The Glory of Dhruveshvara

Verse 1 (skanda.7.131.1)

श्रीदेव्युवाच। यदेतद्भवता प्रोक्तं नालेश्वरमिति श्रुतम्। ध्रुवेश्वरेति तल्लिंगं कथं वै संबभूव ह

śrīdevyuvāca| yadetadbhavatā proktaṁ nāleśvaramiti śrutam| dhruveśvareti talliṁgaṁ kathaṁ vai saṁbabhūva ha

Shri Devi said: That linga which you spoke of before as Naleshvara — how did it come to be called Dhruveshvara?

Verse 2 (skanda.7.131.2)

ईश्वर उवाच। शृणु देवि प्रवक्ष्यामि ध्रुवेश्वरमहोदयम्। यच्छ्रुत्वा मानवो देवि मुच्यते भवबंधनात्

īśvara uvāca| śṛṇu devi pravakṣyāmi dhruveśvaramahodayam| yacchrutvā mānavo devi mucyate bhavabaṁdhanāt

Ishvara said: Listen, O Goddess, I shall tell the great account of Dhruveshvara, hearing which a man is freed from the bondage of worldly existence.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.131.3)

उत्तानपादनृपतेः पुत्रोऽभूद्ध्रुवसंज्ञितः। महात्मा ज्ञानसंपन्नः सर्वज्ञः प्रियदर्शनः

uttānapādanṛpateḥ putro'bhūddhruvasaṁjñitaḥ| mahātmā jñānasaṁpannaḥ sarvajñaḥ priyadarśanaḥ

There was a son of King Uttanapada, known by the name Dhruva — a great soul, endowed with knowledge, all-knowing, and pleasing to behold.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.131.4)

स कदाचित्समासाद्य प्रभासं क्षेत्रमुत्तमम्। तताप विपुलं देवि तपः परमदारुणम्

sa kadācitsamāsādya prabhāsaṁ kṣetramuttamam| tatāpa vipulaṁ devi tapaḥ paramadāruṇam

At a certain time he went to that supreme field of Prabhasa, O Goddess, and performed there a vast and most severe austerity.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.131.5)

दिव्यं वर्षसहस्रं तु प्रतिष्ठाप्य महेश्वरम्। संपूजयति सद्भक्त्या स्तौति स्तोत्रैः पृथग्विधैः

divyaṁ varṣasahasraṁ tu pratiṣṭhāpya maheśvaram| saṁpūjayati sadbhaktyā stauti stotraiḥ pṛthagvidhaiḥ

For a thousand divine years, having installed Maheshvara, he worshipped him with true devotion and praised him with hymns of many kinds.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.131.6)

तत्स्तोत्रं ते प्रवक्ष्यामि येनाहं तुष्टिमागतः

tatstotraṁ te pravakṣyāmi yenāhaṁ tuṣṭimāgataḥ

I shall tell you that hymn by which I became pleased.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.131.7)

ध्रुव उवाच। कैलासतुंगशिखरं प्रविकम्प्यमानं कैलासशृंगसदृशेन दशाननेन। यः पादपद्मपरिपीडनया दधार तं शंकरं शरणदं शरणं व्रजामि

dhruva uvāca| kailāsatuṁgaśikharaṁ pravikampyamānaṁ kailāsaśṛṅgasadṛśena daśānanena| yaḥ pādapadmaparipīḍanayā dadhāra taṁ śaṁkaraṁ śaraṇadaṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajāmi

Dhruva said: He who, by the mere pressure of his lotus foot, held firm the towering peak of Kailasa when it was being shaken by the ten-headed one, himself as vast as Kailasa's summit — to that Shankara, giver of refuge, I go for shelter.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.131.8)

येनासुराश्चापि दनोश्च पुत्रा विद्याधरोरगगणैश्च वृताः समग्राः। संयोजिता न तु फलं फलमूलमुक्तास्तं शंकरं शरणदं शरणं व्रजामि

yenāsurāścāpi danośca putrā vidyādharoragagaṇaiśca vṛtāḥ samagrāḥ| saṁyojitā na tu phalaṁ phalamūlamuktāstaṁ śaṁkaraṁ śaraṇadaṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajāmi

He by whom the demons, and the sons of Danu, surrounded by hosts of Vidyadharas and serpent-beings — all of them joined together — yet gained no fruit at all, remaining bereft even of roots and fruits — to that Shankara, giver of refuge, I go for shelter.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.131.9)

