The Glory of Worshipping Someshvara

Verse 1 (skanda.7.30.1)

देव्युवाच। स्नात्वा तत्राग्नितीर्थेषु कं देवं पूर्वमर्च्चयेत्। निर्विघ्ना जायते येन यात्रा नृणां सुरेश्वर। तन्मे यात्राविधानं तु यथावद्वक्तुमर्हसि

devyuvāca| snātvā tatrāgnitīrtheṣu kaṁ devaṁ pūrvamarccayet| nirvighnā jāyate yena yātrā nṛṇāṁ sureśvara| tanme yātrāvidhānaṁ tu yathāvadvaktumarhasi

The Goddess said: O Lord of the gods, having bathed there in the Agni-tirthas, which deity should a man worship first, by which men's pilgrimage becomes free from obstacles? Please tell me properly this procedure of pilgrimage.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.30.2)

ईश्वर उवाच। एवं स्नात्वा विधानेन दत्त्वार्घ्यं च महोदधौ। संपूज्य गंधपुष्पैश्च वस्त्रैः पुष्पावलेपनैः

īśvara uvāca| evaṁ snātvā vidhānena dattvārghyaṁ ca mahodadhau| saṁpūjya gaṁdhapuṣpaiśca vastraiḥ puṣpāvalepanaiḥ

Ishvara said: Having thus bathed according to rule, having offered arghya into the great ocean, and having worshipped with fragrance, flowers, cloth garments, and flower-unguents—

Verse 3 (skanda.7.30.3)

हिरण्मयं यथाशक्त्या प्रक्षिपेत्तत्र कंकणम्। ततः पितॄंस्तर्पयित्वा गच्छेद्देवं कपर्दिनम्

hiraṇmayaṁ yathāśaktyā prakṣipettatra kaṁkaṇam| tataḥ pitṝṁstarpayitvā gaccheddevaṁ kapardinam

—one should, according to one's ability, cast a golden bracelet there into the ocean. Then, having offered tarpana to the ancestors, one should go to Kapardin, the matted-locked God.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.30.4)

पुष्पैर्धूपैस्तथा गन्धैर्वस्त्रैः संपूज्य भक्तितः। गणानां त्वेति मन्त्रेण अर्घ्यं चास्मै निवेदयेत्

puṣpairdhūpaistathā gandhairvastraiḥ saṁpūjya bhaktitaḥ| gaṇānāṁ tveti mantreṇa arghyaṁ cāsmai nivedayet

Having worshipped him with flowers, incense, fragrance, and cloth with devotion, one should offer him arghya with the mantra beginning 'Gaṇānāṁ tva'.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.30.5)

शूद्राणामथ देवेशि मंत्रश्चाष्टाक्षरः स्मृतः। तत्र सोमेश्वरं गच्छेद्देवं पापहरं परम्

śūdrāṇāmatha deveśi maṁtraścāṣṭākṣaraḥ smṛtaḥ| tatra someśvaraṁ gaccheddevaṁ pāpaharaṁ param

O Devesi, for shudras the eight-syllabled mantra is prescribed. There one should go to the god Someshvara, the supreme remover of sin.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.30.6)

स्नापयित्वा विधानेन जपेच्च शतरुद्रियम्। तथा रुद्रान्सपञ्चांगास्तथान्या रुद्रसंहिताः

snāpayitvā vidhānena japecca śatarudriyam| tathā rudrānsapañcāṁgāstathānyā rudrasaṁhitāḥ

Having bathed the deity according to rule, one should recite the Shatarudriya, as well as the Rudra hymns with their five limbs, and the other Rudra-samhitas.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.30.7)

स्नापयेत्पयसा चैव दध्ना घृतयुतेन च। मधुनेक्षुरसेनैव कुंकुमेन विलेपयेत्

snāpayetpayasā caiva dadhnā ghṛtayutena ca| madhunekṣurasenaiva kuṁkumena vilepayet

One should bathe the deity with milk, with curds mixed with ghee, and with honey and sugarcane juice; and anoint him with saffron.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.30.8)

कर्पूरोशीरमिश्रेण मृगनाभियुतेन च। चन्दनेन सुगन्धेन पूज्यं संपूजयेत्ततः

karpūrośīramiśreṇa mṛganābhiyutena ca| candanena sugandhena pūjyaṁ saṁpūjayettataḥ

Then, with fragrant sandal paste mixed with camphor and vetiver root and combined with musk, one should worship the worshipful deity.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.30.9)

धूपैर्बहुविधैर्देवं धूपयित्वा यथाविधि। वस्त्रैः संवेष्टयेत्पश्चाद्दद्यान्नैवेद्यमुत्तमम्

dhūpairbahuvidhairdevaṁ dhūpayitvā yathāvidhi| vastraiḥ saṁveṣṭayetpaścāddadyānnaivedyamuttamam

Having fumigated the god with many kinds of incense according to rule, one should then wrap him in cloth garments and offer him excellent food-offerings.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.30.10)

आरार्तिकं ततः कृत्वा नृत्यं कुर्याद्यथेच्छया

ārārtikaṁ tataḥ kṛtvā nṛtyaṁ kuryādyathecchayā

Then, having performed the arati, one should dance as one wishes.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.30.11)

अष्टांगं प्रणिपत्यैवं गीतवाद्यादिकं ततः

aṣṭāṁgaṁ praṇipatyaivaṁ gītavādyādikaṁ tataḥ

Having thus prostrated with the eight limbs of the body, one should then arrange singing, instrumental music, and the like.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.30.12)

