The Greatness of Mundi Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.366.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। आश्चर्यभूतं लोकस्य देवदेवेन यत्कृतम्। तत्ते सर्वं प्रवक्ष्यामि नर्मदातटवासिनाम्।

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| āścaryabhūtaṁ lokasya devadevena yatkṛtam| tatte sarvaṁ pravakṣyāmi narmadātaṭavāsinām|||

Shri Markandeya said: I shall tell you of all that wondrous deed which the god of gods performed for the dwellers on the bank of the Narmada.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.366.2)

द्विजान् सुकृत्पणान् देवः कुष्ठी भूत्वा ययाच ह। श्राद्धकाले तु सम्प्राप्ते रक्तगन्धानुलेपनः।

dvijān sukṛtpaṇān devaḥ kuṣṭhī bhūtvā yayāca ha| śrāddhakāle tu samprāpte raktagandhānulepanaḥ|||

To those brahmins of virtuous observance, when the time of the shraddha rite had come, the god went, having assumed the form of a leper, smeared with blood and foul odor, to beg.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.366.3)

स्रवद्बुद्बुदगात्रस्तु मक्षिकाकृमिसंवृतः। दुश्चर्मा दुर्मुखो गन्धी प्रस्खलंश्च पदे पदे।

sravadbudbudagātrastu makṣikākṛmisaṁvṛtaḥ| duścarmā durmukho gandhī praskhalaṁśca pade pade|||

Oozing blisters covered his limbs, he was beset by flies and worms, his skin diseased, his face repulsive, foul-smelling, and stumbling at every step.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.366.4)

ब्राह्मणावसथं गत्वा स्खलन्द्वारेऽब्रवीदिदम्। भोभो गृहपते त्वद्य ब्राह्मणैः सह भोजनम्।

brāhmaṇāvasathaṁ gatvā skhalandvāre'bravīdidam| bhobho gṛhapate tvadya brāhmaṇaiḥ saha bhojanam|||

Going to the brahmins' dwelling and stumbling at the door, he spoke thus: "O householder, today I with these brahmins,"

Verse 5 (skanda.5.366.5)

त्वद्गृहे कर्तुमिच्छामि ह्येभिः सह सुसंस्कृतम्। ततस्तं ब्रह्माणं दृष्ट्वा यजमानसमन्विताः।

tvadgṛhe kartumicchāmi hyebhiḥ saha susaṁskṛtam| tatastaṁ brahmāṇaṁ dṛṣṭvā yajamānasamanvitāḥ|||

"wish to partake of this well-prepared meal in your house." Then, seeing that brahmin, the sacrificer together with the others,

Verse 6 (skanda.5.366.6)

स्रवन्तं सर्वगात्रेषु धिग्धिगित्येवमब्रुवन्। निर्गच्छस्वाशु दुर्गन्ध गृहाच्छीघ्रं द्विजाधम।

sravantaṁ sarvagātreṣu dhigdhigityevamabruvan| nirgacchasvāśu durgandha gṛhācchīghraṁ dvijādhama|||

beholding him oozing from every limb, cried out, "Shame, shame!" "O foul-smelling one, O basest of the twice-born, get out of the house at once!"

Verse 7 (skanda.5.366.7)

अभोज्यमेतत्सर्वेषां दर्शनात्तव सत्कृतम्। एवमेव तथेत्युक्त्वा देवदेवो महेश्वरः।

abhojyametatsarveṣāṁ darśanāttava satkṛtam| evameva tathetyuktvā devadevo maheśvaraḥ|||

"By the mere sight of you, this food, prepared with honor for us all, has become unfit to eat." Saying only "So be it," Maheshvara, the god of gods,

Verse 8 (skanda.5.366.8)

जगामाकाशममलं दृश्यमानो द्विजोत्तमैः। गते चादर्शनं देवे स्नात्वाभ्युक्ष्य समन्ततः।

jagāmākāśamamalaṁ dṛśyamāno dvijottamaiḥ| gate cādarśanaṁ deve snātvābhyukṣya samantataḥ|||

departed into the spotless sky even as those foremost twice-born watched. When the god had vanished from sight, having bathed and sprinkled water all around,

