The Telling of the Glory of Nilaganga

Verse 1 (skanda.5.54.1)

व्यास उवाच। भूयस्तु श्रोतुमिच्छामि त्वत्तो ब्रह्मविदांवर। नीलगंगा कदा ब्रह्मञ्छिप्राकुंडे समागता॥

vyāsa uvāca| bhūyastu śrotumicchāmi tvatto brahmavidāṁvara| nīlagaṁgā kadā brahmañchiprākuṁḍe samāgatā||

Vyasa said: O best of the knowers of Brahman, I wish to hear further from you: when did the Nilaganga come to the Shipra's kunda?

Verse 2 (skanda.5.54.2)

सनत्कुमार उवाच। शृणु व्यास महातीर्थं सर्वतीर्थफलप्रदम्। नीलगंगां नरः स्नात्वा संगमेश्वरमर्चयेत्॥

sanatkumāra uvāca| śṛṇu vyāsa mahātīrthaṁ sarvatīrthaphalapradam| nīlagaṁgāṁ naraḥ snātvā saṁgameśvaramarcayet||

Sanatkumara said: Listen, O Vyasa, to this great tirtha, which grants the fruit of all tirthas; a man, having bathed in the Nilaganga, should worship Sangameshvara.

Verse 3 (skanda.5.54.3)

दुःसंगसंभवा दोषा न भवंति कदाचन। एकदा ब्रह्मलोके वै गंगा त्रिपथगा नदी॥

duḥsaṁgasaṁbhavā doṣā na bhavaṁti kadācana| ekadā brahmaloke vai gaṁgā tripathagā nadī||

The faults born of bad company never arise for him. Once, in the world of Brahma, the river Ganga, who flows through the three paths,

Verse 4 (skanda.5.54.4)

गता पुनंती त्रील्लोकान्नीलवासा शुचार्दिता। भगवन्किमिदं जातं पातकं मे कृतं पुरा॥

gatā punaṁtī trīllokānnīlavāsā śucārditā| bhagavankimidaṁ jātaṁ pātakaṁ me kṛtaṁ purā||

went, purifying the three worlds, clad in blue, tormented by grief, and said: 'O Lord, what sin has arisen — what did I commit in the past,

Verse 5 (skanda.5.54.5)

दुष्टाचारापराधेन येनेमां प्रापिता दशाम्। सर्वलोकेषु यत्किंचिजनानां पातकं भुवि॥

duṣṭācārāparādhena yenemāṁ prāpitā daśām| sarvalokeṣu yatkiṁcijanānāṁ pātakaṁ bhuvi||

by what evil-conduct offense have I been brought to this state? Whatever sin of people, anywhere among all the worlds, upon the earth,

Verse 6 (skanda.5.54.6)

तत्सर्वं तिष्ठति मयि सर्वेषामपि देहिनाम्। तेनाहं वै भराक्रांता नो शक्या चलितुं धराम्॥

tatsarvaṁ tiṣṭhati mayi sarveṣāmapi dehinām| tenāhaṁ vai bharākrāṁtā no śakyā calituṁ dharām||

—all of it settles in me, the sin of all embodied beings; by that I am oppressed with a burden, unable even to move upon the earth.'

Verse 7 (skanda.5.54.7)

नीलभासा विवर्णा च सर्वधर्मबहिर्मुखा। यत्किंचित्क्रियते कर्म शुभं वा यदि वाऽशुभम्॥

nīlabhāsā vivarṇā ca sarvadharmabahirmukhā| yatkiṁcitkriyate karma śubhaṁ vā yadi vā'śubham||

'I have become dark in hue, discolored, turned away from all dharma. Whatever act is performed, whether auspicious or inauspicious,'

Verse 8 (skanda.5.54.8)

मयि त्यक्त्वा पुनंतीह जंतवः सर्वशोऽमलाः। तिष्ठंति पुण्यलोकेषु भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदेषु च॥

mayi tyaktvā punaṁtīha jaṁtavaḥ sarvaśo'malāḥ| tiṣṭhaṁti puṇyalokeṣu bhuktimuktipradeṣu ca||

—having cast it upon me, creatures here become purified, wholly stainless, and dwell in worlds of merit that grant both enjoyment and liberation.'

