The Greatness of Shri Kapala Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.369.1)

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच। चतुर्थं सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि देवस्य चरितं महत्। श्रुतमात्रेण येनैव सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते।

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca| caturthaṁ sampravakṣyāmi devasya caritaṁ mahat| śrutamātreṇa yenaiva sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate|||

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

Verse 2 (skanda.5.369.2)

कपाली कान्थिको भूत्वा यथा स व्यचरन्महीम्। पिशाचैर्राक्षसैर्भूतैर्डाकिनीयोगिनीवृतः।

kapālī kānthiko bhūtvā yathā sa vyacaranmahīm| piśācairrākṣasairbhūtairḍākinīyoginīvṛtaḥ|||

Bearing a skull-cup, clad in a patched garment, surrounded by pishachas, rakshasas, spirits, dakinis, and yoginis, thus did he wander over the earth.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.369.3)

भैरवं रूपमास्थाय प्रेतासनपरिग्रहः। त्रैलोक्यस्याभयं दत्त्वा चचार विपुलं तपः।

bhairavaṁ rūpamāsthāya pretāsanaparigrahaḥ| trailokyasyābhayaṁ dattvā cacāra vipulaṁ tapaḥ|||

Assuming the form of Bhairava, seated upon a corpse for his seat, granting fearlessness to the three worlds, he practiced vast austerities.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.369.4)

आषाढी तु कृता तत्र ह्याषाढीनाम विश्रुतम्। कन्था मुक्ता ततोऽन्यत्र देवेन परमेष्ठिना।

āṣāḍhī tu kṛtā tatra hyāṣāḍhīnāma viśrutam| kanthā muktā tato'nyatra devena parameṣṭhinā|||

There the Ashadhi observance was performed, by which that place became renowned by the name Ashadhi. Thereafter, the supreme god cast off his patched garment at another place.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.369.5)

तदाप्रभृति राजेन्द्र स कन्थेश्वर उच्यते। तस्य दर्शनमात्रेण ह्यश्वमेधफलं लभेत्।

tadāprabhṛti rājendra sa kantheśvara ucyate| tasya darśanamātreṇa hyaśvamedhaphalaṁ labhet|||

O best of kings, from that time that place came to be called Kantheshvara. By the mere sight of it, one obtains the fruit of the horse-sacrifice.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.369.6)

देवो मार्गे पुनस्तत्र भ्रमते च यदृच्छया। विक्रीणाति बलाकारो दृष्ट्वा चोक्तो हरेण तु।

devo mārge punastatra bhramate ca yadṛcchayā| vikrīṇāti balākāro dṛṣṭvā cokto hareṇa tu|||

The god once again wandered at will along that road. There was a seller of heron-plumes there, and seeing him, Hara spoke to him.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.369.7)

यदि भद्र न चेत्कोपं करोषि मयि साम्प्रतम्। बलाभिर्भर मे लिङ्गं ददामि बहु ते धनम्।

yadi bhadra na cetkopaṁ karoṣi mayi sāmpratam| balābhirbhara me liṅgaṁ dadāmi bahu te dhanam|||

"O good sir, if you will not be angered with me now, cover my linga with your heron-plumes, and I shall give you much wealth."

Verse 8 (skanda.5.369.8)

एवमुक्तोऽथ देवेन स वणिग्लोभमोहितः। योजयामास बलका लिङ्गे चोत्तममध्यमान्।

evamukto'tha devena sa vaṇiglobhamohitaḥ| yojayāmāsa balakā liṅge cottamamadhyamān|||

Thus addressed by the god, that merchant, deluded by greed, began arranging heron-plumes of the finest and middling kinds upon the linga.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.369.9)

तावद्यावत्क्षयं सर्वे गताः काले सुसंचिताः। स्थितं समुन्नतं लिङ्गं दृष्ट्वा शोकमुपागमत्।

tāvadyāvatkṣayaṁ sarve gatāḥ kāle susaṁcitāḥ| sthitaṁ samunnataṁ liṅgaṁ dṛṣṭvā śokamupāgamat|||

He kept arranging them until, in time, all his carefully gathered heron-plumes were exhausted. Seeing the linga still standing just as tall as before, he was overcome with grief.

