The Account of the Origin of Siddheshvara

Verse 1 (skanda.6.30.1)

ऋषय ऊचुः। तोषितः केन सिद्धेन तत्र सिद्धेश्वरो विभुः। एतत्सर्वं समाचक्ष्व विस्तरात्सूतनन्दन

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ| toṣitaḥ kena siddhena tatra siddheśvaro vibhuḥ| etatsarvaṁ samācakṣva vistarātsūtanandana

The sages said: O son of Suta, by which siddha was the mighty Siddheshvara pleased there? Tell us all this in detail.

Verse 2 (skanda.6.30.2)

सूत उवाच। आसीत्सिद्धाधिपोनाम पुरा हंस इति स्मृतः। अनपत्यतया तस्य कालश्चक्राम भूरिशः

sūta uvāca| āsītsiddhādhiponāma purā haṁsa iti smṛtaḥ| anapatyatayā tasya kālaścakrāma bhūriśaḥ

Suta said: There was formerly a lord of siddhas known by the name Hamsa. Being childless, much time passed for him.

Verse 3 (skanda.6.30.3)

ततश्चिन्ता प्रपन्नः स गत्वा देवपुरोहितम्। पप्रच्छागिरसः पुत्रं विप्रश्रेष्ठं बृहस्पतिम्

tataścintā prapannaḥ sa gatvā devapurohitam| papracchāgirasaḥ putraṁ vipraśreṣṭhaṁ bṛhaspatim

Then, overcome with anxiety, he went to the priest of the gods and asked the excellent brahmin Brihaspati, son of Angiras --

Verse 4 (skanda.6.30.4)

भगवंश्चानपत्यस्य वार्द्धकं मे समागतम्। तस्मादपत्यलाभाय ममोपायं प्रकीर्तय

bhagavaṁścānapatyasya vārddhakaṁ me samāgatam| tasmādapatyalābhāya mamopāyaṁ prakīrtaya

'O lord, old age has come upon me though I am childless; therefore declare to me some means of obtaining offspring.'

Verse 5 (skanda.6.30.5)

तीर्थयात्रां व्रतं वापि शांतिकं वा द्विजोत्तम। येन स्यात्संततिः शीघ्रं त्वत्प्रसादाद्बृहस्पते

tīrthayātrāṁ vrataṁ vāpi śāṁtikaṁ vā dvijottama| yena syātsaṁtatiḥ śīghraṁ tvatprasādādbṛhaspate

'Whether a tirtha-pilgrimage, a vow, or a peace-rite, O best of brahmins, O Brihaspati, by which, through your grace, I may swiftly obtain offspring.'

Verse 6 (skanda.6.30.6)

बृहस्पतिश्चिरं ध्यात्वा सिद्धं प्राह ततः परम्। चमत्कारपुरं क्षेत्रं गत्वा तत्र तपः कुरु

bṛhaspatiściraṁ dhyātvā siddhaṁ prāha tataḥ param| camatkārapuraṁ kṣetraṁ gatvā tatra tapaḥ kuru

Brihaspati, having pondered for a long while, then said to the siddha: 'Go to the region of Chamatkarapura and perform austerity there.'

Verse 7 (skanda.6.30.7)

ततः प्राप्स्यसि सत्पुत्रं वंशोद्धारक्षमं शुभम्। नान्यं पश्यामि सिद्धेश सुतोपायं शुभावहम्

tataḥ prāpsyasi satputraṁ vaṁśoddhārakṣamaṁ śubham| nānyaṁ paśyāmi siddheśa sutopāyaṁ śubhāvaham

'Then you shall obtain a good, auspicious son capable of continuing your lineage; O lord of siddhas, I see no other beneficial means for a son.'

Verse 8 (skanda.6.30.8)

ततस्तत्क्षेत्रमासाद्य स सिद्धः श्रद्धयान्वितः। लिंगं संपूजयामास यथोक्तविधिना स्वयम्

tatastatkṣetramāsādya sa siddhaḥ śraddhayānvitaḥ| liṁgaṁ saṁpūjayāmāsa yathoktavidhinā svayam

Then, having reached that region, that siddha, filled with faith, himself worshipped the linga duly, according to the prescribed rite.

Verse 9 (skanda.6.30.9)

ततश्चाराधयामास दिवानक्तमतंद्रितः। बलिपूजोपहारेण गीतवाद्योच्छ्रयादिभिः

tataścārādhayāmāsa divānaktamataṁdritaḥ| balipūjopahāreṇa gītavādyocchrayādibhiḥ

Then he propitiated it, tirelessly, day and night, with offerings of bali-worship, songs, instruments, banners, and the like.

Verse 10 (skanda.6.30.10)

चांद्रायणैस्तथा कृच्छ्रैः पाराकैर्द्विजसत्तमाः। तथा मासोपवासैश्च तोषयामास शंकरम्

cāṁdrāyaṇaistathā kṛcchraiḥ pārākairdvijasattamāḥ| tathā māsopavāsaiśca toṣayāmāsa śaṁkaram

O best of brahmins, with chandrayana fasts, kricchra penances, paraka fasts, and monthly fasts too, he pleased Shankara.

