The Glory of Dashashvamedha

Verse 1 (skanda.7.234.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम्। दशाश्वमेधिकंनाम महापातकनाशनम्

īśvara uvāca| tato gacchenmahādevi tīrthaṁ trailokyaviśrutam| daśāśvamedhikaṁnāma mahāpātakanāśanam

Ishvara said: Then, O great Goddess, one should go to the tirtha renowned throughout the three worlds, named Dashashvamedhika, the destroyer of great sin.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.234.2)

वाजिमेधः पुरा चेष्टं दशभिस्तत्र भामिनि। भरतेन समागत्य मत्वा क्षेत्रमनुत्तमम्

vājimedhaḥ purā ceṣṭaṁ daśabhistatra bhāmini| bharatena samāgatya matvā kṣetramanuttamam

Formerly, O lovely one, Bharata came there and, recognizing the field as supreme, performed ten horse-sacrifices.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.234.3)

तत्र तृप्तः सहस्राक्षः सोमनाथेन भामिनि। कृपणाः खानपानैश्च दक्षिणाभिर्द्विजातयः

tatra tṛptaḥ sahasrākṣaḥ somanāthena bhāmini| kṛpaṇāḥ khānapānaiśca dakṣiṇābhirdvijātayaḥ

There, O lovely one, the thousand-eyed Indra was satisfied through Somanatha; and the poor were satisfied with food and drink, and the twice-born with sacrificial fees.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.234.4)

अथोचुस्त्रिदशाः सर्वे सुप्रीता भरतं नृपम्। तुष्टास्तव महाबाहो यज्ञैः संतर्पिता वयम्

athocustridaśāḥ sarve suprītā bharataṁ nṛpam| tuṣṭāstava mahābāho yajñaiḥ saṁtarpitā vayam

Then all the gods, greatly pleased, said to King Bharata: 'We are satisfied and gratified, O mighty-armed one, by your sacrifices.'

Verse 5 (skanda.7.234.5)

वरं वृणीष्व राजेंद्र यत्ते मनसि वर्त्तते

varaṁ vṛṇīṣva rājeṁdra yatte manasi varttate

'Choose a boon, O lord of kings, whatever is in your mind.'

Verse 6 (skanda.7.234.6)

राजोवाच। अत्रागत्य नरो भक्त्या यः स्नानं कुरुते नरः। दशानामश्वमेधानां स प्राप्नोतु फलं शुभम्

rājovāca| atrāgatya naro bhaktyā yaḥ snānaṁ kurute naraḥ| daśānāmaśvamedhānāṁ sa prāpnotu phalaṁ śubham

The king said: 'Whatever man comes here and bathes with devotion, may he obtain the auspicious fruit of ten horse-sacrifices.'

Verse 7 (skanda.7.234.7)

देवा ऊचुः। दशानामश्वमेधानां श्रद्धया फलमाप्स्यति। दशाश्वमेधिकंनाम तीर्थमेतन्महीतले

devā ūcuḥ| daśānāmaśvamedhānāṁ śraddhayā phalamāpsyati| daśāśvamedhikaṁnāma tīrthametanmahītale

The gods said: 'Through faith he shall obtain the fruit of ten horse-sacrifices. This tirtha on earth shall bear the name Dashashvamedhika.'

Verse 8 (skanda.7.234.8)

ख्यातिं यास्यति राजेंद्र नात्र कार्या विचारणा

khyātiṁ yāsyati rājeṁdra nātra kāryā vicāraṇā

'It shall attain renown, O lord of kings; no doubt need be entertained about this.'

