The Greatness of Naleshvara

Verse 1 (skanda.6.55.1)

सूत उवाच॥ तस्या एव समीपस्थं देवदेवं नलेश्वरम्॥ दृष्ट्वा विमुच्युते पापात्स्थापितं नलभूभुजा

sūta uvāca tasyā eva samīpasthaṁ devadevaṁ naleśvaram dṛṣṭvā vimucyute pāpātsthāpitaṁ nalabhūbhujā

Suta said: "Close to her stands the God of gods, Naleshvara, established by King Nala; beholding him, one is freed from sin."

Verse 2 (skanda.6.55.2)

यस्तं पश्येन्नरो भक्त्या माघे षष्ठ्यां सिते द्विजाः॥ सर्वरोगविनिर्मुक्तः प्राप्नोति परमं पदम्

yastaṁ paśyennaro bhaktyā māghe ṣaṣṭhyāṁ site dvijāḥ sarvarogavinirmuktaḥ prāpnoti paramaṁ padam

O brahmins, whoever beholds him with devotion on the bright sixth of Magha is freed from all disease and attains the supreme state.

Verse 3 (skanda.6.55.3)

कण्डूः पामाथ दद्रूणि मंडलानि विचर्चिका॥ दर्शनात्तस्य नश्यन्ति जन्तूनां भावितात्मनाम्

kaṇḍūḥ pāmātha dadrūṇi maṁḍalāni vicarcikā darśanāttasya naśyanti jantūnāṁ bhāvitātmanām

Itching, scabies, ringworm, skin blotches, and eczema all vanish, for devout creatures, merely by his sight.

Verse 4 (skanda.6.55.4)

अस्ति तस्याग्रतः कुण्डं स्वच्छोदकसुपूरितम्॥ मत्स्यकूर्मसमाकीर्णं पद्मिनीखंडमंडितम्

asti tasyāgrataḥ kuṇḍaṁ svacchodakasupūritam matsyakūrmasamākīrṇaṁ padminīkhaṁḍamaṁḍitam

Before him there is a pool, well filled with clear water, teeming with fish and turtles, and adorned with clusters of lotuses.

Verse 5 (skanda.6.55.5)

यस्तत्र कुरुते स्नानं प्रत्यूषे सोमवासरे॥ अपि कुष्ठामयमस्तः स भूयः स्यात्पुनर्नवः

yastatra kurute snānaṁ pratyūṣe somavāsare api kuṣṭhāmayamastaḥ sa bhūyaḥ syātpunarnavaḥ

Whoever bathes there at dawn on a Monday, even one afflicted with leprosy becomes new and whole again.

Verse 6 (skanda.6.55.6)

यदा संस्थापितः शंभुर्नलेन पृथिवीभुजा॥ तदा तुष्टेन स प्रोक्तो ब्रूहि किं ते करोम्यहम्

yadā saṁsthāpitaḥ śaṁbhurnalena pṛthivībhujā tadā tuṣṭena sa prokto brūhi kiṁ te karomyaham

When Shambhu was installed by King Nala, then, pleased, he said to him: "Tell me, what shall I do for you?"

Verse 7 (skanda.6.55.7)

नल उवाच॥ अत्र स्थेयं त्वया देव सदा सन्निहितेन च॥ सर्वलोकहितार्थाय रोगनाशाय शंकर

nala uvāca atra stheyaṁ tvayā deva sadā sannihitena ca sarvalokahitārthāya roganāśāya śaṁkara

Nala said: "O god, you should remain here always, ever present, O Shankara, for the welfare of all the world and for the destruction of disease."

Verse 8 (skanda.6.55.8)

शंकर उवाच॥ अहं त्वद्वचनाद्राजन्संप्राप्ते सोमवासरे॥ प्रत्यूषे च निवत्स्यामि प्रासादे नात्र संशयः

śaṁkara uvāca ahaṁ tvadvacanādrājansaṁprāpte somavāsare pratyūṣe ca nivatsyāmi prāsāde nātra saṁśayaḥ

Shankara said: "By your word, O king, I shall dwell in this temple at dawn on every Monday that comes -- of this there is no doubt."

Verse 9 (skanda.6.55.9)

माघाष्टम्यामहोरात्रं सकलं च महीपते॥ प्राणिनां रोगनाशाय शुक्लपक्षे विशेषतः

māghāṣṭamyāmahorātraṁ sakalaṁ ca mahīpate prāṇināṁ roganāśāya śuklapakṣe viśeṣataḥ

"And, O king, on the eighth of Magha, especially in the bright fortnight, I shall be present for the entire day and night, for the destruction of the diseases of all beings."

Verse 10 (skanda.6.55.10)

यो मामत्र स्थितं तत्र दिवसे वीक्षयिष्यति॥ स्नात्वा सुविमले कुंडे सम्यक्छ्रद्धासमन्वितः॥ तस्य नाशं प्रयास्यंति व्याधयो गात्रसंभवाः

yo māmatra sthitaṁ tatra divase vīkṣayiṣyati snātvā suvimale kuṁḍe samyakchraddhāsamanvitaḥ tasya nāśaṁ prayāsyaṁti vyādhayo gātrasaṁbhavāḥ

"Whoever, having bathed in this most pure pool, with true and complete faith, beholds me present here on that day, all the diseases arising in his body shall depart."

Verse 11 (skanda.6.55.11)

योऽस्य कुंडस्य संभूतां मृत्तिकामपि मानवः॥ संधास्यति निजे देहे सोमवारे निशाक्षये॥ सोऽपि रोगैर्विनिर्मुक्तः संभविष्यति पुष्टिमान्

yo'sya kuṁḍasya saṁbhūtāṁ mṛttikāmapi mānavaḥ saṁdhāsyati nije dehe somavāre niśākṣaye so'pi rogairvinirmuktaḥ saṁbhaviṣyati puṣṭimān

"And the man who, at the close of Monday night, applies to his own body even the mud produced by this pool, he too shall become free of disease and grow strong."

