The Glory of Tritakupa

Verse 1 (skanda.7.257.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि त्रितकूपमिति स्मृतम्। नन्दादित्यस्य पूर्वेण योजनत्रितयेन तु॥

īśvara uvāca| tato gacchet mahādevi tritakūpam iti smṛtam| nandādityasya pūrveṇa yojanatritayena tu||

Ishvara said: Thereafter, O Mahadevi, one should go to the tirtha known as Tritakupa, situated three yojanas to the east of Nandaditya.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.257.2)

पुरा बभूव राजेन्द्रः सौराष्ट्रविषये सुधीः। आत्रेय इति विख्यातो वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः॥

purā babhūva rājendraḥ saurāṣṭraviṣaye sudhīḥ| ātreya iti vikhyāto vedavedāṅgapāragaḥ||

Long ago, in the Saurashtra region, there lived a wise king named Atreya, learned to the fullest extent in the Vedas and Vedangas.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.257.3)

तस्य पुत्रत्रयं जज्ञे ऋतुकालाभिगामिनः। एकतश्च द्वितश्चैव त्रितश्चैवेति भामिनि॥

tasya putratrayaṁ jajñe ṛtukālābhigāminaḥ| ekataśca dvitaścaiva tritaścaiveti bhāmini||

O fair lady, to him, who approached his wife only during the fertile season, three sons were born — Ekata, Dvita, and Trita.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.257.4)

त्रितस्तेषां कनिष्ठोऽभूद्वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः। सर्वैरेव गुणैर्युक्तो मूर्खो ज्येष्ठौ बभूवतुः॥

tritasteṣāṁ kaniṣṭho'bhūd vedavedāṅgapāragaḥ| sarvaireva guṇairyukto mūrkho jyeṣṭhau babhūvatuḥ||

Among them, Trita was the youngest, yet he was proficient in the Vedas and Vedangas and endowed with every virtue, while his two elder brothers were foolish.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.257.5)

कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य आत्रेयो द्विजसत्तमः। तपः कृत्वा तु विपुलं कालधर्ममुपेयिवान्॥

kasyacittvatha kālasya ātreyo dvijasattamaḥ| tapaḥ kṛtvā tu vipulaṁ kāladharmam upeyivān||

After some time, that excellent brahmin-king Atreya, having performed extensive austerity, met his death.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.257.6)

ततस्तेषां त्रितो राजा बभूव गुणवत्तरः। धुरमाकर्षयामास पुत्रोऽयं तस्य या पुरा॥

tatasteṣāṁ trito rājā babhūva guṇavattaraḥ| dhuram ākarṣayāmāsa putro'yaṁ tasya yā purā||

Of them, Trita, being more virtuous, became king, and this son took up the burden that had once been his father's.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.257.7)

तस्य बुद्धिः समुत्पन्ना कथं यज्ञं करोम्यहम्। सन्निमन्त्र्य द्विजश्रेष्ठान्यज्ञकर्मस्वधिष्ठितान्॥

tasya buddhiḥ samutpannā kathaṁ yajñaṁ karomyaham| sannimantrya dvijaśreṣṭhān yajñakarmasvadhiṣṭhitān||

The thought arose in his mind: "How shall I perform a sacrifice, inviting the foremost brahmins skilled in the rites of sacrifice?"

Verse 8 (skanda.7.257.8)

इन्द्रादींश्च सुरान्सर्वानावाह्य विधिपूर्वकम्। दक्षिणार्थं द्विजेन्द्राणां प्रभासं स जगाम ह। गृहीत्वा भ्रातरौ ज्येष्ठौ गवार्थं प्रस्थितो द्विजः॥

indrādīṁśca surān sarvānāvāhya vidhipūrvakam| dakṣiṇārthaṁ dvijendrāṇāṁ prabhāsaṁ sa jagāma ha| gṛhītvā bhrātarau jyeṣṭhau gavārthaṁ prasthito dvijaḥ||

Having duly invoked Indra and all the other gods, that brahmin set out for Prabhasa, taking his two elder brothers along, in order to obtain cattle for the sacrificial gifts to the brahmins.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.257.9)

यस्य यस्य गृहे याति स त्रितो वेदपारगः। तत्र तत्र वरां पूजां लेभे गाश्चैव पुष्कलाः॥

yasya yasya gṛhe yāti sa trito vedapāragaḥ| tatra tatra varāṁ pūjāṁ lebhe gāścaiva puṣkalāḥ||

Wherever that Trita, learned in the Vedas, went, in each house he received excellent honor and abundant cattle.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.257.10)

