The Deities of the Sixty-Eight Tirthas

Verse 1 (skanda.6.109.1)

ईश्वर उवाच । एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं यत्पृष्टोऽस्मि वरानने । सर्वेषामेव तीर्थानां सारं तीर्थसमुच्चयम्

īśvara uvāca etatte sarvamākhyātaṁ yatpṛṣṭo'smi varānane sarveṣāmeva tīrthānāṁ sāraṁ tīrthasamuccayam

The Lord said: "All this has been told to you, fair one, as you asked — the essence of all tirthas, this compendium of tirthas.

Verse 2 (skanda.6.109.2)

एतेष्वहं वरारोहे सर्वेष्वेव व्यवस्थितः । नाम्ना चान्येषु तीर्थेषु त्रिदशानां हितार्थतः

eteṣvahaṁ varārohe sarveṣveva vyavasthitaḥ nāmnā cānyeṣu tīrtheṣu tridaśānāṁ hitārthataḥ

In all of these, fair one, I am established; and in the other tirthas too, by name, for the benefit of the thirty gods.

Verse 3 (skanda.6.109.3)

यो मामेतेषु तीर्थेषु स्नात्वा पश्यति मानवः । कीर्तयेत्कीर्तनान्नाम्ना स नूनं मोक्षमाप्नुयात्

yo māmeteṣu tīrtheṣu snātvā paśyati mānavaḥ kīrtayetkīrtanānnāmnā sa nūnaṁ mokṣamāpnuyāt

Whatever man, having bathed at these tirthas, beholds me, and recites my name in that recitation, he shall surely attain liberation.

Verse 4 (skanda.6.109.4)

श्रीदेव्युवाच । येषु तीर्थेषु यन्नाम कीर्तनीयं तव प्रभो । तत्कार्त्स्येन मम ब्रूहि यच्चहं तव वल्लभा

śrīdevyuvāca yeṣu tīrtheṣu yannāma kīrtanīyaṁ tava prabho tatkārtsyena mama brūhi yaccahaṁ tava vallabhā

Sri Devi said: "In which tirthas, and by what name, are you to be praised, my lord? Tell me that in full, since I am your beloved."

Verse 5 (skanda.6.109.5)

ईश्वर उवाच । वाराणस्यां महादेवं प्रयागे च महेश्वरम् । नैमिषे देवदेवं च गयायां प्रपितामहम्

īśvara uvāca vārāṇasyāṁ mahādevaṁ prayāge ca maheśvaram naimiṣe devadevaṁ ca gayāyāṁ prapitāmaham

The Lord said: "In Varanasi, Mahadeva; and in Prayaga, Maheshvara; in Naimisha, Devadeva; and in Gaya, Prapitamaha.

Verse 6 (skanda.6.109.6)

कुरुक्षेत्रे विदुः स्थाणुं प्रभासे शशिशेखरम् । पुष्करे तु ह्यजागन्धिं विश्वं विश्वेश्वरे तथा

kurukṣetre viduḥ sthāṇuṁ prabhāse śaśiśekharam puṣkare tu hyajāgandhiṁ viśvaṁ viśveśvare tathā

In Kurukshetra I am known as Sthanu; in Prabhasa, Shashishekhara; in Pushkara, Ajagandhi; and in Vishveshvara, Vishva.

Verse 7 (skanda.6.109.7)

अट्टहासे महानादं महेन्द्रे च महाव्रतम् । उज्जयिन्यां महाकालं मरुकोटे महोत्कटम्

aṭṭahāse mahānādaṁ mahendre ca mahāvratam ujjayinyāṁ mahākālaṁ marukoṭe mahotkaṭam

In Attahasa, Mahanada; and in Mahendra, Mahavrata; in Ujjayani, Mahakala; in Marukota, Mahotkata.

Verse 8 (skanda.6.109.8)

शंकुकर्णे महातेजं गोकर्णे च महाबलम् । रुद्रकोट्यां महायोगं महालिंगं स्थलेश्वरे

śaṁkukarṇe mahātejaṁ gokarṇe ca mahābalam rudrakoṭyāṁ mahāyogaṁ mahāliṁgaṁ sthaleśvare

In Shankukarna, Mahateja; and in Gokarna, Mahabala; in Rudrakoti, Mahayoga; in Sthaleshvara, Mahalinga.