Verse 12 (skanda.6.55.12)

निष्कामस्तु पुनर्यो मां तस्मिन्काले नृपोत्तम॥ पूजयिष्यति सद्भक्त्या पुष्पधूपानुलेपनैः॥ सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तो मम लोकं स यास्यति

niṣkāmastu punaryo māṁ tasminkāle nṛpottama pūjayiṣyati sadbhaktyā puṣpadhūpānulepanaiḥ sarvapāpavinirmukto mama lokaṁ sa yāsyati

"But, O best of kings, whoever, free of desire, worships me at that time with true devotion, with flowers, incense, and unguents, he, freed from all sin, shall go to my world."

Verse 13 (skanda.6.55.13)

सूत उवाच॥ एवमुक्त्वा स भगवांस्त्रैलोक्यदीपको हरः॥ अन्तर्धानं गतो विप्रा यथा दीपोऽत्र तत्क्षणात्

sūta uvāca evamuktvā sa bhagavāṁstrailokyadīpako haraḥ antardhānaṁ gato viprā yathā dīpo'tra tatkṣaṇāt

Suta said: "Having said this, that blessed Hara, the lamp of the three worlds, vanished at that very instant, O brahmins, like a lamp being extinguished."

Verse 14 (skanda.6.55.14)

नलोऽपि तुष्टिमापन्नस्तमाराध्य चिरं नृपः॥ तदाहूयाखिलान्विप्रांश्चमत्कारपुरोद्भवान्

nalo'pi tuṣṭimāpannastamārādhya ciraṁ nṛpaḥ tadāhūyākhilānviprāṁścamatkārapurodbhavān

And King Nala too, filled with satisfaction, having long worshipped him, then summoned all the brahmins born in Chamatkarapura.

Verse 15 (skanda.6.55.15)

एष संस्थापितः शंभुर्मया युष्मत्पुरोंतिके॥ येन दृष्टेन रोगाणां सर्वेषां जायते क्षयः

eṣa saṁsthāpitaḥ śaṁbhurmayā yuṣmatpuroṁtike yena dṛṣṭena rogāṇāṁ sarveṣāṁ jāyate kṣayaḥ

"'This Shambhu has been established by me near your city; by beholding him, the destruction of all diseases comes about.'"

Verse 16 (skanda.6.55.16)

अधुनाहं गमिष्यामि स्वराज्याय कृते द्विजाः॥ निषधां च पुरीमेष सर्वैः पूज्यः समाहितैः

adhunāhaṁ gamiṣyāmi svarājyāya kṛte dvijāḥ niṣadhāṁ ca purīmeṣa sarvaiḥ pūjyaḥ samāhitaiḥ

"'Now, O brahmins, I shall go to my own kingdom, to the city of Nishadha; let him be worshipped by all of you with a composed mind.'"

Verse 17 (skanda.6.55.17)

ब्राह्मणा ऊचुः॥ एवं पार्थिवशार्दूल करिष्यामः समाहिताः॥ तव देवकृते यत्नं यात्राद्यासु क्रियासु च

brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ evaṁ pārthivaśārdūla kariṣyāmaḥ samāhitāḥ tava devakṛte yatnaṁ yātrādyāsu kriyāsu ca

The brahmins said: "So shall we do, O tiger among kings, with composed mind; on your behalf we shall exert ourselves in the pilgrimage rites and other observances for this god."

Verse 18 (skanda.6.55.18)

तथा पूजां करिष्यामः श्रद्धया परया युताः॥ अस्माकं पुत्रपौत्रा ये भविष्यंति तथा परे॥ वंशजास्ते करिष्यंति पूजामस्य सुभक्तितः

tathā pūjāṁ kariṣyāmaḥ śraddhayā parayā yutāḥ asmākaṁ putrapautrā ye bhaviṣyaṁti tathā pare vaṁśajāste kariṣyaṁti pūjāmasya subhaktitaḥ

"And we shall perform his worship with supreme faith; and our sons, grandsons, and other descendants who are to come shall likewise perform his worship with true devotion."

Verse 19 (skanda.6.55.19)

सूत उवाच॥ एवमुक्तः स भूपालस्तैर्विप्रैस्तुष्टिसंयुतः॥ प्रतस्थे तान्प्रणम्योच्चैः सर्वैस्तैश्चाभिनंदितः

sūta uvāca evamuktaḥ sa bhūpālastairvipraistuṣṭisaṁyutaḥ pratasthe tānpraṇamyoccaiḥ sarvaistaiścābhinaṁditaḥ

Suta said: "Thus addressed, that king, filled with satisfaction, bowing low to them, set out, warmly praised by all of them."

Verse 20 (skanda.6.55.20)

एवं स भगवाञ्छंभुस्तस्मिन्स्थाने व्यवस्थितः॥ हिताय सर्वलोकानां सर्वरोगक्षयावहः

evaṁ sa bhagavāñchaṁbhustasminsthāne vyavasthitaḥ hitāya sarvalokānāṁ sarvarogakṣayāvahaḥ

Thus that blessed Shambhu remains established in that place, for the welfare of all the world, bringing about the destruction of every disease.

Verse 21 (skanda.6.55.21)

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन वीक्षणीयः सदा हि सः॥ विशेषात्सोमवारेण शाश्वतं श्रेय इच्छता

tasmātsarvaprayatnena vīkṣaṇīyaḥ sadā hi saḥ viśeṣātsomavāreṇa śāśvataṁ śreya icchatā

Therefore he should always be beheld with every effort, especially on a Monday, by one who desires eternal well-being.