The Glory of Mankishvara

Verse 1 (skanda.7.203.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि मंकीश्वर महालयम्। रामेशादुत्तरे भागे देवमातुः समीपगम्

īśvara uvāca| tato gacchenmahādevi maṅkīśvaraṁ mahālayam| rāmeśāduttare bhāge devamātuḥ samīpagam

Ishvara said: Then, O great Goddess, one should go to that great abode, Mankishvara, situated to the north of Rameshvara, near the mother of the gods.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.203.2)

अर्कस्थलात्ततो याम्ये पूर्वतश्च कृतस्मरात्। लिंगं महाप्रभावं तु मंकिना स्थापितं पुरा

arkasthalāttato yāmye pūrvataśca kṛtasmarāt| liṅgaṁ mahāprabhāvaṁ tu maṅkinā sthāpitaṁ purā

It is situated to the south of Arkasthala and to the east of Kritasmara; that linga of great power was established long ago by the sage Manki.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.203.3)

तं दृष्ट्वा मानवः सम्यगश्वमेधफलं लभेत्

taṁ dṛṣṭvā mānavaḥ samyagaśvamedhaphalaṁ labhet

By beholding it, a man duly obtains the fruit of the Ashvamedha sacrifice.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.203.4)

देव्युवाच। कोऽसौ मंकिर्महादेव कथं लिंगं प्रतिष्ठितम्। किं प्रभावं च तल्लिंगमेतन्मे वद विस्तरात्

devyuvāca| ko'sau maṅkirmahādeva kathaṁ liṅgaṁ pratiṣṭhitam| kiṁ prabhāvaṁ ca talliṅgametanme vada vistarāt

The Goddess said: O great god, who was that Manki? How was the linga established? What is the power of that linga? Tell me this in detail.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.203.5)

ईश्वर उवाच। मंकिर्नामाभवत्पूर्वं कुब्जकायो द्विजोत्तमः। प्रभासं क्षेत्रमासाद्य तपस्तेपे महत्तमम्

īśvara uvāca| maṅkirnāmābhavatpūrvaṁ kubjakāyo dvijottamaḥ| prabhāsaṁ kṣetramāsādya tapastepe mahattamam

Ishvara said: Long ago there lived a foremost Brahmin named Manki, hunchbacked in body; he went to the field of Prabhasa and performed the greatest austerity.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.203.6)

प्रतिष्ठाप्य महादेवं शिवभक्तिपरायणः। न तुतोष हरस्तस्य वहुवर्षगणार्चितः

pratiṣṭhāpya mahādevaṁ śivabhaktiparāyaṇaḥ| na tutoṣa harastasya vahuvarṣagaṇārcitaḥ

Devoted wholly to the worship of Shiva, he established Mahadeva there; yet though worshipped by him for many years, Hara remained unsatisfied.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.203.7)

तस्यैवं तप्यमानस्य सिद्धिं प्राप्ता ह्यनेकशः। तत्राराध्य महादेवं स्वर्गलोकमितो गताः

tasyaivaṁ tapyamānasya siddhiṁ prāptā hyanekaśaḥ| tatrārādhya mahādevaṁ svargalokamito gatāḥ

While he was thus engaged in austerity, many others too attained perfection there through worship of Mahadeva and departed from this world for the heavenly realm.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.203.8)

ततो दुःखं समभवन्मंकेस्तत्र वरानने। कस्मान्मे भगवांस्तुष्टिं न गच्छति महेश्वरः

tato duḥkhaṁ samabhavanmaṅkestatra varānane| kasmānme bhagavāṁstuṣṭiṁ na gacchati maheśvaraḥ

Then, O fair-faced one, Manki grew sorrowful there, thinking: 'Why does the lord Maheshvara not become pleased with me?'

Verse 9 (skanda.7.203.9)

ततस्तीव्ररतिं चक्रे कृत्वा तीव्रनिवर्तनम्। एवं वृद्धत्वमापन्नो जपध्यानपरायणः

tatastīvraratiṁ cakre kṛtvā tīvranivartanam| evaṁ vṛddhatvamāpanno japadhyānaparāyaṇaḥ

Then, with intense devotion, he withdrew completely from worldly affairs; thus, absorbed in recitation and meditation, he came to old age.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.203.10)

तस्य तुष्टो महादेवो वयसोऽन्ते वरं ददौ। परितुष्टोऽस्मि ते मंके ब्रूहि किं करवाणि ते

tasya tuṣṭo mahādevo vayaso'nte varaṁ dadau| parituṣṭo'smi te maṅke brūhi kiṁ karavāṇi te

At the end of his life, Mahadeva, pleased with him, granted him a boon: 'O Manki, I am well pleased with you; tell me, what shall I do for you?'

