The Glory of the Humkara Well

Verse 1 (skanda.7.339.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि कूपं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम्। देविकायास्तटे रम्ये हुंकारेणैव पूर्यते

īśvara uvāca| tato gacchenmahādevi kūpaṁ trailokyaviśrutam| devikāyāstaṭe ramye huṁkāreṇaiva pūryate

Ishvara said: Then, O great Goddess, one should go to the well renowned in the three worlds, on the beautiful bank of the Devika, which fills with water only at the sound of 'Hum'.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.339.2)

ततोऽधस्तात्पुनर्याति सलिलं तत्र भामिनि। तण्डीनाम पुरा प्रोक्तो देविकातटमास्थितः

tato'dhastātpunaryāti salilaṁ tatra bhāmini| taṇḍīnāma purā prokto devikātaṭamāsthitaḥ

Then the water recedes again below there, O radiant lady. Of old there was one named Tandi, who dwelt on the bank of the Devika,

Verse 3 (skanda.7.339.3)

तपस्तेपे महादेवि शिवभक्तिपरायणः। तस्यैवं तप्यमानस्य तस्मिन्देशे वरानने

tapastepe mahādevi śivabhaktiparāyaṇaḥ| tasyaivaṁ tapyamānasya tasmindeśe varānane

who performed austerities there, O great Goddess, devoted wholly to devotion to Shiva. While he was thus practising austerity in that place, O fair-faced one,

Verse 4 (skanda.7.339.4)

आजगाम मृगो वृद्धस्तं देशमन्ध दृक्प्रिये। स पपात महागर्ते अगाधे जलवर्जिते

ājagāma mṛgo vṛddhastaṁ deśamandha dṛkpriye| sa papāta mahāgarte agādhe jalavarjite

an old, blind-eyed deer came to that place, O beloved, and it fell into a deep, bottomless, waterless pit.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.339.5)

तं दृष्ट्वा कृपयाविष्टः स मुनिर्मौनमास्थितः। हुंकारं कुरुते तत्र भूयोभूयश्च भामिनि

taṁ dṛṣṭvā kṛpayāviṣṭaḥ sa munirmaunamāsthitaḥ| huṁkāraṁ kurute tatra bhūyobhūyaśca bhāmini

Seeing it, the sage, though established in a vow of silence, was filled with compassion and uttered the sound 'Hum' there again and again, O radiant lady.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.339.6)

अथ हुंकारशब्देन तस्य गर्तः प्रपूरितः। ततो मृगो विनिष्क्रांतः कृच्छ्रेण सलिलात्प्रिये

atha huṁkāraśabdena tasya gartaḥ prapūritaḥ| tato mṛgo viniṣkrāṁtaḥ kṛcchreṇa salilātpriye

Then, by the sound of that 'Hum', the pit was filled with water; the deer then came out of the water with difficulty, O beloved.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.339.7)

मानुषं रूपमाश्रित्य तमृषिं पर्यपृच्छत। विस्मयं परमं गत्वा काम्यदं कर्मणः फलम्

mānuṣaṁ rūpamāśritya tamṛṣiṁ paryapṛcchata| vismayaṁ paramaṁ gatvā kāmyadaṁ karmaṇaḥ phalam

Assuming human form, it questioned that sage, in the utmost wonder, about that wish-granting fruit of the act.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.339.8)

मृगत्वे पतितश्चात्र नरो भूत्वा विनिर्गतः। सोऽब्रवीत्तस्य माहात्म्यं सलिलस्य द्विजोत्तमः

mṛgatve patitaścātra naro bhūtvā vinirgataḥ| so'bravīttasya māhātmyaṁ salilasya dvijottamaḥ

'Having fallen into the state of a deer, I have here come out having become a man' — then that excellent brahmin told him the greatness of that water:

Verse 9 (skanda.7.339.9)

अतोऽहं नरतां प्राप्तो नान्यदस्तीह कारणम्। ततस्तत्सलिलं भूयः प्रविष्टं धरणीतले

ato'haṁ naratāṁ prāpto nānyadastīha kāraṇam| tatastatsalilaṁ bhūyaḥ praviṣṭaṁ dharaṇītale

'For this reason I have attained humanity; there is no other cause here.' Then that water again sank into the earth.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.339.10)

ततो हुंकृतवान्भूयः स ऋषिः कौतुकान्वितः। आपूरितः पुनः कूपः सलिलेन पुरा यथा

tato huṁkṛtavānbhūyaḥ sa ṛṣiḥ kautukānvitaḥ| āpūritaḥ punaḥ kūpaḥ salilena purā yathā

Then the sage, filled with wonder, once more uttered the sound 'Hum'; the well was again filled with water, as before.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.339.11)

ततः स कृतवान्स्नानं तथा च पितृतर्पणम्। मत्वा तीर्थवरं तत्र ततः प्राप्तः परां गतिम्

tataḥ sa kṛtavānsnānaṁ tathā ca pitṛtarpaṇam| matvā tīrthavaraṁ tatra tataḥ prāptaḥ parāṁ gatim

Then he performed his bathing and likewise the tarpana of the ancestors there; having recognized it as a supreme tirtha, he thereafter attained the highest state.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.339.12)

अद्यापि हुंकृते तस्मिन्सलिलौघः प्रवर्तते। तत्र गत्वा नरो भक्त्या अपि पापरतोऽपि यः

adyāpi huṁkṛte tasminsalilaughaḥ pravartate| tatra gatvā naro bhaktyā api pāparato'pi yaḥ

Even today, when 'Hum' is uttered there, a flood of water arises. A man who goes there with devotion — even one given to sin —

Verse 13 (skanda.7.339.13)

न मानुष्यं पुनर्जन्म प्राप्नोति जगतीतले। तत्र स्नात्वा शुचिर्भूत्वा यः श्राद्धं कुरुते नरः

na mānuṣyaṁ punarjanma prāpnoti jagatītale| tatra snātvā śucirbhūtvā yaḥ śrāddhaṁ kurute naraḥ

does not attain human birth again on this earth. A man who bathes there, becomes pure, and performs shraddha,

Verse 14 (skanda.7.339.14)

मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यः पितृलोके महीयते। कुलानि तारयेत्सप्त अतीताऽनागतानि च

mucyate sarvapāpebhyaḥ pitṛloke mahīyate| kulāni tārayetsapta atītā'nāgatāni ca

is freed from all sins and is exalted in the world of the ancestors; he redeems seven lineages, both past and future.