The Glory of Dhundhumareshvara

Verse 1 (skanda.6.38.1)

सूत उवाच । तत्रैव स्थापितं लिंगं धुन्धुमारेण भूभुजा । सर्वरत्नमयं कृत्वा प्रासादं सुमनोहरम्

sūta uvāca | tatraiva sthāpitaṁ liṁgaṁ dhundhumāreṇa bhūbhujā | sarvaratnamayaṁ kṛtvā prāsādaṁ sumanoharam

Suta said: Right there, King Dhundhumara established a linga, having built a most beautiful temple made entirely of precious gems.

Verse 2 (skanda.6.38.2)

तत्र कृत्वाऽऽश्रमं श्रेष्ठं तपस्तेपे सुदारुणम् । यत्प्रभावादयं देवस्तस्मिँल्लिङ्गे व्यवस्थितः

tatra kṛtvā''śramaṁ śreṣṭhaṁ tapastepe sudāruṇam | yatprabhāvādayaṁ devastasmi~lliṅge vyavasthitaḥ

Building an excellent hermitage there, he performed the most severe austerity, by whose power this god came to abide permanently in that very linga.

Verse 3 (skanda.6.38.3)

तस्य संनिहिता वापी कृता तेन महात्मना । सुनिर्मलजलापूर्णा सर्वतीर्थोपमा शुभा

tasya saṁnihitā vāpī kṛtā tena mahātmanā | sunirmalajalāpūrṇā sarvatīrthopamā śubhā

That great soul also built nearby a fine step-well, filled with utterly pure water, equal in sanctity to all the sacred fords together.

Verse 4 (skanda.6.38.4)

धुन्धुमारेश्वरं पश्येत्तत्र स्नात्वा नरोत्तमः । न स पश्यति दुर्गाणि नरकाणि यमालये

dhundhumāreśvaraṁ paśyettatra snātvā narottamaḥ | na sa paśyati durgāṇi narakāṇi yamālaye

The excellent man who bathes there and beholds Dhundhumareshvara never beholds the forbidding hells of Yama's abode.

Verse 5 (skanda.6.38.5)

ऋषयः उवाच । धुंधुमारो महीपालः कस्मिन्वंशे बभूव सः । कस्मिन्काले तपस्तप्तं तेनात्र सुमहात्मना

ṛṣayaḥ uvāca | dhuṁdhumāro mahīpālaḥ kasminvaṁśe babhūva saḥ | kasminkāle tapastaptaṁ tenātra sumahātmanā

The sages said: In what lineage was King Dhundhumara born, and at what time did that great soul perform austerity here?

Verse 6 (skanda.6.38.6)

सूत उवाच । सूर्यवंशसमुद्भूतो बृहदश्वसुतो बली । ख्यातः कुवलयाश्वेति धंधुमारस्तथैव सः

sūta uvāca | sūryavaṁśasamudbhūto bṛhadaśvasuto balī | khyātaḥ kuvalayāśveti dhaṁdhumārastathaiva saḥ

Suta said: Born in the solar dynasty, the mighty son of Brihadashva, renowned by the name Kuvalayashva, was that very Dhundhumara.

Verse 7 (skanda.6.38.7)

तेन धुन्धुर्महादैत्यो निहतो मरुजांगले । धुन्धुमारः स्मृतस्तेन विख्यातो भुवनत्रये

tena dhundhurmahādaityo nihato marujāṁgale | dhundhumāraḥ smṛtastena vikhyāto bhuvanatraye

He slew the great demon Dhundhu in the desert wilderness; for this he became known throughout the three worlds by the name Dhundhumara.

Verse 8 (skanda.6.38.8)

चमत्कारपुरं क्षेत्रं स गत्वा पावनं महत् । तपस्तेपे वयोंऽते च ध्यायमानो महेश्वरम्

camatkārapuraṁ kṣetraṁ sa gatvā pāvanaṁ mahat | tapastepe vayoṁ'te ca dhyāyamāno maheśvaram

In the closing years of his life, he went to that great and sacred field of Chamatkarapura and performed austerity there, meditating upon Maheshvara.

