The Greatness of the Moon's Temple

Verse 1 (skanda.6.87.1)

सूत उवाच। तथा तत्रास्ति विप्रेन्द्राः सोमस्यायतनं शुभम्॥ यस्यापि दर्शनादेव मुच्यते पातकैर्नरः

sūta uvāca tathā tatrāsti viprendrāḥ somasyāyatanaṁ śubham yasyāpi darśanādeva mucyate pātakairnaraḥ

Suta said: O lords of brahmins, there also stands a holy shrine of Soma, the moon; by the mere sight of it a man is freed from his sins.

Verse 2 (skanda.6.87.2)

सोमवारे तु संप्राप्ते सोमस्य ग्रहणे नरः ॥ यस्तं पश्यति पापोऽपि नरकं न स पश्यति

somavāre tu saṁprāpte somasya grahaṇe naraḥ yastaṁ paśyati pāpo'pi narakaṁ na sa paśyati

Whatever man, be he a sinner, beholds it on a Monday during a lunar eclipse, shall never behold hell.

Verse 3 (skanda.6.87.3)

ऋषय ऊचुः। सर्वेषामेव देवानां दृश्यंतेऽत्र समाश्रयाः ॥ अत्र चंद्रस्य चैवैकः कथं जातः समाश्रयः

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ sarveṣāmeva devānāṁ dṛśyaṁte'tra samāśrayāḥ atra caṁdrasya caivaikaḥ kathaṁ jātaḥ samāśrayaḥ

The sages said: "Here we see the shrines of all the gods; how has it come about that here alone the moon too has such a shrine?"

Verse 4 (skanda.6.87.4)

एतन्नः सूतपुत्रातिचित्रं मनसि वर्तते ॥ तस्माद्वद महाभाग सर्वं त्वं वेत्स्यशेषतः

etannaḥ sūtaputrāticitraṁ manasi vartate tasmādvada mahābhāga sarvaṁ tvaṁ vetsyaśeṣataḥ

"O son of Suta, this seems most strange to our minds; therefore, O blessed one, since you know everything, tell us this in full."

Verse 5 (skanda.6.87.5)

सूत उवाच। एनज्जगद्द्विजश्रेष्ठाः सर्वं सोममयं स्मृतम् ॥ तस्मात्प्रतिष्ठिते तस्मिंस्त्रैलोक्यं स्यात्प्रतिष्ठितम्

sūta uvāca enajjagaddvijaśreṣṭhāḥ sarvaṁ somamayaṁ smṛtam tasmātpratiṣṭhite tasmiṁstrailokyaṁ syātpratiṣṭhitam

Suta said: O best of brahmins, this entire world is held to be pervaded by Soma; therefore, only when he is duly established are the three worlds themselves established.

Verse 6 (skanda.6.87.6)

एताश्चौषधयः सर्वाः सस्याद्याश्चेह भूतले ॥ सर्वाः सोममयास्ताश्च याभिर्जीवंति जंतवः

etāścauṣadhayaḥ sarvāḥ sasyādyāśceha bhūtale sarvāḥ somamayāstāśca yābhirjīvaṁti jaṁtavaḥ

All these herbs, grains, and the like upon this earth, by which living creatures survive, are themselves all pervaded by Soma.

Verse 7 (skanda.6.87.7)

तस्माद्ब्रह्मादयो देवाः सोमं प्राप्य क्रमाद्द्विजाः ॥ तृप्तिं यांति परां हृष्टा यतस्तस्माद्वरोऽत्र सः

tasmādbrahmādayo devāḥ somaṁ prāpya kramāddvijāḥ tṛptiṁ yāṁti parāṁ hṛṣṭā yatastasmādvaro'tra saḥ

Therefore, O brahmins, Brahma and the other gods too, obtaining Soma in due order, joyfully attain the highest satisfaction; and for this reason he is held supreme here.

Verse 8 (skanda.6.87.8)

अग्निष्टोमादयो यज्ञास्तथा सोमे प्रतिष्ठिताः ॥ तस्य पानाद्यतस्तृप्तिं तत्र यांति द्विजोत्तमाः

agniṣṭomādayo yajñāstathā some pratiṣṭhitāḥ tasya pānādyatastṛptiṁ tatra yāṁti dvijottamāḥ

Sacrifices such as the Agnishtoma too are established in Soma; O best of brahmins, it is by drinking of him that satisfaction arises in them.

