The Greatness of Shivaganga

Verse 1 (skanda.6.58.1)

सूत उवाच॥ एवं संस्थाप्य गांगेयः पुण्यं देवचतुष्टयम्॥ ततः संस्थापयामास गंगां त्रिपथगामिनीम्

sūta uvāca evaṁ saṁsthāpya gāṁgeyaḥ puṇyaṁ devacatuṣṭayam tataḥ saṁsthāpayāmāsa gaṁgāṁ tripathagāminīm

Suta said: "Having thus established the sacred group of four deities, Gangeya then also established the Ganga, who flows along three paths."

Verse 2 (skanda.6.58.2)

कूपिकायां महाभाग शिवलिंगस्य पूर्वतः॥ ततः प्रोवाच तान्हृष्टः संपूज्य द्विजसत्तमान्

kūpikāyāṁ mahābhāga śivaliṁgasya pūrvataḥ tataḥ provāca tānhṛṣṭaḥ saṁpūjya dvijasattamān

O most fortunate ones, in a small well to the east of the Shiva-linga; then, having duly worshipped the best of the twice-born, he joyfully said to them:

Verse 3 (skanda.6.58.3)

अस्यां यः पुरुषः स्नानं कृत्वा मां वीक्षयिष्यति॥ सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः शिवलोकं प्रयास्यति

asyāṁ yaḥ puruṣaḥ snānaṁ kṛtvā māṁ vīkṣayiṣyati sarvapāpavinirmuktaḥ śivalokaṁ prayāsyati

"'Whatever man bathes here and then beholds me, he, freed from all sin, shall go to the world of Shiva.'"

Verse 4 (skanda.6.58.4)

करिष्यति तथा यस्तु शपथं चात्र मानवः॥ असत्यं यास्यति क्षिप्रं स यमस्य गृहं प्रति

kariṣyati tathā yastu śapathaṁ cātra mānavaḥ asatyaṁ yāsyati kṣipraṁ sa yamasya gṛhaṁ prati

"'And whatever man takes a false oath here, he shall go swiftly to the abode of Yama.'"

Verse 5 (skanda.6.58.5)

एवमुक्त्वा महाभागो भीष्मः कुरुपितामहः॥ जगाम स्वपुरं तस्माद्धर्षेण महता वृतः

evamuktvā mahābhāgo bhīṣmaḥ kurupitāmahaḥ jagāma svapuraṁ tasmāddharṣeṇa mahatā vṛtaḥ

Having said this, the most fortunate Bhishma, the grandsire of the Kurus, filled with great joy, went from there to his own city.

Verse 6 (skanda.6.58.6)

सूत उवाच॥ तत्रासीच्छूद्रसंभूतः पौंड्रकोनाम नामतः॥ बालभावे समं मित्रैः स क्रीडति दिवानिशम्

sūta uvāca tatrāsīcchūdrasaṁbhūtaḥ pauṁḍrakonāma nāmataḥ bālabhāve samaṁ mitraiḥ sa krīḍati divāniśam

Suta said: "There was a man of shudra birth named Paundraka; in his childhood he used to play day and night with his friends."

Verse 7 (skanda.6.58.7)

हास्यभावाच्च मित्रस्य पुस्तकं तेन चोरितम्॥ मित्रैः पृष्टः पौण्ड्रकः स प्राह नैव मया हृतम्

hāsyabhāvācca mitrasya pustakaṁ tena coritam mitraiḥ pṛṣṭaḥ pauṇḍrakaḥ sa prāha naiva mayā hṛtam

In jest he stole the book of a friend; when questioned by his friends, that Paundraka said: "It was not taken by me."

Verse 8 (skanda.6.58.8)

पुस्तकं चैव युष्माकं चिन्तनीयं सदैव तत्॥ भवद्भिर्यत्नमास्थाय दृश्यतां क्वापि पुस्तकम्

pustakaṁ caiva yuṣmākaṁ cintanīyaṁ sadaiva tat bhavadbhiryatnamāsthāya dṛśyatāṁ kvāpi pustakam

"'And that book of yours -- you must always search for it; make an effort and see if it may be found somewhere.'"

Verse 9 (skanda.6.58.9)

कृताश्च शपथास्तत्र स्नात्वा भागीरथीजले॥ अदुष्टचेतसा तेन दत्तं तत्पुस्तकं हृतम्

kṛtāśca śapathāstatra snātvā bhāgīrathījale aduṣṭacetasā tena dattaṁ tatpustakaṁ hṛtam

There, having bathed in the water of the Bhagirathi, oaths were taken; and there, his heart not truly wicked, he swore falsely regarding that book which he had actually stolen.

Verse 10 (skanda.6.58.10)

पुनश्च रुचिरं हास्यं कृत्वा तेन समं बहु॥ अथासावभवत्कुष्ठी तत्क्षणादेव गर्हितः

punaśca ruciraṁ hāsyaṁ kṛtvā tena samaṁ bahu athāsāvabhavatkuṣṭhī tatkṣaṇādeva garhitaḥ

Then, having again made much delightful jest with him, that Paundraka at that very instant became a leper, an object of disgust.

Verse 11 (skanda.6.58.11)

स त्यक्तो बांधवैः सर्वैः कलत्रैरपि वल्लभैः॥ ततो वैराग्यमापन्नो भृगुपातं पपात सः

sa tyakto bāṁdhavaiḥ sarvaiḥ kalatrairapi vallabhaiḥ tato vairāgyamāpanno bhṛgupātaṁ papāta saḥ

He was abandoned by all his relatives and even by his beloved wife; then, overcome with dispassion, he threw himself from a cliff.

Verse 12 (skanda.6.58.12)

जातश्च तत्प्रभावेन कुष्ठेन परिवर्जितः॥ शास्त्रचौर्यकृताद्दोषान्मूकरूपः स हास्यकृत्

jātaśca tatprabhāvena kuṣṭhena parivarjitaḥ śāstracauryakṛtāddoṣānmūkarūpaḥ sa hāsyakṛt

By that power he was reborn free of leprosy, but because of the fault of stealing scripture in jest, he was born mute.

Verse 13 (skanda.6.58.13)

न कार्यः शपथस्तस्मात्तस्याग्रेऽपि लघुर्द्विजाः॥ अपि हास्योपचारेण आत्मनः सुखमिच्छता

na kāryaḥ śapathastasmāttasyāgre'pi laghurdvijāḥ api hāsyopacāreṇa ātmanaḥ sukhamicchatā

Therefore, O brahmins, one who desires one's own well-being should never take even a trivial false oath before him, even in jest.