The Glory of Ravaneshvara

Verse 1 (skanda.7.123.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि रावणेश्वरमुत्तमम्। तस्माद्दक्षिणनैर्ऋत्ये धनुषां षोडशे स्थितम्

īśvara uvāca| tato gacchenmahādevi rāvaṇeśvaramuttamam| tasmāddakṣiṇanairṛtye dhanuṣāṁ ṣoḍaśe sthitam

Ishvara said: Then, O great Goddess, one should go to the supreme Ravaneshvara, situated sixteen bow-lengths to the south-southwest of that place.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.123.2)

प्रतिष्ठितं दशास्येन सर्वपातकनाशनम्। पौलस्त्यो रावणो देवि राक्षसस्तु सुदारुणः

pratiṣṭhitaṁ daśāsyena sarvapātakanāśanam| paulastyo rāvaṇo devi rākṣasastu sudāruṇaḥ

That sin-destroying linga was established by the ten-headed Ravana; O Goddess, Ravana, descendant of Pulastya, was a most fearsome demon.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.123.3)

त्रैलोक्यविजयाकाङ्क्षी पुष्पकेण चचार ह। कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य विमानं तस्य पुष्पकम्

trailokyavijayākāṅkṣī puṣpakena cacāra ha| kasyacittvatha kālasya vimānaṁ tasya puṣpakam

Desiring to conquer the three worlds, he roamed about on the Pushpaka chariot; then, at a certain time, his chariot Pushpaka —

Verse 4 (skanda.7.123.4)

व्रजद्वै व्योममार्गेण निश्चलं सहसाऽभवत्। स्तंभितं पुष्पकं दृष्ट्वा रावणो विस्मयान्वितः

vrajadvai vyomamārgeṇa niścalaṁ sahasā'bhavat| staṁbhitaṁ puṣpakaṁ dṛṣṭvā rāvaṇo vismayānvitaḥ

—while moving along the path of the sky, suddenly came to a standstill; seeing his Pushpaka thus halted, Ravana was struck with astonishment.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.123.5)

प्रहस्तं प्रेषयामास किमिदं व्रज मेदिनीम्। अहताऽस्य गतिर्यस्मात्त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे

prahastaṁ preṣayāmāsa kimidaṁ vraja medinīm| ahatā'sya gatiryasmāttrailokye sacarācare

He sent Prahasta, saying: "What is this? Go down to the earth — for never in the three worlds, moving or unmoving, has its course been obstructed."

Verse 6 (skanda.7.123.6)

तत्कस्मान्निश्चलं जातं विमानं पुष्पकं मम। अथाऽसौ सत्वरो देवि जगाम वसुधातले

tatkasmānniścalaṁ jātaṁ vimānaṁ puṣpakaṁ mama| athā'sau satvaro devi jagāma vasudhātale

"Why then has my Pushpaka chariot become motionless?" Then, O Goddess, Prahasta went swiftly down to the surface of the earth.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.123.7)

अपश्यद्देवदेवेशं श्रीसोमेशं महाप्रभम्। स्तूयमानं सुरगणैः शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः

apaśyaddevadeveśaṁ śrīsomeśaṁ mahāprabham| stūyamānaṁ suragaṇaiḥ śataśo'tha sahasraśaḥ

There he beheld the great and glorious Someshvara, the god of gods, being praised by hosts of gods in their hundreds and thousands.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.123.8)

तं दृष्ट्वा राक्षसेन्द्राय तत्सर्वं विस्तरात्प्रिये। प्रहस्तः कथयामास यद्दृष्टं क्षेत्रमध्यतः

taṁ dṛṣṭvā rākṣasendrāya tatsarvaṁ vistarātpriye| prahastaḥ kathayāmāsa yaddṛṣṭaṁ kṣetramadhyataḥ

Having seen this, O beloved, Prahasta related to the lord of the Rakshasas in full detail all that he had witnessed in the midst of that field.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.123.9)

प्रहस्त उवाच। राक्षसेश महाबाहो शिवक्षेत्रं निजं प्रभो। प्रभासेति समाख्यातं गणगन्धर्वसेवितम्

prahasta uvāca| rākṣaseśa mahābāho śivakṣetraṁ nijaṁ prabho| prabhāseti samākhyātaṁ gaṇagandharvasevitam

