The Glory of Rinamochana (The Debt-Releaser)

Verse 1 (skanda.7.221.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि देवं च ऋणमोचनम्। तस्मिन्दृष्टे ऋणं न स्यान्मातापितृसमुद्भवम्

īśvara uvāca| tato gacchenmahādevi devaṁ ca ṛṇamocanam| tasmindṛṣṭe ṛṇaṁ na syānmātāpitṛsamudbhavam

Ishvara said: Then, O great Goddess, one should proceed to the god Rinamochana ('Debt-releaser'); by beholding him, the debt owed to one's mother and father ceases to remain.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.221.2)

पितरस्तु पुरा सर्वे दिव्यक्षेत्रं समागताः। प्रभासे तपसा युक्ताः स्थिता वर्षगणान्बहून्

pitarastu purā sarve divyakṣetraṁ samāgatāḥ| prabhāse tapasā yuktāḥ sthitā varṣagaṇānbahūn

Long ago, all the ancestors came to this divine field and, engaged in austerity, dwelt at Prabhasa for many long years.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.221.3)

अग्निष्वात्ता बर्हिषदः सोमपा आज्यपास्तथा। लिंगं संस्थापयामासुः सर्वे भक्तिपरायणाः

agniṣvāttā barhiṣadaḥ somapā ājyapāstathā| liṅgaṁ saṁsthāpayāmāsuḥ sarve bhaktiparāyaṇāḥ

The Agnishvattas, the Barhishads, the Somapas, and the Ajyapas — all these classes of ancestors, devoted with faith, established the linga.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.221.4)

ततः कालेन महता तुष्टस्तेषां महेश्वरः। ततः प्रत्यक्षतां गत्वा वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह

tataḥ kālena mahatā tuṣṭasteṣāṁ maheśvaraḥ| tataḥ pratyakṣatāṁ gatvā vākyametaduvāca ha

Then, after a great span of time, Maheshvara became pleased with them; manifesting visibly before them, he spoke these words.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.221.5)

परितुष्टोऽस्मि भद्रं वो ब्रूत यन्मनसेप्सितम्

parituṣṭo'smi bhadraṁ vo brūta yanmanasepsitam

I am fully satisfied; may good befall you. Tell me whatever is desired in your hearts.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.221.6)

पितर ऊचुः। अस्माकं दीयतां वृत्तिर्जगत्यस्मिन्स्वयं कृते। देवानां च ऋषीणां च मानुषाणां महीतले

pitara ūcuḥ| asmākaṁ dīyatāṁ vṛttirjagatyasminsvayaṁ kṛte| devānāṁ ca ṛṣīṇāṁ ca mānuṣāṇāṁ mahītale

The ancestors said: In this world created by yourself, let our sustenance be established, among the gods, the sages, and men, here on the surface of the earth.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.221.7)

भवानेव परो लोके सर्वेषां पद्मसंभव। आगत्य वर्णाश्चत्वार इह ये श्रद्धयान्विताः

bhavāneva paro loke sarveṣāṁ padmasaṁbhava| āgatya varṇāścatvāra iha ye śraddhayānvitāḥ

You alone are supreme in this world for all beings, O lotus-born one; whoever among the four varnas comes here, filled with faith,

Verse 8 (skanda.7.221.8)

पैतृकात्तु ऋणान्मुक्ता भवंतु गतकल्मषाः। व्यन्तरत्वं सुरश्रेष्ठ येषां वै पितरो गताः

paitṛkāttu ṛṇānmuktā bhavaṁtu gatakalmaṣāḥ| vyantaratvaṁ suraśreṣṭha yeṣāṁ vai pitaro gatāḥ

may they be freed from the ancestral debt and cleansed of sin. O foremost of gods, those whose ancestors have fallen into the state of vyantara spirits,

Verse 9 (skanda.7.221.9)

सर्प्पे वह्नि विषैर्वा ये नाशं नीताः पितामहाः। अपुत्रा वा सपुत्रा वा सपिण्डीकरणं विना

sarppe vahni viṣairvā ye nāśaṁ nītāḥ pitāmahāḥ| aputrā vā saputrā vā sapiṇḍīkaraṇaṁ vinā

whatever forefathers met their end by serpent, fire, or poison, whether childless or having sons, yet left without the rite of sapindikarana,

