The Glory of Vriddha-Prabhasa

Verse 1 (skanda.7.195.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। ततो वृद्धप्रभासं तु गच्छेच्च नियतात्मवान्। आदिप्रभासाद्दक्षिणतो नातिदूरे व्यवस्थितम्

īśvara uvāca| tato vṛddhaprabhāsaṁ tu gacchecca niyatātmavān| ādiprabhāsāddakṣiṇato nātidūre vyavasthitam

Ishvara said: Then one of controlled self should go to Vriddha-Prabhasa, situated not far to the south of Adi-Prabhasa.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.195.2)

चतुर्मुखं महालिंगं दर्शनात्पापनाशनम्

caturmukhaṁ mahāliṅgaṁ darśanātpāpanāśanam

There stands the four-faced great linga, whose mere sight destroys sin.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.195.3)

श्रीदेव्युवाच। कथं वृद्धप्रभासं तु नाम तस्याभवत्प्रभो। तस्मिन्दृष्टे फलं किं स्यात्स्तुते संपूजिते तथा

śrīdevyuvāca| kathaṁ vṛddhaprabhāsaṁ tu nāma tasyābhavatprabho| tasmindṛṣṭe phalaṁ kiṁ syātstute saṁpūjite tathā

Shri Devi said: O Lord, how did it come to be named Vriddha-Prabhasa? What fruit is obtained by beholding, praising, and duly worshipping it?

Verse 4 (skanda.7.195.4)

एतत्कथय मे देव संक्षेपान्नातिविस्तरात्

etatkathaya me deva saṁkṣepānnātivistarāt

Tell me this, O Lord, in brief, not at great length.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.195.5)

ईश्वर उवाच। आदौ स्वायंभुवे देवि पूर्वमन्वन्तरे पुरा। त्रेतायुगे चतुर्थे तु प्रभासे क्षेत्र उत्तमे

īśvara uvāca| ādau svāyaṁbhuve devi pūrvamanvantare purā| tretāyuge caturthe tu prabhāse kṣetra uttame

Ishvara said: In the beginning, O Goddess, long ago in the primeval Svayambhuva Manvantara, in the fourth Treta Yuga, in this excellent field of Prabhasa —

Verse 6 (skanda.7.195.6)

तस्मिन्काले महादेवि पूर्वमन्वंतरे पुरा। त्रेतायुगे चतुर्थे तु ऋषयस्तत्र संगताः

tasminkāle mahādevi pūrvamanvaṁtare purā| tretāyuge caturthe tu ṛṣayastatra saṁgatāḥ

At that time, O great Goddess, in that fourth Treta Yuga of the ancient Manvantara, the sages gathered there.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.195.7)

दर्शनार्थं प्रभासस्य उत्तरापथगामिनः। तं दृष्ट्वाऽऽच्छादितं देवं वज्रेण तु महेश्वरि

darśanārthaṁ prabhāsasya uttarāpathagāminaḥ| taṁ dṛṣṭvācchāditaṁ devaṁ vajreṇa tu maheśvari

They were journeying along the northern path for the sight of Prabhasa; O Maheshvari, there they saw that god covered over by the thunderbolt.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.195.8)

विषादं परमं जग्मुर्वाक्यं चेदमथाबुवन्। अदृष्ट्वा शांकरं लिंगं न यास्यामो वयं गृहम्

viṣādaṁ paramaṁ jagmurvākyaṁ cedamathābuvan| adṛṣṭvā śāṅkaraṁ liṅgaṁ na yāsyāmo vayaṁ gṛham

They fell into deep despair and spoke these words: 'Without beholding the linga of Shankara, we shall not return home.'

Verse 9 (skanda.7.195.9)

स्वर्गार्थिनो वयं प्राप्ता महदध्वानमेव हि। तस्मादत्रैव तिष्ठामो यावल्लिंगस्य दर्शनम्

svargārthino vayaṁ prāptā mahadadhvānameva hi| tasmādatraiva tiṣṭhāmo yāvalliṅgasya darśanam

Desiring heaven, we have traveled this great distance; therefore we shall remain right here until we behold the linga.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.195.10)

एवं ते निश्चयं कृत्वा परस्मिंस्तपसि स्थिताः। वर्षास्वाकाशगा भूत्वा हेमंते सलिलाश्रयाः

evaṁ te niścayaṁ kṛtvā parasmiṁstapasi sthitāḥ| varṣāsvākāśagā bhūtvā hemaṁte salilāśrayāḥ

