The Greatness of Vimaleshvara Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.5.381.1)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच। ततः क्रोशान्तरे पुण्यं तीर्थं तद्विमलेश्वरम्। यत्र स्नानेन दानेन जपहोमार्चनादिभिः।

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca| tataḥ krośāntare puṇyaṁ tīrthaṁ tadvimaleśvaram| yatra snānena dānena japahomārcanādibhiḥ||

Markandeya said: Thereafter, at a distance of one krosha, is that holy tirtha, Vimaleshvara, where through bathing, charity, japa, homa, worship and the like,

Verse 2 (skanda.5.381.2)

विमलेश्वरमाराध्य यो यदिच्छेत्स तल्लभेत्। स्वर्गलाभादिकं वापि पार्थिवं वा यथेप्सितम्।

vimaleśvaramārādhya yo yadicchetsa tallabhet| svargalābhādikaṁ vāpi pārthivaṁ vā yathepsitam||

having worshipped Vimaleshvara, whoever desires whatever thing obtains it — be it the attainment of heaven or an earthly boon, as desired.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.381.3)

पुरा त्रिशिरसं हत्वा त्वष्टुः पुत्रं शतक्रतुः। यस्य तीर्थस्य माहात्म्याद्वैमल्यं परमं गतः।

purā triśirasaṁ hatvā tvaṣṭuḥ putraṁ śatakratuḥ| yasya tīrthasya māhātmyādvaimalyaṁ paramaṁ gataḥ||

Formerly, having slain Trishiras, the son of Tvashtri, Shatakratu (Indra) became stained by that sin; by the greatness of this very tirtha he attained supreme stainlessness.

Verse 4 (skanda.5.381.4)

यत्र वेदनिधिर्विप्रो महत्तप्त्वा तपः पुरा। नानाकर्ममलैः क्षीणैर्विमलोऽभवदर्कवत्।

yatra vedanidhirvipro mahattaptvā tapaḥ purā| nānākarmamalaiḥ kṣīṇairvimalo'bhavadarkavat||

where the brahmin Vedanidhi, having formerly performed great austerity, with the stains of manifold deeds destroyed, became as stainless as the sun,

Verse 5 (skanda.5.381.5)

महादेवप्रसादेन सोमवत्प्रियदर्शनः। पुरा भानुमतीं भानुः सुतां स्मरशरार्दितः।

mahādevaprasādena somavatpriyadarśanaḥ| purā bhānumatīṁ bhānuḥ sutāṁ smaraśarārditaḥ||

and by Mahadeva's grace became as pleasing to behold as the moon. Formerly, the sun, pierced by the arrows of desire, for his daughter Bhanumati,

Verse 6 (skanda.5.381.6)

चकमे तेन दोषेण कुष्ठरोगार्दितोऽभवत्। स चाप्यत्र तपस्तप्त्वा विमलत्वमुपागतः।

cakame tena doṣeṇa kuṣṭharogārdito'bhavat| sa cāpyatra tapastaptvā vimalatvamupāgataḥ||

conceived desire; by that fault he became afflicted with leprosy. He too, having performed austerity here, attained stainlessness,

Verse 7 (skanda.5.381.7)

महादेवेन तुष्टेन स्वस्थानं मुदितोऽभजत्। तथैव च पुरा पार्थ विभाण्डकसुतो मुनिः।

mahādevena tuṣṭena svasthānaṁ mudito'bhajat| tathaiva ca purā pārtha vibhāṇḍakasuto muniḥ||

and with Mahadeva satisfied, joyfully returned to his own abode. O Partha, likewise, formerly the sage who was the son of Vibhandaka,

Verse 8 (skanda.5.381.8)

योगिसङ्गं वने प्राप्य पुरे च नृपतेस्तथा। राजसंसर्गदोषाद्वै मालिन्यं परमात्मनः।

yogisaṅgaṁ vane prāpya pure ca nṛpatestathā| rājasaṁsargadoṣādvai mālinyaṁ paramātmanaḥ||

having had the company of yogis in the forest and likewise that of a king in the city, from the fault of association with the king, a defilement of his own supreme self,

Verse 9 (skanda.5.381.9)

