The Glory of Kedareshvara Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.338.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। अतः परं महाराज गच्छेत्केदारसंज्ञकम् । यत्र गत्वा महाराज श्राद्धं कृत्वा पिबेज्जलम् । सम्पूज्य देवदेवेशं केदारोत्थं फलं लभेत् ॥ १ ॥

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| ataḥ paraṁ mahārāja gacchetkedārasaṁjñakam | yatra gatvā mahārāja śrāddhaṁ kṛtvā pibejjalam | sampūjya devadeveśaṁ kedārotthaṁ phalaṁ labhet || 1 ||

Sri Markandeya said: Thereafter, O great king, one should go to the place named Kedara. Going there, O great king, having performed shraddha and drunk its water, and having worshipped the god of gods, one obtains the fruit arising from Kedara.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.338.2)

युधिष्ठिर उवाच। कथमत्र सुरश्रेष्ठ केदाराख्यः स्थितः स्वयम् । उत्तरे नर्मदाकूले एतद्विस्तरतो वद ॥ २ ॥

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca| kathamatra suraśreṣṭha kedārākhyaḥ sthitaḥ svayam | uttare narmadākūle etadvistarato vada || 2 ||

Yudhishthira said: 'O foremost among gods, how did the one named Kedara come to be established here, on the northern bank of the Narmada? Tell me this in detail.'

Verse 3 (skanda.5.338.3)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। पुरा कृतयुगस्यादौ शङ्करस्तु महेश्वरः । भृगुणाराधितः शप्तः श्रिया च भृगुकच्छके ॥ ३ ॥

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| purā kṛtayugasyādau śaṅkarastu maheśvaraḥ | bhṛguṇārādhitaḥ śaptaḥ śriyā ca bhṛgukacchake || 3 ||

Sri Markandeya said: Long ago, at the start of the Krita Yuga, Shankara Maheshvara was worshipped by Bhrigu, and this place was cursed by Shri at Bhrigukachchha.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.338.4)

अपवित्रमिदं क्षेत्रं सर्ववेदविवर्जितम् । भविष्यति नृपश्रेष्ठ गतेत्युक्त्वा हरिप्रिया ॥ ४ ॥

apavitramidaṁ kṣetraṁ sarvavedavivarjitam | bhaviṣyati nṛpaśreṣṭha gatetyuktvā haripriyā || 4 ||

'This field shall become impure, devoid of all Vedic sanctity' — O best of kings, having said this, Hari's beloved departed.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.338.5)

तपश्चचार विपुलं भृगुर्वर्षसहस्रकम् । वायुभक्षो निराहारश्चिरं धमनिसंततः ॥ ५ ॥

tapaścacāra vipulaṁ bhṛgurvarṣasahasrakam | vāyubhakṣo nirāhāraścciraṁ dhamanisaṁtataḥ || 5 ||

Bhrigu then performed vast austerity for a thousand years, living on air alone, without food, for a long time, his veins showing through his skin.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.338.6)

ततः प्रत्यक्षतामागाल्लिङ्गीभूतो महेश्वरः । प्रादुर्भूतस्तु सहसा भित्त्वा पातालसप्तकम् ॥ ६ ॥

tataḥ pratyakṣatāmāgālliṅgībhūto maheśvaraḥ | prādurbhūtastu sahasā bhittvā pātālasaptakam || 6 ||

Then Maheshvara, having taken the form of a linga, became manifest — suddenly appearing, splitting through the seven Patalas.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.338.7)

ददर्शाथ भृगुर्देवमौत्पलीं केलिकामिव । स्तुतिं चक्रे स देवाय स्थाणवे त्र्यम्बकेति च ॥ ७ ॥

dadarśātha bhṛgurdevamautpalīṁ kelikāmiva | stutiṁ cakre sa devāya sthāṇave tryambaketi ca || 7 ||

Then Bhrigu beheld the god, radiant like a lotus in play; he offered praise to that god, saying 'O Sthanu, O Tryambaka' and the like.

Verse 8 (skanda.5.338.8)

एवं स्तुतः स भगवान् प्रोवाच प्रहसन्निव । पुनः पुनर्भृगुं मत्तः किंतु प्रार्थयसे मुने ॥ ८ ॥

evaṁ stutaḥ sa bhagavān provāca prahasanniva | punaḥ punarbhṛguṁ mattaḥ kiṁtu prārthayase mune || 8 ||

Thus praised, the blessed Lord spoke, as if smiling: 'O Bhrigu, again and again — what is it you seek from me, O sage?'

Verse 9 (skanda.5.338.9)

भृगुरुवाच। पञ्चक्रोशमिदं क्षेत्रं पद्मया शापितं विभो । उपवित्रमिदं क्षेत्रं सर्ववेदविवर्जितम् । भविष्यतीति च प्रोच्य गता देवी विदं प्रति ॥ ९ ॥

bhṛguruvāca| pañcakrośamidaṁ kṣetraṁ padmayā śāpitaṁ vibho | upavitramidaṁ kṣetraṁ sarvavedavivarjitam | bhaviṣyatīti ca procya gatā devī vidaṁ prati || 9 ||

Bhrigu said: 'O mighty one, this field of five kroshas was cursed by Padma: this field shall become impure, devoid of all Vedic sanctity — having said this, the goddess departed for heaven.