Verse 9 (skanda.6.109.9)

हर्षिते च तथा हर्षं वृषभं वृषभध्वजे । केदारे चैव ईशानं शर्वं मध्यमकेश्वरे

harṣite ca tathā harṣaṁ vṛṣabhaṁ vṛṣabhadhvaje kedāre caiva īśānaṁ śarvaṁ madhyamakeśvare

And in Harshita, Harsha; and in Vrishabhadhvaja, Vrishabha; in Kedara, Ishana; and in Madhyamakeshvara, Sharva.

Verse 10 (skanda.6.109.10)

सुपर्णाक्षं सहस्राक्षे सुसूक्ष्मं कार्तिकेश्वरे । भवं वस्त्रापथे देवि ह्युग्रं कनखले तथा

suparṇākṣaṁ sahasrākṣe susūkṣmaṁ kārtikeśvare bhavaṁ vastrāpathe devi hyugraṁ kanakhale tathā

In Sahasraksha, Suparnaksha; in Kartikeshvara, Susukshma; in Vastrapatha, goddess, Bhava; and likewise in Kanakhala, Ugra.

Verse 11 (skanda.6.109.11)

भद्रकर्णे शिवं चैव दण्डके दण्डिनं तथा । ऊर्ध्वरेतं त्रिदण्डायां चण्डीशं कृमिजांगले

bhadrakarṇe śivaṁ caiva daṇḍake daṇḍinaṁ tathā ūrdhvaretaṁ tridaṇḍāyāṁ caṇḍīśaṁ kṛmijāṁgale

In Bhadrakarna, Shiva; and in Dandaka, Dandin; in Tridanda, Urdhvareta; in Krimijangala, Chandisha.

Verse 12 (skanda.6.109.12)

कृत्तिवासं तथैकाम्रे छागलेये कपर्दिनम् । कालिञ्जरे नीलकण्ठं श्रीकण्ठं मण्डलेश्वरे

kṛttivāsaṁ tathaikāmre chāgaleye kapardinam kāliñjare nīlakaṇṭhaṁ śrīkaṇṭhaṁ maṇḍaleśvare

Likewise Krittivasa in Ekamra; Kapardin in Chagaleya; Nilakantha in Kalinjara; Shrikantha in Mandaleshvara.

Verse 13 (skanda.6.109.13)

विजयं चैव काश्मीरे जयन्तं मरुकेश्वरे । हरिश्चन्द्रे हरं चैव पुरश्चन्द्रे च शंकरम्

vijayaṁ caiva kāśmīre jayantaṁ marukeśvare hariścandre haraṁ caiva puraścandre ca śaṁkaram

In Kashmira, Vijaya; in Marukeshvara, Jayanta; in Harishchandra, Hara; and in Purashchandra, Shankara.

Verse 14 (skanda.6.109.14)

जटिं वामेश्वरे विन्द्यात्सौम्यं वै कुक्कुटेश्वरे । भूतेश्वरं भस्मगात्रे ओंकारेऽमरकण्टकम्

jaṭiṁ vāmeśvare vindyātsaumyaṁ vai kukkuṭeśvare bhūteśvaraṁ bhasmagātre oṁkāre'marakaṇṭakam

Know Jati to be in Vameshvara; and Saumya in Kukkuteshvara; Bhuteshvara in Bhasmagatra; Amarakantaka in Omkara.

Verse 15 (skanda.6.109.15)

त्र्यंबकं च त्रिसंध्यायां विरजायां त्रिलोचनम् । दीप्तमर्केश्वरे ज्ञेयं नेपाले पशुपालकम्

tryaṁbakaṁ ca trisaṁdhyāyāṁ virajāyāṁ trilocanam dīptamarkeśvare jñeyaṁ nepāle paśupālakam

In Trisandhya, Tryambaka; in Viraja, Trilochana; know Dipta in Arkeshvara; and Pashupalaka in Nepala.

Verse 16 (skanda.6.109.16)

यमलिंगं च दुष्कर्णे कपाली करवीरके । जागेश्वरे त्रिशूली च श्रीशैले त्रिपुरांतकम्

yamaliṁgaṁ ca duṣkarṇe kapālī karavīrake jāgeśvare triśūlī ca śrīśaile tripurāṁtakam

In Dushkarna, the Yama-linga; in Karavira, Kapali; in Jageshvara, Trishuli; in Shrishaila, Tripurantaka.

