The Glory of Shashapana (the Hare's Drink)

Verse 1 (skanda.7.258.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि शशापानमिति स्मृतम्। तस्यैव दक्षिणे तीर्थं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम्॥

īśvara uvāca| tato gacchet mahādevi śaśāpānam iti smṛtam| tasyaiva dakṣiṇe tīrthaṁ sarvapāpapraṇāśanam||

Ishvara said: Thereafter, O Mahadevi, one should go to the tirtha known as Shashapana, which lies to the south of that (Tritakupa) and destroys all sins.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.258.2)

यस्मिन्स्नात्वा नरः सम्यङ्नापमृत्युभयं लभेत्। शृणु यस्मात्तदुत्पत्तिं वदतो मम वल्लभे॥

yasmin snātvā naraḥ samyaṅ nāpamṛtyubhayaṁ labhet| śṛṇu yasmāt tadutpattiṁ vadato mama vallabhe||

Bathing there properly, a man has no fear of untimely death. O beloved, listen as I tell of its origin.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.258.3)

मथित्वा सागरं देवा गृहीत्वाऽमृतमुत्तमम्। सत्वरास्तत्र ते गत्वा पपुश्चैव यथेप्सया॥

mathitvā sāgaraṁ devā gṛhītvā'mṛtamuttamam| satvarāstatra te gatvā papuścaiva yathepsayā||

Having churned the ocean and obtained the excellent nectar, the gods went there swiftly and drank it as they pleased.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.258.4)

पिबतां तत्र पीयूषं देवानां वरवर्णिनि। बिन्दवः पतिता भूमौ शतशोथ सहस्रशः॥

pibatāṁ tatra pīyūṣaṁ devānāṁ varavarṇini| bindavaḥ patitā bhūmau śataśotha sahasraśaḥ||

O fair one, as the gods drank that nectar there, hundreds and thousands of drops fell upon the earth.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.258.5)

एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु शशकस्तत्र चागतः। प्रविष्टः सलिले तत्र तृषार्तो वरवर्णिनि॥

etasminneva kāle tu śaśakastatra cāgataḥ| praviṣṭaḥ salile tatra tṛṣārto varavarṇini||

At that very time, a hare came there, and, tormented by thirst, entered that water.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.258.6)

अमरत्वमनुप्राप्तो वर्द्धते सलिलालये। तं दृष्ट्वा त्रिदशाः सर्वे स्पर्द्धमाना मुहुर्मुहुः। ज्ञात्वामृतान्वितं तोयं मन्त्रं चक्रुर्भयान्विताः॥

amaratvamanuprāpto varddhate salilālaye| taṁ dṛṣṭvā tridaśāḥ sarve spardhamānā muhurmuhuḥ| jñātvāmṛtānvitaṁ toyaṁ mantraṁ cakrurbhayānvitāḥ||

Having attained immortality, it began to grow in that pool. Seeing this, all the gods, growing envious again and again, and knowing that the water contained nectar, held counsel among themselves in alarm.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.258.7)

अमृतं पतितं भूमौ भक्षयिष्यंति मानवाः। ततोऽमर्त्त्या भविष्यंति नात्र कार्या विचारणा॥

amṛtaṁ patitaṁ bhūmau bhakṣayiṣyanti mānavāḥ| tato'marttyā bhaviṣyanti nātra kāryā vicāraṇā||

They thought: "If men consume this nectar fallen upon the earth, they too will become immortal — there should be no doubt about this."

Verse 8 (skanda.7.258.8)

तिर्यग्योन्यां समुत्पन्नः कृपणः शशको ह्ययम्। अस्माभिः स्पर्द्धते तस्मात्ततो भयमुपस्थितम्॥

tiryagyonyāṁ samutpannaḥ kṛpaṇaḥ śaśako hyayam| asmābhiḥ spardhate tasmāttato bhayamupasthitam||

"This wretched hare, born in an animal womb, now rivals even us — hence this fear has arisen in us."

