The Glory of the Sacrificial Ground

Verse 1 (skanda.6.75.1)

सूत उवाच॥ पुरा कल्पे भगवता एतत्क्षेत्रमनुत्तमम्॥ रुद्रेण ब्रह्मणे दत्तं तुष्टेन द्विजसत्तमाः

sūta uvāca purā kalpe bhagavatā etatkṣetramanuttamam rudreṇa brahmaṇe dattaṁ tuṣṭena dvijasattamāḥ

Suta said: Long ago, in this Kalpa, O best of brahmins, this unsurpassed sacred field was given by the blessed Rudra, well pleased, to Brahma.

Verse 2 (skanda.6.75.2)

यदा तु स्थापितं लिंगं हाटकेश्वरसंज्ञितम्॥ देवैः प्रीतेन रुद्रेण प्रदत्तं ब्रह्मणे पुनः

yadā tu sthāpitaṁ liṁgaṁ hāṭakeśvarasaṁjñitam devaiḥ prītena rudreṇa pradattaṁ brahmaṇe punaḥ

When the linga called Hatakeshvara was established by the gods, Rudra, pleased with them, gave it again to Brahma.

Verse 3 (skanda.6.75.3)

एतत्क्षेत्रं तदा दत्तं शंभुना षण्मुखस्य ह॥ रक्षणार्थं हि विप्राणां कलिकालादिदोषतः

etatkṣetraṁ tadā dattaṁ śaṁbhunā ṣaṇmukhasya ha rakṣaṇārthaṁ hi viprāṇāṁ kalikālādidoṣataḥ

Then this sacred field was given by Shambhu to Shanmukha, for the protection of the brahmins from the evils of the Kali age and the like.

Verse 4 (skanda.6.75.4)

ब्रह्मणा प्रार्थितेनेदं स्वयमादिममुत्तमम्॥ पित्रादिष्टस्तु गांगेयस्तत्र वासमथाकरोत्

brahmaṇā prārthitenedaṁ svayamādimamuttamam pitrādiṣṭastu gāṁgeyastatra vāsamathākarot

This foremost, primal place, sought by Brahma himself; and the son of Ganga, commanded by his father, then took up residence there.

Verse 5 (skanda.6.75.5)

कार्तिक्यां कृत्तिकायोगे यः कुर्यात्स्वामिदर्शनम्॥ सप्तजन्म भवेद्विप्रो धनाढ्यो वेदपारगः

kārtikyāṁ kṛttikāyoge yaḥ kuryātsvāmidarśanam saptajanma bhavedvipro dhanāḍhyo vedapāragaḥ

Whoever beholds the Lord on the full moon of Kartika when conjoined with the Krittika asterism becomes, for seven births, a wealthy brahmin, master of the Vedas.

Verse 6 (skanda.6.75.6)

महासेनस्य देवस्य प्रासादं सुमनोहरम्॥ उच्चैः स्थितं सर्वलोके पातुकाममिवांबरम्

mahāsenasya devasya prāsādaṁ sumanoharam uccaiḥ sthitaṁ sarvaloke pātukāmamivāṁbaram

There stands the most beautiful temple of the god Mahasena, standing so high above all the world that it seems to wish to drink the sky.

Verse 7 (skanda.6.75.7)

तच्छ्रुत्वा विबुधाः सर्वे कौतुकादेत्य सत्वरम्॥ वीक्षांचक्रुस्ततो गत्वा दृष्ट्वा मेध्यतमं पुरम्

tacchrutvā vibudhāḥ sarve kautukādetya satvaram vīkṣāṁcakrustato gatvā dṛṣṭvā medhyatamaṁ puram

Hearing of it, all the gods came swiftly, out of curiosity, and having gone there, gazed upon it, beholding that most sacred city.

Verse 8 (skanda.6.75.8)

प्रासादस्योत्तरे देशे प्राच्ये देशे तथा द्विजाः॥ यज्ञक्रियासमारंभांश्चकुर्विप्रैर्यथोदितान्

prāsādasyottare deśe prācye deśe tathā dvijāḥ yajñakriyāsamāraṁbhāṁścakurviprairyathoditān

In the region north of the temple, and likewise in the region to the east, O brahmins, they began the sacrificial rites as prescribed by the brahmins.

Verse 9 (skanda.6.75.9)

इष्ट्वा च विबुधाः सर्वे दत्त्वा तेभ्यश्च दक्षिणाम्॥ जग्मुस्त्रिविष्टपं हृष्टा लब्ध्वा तत्स्थानजं फलम्

iṣṭvā ca vibudhāḥ sarve dattvā tebhyaśca dakṣiṇām jagmustriviṣṭapaṁ hṛṣṭā labdhvā tatsthānajaṁ phalam

And all the gods, having performed the sacrifice and given the brahmins their sacrificial fees, went joyfully back to heaven, having obtained the fruit born of that place.

Verse 10 (skanda.6.75.10)

ततस्तु देवयजनंनाम तस्य बभूव ह॥ यदन्यत्र शतं कृत्वा क्रतूनां फलमाप्नुयात्॥ तदत्रैकेन लभते क्रतुना दक्षिणावता

tatastu devayajanaṁnāma tasya babhūva ha yadanyatra śataṁ kṛtvā kratūnāṁ phalamāpnuyāt tadatraikena labhate kratunā dakṣiṇāvatā

From then on that place became known as "Devayajana" — whatever fruit one would obtain elsewhere by performing a hundred sacrifices, one obtains here through a single sacrifice accompanied by its sacrificial fee.