Prahasta said: O mighty-armed lord of the Rakshasas, O master, this is Shiva's own sacred field, known as Prabhasa, attended by his hosts and by Gandharvas.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.123.10)

तत्र सोमेश्वरो देवः स्वयं तिष्ठति शङ्करः। अब्भक्षैर्वायुभक्षैश्च दंतोलूखलिभिस्तथा। ऋषिभिर्वालखिल्यैश्च पूज्यमानः समंततः

tatra someśvaro devaḥ svayaṁ tiṣṭhati śaṅkaraḥ| abbhakṣairvāyubhakṣaiśca daṁtolūkhalibhistathā| ṛṣibhirvālakhilyaiśca pūjyamānaḥ samaṁtataḥ

There the god Shankara himself abides as Someshvara, worshipped on every side by sages who live on water alone, by those who live on air alone, by those who grind their food with their teeth as a pestle, and by the Valakhilya sages.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.123.11)

प्रभावात्तस्य देवस्य नेदं गच्छति पुष्पकम्। न स प्रालंघ्यते देवो ह्यलंघ्यो यः सुरासुरैः

prabhāvāttasya devasya nedaṁ gacchati puṣpakam| na sa prālaṁghyate devo hyalaṁghyo yaḥ surāsuraiḥ

It is by that god's power that this Pushpaka cannot go forward; for that god cannot be transgressed even by gods and demons, being beyond all trespass.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.123.12)

ईश्वर उवाच। तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचनः। अवतीर्य धरापृष्ठं सोमेशं समपश्यत

īśvara uvāca| tasya tadvacanaṁ śrutvā vismayotphullalocanaḥ| avatīrya dharāpṛṣṭhaṁ someśaṁ samapaśyata

Ishvara said: Hearing his words, Ravana, his eyes widening with astonishment, descended to the surface of the earth and beheld Someshvara.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.123.13)

पूजयामास देवेशि भक्त्या परमया युतः। रत्नैर्बहुविधैर्वस्त्रैर्गन्धपुष्पानुलेपनैः

pūjayāmāsa deveśi bhaktyā paramayā yutaḥ| ratnairbahuvidhairvastrairgandhapuṣpānulepanaiḥ

O Goddess of gods, filled with the deepest devotion, he worshipped him with manifold jewels, garments, fragrance, flowers and unguents.

Verse 14 (skanda.7.123.14)

अथ पौरजना दृष्ट्वा रावणं राक्षसेश्वरम्। सर्वदिक्षु वरारोहे भयाद्भीताः प्रदुद्रुवुः

atha paurajanā dṛṣṭvā rāvaṇaṁ rākṣaseśvaram| sarvadikṣu varārohe bhayādbhītāḥ pradudruvuḥ

O fair one, then the townsfolk, seeing Ravana, lord of the Rakshasas, fled in terror in every direction, overcome with fear.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.123.15)

शून्यं समभवत्सर्वं तत्र देवो व्यवस्थितः। एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु वागुवाचाशरीरिणी

śūnyaṁ samabhavatsarvaṁ tatra devo vyavasthitaḥ| etasminneva kāle tu vāguvācāśarīriṇī

Everything became empty and deserted, only the god remaining there. At that very moment a bodiless voice spoke —

Verse 16 (skanda.7.123.16)

दशग्रीव महाबाहो अयने चोत्तरे तथा। यात्राकाले तु देवस्य सर्वपापप्रणाशने

daśagrīva mahābāho ayane cottare tathā| yātrākāle tu devasya sarvapāpapraṇāśane

"O ten-necked, mighty-armed one, during the northern solstice, and at the time of that all-sin-destroying god's festival procession —"

Verse 17 (skanda.7.123.17)

दूरतः समनुप्राप्ता भूरिलोका द्विजातयः। राक्षसानां भयाद्भीताः प्रयांति हि दिशो दश

dūrataḥ samanuprāptā bhūrilokā dvijātayaḥ| rākṣasānāṁ bhayādbhītāḥ prayāṁti hi diśo daśa

"— multitudes of folk and twice-born who have come from far away flee in the ten directions, terrified by fear of the Rakshasas."