Verse 9 (skanda.7.258.9)

अथ प्राप्तो निशानाथो व्याधिना स परिप्लुतः। अब्रवीत्त्रिदशान्सर्वानमृतं मे प्रयच्छत॥

atha prāpto niśānātho vyādhinā sa pariplutaḥ| abravīttridaśānsarvānamṛtaṁ me prayacchata||

Then the Lord of the night, the Moon, arrived there, afflicted by some malady. He said to all the gods, "Give me the nectar."

Verse 10 (skanda.7.258.10)

कृच्छ्रेण महता प्राप्तो नाहं शक्तो विसर्पितुम्। अथोचुस्त्रिदशाः सर्वे सर्वमस्माभिर्भक्षितम्॥

kṛcchreṇa mahatā prāpto nāhaṁ śakto visarpitum| athocustridaśāḥ sarve sarvamasmābhirbhakṣitam||

"I have arrived here with great difficulty and am no longer able to move on." Then all the gods said, "We have already consumed it all."

Verse 11 (skanda.7.258.11)

विस्मृतस्त्वं निशानाथ चिरात्कस्मादिहागतः। कुरुष्व वचनं चन्द्र अस्माकं तिमिरापह॥

vismṛtastvaṁ niśānātha cirātkasmādihāgataḥ| kuruṣva vacanaṁ candra asmākaṁ timirāpaha||

"O Lord of the night, you were forgotten — why have you come here now, after so long? O Moon, dispeller of darkness, heed our word."

Verse 12 (skanda.7.258.12)

अस्मिञ्जलेऽमृतं भूरि पतितं पिबतां हि नः। तत्पिबस्व निशानाथ सर्वमेतज्जलाशयम्॥

asmiñjale'mṛtaṁ bhūri patitaṁ pibatāṁ hi naḥ| tatpibasva niśānātha sarvametajjalāśayam||

"As we were drinking, much nectar fell into this water; so, O Lord of the night, drink up this entire pool."

Verse 13 (skanda.7.258.13)

अर्द्धं निपतितं चात्र सत्यमेतन्निशामय। तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा शीतरश्मिस्त्वरान्वितः॥

arddhaṁ nipatitaṁ cātra satyametannśāmaya| teṣāṁ tadvacanaṁ śrutvā śītaraśmistvarānvitaḥ||

"Half of it has fallen right here — know this to be true." Hearing their words, the cool-rayed Moon, in haste,

Verse 14 (skanda.7.258.14)

तृषार्तो वाऽपिबत्तोयं शशकेन समन्वितम्। अस्थिशेषं तु तत्तस्य कायं पीयूषभक्षणात्॥

tṛṣārto vā'pibattoyaṁ śaśakena samanvitam| asthiśeṣaṁ tu tattasya kāyaṁ pīyūṣabhakṣaṇāt||

being tormented by thirst, drank up that water together with the hare in it. That hare's body, through the drinking of the nectar, was reduced to mere bones.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.258.15)

तत्क्षणात्पुष्टिमगमत्कान्त्या परमया युतः। धातुषु क्षीयमाणेषु पुष्टो हि सुधया हि सः॥

tatkṣaṇātpuṣṭimagamatkāntyā paramayā yutaḥ| dhātuṣu kṣīyamāṇeṣu puṣṭo hi sudhayā hi saḥ||

The Moon at once grew full, endowed with supreme radiance, for even as his bodily constituents were waning, he was nourished by that nectar.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.258.16)

स चापि शशकस्तस्य न मृतो जठरं गतः। अद्यापि दृश्यते तत्र देहे पीयूषभक्षणात्॥

sa cāpi śaśakastasya na mṛto jaṭharaṁ gataḥ| adyāpi dṛśyate tatra dehe pīyūṣabhakṣaṇāt||

And that hare, though it went into his belly, did not die; because of drinking the nectar, it is even today seen within his body (the lunar disc).

Verse 17 (skanda.7.258.17)

तत्क्षणात्तुष्टिमगमत्कान्त्या परमया युतः। अब्रुवन्खन्यतामेतद्यथा भूयो जलं भवेत्॥

tatkṣaṇāttuṣṭimagamatkāntyā paramayā yutaḥ| abruvankhanyatāmetadyathā bhūyo jalaṁ bhavet||

He at once became satisfied, endowed with supreme radiance. Then the gods said, "Let this place be dug further, so that water may arise here again."