Verse 9 (skanda.5.54.9)

अस्माकं च महत्कष्टं जातं धातः परं मलम्। न हि शर्म न वै शांतिर्न निद्रा न च निर्वृतिः॥

asmākaṁ ca mahatkaṣṭaṁ jātaṁ dhātaḥ paraṁ malam| na hi śarma na vai śāṁtirna nidrā na ca nirvṛtiḥ||

'But for me, O Creator, a great affliction has arisen — supreme defilement. There is no peace, no tranquility, no sleep, and no rest for me.'

Verse 10 (skanda.5.54.10)

न लोके च स्थितिर्मेद्य पापिष्ठायाः सनातनी। दुष्टसंगोद्भवैदोंषैः प्लाविताहं जगद्गुरो॥

na loke ca sthitirmedya pāpiṣṭhāyāḥ sanātanī| duṣṭasaṁgodbhavaidoṁṣaiḥ plāvitāhaṁ jagadguro||

'O worthy one, there is no lasting, eternal standing for me, most sinful, in this world. O Guru of the world, I am overwhelmed by the faults arising from evil company.'

Verse 11 (skanda.5.54.11)

किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि येन शांतिर्भवेन्मम। किं तपः किं च दानं मे किं तीर्थं किं च साधनम्॥

kiṁ karomi kva gacchāmi yena śāṁtirbhavenmama| kiṁ tapaḥ kiṁ ca dānaṁ me kiṁ tīrthaṁ kiṁ ca sādhanam||

'What shall I do, where shall I go, so that I might find peace? What austerity, what gift, what tirtha, what practice is there for me,'

Verse 12 (skanda.5.54.12)

येनाहं पापलिप्तांगी पुनः प्रकृतिमाप्नुयाम्। एवं ज्ञात्वा महायोगिन्यथा योग्यं तथा कुरु॥

yenāhaṁ pāpaliptāṁgī punaḥ prakṛtimāpnuyām| evaṁ jñātvā mahāyoginyathā yogyaṁ tathā kuru||

'—by which I, my limbs smeared with sin, might regain my original nature once more? O great yogi, knowing this, do whatever is fitting.'

Verse 13 (skanda.5.54.13)

ब्रह्मोवाच। श्रूयतां भोः सरिच्छ्रेष्ठे कारणं पापनाशनम्। महाकालवने रम्ये पुरी ह्येषाऽमरावती॥

brahmovāca| śrūyatāṁ bhoḥ saricchreṣṭhe kāraṇaṁ pāpanāśanam| mahākālavane ramye purī hyeṣā'marāvatī||

Brahma said: Listen, O best of rivers, to the cause that destroys sin. In the beautiful Mahakalavana lies this city of Amaravati,

Verse 14 (skanda.5.54.14)

तत्र शिप्रा सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा वर्तते भुवि पावनी। तस्या दर्शनमात्रेण सर्वपापक्षयो भवेत्॥

tatra śiprā saricchreṣṭhā vartate bhuvi pāvanī| tasyā darśanamātreṇa sarvapāpakṣayo bhavet||

there the excellent river Shipra exists on earth, the purifier; by the mere sight of her, the destruction of all sin comes about.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.54.15)

तत्र गच्छ महाभागे सद्यश्चात्मविशुद्धये। ब्रह्मणेति समाख्यातं श्रुत्वा गंगा सरिद्वरा॥

tatra gaccha mahābhāge sadyaścātmaviśuddhaye| brahmaṇeti samākhyātaṁ śrutvā gaṁgā saridvarā||

'Go there, O fortunate one, for the immediate purification of your self.' Having heard this told by Brahma, Ganga, best of rivers,

Verse 16 (skanda.5.54.16)

तमभिज्ञाय संप्राप्ता महाकालवनं शुभम्। पुष्करस्याग्निभागे च यत्र देवो मरुत्सुतः॥

tamabhijñāya saṁprāptā mahākālavanaṁ śubham| puṣkarasyāgnibhāge ca yatra devo marutsutaḥ||

recognizing this, arrived at the auspicious Mahakalavana, in the fire-quarter of Pushkara, where the god, son of the Wind, is,

Verse 17 (skanda.5.54.17)

विंध्यस्य चोत्तरे भागे अंजन्याश्रममुत्तमम्। सा पुत्रेण तपस्तेपे पवित्रा ब्रह्मचारिणी॥

viṁdhyasya cottare bhāge aṁjanyāśramamuttamam| sā putreṇa tapastepe pavitrā brahmacāriṇī||

in the northern region of the Vindhya, where lies the excellent hermitage of Anjani, who, pure and chaste, performed austerity together with her son.