Verse 17 (skanda.6.109.17)

रोहणं तु अयोध्यायां पाताले हाटकेश्वरम् । कारोहणे नकुलीशं देविकायामुमापतिम्

rohaṇaṁ tu ayodhyāyāṁ pātāle hāṭakeśvaram kārohaṇe nakulīśaṁ devikāyāmumāpatim

In Ayodhya, Rohana; in Patala, Hatakeshvara; in Karohana, Nakulisha; in Devika, Umapati.

Verse 18 (skanda.6.109.18)

भैरवे भैरवाकारममरं पूर्वसागरे । सप्तगोदावरे भीमं स्वयंभूर्निर्मलेश्वरे

bhairave bhairavākāramamaraṁ pūrvasāgare saptagodāvare bhīmaṁ svayaṁbhūrnirmaleśvare

In Bhairava, Bhairava in his very form; in the eastern ocean, Amara; in Sapta-Godavari, Bhima; in Nirmaleshvara, the self-born one.

Verse 19 (skanda.6.109.19)

कर्णिकारे गणाध्यक्षं कैलासे तु गणाधिपम् । गंगाद्वारे हिमस्थानं जललिंगे जलप्रियम्

karṇikāre gaṇādhyakṣaṁ kailāse tu gaṇādhipam gaṁgādvāre himasthānaṁ jalaliṁge jalapriyam

In Karnikara, Ganadhyaksha; and in Kailasa, Ganadhipa; in Gangadvara, Himasthana; in Jalalinga, Jalapriya.

Verse 20 (skanda.6.109.20)

अनलं वाडवेऽग्नौ च भीमं बदरिकाश्रमे । श्रेष्ठे कोटीश्वरं चैव वाराहं विन्ध्यपर्वते

analaṁ vāḍave'gnau ca bhīmaṁ badarikāśrame śreṣṭhe koṭīśvaraṁ caiva vārāhaṁ vindhyaparvate

In Vadava, in the fire, Anala; in Badarikashrama, Bhima; and in that most excellent place, Kotishvara; on the Vindhya mountain, Varaha.

Verse 21 (skanda.6.109.21)

हेमकूटे विरूपाक्षं भूर्भुवं गन्धमादने । लिंगेश्वरे च वरदं लंकायां च नरांतकम्

hemakūṭe virūpākṣaṁ bhūrbhuvaṁ gandhamādane liṁgeśvare ca varadaṁ laṁkāyāṁ ca narāṁtakam

In Hemakuta, Virupaksha; in Gandhamadana, Bhurbhuva; in Lingeshvara, Varada; and in Lanka, Narantaka.

Verse 22 (skanda.6.109.22)

अष्टषष्टिरियं देवि तवाख्याता विशेषतः । पठतां शृण्वतां वापि सर्वपातकनाशिनी

aṣṭaṣaṣṭiriyaṁ devi tavākhyātā viśeṣataḥ paṭhatāṁ śṛṇvatāṁ vāpi sarvapātakanāśinī

This group of sixty-eight has been declared to you especially, goddess; for those who recite it, or even hear it, it destroys every sin.

Verse 23 (skanda.6.109.23)

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन कीर्तनीया विचक्षणैः । कालत्रयेऽपि शुचिभिर्विशेषाच्छिवदीक्षितैः

tasmātsarvaprayatnena kīrtanīyā vicakṣaṇaiḥ kālatraye'pi śucibhirviśeṣācchivadīkṣitaiḥ

Therefore it should be recited with the utmost effort by the discerning, at all three times of day, by the pure, and especially by those initiated into Shiva.

Verse 24 (skanda.6.109.24)

लिखितापि वरारोहे यस्यैषा तिष्ठते गृहे । न तत्र जायते दोषो भूतप्रेतसमुद्भवः

likhitāpi varārohe yasyaiṣā tiṣṭhate gṛhe na tatra jāyate doṣo bhūtapretasamudbhavaḥ

Even merely written down, fair one, wherever it stands in a house, no affliction born of ghosts or spirits ever arises there.

Verse 25 (skanda.6.109.25)

न व्याधेर्न च सर्पाणां न चौराणां वरानने । नान्येषां भूभुजादीनां कदाचिदपि कुत्रचित्

na vyādherna ca sarpāṇāṁ na caurāṇāṁ varānane nānyeṣāṁ bhūbhujādīnāṁ kadācidapi kutracit

Nor of disease, nor of serpents, nor of thieves, O fair-faced one, nor of any others such as oppressive rulers — never, anywhere, at any time.