Verse 18 (skanda.7.123.18)

भयान्मा त्वं राक्षसेन्द्र यात्राविघ्नकरो भव। बाल्ये वयसि यत्पापं वार्द्धक्ये यौवनेऽपि च। तत्सर्वं क्षालयेन्मर्त्यो दृष्ट्वा सोमेश्वरं प्रभुम्

bhayānmā tvaṁ rākṣasendra yātrāvighnakaro bhava| bālye vayasi yatpāpaṁ vārddhakye yauvane'pi ca| tatsarvaṁ kṣālayenmartyo dṛṣṭvā someśvaraṁ prabhum

"O lord of the Rakshasas, do not, out of fear, become an obstacle to this pilgrimage — for whatever sin a mortal commits in childhood, old age, or youth, all of it he washes away by beholding the lord Someshvara."

Verse 19 (skanda.7.123.19)

ततोऽसौ राक्षसेन्द्रस्तु गत्वैकान्ते सुगह्वरे। लिंगं च स्थापयामास भक्त्या परमया युतः

tato'sau rākṣasendrastu gatvaikānte sugahvare| liṁgaṁ ca sthāpayāmāsa bhaktyā paramayā yutaḥ

Then that lord of the Rakshasas, going to a solitary, secluded cave, filled with the deepest devotion, established a linga there.

Verse 20 (skanda.7.123.20)

ततस्तन्निरतो भूत्वा सर्वैस्तै राक्षसेश्वरः। पूजयामास देवेशि उपवासपरायणः

tatastannirato bhūtvā sarvaistai rākṣaseśvaraḥ| pūjayāmāsa deveśi upavāsaparāyaṇaḥ

O Goddess of gods, thereafter that lord of the Rakshasas, devoted wholly to it, worshipped there, given over to fasting.

Verse 21 (skanda.7.123.21)

चकार पुरतस्तस्य गीतवाद्येन जागरम्। ततोऽर्धरात्रसमये वागुवाचाशरीरिणी

cakāra puratastasya gītavādyena jāgaram| tato'rdharātrasamaye vāguvācāśarīriṇī

He kept vigil before it through song and music; then, at midnight, a bodiless voice spoke —

Verse 22 (skanda.7.123.22)

दशग्रीव महाबाहो परितुष्टोऽस्मि तेऽनघ। मम प्रसादात्त्रैलोक्यं वशगं ते भविष्यति। अत्र संनिहितो नित्यं स्थास्याम्यहमसंशयम्

daśagrīva mahābāho parituṣṭo'smi te'nagha| mama prasādāttrailokyaṁ vaśagaṁ te bhaviṣyati| atra saṁnihito nityaṁ sthāsyāmyahamasaṁśayam

"O ten-necked, mighty-armed one, O sinless one, I am well pleased with you; by my grace the three worlds shall come under your sway; without doubt I shall remain here always, ever present."

Verse 23 (skanda.7.123.23)

ये चैतत्पूजयिष्यंति लिंगं भक्तियुता नराः। अजेयास्ते भविष्यंति शत्रूणां राक्षसेश्वर

ye caitatpūjayiṣyaṁti liṁgaṁ bhaktiyutā narāḥ| ajeyāste bhaviṣyanti śatrūṇāṁ rākṣaseśvara

"O lord of the Rakshasas, whatever men, filled with devotion, shall worship this linga will become invincible to their enemies."

Verse 24 (skanda.7.123.24)

यास्यंति परमां सिद्धिं मत्प्रसादादसंशयम्। एवमुक्त्वा वरारोहे विरराम वृषध्वजः

yāsyaṁti paramāṁ siddhiṁ matprasādādasaṁśayam| evamuktvā varārohe virarāma vṛṣadhvajaḥ

"They shall doubtless attain supreme accomplishment through my grace." O fair one, having said this, the bull-bannered god fell silent.

Verse 25 (skanda.7.123.25)

रावणोऽपि स संतुष्टो भूयोभूयो महेश्वरम्। पूजयित्वा च तल्लिंगं समारुह्य च पुष्पकम्। त्रैलोक्यविजयाकांक्षी इष्टं देशं जगाम ह

rāvaṇo'pi sa saṁtuṣṭo bhūyobhūyo maheśvaram| pūjayitvā ca talliṁgaṁ samāruhya ca puṣpakam| trailokyavijayākāṁkṣī iṣṭaṁ deśaṁ jagāma ha

Ravana too, well satisfied, worshipped that linga of Maheshvara again and again, then mounted the Pushpaka chariot and, still desiring conquest of the three worlds, departed for the land of his choosing.