विचारयन्नभ्युपेत्य रेवासागरसङ्गमम्। शान्तया भार्यया सार्द्धं तप्त्वा द्वादशवत्सरान्।

vicārayannabhyupetya revāsāgarasaṅgamam| śāntayā bhāryayā sārddhaṁ taptvā dvādaśavatsarān||

having reflected upon, he came to the confluence of the Reva and the ocean; together with his wife Shanta, performing austerity for twelve years,

Verse 10 (skanda.5.381.10)

कृच्छ्रचान्द्रायणैर्देवं तोषयंस्त्र्यम्बकं मुनिः। महादेवेन तुष्टेन सोऽपि वैमल्यमाप्तवान्।

kṛcchracāndrāyaṇairdevaṁ toṣayaṁstryambakaṁ muniḥ| mahādevena tuṣṭena so'pi vaimalyamāptavān||

the sage, satisfying the three-eyed god through krichchhra and chandrayana vows, with Mahadeva pleased, he too attained stainlessness.

Verse 11 (skanda.5.381.11)

शर्वाण्या प्रेरितः शर्वः पुरा दारुवने नृप। मोहनान्मुनिपत्नीनां स्वं दीक्ष्य विमलं किल।

śarvāṇyā preritaḥ śarvaḥ purā dāruvane nṛpa| mohanānmunipatnīnāṁ svaṁ dīkṣya vimalaṁ kila||

O king, formerly, Sharva, urged on by Sharvani, in the Daru forest, because of the infatuation of the sages' wives, having consecrated himself indeed as "Vimala" (stainless),

Verse 12 (skanda.5.381.12)

विचार्य परमस्थानं नर्मदोदधिसङ्गमम्। तत्र स्थित्वा महाराज तपस्तप्त्वा सहोमया।

vicārya paramasthānaṁ narmadodadhisaṅgamam| tatra sthitvā mahārāja tapastaptvā sahomayā||

having considered the supreme place, the confluence of the Narmada and the ocean, O great king, abiding there and performing austerity together with Uma,

Verse 13 (skanda.5.381.13)

विमलोऽसौ यतो जातस्तेनासौ विमलेश्वरः। तेन नाम्ना स्वयं तस्थौ लोकानां हितकाम्यया।

vimalo'sau yato jātastenāsau vimaleśvaraḥ| tena nāmnā svayaṁ tasthau lokānāṁ hitakāmyayā||

since he became stainless there, he came to be known as Vimaleshvara; under that very name he himself abided there, out of desire for the welfare of the worlds.

Verse 14 (skanda.5.381.14)

ततस्तिलोत्तमां सृष्ट्वा ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः। प्रजानाथोऽपि तां सृष्ट्वा दृष्ट्वाग्रे सुमनोहराम्।

tatastilottamāṁ sṛṣṭvā brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ| prajānātho'pi tāṁ sṛṣṭvā dṛṣṭvāgre sumanoharām||

Thereafter Brahma, the grandfather of the worlds, created Tilottama; the Lord of creatures, having created her and beheld her, exceedingly enchanting, before him,

Verse 15 (skanda.5.381.15)

भावियोगबलाक्रान्तः स तस्यामभिकोऽभवत्। तेन वीक्ष्य सदोषत्वं रेवातीरद्वयं श्रितः।

bhāviyogabalākrāntaḥ sa tasyāmabhiko'bhavat| tena vīkṣya sadoṣatvaṁ revātīradvayaṁ śritaḥ||

overcome by the force of destined circumstance, became desirous of her. Seeing thereby his own faultiness, he took refuge on both banks of the Narmada,

Verse 16 (skanda.5.381.16)

तीर्थान्यनुसरन्मौनी त्रिस्नायी संस्मरञ्छिवम्। रेवार्णवसमायोगे स्नात्वा सम्पूज्य शङ्करम्। कालेनाल्पेन राजर्षे ब्रह्माप्यमलतां गतः।

tīrthānyanusaranmaunī trisnāyī saṁsmarañchivam| revārṇavasamāyoge snātvā sampūjya śaṅkaram| kālenālpena rājarṣe brahmāpyamalatāṁ gataḥ||

following the tirthas, remaining silent, bathing thrice a day, remembering Shiva; having bathed and worshipped Shankara at the confluence of the Reva and the ocean, O royal sage, in a short time even Brahma attained stainlessness.

