य जगन्नाथं शङ्करं लोकशङ्करम् ॥ ७ ॥

nṛpo bhagīrathastasmāttapaḥ kṛtvā suduṣkaram | samārādhya jagannāthaṁ śaṅkaraṁ lokaśaṅkaram || 7 ||

Then King Bhagiratha, performing extremely difficult austerity, and worshipping Shankara, the lord of the world and benefactor of all people,

Verse 8 (skanda.5.333.8)

अवतारयामास हि मां पृथिव्यां धरणीधर । मया वै युवयोर्वाक्यादवतारः कृतो भुवि ॥ ८ ॥

avatārayāmāsa hi māṁ pṛthivyāṁ dharaṇīdhara | mayā vai yuvayorvākyādavatāraḥ kṛto bhuvi || 8 ||

— O bearer of the earth, brought me down upon this earth. By your and Shiva's word, I made my descent to this world.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.333.9)

वैष्णवीमिति मां मत्वा जनः सर्वाप्लुतो मयि । ये वै ब्रह्मणो लोके ये च वै गुरुतल्पगाः ॥ ९ ॥

vaiṣṇavīmiti māṁ matvā janaḥ sarvāplutо mayi | ye vai brahmaṇo loke ye ca vai gurutalpagāḥ || 9 ||

Regarding me as belonging to Vishnu, all people bathe in me. Among them are those in this world who are brahmin-slayers, and those who violate their guru's bed,

Verse 10 (skanda.5.333.10)

त्यागिनः पितृमातृभ्यां ये च स्वर्णहरा नराः । गोघ्ना ये मनुजा लोके तथा ये प्राणिहिंसकाः ॥ १० ॥

tyāginaḥ pitṛmātṛbhyāṁ ye ca svarṇaharā narāḥ | goghnā ye manujā loke tathā ye prāṇihiṁsakāḥ || 10 ||

those who abandon their father and mother, those men who steal gold, those who slay cows, and those who do violence to living beings,

Verse 11 (skanda.5.333.11)

अगम्यागामिनो ये च ह्यभक्ष्यस्य च भक्षकाः । ये चानृतप्रवक्तारो ये च विश्वासघातकाः ॥ ११ ॥

agamyāgāmino ye ca hyabhakṣyasya ca bhakṣakāḥ | ye cānṛtapravaktāro ye ca viśvāsaghātakāḥ || 11 ||

those who go to forbidden women, those who eat what is forbidden, those who speak falsehood, and those who betray trust,

Verse 12 (skanda.5.333.12)

देवब्राह्मणवित्तानां हर्तारो ये नराधमाः । देवब्रह्मगुरुस्त्रीणां ये च निन्दाकरा नराः ॥ १२ ॥

devabrāhmaṇavittānāṁ hartāro ye narādhamāḥ | devabrahmagurustrīṇāṁ ye ca nindākarā narāḥ || 12 ||

the vile men who steal the wealth of gods and brahmins, and those men who revile the gods, the brahmins, the guru, or women,

Verse 13 (skanda.5.333.13)

ब्रह्मशापप्रदग्धा ये ये चैवात्महनो द्विजाः । भ्रष्टानशनसंन्यासनियतव्रतचारिणः ॥ १३ ॥

brahmaśāpapradagdhā ye ye caivātmahano dvijāḥ | bhraṣṭānaśanasaṁnyāsaniyatavratacāriṇaḥ || 13 ||

those burnt by a brahmin's curse, brahmins who take their own lives, and those fallen from their fasting, renunciation, or fixed vows —

Verse 14 (skanda.5.333.14)

तथैवापेयपेयाश्च ये च स्वगुरुनिन्दकाः । निषेधका ये दानानां पात्रदानपराङ्मुखाः ॥ १४ ॥

tathaivāpeyapeyāśca ye ca svagurunindakāḥ | niṣedhakā ye dānānāṁ pātradānaparāṅmukhāḥ || 14 ||

likewise those who drink what should not be drunk, those who revile their own guru, those who obstruct charitable gifts, and those who turn away from giving to a worthy recipient,

