The Five Temples Built by Rama at Hatakeshvara, Beginning with Lakshmaneshvara

Verse 1 (skanda.6.102.1)

सूत उवाच । संप्रस्थितस्य रामस्य स्वकीयं सदनं प्रति । यदाश्चर्यमभून्मार्गे श्रूयतां द्विजसत्तमाः

sūta uvāca saṁprasthitasya rāmasya svakīyaṁ sadanaṁ prati yadāścaryamabhūnmārge śrūyatāṁ dvijasattamāḥ

Suta said: "As Rama was journeying toward his own home, a wondrous thing happened on the way — hear it, O best of the twice-born.

Verse 2 (skanda.6.102.2)

नभोमार्गेण गच्छत्तद्विमानं पुष्पकं द्विजाः । अकस्मादेव सञ्जातं निश्चलं चित्रकृन्नृणाम्

nabhomārgeṇa gacchattadvimānaṁ puṣpakaṁ dvijāḥ akasmādeva sañjātaṁ niścalaṁ citrakṛnnṛṇām

As that Pushpaka chariot was traveling through the sky-path, O brahmins, it suddenly became fixed and motionless, astonishing everyone.

Verse 3 (skanda.6.102.3)

अथ तन्निश्चलं दृष्ट्वा पुष्पकं गगनांगणे । रामो वायुसुतस्येदं वचनं प्राह विस्मयात्

atha tanniścalaṁ dṛṣṭvā puṣpakaṁ gaganāṁgaṇe rāmo vāyusutasyedaṁ vacanaṁ prāha vismayāt

Then, seeing the Pushpaka standing motionless in the courtyard of the sky, Rama, astonished, spoke these words to the son of the Wind:

Verse 4 (skanda.6.102.4)

त्वं गत्वा मारुते शीघ्रं भूमिं जानीहि कारणम् । किमेतत्पुष्पकं व्योम्नि निश्चलत्वमुपागतम्

tvaṁ gatvā mārute śīghraṁ bhūmiṁ jānīhi kāraṇam kimetatpuṣpakaṁ vyomni niścalatvamupāgatam

"Go quickly, Maruti, and learn from the earth the reason — why has this Pushpaka come to a standstill in the sky?

Verse 5 (skanda.6.102.5)

कदाचिद्धार्यते नास्य गतिः कुत्रापि केनचित् । ब्रह्मदृष्टिप्रसूतस्य पुष्पकस्य महात्मनः

kadāciddhāryate nāsya gatiḥ kutrāpi kenacit brahmadṛṣṭiprasūtasya puṣpakasya mahātmanaḥ

Never before has its motion been halted anywhere by anyone — this great Pushpaka, born from Brahma's own gaze."

Verse 6 (skanda.6.102.6)

बाढमित्येव स प्रोच्य हनूमान्धरणीतलम् । गत्वा शीघ्रं पुनः प्राह प्रणिपत्य रघूत्तमम्

bāḍhamityeva sa procya hanūmāndharaṇītalam gatvā śīghraṁ punaḥ prāha praṇipatya raghūttamam

Saying "So be it," Hanuman descended to the surface of the earth, and having gone quickly, he bowed and spoke again to the best of the Raghus:

Verse 7 (skanda.6.102.7)

अत्रास्याधः शुभं क्षेत्रं हाटकेश्वरसंज्ञितम् । यत्र साक्षाज्जगत्कर्ता स्वयं ब्रह्मा व्यवस्थितः

atrāsyādhaḥ śubhaṁ kṣetraṁ hāṭakeśvarasaṁjñitam yatra sākṣājjagatkartā svayaṁ brahmā vyavasthitaḥ

"Below this spot lies the auspicious field named Hatakeshvara, where the very creator of the universe, Brahma himself, is established.

Verse 8 (skanda.6.102.8)

आदित्या वसवो रुद्रा देववैद्यौ तथाश्विनौ । तत्र तिष्ठन्ति ते सर्वे तथान्ये सिद्धकिन्नराः

ādityā vasavo rudrā devavaidyau tathāśvinau tatra tiṣṭhanti te sarve tathānye siddhakinnarāḥ

The Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, and the two divine physicians, the Ashvins — all of them reside there, along with other siddhas and kinnaras.

Verse 9 (skanda.6.102.9)

एतस्मात्कारणान्नैतदतिक्रामति पुष्पकम् । तत्क्षेत्रं निश्चलीभूतं सत्यमेतन्मयोदितम्

etasmātkāraṇānnaitadatikrāmati puṣpakam tatkṣetraṁ niścalībhūtaṁ satyametanmayoditam

For this very reason the Pushpaka cannot go beyond this place; that field has become immovable — this is the truth I tell you."

Verse 10 (skanda.6.102.10)

सूत उवाच । तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा कौतूहलसमवितः । पुष्पकं प्रेरयामास तत्क्षेत्रं प्रति राघवः

sūta uvāca tasya tadvacanaṁ śrutvā kautūhalasamavitaḥ puṣpakaṁ prerayāmāsa tatkṣetraṁ prati rāghavaḥ

Suta said: Having heard his words, filled with curiosity, Raghava directed the Pushpaka toward that field.

Verse 11 (skanda.6.102.11)

सर्वैस्तैर्वानरैः सार्धं राक्षसैश्च पृथग्विधैः । अवतीर्य ततो हृष्टस्तस्मिन्क्षेत्रे समन्ततः

sarvaistairvānaraiḥ sārdhaṁ rākṣasaiśca pṛthagvidhaiḥ avatīrya tato hṛṣṭastasminkṣetre samantataḥ

Together with all those vanaras and the various rakshasas, he descended there, filled with joy, throughout that field.

