The Origin of Agnitirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.6.91.1)

सूत उवाच॥ एवमुक्त्वा स भगवान्विरराम पितामहः॥ संतोष्य पावकं क्रुद्धं स्वयमेव द्विजोत्तमाः

sūta uvāca evamuktvā sa bhagavānvirarāma pitāmahaḥ saṁtoṣya pāvakaṁ kruddhaṁ svayameva dvijottamāḥ

Suta said: Having spoken thus, O best of brahmins, the lord Grandsire Brahma himself pacified the enraged Fire and fell silent.

Verse 2 (skanda.6.91.2)

ततः सर्वैः सुरैः सार्धं शक्रविष्णुशिवादिभिः॥ जगाम ब्रह्मलोकं च देवास्ते च निजं पदम्

tataḥ sarvaiḥ suraiḥ sārdhaṁ śakraviṣṇuśivādibhiḥ jagāma brahmalokaṁ ca devāste ca nijaṁ padam

Then, together with all the gods led by Indra, Vishnu, and Shiva, he went to Brahmaloka, and those gods too departed to their own abodes.

Verse 3 (skanda.6.91.3)

पावकोऽपि द्विजेंद्राणामग्निहोत्रेषु संस्थितः॥ हविर्जग्राह विधिवद्वसोर्द्धारोद्भवं तथा

pāvako'pi dvijeṁdrāṇāmagnihotreṣu saṁsthitaḥ havirjagrāha vidhivadvasorddhārodbhavaṁ tathā

Fire too, established once more in the agnihotra rites of the foremost brahmins, duly received the oblations as prescribed, together with what had arisen from the stream of the Vasus.

Verse 4 (skanda.6.91.4)

एवं तत्र समुद्भूतमग्नितीर्थमनुत्तमम्॥ यत्र स्नातो नरः प्रातर्मुच्यते दिनजादघात्

evaṁ tatra samudbhūtamagnitīrthamanuttamam yatra snāto naraḥ prātarmucyate dinajādaghāt

Thus there arose there the unsurpassed Agnitirtha, bathing in which at dawn a man is freed from the sins accumulated in a single day.

Verse 5 (skanda.6.91.5)

अथ संप्रस्थितान्दृष्ट्वा तान्देवान्स्वाश्रमं प्रति॥ गजेंद्रशुकमण्डूकास्ते प्रोचुर्दुःखसंयुताः

atha saṁprasthitāndṛṣṭvā tāndevānsvāśramaṁ prati gajeṁdraśukamaṇḍūkāste procurduḥkhasaṁyutāḥ

Then, seeing those gods setting out toward their own abodes, the elephant-lord, the parrot, and the frog spoke, filled with distress.

Verse 6 (skanda.6.91.6)

युष्मत्कृते वयं शप्ताः पावकेन सुरेश्वराः॥ तस्माज्जिह्वाकृतेऽस्माकमुपायश्चिंत्यतामपि

yuṣmatkṛte vayaṁ śaptāḥ pāvakena sureśvarāḥ tasmājjihvākṛte'smākamupāyaściṁtyatāmapi

"O lords of the gods, it was for your sake that we were cursed by Fire; therefore, please also devise some remedy for what has happened to our tongues."

Verse 7 (skanda.6.91.7)

देवा ऊचुः॥ विपरीतापि ते जिह्वा यथान्येषां गजोत्तम॥ कार्यक्षमा न संदेहो भविष्यति विशेषतः

devā ūcuḥ viparītāpi te jihvā yathānyeṣāṁ gajottama kāryakṣamā na saṁdeho bhaviṣyati viśeṣataḥ

The gods said: "O best of elephants, although your tongue will remain reversed unlike that of others, it will without doubt still be fully capable of its function."

Verse 8 (skanda.6.91.8)

तथा यूयं नरेन्द्राणां मंदिरेषु व्यवस्थिताः॥ बहु मानसमायुक्ता मृष्टान्नं भक्षयिष्यथ

tathā yūyaṁ narendrāṇāṁ maṁdireṣu vyavasthitāḥ bahu mānasamāyuktā mṛṣṭānnaṁ bhakṣayiṣyatha

"Moreover, stationed in the palaces of kings, you shall be treated with great honor and shall eat delicious food."

Verse 9 (skanda.6.91.9)

यथा च शुक ते जिह्वा कृता मंदा हविर्भुजा॥ तथापि भूमिपालानां शंसनीया भविष्यति

yathā ca śuka te jihvā kṛtā maṁdā havirbhujā tathāpi bhūmipālānāṁ śaṁsanīyā bhaviṣyati

"And O parrot, although Fire, the eater of oblations, has dulled your tongue, it shall nevertheless be praised by kings."

Verse 10 (skanda.6.91.10)

श्रीमतां च तथान्येषामस्मदीयप्रसादतः॥ त्वं च मंडूक यत्तेन विजिह्वो वह्निना कृतः॥ तद्भविष्यति ते शब्दो विजिह्वस्यापि दीर्घगः

śrīmatāṁ ca tathānyeṣāmasmadīyaprasādataḥ tvaṁ ca maṁḍūka yattena vijihvo vahninā kṛtaḥ tadbhaviṣyati te śabdo vijihvasyāpi dīrghagaḥ

"...and, by our grace, honored by prosperous men and others as well. And O frog, since Fire has made you tongueless, your voice, though tongueless, shall nevertheless carry far."

Verse 11 (skanda.6.91.11)

एवमुक्त्वाऽथ ते देवाः स्वस्थानं प्रस्थितास्ततः॥ तेषामनुग्रहं कृत्वा कृपया परया युता

evamuktvā'tha te devāḥ svasthānaṁ prasthitāstataḥ teṣāmanugrahaṁ kṛtvā kṛpayā parayā yutā

Having said this, the gods, having bestowed their grace upon them out of supreme compassion, then departed to their own abodes.