The Greatness of Ekashala-Dindimeshvara Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.367.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। अथान्यत्सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि देवस्य चरितं महत्। श्रुतमात्रेण येनाशु सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते।

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| athānyatsampravakṣyāmi devasya caritaṁ mahat| śrutamātreṇa yenāśu sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate|||

Shri Markandeya said: Now I shall relate another great deed of the god, by merely hearing which a man is swiftly freed from all sins.

Verse 2 (skanda.5.367.2)

भिक्षुरूपं परं कृत्वा देवदेवो महेश्वरः। एकशालां गतो ग्रामं भिक्षार्थी क्षुत्पिपासितः।

bhikṣurūpaṁ paraṁ kṛtvā devadevo maheśvaraḥ| ekaśālāṁ gato grāmaṁ bhikṣārthī kṣutpipāsitaḥ|||

Maheshvara, the god of gods, having assumed the supreme guise of a mendicant, afflicted with hunger and thirst, went in search of alms into the village named Ekashala.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.367.3)

अक्षसूत्रोद्यतकरो भस्मगुण्ठितविग्रहः। स्फुरत्त्रिशूलो विश्वेशो जटाकुण्डलभूषितः।

akṣasūtrodyatakaro bhasmaguṇṭhitavigrahaḥ| sphurattriśūlo viśveśo jaṭākuṇḍalabhūṣitaḥ|||

The lord of the universe held a rosary raised in his hand, his body smeared with ashes, bearing a gleaming trident, and adorned with matted locks and earrings.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.367.4)

कृत्तिवासा महाकायो महाहिकृतभूषणः। वादयन्वै डमरुकं डिण्डिमप्रतिमं शुभम्।

kṛttivāsā mahākāyo mahāhikṛtabhūṣaṇaḥ| vādayanvai ḍamarukaṁ ḍiṇḍimapratimaṁ śubham|||

Clad in an animal hide, of vast form, adorned with a great serpent for an ornament, he sounded his hand-drum, auspicious as a kettledrum.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.367.5)

कपालपाणिर्भगवान्बालकैर्बहुभिर्वृतः। क्वचिद्गायन्हसंश्चैव नृत्यन्वदन् क्वचित्क्वचित्।

kapālapāṇirbhagavānbālakairbahubhirvṛtaḥ| kvacidgāyanhasaṁścaiva nṛtyanvadan kvacitkvacit|||

The Lord, a skull-cup in his hand, was surrounded by many children. Here he sang, there he laughed, in one place he danced, in another he spoke.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.367.6)

यत्र यत्र गृहे देवो लीलया डिण्डमं न्यसेत्। भाराक्रान्तं गृहं पार्थ तत्रतत्र विनश्यति।

yatra yatra gṛhe devo līlayā ḍiṇḍamaṁ nyaset| bhārākrāntaṁ gṛhaṁ pārtha tatratatra vinaśyati|||

O Partha, in whatever house the god, in play, set down his kettledrum, there the household, oppressed by its burden of hardship, was released from it.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.367.7)

एवं सम्प्रचरन् देवो वेष्टितो बहुभिर्जनैः। दृश्यादृश्येन रूपेण निर्जगाम बहिः प्रभुः।

evaṁ sampracaran devo veṣṭito bahubhirjanaiḥ| dṛśyādṛśyena rūpeṇa nirjagāma bahiḥ prabhuḥ|||

Thus wandering about, surrounded by many people, the god, the Lord, in a form now seen, now unseen, departed out beyond the village.

Verse 8 (skanda.5.367.8)

इतश्चेतश्च धावन्तं न पश्यन्ति यदा जनाः। विस्मितास्ते स्थिताः शम्भुर्भविष्यति ततोऽस्तुवन्।

itaścetaśca dhāvantaṁ na paśyanti yadā janāḥ| vismitāste sthitāḥ śambhurbhaviṣyati tato'stuvan|||

When the people could no longer see him running here and there, they stood still, filled with wonder, and thinking "This must surely have been Shambhu," they began to praise him.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.367.9)

तेषां तु स्तुवतां भक्त्या शङ्करं जगतां पतिम्। डिण्डिरूपो हि भगवांस्तदासौ प्रत्यदृश्यत।

teṣāṁ tu stuvatāṁ bhaktyā śaṅkaraṁ jagatāṁ patim| ḍiṇḍirūpo hi bhagavāṁstadāsau pratyadṛśyata|||

As they, with devotion, praised Shankara, the lord of the worlds, the blessed one, in his form as Dindi, then became visible again before them.

Verse 10 (skanda.5.367.10)

तदाप्रभृति देवेशो डिण्डिमेश्वर उच्यते। दर्शनात्स्पर्शनाद्राजन् सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते।

tadāprabhṛti deveśo ḍiṇḍimeśvara ucyate| darśanātsparśanādrājan sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate|||

From that time onward, that lord of gods came to be called Dindimeshvara. O king, by the mere sight and touch of him, a man is freed from all sins.