एवं स गोधनं प्राप्य भ्रातृभ्यां सहितस्तदा। गृहाय प्रस्थितो देवि निर्वृतिं परमां गतः॥

evaṁ sa godhanaṁ prāpya bhrātṛbhyāṁ sahitastadā| gṛhāya prasthito devi nirvṛtiṁ paramāṁ gataḥ||

Having thus obtained a herd of cattle, he set out for home together with his two brothers, filled with supreme contentment.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.257.11)

त्रितस्ताभ्यां पुरो याति पृष्ठतो भ्रातरौ च तौ। गोधनं चालयंतस्ते प्रभासं क्षेत्रमागताः॥

tritastābhyāṁ puro yāti pṛṣṭhato bhrātarau ca tau| godhanaṁ cālayaṁtaste prabhāsaṁ kṣetramāgatāḥ||

Trita walked ahead of the two, while his two brothers followed behind, driving the cattle; in this way they arrived at the field of Prabhasa.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.257.12)

अथ तद्गोधनं दृष्ट्वा भूरि दानार्थमाहृतम्। भ्रातृभ्यां त्रितये चेति पापा मतिरजायत॥

atha tadgodhanaṁ dṛṣṭvā bhūri dānārthamāhṛtam| bhrātṛbhyāṁ tritaye ceti pāpā matirajāyata||

Seeing that abundant herd of cattle brought for the sake of the gift, a wicked thought arose in the minds of the two brothers concerning Trita.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.257.13)

परस्परमूचतुस्तौ भ्रातरौ दुष्टचेतसौ। त्रितो यज्ञेषु कुशलो वेदेषु कुशलस्तथा॥

parasparamūcatustau bhrātarau duṣṭacetasau| trito yajñeṣu kuśalo vedeṣu kuśalastathā||

Those two evil-minded brothers said to one another: "Trita is skilled in sacrifices and equally skilled in the Vedas."

Verse 14 (skanda.7.257.14)

मान्यः पूज्यश्च सर्वत्र आवां मूर्खौ निरर्थकौ। एतद्धि गोधनं सर्वं त्रितो दास्यति सन्मखे॥

mānyaḥ pūjyaśca sarvatra āvāṁ mūrkhau nirarthakau| etaddhi godhanaṁ sarvaṁ trito dāsyati sanmakhe||

"He is honored and worshipped everywhere, while we two are fools, of no account. All this cattle-wealth Trita will give away at his fine sacrifice."

Verse 15 (skanda.7.257.15)

अस्माकं पितृपर्यातो यदाप्तं तत्समं भवेत्। तस्मादत्रैव युक्तोऽस्य वधो वै त्रितयज्ञिनः॥

asmākaṁ pitṛparyāto yadāptaṁ tatsamaṁ bhavet| tasmādatraiva yukto'sya vadho vai tritayajñinaḥ||

"What has come down to us from our father should be counted equally ours; therefore it is fitting that this sacrificer Trita be killed right here."

Verse 16 (skanda.7.257.16)

एवं तौ निश्चयं कृत्वा प्रस्थितौ भ्रातरावुभौ। त्रितस्तु पुरतो याति निर्विकल्प ऋजुः सुधीः॥

evaṁ tau niścayaṁ kṛtvā prasthitau bhrātarāvubhau| tritastu purato yāti nirvikalpa ṛjuḥ sudhīḥ||

Having thus resolved, the two brothers went on. Trita, guileless, straightforward, and free of any suspicion, walked ahead.

Verse 17 (skanda.7.257.17)

अनु तत्र समुत्तस्थौ व्याघ्रो रौद्रतराकृतिः। व्यादितास्यो रवं देवि व्यनद्भैरवं ततः॥

anu tatra samuttasthau vyāghro raudratarākṛtiḥ| vyāditāsyo ravaṁ devi vyanadbhairavaṁ tataḥ||

Then a tiger of the most terrifying form rose up there. O Goddess, opening wide its jaws, it let out a fearsome roar.

Verse 18 (skanda.7.257.18)

तस्य शब्देन ता गावो नष्टा जग्मुर्दिशो दश। अन्धकूपो महांस्तत्र प्रदेशे दारुणोऽभवत्॥

tasya śabdena tā gāvo naṣṭā jagmurdiśo daśa| andhakūpo mahāṁstatra pradeśe dāruṇo'bhavat||

At its roar, the cattle, terrified, scattered and fled in the ten directions. In that place there was a great and dreadful blind well.

