The Glory of Brahma at Unnata-sthana

Verse 1 (skanda.7.321.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। अथ ते कीर्तयिष्यामि रहस्यं स्थानमुत्तमम्। सर्वपापहरं नॄणामुन्नतस्थानवासिनाम्

īśvara uvāca| atha te kīrtayiṣyāmi rahasyaṁ sthānamuttamam| sarvapāpaharaṁ nṝṇāmunnatasthānavāsinām

Ishvara said: Now I shall declare to you a secret, most excellent place, which removes all the sins of men dwelling at Unnata-sthana.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.321.2)

श्रेष्ठदेवस्य माहात्म्यं ब्रह्मणोऽव्यक्तजन्मनः। उन्नतस्थानसंस्थस्य देवस्य बालरूपिणः। यस्य दर्शनमात्रेण सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते

śreṣṭhadevasya māhātmyaṁ brahmaṇo'vyaktajanmanaḥ| unnatasthānasaṁsthasya devasya bālarūpiṇaḥ| yasya darśanamātreṇa sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate

—I shall tell the glory of that most excellent god, Brahma, of unmanifest birth, abiding at Unnata-sthana in the form of a child, by whose mere sight one is freed from all sins.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.321.3)

देव्युवाच। बालरूपीति यत्प्रोक्तमुन्नतं तत्कथं वद। स्थानेष्वन्येषु सर्वत्र वृद्धरूपी पितामहः

devyuvāca| bālarūpīti yatproktamunnataṁ tatkathaṁ vada| sthāneṣvanyeṣu sarvatra vṛddharūpī pitāmahaḥ

The Goddess said: Tell me, why is it said that at Unnata he is in the form of a child, when in all other places Pitamaha is in the form of an old man?

Verse 4 (skanda.7.321.4)

कस्मिन्स्थाने स्थितस्तत्र किमर्थं तत्र वा गतः। कथं स पूज्यो विप्रेन्द्रैस्तिथौ कस्यां क्रमाद्वद

kasminsthāne sthitastatra kimarthaṁ tatra vā gataḥ| kathaṁ sa pūjyo viprendraistithau kasyāṁ kramādvada

In what place is he established there, and for what reason did he go there? How is he worshipped by the lords of the Brahmins, and on which lunar day — tell me in order.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.321.5)

ईश्वर उवाच। ऋषितोयापश्चिमे तु ऐशान्यां स्थलकेश्वरात्। ब्रह्मणः परमं स्थानं ब्रह्मलोक इवापरः

īśvara uvāca| ṛṣitoyāpaścime tu aiśānyāṁ sthalakeśvarāt| brahmaṇaḥ paramaṁ sthānaṁ brahmaloka ivāparaḥ

Ishvara said: To the west of the Rishitoya, in the northeast from Sthalakeshvara, is the supreme abode of Brahma, like another Brahmaloka.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.321.6)

ब्रह्मा विष्णुश्च रुद्रश्च पूज्याः प्राभासिके सदा। ब्रह्मभागे स्थितो ब्रह्मा ऋषितोयातटे शुभे

brahmā viṣṇuśca rudraśca pūjyāḥ prābhāsike sadā| brahmabhāge sthito brahmā ṛṣitoyātaṭe śubhe

Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra are always to be worshipped at Prabhasa; Brahma is established in the Brahma-portion, on the auspicious bank of the Rishitoya.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.321.7)

रुद्रभागेऽग्नितीर्थे च पूज्यो रुद्रः सनातनः। गिरौ रैवतके रम्ये पूज्यो दामोदरो हरिः

rudrabhāge'gnitīrthe ca pūjyo rudraḥ sanātanaḥ| girau raivatake ramye pūjyo dāmodaro hariḥ

In the Rudra-portion, at Agnitirtha, the eternal Rudra is to be worshipped; on the delightful mount Raivataka, Damodara Hari is to be worshipped.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.321.8)

सोमेन प्रार्थितो देवो बालरूपी पितामहः। आगतश्चाष्टवर्षस्तु ह्युन्नते स्थान उत्तमे

somena prārthito devo bālarūpī pitāmahaḥ| āgataścāṣṭavarṣastu hyunnate sthāna uttame

