Greatness of Pitrkupika Tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.6.19.1)

सूत उवाच । एतस्मिन्नंतरे प्राप्तास्तस्य भूपस्य सेवकाः । केचिच्च दैवयो गेन श्वापदैरर्धभक्षिताः

sūta uvāca etasminnaṁtare prāptāstasya bhūpasya sevakāḥ kecicca daivayo gena śvāpadairardhabhakṣitāḥ

Suta said: Meanwhile, some of that king's servants, who by fate had been half-devoured by beasts of prey, arrived there.

Verse 2 (skanda.6.19.2)

क्षुत्पिपासातुरा दीना दुःखेन महताऽन्विताः । पदपद्धतिमार्गेण येन यातः स भूपतिः

kṣutpipāsāturā dīnā duḥkhena mahatā'nvitāḥ padapaddhatimārgeṇa yena yātaḥ sa bhūpatiḥ

Tormented by hunger and thirst, wretched, and overwhelmed with great sorrow, they came by the very footpath along which the king had gone.

Verse 3 (skanda.6.19.3)

ते दृष्ट्वा पार्थिवं तत्र दिष्ट्यादिष्ट्येति सादरम् । ब्रुवंतः पादयोस्तस्य पतिता हर्षसंयुताः

te dṛṣṭvā pārthivaṁ tatra diṣṭyādiṣṭyeti sādaram bruvaṁtaḥ pādayostasya patitā harṣasaṁyutāḥ

Seeing the king there, they, filled with joy, respectfully exclaiming "What good fortune, what good fortune," fell at his feet.

Verse 4 (skanda.6.19.4)

ततस्तस्य नरेन्द्रस्य व्यसनं सैन्यसंभवम् । प्रोचुश्चैव यथादृष्टम नुभूतं यथाश्रुतम्

tatastasya narendrasya vyasanaṁ sainyasaṁbhavam procuścaiva yathādṛṣṭama nubhūtaṁ yathāśrutam

Then they told the king of the calamity that had befallen the army, just as they had seen, experienced, and heard of it.

Verse 5 (skanda.6.19.5)

अथ ते तापसाः सर्वे स च राजा ससेवकः । प्रसुप्ताः पादपस्याधः पर्णान्यास्तीर्यभूतले

atha te tāpasāḥ sarve sa ca rājā sasevakaḥ prasuptāḥ pādapasyādhaḥ parṇānyāstīryabhūtale

Then all those ascetics, and the king together with his servants, spreading leaves upon the ground beneath a tree, went to sleep.

Verse 6 (skanda.6.19.6)

ततस्तेषां प्रसुप्तानां सर्वेषां तत्र कानने । अतिक्रांता सुखेनैव रजनी सा महात्मनाम्

tatasteṣāṁ prasuptānāṁ sarveṣāṁ tatra kānane atikrāṁtā sukhenaiva rajanī sā mahātmanām

For all of those great souls, sleeping there in that forest, that night passed peacefully.

Verse 7 (skanda.6.19.7)

ततः स प्रातरुत्थाय कृतपूर्वाह्णिकक्रियः । तं मुनिं प्रणिपत्योच्चैरनुज्ञाप्य मुहु र्मुहुः

tataḥ sa prātarutthāya kṛtapūrvāhṇikakriyaḥ taṁ muniṁ praṇipatyoccairanujñāpya muhu rmuhuḥ

Then, rising at dawn, having performed the morning rites, and bowing aloud to that sage, seeking his leave again and again —

Verse 8 (skanda.6.19.8)

निजैस्तैः सेवकैः सार्धं प्रस्थितः स्वपुरीं प्रति । माहिष्मतीं समुद्दिश्य दृष्ट्वा मार्गे शनैःशनैः

nijaistaiḥ sevakaiḥ sārdhaṁ prasthitaḥ svapurīṁ prati māhiṣmatīṁ samuddiśya dṛṣṭvā mārge śanaiḥśanaiḥ

— he set out together with those very servants of his toward his own city of Mahishmati, watching the path as he went, slowly and steadily.

Verse 9 (skanda.6.19.9)

ततो निजगृहं प्राप्य कञ्चि त्कालं महीपतिः । विश्रम्य प्रययौ पश्चात्तूर्णं पुण्यं गयाशिरः

tato nijagṛhaṁ prāpya kañci tkālaṁ mahīpatiḥ viśramya prayayau paścāttūrṇaṁ puṇyaṁ gayāśiraḥ

Then, having reached his own home and rested there for some time, that king afterward went quickly to the sacred Gayashirsha.

