The Greatness of Gangeshvara

Verse 1 (skanda.7.250.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि लिंगं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम्। गंगेश्वरेति विख्यातं संगमेश्वरपश्चिमे

īśvara uvāca| tato gacchenmahādevi liṅgaṁ trailokyaviśrutam| gaṅgeśvareti vikhyātaṁ saṁgameśvarapaścime

Ishvara said: O Mahadevi, next one should go to that linga renowned throughout the three worlds, known by the name Gangeshvara, situated to the west of Sangameshvara.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.250.2)

यदा गंगा समाहूता विष्णुना प्रभविष्णुना। अन्तकालेऽभिषेकार्थं स्वकायस्य वरानने

yadā gaṅgā samāhūtā viṣṇunā prabhaviṣṇunā| antakāle'bhiṣekārthaṁ svakāyasya varānane

O fair one, when the almighty Vishnu summoned the Ganga, at the time of his passing, to consecrate his own body —

Verse 3 (skanda.7.250.3)

ततो दृष्ट्वा तु तत्क्षेत्रं पुण्यं ह्यृषिनिषेवितम्। सर्वत्र व्यापितं लिंगैराश्रमैश्च तपस्विनाम्

tato dṛṣṭvā tu tatkṣetraṁ puṇyaṁ hyṛṣiniṣevitam| sarvatra vyāpitaṁ liṅgairāśramaiśca tapasvinām

—then, beholding that sacred field, frequented by sages and everywhere filled with lingas and the hermitages of ascetics —

Verse 4 (skanda.7.250.4)

ततो गंगासरिच्छ्रेष्ठा पूर्वसागरगामिनी। स्थापयामास तल्लिंगं शिवभक्तिपरायणा

tato gaṅgāsariccheṣṭhā pūrvasāgaragāminī| sthāpayāmāsa talliṅgaṁ śivabhaktiparāyaṇā

—Ganga, the foremost of rivers, flowing towards the eastern ocean, wholly devoted to Shiva, established that linga there.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.250.5)

तं दृष्ट्वा तु वरारोहे गंगास्नानफलं लभेत्। अश्वमेधसहस्रस्य फलं प्राप्नोति मानवः

taṁ dṛṣṭvā tu varārohe gaṅgāsnānaphalaṁ labhet| aśvamedhasahasrasya phalaṁ prāpnoti mānavaḥ

O fair-hipped one, by beholding it one obtains the fruit of bathing in the Ganga; a man attains the merit of a thousand Ashvamedha sacrifices.