The Greatness of the Fruit of the Gaya-Shraddha, in the Dialogue of Indra and Vishnu

Verse 1 (skanda.6.205.1)

विष्णुरुवाच एवं ज्ञात्वा सहस्राक्ष मम वाक्यं समाचर यदि ते वल्लभास्ते च ये हता रणमूर्धनि

viṣṇuruvāca evaṁ jñātvā sahasrākṣa mama vākyaṁ samācara yadi te vallabhāste ca ye hatā raṇamūrdhani

Vishnu said: Knowing this, O thousand-eyed one, act upon my word. If those who were slain at the forefront of battle are dear to you,

Verse 2 (skanda.6.205.2)

युध्यमानास्तवाग्रे च गयाश्राद्धेन तर्पय तान्सर्वान्प्रेतभावाच्च येन मुक्तिं भजंति ते

yudhyamānāstavāgre ca gayāśrāddhena tarpaya tānsarvānpretabhāvācca yena muktiṁ bhajaṁti te

— those who fought before you — then satisfy them all with the shraddha-rite at Gaya, by which they may attain liberation from their state as pretas,

Verse 3 (skanda.6.205.3)

पलायनपरा ये च पृष्ठदेशे हता मृताः

palāyanaparā ye ca pṛṣṭhadeśe hatā mṛtāḥ

— including those who, given to flight, died struck down upon the back.

Verse 4 (skanda.6.205.4)

इन्द्र उवाच वर्षेवर्षे तदा श्राद्धं प्रकरोति पितामहः गयां गत्वा दिने तस्मिन्पितॄणां दिव्यरूपिणाम्

indra uvāca varṣevarṣe tadā śrāddhaṁ prakaroti pitāmahaḥ gayāṁ gatvā dine tasminpitṝṇāṁ divyarūpiṇām

Indra said: Year after year, the Grandsire himself, going to Gaya on that day, performs the shraddha for the ancestors, who take on divine forms.

Verse 5 (skanda.6.205.5)

तत्कथं देव गच्छामि तत्राहं श्राद्धसिद्धये तस्मात्कथय मे तेषां किंचिच्छ्राद्धाय भूतले मुक्तिदं येन गच्छामि तव वाक्याज्जनार्दन

tatkathaṁ deva gacchāmi tatrāhaṁ śrāddhasiddhaye tasmātkathaya me teṣāṁ kiṁcicchrāddhāya bhūtale muktidaṁ yena gacchāmi tava vākyājjanārdana

How then, O god, could I go there for the accomplishment of the shraddha? Therefore, O Janardana, tell me of some place upon this earth, granting liberation, for their shraddha, so that I might go there at your word.

Verse 6 (skanda.6.205.6)

विश्वामित्र उवाच ततः स सुचिरं ध्यात्वा तमुवाच जनार्दनः अस्ति तीर्थं महत्पुण्यं तस्मादप्यधिकं च यत्

viśvāmitra uvāca tataḥ sa suciraṁ dhyātvā tamuvāca janārdanaḥ asti tīrthaṁ mahatpuṇyaṁ tasmādapyadhikaṁ ca yat

Vishvamitra said: Then Janardana, after long reflection, said to him: 'There exists a tirtha of great sanctity, one even greater than Gaya itself.'

Verse 7 (skanda.6.205.7)

हाटकेश्वरजे क्षेत्रे कूपिकामध्यसंस्थितम् अमावास्यादिने तत्र चतुर्दश्याश्च देवप गया संक्रमते सम्यक्सर्वतीर्थसमन्विता

hāṭakeśvaraje kṣetre kūpikāmadhyasaṁsthitam amāvāsyādine tatra caturdaśyāśca devapa gayā saṁkramate samyaksarvatīrthasamanvitā

'It stands in the midst of a well-tirtha in the sacred field born at Hatakeshvara. There, O lord of the gods, on the day of the new moon and the fourteenth, Gaya herself fully migrates there, together with every other tirtha.'

