The Glory of Jala-Prabhasa

Verse 1 (skanda.7.196.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि प्रभासं जलसंस्थितम्। वृद्धप्रभासाद्दक्षिणतो नातिदूरे व्यवस्थितम्

īśvara uvāca| tato gacchenmahādevi prabhāsaṁ jalasaṁsthitam| vṛddhaprabhāsāddakṣiṇato nātidūre vyavasthitam

Ishvara said: Then, O great Goddess, one should go to that Prabhasa situated in the water, not far to the south of Vriddha-Prabhasa.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.196.2)

तस्यैव देवि देवस्य शृणु माहात्म्यमुत्तमम्

tasyaiva devi devasya śṛṇu māhātmyamuttamam

O Goddess, hear the sublime glory of that very god.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.196.3)

जामदग्न्येन रामेण यदा क्षत्त्रवधः कृतः। तदाऽस्य परमा जाता घृणा मनसि भामिनि

jāmadagnyena rāmeṇa yadā kṣattravadhaḥ kṛtaḥ| tadā'sya paramā jātā ghṛṇā manasi bhāmini

When Rama, son of Jamadagni, slew the Kshatriyas, then, O lovely one, supreme remorse arose in his mind.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.196.4)

ततस्त्वाराधयामास महादेवं सुरेश्वरम्। उग्रं तपः समास्थाय बहून्वर्षगणान्प्रिये

tatastvārādhayāmāsa mahādevaṁ sureśvaram| ugraṁ tapaḥ samāsthāya bahūnvarṣagaṇānpriye

Then he worshipped Mahadeva, lord of the gods, O beloved, remaining engaged in fierce austerity for many years.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.196.5)

ततस्तुष्टो महादेवस्तस्य प्रत्यक्षतां गतः। अब्रवीद्वरदस्तेऽहं वरं वरय सुव्रत

tatastuṣṭo mahādevastasya pratyakṣatāṁ gataḥ| abravīdvaradaste'haṁ varaṁ varaya suvrata

Then, pleased, Mahadeva appeared before him in person and said: 'O one of good vows, I am the granter of boons to you; choose a boon.'

Verse 6 (skanda.7.196.6)

राम उवाच। यदि तुष्टोऽसि मे देव यदि देयो वरो मम। दर्शयस्व स्वकं लिंगं यज्ञे वज्रेण छादितम्

rāma uvāca| yadi tuṣṭo'si me deva yadi deyo varo mama| darśayasva svakaṁ liṅgaṁ yajñe vajreṇa chāditam

Rama said: If you are pleased with me, O Lord, and if a boon is to be given to me, show me your own linga, which was covered by the thunderbolt at the sacrifice.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.196.7)

घृणा मे महती जाता हत्वेमान्क्षत्रियान्बहून्। दर्शनात्तव लिंगस्य येन मे नश्यते घृणा

ghṛṇā me mahatī jātā hatvemānkṣatriyānbahūn| darśanāttava liṅgasya yena me naśyate ghṛṇā

Having slain these many Kshatriyas, great remorse has arisen in me; let it be destroyed by the sight of your linga.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.196.8)

तथा मे पातकं सर्वं प्रसादात्तव शंकर

tathā me pātakaṁ sarvaṁ prasādāttava śaṅkara

So too, O Shankara, may all my sin be destroyed by your grace.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.196.9)

शंकर उवाच। मम लिंगं सहस्राक्ष उत्थितं तु पुनःपुनः। वज्रेणाच्छादयत्येव भयेन महता वृतः

śaṅkara uvāca| mama liṅgaṁ sahasrākṣa utthitaṁ tu punaḥpunaḥ| vajreṇācchādayatyeva bhayena mahatā vṛtaḥ

Shankara said: Whenever my linga rises up again, thousand-eyed Indra, seized by great fear, covers it over with his thunderbolt.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.196.10)

न तेऽहं दर्शनं यास्ये लिंगरूपी कदाचन

na te'haṁ darśanaṁ yāsye liṅgarūpī kadācana

Therefore I shall never grant you a vision of myself in linga-form.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.196.11)

यन्मां वदसि घृणया वृतोऽहं पातकेन तु। तत्तेऽहं नाशयिष्यामि स्पर्शनात्तु द्विजोत्तम

yanmāṁ vadasi ghṛṇayā vṛto'haṁ pātakena tu| tatte'haṁ nāśayiṣyāmi sparśanāttu dvijottama

But as for what you tell me — that you are consumed by remorse and bound by sin, O foremost of Brahmins — that I shall destroy by mere touch.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.196.12)

अस्मिञ्जलाश्रये पुण्ये जलमध्ये महामते। उत्थास्यति महालिंगं तस्य त्वं दर्शनं कुरु

asmiñjalāśraye puṇye jalamadhye mahāmate| utthāsyati mahāliṅgaṁ tasya tvaṁ darśanaṁ kuru

In this sacred body of water, O great-minded one, in the midst of the water a great linga shall arise; behold it.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.196.13)

गमिष्यति घृणा सर्वा निष्पापस्त्वं भविष्यसि। उक्त्वैवमुदतिष्ठच्च जलमध्याद्वरानने

gamiṣyati ghṛṇā sarvā niṣpāpastvaṁ bhaviṣyasi| uktvaivamudatiṣṭhacca jalamadhyādvarānane

All your remorse shall depart, and you shall become sinless. Having said this, O fair-faced one, it rose up from the midst of the water.

Verse 14 (skanda.7.196.14)

जलप्रभासनामास्य ततो जातं धरातले। तस्यालं स्पर्शनाद्देवि शिवलोकं व्रजेन्नरः

jalaprabhāsanāmāsya tato jātaṁ dharātale| tasyālaṁ sparśanāddevi śivalokaṁ vrajennaraḥ

Thus on earth it came to bear the name Jala-Prabhasa; O Goddess, its mere touch alone suffices for a man to attain the world of Shiva.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.196.15)

एकं भोजयते योऽत्र ब्राह्मणं शंसितव्रतम्। भोजितोऽहं भवेत्तेन सपत्नीको न संशयः

ekaṁ bhojayate yo'tra brāhmaṇaṁ śaṁsitavratam| bhojito'haṁ bhavettena sapatnīko na saṁśayaḥ

Whoever feeds here even a single Brahmin of firm vows — by him I, together with my wife, am fed, without doubt.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.196.16)

एषा जलप्रभासस्य संभूतिस्ते मयोदिता। श्रुता पापोपशमनी सर्वकामफलप्रदा

eṣā jalaprabhāsasya saṁbhūtiste mayoditā| śrutā pāpopaśamanī sarvakāmaphalapradā

Thus have I told you the origin of Jala-Prabhasa; merely hearing it destroys sins and grants the fruit of every desire.