Verse 15 (skanda.5.333.15)

ऋतुघ्ना ये स्वपत्नीनां पित्रोः सेहपरा न हि । बान्धवेषु च दीनेषु करुणा यस्य नास्ति वै ॥ १५ ॥

ṛtughnā ye svapatnīnāṁ pitroḥ sehaparā na hi | bāndhaveṣu ca dīneṣu karuṇā yasya nāsti vai || 15 ||

those who deny their own wives at the fertile season, those who show no service to their parents, and those who have no compassion for kinsfolk and the destitute,

Verse 16 (skanda.5.333.16)

क्षेत्रसेतुविभेदी च पूर्वमार्गप्रलोपकः । नास्तिकः शास्त्रहीनस्तु विप्रः सन्ध्याविवर्जितः ॥ १६ ॥

kṣetrasetuvibhedī ca pūrvamārgapralopakaḥ | nāstikaḥ śāstrahīnastu vipraḥ sandhyāvivarjitaḥ || 16 ||

those who breach field-boundaries and dykes, those who obliterate ancient pathways, atheists, brahmins devoid of scriptural learning or who neglect their twilight worship,

Verse 17 (skanda.5.333.17)

अहुताशी ह्यसंतुष्टः सर्वाशी सर्वविक्रयी । कदर्या नास्तिकाः क्रूराः कृतघ्ना ये द्विजायः ॥ १७ ॥

ahutāśī hyasaṁtuṣṭaḥ sarvāśī sarvavikrayī | kadaryā nāstikāḥ krūrāḥ kṛtaghnā ye dvijāyaḥ || 17 ||

those who eat before offering to the sacred fire, the discontented, those who eat anything, those who sell everything indiscriminately, misers, atheists, cruel and ungrateful pseudo-brahmins,

Verse 18 (skanda.5.333.18)

पैशुन्या रसविक्रेयाः सर्वकालविनाकृताः । स्वगोत्रां परगोत्रां वा ये भुञ्जन्ति द्विजाधमाः ॥ १८ ॥

paiśunyā rasavikreyāḥ sarvakālavinākṛtāḥ | svagotrāṁ paragotrāṁ vā ye bhuñjanti dvijādhamāḥ || 18 ||

slanderers, sellers of intoxicating liquids, those wholly devoid of proper observances, and those vile brahmins who wrongly consort with women of their own or another's lineage —

Verse 19 (skanda.5.333.19)

ते मां प्राप्य विमुच्यन्ते पापसङ्घैः सुसंचितैः । तत्पापक्षारतप्ताया न शर्म मम विद्यते ॥ १९ ॥

te māṁ prāpya vimucyante pāpasaṅghaiḥ susaṁcitaiḥ | tatpāpakṣārataptāyā na śarma mama vidyate || 19 ||

— all these, upon reaching me, are freed from their well-accumulated masses of sin. But scorched by that caustic mass of sin, no peace remains for me.

Verse 20 (skanda.5.333.20)

तथा कुरु जगन्नाथ यथाहं शर्म चाप्नुयाम् । एवमुक्तस्तु देवेशस्तुष्टः प्रोवाच जाह्नवीम् ॥ २० ॥

tathā kuru jagannātha yathāhaṁ śarma cāpnuyām | evamuktastu deveśastuṣṭaḥ provāca jāhnavīm || 20 ||

O lord of the world, do something so that I too may find peace.' Thus addressed, the lord of the gods, pleased, spoke to Jahnavi:

Verse 21 (skanda.5.333.21)

विष्णुरुवाच। अहमत्र वसिष्यामि गङ्गाधरसहायवान् । प्रविशस्व सदा रेवां त्वमत्रैव च मूर्तिना ॥ २१ ॥

viṣṇuruvāca| ahamatra vasiṣyāmi gaṅgādharasahāyavān | praviśasva sadā revāṁ tvamatraiva ca mūrtinā || 21 ||

Vishnu said: 'I shall dwell here, accompanied by Gangadhara. Enter always into the Reva, and remain here yourself in visible form.