Verse 10 (skanda.6.19.10)

तच्च कालेन संप्राप्य स्नात्वा धौतांबरः शुचिः । मांसादाय ददौ श्राद्धं श्रद्धापूतेन चेतसा

tacca kālena saṁprāpya snātvā dhautāṁbaraḥ śuciḥ māṁsādāya dadau śrāddhaṁ śraddhāpūtena cetasā

Having reached it, he bathed, put on washed garments, became pure, and, with a heart purified by faith, performed the ancestral rite for Mamsada.

Verse 11 (skanda.6.19.11)

अथाऽसौ पृथिवीपालः स्वप्नांते च ददर्श तम् । दिव्यमाल्यांबरधरं दिव्यगंधानुलेपनम् । विमानवरमारूढं स्तूयमानं च किंनरैः

athā'sau pṛthivīpālaḥ svapnāṁte ca dadarśa tam divyamālyāṁbaradharaṁ divyagaṁdhānulepanam vimānavaramārūḍhaṁ stūyamānaṁ ca kiṁnaraiḥ

Then, at the end of a dream, that king beheld him — clad in celestial garlands and garments, anointed with divine fragrance, mounted upon an excellent celestial chariot, and being praised by the kinnaras.

Verse 12 (skanda.6.19.12)

मांसाद उवाच । प्रसादात्तव भूपाल मुक्तोऽहं प्रेतयोनितः । स्वस्ति तेऽस्तु गमिष्यामि सांप्रतं त्रिदिवा लयम्

māṁsāda uvāca prasādāttava bhūpāla mukto'haṁ pretayonitaḥ svasti te'stu gamiṣyāmi sāṁprataṁ tridivā layam

Mamsada said: "O king, by your grace I am freed from the state of being a preta. May you prosper; now I shall go to the abode of heaven."

Verse 13 (skanda.6.19.13)

ततः स प्रातरुत्थाय हर्षाविष्टो महीपतिः । विदैवतं समुद्दिश्य चक्रे श्राद्धं यथोचितम्

tataḥ sa prātarutthāya harṣāviṣṭo mahīpatiḥ vidaivataṁ samuddiśya cakre śrāddhaṁ yathocitam

Then, rising at dawn, that king, filled with joy, performed the proper ancestral rite for Vidaivata.

Verse 14 (skanda.6.19.14)

सोऽपि तेनैव रूपेण तस्य संदर्शनं गतः । स्वप्नांऽते भूमिपालस्य तद्वच्चोक्त्वा दिवं गतः

so'pi tenaiva rūpeṇa tasya saṁdarśanaṁ gataḥ svapnāṁ'te bhūmipālasya tadvaccoktvā divaṁ gataḥ

He too, in that same form, came to appear before the king at the end of a dream, and, speaking the very same words, departed for heaven.

Verse 15 (skanda.6.19.15)

ततः प्रातस्तृतीयेऽह्नि कृतघ्नस्य महीपतिः । चक्रे श्राद्धं यथापूर्वं श्रद्धापूतेन चेतसा

tataḥ prātastṛtīye'hni kṛtaghnasya mahīpatiḥ cakre śrāddhaṁ yathāpūrvaṁ śraddhāpūtena cetasā

Then, on the morning of the third day, that king, with a heart purified by faith as before, performed the ancestral rite for Kritaghna.

Verse 16 (skanda.6.19.16)

ततः सोऽपि समायातस्तस्य स्वप्ने महीपतेः । तेनैव प्रेतरूपेण दुःखेन महता वृतः

tataḥ so'pi samāyātastasya svapne mahīpateḥ tenaiva pretarūpeṇa duḥkhena mahatā vṛtaḥ

Then he too came into that king's dream, in that same preta-form, still surrounded by great sorrow.

Verse 17 (skanda.6.19.17)

कृतघ्न उवाच । न मे गतिर्महाराज संजाता पापकर्मिणः । तडागवित्तचौरस्य कृतघ्नस्य तथैव च

kṛtaghna uvāca na me gatirmahārāja saṁjātā pāpakarmiṇaḥ taḍāgavittacaurasya kṛtaghnasya tathaiva ca

Kritaghna said: "O great king, no release has come to me — a sinner, a thief of a tank's endowment, and the ungrateful one."

Verse 18 (skanda.6.19.18)

तस्मात्संजायते मुक्तिर्यथा मे पार्थिवोत्तम । तथैव त्वं कुरुष्याऽद्य सत्यवाक्यपरो भव

tasmātsaṁjāyate muktiryathā me pārthivottama tathaiva tvaṁ kuruṣyā'dya satyavākyaparo bhava

"O best of kings, do this day whatever is needed for my liberation to come about, and remain devoted to truthful speech."

Verse 19 (skanda.6.19.19)

सत्यमेव परं ब्रह्म सत्यमेव परं तपः । सत्यमेव परं ज्ञानं सत्यमेव परं श्रुतम्

satyameva paraṁ brahma satyameva paraṁ tapaḥ satyameva paraṁ jñānaṁ satyameva paraṁ śrutam

"Truth alone is the supreme Brahman; truth alone is the supreme austerity; truth alone is the supreme knowledge; truth alone is the supreme scripture."