Verse 17 (skanda.5.381.17)

एवमन्येऽपि बहुशो देवर्षिनृपसत्तमाः। त्यक्त्वा दोषमलं तत्र विमला बहवोऽभवन्।

evamanye'pi bahuśo devarṣinṛpasattamāḥ| tyaktvā doṣamalaṁ tatra vimalā bahavo'bhavan||

Thus many other excellent gods, sages, and kings, having cast off the stain of fault there, likewise became stainless in great numbers.

Verse 18 (skanda.5.381.18)

तथा त्वमपि राजेन्द्र तत्र स्नात्वा शिवार्चनात्। अमलोऽपि विशेषेण वैमल्यं प्राप्स्यसे परम्।

tathā tvamapi rājendra tatra snātvā śivārcanāt| amalo'pi viśeṣeṇa vaimalyaṁ prāpsyase param||

O king of kings, likewise you too, having bathed there and through the worship of Shiva, though already stainless, shall attain supreme stainlessness in a special way.

Verse 19 (skanda.5.381.19)

तत्र स्नात्वा नरो नारी पूजयित्वा महेश्वरम्। पापदोषविनिर्मुक्तो ब्रह्मलोके महीयते।

tatra snātvā naro nārī pūjayitvā maheśvaram| pāpadoṣavinirmukto brahmaloke mahīyate||

Having bathed there and worshipped Maheshvara, a man or woman, freed from the stain of sin, is exalted in the world of Brahma.

Verse 20 (skanda.5.381.20)

तत्रोपवासं यः कृत्वा पश्येत विमलेश्वरम्। अष्टम्यां च चतुर्दश्यां सर्वपर्वसु पार्थिव।

tatropavāsaṁ yaḥ kṛtvā paśyeta vimaleśvaram| aṣṭamyāṁ ca caturdaśyāṁ sarvaparvasu pārthiva||

O king, whoever, having fasted there, beholds Vimaleshvara on the eighth, the fourteenth, and on all the sacred days,

Verse 21 (skanda.5.381.21)

सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं हित्वा याति शिवालयम्। श्राद्धं कृत्वा विधानेन पितॄणामनृणी भवेत्। ब्राह्मणान् भोजयेच्छक्त्या तेभ्यो दद्याच्च दक्षिणाम्।

saptajanmakṛtaṁ pāpaṁ hitvā yāti śivālayam| śrāddhaṁ kṛtvā vidhānena pitṝṇāmanṛṇī bhavet| brāhmaṇān bhojayecchaktyā tebhyo dadyācca dakṣiṇām||

casts off the sins committed over seven births and goes to the abode of Shiva. Having performed the shraddha rite according to due form, one becomes free from debt to the ancestors; one should feed brahmins according to one's means and give them the sacrificial fee.

Verse 22 (skanda.5.381.22)

यद्यदिष्टतमं लोके यच्चैवात्महितं गृहे। तत्तद्गुणवते देयं तत्रैवाक्षयमिच्छता। स्वर्णधान्यानि वासांसि छत्रोपानत्कमण्डलुम्।

yadyadiṣṭatamaṁ loke yaccaivātmahitaṁ gṛhe| tattadguṇavate deyaṁ tatraivākṣayamicchatā| svarṇadhānyāni vāsāṁsi chatropānatkamaṇḍalum||

Whatever is most cherished in this world, and whatever at home is beneficial to oneself, one desiring imperishable merit should give there to a worthy person — gold, grain, garments, an umbrella, sandals, a water-pot,

Verse 23 (skanda.5.381.23)

गृहं देवस्य वै शक्त्या कृत्वा स्याद्भुवि भूपतिः। गीतनृत्यकथाभिश्च तोषयेत्परमेश्वरम्।

gṛhaṁ devasya vai śaktyā kṛtvā syādbhuvi bhūpatiḥ| gītanṛtyakathābhiśca toṣayetparameśvaram||

and, having built a temple for the deity according to one's ability, one becomes a king on earth; and one should satisfy the Supreme Lord with song, dance, and sacred recitation.