The Refuge of All Tirthas at Hatakeshvara Kshetra

Verse 1 (skanda.6.28.1)

सूत उवाच। तस्यां देवसभायां च संस्थिता ये द्विजोत्तमाः। प्रभासादीनि तीर्थानि मूर्तानि सकलानि च

sūta uvāca| tasyāṁ devasabhāyāṁ ca saṁsthitā ye dvijottamāḥ| prabhāsādīni tīrthāni mūrtāni sakalāni ca

Suta said: Those best of brahmins seated in that assembly of the gods were Prabhasa and all the other tirthas, present there in personified form.

Verse 2 (skanda.6.28.2)

तानि श्रुत्वा वचस्तस्य देवाचार्यस्य तादृशम्। भयं कृत्वा महच्चित्ते प्रोचुश्च त्रिदिवेश्वरम्

tāni śrutvā vacastasya devācāryasya tādṛśam| bhayaṁ kṛtvā mahaccitte procuśca tridiveśvaram

Having heard those words of the preceptor of the gods, filled with great fear in their hearts, they said to the Lord of the Thirty --

Verse 3 (skanda.6.28.3)

यद्येवं देवदेवेश भविष्यत्यशुभं युगम्। वयं नाशं समेष्यामो न स्थास्यामो जगत्त्रये

yadyevaṁ devadeveśa bhaviṣyatyaśubhaṁ yugam| vayaṁ nāśaṁ sameṣyāmo na sthāsyāmo jagattraye

'O Lord of Lords of gods, if this inauspicious age is indeed to come, we shall meet destruction and shall find no place to remain in the three worlds.'

Verse 4 (skanda.6.28.4)

पुरंदराद्य चास्माकं स्थानं किंचित्प्रदर्शय। तस्मात्कीर्तय नः स्थानं किंचित्क्वापि पुरंदर

puraṁdarādya cāsmākaṁ sthānaṁ kiṁcitpradarśaya| tasmātkīrtaya naḥ sthānaṁ kiṁcitkvāpi puraṁdara

'O Purandara, show us today some place of our own; therefore, O Purandara, declare to us some place, wherever it may be --'

Verse 5 (skanda.6.28.5)

यदाश्रित्य नयिष्यामो रौद्रं कलियुगं विभो। अस्पृष्टानि नरैर्म्लेच्छैः प्रभावसहितानि च। पाताले स्वर्गलोके वा मर्त्ये वा सुरसत्तम

yadāśritya nayiṣyāmo raudraṁ kaliyugaṁ vibho| aspṛṣṭāni narairmlecchaiḥ prabhāvasahitāni ca| pātāle svargaloke vā martye vā surasattama

'taking refuge in which we may pass through this terrible Kali age, O best of gods, untouched by men and mlecchas, retaining our full power -- whether in the netherworld, in heaven, or in the mortal world.'

Verse 6 (skanda.6.28.6)

तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा कृपाविष्टः शतक्रतुः। प्रोवाच ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठं भूय एव बृहस्पतिम्

teṣāṁ tadvacanaṁ śrutvā kṛpāviṣṭaḥ śatakratuḥ| provāca brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhaṁ bhūya eva bṛhaspatim

Hearing their words, Shatakratu, filled with compassion, again spoke to the excellent brahmin Brihaspati --

Verse 7 (skanda.6.28.7)

अस्पृष्टं कलिना स्थानं किंचिद्वद बृहस्पते। समाश्रयाय तीर्थानां यदि वेत्सि जगत्त्रये

aspṛṣṭaṁ kalinā sthānaṁ kiṁcidvada bṛhaspate| samāśrayāya tīrthānāṁ yadi vetsi jagattraye

'O Brihaspati, if you know of any place in the three worlds untouched by Kali, tell us of it, for the refuge of the tirthas.'

Verse 8 (skanda.6.28.8)

शक्रस्य तद्वचः श्रुत्वा चिरं ध्यात्वा वृहस्पतिः। तत्र प्रोवाच तीर्थानि भयाद्भीतानि हर्षयन्

śakrasya tadvacaḥ śrutvā ciraṁ dhyātvā vṛhaspatiḥ| tatra provāca tīrthāni bhayādbhītāni harṣayan

Hearing Shakra's words, Brihaspati, having pondered for a long while, then spoke, cheering those tirthas who were stricken with fear --

Verse 9 (skanda.6.28.9)

हाटकेश्वरमित्युक्तमस्ति क्षेत्रमनुत्तमम्। लिंगस्य पतनाज्जातं देवदेवस्य शूलिनः

hāṭakeśvaramityuktamasti kṣetramanuttamam| liṁgasya patanājjātaṁ devadevasya śūlinaḥ

'There is an unsurpassed place called Hatakeshvara, which arose from the fall of the linga of the trident-bearing god of gods.'