Verse 11 (skanda.6.30.11)

ततो वर्षसहस्राभ्यां तस्य तुष्टो महेश्वरः। प्रोवाच दर्शनं गत्वा वृषारूढः सहोमया

tato varṣasahasrābhyāṁ tasya tuṣṭo maheśvaraḥ| provāca darśanaṁ gatvā vṛṣārūḍhaḥ sahomayā

Then, after two thousand years, Maheshvara, pleased with him, appeared before him, mounted on his bull, together with Uma, and said --

Verse 12 (skanda.6.30.12)

हंसाद्य तव तुष्टोऽहं तस्मात्प्रार्थय वांछितम्। अहं ते संप्रदास्यामि दुष्प्राप्यमपि निश्चितम्

haṁsādya tava tuṣṭo'haṁ tasmātprārthaya vāṁchitam| ahaṁ te saṁpradāsyāmi duṣprāpyamapi niścitam

'O Hamsa, I am today pleased with you; therefore ask for what you desire. I shall certainly grant you even what is hard to obtain.'

Verse 13 (skanda.6.30.13)

हंस उवाच। अपत्यार्थं समारंभो मयाऽद्य विहितः पुरा। तस्मात्त्वं देहि मे पुत्रान्वंशोद्धारक्षमान्विभो

haṁsa uvāca| apatyārthaṁ samāraṁbho mayā'dya vihitaḥ purā| tasmāttvaṁ dehi me putrānvaṁśoddhārakṣamānvibho

Hamsa said: 'O lord, I undertook this whole endeavor formerly for the sake of offspring; therefore give me sons capable of continuing my lineage.'

Verse 14 (skanda.6.30.14)

त्वया चैव सदा लिंगे स्थेयमत्र सुरोत्तम। मम वाक्यादसंदिग्धं सर्वलोकहितार्थतः

tvayā caiva sadā liṁge stheyamatra surottama| mama vākyādasaṁdigdhaṁ sarvalokahitārthataḥ

'And, O best of gods, at my word, for the welfare of all the world, may you always abide in this linga here, without doubt.'

Verse 15 (skanda.6.30.15)

श्रीभगवानुवाच। अद्यप्रभृति लिंगेस्मिन्नाश्रयो मे भविष्यति। तव वाक्येन सिद्धेश सत्यमेतन्मयोदितम्

śrībhagavānuvāca| adyaprabhṛti liṁgesminnāśrayo me bhaviṣyati| tava vākyena siddheśa satyametanmayoditam

The Blessed Lord said: 'O lord of siddhas, from today my refuge shall be in this linga, at your word -- this I have truly declared.'

Verse 16 (skanda.6.30.16)

यो मामत्र स्थितं मर्त्यः पूजयिष्यति भक्तितः। तस्याहं संप्रदास्यामि चित्तस्थं सकलं फलम्

yo māmatra sthitaṁ martyaḥ pūjayiṣyati bhaktitaḥ| tasyāhaṁ saṁpradāsyāmi cittasthaṁ sakalaṁ phalam

'Whatever mortal worships me, established here, with devotion, to him I shall grant the entire fruit that lies in his heart.'

Verse 17 (skanda.6.30.17)

यो मे लिंगस्य याम्याशां स्थित्वा मंत्रं जपिष्यति। षडक्षरं प्रदास्यामि तस्यायुष्यं सुतान्वितम्

yo me liṁgasya yāmyāśāṁ sthitvā maṁtraṁ japiṣyati| ṣaḍakṣaraṁ pradāsyāmi tasyāyuṣyaṁ sutānvitam

'And whoever, standing to the south of my linga, shall recite the six-syllable mantra, to him I shall grant long life together with sons.'

Verse 18 (skanda.6.30.18)

एवमुक्त्वा महादेवस्ततश्चादर्शनं गतः। हंसोऽपि च गृहं गत्वा पुत्रानाप महोदयान्

evamuktvā mahādevastataścādarśanaṁ gataḥ| haṁso'pi ca gṛhaṁ gatvā putrānāpa mahodayān

Having said this, Mahadeva then vanished from sight; Hamsa too, having gone home, obtained magnificent, illustrious sons.

Verse 19 (skanda.6.30.19)

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन तल्लिंगं यत्नतो द्विजाः। स्पर्शनीयं च पूज्यं च नमस्कार्यं प्रयत्नतः

tasmātsarvaprayatnena talliṁgaṁ yatnato dvijāḥ| sparśanīyaṁ ca pūjyaṁ ca namaskāryaṁ prayatnataḥ

Therefore, O brahmins, with all effort, that linga should diligently be touched, worshipped, and reverently bowed to.

Verse 20 (skanda.6.30.20)

षडक्षरेण मन्त्रेण कीर्तनीयं च शक्तितः। वांछद्भिर्वांछितान्कामान्दुर्लभांस्त्रिदशैरपि

ṣaḍakṣareṇa mantreṇa kīrtanīyaṁ ca śaktitaḥ| vāṁchadbhirvāṁchitānkāmāndurlabhāṁstridaśairapi

By those who desire cherished ends -- even ones hard to attain even for the gods -- it should, according to one's ability, be praised with the six-syllable mantra.