The Glory of Shankhodaka and Kundeshvari

Verse 1 (skanda.7.116.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि देवीं सौभाग्यकारिणीम्। कुण्डेश्वरीति विख्यातां पुष्कराद्वायुगोचरे॥

īśvara uvāca| tato gacchenmahādevi devīṃ saubhāgyakāriṇīm| kuṇḍeśvarīti vikhyātāṃ puṣkarādvāyugocare||

Ishvara said: Thereafter, O great goddess, one should go to the goddess who bestows good fortune, renowned as Kundeshvari, in the north-western direction from Pushkara.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.116.2)

धनुषां त्रिंशता देवि भूतनाथाच्च नैर्ऋते। संस्थिता पापदमनी दारिद्र्यौघविनाशिनी॥

dhanuṣāṃ triṃśatā devi bhūtanāthācca nairṛte| saṃsthitā pāpadamanī dāridryaughavināśinī||

O goddess, she is situated thirty bow-lengths to the south-west of Bhutanatha, the subduer of sin, the destroyer of the flood of poverty.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.116.3)

तस्या नैर्ऋतदिग्भागे धनुःपञ्चदशे स्थितम्। शंखोदकंनाम कुण्डं सर्वपातकनाशनम्॥

tasyā nairṛtadigbhāge dhanuḥpañcadaśe sthitam| śaṃkhodakaṃnāma kuṇḍaṃ sarvapātakanāśanam||

In the south-western direction from her, at a distance of fifteen bow-lengths, is situated a pool named Shankhodaka, the destroyer of all sins.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.116.4)

तत्र स्नात्वा तु ये मर्त्या नारी वा शुभवारिणि। पूजयेत्तां महादेवि शंखावर्तेति विश्रुताम्॥

tatra snātvā tu ye martyā nārī vā śubhavāriṇi| pūjayettāṃ mahādevi śaṃkhāvarteti viśrutām||

O great goddess, those mortals, man or woman, who bathe there in that auspicious water and worship her—renowned there as Shankhavarta—

Verse 5 (skanda.7.116.5)

कलौ कुण्डेश्वरीनाम सर्वसौख्यप्रदायिनी। शंखो नाम पुरा देवि विष्णुना निहतः प्रिये॥

kalau kuṇḍeśvarīnāma sarvasaukhyapradāyinī| śaṃkho nāma purā devi viṣṇunā nihataḥ priye||

In the Kali age she, bestower of all happiness, is worshipped under the name Kundeshvari. O beloved goddess, formerly a demon named Shankha was slain by Vishnu.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.116.6)

तस्य देहं समादाय महान्तं शंखरूपिणम्। तीर्थोदकेन संपूर्य प्रभासं क्षेत्रमागतः॥

tasya dehaṃ samādāya mahāntaṃ śaṃkharūpiṇam| tīrthodakena saṃpūrya prabhāsaṃ kṣetramāgataḥ||

Taking up his great body, which had the form of a conch shell, and filling it with the water of the sacred tirthas, he came to the sacred field of Prabhasa.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.116.7)

तत्र शंखं तु प्रक्षाल्य कृतं तीर्थं महाप्रभम्। तत्र पूरितवाञ्छङ्खं मेघगम्भीरनिस्वनम्॥

tatra śaṃkhaṃ tu prakṣālya kṛtaṃ tīrthaṃ mahāprabham| tatra pūritavāñchaṅkhaṃ meghagambhīranisvanam||

There, having washed the conch, he made it into a most radiant tirtha; there he blew that conch, producing a sound as deep as thunder.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.116.8)

तस्य नादेन महता देवी तत्र समागता। पृच्छती कारणं तत्र तत्कुण्डस्य समीपगा। तेन कुण्डेश्वरी ख्याता कुण्डं शंखोदकं स्मृतम्॥

tasya nādena mahatā devī tatra samāgatā| pṛcchatī kāraṇaṃ tatra tatkuṇḍasya samīpagā| tena kuṇḍeśvarī khyātā kuṇḍaṃ śaṃkhodakaṃ smṛtam||

By that great sound the goddess came there, and drawing near to that pool she asked the cause; on account of this she became known as Kundeshvari, and the pool was remembered as Shankhodaka.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.116.9)

माघे मासि तृतीयायां यस्तां पूजयते नरः। नारी वा भक्तिसंयुक्ता स गौरीपदमाप्नुयात्॥

māghe māsi tṛtīyāyāṃ yastāṃ pūjayate naraḥ| nārī vā bhaktisaṃyuktā sa gaurīpadamāpnuyāt||

Whatever man, or woman endowed with devotion, worships her on the third day of the month of Magha attains the station of Gauri.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.116.10)

दंपत्योर्भोजनं तत्र देयं यात्राफलेप्सुभिः। कञ्चुकं फलदानं च गौरिणीनां च भोजनम्॥

daṃpatyorbhojanaṃ tatra deyaṃ yātrāphalepsubhiḥ| kañcukaṃ phaladānaṃ ca gauriṇīnāṃ ca bhojanam||

Those desiring the fruit of the pilgrimage should give a meal to a married couple there, and also gift a bodice and fruit, and offer food to married women (gaurinis).