The Glory of Ratnakunda

Verse 1 (skanda.7.159.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि रत्नकुण्डमनुत्तमम्। रत्नेशाद्दक्षिणे भागे धनुषां सप्तके स्थितम्। महापापोपशमनं विष्णुना निर्मितं स्वयम्

īśvara uvāca| tato gacchenmahādevi ratnakuṇḍamanuttamam| ratneśāddakṣiṇe bhāge dhanuṣāṁ saptake sthitam| mahāpāpopaśamanaṁ viṣṇunā nirmitaṁ svayam

Ishvara said: Then, O great Goddess, one should go to the incomparable Ratnakunda, situated to the south of Ratnesha at a distance of seven bow-lengths, the queller of great sins, made by Vishnu himself.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.159.2)

अष्टकोटीस्तु तीर्थानि भूद्योऽन्तरिक्षगाणि तु। समानीय तु कृष्णेन तत्र क्षिप्तानि भूरिशः

aṣṭakoṭīstu tīrthāni bhūdyo'ntarikṣagāṇi tu| samānīya tu kṛṣṇena tatra kṣiptāni bhūriśaḥ

Krishna gathered eighty million sacred fords existing on earth, in heaven, and in the sky, and cast them there in abundance.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.159.3)

गणानां कोटिरेका तु तत्कुण्डं रक्षति प्रिये। कलौ युगे तु संप्राप्ते दुष्प्राप्यमकृतात्मभिः

gaṇānāṁ koṭirekā tu tatkuṇḍaṁ rakṣati priye| kalau yuge tu saṁprāpte duṣprāpyamakṛtātmabhiḥ

O beloved, ten million ganas guard that pool; when the Kali age arrives, it becomes hard to attain for those of impure heart.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.159.4)

तत्र स्नात्वा महादेवि विधिदृष्टेन कर्मणा। प्राप्नुयादश्वमेधस्य फलं शतगुणोत्तरम्

tatra snātvā mahādevi vidhidṛṣṭena karmaṇā| prāpnuyādaśvamedhasya phalaṁ śataguṇottaram

O great Goddess, bathing there according to the rites laid down, one obtains a fruit a hundredfold greater than that of the horse sacrifice.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.159.5)

एकादश्यां विशेषेण पिंडं तत्र प्रदापयेत्। अक्षय्यां तृप्तिमायांति पितरस्तस्य भामिनि

ekādaśyāṁ viśeṣeṇa piṁḍaṁ tatra pradāpayet| akṣayyāṁ tṛptimāyāṁti pitarastasya bhāmini

O lovely one, one should especially offer rice-balls there on the eleventh lunar day; thereby his ancestors attain imperishable satisfaction.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.159.6)

कुर्याज्जागरणं तत्र एकादश्यां विधानतः। वाञ्छितं लभते देवि यदि श्रद्धा दृढा भवेत्

kuryājjāgaraṇaṁ tatra ekādaśyāṁ vidhānataḥ| vāñchitaṁ labhate devi yadi śraddhā dṛḍhā bhavet

One should keep vigil there on the eleventh day according to the rite; O Goddess, if one's faith is firm, one obtains what one desires.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.159.7)

देयानि पीतवस्त्राणि तथा धेनुः पयस्विनी। तत्र विष्णुं समुद्दिश्य सम्यग्यात्राफलाप्तये

deyāni pītavastrāṇi tathā dhenuḥ payasvinī| tatra viṣṇuṁ samuddiśya samyagyātrāphalāptaye

Yellow garments and a milk-yielding cow should be given there with Vishnu in mind, for obtaining the full fruit of the pilgrimage.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.159.8)

हेमकुण्डं कृते प्रोक्तं त्रेतायां रौप्यनामकम्। द्वापरे चक्रकुंडं तु रत्नकुंडं कलौ स्मृतम्

hemakuṇḍaṁ kṛte proktaṁ tretāyāṁ raupyanāmakam| dvāpare cakrakuṁḍaṁ tu ratnakuṁḍaṁ kalau smṛtam

In the Krita age it was called Hemakunda, in Treta, Raupya (the silver pool); in Dvapara, Chakrakunda; and in Kali it is known as Ratnakunda.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.159.9)

पातालवाहिनीगंगा स्रोतांसि तत्र भूरिशः। समानीतानि हरिणा तत्र तिष्ठंति भामिनि

pātālavāhinīgaṁgā srotāṁsi tatra bhūriśaḥ| samānītāni hariṇā tatra tiṣṭhaṁti bhāmini

O lovely one, Hari brought there the many streams of the Ganga that flows through the netherworld, and they abide there.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.159.10)

तत्र स्नानेन देवेशि सर्वतीर्थाभिषेचनम्

tatra snānena deveśi sarvatīrthābhiṣecanam

O queen of gods, by bathing there one obtains the merit of bathing in all sacred fords.