The Essence of the Sixty-Eight Tirthas: Hatakeshvara Supreme

Verse 1 (skanda.6.110.1)

श्रीदेव्युवाच । नैतेष्वपि सुरश्रेष्ठ सर्वेषु भुवि मानवाः । अपि दीर्घायुषो भूत्वा स्नातुं शक्ताः कथंचन

śrīdevyuvāca naiteṣvapi suraśreṣṭha sarveṣu bhuvi mānavāḥ api dīrghāyuṣo bhūtvā snātuṁ śaktāḥ kathaṁcana

Sri Devi said: "Not even in all of these, best of gods, are men upon the earth able, however long-lived they may be, to bathe in every one of them.

Verse 2 (skanda.6.110.2)

एतेषामपि साराणि मम तीर्थानि कीर्तय । येषु स्नातो नरः सम्यक्सर्वेषां लभते फलम्

eteṣāmapi sārāṇi mama tīrthāni kīrtaya yeṣu snāto naraḥ samyaksarveṣāṁ labhate phalam

Tell me the essence of my tirthas even among these, in which a man, bathing properly, may obtain the fruit of them all.

Verse 3 (skanda.6.110.3)

ईश्वर उवाच । एतेषां मध्यतो देवि तीर्थाष्टकमनुत्तमम् । अस्ति स्नातैर्नरैस्तत्र सर्वेषां लभ्यते फलम्

īśvara uvāca eteṣāṁ madhyato devi tīrthāṣṭakamanuttamam asti snātairnaraistatra sarveṣāṁ labhyate phalam

The Lord said: "Among these, goddess, there is an unsurpassed group of eight tirthas; for men who bathe there, the fruit of them all is obtained.

Verse 4 (skanda.6.110.4)

नैमिषं चैव केदारं पुष्करं कृमिजांगलम् । वाराणसी कुरुक्षेत्रं प्रभासं हाटकेश्वरम्

naimiṣaṁ caiva kedāraṁ puṣkaraṁ kṛmijāṁgalam vārāṇasī kurukṣetraṁ prabhāsaṁ hāṭakeśvaram

Naimisha, and Kedara, Pushkara, Krimijangala; Varanasi, Kurukshetra, Prabhasa, Hatakeshvara.

Verse 5 (skanda.6.110.5)

अष्टास्वेतेषु यः स्नातः सम्यक्श्रद्धासमन्वितः । स स्नातः सर्वतीर्थेषु सत्यमेतन्मयोदितम्

aṣṭāsveteṣu yaḥ snātaḥ samyakśraddhāsamanvitaḥ sa snātaḥ sarvatīrtheṣu satyametanmayoditam

Whoever bathes properly at these eight, filled with faith, he has bathed at all the tirthas — this is the truth I have declared.

Verse 6 (skanda.6.110.6)

श्रीदेव्युवाच । कलिकाले महादेव भविष्यति कथंचन । स्नानं तस्मान्मम ब्रूहि यत्सारं तीर्थमेव हि

śrīdevyuvāca kalikāle mahādeva bhaviṣyati kathaṁcana snānaṁ tasmānmama brūhi yatsāraṁ tīrthameva hi

Sri Devi said: "In the age of Kali, Mahadeva, this kind of bathing shall somehow become impossible; therefore tell me that bathing which is the very essence of tirtha —

Verse 7 (skanda.6.110.7)

अष्टानामपि चैतेषां देवदेव त्रिलोचन । यद्यहं वल्लभा भक्ता तथा चित्तानुवर्तिनी

aṣṭānāmapi caiteṣāṁ devadeva trilocana yadyahaṁ vallabhā bhaktā tathā cittānuvartinī

even of these eight, god of gods, three-eyed one — if indeed I am your beloved, your devotee, and one who follows your very heart."

Verse 8 (skanda.6.110.8)

ईश्वर उवाच । अष्टानामपि देवेशि क्षेत्राणामस्ति चोत्तमम् । एतेषामपि तत्क्षेत्रं हाटकेश्वरसंज्ञितम्

īśvara uvāca aṣṭānāmapi deveśi kṣetrāṇāmasti cottamam eteṣāmapi tatkṣetraṁ hāṭakeśvarasaṁjñitam

The Lord said: "Even among these eight fields, goddess of gods, there is one most excellent; among even these, that field known by the name Hatakeshvara —

Verse 9 (skanda.6.110.9)

यत्र सर्वाणि क्षेत्राणि संस्थितानि ममाज्ञया । तथान्यानि च तीर्थानि कलिकालेऽपि संस्थिते

yatra sarvāṇi kṣetrāṇi saṁsthitāni mamājñayā tathānyāni ca tīrthāni kalikāle'pi saṁsthite

where all the fields stand established by my command, and likewise the other tirthas too, even once the age of Kali has come.

Verse 10 (skanda.6.110.10)

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन तत्क्षेत्रं सेव्यमेव हि । मानुषैर्मोक्षमिच्छद्भिः सत्यमेतन्मयोदितम्

tasmātsarvaprayatnena tatkṣetraṁ sevyameva hi mānuṣairmokṣamicchadbhiḥ satyametanmayoditam

Therefore that field should be served with every effort by men who desire liberation; this is the truth I have declared."

Verse 11 (skanda.6.110.11)

सूत उवाच । एतद्वः सर्वमाख्यातमष्टषष्टिसमुद्भवम् । समुच्चयं द्विजश्रेष्ठा नामदेवसमन्वितम्

sūta uvāca etadvaḥ sarvamākhyātamaṣṭaṣaṣṭisamudbhavam samuccayaṁ dvijaśreṣṭhā nāmadevasamanvitam

Suta said: All this has now been told to you, best of the twice-born — this compendium arising from the sixty-eight, together with their names and their presiding deities,

Verse 12 (skanda.6.110.12)

यथा देवेन चाख्यातं पार्वत्या गुह्यमुत्तमम् । प्रसन्नेन मया कृत्स्नं युष्माकं समुदाहृतम्

yathā devena cākhyātaṁ pārvatyā guhyamuttamam prasannena mayā kṛtsnaṁ yuṣmākaṁ samudāhṛtam

just as this most excellent secret was declared by the god to Parvati, so, being pleased, I have related it to you in its entirety.

Verse 13 (skanda.6.110.13)

यश्चैतत्पठते भक्त्या ह्यष्टषष्टिसमुद्भवम् । स्नानजं लभते पुण्यं शृण्वानः श्रद्धयान्वितः

yaścaitatpaṭhate bhaktyā hyaṣṭaṣaṣṭisamudbhavam snānajaṁ labhate puṇyaṁ śṛṇvānaḥ śraddhayānvitaḥ

And whoever reads this account of the sixty-eight with devotion, or hears it with faith, obtains the merit that arises from bathing.