Verse 9 (skanda.6.38.9)

संस्थाप्य सुमहल्लिंगं प्रासादे रत्नमंडिते । बलिपूजोपहाराद्यैः पुष्पधूपानुलेपनैः

saṁsthāpya sumahalliṁgaṁ prāsāde ratnamaṁḍite | balipūjopahārādyaiḥ puṣpadhūpānulepanaiḥ

Having established a great linga in that gem-studded temple, he worshiped it with offerings, oblations, gifts, flowers, incense, and unguents.

Verse 10 (skanda.6.38.10)

ततस्तस्य महादेवः स्वयमेव महेश्वरः । प्रत्यक्षोऽभूद्वृषारूढो गौर्या सह तथा गणैः

tatastasya mahādevaḥ svayameva maheśvaraḥ | pratyakṣo'bhūdvṛṣārūḍho gauryā saha tathā gaṇaiḥ

Then the great god Maheshvara himself, mounted upon his bull, together with Gauri and his attendant hosts, appeared visibly before him.

Verse 11 (skanda.6.38.11)

उवाच वरदोऽस्मीति प्रार्थयस्व यथेप्सितम् । सर्वं तेऽहं प्रदास्यामि यद्यपि स्यात्सुदुर्लभम्

uvāca varado'smīti prārthayasva yathepsitam | sarvaṁ te'haṁ pradāsyāmi yadyapi syātsudurlabham

He said: "I am ready to grant you a boon; ask for whatever you desire. I shall give you all of it, however hard it may be to obtain."

Verse 12 (skanda.6.38.12)

धुन्धुमार उवाच । यदि देयो वरोऽस्माकं त्वया सर्वसुरेश्वर । संनिधानं प्रकर्तव्यं लिंगेऽस्मिन्वृषभध्वज

dhundhumāra uvāca | yadi deyo varo'smākaṁ tvayā sarvasureśvara | saṁnidhānaṁ prakartavyaṁ liṁge'sminvṛṣabhadhvaja

Dhundhumara said: O lord of all the gods, if you truly wish to grant me a boon, then, O bull-bannered one, maintain your presence forever within this very linga.

Verse 13 (skanda.6.38.13)

श्रीभगवान् उवाच । चैत्रे शुक्लचतुर्दश्यां सांनिध्यं नृपसत्तम । अहं सदा करिष्यामि गौर्या सार्धं न संशयः

śrībhagavān uvāca | caitre śuklacaturdaśyāṁ sāṁnidhyaṁ nṛpasattama | ahaṁ sadā kariṣyāmi gauryā sārdhaṁ na saṁśayaḥ

The blessed lord said: O best of kings, on the fourteenth of the bright fortnight of Chaitra, I shall, without doubt, always be present here together with Gauri.

Verse 14 (skanda.6.38.14)

तत्र वाप्यां नरः स्नात्वा यो मां संपूजयिष्यति । लिंगेऽस्मिन्संस्थितं भूप मम लोकं स यास्यति

tatra vāpyāṁ naraḥ snātvā yo māṁ saṁpūjayiṣyati | liṁge'sminsaṁsthitaṁ bhūpa mama lokaṁ sa yāsyati

O king, whoever bathes in that step-well and worships me, established here in this linga, shall attain my own world.

Verse 15 (skanda.6.38.15)

सूत उवाच । एवमुक्त्वा स भगवांस्ततश्चादर्शनं गतः । सोऽपि राजा प्रहृष्टात्मा स्थितस्तत्रैव मुक्तिभाक्

sūta uvāca | evamuktvā sa bhagavāṁstataścādarśanaṁ gataḥ | so'pi rājā prahṛṣṭātmā sthitastatraiva muktibhāk

Suta said: Having said this, the blessed lord vanished from sight, and that king too, his heart rejoicing, remained right there, a partaker of liberation.