Verse 10 (skanda.6.28.10)

यत्र पूर्वं तपस्तप्तं विश्वामित्रेण धीमता। त्रिशंकोर्भूमिपालस्य कृते तीर्थे महात्मना

yatra pūrvaṁ tapastaptaṁ viśvāmitreṇa dhīmatā| triśaṁkorbhūmipālasya kṛte tīrthe mahātmanā

'where formerly the wise, great-souled Vishvamitra performed austerity at that tirtha for the sake of King Trishanku.'

Verse 11 (skanda.6.28.11)

यत्र स्थित्वा सभूपालस्त्रिशंकुः पापवर्जितः। चण्डालत्वं परित्यज्य सदेहस्त्रिदिवं गतः

yatra sthitvā sabhūpālastriśaṁkuḥ pāpavarjitaḥ| caṇḍālatvaṁ parityajya sadehastridivaṁ gataḥ

'where, having stood, King Trishanku, freed from sin, abandoning his outcaste state, went to heaven in his own body.'

Verse 12 (skanda.6.28.12)

यत्र शक्रसमादेशात्पूरितं पांसुभिः पुरा। संवर्तकेन रौद्रेण वायुना तीर्थमुत्तमम्

yatra śakrasamādeśātpūritaṁ pāṁsubhiḥ purā| saṁvartakena raudreṇa vāyunā tīrthamuttamam

'where formerly, at Indra's command, that excellent tirtha was filled with dust by the terrible whirlwind called Samvartaka.'

Verse 13 (skanda.6.28.13)

यत्र रक्षत्यधस्ताच्च स स्वयं हाटकेश्वरः। उपरिष्टात्प्रदेशं च कलौ देवोऽचलेश्वरः

yatra rakṣatyadhastācca sa svayaṁ hāṭakeśvaraḥ| upariṣṭātpradeśaṁ ca kalau devo'caleśvaraḥ

'where, in the Kali age, Hatakeshvara himself protects the region below, and the god Achaleshvara protects the region above.'

Verse 14 (skanda.6.28.14)

हाटकेश्वरमाहात्म्यादस्पृष्टं कलिना हि तत्। पंचक्रोशप्रमाणेन अचलेश्वरजेन च

hāṭakeśvaramāhātmyādaspṛṣṭaṁ kalinā hi tat| paṁcakrośapramāṇena acaleśvarajena ca

'By the greatness of Hatakeshvara, and through Achaleshvara's presence, that region, for a measure of five kroshas, is untouched by Kali.'

Verse 15 (skanda.6.28.15)

तस्मास्वांशेन गच्छंतु तत्र तीर्थान्यशेषतः। तेषां कलिभयं शक्र नैव तत्रास्त्यसंशयम्

tasmāsvāṁśena gacchaṁtu tatra tīrthānyaśeṣataḥ| teṣāṁ kalibhayaṁ śakra naiva tatrāstyasaṁśayam

'Therefore let all the tirthas go there entirely, each in its own partial form; there, O Shakra, they shall have no fear of Kali, without doubt.'

Verse 16 (skanda.6.28.16)

तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य सर्वतीर्थानि तत्क्षणात्। हाटकेश्वरसंज्ञं तत्क्षेत्रं जग्मुर्द्विजोत्तमाः

tacchrutvā vacanaṁ tasya sarvatīrthāni tatkṣaṇāt| hāṭakeśvarasaṁjñaṁ tatkṣetraṁ jagmurdvijottamāḥ

Hearing his words, all the tirthas, those excellent brahmins, went at once to that region known as Hatakeshvara.

Verse 17 (skanda.6.28.17)

यज्ञोपवीतमात्राणि कृत्वा स्थानानि चात्मनः। क्षेत्रमासादयामासुस्तत्सर्वं हि द्विजोत्तमाः

yajñopavītamātrāṇi kṛtvā sthānāni cātmanaḥ| kṣetramāsādayāmāsustatsarvaṁ hi dvijottamāḥ

All those excellent brahmins, having reduced their own places to the mere measure of a sacred thread, fitted themselves entirely into that region.