Verse 10 (skanda.5.369.10)

कृत्वा तु खण्डखण्डानि स देवः परमेश्वरः। उवाच प्रहसन्वाक्यं तं दृष्ट्वा गतसाध्वसम्।

kṛtvā tu khaṇḍakhaṇḍāni sa devaḥ parameśvaraḥ| uvāca prahasanvākyaṁ taṁ dṛṣṭvā gatasādhvasam|||

Then that supreme god broke the linga into pieces, and, beholding that fearless merchant, spoke these words with a laugh.

Verse 11 (skanda.5.369.11)

न च मे पूरितं लिङ्गं यास्यामि यदि मन्यसे। ददामि तत्र वित्तं ते यदि लिङ्गं प्रपूरितम्।

na ca me pūritaṁ liṅgaṁ yāsyāmi yadi manyase| dadāmi tatra vittaṁ te yadi liṅgaṁ prapūritam|||

"My linga is still not filled. If you think I shall now go my way, I shall give you wealth only when the linga is completely filled."

Verse 12 (skanda.5.369.12)

वणिगुवाच। अधन्यः कृतपुण्योऽहं निग्राह्यः परमेश्वर। तव प्रियमकुर्वाणः शोचिष्ये शाश्वतीः समाः।

vaṇiguvāca| adhanyaḥ kṛtapuṇyo'haṁ nigrāhyaḥ parameśvara| tava priyamakurvāṇaḥ śociṣye śāśvatīḥ samāḥ|||

The merchant said: O supreme Lord, unfortunate am I, though I have performed a meritorious act, and I deserve reproach. Unable to fulfill what is pleasing to you, I shall grieve for eternal years.

Verse 13 (skanda.5.369.13)

एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचस्तस्य वणिक्पुत्रस्य भारत। असंक्षयं धनं दत्त्वा स्थितस्तत्र महेश्वरः।

etacchrutvā vacastasya vaṇikputrasya bhārata| asaṁkṣayaṁ dhanaṁ dattvā sthitastatra maheśvaraḥ|||

O descendant of Bharata, hearing these words of that merchant's son, Maheshvara gave him imperishable wealth and took up his abode there.

Verse 14 (skanda.5.369.14)

तदा प्रभृति राजेन्द्र बलाकैरिव भूषितम्। प्रत्ययार्थं स्थितं लिङ्गं लोकानुग्रहकाम्यया।

tadā prabhṛti rājendra balākairiva bhūṣitam| pratyayārthaṁ sthitaṁ liṅgaṁ lokānugrahakāmyayā|||

O best of kings, from that time onward that linga, as if still adorned with heron-plumes, remained established there to confirm faith, out of a desire to bless the people.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.369.15)

देवेन रचितं पार्थ क्रीडया सुप्रतिष्ठितम्। देवमार्गमिति ख्यातं त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम्। पश्यन् प्रपूजयन् वापि सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते।

devena racitaṁ pārtha krīḍayā supratiṣṭhitam| devamārgamiti khyātaṁ triṣu lokeṣu viśrutam| paśyan prapūjayan vāpi sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate|||

O Partha, that well-established place, fashioned by the god in play, became renowned by the name Devamarga, celebrated in all three worlds. By merely beholding or worshipping it, a man is freed from all sins.

Verse 16 (skanda.5.369.16)

देवमार्गे तु यो गत्वा पूजयेद्बलाकेश्वरम्। पञ्चायतनमासाद्य रुद्रलोकं स गच्छति।

devamārge tu yo gatvā pūjayedbalākeśvaram| pañcāyatanamāsādya rudralokaṁ sa gacchati|||

Whoever goes to Devamarga and worships Balakeshvara, having attained the fivefold shrine, goes to the world of Rudra.

Verse 17 (skanda.5.369.17)

देवमार्गे मृतानां तु नराणां भावितात्मनाम्। न भवेत्पुनरावृत्ती रुद्रलोकात्कदाचन।

devamārge mṛtānāṁ tu narāṇāṁ bhāvitātmanām| na bhavetpunarāvṛttī rudralokātkadācana|||

For men of purified soul who die at Devamarga, there is never any return from the world of Rudra.

Verse 18 (skanda.5.369.18)

देवमार्गस्य माहात्म्यं भक्त्या श्रुत्वा नरोत्तम। मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो नात्र कार्या विचारणा।

devamārgasya māhātmyaṁ bhaktyā śrutvā narottama| mucyate sarvapāpebhyo nātra kāryā vicāraṇā|||

O best of men, having heard the greatness of Devamarga with devotion, a man is freed from all sins - of this no doubt should be entertained.