The Glory of Shalagrama Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.343.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। ततः परं महाराज चत्वारिंशत्क्रमान्तरे। शालग्रामं ततो गच्छेत्सर्वदैवतपूजितम्

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| tataḥ paraṁ mahārāja catvāriṁśatkramāntare| śālagrāmaṁ tato gacchetsarvadaivatapūjitam

Shri Markandeya said: O great king, forty paces beyond that, one should go to Shalagrama, worshipped by all the gods.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.343.2)

यत्रादिदेवो भगवान्वासुदेवस्त्रिविक्रमः। स्वयं तिष्ठति लोकात्मा सर्वेषां हितकाम्यया

yatrādidevo bhagavānvāsudevastrivikramaḥ| svayaṁ tiṣṭhati lokātmā sarveṣāṁ hitakāmyayā

Where the primal god, Lord Vasudeva Trivikrama, the soul of the world, himself abides, desiring the welfare of all beings.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.343.3)

नारदेन तपस्तप्त्वा कृता शाला द्विजन्मनाम्। सिद्धिक्षेत्रं भृगुक्षेत्रं ज्ञात्वा रेवातटे स्वयम्

nāradena tapastaptvā kṛtā śālā dvijanmanām| siddhikṣetraṁ bhṛgukṣetraṁ jñātvā revātaṭe svayam

Narada, having performed austerities, and knowing this place on the bank of the Reva to be the Siddhikshetra, the Bhrigukshetra, himself built a hermitage for the twice-born.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.343.4)

शालग्रामाभिधो देवो विप्राणां त्वधिवासितः। साधूनां चोपकाराय वासुदेवः प्रतिष्ठितः

śālagrāmābhidho devo viprāṇāṁ tvadhivāsitaḥ| sādhūnāṁ copakārāya vāsudevaḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ

The deity named Shalagrama was installed there by the brahmins; Vasudeva was thus established there for the benefit of the virtuous.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.343.5)

योगिनामुपकाराय योगिध्येयो जनार्दनः। शालग्रामेति तेनैव नर्मदातटमाश्रितः

yogināmupakārāya yogidhyeyo janārdanaḥ| śālagrāmeti tenaiva narmadātaṭamāśritaḥ

For the benefit of yogis, Janardana — meditated upon by yogis — thus abides on the bank of the Narmada under the name Shalagrama.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.343.6)

मासि मार्गशिरे शुक्ला भवत्येकादशी यदा। स्नात्वा रेवाजले पुण्ये तद्दिनं समुपोषयेत्

māsi mārgaśire śuklā bhavatyekādaśī yadā| snātvā revājale puṇye taddinaṁ samupoṣayet

When the eleventh day of the bright fortnight of the month of Margashirsha arrives, one should bathe in the sacred waters of the Reva and observe a fast that day.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.343.7)

रात्रौ जागरणं कुर्यात्सम्पूज्य च जनार्दनम्। पुनः प्रभातसमये द्वादश्यां नर्मदाजले

rātrau jāgaraṇaṁ kuryātsampūjya ca janārdanam| punaḥ prabhātasamaye dvādaśyāṁ narmadājale

Having duly worshipped Janardana, one should keep a night vigil; then again, at dawn on the twelfth day, in the waters of the Narmada.

Verse 8 (skanda.5.343.8)

स्नात्वा संतर्प्य देवांश्च पितॄन्मातॄंस्तथैव च। श्राद्धं कृत्वा ततः पश्चात्पितृभ्यो विधिपूर्वकम्

snātvā santarpya devāṁśca pitṝnmātṝṁstathaiva ca| śrāddhaṁ kṛtvā tataḥ paścātpitṛbhyo vidhipūrvakam

Having bathed, one should offer libations to the gods, the ancestors, and the mother-goddesses alike, and thereafter perform the shraddha rite for the ancestors according to the prescribed rule.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.343.9)

शक्तितो ब्राह्मणान्पूज्य स्वर्णवस्त्रान्नदानतः। क्षमापयित्वा तान्विप्रांस्तथा देवं खगध्वजम्

śaktito brāhmaṇānpūjya svarṇavastrānnadānataḥ| kṣamāpayitvā tānviprāṁstathā devaṁ khagadhvajam

One should worship the brahmins according to one's means, offering gifts of gold, garments, and food, and then seek forgiveness from those brahmins as well as from the god whose banner bears Garuda.

Verse 10 (skanda.5.343.10)

एवं कृते महाराज यत्पुण्यं च भवेन्नॄणाम्। शृणुष्वावहितो भूत्वा तत्पुण्यं नृपसत्तम

evaṁ kṛte mahārāja yatpuṇyaṁ ca bhavennṝṇām| śṛṇuṣvāvahito bhūtvā tatpuṇyaṁ nṛpasattama

O great king, hear attentively, O best of kings, the merit that men obtain by doing thus.

Verse 11 (skanda.5.343.11)

न शोकदुःखे प्रतिपत्स्यतीह जीवन्मृतो याति मुरारिसाम्यम्। महान्ति पापानि विसृज्य दुग्धं पुनर्न मातुः पिबते स्तनोद्यत्

na śokaduḥkhe pratipatsyatīha jīvanmṛto yāti murārisāmyam| mahānti pāpāni visṛjya dugdhaṁ punarna mātuḥ pibate stanodyat

He shall not fall into grief and sorrow in this world; though still living, he attains nearness to Murari. Having cast off great sins, he never again drinks the milk from his mother's uplifted breast — that is, he is not born again.

Verse 12 (skanda.5.343.12)

शालग्रामं पश्यते यो हि नित्यं स्नात्वा जले नार्मदेऽघौघहारे। स मुच्यते ब्रह्महत्यादिपापैर्नारायणानुस्मरणेन तेन

śālagrāmaṁ paśyate yo hi nityaṁ snātvā jale nārmade'ghaughahāre| sa mucyate brahmahatyādipāpairnārāyaṇānusmaraṇena tena

He who daily bathes in the waters of the Narmada — remover of the multitude of sins — and beholds the Shalagrama, is freed, through that remembrance of Narayana, from sins such as the killing of a brahmin.

Verse 13 (skanda.5.343.13)

वसन्ति ये संन्यसित्वा च तत्र निगृह्य दुःखानि विमुक्तसङ्घाः। ध्यायन्तो वै सांख्यवृत्त्या तुरीयं पदं मुरारेस्तेऽपि तत्रैव यान्ति

vasanti ye saṁnyasitvā ca tatra nigṛhya duḥkhāni vimuktasaṅghāḥ| dhyāyanto vai sāṅkhyavṛttyā turīyaṁ padaṁ murārestepi tatraiva yānti

Those who dwell there having embraced renunciation, having subdued their sorrows, freed from all bondage, meditating through the discipline of Sankhya upon the fourth, transcendent state of Murari — they too attain that very state.