Verse 22 (skanda.5.333.22)

मम पादतलं प्राप्य वह त्रिपथगामिनि । यदा बहूदककाले नर्मदाजलसंभृता ॥ २२ ॥

mama pādatalaṁ prāpya vaha tripathagāmini | yadā bahūdakakāle narmadājalasaṁbhṛtā || 22 ||

O you who flow through the three paths, reaching my foot-sole, flow on. When, in the season of abundant waters, filled with the waters of the Narmada,

Verse 23 (skanda.5.333.23)

प्रावृट्कालं समासाद्य भविष्यति जलाकुला । प्लाव्योभयतटं देवी प्राप्य मामुत्तरस्थितम् ॥ २३ ॥

prāvṛṭkālaṁ samāsādya bhaviṣyati jalākulā | plāvyobhayataṭaṁ devī prāpya māmuttarasthitam || 23 ||

— arriving at the rainy season, the Narmada shall be swollen with water; and the goddess, having flooded both banks, shall reach me, standing there on the northern side —

Verse 24 (skanda.5.333.24)

प्लावयिष्यति तोयेन यदा शङ्खं करे स्थितम् । तदा पर्वशतोद्युक्तं वैष्णवं पर्वसंज्ञितम् ॥ २४ ॥

plāvayiṣyati toyena yadā śaṅkhaṁ kare sthitam | tadā parvaśatodyuktaṁ vaiṣṇavaṁ parvasaṁjñitam || 24 ||

— and when it floods with its water the conch held in my hand, then that shall be called a Vaishnava parva, equal in merit to a hundred ordinary parvas.

Verse 25 (skanda.5.333.25)

न तेन सदृशं किंचिद्व्यतीपातादिसंक्रमम् । अयने द्वे च न तथा पुण्यात्पुण्यतरं यथा ॥ २५ ॥

na tena sadṛśaṁ kiṁcidvyatīpātādisaṅkramam | ayane dve ca na tathā puṇyātpuṇyataraṁ yathā || 25 ||

Nothing equals that — not the Vyatipata, nor other solar transits, nor even the two solstices — nothing is more meritorious than this merit.

Verse 26 (skanda.5.333.26)

तस्मिन्पर्वणि देवेशि शङ्खं संस्पृश्य मानवः । स्नानमाचरते तोये मिश्रे गाङ्गेयनार्मदे ॥ २६ ॥

tasminparvaṇi deveśi śaṅkhaṁ saṁspṛśya mānavaḥ | snānamācarate toye miśre gāṅgeyanārmade || 26 ||

On that parva, O goddess of gods, whoever touches the conch and bathes in the mingled waters of Ganga and Narmada —

Verse 27 (skanda.5.333.27)

पुण्यं त्वशेषपुण्यानां मङ्गलानां च मङ्गलम् । विष्णुना विधृतो येन तस्माच्छान्तिः प्रचक्रमे ॥ २७ ॥

puṇyaṁ tvaśeṣapuṇyānāṁ maṅgalānāṁ ca maṅgalam | viṣṇunā vidhṛto yena tasmācchāntiḥ pracakrame || 27 ||

— that becomes the merit of all merits, the auspiciousness of all auspicious things. Because it is upheld by Vishnu himself, peace flows forth from it.

Verse 28 (skanda.5.333.28)

तत्रान्तं पापसङ्घस्य ध्रुवमाप्नोति मानवः । शङ्खोद्धारे नरः स्नात्वा तर्पयेत्पितृदेवताः ॥ २८ ॥

tatrāntaṁ pāpasaṅghasya dhruvamāpnoti mānavaḥ | śaṅkhoddhāre naraḥ snātvā tarpayetpitṛdevatāḥ || 28 ||

There a man surely obtains the end of his mass of sin. Whoever bathes at Shankhoddhara should offer tarpana to the ancestor-deities.