Verse 11 (skanda.7.203.11)

मंकिरुवाच। किं वरेण सुरश्रेष्ठ मम वृद्धस्य सांप्रतम्। किञ्चिन्मे परमं दुःखं स्थितस्यात्र परं प्रभो

maṅkiruvāca| kiṁ vareṇa suraśreṣṭha mama vṛddhasya sāṁpratam| kiñcinme paramaṁ duḥkhaṁ sthitasyātra paraṁ prabho

Manki said: O best of gods, what use is a boon now to me, grown old as I am? O Lord, there is one great sorrow that afflicts me here.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.203.12)

शिव उवाच। शृणु यत्कारणं तत्र तेषां तव तपस्विनाम्। व्रतचर्याप्तये विप्राः पूजयन्त्यधिकं हि ते

śiva uvāca| śṛṇu yatkāraṇaṁ tatra teṣāṁ tava tapasvinām| vratacaryāptaye viprāḥ pūjayantyadhikaṁ hi te

Shiva said: Listen to the reason for this — those other ascetic Brahmins, for the fulfillment of their vows and observances, worship me with greater abundance.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.203.13)

ते पुष्पाणि समानीय नानावर्णानि सर्वशः। वृक्षाणामतिगंधीनि न तेषां हर्षकारणम्

te puṣpāṇi samānīya nānāvarṇāni sarvaśaḥ| vṛkṣāṇāmatigaṁdhīni na teṣāṁ harṣakāraṇam

They gather flowers of every hue from the trees, most fragrant — not for their own delight, but as an offering to me.

Verse 14 (skanda.7.203.14)

त्वं पुनः कुब्जरूपश्च यज्ञपूजापरायणः। न च प्राप्नोषि वृक्षाणां शाखाग्राण्यतियत्नवान्

tvaṁ punaḥ kubjarūpaśca yajñapūjāparāyaṇaḥ| na ca prāpnoṣi vṛkṣāṇāṁ śākhāgrāṇyatiyatnavān

But you, being hunchbacked, though devoted wholly to sacrifice and worship, cannot reach the topmost branches of the trees, however hard you strive.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.203.15)

एकेनापि प्रदत्तेन पुष्पेण द्विजसत्तम। भक्त्या शिरसि लिंगस्य लभ्यते याज्ञिकं फलम्

ekenāpi pradattena puṣpeṇa dvijasattama| bhaktyā śirasi liṅgasya labhyate yājñikaṁ phalam

O foremost of the twice-born, even a single flower, offered with devotion upon the head of the linga, obtains the fruit of a full sacrifice.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.203.16)

लिंगस्य दक्षिणे ब्रह्मा स्वयमेव व्यवस्थितः। वामे च भगवान्विष्णुर्मध्येहं वै प्रतिष्ठितः

liṅgasya dakṣiṇe brahmā svayameva vyavasthitaḥ| vāme ca bhagavānviṣṇurmadhyehaṁ vai pratiṣṭhitaḥ

On the right side of the linga Brahma himself abides, on the left the lord Vishnu, and in the middle I myself am established.

Verse 17 (skanda.7.203.17)

त्रयोऽपि पूजितास्तेन येन लिंगं प्रपूजितम्

trayo'pi pūjitāstena yena liṅgaṁ prapūjitam

Whoever has worshipped that linga has thereby worshipped all three of us.

Verse 18 (skanda.7.203.18)

बिल्वपत्रं शमीपत्रं करवीरं च मालतीम्। उन्मत्तकं चम्पकं च सद्यः प्रीतिकरं भवेत्

bilvapatraṁ śamīpatraṁ karavīraṁ ca mālatīm| unmattakaṁ campakaṁ ca sadyaḥ prītikaraṁ bhavet

Bilva leaves, Shami leaves, oleander, jasmine, thorn-apple, and champaka flowers — these at once bring me delight.