Verse 10 (skanda.5.338.10)

पुनः पवित्रतां याति यथेदं क्षेत्रमुत्तमम् । तथा कुरु महेशान प्रसन्नो यदि शङ्कर ॥ १० ॥

punaḥ pavitratāṁ yāti yathedaṁ kṣetramuttamam | tathā kuru maheśāna prasanno yadi śaṅkara || 10 ||

O Maheshana, O Shankara, if you are pleased, do something so that this excellent field regains its purity once more.'

Verse 11 (skanda.5.338.11)

ईश्वर उवाच। केदाराख्यमिदं ब्रह्मंल्लिङ्गमाद्यं भविष्यति । कृत्वेदमादिलिङ्गानि भविष्यन्ति दशैव हि ॥ ११ ॥

īśvara uvāca| kedārākhyamidaṁ brahmanlliṅgamādyaṁ bhaviṣyati | kṛtvedamādiliṅgāni bhaviṣyanti daśaiva hi || 11 ||

Ishvara said: 'O brahmin, this linga named Kedara shall be the first; having made this the foremost, ten more lingas shall come to be.

Verse 12 (skanda.5.338.12)

एकादशमदृश्यं हि क्षेत्रमध्ये भविष्यति । पावयिष्यति तत्क्षेत्रमेकादशः स्वयं विभुः ॥ १२ ॥

ekādaśamadṛśyaṁ hi kṣetramadhye bhaviṣyati | pāvayiṣyati tatkṣetramekādaśaḥ svayaṁ vibhuḥ || 12 ||

An eleventh, invisible, shall stand in the midst of the field; that eleventh, mighty in itself, shall purify that entire field.

Verse 13 (skanda.5.338.13)

तथा वै द्वादशादित्या मत्प्रसादात्तु मूर्तितः । वसिष्यन्ति भृगुक्षेत्रे रोगदुःखनिबर्हणाः ॥ १३ ॥

tathā vai dvādaśādityā matprasādāttu mūrtitaḥ | vasiṣyanti bhṛgukṣetre rogaduḥkhanibarhaṇāḥ || 13 ||

Likewise, the twelve Adityas, by my grace, taking visible form, shall dwell in Bhrigukshetra, destroying disease and suffering.

Verse 14 (skanda.5.338.14)

दुर्गाः ह्यष्टादश तथा क्षेत्रपालास्तु षोडश । भृगुक्षेत्रे भविष्यन्ति वीरभद्राश्च मातरः ॥ १४ ॥

durgāḥ hyaṣṭādaśa tathā kṣetrapālāstu ṣoḍaśa | bhṛgukṣetre bhaviṣyanti vīrabhadrāśca mātaraḥ || 14 ||

Likewise, eighteen forms of Durga, and sixteen Kshetrapalas, shall come to be in Bhrigukshetra, together with Virabhadras and Mothers.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.338.15)

पवित्रीकृतमेतद्धि नित्यं क्षेत्रं भविष्यति । नाघमासे ह्युषःकाले स्नात्वा मासं जितेन्द्रियः ॥ १५ ॥

pavitrīkṛtametaddhi nityaṁ kṣetraṁ bhaviṣyati | nāghamāse hyuṣaḥkāle snātvā māsaṁ jitendriyaḥ || 15 ||

Thus this field shall ever remain purified. Whoever, self-controlled, bathes at dawn throughout the month of Magha,

Verse 16 (skanda.5.338.16)

यः पूजयति केदारं स गच्छेच्छिवमन्दिरम् । तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा पित्ॄनुद्दिश्य भारत । श्राद्धं ददाति विधिवत्तस्य प्रीताः पितामहाः ॥ १६ ॥

yaḥ pūjayati kedāraṁ sa gacchecchivamandiram | tasmiṁstīrthe naraḥ snātvā pitṝnuddiśya bhārata | śrāddhaṁ dadāti vidhivattasya prītāḥ pitāmahāḥ || 16 ||

— worships Kedara, goes to the abode of Shiva. O Bharata, a man who bathes at that tirtha and, for the sake of his ancestors, offers shraddha duly — his forefathers are pleased.

Verse 17 (skanda.5.338.17)

इति ते कथितं सम्यक्केदाराख्यं सविस्तरम् । सर्वपापहरं पुण्यं सर्वदुःखप्रणाशनम् ॥ १७ ॥

iti te kathitaṁ samyakkedārākhyaṁ savistaram | sarvapāpaharaṁ puṇyaṁ sarvaduḥkhapraṇāśanam || 17 ||

Thus has this account of Kedara been fully told to you in detail — meritorious, remover of all sin, destroyer of all sorrow.