Verse 12 (skanda.6.102.12)

तीर्थमालोकयामास पुण्यान्यायतनानि च । ततो विलोकयामास पितामहविनिर्मिताम् । चामुण्डां तत्र च स्नात्वा कुण्डे कामप्रदायिनि

tīrthamālokayāmāsa puṇyānyāyatanāni ca tato vilokayāmāsa pitāmahavinirmitām cāmuṇḍāṁ tatra ca snātvā kuṇḍe kāmapradāyini

He beheld the sacred tirtha and its holy shrines; then he looked upon Chamunda, fashioned by the Grandsire, and bathed there in the wish-fulfilling kunda.

Verse 13 (skanda.6.102.13)

ततो विलोकयामास पित्रा तस्य विनिर्मितम् । रामः स्वमिव देवेशं दृष्ट्वा देवं चतुर्भुजम्

tato vilokayāmāsa pitrā tasya vinirmitam rāmaḥ svamiva deveśaṁ dṛṣṭvā devaṁ caturbhujam

Then he beheld the image made by his own father — Rama looking upon the four-armed lord of the gods as though beholding his own very self.

Verse 14 (skanda.6.102.14)

राजवाप्यां शुचिर्भूत्वा स्नात्वा तर्प्य निजान्पितॄन् । ततश्च चिन्तयामास क्षेत्रेऽत्र बहुपुण्यदे

rājavāpyāṁ śucirbhūtvā snātvā tarpya nijānpitṝn tataśca cintayāmāsa kṣetre'tra bahupuṇyade

Having bathed and purified himself in the Rajavapi step-well and offered libations to his own forefathers, he then reflected there, in that field so abundant in merit —

Verse 15 (skanda.6.102.15)

लिंगं संस्थापयाम्येव यद्वत्तातेन केशवः । तथा मे दयितो भ्राता लक्ष्मणो दिवमाश्रितः

liṁgaṁ saṁsthāpayāmyeva yadvattātena keśavaḥ tathā me dayito bhrātā lakṣmaṇo divamāśritaḥ

"Just as my father established Keshava, so too shall I establish a linga here; and just as my beloved brother Lakshmana has gone to heaven —

Verse 16 (skanda.6.102.16)

यस्तस्य नामनिर्दिष्टं लिंगं संस्थापयाम्यहम् । तं चापि मूर्तिमंतं च सीतया सहितं शुभम् । क्षेत्रे मेध्यतमे चात्र तथात्मानं दृषन्मयम्

yastasya nāmanirdiṣṭaṁ liṁgaṁ saṁsthāpayāmyaham taṁ cāpi mūrtimaṁtaṁ ca sītayā sahitaṁ śubham kṣetre medhyatame cātra tathātmānaṁ dṛṣanmayam

so, here, I shall establish the linga named for him, along with his embodied and auspicious form together with Sita's, and my own form too, in stone, in the most sacred spot of this field."

Verse 17 (skanda.6.102.17)

एवं स निश्चयं कृत्वा प्रासादानां च पंचकम् । स्थापयामास सद्भक्त्या रामः शस्त्रभृतां वरः

evaṁ sa niścayaṁ kṛtvā prāsādānāṁ ca paṁcakam sthāpayāmāsa sadbhaktyā rāmaḥ śastrabhṛtāṁ varaḥ

Having made this resolve, Rama, best of weapon-bearers, then established a group of five temples with true devotion.

Verse 18 (skanda.6.102.18)

ततस्ते वानराः सर्वे राक्षसाश्च विशेषतः । लिंगानि स्थापयामासुः स्वानिस्वानि पृथक्पृथक्

tataste vānarāḥ sarve rākṣasāśca viśeṣataḥ liṁgāni sthāpayāmāsuḥ svānisvāni pṛthakpṛthak

Then all those vanaras, and the rakshasas in particular, each established their own separate lingas as well.

Verse 19 (skanda.6.102.19)

तत्रैव सुचिरं कालं स्थितास्ते श्रद्धयाऽन्विताः । ततो जग्मुरयोध्यायां विमानवरमाश्रिताः

tatraiva suciraṁ kālaṁ sthitāste śraddhayā'nvitāḥ tato jagmurayodhyāyāṁ vimānavaramāśritāḥ

They remained there for a long time, filled with faith; then they went to Ayodhya, borne upon that excellent chariot.

Verse 20 (skanda.6.102.20)

एतद्वः सर्वमाख्यातं यथा रामेश्वरो महान् । लक्ष्मणेश्वरसंयुक्तस्तस्मिंस्तीर्थे सुशोभने

etadvaḥ sarvamākhyātaṁ yathā rāmeśvaro mahān lakṣmaṇeśvarasaṁyuktastasmiṁstīrthe suśobhane

All this has now been told to you — how the great Rameshvara, together with Lakshmaneshvara, stands in that most beautiful tirtha.

Verse 21 (skanda.6.102.21)

यस्तौ प्रातः समुत्थाय सदा पश्यति मानवः । स कृत्स्नं फलमाप्नोति श्रुते रामायणेऽत्र यत्

yastau prātaḥ samutthāya sadā paśyati mānavaḥ sa kṛtsnaṁ phalamāpnoti śrute rāmāyaṇe'tra yat

Whoever rises at dawn and beholds those two lingas every day obtains here the complete merit of hearing the Ramayana recited.

Verse 22 (skanda.6.102.22)

अथाष्टम्यां चतुर्दश्यां यो रामचरितं पठेत् । तदग्रे वाजिमेधस्य स कृत्स्नं लभते फलम्

athāṣṭamyāṁ caturdaśyāṁ yo rāmacaritaṁ paṭhet tadagre vājimedhasya sa kṛtsnaṁ labhate phalam

And whoever recites the deeds of Rama here on the eighth or fourteenth lunar day thereby obtains the complete fruit of a horse-sacrifice.