Verse 20 (skanda.6.19.20)

सत्येन वायु र्वहति सत्येन तपते रविः । सागरः सत्यवाक्येन मर्यादां न विलंघयेत्

satyena vāyu rvahati satyena tapate raviḥ sāgaraḥ satyavākyena maryādāṁ na vilaṁghayet

"By truth the wind blows; by truth the sun burns; and by the power of true speech the ocean does not transgress its bounds."

Verse 21 (skanda.6.19.21)

तीर्थसेवा तपो दानं स्वाध्यायो गुरुसेवनम् । सर्वं सत्यविहीनस्य व्यर्थं संजायते यतः

tīrthasevā tapo dānaṁ svādhyāyo gurusevanam sarvaṁ satyavihīnasya vyarthaṁ saṁjāyate yataḥ

"Devotion to tirthas, austerity, charity, scriptural study, and service to one's teacher — all of this becomes fruitless for one who lacks truth."

Verse 22 (skanda.6.19.22)

सर्वे धर्मा धृताः पूर्वमेकत्राऽन्यत्र चाप्यृतम् । तुलायां कौतुकाद्देवैर्जातं तत्र ऋतं गुरु

sarve dharmā dhṛtāḥ pūrvamekatrā'nyatra cāpyṛtam tulāyāṁ kautukāddevairjātaṁ tatra ṛtaṁ guru

"Once, out of curiosity, the gods placed all virtues together in one pan of a scale and truth alone in the other — and there truth proved the heavier."

Verse 23 (skanda.6.19.23)

तस्मात्सत्यं पुरस्कृत्य मां तारय महामते । एतत्ते परमं श्रेयस्तपसोऽपि भविष्यति

tasmātsatyaṁ puraskṛtya māṁ tāraya mahāmate etatte paramaṁ śreyastapaso'pi bhaviṣyati

"Therefore, O wise one, placing truth foremost, deliver me across. This will be, for you, a supreme good, greater even than austerity."

Verse 24 (skanda.6.19.24)

विदूरथ उवाच । कथं ते जायते मुक्तिर्वद मे प्रेत सत्वरम् । करोमि येन तत्कर्म यद्यपि स्यात्सुदुष्करम् ः

vidūratha uvāca kathaṁ te jāyate muktirvada me preta satvaram karomi yena tatkarma yadyapi syātsuduṣkaram ḥ

Viduratha said: "O preta, tell me quickly how your liberation may come about, so that I may perform that deed, however difficult it may be."

Verse 25 (skanda.6.19.25)

प्रेत उवाच । चमत्कारपुरे भूप श्रीक्षेत्रे हाटकेश्वरे । आस्ते पांसुभिराच्छन्नं कलेर्भीतं गयाशिरः

preta uvāca camatkārapure bhūpa śrīkṣetre hāṭakeśvare āste pāṁsubhirācchannaṁ kalerbhītaṁ gayāśiraḥ

The preta said: "O king, in that glorious field of Hatakeshvara in Chamatkarapura, there lies Gayashirsha, covered over with dust as if in fear of the Kali age."

Verse 26 (skanda.6.19.26)

अधस्तात्प्लक्षवृक्षस्य दर्भस्थानैः समंततः । कालशाकैस्तथानेकैस्तिलैश्चारण्यसंभवैः

adhastātplakṣavṛkṣasya darbhasthānaiḥ samaṁtataḥ kālaśākaistathānekaistilaiścāraṇyasaṁbhavaiḥ

It lies beneath a plaksha tree, surrounded on all sides by patches of kusha grass, kalashaka greens, and many wild-growing sesame plants.

Verse 27 (skanda.6.19.27)

तत्र गत्वा तिलैस्तैस्त्वं तैः शाकैस्तैः कुशैस्तथा । श्राद्धं देहि द्रुतं येन मुक्तिः संजायते मम

tatra gatvā tilaistaistvaṁ taiḥ śākaistaiḥ kuśaistathā śrāddhaṁ dehi drutaṁ yena muktiḥ saṁjāyate mama

Going there, quickly perform my ancestral rite with those very sesame seeds, those very greens, and that very kusha grass, so that my liberation may come about.

Verse 28 (skanda.6.19.28)

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा स दीनस्य दयान्वितः । जगाम तत्र यत्राऽऽस्ते स वृक्षः प्लक्षसंज्ञकः

tasya tadvacanaṁ śrutvā sa dīnasya dayānvitaḥ jagāma tatra yatrā''ste sa vṛkṣaḥ plakṣasaṁjñakaḥ

Hearing his words, and full of compassion for that wretched one, he went to that place where the tree called plaksha stood.