Verse 9 (skanda.6.87.9)

एतस्मात्कारणात्सोमः सर्वेषामधिकः स्मृतः ॥ देवानां दानवानां च स हि पूज्यतमः स्मृतः

etasmātkāraṇātsomaḥ sarveṣāmadhikaḥ smṛtaḥ devānāṁ dānavānāṁ ca sa hi pūjyatamaḥ smṛtaḥ

For this reason Soma is held to be greater than all else; he is regarded as most worthy of worship by both gods and demons alike.

Verse 10 (skanda.6.87.10)

यथान्येषां सुरेन्द्राणां हर्म्याणि धरणीतले ॥ क्रियन्ते रात्रिनाथस्य तद्वत्कुर्वंति मानवाः

yathānyeṣāṁ surendrāṇāṁ harmyāṇi dharaṇītale kriyante rātrināthasya tadvatkurvaṁti mānavāḥ

Just as men build temples on this earth for other lords among the gods, so too do they build them for the lord of the night.

Verse 11 (skanda.6.87.11)

यैर्येर्नरैर्निशेशस्य प्रासादो विहितः क्षितौ ॥ तेते मुक्तिपदं प्राप्ताः कृत्वाऽथ शुभसंचयम्

yairyernarairniśeśasya prāsādo vihitaḥ kṣitau tete muktipadaṁ prāptāḥ kṛtvā'tha śubhasaṁcayam

Whatever men have built a temple for the lord of night upon this earth, all of them, having thereby accumulated great merit, have attained the state of liberation.

Verse 12 (skanda.6.87.12)

यन्महेश्वरहर्म्याणां सहस्रेण भवेच्छुभम् ॥ तदेके नैव चंद्रस्य प्राप्नुवंति शुभं नराः

yanmaheśvaraharmyāṇāṁ sahasreṇa bhavecchubham tadeke naiva caṁdrasya prāpnuvaṁti śubhaṁ narāḥ

The merit that would come from a thousand temples of Maheshvara—that same merit men do not obtain from even a single temple of the moon.

Verse 13 (skanda.6.87.13)

अथ चन्द्रोत्थहर्म्यस्य माहात्म्यं तद्द्विजोत्तमाः ॥ ज्ञात्वा ब्रह्मादयो देवा भयसंत्रस्तमानसाः ॥ तद्विघ्नार्थमिदं प्रोचुर्मेरुमूर्धानमाश्रिताः

atha candrotthaharmyasya māhātmyaṁ taddvijottamāḥ jñātvā brahmādayo devā bhayasaṁtrastamānasāḥ tadvighnārthamidaṁ procurmerumūrdhānamāśritāḥ

O best of brahmins, then, learning of the greatness of the moon's temple, Brahma and the other gods, their minds struck with fear, gathered upon the summit of Mount Meru and, in order to obstruct it, declared the following.

Verse 14 (skanda.6.87.14)

सौम्यर्क्षे सोमवारेण सौम्ये मासि च संस्थिते ॥ तिथौ च सोमदेवत्ये प्राप्ते सोमग्रहे तथा ॥ सकारैः पंचभिर्युक्ते काले सोमस्य मंदिरम्

saumyarkṣe somavāreṇa saumye māsi ca saṁsthite tithau ca somadevatye prāpte somagrahe tathā sakāraiḥ paṁcabhiryukte kāle somasya maṁdiram

"When the constellation is the moon's own, on a Monday, in a lunar month, on a tithi ruled by Soma, in conjunction with the planet Soma, at a time marked by all five elements beginning with the letter 's' -- a temple of Soma --"

Verse 15 (skanda.6.87.15)

य एकाहेन संपाद्य प्रासादं स्थापयिष्यति ॥ चंद्रं स सर्वदेवोत्थहर्म्यस्याप्नोति सत्फलम्

ya ekāhena saṁpādya prāsādaṁ sthāpayiṣyati caṁdraṁ sa sarvadevotthaharmyasyāpnoti satphalam

"-- whoever completes and consecrates in a single day, shall obtain, through that temple of the moon, the very merit of building temples to all the gods together --"

Verse 16 (skanda.6.87.16)

सहस्रगुणितं सम्यक्छ्रद्धापूतेन चेतसा ॥ अन्यथा यस्तु चंद्रस्य प्रासादं प्रकरिष्यति

sahasraguṇitaṁ samyakchraddhāpūtena cetasā anyathā yastu caṁdrasya prāsādaṁ prakariṣyati