Verse 19 (skanda.7.203.19)

चंपकाशोककह्लारैः करवीरैस्तथा मम। पूजेष्टा द्विजशार्दूल ये चान्ये वहुगंधिनः। एतैर्हि पूजितो नित्यं शीघ्रं तुष्टिं प्रयाम्यहम्

campakāśokakahlāraiḥ karavīraistathā mama| pūjeṣṭā dvijaśārdūla ye cānye vahugaṁdhinaḥ| etairhi pūjito nityaṁ śīghraṁ tuṣṭiṁ prayāmyaham

O tiger among the twice-born, worship with champaka, ashoka, red water-lily, oleander, and other fragrant flowers is dear to me; worshipped daily with these, I am quickly pleased.

Verse 20 (skanda.7.203.20)

ब्राह्मण उवाच। यदि तुष्टोऽसि मे देव यदि देयो वरो मम। इहागत्य नरः स्नात्वा यो जलेनापि सिञ्चति

brāhmaṇa uvāca| yadi tuṣṭo'si me deva yadi deyo varo mama| ihāgatya naraḥ snātvā yo jalenāpi siñcati

The Brahmin said: O Lord, if you are pleased with me and wish to grant me a boon, then let whatever man comes here, bathes, and sprinkles even mere water upon the linga —

Verse 21 (skanda.7.203.21)

लिंगमेतद्धि सर्वासां पूजानां फलमाप्नुयात्। अद्यप्रभृति ये वृक्षा दैविकाः पार्थिवाश्च ये। तेषां सान्निध्यमत्रास्तु प्रसादात्तव शंकर

liṅgametaddhi sarvāsāṁ pūjānāṁ phalamāpnuyāt| adyaprabhṛti ye vṛkṣā daivikāḥ pārthivāśca ye| teṣāṁ sānnidhyamatrāstu prasādāttava śaṅkara

—obtain by this the fruit of every kind of worship. And, O Shankara, by your grace, from this day forward, let the presence of every kind of tree, divine and earthly, be established here.

Verse 22 (skanda.7.203.22)

भगवानुवाच। सलिलेनापि यः पूजामस्मिँल्लिंगे विधास्यति। तस्य पूजाफलं सर्वं भविष्यति द्विजोत्तम

bhagavānuvāca| salilenāpi yaḥ pūjāmasmilliṅge vidhāsyati| tasya pūjāphalaṁ sarvaṁ bhaviṣyati dvijottama

The Lord said: O foremost of the twice-born, whoever worships this linga even with water alone shall obtain the full fruit of every kind of worship.

Verse 23 (skanda.7.203.23)

वृक्षाणामत्रसान्निध्यं सर्वेषां च भविष्यति। अद्यप्रभृति नाम्नैतन्नागस्थानं भविष्यति

vṛkṣāṇāmatrasānnidhyaṁ sarveṣāṁ ca bhaviṣyati| adyaprabhṛti nāmnaitannāgasthānaṁ bhaviṣyati

Here the presence of all trees shall abide. From this day forward, this place shall be known by the name Naga-sthana.

Verse 24 (skanda.7.203.24)

यतस्तु सर्वनागानां सांनिध्यमत्र संस्थितम्। त्वमपि द्विजशार्दूल प्रयास्यसि ममान्तिकम्

yatastu sarvanāgānāṁ sānnidhyamatra saṁsthitam| tvamapi dvijaśārdūla prayāsyasi mamāntikam

For here shall abide the presence of all the serpent-lords. And you too, O tiger among the twice-born, shall now go to be near me.

Verse 25 (skanda.7.203.25)

एवमुक्त्वा तु भगवांस्तत्रैवान्तरधीयत। मंकिस्तु देहमुत्सज्य शिवलोकं ततो गतः

evamuktvā tu bhagavāṁstatraivāntaradhīyata| maṅkistu dehamutsajya śivalokaṁ tato gataḥ

Having said this, the Lord vanished from that very place; and Manki, giving up his body, thereupon departed for the world of Shiva.

Verse 26 (skanda.7.203.26)

इत्येवं कथितं देवि मंकीशोद्भवमुत्तमम्। श्रुतं हरति पापानि सम्यक्छ्रद्धासमन्वितैः

ityevaṁ kathitaṁ devi maṅkīśodbhavamuttamam| śrutaṁ harati pāpāni samyakśraddhāsamanvitaiḥ

Thus, O Goddess, has this excellent account of the origin of Mankishvara been related; when duly heard by those endowed with faith, it takes away their sins.