यस्याखिलं जगदिदं वशवर्ति नित्यं योऽष्टाभिरेव तनुभिर्भुवनानि भुंक्ते। यत्कारणं परमकारणकारणानां तं शंकरं शरणदं शरणं व्रजामि

yasyākhilaṁ jagadidaṁ vaśavarti nityaṁ yo'ṣṭābhireva tanubhirbhuvanāni bhuṁkte| yatkāraṇaṁ paramakāraṇakāraṇānāṁ taṁ śaṁkaraṁ śaraṇadaṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajāmi

He under whose sway this entire universe ever remains, who through his eight forms alone enjoys all the worlds, who is the cause even of the causes of the supreme causes — to that Shankara, giver of refuge, I go for shelter.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.131.10)

यः सव्यपाणिकमलाग्रनखेन देवस्तत्पंचमं च सहसैव पुरातिरुष्टः। ब्राह्मं शिरस्तरुणपद्मनिभं चकर्त तं शंकरं शरणदं शरणं व्रजामि

yaḥ savyapāṇikamalāgranakhena devastatpaṁcamaṁ ca sahasaiva purātiruṣṭaḥ| brāhmaṁ śirastaruṇapadmanibhaṁ cakarta taṁ śaṁkaraṁ śaraṇadaṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajāmi

He, the god who, once in ancient times sorely enraged, in an instant severed with the mere tip of the nail of his left lotus-hand that fifth head of Brahma, fresh as a young lotus — to that Shankara, giver of refuge, I go for shelter.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.131.11)

यस्य प्रणम्य चरणौ वरदस्य भक्त्या श्रुत्वा च वाग्भिरमलाभिरतंद्रिताभिः। दीप्तस्तमांसि नुदति स्वकरैर्विवस्वांस्तं शंकरं शरणदं शरणं व्रजामि

yasya praṇamya caraṇau varadasya bhaktyā śrutvā ca vāgbhiramalābhirataṁdritābhiḥ| dīptastamāṁsi nudati svakarairvivasvāṁstaṁ śaṁkaraṁ śaraṇadaṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajāmi

He, the boon-giver, bowing to whose feet with devotion, and hearing his praise through pure, untiring voices, the blazing sun himself drives away darkness with his own rays — to that Shankara, giver of refuge, I go for shelter.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.131.12)

यः पठेत्स्तवमिदं रुचिरार्थं मानवो ध्रुवकृतं नियतात्मा। विप्रसंसदि सदा शुचिसिद्धः स प्रयाति शिवलोकमनादिम्

yaḥ paṭhetstavamidaṁ ruciramarthaṁ mānavo dhruvakṛtaṁ niyatātmā| viprasaṁsadi sadā śucisiddhaḥ sa prayāti śivalokamanādim

Whatever disciplined man recites this delightful and meaningful hymn composed by Dhruva, ever pure and accomplished in the assembly of brahmins, attains that beginningless world of Shiva.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.131.13)

तस्यैवं स्तुवतो देवि तुष्टोऽहं भावितात्मनः। पूर्णे वर्षसहस्रांते ध्रुवस्याह महात्मनः

tasyaivaṁ stuvato devi tuṣṭo'haṁ bhāvitātmanaḥ| pūrṇe varṣasahasrāṁte dhruvasyāha mahātmanaḥ

O Goddess, thus at the end of the completed thousand years, I became pleased with that great-souled Dhruva, his soul wholly absorbed in devotion, as he praised me thus, and I said —

Verse 14 (skanda.7.131.14)

पुत्र तुष्टोऽस्मि भद्रं ते जातस्त्वं निर्मलोऽधुना। दिव्यं ददामि ते चक्षुः पश्य मां विगतज्वरः

putra tuṣṭo'smi bhadraṁ te jātastvaṁ nirmalo'dhunā| divyaṁ dadāmi te cakṣuḥ paśya māṁ vigatajvaraḥ

"O son, I am well pleased; may good befall you. You have now become pure. I grant you a divine eye — behold me, free of all affliction."

Verse 15 (skanda.7.131.15)

यच्च ते मनसा किञ्चित्कांक्षितं फलमुत्तमम्। तत्सर्वं ते प्रदास्यामि ब्रूहि शीघ्रं ममाग्रतः

yacca te manasā kiñcitkāṁkṣitaṁ phalamuttamam| tatsarvaṁ te pradāsyāmi brūhi śīghraṁ mamāgrataḥ

"Whatever excellent fruit you have desired in your heart, all of that I shall grant you — speak quickly before me."