Verse 18 (skanda.7.258.18)

अस्माकं संगमादेतच्छुष्कं श्वभ्रं जलाशयम्। तद्युक्तं च कृतं कर्म नैतत्साधुविचेष्टितम्॥

asmākaṁ saṅgamādetacchuṣkaṁ śvabhraṁ jalāśayam| tadyuktaṁ ca kṛtaṁ karma naitatsādhuviceṣṭitam||

"Because of our gathering here, this pool has become a dry pit; the deed we have done is not proper — this is not good conduct."

Verse 19 (skanda.7.258.19)

ततोऽखनंश्च ते सर्वे यावत्तोयविनिर्गमः। अथाब्रुवंस्ततः सर्वे हर्षेण महतान्विताः॥

tato'khanaṁśca te sarve yāvattoyavinirgamaḥ| athābruvaṁstataḥ sarve harṣeṇa mahatānvitāḥ||

Then they all dug until water gushed forth. Thereupon they all, filled with great joy, said —

Verse 20 (skanda.7.258.20)

यस्माच्छशेन संयुक्तं पीतमेतज्जलाशयम्। चन्द्रेण हि शशापानं तस्मादेतद्भविष्यति॥

yasmācchaśena saṁyuktaṁ pītametajjalāśayam| candreṇa hi śaśāpānaṁ tasmādetadbhaviṣyati||

"Since this pool, together with the hare, was drunk by the Moon, it shall henceforth be known as Shashapana (Hare's-Drink)."

Verse 21 (skanda.7.258.21)

अत्रागत्य नरः स्नानं यः करिष्यति भक्तितः। स यास्यति परं स्थानं यत्र देवो महेश्वरः॥

atrāgatya naraḥ snānaṁ yaḥ kariṣyati bhaktitaḥ| sa yāsyati paraṁ sthānaṁ yatra devo maheśvaraḥ||

Whatever man comes here and bathes with devotion shall attain that supreme abode where the god Maheshvara dwells.

Verse 22 (skanda.7.258.22)

अत्रान्नं संप्रदास्यंति ब्राह्मणेभ्यः समाहिताः। सर्वयज्ञफलं तेषां भविष्यति न संशयः॥

atrānnaṁ saṁpradāsyanti brāhmaṇebhyaḥ samāhitāḥ| sarvayajñaphalaṁ teṣāṁ bhaviṣyati na saṁśayaḥ||

Those who, with composed minds, give food here to brahmins shall obtain the fruit of all sacrifices — of this there is no doubt.

Verse 23 (skanda.7.258.23)

अस्मिन्दृष्टे सुराः सर्वे दृष्टाः स्युः सर्वदेवताः। एवमुक्त्वा सुराः सर्वे जग्मुश्चैव सुरालयम्॥

asmindṛṣṭe surāḥ sarve dṛṣṭāḥ syuḥ sarvadevatāḥ| evamuktvā surāḥ sarve jagmuścaiva surālayam||

By beholding this place, all the gods are as good as beheld. Having said this, all the gods returned to their celestial abode.

Verse 24 (skanda.7.258.24)

अथ कालेन महता प्राप्ता तत्र सरस्वती। वडवाग्निं समादाय तयानुप्लावितं पुनः॥

atha kālena mahatā prāptā tatra sarasvatī| vaḍavāgniṁ samādāya tayānuplāvitaṁ punaḥ||

Then, after a long time, the river Sarasvati arrived there, and, bearing with her the submarine fire (Vadavagni), she flooded that place once more.

Verse 25 (skanda.7.258.25)

ततो मेध्यतरं जातं तीर्थं च वरवर्णिनि। तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन तत्र स्नानं समाचरेत्॥

tato medhyataraṁ jātaṁ tīrthaṁ ca varavarṇini| tasmātsarvaprayatnena tatra snānaṁ samācaret||

O fair one, thus this tirtha became even more sacred. Therefore, one should make every effort to bathe there.