Verse 19 (skanda.7.257.19)

एकतो दारुणो व्याघ्रः कूपोऽन्यत्र सुदारुणः। दृष्ट्वा ते भ्रातरः सर्वे भयोद्विग्नाः प्रदुद्रुवुः॥

ekato dāruṇo vyāghraḥ kūpo'nyatra sudāruṇaḥ| dṛṣṭvā te bhrātaraḥ sarve bhayodvignāḥ pradudruvuḥ||

On one side was the fearsome tiger, on the other the terrible well. Seeing this, all the brothers, agitated with fear, fled in different directions.

Verse 20 (skanda.7.257.20)

अथ ते विषमं प्राप्य तटं कूपस्य भामिनि। स्थिता यावद्गतो व्याघ्रस्ततो गन्तुं मनो दधुः॥

atha te viṣamaṁ prāpya taṭaṁ kūpasya bhāmini| sthitā yāvadgato vyāghrastato gantuṁ mano dadhuḥ||

O fair lady, they then reached the perilous edge of the well and stood there. When the tiger had gone, they resolved to move on from that place.

Verse 21 (skanda.7.257.21)

अथ ताभ्यां त्रितो देवि भ्रातृभ्यां नृपसत्तम। प्रक्षिप्तो दारुणे कूपे जीर्णे तोयविवर्जिते॥

atha tābhyāṁ trito devi bhrātṛbhyāṁ nṛpasattama| prakṣipto dāruṇe kūpe jīrṇe toyavivarjite||

O Goddess, O foremost of kings, then those two brothers hurled Trita into that dreadful, decrepit, waterless well.

Verse 22 (skanda.7.257.22)

ततस्तद्गोधनं गृह्य प्रस्थितौ हृष्टमानसौ। त्रितस्तु पतितस्तत्र कूपे जलविवर्जिते॥

tatastadgodhanaṁ gṛhya prasthitau hṛṣṭamānasau| tritastu patitastatra kūpe jalavivarjite||

Then, taking that herd of cattle, the two set off with cheerful hearts, while Trita lay fallen there in the waterless well.

Verse 23 (skanda.7.257.23)

चिन्तयामास मेधावी नाहं शोचामि जीवितुम्। मयाहूता द्विजश्रेष्ठा यज्ञार्थं वेदपारगाः। इन्द्राद्याश्च सुराः सर्वे स क्रतुः स्यान्न मे त्वतः॥

cintayāmāsa medhāvī nāhaṁ śocāmi jīvitum| mayāhūtā dvijaśreṣṭhā yajñārthaṁ vedapāragāḥ| indrādyāśca surāḥ sarve sa kratuḥ syānna me tvataḥ||

The wise Trita thought: "I do not grieve for my own life. But I have invited the foremost brahmins learned in the Vedas, and Indra and all the gods, for a sacrifice — and now that sacrifice will not be accomplished by me."

Verse 24 (skanda.7.257.24)

स एवं चिन्तयामास वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः। मानसं यज्ञमारभ्य तत्रैव वरवर्णिनि॥

sa evaṁ cintayāmāsa vedavedāṅgapāragaḥ| mānasaṁ yajñamārabhya tatraiva varavarṇini||

O fair-complexioned one, thinking thus, that man learned in the Vedas and Vedangas began a sacrifice performed mentally, right there.

Verse 25 (skanda.7.257.25)

स्वयमेव स सूक्तानि प्रोक्त्वा प्रोक्त्वा द्विजोत्तमः। कृतवान्बालुकाहोमं तेन तुष्टाश्च देवताः॥

svayameva sa sūktāni proktvā proktvā dvijottamaḥ| kṛtavānbālukāhomaṁ tena tuṣṭāśca devatāḥ||

That best of brahmins, himself reciting the sacred hymns again and again, performed an oblation of sand, by which the gods became pleased.

Verse 26 (skanda.7.257.26)

श्रद्धां तस्य विदित्वा तु भूयस्तृप्तास्तु देवताः। आगत्य ब्राह्मणं प्रोचुः कूपमध्ये व्यवस्थितम्॥

śraddhāṁ tasya viditvā tu bhūyastṛptāstu devatāḥ| āgatya brāhmaṇaṁ procuḥ kūpamadhye vyavasthitam||

Recognizing his devotion, the gods became thoroughly satisfied, and, approaching the brahmin who stood in the midst of the well, they said —

Verse 27 (skanda.7.257.27)

देवा ऊचुः। भोभो विप्र त्वया नूनं सर्वे संतर्पिता वयम्। मानसेन तु यज्ञेन तस्माद्ब्रूहि मनोगतम्॥

devā ūcuḥ| bhobho vipra tvayā nūnaṁ sarve saṁtarpitā vayam| mānasena tu yajñena tasmādbrūhi manogatam||

The gods said: "O brahmin, by this mental sacrifice of yours we have all indeed been satisfied. So tell us what is in your heart."

