Merit of Residing near Raktasrnga

Verse 1 (skanda.6.16.1)

सूत उवाच । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन त्यक्त्वाऽन्या निखिलाः क्रियाः । रक्तशृंगस्य सांनिध्यं सेवनीयं विचक्षणैः

sūta uvāca tasmātsarvaprayatnena tyaktvā'nyā nikhilāḥ kriyāḥ raktaśṛṁgasya sāṁnidhyaṁ sevanīyaṁ vicakṣaṇaiḥ

Suta said: Therefore the wise should, abandoning every other observance, devote themselves with all effort to dwelling in the presence of Raktashringa.

Verse 2 (skanda.6.16.2)

किं दानैः किं क्रियाकांडैः किं यज्ञैः किं व्रतैरपि । तत्क्षेत्रं सेवयेद्भक्त्या हाटकेश्वरसंभवम्

kiṁ dānaiḥ kiṁ kriyākāṁḍaiḥ kiṁ yajñaiḥ kiṁ vratairapi tatkṣetraṁ sevayedbhaktyā hāṭakeśvarasaṁbhavam

What use are gifts, ritual observances, sacrifices, or even vows? One should, with devotion, resort to that field which arose from Hatakeshvara.

Verse 3 (skanda.6.16.3)

अग्निष्टोमादयो यज्ञाः सर्वे संपूर्णदक्षिणाः । तस्य क्षेत्रस्य पुरतः कलां नार्हंति षोडशीम्

agniṣṭomādayo yajñāḥ sarve saṁpūrṇadakṣiṇāḥ tasya kṣetrasya purataḥ kalāṁ nārhaṁti ṣoḍaśīm

All the sacrifices beginning with Agnishtoma, even when performed with complete sacrificial fees, are not worth a sixteenth part of that field.

Verse 4 (skanda.6.16.4)

चान्द्रायणानि कृच्छ्राणि तथा सांतपनानि च । तस्य क्षेत्रस्य पुरतः कलां नार्हंति षोडशीम्

cāndrāyaṇāni kṛcchrāṇi tathā sāṁtapanāni ca tasya kṣetrasya purataḥ kalāṁ nārhaṁti ṣoḍaśīm

The Chandrayana, Krichchhra, and Santapana penances too are not worth a sixteenth part of that field.

Verse 5 (skanda.6.16.5)

प्रभासाद्यानि तीर्थानि गङ्गाद्याः सरितस्तथा । तस्य क्षेत्रस्य पुरतः कलां नार्हंति षोडशीम्

prabhāsādyāni tīrthāni gaṅgādyāḥ saritastathā tasya kṣetrasya purataḥ kalāṁ nārhaṁti ṣoḍaśīm

The tirthas beginning with Prabhasa, and rivers such as the Ganga, are not worth a sixteenth part of that field.

Verse 6 (skanda.6.16.6)

भूमिदानानि सर्वाणि धर्माः सर्वे दयादिकाः । तस्य क्षेत्रस्य पुरतः कलां नार्हंति षोडशीम्

bhūmidānāni sarvāṇi dharmāḥ sarve dayādikāḥ tasya kṣetrasya purataḥ kalāṁ nārhaṁti ṣoḍaśīm

All gifts of land, and every virtuous act founded on compassion, are not worth a sixteenth part of that field.

Verse 7 (skanda.6.16.7)

तत्र राजर्षयः पूर्वं प्रभूताः सिद्धिमागताः । पशवः पक्षिणः सर्पाः सिंहव्याघ्रा मृगादयः

tatra rājarṣayaḥ pūrvaṁ prabhūtāḥ siddhimāgatāḥ paśavaḥ pakṣiṇaḥ sarpāḥ siṁhavyāghrā mṛgādayaḥ

There, in the past, many royal sages attained perfection, as did beasts, birds, serpents, lions, tigers, and deer.

Verse 8 (skanda.6.16.8)

तत्र कालवशान्नष्टास्तेऽपि प्राप्ता दिवालयम् । यस्तत्र व्रतहीनोऽपि कृषिकर्मरतोऽपि वा

tatra kālavaśānnaṣṭāste'pi prāptā divālayam yastatra vratahīno'pi kṛṣikarmarato'pi vā

Even dying there under the sway of time, they attained the abode of heaven. Whoever, though without observing vows, or even though engaged in farming —

Verse 9 (skanda.6.16.9)

निवासं कुरुते विप्रा मृतस्तत्र दिवं व्रजेत् । किंवा च बहुनोक्तेन भूयोभूयो द्विजोत्तमाः

nivāsaṁ kurute viprā mṛtastatra divaṁ vrajet kiṁvā ca bahunoktena bhūyobhūyo dvijottamāḥ

O brahmins, dwells there — upon death he goes to heaven. O best of the twice-born, what need is there to say more? Again and again I say this —

Verse 10 (skanda.6.16.10)

श्रूयतां परमं गुह्यं तस्य क्षेत्रस्य संभवम् । पुनंति क्षेत्रतीर्थानि संवासादिह मानवान्

śrūyatāṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ tasya kṣetrasya saṁbhavam punaṁti kṣetratīrthāni saṁvāsādiha mānavān

— listen to this most secret truth about the origin of that field. Merely by dwelling here, the tirthas of that field purify human beings.

Verse 11 (skanda.6.16.11)

हाटकेश्वरजं क्षेत्रं पुनाति स्मरणादपि । किं पुनर्दर्शनाद्विप्राः स्पर्शनाच्च विशेषतः

hāṭakeśvarajaṁ kṣetraṁ punāti smaraṇādapi kiṁ punardarśanādviprāḥ sparśanācca viśeṣataḥ

That field, born of Hatakeshvara, purifies merely by being remembered. O brahmins, what then need be said of the purification gained by seeing it, and above all by touching it?