The Origin of the Bilva

Verse 1 (skanda.6.250.1)

वाण्युवाच । बिल्वपत्रस्य माहात्म्यं कथितुं नैव शक्यते । तवोद्देशेन वक्ष्यामि महेन्द्र शृणु तत्त्वतः

vāṇyuvāca bilvapatrasya māhātmyaṁ kathituṁ naiva śakyate tavoddeśena vakṣyāmi mahendra śṛṇu tattvataḥ

Vani said: The glory of the Bilva leaf cannot indeed be told in full; yet for your sake, O Mahendra, I shall tell it in outline — listen truly.

Verse 2 (skanda.6.250.2)

विहारश्रममापन्ना देवी गिरिसुता शुभा । ललाटफलके तस्याः स्वेदबिन्दुरजायत

vihāraśramamāpannā devī girisutā śubhā lalāṭaphalake tasyāḥ svedabindurajāyata

The auspicious goddess, daughter of the mountain, wearied from play, had a drop of sweat appear upon the surface of her forehead.

Verse 3 (skanda.6.250.3)

स भवान्या विनिक्षिप्तो भूतले निपपात च । महातरुरयं जातो मन्दरे पर्वतोत्तमे

sa bhavānyā vinikṣipto bhūtale nipapāta ca mahātarurayaṁ jāto mandare parvatottame

That drop, cast down by Bhavani, fell upon the ground; and from it this great tree was born on Mount Mandara, best of mountains.

Verse 4 (skanda.6.250.4)

ततः शैलसुता तत्र रममाणा ययौ पुनः । दृष्ट्वा वनगतं वृक्षं विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचना

tataḥ śailasutā tatra ramamāṇā yayau punaḥ dṛṣṭvā vanagataṁ vṛkṣaṁ vismayotphullalocanā

Then the daughter of the mountain, sporting about, went again that way; seeing the tree standing in the forest, her eyes widened with wonder,

Verse 5 (skanda.6.250.5)

जयां च विजयां चैव पप्रच्छ च सखीद्वयम् । कोऽयं महातरुर्दिव्यो विभाति वनमध्यगः । दृश्यते रुचिराकारो महाहर्षकरो ह्ययम्

jayāṁ ca vijayāṁ caiva papraccha ca sakhīdvayam ko'yaṁ mahātarurdivyo vibhāti vanamadhyagaḥ dṛśyate rucirākāro mahāharṣakaro hyayam

and she asked her two companions Jaya and Vijaya: What is this divine great tree that shines, standing in the midst of the forest? It appears of a lovely form, and indeed brings great delight.

Verse 6 (skanda.6.250.6)

जयोवाच । देवि त्वद्देहसंभूतो वृक्षोऽयं स्वेदबिन्दुजः । नामाऽस्य कुरु वै क्षिप्रं पूजितः पापनाशनः

jayovāca devi tvaddehasaṁbhūto vṛkṣo'yaṁ svedabindujaḥ nāmā'sya kuru vai kṣipraṁ pūjitaḥ pāpanāśanaḥ

Jaya said: O goddess, this tree is born of your own body, arisen from a drop of sweat. Quickly give it a name — when worshipped, it destroys sin.

Verse 7 (skanda.6.250.7)

पार्वत्युवाच । यस्मात्क्षोणीतलं भित्त्वा विशिष्टोऽयं महातरुः

pārvatyuvāca yasmātkṣoṇītalaṁ bhittvā viśiṣṭo'yaṁ mahātaruḥ

Parvati said: Since this excellent great tree, having split the surface of the earth,

Verse 8 (skanda.6.250.8)

उदतिष्ठत्समीपे मे तस्माद्बिल्वो भवत्वयम् । इमं वृक्षं समासाद्य भक्तितः पत्रसंचयम्

udatiṣṭhatsamīpe me tasmādbilvo bhavatvayam imaṁ vṛkṣaṁ samāsādya bhaktitaḥ patrasaṁcayam

rose up near me — therefore let this be named Bilva. Having approached this tree and, with devotion, gathered a collection of its leaves,

Verse 9 (skanda.6.250.9)

आहरिष्यत्यसौ राजा भविष्यत्येव भूतले । यः करिष्यति मे पूजां पत्रैः श्रद्धासमन्वितः

āhariṣyatyasau rājā bhaviṣyatyeva bhūtale yaḥ kariṣyati me pūjāṁ patraiḥ śraddhāsamanvitaḥ

whoever, endowed with faith, shall perform worship of me with its leaves shall indeed become a king upon the earth.