Verse 28 (skanda.7.257.28)

ब्राह्मण उवाच। यदि देवाः प्रसन्ना मे कूपान्निष्क्रमणे त्वहम्। यष्टा स्वं मन्दिरं गत्वा देवयज्ञं करोम्यहम्॥

brāhmaṇa uvāca| yadi devāḥ prasannā me kūpānniṣkramaṇe tvaham| yaṣṭā svaṁ mandiraṁ gatvā devayajñaṁ karomyaham||

The brahmin said: "If you gods are pleased with me, then let me come out of this well, so that, returning to my own abode, I may perform the sacrifice to the gods."

Verse 29 (skanda.7.257.29)

ईश्वर उवाच। अथ देवैः समादिष्टा तस्मिन्कूपे सरस्वती। निर्गत्य वसुधां भित्त्वा पूरयामास वारिणा॥

īśvara uvāca| atha devaiḥ samādiṣṭā tasminkūpe sarasvatī| nirgatya vasudhāṁ bhittvā pūrayāmāsa vāriṇā||

Ishvara said: Then, commanded by the gods, the river Sarasvati burst forth into that well, splitting the earth, and filled it with water.

Verse 30 (skanda.7.257.30)

अथ निष्क्रम्य विप्रोऽसौ यातः स्वभवनं प्रति। ततः प्रभृति देवेशि त्रितकूपः स उच्यते॥

atha niṣkramya vipro'sau yātaḥ svabhavanaṁ prati| tataḥ prabhṛti deveśi tritakūpaḥ sa ucyate||

Then that brahmin, having come out, departed for his own home. O Goddess of gods, from that time on, that well is called Tritakupa.

Verse 31 (skanda.7.257.31)

स्नात्वा तत्र शुचिर्भूत्वा त्वथ संतर्पयेत्पितॄन्। अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति सर्वपापविवर्जितः॥

snātvā tatra śucirbhūtvā tvatha saṁtarpayetpitṝn| aśvamedhamavāpnoti sarvapāpavivarjitaḥ||

One who bathes there, becomes pure, and offers libations to the ancestors, obtains the fruit of the Ashvamedha sacrifice, freed from all sins.

Verse 32 (skanda.7.257.32)

तिलदानं तु देवेशि तत्र शस्तं सकाञ्चनम्। पितॄणां वल्लभं तीर्थं नित्यं चैव तु भामिनि॥

tiladānaṁ tu deveśi tatra śastaṁ sakāñcanam| pitṝṇāṁ vallabhaṁ tīrthaṁ nityaṁ caiva tu bhāmini||

O Goddess of gods, O fair one, the gift of sesame together with gold is especially praised there. This tirtha is forever dear to the ancestors.

Verse 33 (skanda.7.257.33)

अग्निष्वात्ता बर्हिषद आयन्तुन इति स्मृताः। ये दिव्याः पितरो देवि तेषां सांनिध्यमत्र हि॥

agniṣvāttā barhiṣada āyantuna iti smṛtāḥ| ye divyāḥ pitaro devi teṣāṁ sānnidhyamatra hi||

The divine ancestors known as Agnishvatta, Barhishada, and Ayantuna — O Goddess, their presence forever abides in this place.

Verse 34 (skanda.7.257.34)

दर्शनादपि तीर्थस्य तस्य वै सुरसत्तमे। मुच्यन्ते प्राणिनः पापादाजन्ममरणान्तिकात्॥

darśanādapi tīrthasya tasya vai surasattame| mucyante prāṇinaḥ pāpādājanmamaraṇāntikāt||

O foremost among the gods, merely by the sight of that tirtha, living beings are freed even from the sins accumulated from birth to death.

Verse 35 (skanda.7.257.35)

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन तत्र स्नानं समाचरेत्। प्रभासं क्षेत्रमासाद्य यदीच्छेच्छ्रेय आत्मनः॥

tasmātsarvaprayatnena tatra snānaṁ samācaret| prabhāsaṁ kṣetramāsādya yadīcchecchreya ātmanaḥ||

Therefore, one who desires his own welfare should, upon reaching the field of Prabhasa, make every effort to bathe there.