Having thus resolved, they engaged in supreme austerity — remaining exposed to the sky through the rains, and taking refuge in water through the winter—

Verse 11 (skanda.7.195.11)

पञ्चाग्निसाधना ग्रीष्मे नियता ब्रह्मचारिणः। बहून्वर्षगणान्विप्रा जराग्रस्तास्तदाऽभवन्

paṁcāgnisādhanā grīṣme niyatā brahmacāriṇaḥ| bahūnvarṣagaṇānviprā jarāgrastāstadā'bhavan

Practicing the five-fire austerity in summer, disciplined and celibate, those Brahmins, after many years, then became overtaken by old age.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.195.12)

एवं वृद्धत्वमापन्ना यदा ते वरवर्णिनि। छन्द्यमाना वरैस्ते तु शंकरेण महात्मना

evaṁ vṛddhatvamāpannā yadā te varavarṇini| chandyamānā varaiste tu śaṅkareṇa mahātmanā

O fair one, when they had thus attained old age, the great-souled Shankara offered to grant them boons.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.195.13)

लिंगस्य दर्शनं मुक्त्वा न तेऽन्यं वव्रिरे वरम्

liṅgasya darśanaṁ muktvā na te'nyaṁ vavrire varam

But apart from the sight of the linga, they asked for no other boon.

Verse 14 (skanda.7.195.14)

तेषां तु निश्चयं ज्ञात्वा सर्वेषां वृषभध्वजः। अनुकम्पापरो भूत्वा स्वलिंगं तानदर्शयत्

teṣāṁ tu niścayaṁ jñātvā sarveṣāṁ vṛṣabhadhvajaḥ| anukampāparo bhūtvā svaliṅgaṁ tānadarśayat

Knowing the firm resolve of them all, the Bull-bannered One, moved by compassion, showed them his own linga.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.195.15)

एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु भित्त्वा चैव वसुन्धराम्। उत्थितं सहसा लिंगं तदेव वरवर्णिनि

etasminneva kāle tu bhittvā caiva vasuṁdharām| utthitaṁ sahasā liṅgaṁ tadeva varavarṇini

At that very moment, splitting open the earth, that same linga suddenly rose up, O fair one.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.195.16)

ऋषयस्ते च तं दृष्ट्वा सर्वे च त्रिदिवं गताः। अथ तेषु प्रयातेषु शक्रस्तप्तमना ह्यभूत्

ṛṣayaste ca taṁ dṛṣṭvā sarve ca tridivaṁ gatāḥ| atha teṣu prayāteṣu śakrastaptamanā hyabhūt

All those sages, having beheld it, ascended to heaven; then, when they had departed, Indra became troubled in mind.

Verse 17 (skanda.7.195.17)

तमपि च्छादयामास वज्रेण शतपर्वणा

tamapi cchādayāmāsa vajreṇa śataparvaṇā

He too covered that linga over with his hundred-jointed thunderbolt.

Verse 18 (skanda.7.195.18)

वृद्धभावे यतस्तेषामृषीणां दर्शनं गतः। अतो वृद्धप्रभासं तत्कीर्त्यते वसुधातले

vṛddhabhāve yatasteṣāmṛṣīṇāṁ darśanaṁ gataḥ| ato vṛddhaprabhāsaṁ tatkīrtyate vasudhātale

Because it granted its vision to those sages in their old age, it therefore became renowned on earth as Vriddha-Prabhasa.

Verse 19 (skanda.7.195.19)

तस्मिन्दृष्टे वरारोहे अद्यापि लभते फलम्। राजसूयाश्वमेधानां नरो भक्तिसमन्वितः

tasmindṛṣṭe varārohe adyāpi labhate phalam| rājasūyāśvamedhānāṁ naro bhaktisamanvitaḥ

O fair-hipped one, by beholding it even today, a devoted man obtains the fruit of the Rajasuya and Ashvamedha sacrifices.

Verse 20 (skanda.7.195.20)

एवं तत्र समुत्पन्नं प्रभासं वृद्धसंज्ञकम्। तत्रोक्षा ब्राह्मणे देयः सम्यग्यात्राफलेप्सुभिः

evaṁ tatra samutpannaṁ prabhāsaṁ vṛddhasaṁjñakam| tatrokṣā brāhmaṇe deyaḥ samyagyātrāphalepsubhiḥ

Thus that Prabhasa known by the name 'Vriddha' arose there; those desiring the full fruit of pilgrimage should give there the gift of a bull to a Brahmin.