The Greatness of Dashakanya Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.361.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। गच्छेत्ततः क्षोणिनाथ तीर्थं परमशोभनम्। सर्वपापहरं पुण्यं दशकन्येति विश्रुतम्। महादेवकृतं पुण्यं सर्वकामफलप्रदम्।

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| gacchettataḥ kṣoṇinātha tīrthaṁ paramaśobhanam| sarvapāpaharaṁ puṇyaṁ daśakanyeti viśrutam| mahādevakṛtaṁ puṇyaṁ sarvakāmaphalapradam||

Shri Markandeya said: Thereafter, O lord of the earth, one should go to a most beautiful and sacred tirtha that removes all sins, renowned as Dashakanya. Made sacred by Mahadeva, it grants the fruit of every desire.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.361.2)

तत्र तीर्थे महादेवो दशकन्या गुणान्विताः। ब्रह्मणो वरयामास ह्युद्वाहेन युयोज ह।

tatra tīrthe mahādevo daśakanyā guṇānvitāḥ| brahmaṇo varayāmāsa hyudvāhena yuyoja ha||

At that tirtha, Mahadeva chose ten virtuous maidens for Brahma and united them in marriage.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.361.3)

तदाप्रभृति तत्तीर्थं दशकन्येति विश्रुतम्। सर्वपापहरं पुण्यमक्षयं कीर्तितं फलम्।

tadāprabhṛti tattīrthaṁ daśakanyeti viśrutam| sarvapāpaharaṁ puṇyamakṣayaṁ kīrtitaṁ phalam||

From that time onward, that tirtha became known as Dashakanya - sacred, removing all sins, its fruit declared imperishable.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.361.4)

तत्र तीर्थे तु यः कन्यां ददाति समलंकृताम्। प्राप्नोति पुरुषो दत्त्वा यथाशक्त्या स्वलंकृताम्।

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ kanyāṁ dadāti samalaṅkṛtām| prāpnoti puruṣo dattvā yathāśaktyā svalaṅkṛtām||

At that tirtha, the man who gives a well-adorned maiden in gift, according to his capacity, obtains the fruit thereof.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.361.5)

तेन दानोत्थपुण्येन पूतात्मानो नराधिप। वसन्ति रोमसंख्यानि वर्षाणि शिवसन्निधौ।

tena dānotthapuṇyena pūtātmāno narādhipa| vasanti romasaṅkhyāni varṣāṇi śivasannidhau||

O lord of men, by the merit born of that gift, those of purified soul dwell in Shiva's presence for as many years as there are hairs on the body.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.361.6)

ततः कालेन महता त्विह लोके नरेश्वर। मानुष्यं प्राप्य दुष्प्राप्यं धनकोटीपतिर्भवेत्।

tataḥ kālena mahatā tviha loke nareśvara| mānuṣyaṁ prāpya duṣprāpyaṁ dhanakoṭīpatirbhavet||

Thereafter, O lord of men, after a great span of time, having obtained the hard-won human birth in this world, he becomes the lord of countless wealth.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.361.7)

तत्र तीर्थे तु यो भक्त्या स्नात्वा विप्राय काञ्चनम्। सम्प्रयच्छति शान्ताय सोऽत्यन्तं सुखमश्नुते।

tatra tīrthe tu yo bhaktyā snātvā viprāya kāñcanam| samprayacchati śāntāya so'tyantaṁ sukhamaśnute||

He who bathes there with devotion and offers gold to a tranquil brahmin attains the utmost happiness.

Verse 8 (skanda.5.361.8)

वाचिकं मानसं वापि कर्मजं यत्पुरा कृतम्। तत्सर्वं विलयं याति स्वर्णदानेन भारत।

vācikaṁ mānasaṁ vāpi karmajaṁ yatpurā kṛtam| tatsarvaṁ vilayaṁ yāti svarṇadānena bhārata||

O descendant of Bharata, whatever sin was previously committed by speech, mind, or deed - all of it is dissolved by the gift of gold.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.361.9)

नरो दत्त्वा सुवर्णं चापि वालाग्रमात्रकम्। तत्र तीर्थे दिवं याति मृतो नास्त्यत्र संशयः।

naro dattvā suvarṇaṁ cāpi vālāgramātrakam| tatra tīrthe divaṁ yāti mṛto nāstyatra saṁśayaḥ||

A man who gives gold there, even as little as the tip of a hair, goes to heaven when he dies - of this there is no doubt.

Verse 10 (skanda.5.361.10)

तत्र विद्याधरैः सिद्धैर्विमानवरमास्थितः। पूज्यमानो वसेत्तावद्यावदाभूतसम्प्लवम्।

tatra vidyādharaiḥ siddhairvimānavaramāsthitaḥ| pūjyamāno vasettāvadyāvadābhūtasamplavam||

There, honored by Vidyadharas and Siddhas, mounted upon an excellent celestial chariot, he dwells until the dissolution of the universe.