The Glory of the Origin of Yajnavalkyeshvara

Verse 1 (skanda.6.175.1)

सूत उवाच । एवं संशोचते यावदात्मानं परिगर्हयन् । ततस्तु ब्रह्मणा प्रोक्तः स्वयमभ्येत्य भो द्विजाः

sūta uvāca evaṁ saṁśocate yāvadātmānaṁ parigarhayan tatastu brahmaṇā proktaḥ svayamabhyetya bho dvijāḥ

Suta said: O brahmins, while he thus grieved, reproaching himself, Brahma himself came there in person and spoke to him.

Verse 2 (skanda.6.175.2)

त्वया शंका न कर्तव्या सुतस्यास्य कृते द्विज । अज्ञानादेव ते जातो दैवयोगेन बालकः

tvayā śaṁkā na kartavyā sutasyāsya kṛte dvija ajñānādeva te jāto daivayogena bālakaḥ

'O brahmin, you need have no doubt concerning this son. This child was born to you through ignorance alone, by a stroke of fate.'

Verse 3 (skanda.6.175.3)

याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच । तथापि देव मे शुद्धिर्हृदयस्य न जायते । तस्माद्वद सुरश्रेष्ठ प्रायश्चित्तं विशुद्धये

yājñavalkya uvāca tathāpi deva me śuddhirhṛdayasya na jāyate tasmādvada suraśreṣṭha prāyaścittaṁ viśuddhaye

Yajnavalkya said: 'Even so, O god, my heart finds no purity. Therefore, O best of gods, tell me a penance for my purification.'

Verse 4 (skanda.6.175.4)

ब्रह्मोवाच । यदि ते चित्तशुद्धिस्तु न कथंचित्प्रवर्तते । तत्स्थापय महाभाग लिंगं देवस्य शूलिनः

brahmovāca yadi te cittaśuddhistu na kathaṁcitpravartate tatsthāpaya mahābhāga liṅgaṁ devasya śūlinaḥ

Brahma said: 'If your mind cannot find purity by any means, then, O greatly fortunate one, establish a linga of the trident-bearing god.'

Verse 5 (skanda.6.175.5)

अज्ञानाज्ज्ञानतोवापि यत्पापं कुरुते नरः । ब्रह्महत्यादिकं चापि स्त्रीवधाद्वापि यद्भवेत्

ajñānājjñānatovāpi yatpāpaṁ kurute naraḥ brahmahatyādikaṁ cāpi strīvadhādvāpi yadbhavet

Whatever sin a man commits, whether in ignorance or knowingly — be it brahmin-slaying or the killing of a woman —

Verse 6 (skanda.6.175.6)

पंचेष्टिकामयं वापि यः कुर्याद्धरमन्दिरम् । तस्य तन्नाशमायाति तमः सूर्योदये यथा

paṁceṣṭikāmayaṁ vāpi yaḥ kuryāddharamandiram tasya tannāśamāyāti tamaḥ sūryodaye yathā

— if he builds even a shrine of Shiva of just five bricks, that sin of his is destroyed, just as darkness is destroyed at sunrise.

Verse 7 (skanda.6.175.7)

विशेषेण महाभाग हाटकेश्वरसंभवे । क्षेत्रे तत्र सुमेध्ये तु सर्वपातकनाशने

viśeṣeṇa mahābhāga hāṭakeśvarasaṁbhave kṣetre tatra sumedhye tu sarvapātakanāśane

Especially, O greatly fortunate one, in that most sacred field known as Hatakeshvara, which destroys all sins —

Verse 8 (skanda.6.175.8)

कलिकाले च संप्राप्ते यत्र पापं न विद्यते । अहमप्यत्र वांछामि यज्ञं कर्तुं द्विजोत्तम

kalikāle ca saṁprāpte yatra pāpaṁ na vidyate ahamapyatra vāṁchāmi yajñaṁ kartuṁ dvijottama

— where, even in the Kali age, sin has no existence. O best of the twice-born, I too wish to perform a sacrifice there.