Verse 9 (skanda.5.366.9)

भुञ्जतेऽस्म द्विजा राजन्यावत्पात्रे पृथक्पृथक्। यत्रयत्र च पश्यन्ति तत्रतत्र कृमिर्बहुः।

bhuñjate'sma dvijā rājanyāvatpātre pṛthakpṛthak| yatrayatra ca paśyanti tatratatra kṛmirbahuḥ|||

O king, even as the brahmins sat down to eat, each from his own separate vessel, wherever they looked, there in that very place they saw a multitude of worms.

Verse 10 (skanda.5.366.10)

दृष्ट्वा विस्मयमापन्नाः सर्वे किमिति चाब्रुवन्। ततः कश्चिदुवाचेदं ब्राह्मणो गुणवानग्रजः।

dṛṣṭvā vismayamāpannāḥ sarve kimiti cābruvan| tataḥ kaściduvācedaṁ brāhmaṇo guṇavānagrajaḥ|||

Seeing this, all were struck with astonishment and cried, "What is this?" Then a certain virtuous and senior brahmin spoke these words.

Verse 11 (skanda.5.366.11)

योगीन्द्रः शङ्कया तत्र बहुविप्रसमागमे। योऽत्र पूर्वं समायातः स योगी परमेश्वरः।

yogīndraḥ śaṅkayā tatra bahuviprasamāgame| yo'tra pūrvaṁ samāyātaḥ sa yogī parameśvaraḥ|||

"In this great gathering of many brahmins, out of some hidden purpose, the lord of yogis - he who came here earlier - that yogi was none other than the supreme Lord himself."

Verse 12 (skanda.5.366.12)

तस्येदं क्रीडितं मन्ये भर्त्सितस्य विपाकजम्। फलं भवति नान्यस्य ह्यतिथेः शास्त्रनिश्चयात्।

tasyedaṁ krīḍitaṁ manye bhartsitasya vipākajam| phalaṁ bhavati nānyasya hyatitheḥ śāstraniścayāt|||

"I believe this to be his very play, the ripened consequence of his having been scorned. According to the determination of the scriptures, such a fruit arises from the insult of no ordinary guest."

Verse 13 (skanda.5.366.13)

सम्पूज्य परमात्मा वै ह्यतिथिश्च विशेषतः। श्राद्धकाले तु सम्प्राप्तमतिथिं यो न पूजयेत्।

sampūjya paramātmā vai hyatithiśca viśeṣataḥ| śrāddhakāle tu samprāptamatithiṁ yo na pūjayet|||

"A guest should be honored above all, for the guest is verily the Supreme Self himself. Whoever fails to honor a guest who arrives at the time of the shraddha rite,"

Verse 14 (skanda.5.366.14)

पिशाचा राक्षसास्तस्य तद्विलुम्पन्त्यसंशयम्। रूपान्वितं विरूपं वा मलिनं मलिनाम्बरम्।

piśācā rākṣasāstasya tadvilumpantyasaṁśayam| rūpānvitaṁ virūpaṁ vā malinaṁ malināmbaram|||

"pishachas and rakshasas will certainly plunder that merit of his. Whether the guest be handsome or deformed, soiled or clad in soiled garments,"

Verse 15 (skanda.5.366.15)

योगीन्द्रं श्वपचं वापि अतिथिं न विचारयेत्। तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य यजमानपुरोगमाः।

yogīndraṁ śvapacaṁ vāpi atithiṁ na vicārayet| tacchrutvā vacanaṁ tasya yajamānapurogamāḥ|||

"whether a great yogi or an outcaste dog-cooker, one should make no distinction concerning a guest." Hearing his words, led by the sacrificer,

Verse 16 (skanda.5.366.16)

ब्राह्मणा द्विजमन्वेष्टुं धाविताः सर्वतोदिशम्। तावत्कथंचित्केनापि गहनं वनमाश्रितः।

brāhmaṇā dvijamanveṣṭuṁ dhāvitāḥ sarvatodiśam| tāvatkathaṁcitkenāpi gahanaṁ vanamāśritaḥ|||

the brahmins ran off in every direction to search for that twice-born one. Meanwhile someone, by some means, found him taken refuge in a dense forest.