Verse 18 (skanda.6.28.18)

एतस्मात्कारणाज्जातं क्षेत्रं पुण्यतमं हि तत्। हाटकेश्वरदेवस्य महापातकनाशनम्

etasmātkāraṇājjātaṁ kṣetraṁ puṇyatamaṁ hi tat| hāṭakeśvaradevasya mahāpātakanāśanam

For this reason that region of the god Hatakeshvara became most sacred, the destroyer of the greatest sins.

Verse 19 (skanda.6.28.19)

ऋषय ऊचुः। अत्याश्चर्यमिदं सूत यत्त्वयैतदुदाहृतम्। संगमं सर्वतीर्थानां क्षेत्रे तत्र प्रकीर्तितम्

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ| atyāścaryamidaṁ sūta yattvayaitadudāhṛtam| saṁgamaṁ sarvatīrthānāṁ kṣetre tatra prakīrtitam

The sages said: O Suta, most wondrous is what you have related -- the confluence of all tirthas declared in that region.

Verse 20 (skanda.6.28.20)

तावन्मात्रप्रभावाणि तत्स्थानि प्रभवंति किम्। तानि तीर्थानि नो ब्रूहि विस्तरेण महामते

tāvanmātraprabhāvāṇi tatsthāni prabhavaṁti kim| tāni tīrthāni no brūhi vistareṇa mahāmate

What powers do those tirthas established there possess? Tell us of them, O wise one, in detail.

Verse 21 (skanda.6.28.21)

नामतः स्थानतश्चैव तथा चैव प्रभावतः। सर्वाण्यपि महाभाग परं कौतूहलं हि नः

nāmataḥ sthānataścaiva tathā caiva prabhāvataḥ| sarvāṇyapi mahābhāga paraṁ kautūhalaṁ hi naḥ

Their names, their locations, and their powers -- all of it, O illustrious one; we are most curious.

Verse 22 (skanda.6.28.22)

सूत उवाच। तिस्रः कोट्योऽर्धकोटिश्च तीर्थानां द्विजसत्तमाः। हाटकेश्वरजं क्षेत्रं व्याप्य सर्वं व्यवस्थिताः

sūta uvāca| tisraḥ koṭyo'rdhakoṭiśca tīrthānāṁ dvijasattamāḥ| hāṭakeśvarajaṁ kṣetraṁ vyāpya sarvaṁ vyavasthitāḥ

Suta said: O best of brahmins, three and a half crore tirthas stand pervading the entire Hatakeshvara region.

Verse 23 (skanda.6.28.23)

न तेषां कीर्तनं शक्यं कर्तुं वर्षशतैरपि। तथा स्वायंभुवस्यादौ कल्पस्य प्रथमस्य च

na teṣāṁ kīrtanaṁ śakyaṁ kartuṁ varṣaśatairapi| tathā svāyaṁbhuvasyādau kalpasya prathamasya ca

Their full recitation cannot be accomplished even in a hundred years. And at the beginning of the first kalpa, called Svayambhuva --

Verse 24 (skanda.6.28.24)

कृतः समाश्रयस्तत्र क्षेत्रे तीर्थैः शुभावहे। बहुत्वादथ कालस्य बहूनि द्विजसत्तमाः

kṛtaḥ samāśrayastatra kṣetre tīrthaiḥ śubhāvahe| bahutvādatha kālasya bahūni dvijasattamāḥ

refuge was taken in that auspicious region by the tirthas; but, O best of brahmins, because of the great length of time since, many --

Verse 25 (skanda.6.28.25)

उच्छेदं संप्रयातानि तीर्थान्यायतनानि च। यान्यहं वेद कार्त्स्न्येन प्रभावसहितानि च। तानि वः कीर्तयिष्यामि शृणुध्वं सुसमाहिताः

ucchedaṁ saṁprayātāni tīrthānyāyatanāni ca| yānyahaṁ veda kārtsnyena prabhāvasahitāni ca| tāni vaḥ kīrtayiṣyāmi śṛṇudhvaṁ susamāhitāḥ

tirthas and shrines have gone to ruin. Those which I know fully, together with their power, I shall now declare to you -- listen with full attention.

Verse 26 (skanda.6.28.26)

येषां संश्रवणादेव नरः पापात्प्रमुच्यते। ध्यानात्स्नानात्तथा दानात्स्पर्शनाद्विजसत्तमाः

yeṣāṁ saṁśravaṇādeva naraḥ pāpātpramucyate| dhyānātsnānāttathā dānātsparśanādvijasattamāḥ

O best of brahmins, by the mere hearing of these alone a man is freed from sin, as likewise by meditation, bathing, giving, and touching them.