The Glory of Ashvin Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.354.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। तस्यैवानन्तरं राजन्नाश्विनं तीर्थमुत्तमम्। कामिकं सर्वतीर्थानां प्राणिनां सिद्धिदायकम्

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| tasyaivānantaraṁ rājannāśvinaṁ tīrthamuttamam| kāmikaṁ sarvatīrthānāṁ prāṇināṁ siddhidāyakam

Shri Markandeya said: O king, immediately after that lies the excellent Ashvin Tirtha, which, among all tirthas, fulfills desires and bestows accomplishment upon living beings.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.354.2)

तत्र तीर्थेऽश्विनौ देवौ सुरूपौ भिषजां वरौ। तपः कृत्वा सुविपुलं संजातौ यज्ञभागिनौ

tatra tīrthe'śvinau devau surūpau bhiṣajāṁ varau| tapaḥ kṛtvā suvipulaṁ saṁjātau yajñabhāginau

At that tirtha, the two Ashvin gods, of beautiful form, foremost among physicians, having performed vast austerity, became entitled to a share in the sacrifice.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.354.3)

संमतौ सर्वदेवानामादित्यतनयावुभौ। नासत्यौ सत्त्वसंपन्नौ सर्वदुःखघ्नसत्तमौ

sammatau sarvadevānāmādityatanayāvubhau| nāsatyau sattvasampannau sarvaduḥkhaghnasattamau

Honoured by all the gods, sons of Aditya, both called Nasatya, endowed with pure goodness, foremost destroyers of every sorrow.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.354.4)

युधिष्ठिर उवाच। आदित्यस्य सुतौ तात नासत्यौ येन हेतुना। संजातौ श्रोतुमिच्छामि निर्णयं परमं द्विज

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca| ādityasya sutau tāta nāsatyau yena hetunā| saṁjātau śrotumicchāmi nirṇayaṁ paramaṁ dvija

Yudhishthira said: O father, I wish to hear the reason for which Surya's sons, the Nasatyas, came to be born. O brahmin, tell me this definitively.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.354.5)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच। पुराणे भास्करे तात एतद्विस्तरतो मया। संश्रुतं देवदेवस्य मार्तण्डस्य महात्मनः

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca| purāṇe bhāskare tāta etadvistarato mayā| saṁśrutaṁ devadevasya mārtaṇḍasya mahātmanaḥ

Markandeya said: O father, I have heard this at length in the Bhaskara Purana, concerning the great god of gods, Martanda, the sun.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.354.6)

तत्ते संक्षेपतः सर्वं भक्तियुक्तस्य भारत। कथयामि न सन्देहो वृद्धभावेन कर्शितः

tatte saṁkṣepataḥ sarvaṁ bhaktiyuktasya bhārata| kathayāmi na sandeho vṛddhabhāvena karśitaḥ

O descendant of Bharata, to you, devoted as you are, I shall tell all this in brief, without doubt, though worn by old age.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.354.7)

अतितेजोरवेर्दृष्ट्वा राज्ञी देवी नरोत्तम। चचार मेरुकान्तारे वडवा तप उल्बणम्

atitejoraverdṛṣṭvā rājñī devī narottama| cacāra merukāntāre vaḍavā tapa ulbaṇam

O best of men, beholding the sun's excessive splendour, his queen, the goddess, taking the form of a mare, performed intense austerity in the wilderness of Meru.

Verse 8 (skanda.5.354.8)

ततः कतिपयाहस्य कालस्य भगवान्रविः। दृष्ट्वा तु रूपमुत्सृज्य परमं तेज उज्ज्वलम्

tataḥ katipayāhasya kālasya bhagavānraviḥ| dṛṣṭvā tu rūpamutsṛjya paramaṁ teja ujjvalam

Then, after some time had passed, the blessed sun, beholding her, setting aside his own most brilliant, blazing splendour—

Verse 9 (skanda.5.354.9)

मनोभववशीभूतो हयो भूत्वा लघुक्रमः। विस्फुरन्ती यथाप्राणं धावमाना इतस्ततः

manobhavavaśībhūto hayo bhūtvā laghukramaḥ| visphurantī yathāprāṇaṁ dhāvamānā itastataḥ

overcome by desire, took the form of a swift-footed horse, approaching her — she who, quivering with all her strength, ran here and there—

Verse 10 (skanda.5.354.10)

हेषमाणः स्वरेणासौ मैथुनायोपचक्रमे। सम्मुखी तु ततो देवी निवृत्ता लघुविक्रमा

heṣamāṇaḥ svareṇāsau maithunāyopacakrame| sammukhī tu tato devī nivṛttā laghuvikramā

neighing aloud, approached for union; but the goddess, swift of movement, turning to face him, drew back.

Verse 11 (skanda.5.354.11)

यथा तथा नासिकायां प्रविष्टं बीजमुत्तमम्। ततो नासागते बीजे संजातो गर्भ उत्तमः

yathā tathā nāsikāyāṁ praviṣṭaṁ bījamuttamam| tato nāsāgate bīje saṁjāto garbha uttamaḥ

Somehow, that excellent seed entered into her nostril. Then, from that seed lodged in her nostril, an excellent embryo was conceived.

Verse 12 (skanda.5.354.12)

जातौ यतः सुतौ पार्थ नासत्यौ विश्रुतौ ततः। सुसमौ सुविभक्ताङ्गौ बिम्बाद्बिम्बमिवोद्यतौ

jātau yataḥ sutau pārtha nāsatyau viśrutau tataḥ| susamau suvibhaktāṅgau bimbādbimbamivodyatau

O Partha, since the two sons were born from the nostril, they became renowned by the name Nasatya — both perfectly proportioned, well-formed of limb, as though one reflection had arisen from another.

Verse 13 (skanda.5.354.13)

अधिकौ सर्वदेवानां रूपैश्चर्यसमन्वितौ। नर्मदातटमाश्रित्य भृगुकच्छे गतावुभौ। परां सिद्धिमनुप्राप्तौ तपः कृत्वा सुदुश्चरम्

adhikau sarvadevānāṁ rūpaiścaryasamanvitau| narmadātaṭamāśritya bhṛgukacche gatāvubhau| parāṁ siddhimanuprāptau tapaḥ kṛtvā suduścaram

Both of them surpassed all the gods in beauty and majesty. Resorting to the bank of the Narmada, they went to Bhrigukaccha, and, performing austerity most difficult to accomplish, attained supreme perfection.

Verse 14 (skanda.5.354.14)

तत्र तीर्थे तु यः स्नात्वा तर्पयेत्पितृदेवताः। सुरूपः सुभगः पार्थ जायते यत्र तत्र च

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ snātvā tarpayetpitṛdevatāḥ| surūpaḥ subhagaḥ pārtha jāyate yatra tatra ca

He who bathes at that tirtha and offers libations to the ancestors and gods, O Partha, is born beautiful and fortunate, wherever he may be born.