Verse 16 (skanda.7.131.16)

ब्राह्म्यं वा वैष्णवं शाक्रं पदमन्यत्सुदुर्लभम्। ददामि नात्र संदेहो भक्त्या संप्रीणितस्तव

brāhmyaṁ vā vaiṣṇavaṁ śākraṁ padamanyatsudurlabham| dadāmi nātra saṁdeho bhaktyā saṁprīṇitastava

"Whether the realm of Brahma, or the state of Vishnu, or of Indra, or any other most rare estate — pleased by your devotion, I shall grant it; of this there is no doubt."

Verse 17 (skanda.7.131.17)

ध्रुव उवाच। ब्राह्म्यं वैष्णवं माहेन्द्रं पदमावृत्तिलक्षणम्। विदितं मम तत्सर्वं मनसाऽपि न कामये

dhruva uvāca| brāhmyaṁ vaiṣṇavaṁ māhendraṁ padamāvṛttilakṣaṇam| viditaṁ mama tatsarvaṁ manasā'pi na kāmaye

Dhruva said: The realm of Brahma, of Vishnu, or of great Indra — all these bear the mark of eventual return; knowing this, I do not desire them even in my mind.

Verse 18 (skanda.7.131.18)

यदि तुष्टोऽसि मे देव भक्तिं देहि सुनिर्मलाम्। अस्मिँल्लिंगे सदा वासं कुरु देव वृषध्वज

yadi tuṣṭo'si me deva bhaktiṁ dehi sunirmalām| asmiṁlliṁge sadā vāsaṁ kuru deva vṛṣadhvaja

"O god, if you are pleased with me, grant me utterly pure devotion; O bull-bannered god, dwell forever in this very linga."

Verse 19 (skanda.7.131.19)

ईश्वर उवाच। इति यत्प्रार्थितं सर्वं तद्दत्तं सर्वमेव हि। स्थानं च तस्य तद्ध्रौव्यं तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम्

īśvara uvāca| iti yatprārthitaṁ sarvaṁ taddattaṁ sarvameva hi| sthānaṁ ca tasya taddhrauvyaṁ tadviṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam

Ishvara said: Thus all that was asked for was granted in full; and his station shall remain forever fixed, unmoving — that same station being the supreme abode of Vishnu.

Verse 20 (skanda.7.131.20)

श्रावणस्य त्वमावास्यां यस्तल्लिंगं प्रपूजयेत्। आश्वयुक्पौर्णमास्यां वा सोऽश्वमेधफलं लभेत्

śrāvaṇasya tvamāvāsyāṁ yastalliṁgaṁ prapūjayet| āśvayukpaurṇamāsyāṁ vā so'śvamedhaphalaṁ labhet

Whoever duly worships that linga on the new-moon day of Shravana, or on the full-moon day of Ashvina, obtains the fruit of the Ashvamedha sacrifice.

Verse 21 (skanda.7.131.21)

अपुत्रो लभते पुत्रं धनार्थी लभते धनम्। रूपवान्सुभगो भोगी सर्वशास्त्रविशारदः। हंसयुक्तविमानेन रुद्रलोके महीयते

aputro labhate putraṁ dhanārthī labhate dhanam| rūpavānsubhago bhogī sarvaśāstraviśāradaḥ| haṁsayuktavimānena rudraloke mahīyate

The childless obtains a son, one desiring wealth obtains wealth; he becomes handsome, fortunate, prosperous, and learned in all scriptures, and, borne upon a chariot yoked with swans, is honored in the world of Rudra.

Verse 22 (skanda.7.131.22)

असुरसुरगणानां पूजितस्य ध्रुवस्य कथयति कमनीयां कीर्तिमेतां शृणोति। सकलसुखनिधानरुद्रलोकं सुशांतः सुरगणदनुनाथैरर्चितं यात्यनंतम्

asurasuragaṇānāṁ pūjitasya dhruvasya kathayati kamanīyāṁ kīrtimetāṁ śṛṇoti| sakalasukhanidhānarudralokaṁ suśāntaḥ suragaṇadanunāthairarcitaṁ yātyanaṁtam

Whoever recites or hears this delightful fame of Dhruva, worshipped by the hosts of gods and demons, attains, in perfect peace, that endless world of Rudra — the treasury of every happiness, honored by both the hosts of gods and the lords of the demons.