Verse 17 (skanda.5.366.17)

दृष्टो दृष्ट इति प्रोक्तं तेन ते सर्व आगताः। ततः पश्यन्ति तं विप्रं स्थाणुवन्निश्चलं स्थितम्।

dṛṣṭo dṛṣṭa iti proktaṁ tena te sarva āgatāḥ| tataḥ paśyanti taṁ vipraṁ sthāṇuvanniścalaṁ sthitam|||

"Found, found!" he cried out, and they all came there. Then they saw that brahmin standing motionless like a tree-stump.

Verse 18 (skanda.5.366.18)

क्रन्दते न चलति स्पन्दते न च पश्यति। जल्पन्ति करुणं केचित्स्तुवन्ति च तथापरे।

krandate na calati spandate na ca paśyati| jalpanti karuṇaṁ kecitstuvanti ca tathāpare|||

He neither wept, nor moved, nor stirred, nor saw. Some among them began to lament piteously, while others began to offer praise.

Verse 19 (skanda.5.366.19)

वाग्भिः सततमिष्टाभिः स्तूयमानस्त्रिलोचनः। क्षुधार्दितानां देवेश ब्राह्मणानां विशेषतः। विनष्टमन्नं सर्वेषां पुनः संकर्तुमर्हसि।

vāgbhiḥ satatamiṣṭābhiḥ stūyamānastrilocanaḥ| kṣudhārditānāṁ deveśa brāhmaṇānāṁ viśeṣataḥ| vinaṣṭamannaṁ sarveṣāṁ punaḥ saṅkartumarhasi|||

Praised continuously with words of devotion, they prayed to the three-eyed one: "O lord of gods, especially for these brahmins afflicted with hunger, you are able to restore again the food that was ruined for us all."

Verse 20 (skanda.5.366.20)

श्रुत्वा तु वचनं तेषां ब्राह्मणानां युधिष्ठिर। परया कृपया देवः प्रसन्नस्तानुवाच ह।

śrutvā tu vacanaṁ teṣāṁ brāhmaṇānāṁ yudhiṣṭhira| parayā kṛpayā devaḥ prasannastānuvāca ha|||

O Yudhishthira, hearing these words of those brahmins, the god, pleased with great compassion, spoke to them.

Verse 21 (skanda.5.366.21)

मया प्रसन्नेन महानुभावास्तदेव वोऽन्नं विहितं सुधेव। भुञ्जन्तु विप्राः सह बन्धुभृत्यैरर्चन्तु नित्यं मम मण्डलं च।

mayā prasannena mahānubhāvāstadeva vo'nnaṁ vihitaṁ sudheva| bhuñjantu viprāḥ saha bandhubhṛtyairarcantu nityaṁ mama maṇḍalaṁ ca|||

"O noble souls, now that I am pleased, that very food of yours has been made like nectar. Let the brahmins eat together with their kin and servants, and let them ever worship this abode of mine."

Verse 22 (skanda.5.366.22)

ततश्चायतनं पार्थ देवदेवस्य शूलिनः। मुण्डिनामेति विख्यातं सर्वपापहरं शुभम्। कार्त्तिक्यां तु विशेषेण गयातीर्थेन तत्समम्।

tataścāyatanaṁ pārtha devadevasya śūlinaḥ| muṇḍināmeti vikhyātaṁ sarvapāpaharaṁ śubham| kārttikyāṁ tu viśeṣeṇa gayātīrthena tatsamam|||

O Partha, from that time that abode of the trident-bearing god of gods became renowned by the name Mundi - auspicious, the remover of all sin. Especially during Kartika, it is equal to the tirtha of Gaya.