Verse 29 (skanda.6.19.29)

दृष्ट्वा शाकांस्तिलांस्तांस्तु दर्भांस्तेन यथोदितान् । अखनत्तत्र देशे च जलार्थे लघु कूपिकाम्

dṛṣṭvā śākāṁstilāṁstāṁstu darbhāṁstena yathoditān akhanattatra deśe ca jalārthe laghu kūpikām

Seeing those greens, sesame plants, and kusha grass just as described by him, he dug there, in that spot, a small well for water.

Verse 30 (skanda.6.19.30)

ततः कृतघ्नमुद्दिश्य श्राद्धं चक्रे यथोदितम् । आनीय ब्राह्मणाञ्छ्रेष्ठान्वेदवेदांगपारगान्

tataḥ kṛtaghnamuddiśya śrāddhaṁ cakre yathoditam ānīya brāhmaṇāñchreṣṭhānvedavedāṁgapāragān

Then, summoning excellent brahmins learned in the Vedas and their auxiliary sciences, he performed the prescribed ancestral rite for Kritaghna.

Verse 31 (skanda.6.19.31)

कृतमात्रे ततः श्राद्धे दिव्य रूपधरः पुमान् । विमानवरमारूढो विदूरथमथाऽब्रवीत्

kṛtamātre tataḥ śrāddhe divya rūpadharaḥ pumān vimānavaramārūḍho vidūrathamathā'bravīt

As soon as the rite was completed, a man of divine form, mounted upon an excellent celestial chariot, spoke to Viduratha.

Verse 32 (skanda.6.19.32)

मुक्तोऽहं त्वत्प्रसादाच्च प्रेतत्वाद्दारुणाद्विभो । स्वस्ति तेऽस्तु गमिष्यामि सांप्रतं त्रिदशालयम्

mukto'haṁ tvatprasādācca pretatvāddāruṇādvibho svasti te'stu gamiṣyāmi sāṁprataṁ tridaśālayam

"O lord, by your grace I am freed from this dreadful state of being a preta. May you prosper; now I shall go to the abode of the gods."

Verse 33 (skanda.6.19.33)

सूत उवाच । ततः प्रभृति सा तत्र कूपिका ख्यातिमागता । पितॄणां पुष्टिदा नित्यं गयाशीर्षसमुद्भवा

sūta uvāca tataḥ prabhṛti sā tatra kūpikā khyātimāgatā pitṝṇāṁ puṣṭidā nityaṁ gayāśīrṣasamudbhavā

Suta said: From that time on, that little well became renowned there, arising from Gayashirsha, forever bestowing satisfaction upon the ancestors.

Verse 34 (skanda.6.19.34)

प्रेतपक्षस्य दर्शायां यस्तस्यां श्राद्धमाचरेत् । कालशाकेन विप्रेंद्रास्तथारण्योद्भवैस्तिलैः

pretapakṣasya darśāyāṁ yastasyāṁ śrāddhamācaret kālaśākena vipreṁdrāstathāraṇyodbhavaistilaiḥ

O best of brahmins, whoever, on the new-moon day of the ancestral fortnight, performs the ancestral rite there with kalashaka greens and wild-growing sesame —

Verse 35 (skanda.6.19.35)

कृंतितैश्च तथा दर्भैः सम्यक्छ्रद्धासमन्वितः । स प्राप्नोति फलं कृत्स्नं कृतघ्नप्रेततीर्थतः

kṛṁtitaiśca tathā darbhaiḥ samyakchraddhāsamanvitaḥ sa prāpnoti phalaṁ kṛtsnaṁ kṛtaghnapretatīrthataḥ

— and with cut kusha grass, filled with complete faith, he obtains the entire fruit that comes from the Kritaghna-preta-tirtha.

Verse 36 (skanda.6.19.36)

अग्निष्वात्ताः पितृगणास्तथा बर्हिषदश्च ये । तत्र संनिहिता नित्यमाज्यपाः सोमपास्तथा

agniṣvāttāḥ pitṛgaṇāstathā barhiṣadaśca ye tatra saṁnihitā nityamājyapāḥ somapāstathā

There the ancestral hosts known as Agnishvatta, Barhishada, Ajyapa, and Somapa are ever present.

Verse 37 (skanda.6.19.37)

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन श्राद्धं तत्र समाचरेत् । काले वा । यदि वाऽकाले पितॄणां तुष्टये सदा

tasmātsarvaprayatnena śrāddhaṁ tatra samācaret kāle vā yadi vā'kāle pitṝṇāṁ tuṣṭaye sadā

Therefore, for the constant satisfaction of the ancestors, whether at the proper time or otherwise, one should, with every effort, perform the ancestral rite there.