Verse 10 (skanda.7.221.10)

न कृतानि पुरा येषामेकोद्दिष्टानि षोडश। तथा नैव वृषोत्सर्गो गोहताश्चाथ चान्त्यजैः

na kṛtāni purā yeṣāmekoddiṣṭāni ṣoḍaśa| tathā naiva vṛṣotsargo gohatāścātha cāntyajaiḥ

those for whom the sixteen ekoddishta shraddhas were never previously performed, for whom the release of a bull was never done, and those slain by a cow or by outcastes,

Verse 11 (skanda.7.221.11)

अथापरे ये च मृताः शौचेन तु विना कृताः। ते चात्र तर्पिताः सर्वे प्रयान्तु परमां गतिम्

athāpare ye ca mṛtāḥ śaucena tu vinā kṛtāḥ| te cātra tarpitāḥ sarve prayāntu paramāṁ gatim

and whatever others who died and had their final rites performed without due purification — may all of them, satisfied here through this offering, attain the supreme destination.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.221.12)

श्रीभगवानुवाच। स्नात्वा तु सलिले पुण्ये पितृणां चैव तर्पणम्। ये करिष्यंति मनुजाः पितृभक्तिपरायणाः

śrībhagavānuvāca| snātvā tu salile puṇye pitṛṇāṁ caiva tarpaṇam| ye kariṣyaṁti manujāḥ pitṛbhaktiparāyaṇāḥ

The Blessed Lord said: Whatever men, devoted to filial piety, shall bathe in this sacred water and offer libations to their ancestors,

Verse 13 (skanda.7.221.13)

अहं वरप्रदस्तेषां तारयिष्यामि तत्क्षणात्। पितृन्सर्वान्न संदेहो यदि पापशतैर्वृताः

ahaṁ varapradasteṣāṁ tārayiṣyāmi tatkṣaṇāt| pitṛnsarvānna saṁdeho yadi pāpaśatairvṛtāḥ

I, the granter of boons, shall at that very instant deliver all their ancestors, even if they are surrounded by hundreds of sins — of this there is no doubt.

Verse 14 (skanda.7.221.14)

अस्मिंस्तीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा यो लिंगं पूजयिष्यति। युष्माभिः स्थापितं लिंगं स मुक्तः पैतृकादृणात्

asmiṁstīrthe naraḥ snātvā yo liṅgaṁ pūjayiṣyati| yuṣmābhiḥ sthāpitaṁ liṅgaṁ sa muktaḥ paitṛkādṛṇāt

Whatever man bathes at this tirtha and worships this linga, established by you, shall be freed from the debt owed to his ancestors.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.221.15)

यस्मादृणात्प्रमुच्येत अस्य लिंगस्य दर्शनात्। तस्मान्मया कृतं नाम ह्येतस्य ऋणमोचनम्

yasmādṛṇātpramucyeta asya liṅgasya darśanāt| tasmānmayā kṛtaṁ nāma hyetasya ṛṇamocanam

Since a man is freed from debt merely by the sight of this linga, I have therefore given it the name Rinamochana.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.221.16)

ईश्वर उवाच। हिरण्यं मस्तके दत्त्वा यः स्नाति ऋणमोचने। आत्मा वै तारितस्तेन दत्तं भवति गोशतम्

īśvara uvāca| hiraṇyaṁ mastake dattvā yaḥ snāti ṛṇamocane| ātmā vai tāritastena dattaṁ bhavati gośatam

Ishvara said: Whoever places gold upon his head and bathes at Rinamochana is himself delivered, and it becomes for him as if a hundred cows had been given in gift.

Verse 17 (skanda.7.221.17)

एवमुक्त्वा स भगवांस्तत्रैवान्तरधीयत। तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन तत्र श्राद्धं समाचरेत्। पूजयेत्तन्महादेवि पितृलिंगं सुरप्रियम्

evamuktvā sa bhagavāṁstatraivāntaradhīyata| tasmātsarvaprayatnena tatra śrāddhaṁ samācaret| pūjayettanmahādevi pitṛliṅgaṁ surapriyam

Having said this, the Blessed Lord vanished there at once. Therefore, one should by every effort perform shraddha there, and, O great Goddess, should worship that ancestral linga, beloved of the gods.