Verse 9 (skanda.6.175.9)

आनयिष्यामि तत्तीर्थं पुष्करं चात्मनः प्रियम् । कलिकालभयाच्चैतद्यावन्नो व्यर्थतां व्रजेत्

ānayiṣyāmi tattīrthaṁ puṣkaraṁ cātmanaḥ priyam kalikālabhayāccaitadyāvanno vyarthatāṁ vrajet

I shall bring my beloved tirtha, Pushkara, there as well, lest, through fear of the Kali age, it should become fruitless.

Verse 10 (skanda.6.175.10)

कलिकाले तु संप्राप्ते तीर्थानि सकलानि च । यास्यंति व्यर्थतां विप्र मुक्त्वेदं क्षेत्रमुत्तमम्

kalikāle tu saṁprāpte tīrthāni sakalāni ca yāsyaṁti vyarthatāṁ vipra muktvedaṁ kṣetramuttamam

When the Kali age arrives, O brahmin, all sacred fords, save this excellent field, shall become fruitless.

Verse 11 (skanda.6.175.11)

सूत उवाच । एवमुक्त्वा चतुर्वक्त्रस्ततश्चादर्शनं गतः । याज्ञवल्क्योऽपि तच्छ्रुत्वा पितामहवचोऽखिलम्

sūta uvāca evamuktvā caturvaktrastataścādarśanaṁ gataḥ yājñavalkyo'pi tacchrutvā pitāmahavaco'khilam

Suta said: Having said this, the four-faced Brahma vanished from sight; and Yajnavalkya too, having heard the Grandsire's entire counsel —

Verse 12 (skanda.6.175.12)

लिंगं संस्थापयामास ज्ञात्वा क्षेत्रमनुत्तमम् । अब्रवीच्च ततो वाक्यं मेघगंभीरया गिरा

liṅgaṁ saṁsthāpayāmāsa jñātvā kṣetramanuttamam abravīcca tato vākyaṁ meghagaṁbhīrayā girā

— recognizing that unsurpassed field, established the linga there, and then spoke these words in a voice deep as thunder.

Verse 13 (skanda.6.175.13)

अष्टम्यां च चतुर्दश्यां यो लिंगं मामकं त्विदम् । स्नापयिष्यति सद्भक्त्या तस्य पापं प्रयास्यति

aṣṭamyāṁ ca caturdaśyāṁ yo liṅgaṁ māmakaṁ tvidam snāpayiṣyati sadbhaktyā tasya pāpaṁ prayāsyati

'Whoever, on the eighth and fourteenth lunar days, bathes this linga of mine with true devotion — his sin shall be destroyed.'

Verse 14 (skanda.6.175.14)

परदारकृतं यच्च मात्रापि च समं कृतम् । क्षालयिष्यति तत्पापं स्नापितं पूजितं परैः

paradārakṛtaṁ yacca mātrāpi ca samaṁ kṛtam kṣālayiṣyati tatpāpaṁ snāpitaṁ pūjitaṁ paraiḥ

'Even the sin of violating another's wife, or a deed equal in gravity to that against one's own mother, shall be washed away by bathing and worshipping this linga.'

Verse 15 (skanda.6.175.15)

अस्मिन्नहनि संप्राप्ते तस्य पक्षसमुद्भवम् । प्रयास्यति कृतं पापं यदज्ञानाद्विनिर्मितम्

asminnahani saṁprāpte tasya pakṣasamudbhavam prayāsyati kṛtaṁ pāpaṁ yadajñānādvinirmitam

'On this day, sin arisen within that fortnight, committed through ignorance, shall likewise be destroyed.'

Verse 16 (skanda.6.175.16)

ततःप्रभृति विख्यातो याज्ञवल्क्येश्वरः शुभः । तस्मिन्क्षेत्रे द्विजश्रेष्ठा हाटकेश्वरसंज्ञके

tataḥprabhṛti vikhyāto yājñavalkyeśvaraḥ śubhaḥ tasminkṣetre dvijaśreṣṭhā hāṭakeśvarasaṁjñake

O best of the twice-born, from that time on, that auspicious linga became renowned as Yajnavalkyeshvara in that field called Hatakeshvara.