The Glory of Bhava at the Field of Vastrapatha

Verse 1 (skanda.7.367.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि क्षेत्रं वस्त्रापथं पुनः। यत्प्रभासस्य सर्वस्वं क्षेत्रं नाभिः प्रियं मम

īśvara uvāca| tato gacchenmahādevi kṣetraṁ vastrāpathaṁ punaḥ| yatprabhāsasya sarvasvaṁ kṣetraṁ nābhiḥ priyaṁ mama

Ishvara said: Then, O great Goddess, one should go once more to the field of Vastrapatha, which is the very essence of Prabhasa — the navel-field dear to me.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.367.2)

यत्र साक्षाद्भवो देवः सृष्टिसंहारकारकः। पृथिव्यां स त्वधिष्ठाता तत्त्वानामादिमः प्रभुः

yatra sākṣādbhavo devaḥ sṛṣṭisaṁhārakārakaḥ| pṛthivyāṁ sa tvadhiṣṭhātā tattvānāmādimaḥ prabhuḥ

where the god Bhava himself, maker of creation and destruction, dwells in manifest form; he is the presiding lord upon the earth, the primal master of all the elements.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.367.3)

स स्वयंभूः स्थितस्तत्र प्रभासे भूतिदो भवः। भवतीदं जगद्यस्मात्तस्माद्भव इति स्मृतः

sa svayaṁbhūḥ sthitastatra prabhāse bhūtido bhavaḥ| bhavatīdaṁ jagadyasmāttasmādbhava iti smṛtaḥ

The self-existent Bhava, bestower of prosperity, abides there at Prabhasa; and because this universe comes into being from him, he is called Bhava.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.367.4)

यः सकृत्कुरुते यात्रां क्षेत्रे वस्त्रापथे पुनः। विगाह्य तत्र तीर्थानि कृतकृत्यः स जायते

yaḥ sakṛtkurute yātrāṁ kṣetre vastrāpathe punaḥ| vigāhya tatra tīrthāni kṛtakṛtyaḥ sa jāyate

Whoever makes pilgrimage even once to the field of Vastrapatha, and bathes there in its tirthas, becomes fulfilled.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.367.5)

अथ दृष्ट्वा भवं देवं सकृत्पूज्यविधानतः। केदारयात्राफलभाक्स भवेन्मनुजोत्तमः

atha dṛṣṭvā bhavaṁ devaṁ sakṛtpūjyavidhānataḥ| kedārayātrāphalabhāksa bhavenmanujottamaḥ

And having beheld the god Bhava, worshipped even once with due rite, that finest of men comes to share the very fruit of pilgrimage to Kedara.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.367.6)

चैत्रे मासि भवं दृष्ट्वा न पुनर्जायते भुवि। वैशाख्यामथवा सम्यग्भवं दृष्ट्वा विमुच्यते

caitre māsi bhavaṁ dṛṣṭvā na punarjāyate bhuvi| vaiśākhyāmathavā samyagbhavaṁ dṛṣṭvā vimucyate

Having beheld Bhava in the month of Chaitra, one is not born again upon this earth; or, rightly beholding Bhava in Vaishakha, one is liberated.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.367.7)

वाराणस्यां कुरुक्षेत्रे नर्मदायां तु यत्फलम्। तत्फलं निमिषार्द्धेन भवं दृष्ट्वा दिनेदिने

vārāṇasyāṁ kurukṣetre narmadāyāṁ tu yatphalam| tatphalaṁ nimiṣārddhena bhavaṁ dṛṣṭvā dinedine

Whatever fruit is obtained at Varanasi, at Kurukshetra, or on the Narmada — that same fruit is obtained in but half a moment by beholding Bhava, day after day.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.367.8)

दुर्ल्लभस्तत्र वासस्तु दुर्ल्लभं भवदर्शनम्। प्रेतत्वं नैव तस्यास्ति न याम्या नारकी व्यथा

durllabhastatra vāsastu durllabhaṁ bhavadarśanam| pretatvaṁ naiva tasyāsti na yāmyā nārakī vyathā

Rare indeed is dwelling there, and rare is the sight of Bhava; for one who attains it, there is no state of a ghost, no torment of Yama, and no suffering of hell.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.367.9)

येषां भवालये प्राणा गता वै वरवर्णिनि। धन्यानामपि धन्यास्ते देवानामपि देवताः

yeṣāṁ bhavālaye prāṇā gatā vai varavarṇini| dhanyānāmapi dhanyāste devānāmapi devatāḥ

O fair one, those whose life-breath departs within the abode of Bhava are, among the blessed, the most blessed — among the gods, veritable deities.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.367.10)

वस्त्रापथे मतिर्येषां भवे येषां मतिः स्थिरा। गोदानं तत्र शंसंति ब्राह्मणानां च भोजनम्। पिंडदानं च तत्रैव कल्पांतं तृप्तिमा वहेत्

vastrāpathe matiryeṣāṁ bhave yeṣāṁ matiḥ sthirā| godānaṁ tatra śaṁsaṁti brāhmaṇānāṁ ca bhojanam| piṁḍadānaṁ ca tatraiva kalpāṁtaṁ tṛptimā vahet

Those whose mind is fixed upon Vastrapatha, whose thought is steadfast upon Bhava — they extol the gift of a cow there, and the feeding of brahmins; and the pinda-offering made there bears satisfaction lasting until the end of the kalpa.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.367.11)

इति संक्षेपतः प्रोक्तं माहात्म्यं ते भवोद्भवम्। श्रुतं पापोपशमनं यज्ञायुतफलप्रदम्

iti saṁkṣepataḥ proktaṁ māhātmyaṁ te bhavodbhavam| śrutaṁ pāpopaśamanaṁ yajñāyutaphalapradam

Thus has this glory, born of Bhava, been told to you in brief; when heard, it calms all sin and bestows the fruit of ten thousand sacrifices.