Verse 18 (skanda.5.54.18)

पतिव्रताभिः सर्वाभिः पतिभिर्ब्रह्मचारिभिः। देवांगनाभिर्बहुभिः क्रीडद्भिर्बालकुंजरैः॥

pativratābhiḥ sarvābhiḥ patibhirbrahmacāribhiḥ| devāṁganābhirbahubhiḥ krīḍadbhirbālakuṁjaraiḥ||

The place was frequented by all manner of wives devoted to their husbands, together with celibate husbands, by many divine women, by playful young elephants,

Verse 19 (skanda.5.54.19)

सरसीफुल्लकल्हारैर्मत्तालिकुलनादितैः। निर्वैरजंतुभिः सेव्यं ब्रह्मर्षिगणसेवितम्॥

sarasīphullakalhārairmattālikulanāditaiḥ| nirvairajaṁtubhiḥ sevyaṁ brahmarṣigaṇasevitam||

with lakes blossoming with water-lilies, resounding with the hum of intoxicated bees; served by creatures free of enmity, and served by hosts of brahmin sages,

Verse 20 (skanda.5.54.20)

मनोह्रादकरं पुण्यं पवित्रं पापनाशनम्। तत्र प्रवेशमात्रेण नीलवासाः सरिद्वरा॥

manohrādakaraṁ puṇyaṁ pavitraṁ pāpanāśanam| tatra praveśamātreṇa nīlavāsāḥ saridvarā||

delighting to the mind, meritorious, pure, the destroyer of sin. There, merely by entering, the river, best of rivers, dark-clad,

Verse 21 (skanda.5.54.21)

शुक्लवासाऽभवत्सद्यो नष्टपापमलाऽशुभा। शरच्चंद्रनिभाकारा धूतपापा पयस्विनी॥

śuklavāsā'bhavatsadyo naṣṭapāpamalā'śubhā| śaraccaṁdranibhākārā dhūtapāpā payasvinī||

at once became white-clad, her sinful stain and inauspiciousness destroyed; her form now resembling the autumn moon, her sin washed away, abundant with milk-white waters.

Verse 22 (skanda.5.54.22)

तत्रैव चाश्रमं चक्रे मनःसंहर्षकारणम्। तत्प्रभृति समाख्यातं सर्वलोकेषु पुण्यदम्॥

tatraiva cāśramaṁ cakre manaḥsaṁharṣakāraṇam| tatprabhṛti samākhyātaṁ sarvalokeṣu puṇyadam||

Right there she made her hermitage, a source of joy to the mind; from that time on, it has been proclaimed in all the worlds as bestowing merit—

Verse 23 (skanda.5.54.23)

नीलगंगेति वै व्यास तीर्थं किल्विषनाशनम्। अस्मिंस्तीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा हनुमंतमथार्चयेत्॥

nīlagaṁgeti vai vyāsa tīrthaṁ kilviṣanāśanam| asmiṁstīrthe naraḥ snātvā hanumaṁtamathārcayet||

O Vyasa, as Nilaganga, a tirtha that destroys sin. A man, having bathed at this tirtha, should then worship Hanuman;

Verse 24 (skanda.5.54.24)

तस्य सिद्धिः करगता भविष्यति न संशयः। आश्विने मासि संप्राप्ते कृष्णपक्षे समाहितः॥

tasya siddhiḥ karagatā bhaviṣyati na saṁśayaḥ| āśvine māsi saṁprāpte kṛṣṇapakṣe samāhitaḥ||

success shall come into his very hand — of this there is no doubt. When the month of Ashvina arrives, in its dark fortnight, one who, with composed mind,

Verse 25 (skanda.5.54.25)

दर्शे पितॄन्समुद्दिश्य श्राद्धं कुर्यान्महालयम्। तारितं च कुलं सर्वं तेनात्मैकोत्तरं शतम्॥

darśe pitṝnsamuddiśya śrāddhaṁ kuryānmahālayam| tāritaṁ ca kulaṁ sarvaṁ tenātmaikottaraṁ śatam||

performs, on the new-moon day, the great shraddha directed to the ancestors — by him a hundred-and-one generations of his family, together with himself, are redeemed;

Verse 26 (skanda.5.54.26)

समगोत्रेषु ये जाताः पूर्वजा निरयवासिनः। ते सर्वे सद्गतिं यांति तेषां लोकाः सनातनाः॥

samagotreṣu ye jātāḥ pūrvajā nirayavāsinaḥ| te sarve sadgatiṁ yāṁti teṣāṁ lokāḥ sanātanāḥ||

whatever ancestors, born in the same gotra, dwell in hell — all of them attain a good destination, and their worlds become eternal.