Verse 9 (skanda.7.234.9)

ईश्वर उवाच। ततः प्रभृति तत्तीर्थं प्रख्यातं धरणीतले। दशाश्वमेधिकमिति सर्वपापप्रणाशनम्

īśvara uvāca| tataḥ prabhṛti tattīrthaṁ prakhyātaṁ dharaṇītale| daśāśvamedhikamiti sarvapāpapraṇāśanam

Ishvara said: From then on, that tirtha became renowned on earth as Dashashvamedhika, the destroyer of all sin.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.234.10)

ऐंद्रवारुणमाश्रित्य गोमुखादाऽऽश्वमेधिकम्। अत्रांतरे महादेवि शिवक्षेत्रं विदुर्बुधाः

aiṁdravāruṇamāśritya gomukhādā''śvamedhikam| atrāṁtare mahādevi śivakṣetraṁ vidurbudhāḥ

Extending from Aindra-Varuna by way of Gomukha to the Ashvamedhika tirtha—within this space, O great Goddess, the wise know it as the field of Shiva.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.234.11)

सर्वपापहरं दिव्यं स्वर्गसोपानसंनिभम्। सपादकोटितीर्थानां स्थानं तत्परिकीर्तितम

sarvapāpaharaṁ divyaṁ svargasopānasaṁnibham| sapādakoṭitīrthānāṁ sthānaṁ tatparikīrtitama

It is divine, the remover of all sin, resembling the very stairway to heaven; it is proclaimed as the abode of one and a quarter crore tirthas.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.234.12)

प्राणत्यागे कृते तत्र शिवलोके च मोदते। तिर्यग्योनिगताः पापा कीटपक्षिमृगादयः

prāṇatyāge kṛte tatra śivaloke ca modate| tiryagyonigatāḥ pāpā kīṭapakṣimṛgādayaḥ

If one relinquishes the breath of life there, one rejoices in the world of Shiva. Even sinful beings born into animal wombs — insects, birds, beasts, and the like —

Verse 13 (skanda.7.234.13)

तेऽपि यांति परं स्थानं यत्र देवो महेश्वरः। तिलोदकप्रदानेन मातृकाः पैतृकास्तथा

te'pi yāṁti paraṁ sthānaṁ yatra devo maheśvaraḥ| tilodakapradānena mātṛkāḥ paitṛkāstathā

—they too go to that supreme abode where the god Maheshvara dwells. By the offering of sesame and water, the ancestors of both the maternal and paternal lines

Verse 14 (skanda.7.234.14)

पितरस्तस्य तृप्यंति यावदाभूतसंप्लवम्। तत्रेष्टा ब्रह्मणा पूर्वमसंख्याता मखोत्तमाः

pitarastasya tṛpyaṁti yāvadābhūtasaṁplavam| tatreṣṭā brahmaṇā pūrvamasaṁkhyātā makhottamāḥ

remain satisfied until the dissolution of all beings. There, in former times, Brahma performed countless excellent sacrifices.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.234.15)

शक्रश्च देवराजत्वे तत्रेष्ट्वा समवाप्तवान्। कार्त्तवीर्येण तत्रैव कृतं यज्ञशतं पुरा

śakraśca devarājatve tatreṣṭvā samavāptavān| kārttavīryeṇa tatraiva kṛtaṁ yajñaśataṁ purā

Shakra too, by sacrificing there, obtained the sovereignty of the gods. There, in former times, Kartavirya likewise performed a hundred sacrifices.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.234.16)

एवं तत्प्रवरं स्थानं क्षेत्रगर्भांतिकं प्रिये। मृतानां तत्र जंतूनामपुनर्भवदायकम्

evaṁ tatpravaraṁ sthānaṁ kṣetragarbhāṁtikaṁ priye| mṛtānāṁ tatra jaṁtūnāmapunarbhavadāyakam

Thus, O beloved, that excellent place, near the very womb of the field, bestows freedom from rebirth upon creatures who die there.

Verse 17 (skanda.7.234.17)

वृषोत्सर्गं तु यस्तत्र कुर्याद्वै भावितात्मवान्। यावंति वृषरोमाणि तावत्स्वर्गे महीयते

vṛṣotsargaṁ tu yastatra kuryādvai bhāvitātmavān| yāvaṁti vṛṣaromāṇi tāvatsvarge mahīyate

He whose soul is purified, who performs there the release of a bull, is glorified in heaven for as many years as there are hairs upon that bull.