The Greatness of the River Pinga

Verse 1 (skanda.7.246.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि पिंगलीं पापनाशिनीम्। ऋषितीर्थात्पश्चिमतो नदीं सागरगामिनीम्

īśvara uvāca| tato gacchenmahādevi piṁgalīṁ pāpanāśinīm| ṛṣitīrthātpaścimato nadīṁ sāgaragāminīm

Ishvara said: O Mahadevi, next one should go to the river Pingali, the destroyer of sin, which flows to the ocean and lies to the west of Rishitirtha.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.246.2)

तस्याः संदर्शनाद्देवि रूपवाञ्जायते नरः। पुरा महर्षयः प्राप्ताः सोमेश्वरदिदृक्षया

tasyāḥ saṁdarśanāddevi rūpavāñjāyate naraḥ| purā maharṣayaḥ prāptāḥ someśvaradidṛkṣayā

O Devi, merely by beholding it a man becomes endowed with beauty of form. Long ago, great sages arrived here desiring to behold Someshvara.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.246.3)

प्रभासं क्षेत्रमासाद्य नदीतीरे व्यवस्थिताः। दाक्षिणात्या महादेवि कृष्णवर्णा विरूपकाः

prabhāsaṁ kṣetramāsādya nadītīre vyavasthitāḥ| dākṣiṇātyā mahādevi kṛṣṇavarṇā virūpakāḥ

Having reached the field of Prabhasa, they settled on the riverbank; O Mahadevi, they were natives of the southern land, dark-complexioned and ill-favoured in form.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.246.4)

तत्राश्रमवरे स्नात्वा पश्यन्तो रूपमात्मनः। कामेन सदृशं सर्वे विस्मयं परमं गताः

tatrāśramavare snātvā paśyanto rūpamātmanaḥ| kāmena sadṛśaṁ sarve vismayaṁ paramaṁ gatāḥ

Having bathed at that excellent hermitage, and beholding their own reflected forms, they all were struck with the greatest wonder to find themselves as handsome as the god of love.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.246.5)

ततस्ते सहिताः सर्वे विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचनाः। अत्र स्नाता वयं सर्वे यतः पिंगत्वमागताः। अतः प्रभृति नामास्यास्ततः पिंगा भविष्यति

tataste sahitāḥ sarve vismayotphullalocanāḥ| atra snātā vayaṁ sarve yataḥ piṁgatvamāgatāḥ| ataḥ prabhṛti nāmāsyāstataḥ piṅgā bhaviṣyati

Then, all of them together, their eyes wide with astonishment, declared: 'We have all bathed here, and through this we have gained a golden fairness. Therefore, from this day, this river's name shall be Pinga.'

Verse 6 (skanda.7.246.6)

येत्र स्नानं करिष्यन्ति भक्त्या परमया युताः। न तेषामन्वये कश्चिद्भविष्यति कुरूपवान्

yetra snānaṁ kariṣyanti bhaktyā paramayā yutāḥ| na teṣāmanvaye kaścidbhaviṣyati kurūpavān

Those who bathe here with the utmost devotion shall never have anyone ill-favoured born in their lineage.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.246.7)

दर्शनात्पितृमेधस्य लप्स्यते मानवः फलम्। स्नानेन द्विगुणं पुण्यं तर्पणेन चतुर्गुणम्

darśanātpitṛmedhasya lapsyate mānavaḥ phalam| snānena dviguṇaṁ puṇyaṁ tarpaṇena caturguṇam

By merely beholding it, a man obtains the fruit of a sacrifice offered to the ancestors; by bathing, twice that merit; and by offering tarpana, four times that merit.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.246.8)

असंख्यातं फलं तस्य योऽत्र श्राद्धं करिष्यति। एवमुक्त्वा ततः सर्व ऋषयो वरवर्णिनि

asaṁkhyātaṁ phalaṁ tasya yo'tra śrāddhaṁ kariṣyati| evamuktvā tataḥ sarva ṛṣayo varavarṇini

Whoever performs a shraddha here obtains innumerable merit. Having said this, O fair one, all those sages —

Verse 9 (skanda.7.246.9)

व्यभजंस्तन्नदीतीरं सर्वे ते मुनिसत्तमाः। यज्ञोपवीतमात्राणि चक्रुस्तीर्थानि सर्वतः

vyabhajaṁstannadītīraṁ sarve te munisattamāḥ| yajñopavītamātrāṇi cakrustīrthāni sarvataḥ

Those foremost sages divided the riverbank amongst themselves, and everywhere marked out tirthas each spanning only the length of a sacred thread.