Verse 27 (skanda.5.54.27)

स्नात्वा तिलांजलिं दद्यात्पितॄनुद्दिश्य तत्परः। अक्षया जायते तृप्तिः स्वर्गलोके महीयते॥

snātvā tilāṁjaliṁ dadyātpitṝnuddiśya tatparaḥ| akṣayā jāyate tṛptiḥ svargaloke mahīyate||

Having bathed, one intent upon this should offer a handful of sesame directed to the ancestors; imperishable satisfaction arises, and one is honored in the world of heaven.

Verse 28 (skanda.5.54.28)

भोजयेद्ब्राह्मणान्सप्त श्राद्धं कृत्वा तु पायसैः। अक्षयं लभते श्राद्धमश्वमेधफलं भवेत्॥

bhojayedbrāhmaṇānsapta śrāddhaṁ kṛtvā tu pāyasaiḥ| akṣayaṁ labhate śrāddhamaśvamedhaphalaṁ bhavet||

One should feed seven brahmins, having performed the shraddha with rice-pudding offerings; the shraddha becomes imperishable, and the fruit of a horse-sacrifice is obtained.

Verse 29 (skanda.5.54.29)

तीर्थं पुण्यतरं व्यास शृणु चान्यद्वदामि ते। दुग्धकुंडमिति ख्यातं त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम्॥

tīrthaṁ puṇyataraṁ vyāsa śṛṇu cānyadvadāmi te| dugdhakuṁḍamiti khyātaṁ triṣu lokeṣu viśrutam||

There is a still more meritorious tirtha, O Vyasa; hear, I shall tell you of another — renowned as Dugdha-kunda, celebrated in the three worlds,

Verse 30 (skanda.5.54.30)

सर्वपापहरं पुण्यं सर्वकामवरप्रदम्। पुरा दुग्धधरा देवी पृथुना धर्ममूर्तिना॥

sarvapāpaharaṁ puṇyaṁ sarvakāmavarapradam| purā dugdhadharā devī pṛthunā dharmamūrtinā||

the remover of all sin, meritorious, granting the boon of every desire. Long ago the milk-bearing goddess was, by Prithu, the embodiment of dharma,

Verse 31 (skanda.5.54.31)

दुग्धं सर्वं हविर्भाव्यं सर्वेषां जीवनप्रदम्। दत्तं निधाय कुंडेस्मिंस्तेन दुग्धसरः स्मृतम्॥

dugdhaṁ sarvaṁ havirbhāvyaṁ sarveṣāṁ jīvanapradam| dattaṁ nidhāya kuṁḍesmiṁstena dugdhasaraḥ smṛtam||

milked of all the milk fit to become an oblation, the giver of life to all, and it was given, deposited into this kunda; by that, it is remembered as Dugdha-saras.

Verse 32 (skanda.5.54.32)

कुंडे स्नात्वा पयः पीत्वा दत्त्वा गां च पयस्विनीम्। सर्वबाधाविनिर्मुक्तो धनधान्यसमन्वितः॥

kuṁḍe snātvā payaḥ pītvā dattvā gāṁ ca payasvinīm| sarvabādhāvinirmukto dhanadhānyasamanvitaḥ||

Bathing in that kunda, drinking its water, and giving a milk-yielding cow, one is freed from every affliction, endowed with wealth and grain,

Verse 33 (skanda.5.54.33)

जायते सर्वकालेषु मृतः स्वर्गपुरं व्रजेत्। ततः पुष्करमासाद्य स्नानदानादिकं चरेत्॥

jāyate sarvakāleṣu mṛtaḥ svargapuraṁ vrajet| tataḥ puṣkaramāsādya snānadānādikaṁ caret||

remains so at all times; and upon death he goes to the city of heaven. Then, having reached Pushkara, he should perform bathing, giving, and the like,

Verse 34 (skanda.5.54.34)

सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा पुष्करस्य फलं लभेत्॥

sarvapāpaviśuddhātmā puṣkarasya phalaṁ labhet||

his soul wholly purified of all sin, and he obtains the fruit of Pushkara.