Verse 29 (skanda.5.333.29)

तृप्तास्ते द्वादशाब्दानि सिद्धिं च सार्वकामिकीम् । गङ्गावहे तु यः श्राद्धं शङ्खोद्धारे प्रदास्यति ॥ २९ ॥

tṛptāste dvādaśābdāni siddhiṁ ca sārvakāmikīm | gaṅgāvahe tu yaḥ śrāddhaṁ śaṅkhoddhāre pradāsyati || 29 ||

They remain satisfied for twelve years, and he gains accomplishment of all desires. Whoever performs shraddha at Gangavaha, at Shankhoddhara,

Verse 30 (skanda.5.333.30)

तेन पिण्डप्रदानेन नृत्यन्ति पितरस्तथा । शङ्खोद्धारे नरः स्नात्वा पूजयेद्बलकेशवौ ॥ ३० ॥

tena piṇḍapradānena nṛtyanti pitarastathā | śaṅkhoddhāre naraḥ snātvā pūjayedbalakeśavau || 30 ||

— by that pinda-offering, his ancestors dance with joy. A man who bathes at Shankhoddhara should worship Bala and Keshava,

Verse 31 (skanda.5.333.31)

रात्रौ जागरणं कृत्वा शुद्धो भवति जाह्नवि । यत्त्वं लोककृतं कर्म मन्यसे भुवि दुःसहम् ॥ ३१ ॥

rātrau jāgaraṇaṁ kṛtvā śuddho bhavati jāhnavi | yattvaṁ lokakṛtaṁ karma manyase bhuvi duḥsaham || 31 ||

— and keeping vigil through the night, he becomes purified. O Jahnavi, whatever deeds committed by people in this world you consider unbearable —

Verse 32 (skanda.5.333.32)

तस्मिन्पर्वणि तत्सर्वं तत्र स्नात्वा व्यपोहय । एवमुक्त्वा नरश्रेष्ठ विष्णुश्चान्तरधीयत ॥ ३२ ॥

tasminparvaṇi tatsarvaṁ tatra snātvā vyapohaya | evamuktvā naraśreṣṭha viṣṇuścāntaradhīyata || 32 ||

— on that parva, wash them all away by bathing there.' O best of men, having said this, Vishnu vanished from sight.

Verse 33 (skanda.5.333.33)

तदाप्रभृति तत्तीर्थं गङ्गावाहकमुत्तमम् । ब्रह्माद्यैरृषिभिस्तात पारम्पर्यक्रमागतैः ॥ ३३ ॥

tadāprabhṛti tattīrthaṁ gaṅgāvāhakamuttamam | brahmādyairṛṣibhistāta pāramparyakramāgataiḥ || 33 ||

From that time onward, O son, that supreme tirtha, Gangavahaka, has been passed down in unbroken succession by Brahma and the other sages —

Verse 34 (skanda.5.333.34)

तत्र तीर्थे तु यः स्नात्वा भक्तिभावेन भारत । गङ्गातीर्थे तु स स्नातः समस्तेषु न संशयः ॥ ३४ ॥

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ snātvā bhaktibhāvena bhārata | gaṅgātīrthe tu sa snātaḥ samasteṣu na saṁśayaḥ || 34 ||

O Bharata, whoever bathes at that tirtha with devotion has, without doubt, bathed at all the Ganga's tirthas together.

Verse 35 (skanda.5.333.35)

तत्र तीर्थे मृतानां तु नराणां भावितात्मनाम् । अनिवर्तिका गतिस्तेषां विष्णुलोकात्कदाचन ॥ ३५ ॥

tatra tīrthe mṛtānāṁ tu narāṇāṁ bhāvitātmanām | anivartikā gatisteṣāṁ viṣṇulokātkadācana || 35 ||

For men of devoted heart who die at that tirtha, their path from the world of Vishnu is one from which there is never any return.