"-- multiplied a thousandfold, if it is rightly done with a heart purified by faith. But whoever builds a temple of the moon otherwise than this,"

Verse 17 (skanda.6.87.17)

वंशोच्छेदं समासाद्य नरकं स प्रयास्यति ॥ एतस्मात्कारणाद्भीता न कुर्वंति नरा भुवि

vaṁśocchedaṁ samāsādya narakaṁ sa prayāsyati etasmātkāraṇādbhītā na kurvaṁti narā bhuvi

"-- shall bring destruction upon his own lineage and go to hell." For this reason, struck with fear, men on this earth --

Verse 18 (skanda.6.87.18)

प्रासादं रात्रिनाथस्य सुपुण्यमपि सद्द्विजाः ॥ य एष रात्रिनाथस्य क्षेत्रेऽत्रैव व्यवस्थितः

prāsādaṁ rātrināthasya supuṇyamapi saddvijāḥ ya eṣa rātrināthasya kṣetre'traiva vyavasthitaḥ

"-- O worthy brahmins, do not build a temple for the lord of the night, most meritorious though it is." Now, this very temple of the lord of night that stands in this sacred place --

Verse 19 (skanda.6.87.19)

प्रासादस्त्वंबरीषेण भूभुजा स विनिर्मितः ॥ कथंचित्समयं प्राप्य यथोक्तं शास्त्रचिंतकैः

prāsādastvaṁbarīṣeṇa bhūbhujā sa vinirmitaḥ kathaṁcitsamayaṁ prāpya yathoktaṁ śāstraciṁtakaiḥ

"-- that temple was built by King Ambarisha, who somehow managed to secure that very time prescribed by the knowers of scripture."

Verse 20 (skanda.6.87.20)

तस्यैवोत्तरदिग्भागे द्वितीयोऽन्यः प्रतिष्ठितः ॥ चन्द्रमा धंधुमारेण तद्वत्सोऽपि प्रतिष्ठितः

tasyaivottaradigbhāge dvitīyo'nyaḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ candramā dhaṁdhumāreṇa tadvatso'pi pratiṣṭhitaḥ

"In the northern direction from that very temple stands a second one; that too was likewise established for the moon by King Dhundhumara."

Verse 21 (skanda.6.87.21)

ततश्च तौ महीपालौ तत्प्रभावादुभौ द्विजाः ॥ गतौ च परमां सिद्धिं जन्ममृत्युविवर्जिताम्

tataśca tau mahīpālau tatprabhāvādubhau dvijāḥ gatau ca paramāṁ siddhiṁ janmamṛtyuvivarjitām

"O brahmins, then both those kings, by that very power, attained the highest perfection, freed from birth and death."

Verse 22 (skanda.6.87.22)

प्रासादोऽन्यस्तृतीयस्तु क्षेत्रे प्राभासिके तथा ॥ इक्ष्वाकुणा नरेंद्रेण श्रद्धायुक्तेन निर्मितः

prāsādo'nyastṛtīyastu kṣetre prābhāsike tathā ikṣvākuṇā nareṁdreṇa śraddhāyuktena nirmitaḥ

"A third temple, another one, stands in the sacred field of Prabhasa, built by the faithful King Ikshvaku."

Verse 23 (skanda.6.87.23)

प्रासादत्रयमेतद्धि मुक्त्वात्र धरणीतले ॥ अपरो नास्ति चन्द्रस्य सत्यमेतन्मयोदितम् ॥ एकोऽस्ति नर्मदातीरे पुण्ये रेवोरिसंगमे

prāsādatrayametaddhi muktvātra dharaṇītale aparo nāsti candrasya satyametanmayoditam eko'sti narmadātīre puṇye revorisaṁgame

"Save these three temples, there is no other temple of the moon anywhere on this earth—this I speak in truth; there is one more, on the bank of the Narmada, at the sacred confluence of the Reva and the Uri."

Verse 24 (skanda.6.87.24)

एतद्वः सर्वमाख्यातं चन्द्रमाहात्म्यमुत्तमम् ॥ पठतां शृण्वतां चापि सर्वपातकनाशनम्

etadvaḥ sarvamākhyātaṁ candramāhātmyamuttamam paṭhatāṁ śṛṇvatāṁ cāpi sarvapātakanāśanam

Thus I have related to you in full this excellent greatness of the moon, which destroys every sin of those who read or hear it.