Verse 10 (skanda.6.250.10)

यंयं काममभिध्यायेत्तस्य सिद्धिः प्रजायते । यो दृष्ट्वा बिल्वपत्राणि श्रद्धामपि करिष्यति

yaṁyaṁ kāmamabhidhyāyettasya siddhiḥ prajāyate yo dṛṣṭvā bilvapatrāṇi śraddhāmapi kariṣyati

Whatever desire he meditates upon, its accomplishment arises for him. And whoever, having seen the Bilva leaves, shall even develop faith in them,

Verse 11 (skanda.6.250.11)

पूजनार्थाय विधये धनदाऽहं न संशयः । पत्राग्रप्राशने यस्तु करिष्यति मनो यदि । तस्य पापसहस्राणि यास्यंति विलयं स्वयम्

pūjanārthāya vidhaye dhanadā'haṁ na saṁśayaḥ patrāgraprāśane yastu kariṣyati mano yadi tasya pāpasahasrāṇi yāsyaṁti vilayaṁ svayam

for the purpose of worship, performed duly, I shall become a giver of wealth — there is no doubt. And if anyone shall set his mind upon tasting the tip of a leaf, a thousand sins of his shall dissolve away of themselves.

Verse 12 (skanda.6.250.12)

शिरः पत्राग्रसंयुक्तं करोति यदि मानवः । न याम्या यातना ह्यस्य दुःखदात्री भविष्यति

śiraḥ patrāgrasaṁyuktaṁ karoti yadi mānavaḥ na yāmyā yātanā hyasya duḥkhadātrī bhaviṣyati

If a man touches his head with the tip of its leaf, then indeed the torments of Yama's servants shall not become a cause of suffering for him.

Verse 13 (skanda.6.250.13)

इत्युक्त्वा पार्वती हृष्टा जगाम भवनं स्वकम् । सखीभिः सहिता देवी गणैरपि समन्विता

ityuktvā pārvatī hṛṣṭā jagāma bhavanaṁ svakam sakhībhiḥ sahitā devī gaṇairapi samanvitā

Having said this, the joyful Parvati went to her own abode — the goddess accompanied by her friends and attended also by her hosts.

Verse 14 (skanda.6.250.14)

वाण्युवाच । अयं बिल्वतरुः श्रेष्ठः पवित्रः पापनाशनः । तस्य मूले स्थिता देवी गिरिजा नात्र संशयः

vāṇyuvāca ayaṁ bilvataruḥ śreṣṭhaḥ pavitraḥ pāpanāśanaḥ tasya mūle sthitā devī girijā nātra saṁśayaḥ

Vani said: This Bilva tree is excellent, pure, and destroys sin; in its root dwells the goddess Girija — there is no doubt of this.

Verse 15 (skanda.6.250.15)

स्कन्धे दाक्षायणी देवी शाखासु च महेश्वरी । पत्रेषु पार्वती देवी फले कात्यायनी स्मृता

skandhe dākṣāyaṇī devī śākhāsu ca maheśvarī patreṣu pārvatī devī phale kātyāyanī smṛtā

In the trunk is the goddess Dakshayani, and in the branches Maheshvari; in the leaves the goddess Parvati, and in the fruit Katyayani is remembered.

Verse 16 (skanda.6.250.16)

त्वचि गौरी समाख्याता अपर्णा मध्यवल्कले । पुष्पे दुर्गा समाख्याता उमा शाखांगकेषु च

tvaci gaurī samākhyātā aparṇā madhyavalkale puṣpe durgā samākhyātā umā śākhāṁgakeṣu ca

In the bark Gauri is declared to be, and Aparna in the inner bark; in the flower Durga is declared, and Uma in the twigs.

Verse 17 (skanda.6.250.17)

कण्टकेषु च सर्वेषु कोटयो नवसंख्यया । शक्तयः प्राणिरक्षार्थं संस्थिता गिरिजाऽऽज्ञया

kaṇṭakeṣu ca sarveṣu koṭayo navasaṁkhyayā śaktayaḥ prāṇirakṣārthaṁ saṁsthitā girijā''jñayā

And in all the thorns, numbering nine crores, the Shaktis are established, by the command of Girija, for the protection of living beings.

Verse 18 (skanda.6.250.18)

तां भजंति सुपत्रैश्च पूजयंति सनातनीम् । यंयं कामयते कामं तस्य सिद्धिर्भवेद्ध्रुवम्

tāṁ bhajaṁti supatraiśca pūjayaṁti sanātanīm yaṁyaṁ kāmayate kāmaṁ tasya siddhirbhaveddhruvam

Those who worship and honour that eternal goddess with fine leaves — whatever desire one desires, its fulfilment surely comes to be.

Verse 19 (skanda.6.250.19)

महेश्वरी सा गिरिजा महेश्वरी विशुद्धरूपा जनमोक्षदात्री । हरं च दृष्ट्वाथ पलाशमाश्रितं स्वलीलया बिल्ववपुश्चकार सा

maheśvarī sā girijā maheśvarī viśuddharūpā janamokṣadātrī haraṁ ca dṛṣṭvātha palāśamāśritaṁ svalīlayā bilvavapuścakāra sā

That great goddess Girija, of perfectly pure form, the bestower of liberation upon people — having then beheld Hara taking refuge in the Palasha, by her own divine play, assumed the form of the Bilva.