Verse 8 (skanda.6.205.8)

कन्यासंस्थे रवौ तत्र यः श्राद्धं कुरुते नरः अष्टवंशोद्भवैर्विप्रैः स पितॄंस्तारयेन्निजान्

kanyāsaṁsthe ravau tatra yaḥ śrāddhaṁ kurute naraḥ aṣṭavaṁśodbhavairvipraiḥ sa pitṝṁstārayennijān

'Whatever man performs the shraddha there, with the sun in Virgo, through brahmins born of the eight lineages, he delivers his own ancestors across —'

Verse 9 (skanda.6.205.9)

अपि प्रेतत्वमापन्नान्किं पुनः स्वर्गसंस्थितान् तत्क्षेत्रप्रभवा विप्रा अष्टवंशसमुद्भवाः

api pretatvamāpannānkiṁ punaḥ svargasaṁsthitān tatkṣetraprabhavā viprā aṣṭavaṁśasamudbhavāḥ

'— even those who have fallen into the state of pretas, how much more, then, those already dwelling in heaven! The brahmins born in that sacred field, arising from the eight lineages —'

Verse 10 (skanda.6.205.10)

तप उग्रं समास्थाय वर्तंते हिमपर्वते आनर्ताधिपतेर्दानाद्भीतास्तत्र समागताः

tapa ugraṁ samāsthāya vartaṁte himaparvate ānartādhipaterdānādbhītāstatra samāgatāḥ

'— now, having undertaken fierce austerity, dwell upon the Himalaya mountain, having gone there in fear of the gifts pressed upon them by the lord of Anarta.'

Verse 11 (skanda.6.205.11)

तान्गृहीत्वा द्रुतं गच्छ तत्र संबोध्य गौरवात् सामपूर्वैरुपायैस्तैस्तेषामग्रे समाचर

tāngṛhītvā drutaṁ gaccha tatra saṁbodhya gauravāt sāmapūrvairupāyaistaisteṣāmagre samācara

'Go there swiftly, and, having won them over with due honour, bring them here; and before them, act by means of conciliation and other such gentle methods.'

Verse 12 (skanda.6.205.12)

श्राद्धं चैव यथान्यायं ततः प्राप्स्यसि वांछितम् ते चाऽपि सुखिनः सर्वे भविष्यंति समागताः

śrāddhaṁ caiva yathānyāyaṁ tataḥ prāpsyasi vāṁchitam te cā'pi sukhinaḥ sarve bhaviṣyaṁti samāgatāḥ

'Then, having performed the shraddha rightly, you shall obtain what you desire; and all of them too, once they have come, shall be made happy.'

Verse 13 (skanda.6.205.13)

त्वया सह प्रपूज्याश्च ह्यस्माभिः श्राद्धकारणात् तच्छ्रुत्वा सहसा शक्रः सन्तोषं परमं गतः

tvayā saha prapūjyāśca hyasmābhiḥ śrāddhakāraṇāt tacchrutvā sahasā śakraḥ santoṣaṁ paramaṁ gataḥ

'They are indeed to be honoured by us, together with you, for the sake of the shraddha.' Hearing this, Indra was at once filled with the deepest satisfaction.

Verse 14 (skanda.6.205.14)

हिमवंतं समुद्दिश्य प्रस्थितस्त्वरयाऽन्वितः वासुदेवोऽपि राजेंद्र क्षीराब्धिमगमत्तदा

himavaṁtaṁ samuddiśya prasthitastvarayā'nvitaḥ vāsudevo'pi rājeṁdra kṣīrābdhimagamattadā

He set out at once, in haste, toward the Himalaya; and Vasudeva too, O king of kings, then went to the Ocean of Milk.

Verse 15 (skanda.6.205.15)

हिमवन्तं समाश्रित्य शक्रोऽपि ददृशे द्विजान् अष्टवंशसमुद्भूतान्विष्णुना समुदाहृतान्

himavantaṁ samāśritya śakro'pi dadṛśe dvijān aṣṭavaṁśasamudbhūtānviṣṇunā samudāhṛtān

Reaching the Himalaya, Indra beheld those brahmins, born of the eight lineages, of whom Vishnu had spoken.