धर्मश्रवणसंयुक्तं कार्यं प्रेक्षणकं विभोः। ततो दद्याद्द्विजातिभ्यस्तपस्विभ्यश्च शक्तितः

dharmaśravaṇasaṁyuktaṁ kāryaṁ prekṣaṇakaṁ vibhoḥ| tato dadyāddvijātibhyastapasvibhyaśca śaktitaḥ

One should arrange for the Lord a spectacle accompanied by the hearing of dharma-discourses. Then one should give gifts to the twice-born and to ascetics according to one's ability.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.30.13)

दीनांधकृपणेभ्यश्च दानं कार्पटिकेषु च। वृषभस्तत्र दातव्यः प्रवृत्ते क्रूरकर्मणि। उपवासं ततः कुर्यात्तस्मिन्नहनि भामिनि

dīnāṁdhakṛpaṇebhyaśca dānaṁ kārpaṭikeṣu ca| vṛṣabhastatra dātavyaḥ pravṛtte krūrakarmaṇi| upavāsaṁ tataḥ kuryāttasminnahani bhāmini

One should give gifts to the poor, the blind, the destitute, and to beggars as well. When some cruel misfortune has occurred, a bull should be given there. O beautiful one, then one should observe a fast on that day.

Verse 14 (skanda.7.30.14)

यस्मिन्नहनि पश्येत देवं सोमेश्वरं नरः। सा तिथिर्वर्षमेकं तु उपोष्या भक्तितत्परैः

yasminnahani paśyeta devaṁ someśvaraṁ naraḥ| sā tithirvarṣamekaṁ tu upoṣyā bhaktitatparaiḥ

On whichever day a man beholds the god Someshvara, that very lunar date should be observed as a fast for one full year by those devoted to bhakti.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.30.15)

एवं कृत्वा नरो भक्त्या लभते जन्मनः फलम्। तथा च सर्वतीर्थानां सकलं लभते फलम्

evaṁ kṛtvā naro bhaktyā labhate janmanaḥ phalam| tathā ca sarvatīrthānāṁ sakalaṁ labhate phalam

Having done thus with devotion, a man obtains the fruit of his birth; and likewise he obtains the entire fruit of all the sacred fords.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.30.16)

उद्धरेत्पितृवर्गं च मातृवर्गं च भामिनि। बाल्ये वयसि यत्पापं वार्धक्ये यौवनेऽपि वा

uddharetpitṛvargaṁ ca mātṛvargaṁ ca bhāmini| bālye vayasi yatpāpaṁ vārdhakye yauvane'pi vā

O beautiful one, he delivers both his paternal and maternal lineages. Whatever sin was committed in childhood, in old age, or even in youth—

Verse 17 (skanda.7.30.17)

क्षालयेच्चैव तत्सर्वं दृष्ट्वा सोमेश्वरं नरः। न दुःखितो न दारिद्रो दुर्भगो वा न जायते

kṣālayeccaiva tatsarvaṁ dṛṣṭvā someśvaraṁ naraḥ| na duḥkhito na dāridro durbhago vā na jāyate

—a man washes all of that away by beholding Someshvara. He is never born sorrowful, nor poor, nor unfortunate.

Verse 18 (skanda.7.30.18)

सप्तजन्मान्तरेणैव दृष्टे सोमेश्वरे विभौ। धनधान्यसमायुक्ते स्फीते सञ्जायते कुले

saptajanmāntareṇaiva dṛṣṭe someśvare vibhau| dhanadhānyasamāyukte sphīte sañjāyate kule

Merely by beholding the Lord Someshvara, for seven successive births he is born into a prosperous family endowed with wealth and grain.

Verse 19 (skanda.7.30.19)

भक्तिर्भवति भूयोऽपि सोमनाथं प्रति प्रभुम्। क्षीरेण स्नपनं पूर्वं ततो धारासमुद्भवम्

bhaktirbhavati bhūyo'pi somanāthaṁ prati prabhum| kṣīreṇa snapanaṁ pūrvaṁ tato dhārāsamudbhavam

Devotion toward the Lord Somanatha arises again and again. First there is a bathing with milk, then an ablution offered as a continuous stream.

Verse 20 (skanda.7.30.20)

प्रथमे प्रथमे यामे महास्ना नमतः परम्। मध्याह्ने देवदेवस्य ये प्रपश्यन्ति मानवाः। संध्यामारार्तिकं भूयो न जायन्ते च मानुषाः

prathame prathame yāme mahāsnā namataḥ param| madhyāhne devadevasya ye prapaśyanti mānavāḥ| saṁdhyāmārārtikaṁ bhūyo na jāyante ca mānuṣāḥ

Those men who, in each first watch, bow with utmost devotion after the great bathing, who behold the God of gods at midday, and who again behold the evening arati—such men are not born again in the human condition.

Verse 21 (skanda.7.30.21)

मत्वा कलियुगं रौद्रं बहुपापं वरानने। नान्येन तरते दुर्गां कर्मणा दुर्गतिं नरः

matvā kaliyugaṁ raudraṁ bahupāpaṁ varānane| nānyena tarate durgāṁ karmaṇā durgatiṁ naraḥ

O fair-faced one, knowing the Kali age to be terrible and full of much sin, a man cannot cross this fortress of misfortune (durgati) by any other act than this.