Entreated by Soma, the god Pitamaha, in the form of a child, an eight-year-old, came to the excellent place of Unnata.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.321.9)

दृष्ट्वा ब्रह्मा द्विजाञ्छ्रेष्ठांस्तत्र स्थाने स्थितो विभुः

dṛṣṭvā brahmā dvijāñchreṣṭhāṁstatra sthāne sthito vibhuḥ

Seeing the excellent twice-born ones there, the all-pervading Brahma remained established in that place.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.321.10)

नास्ति ब्रह्मसमो देवो नास्ति ब्रह्मसमो गुरुः। नास्ति ब्रह्मसमं ज्ञानं नास्ति ब्रह्मसमं तपः

nāsti brahmasamo devo nāsti brahmasamo guruḥ| nāsti brahmasamaṁ jñānaṁ nāsti brahmasamaṁ tapaḥ

There is no god equal to Brahma, no guru equal to Brahma; there is no knowledge equal to Brahma, no austerity equal to Brahma.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.321.11)

तावद्भ्रमंति संसारे दुःखशोकभयाप्लुताः। न भवंति सुरज्येष्ठे यावद्भक्ताः पितामहे

tāvadbhramaṁti saṁsāre duḥkhaśokabhayāplutāḥ| na bhavaṁti surajyeṣṭhe yāvadbhaktāḥ pitāmahe

So long do men wander in the cycle of rebirth, submerged in sorrow, grief, and fear, until they become devoted to Pitamaha, the eldest among the gods.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.321.12)

समासक्तं यथा चित्तं जंतोर्विषयगोचरे। यद्येवं ब्रह्मणि न्यस्तं को न मुच्येत बंधनात्

samāsaktaṁ yathā cittaṁ jaṁtorviṣayagocare| yadyevaṁ brahmaṇi nyastaṁ ko na mucyeta baṁdhanāt

Just as a creature's mind is attached to the objects of sense — if it were placed in the same way upon Brahma, who would not be freed from bondage?

Verse 13 (skanda.7.321.13)

परमायुः स्मृतो ब्रह्मा परार्धं तस्य वै गतम्। उन्नतस्थानसंस्थस्य द्वितीयं भविताऽधुना

paramāyuḥ smṛto brahmā parārdhaṁ tasya vai gatam| unnatasthānasaṁsthasya dvitīyaṁ bhavitā'dhunā

Brahma's lifespan is remembered as immense; one half of it has already passed. For him, now established at Unnata-sthana, the second half is now beginning.

Verse 14 (skanda.7.321.14)

यदासावुन्नते स्थाने ब्रह्मलोकात्पितामहः। आगतश्चाष्टवर्षस्तु बालरूपी तदोच्यते

yadāsāvunnate sthāne brahmalokātpitāmahaḥ| āgataścāṣṭavarṣastu bālarūpī tadocyate

When Pitamaha came to the place of Unnata from Brahmaloka, an eight-year-old, he is then said to be in the form of a child.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.321.15)

स्थानेष्वन्येषु विप्राणां वृद्धरूपी पितामहः। युक्तं तदुन्नतस्थानं सदा च ब्रह्मणः प्रियम्

sthāneṣvanyeṣu viprāṇāṁ vṛddharūpī pitāmahaḥ| yuktaṁ tadunnatasthānaṁ sadā ca brahmaṇaḥ priyam

In other places, for the Brahmins, Pitamaha is in the form of an old man; that Unnata-sthana is fitting, and always dear to Brahma.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.321.16)

स्नात्वा च विधिवत्पूर्वं ब्रह्मकुंडे नरोत्तम। पूजयेत्पुष्पधूपाद्यैर्ब्रह्माणं बालरूपिणम्

snātvā ca vidhivatpūrvaṁ brahmakuṁḍe narottama| pūjayetpuṣpadhūpādyairbrahmāṇaṁ bālarūpiṇam

O best of men, having first bathed properly in the Brahma-kunda, one should worship Brahma in his child-form with flowers, incense, and the like.