Sarasvata's Counsel to King Bhoja, Eager for Pilgrimage to Vastrapatha

Verse 1 (skanda.7.375.1)

पार्वत्युवाच। अहो तीर्थस्य माहात्म्यं गिरे रैवतकस्य च। भवस्य देवदेवस्य तथा वस्त्रापथस्य च

pārvatyuvāca| aho tīrthasya māhātmyaṁ gire raivatakasya ca| bhavasya devadevasya tathā vastrāpathasya ca

Parvati said: Ah, what a glory is this — of the tirtha, and of Mount Raivataka, of Bhava the god of gods, and of Vastrapatha as well!

Verse 2 (skanda.7.375.2)

गंगा सरस्वती चैव गोमती नर्मदा नदी। स्वर्णरेखाजले सर्वास्तथा ब्रह्मा सवासवः

gaṁgā sarasvatī caiva gomatī narmadā nadī| svarṇarekhājale sarvāstathā brahmā savāsavaḥ

Ganga, Sarasvati, Gomati, and the river Narmada — all of them, together with Brahma and Indra, are present in the waters of the Svarnarekha.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.375.3)

ब्रह्मेन्द्रविष्णुमुख्यानां देवानां शंकरस्य च। वासो विरचितस्तत्र यावद्ब्रह्मदिनं भवेत्

brahmendraviṣṇumukhyānāṁ devānāṁ śaṁkarasya ca| vāso viracitastatra yāvadbrahmadinaṁ bhavet

The dwelling of the gods headed by Brahma, Indra, and Vishnu, and of Shankara too, has been established there for as long as a day of Brahma shall last.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.375.4)

क्षेत्रतीर्थप्रभावं च प्रसादात्तव शंकर। श्रुतं सविस्तरं सर्वमिदं त्वदुदितं मया

kṣetratīrthaprabhāvaṁ ca prasādāttava śaṁkara| śrutaṁ savistaraṁ sarvamidaṁ tvaduditaṁ mayā

By your grace, O Shankara, I have heard in full detail all this power of the field and its tirtha, exactly as told by you.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.375.5)

महेश्वर प्रभो ब्रूहि किं चकार जनेश्वरः। भोजराजो मृगीं प्राप्य स च सारस्वतो मुनिः

maheśvara prabho brūhi kiṁ cakāra janeśvaraḥ| bhojarājo mṛgīṁ prāpya sa ca sārasvato muniḥ

O lord Maheshvara, tell me now: what did King Bhoja, lord of his people, do after obtaining the deer-woman, and what did the sage Sarasvata do?

Verse 6 (skanda.7.375.6)

ईश्वर उवाच। तासु सर्वासु नारीषु रूपौदार्यगुणाधिका। नित्यं प्रमुदिता शांता नित्यं मंगलकारिका

īśvara uvāca| tāsu sarvāsu nārīṣu rūpaudāryaguṇādhikā| nityaṁ pramuditā śāṁtā nityaṁ maṁgalakārikā

Ishvara said: Among all those women, she excelled in beauty, in nobility, and in virtue; ever joyful, ever tranquil, ever a bringer of auspiciousness.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.375.7)

माता स्वसा सखी पुत्री स्त्रीषु संबन्धवर्धनी। पिता भ्राता गुरुः पुत्रः पुरुषेषु तथा कृतः

mātā svasā sakhī putrī strīṣu saṁbandhavardhinī| pitā bhrātā guruḥ putraḥ puruṣeṣu tathā kṛtaḥ

To the women of the household she was as a mother, sister, friend, and daughter, ever strengthening their bonds; and to the men, likewise, she was as a father, brother, teacher, and son.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.375.8)

एवं गुणवतीं भार्यां प्राप्य हृष्टो जनेश्वरः। सारस्वतं मुनिं स्तुत्वा राजा वचनमब्रवीत्

evaṁ guṇavatīṁ bhāryāṁ prāpya hṛṣṭo janeśvaraḥ| sārasvataṁ muniṁ stutvā rājā vacanamabravīt

Having thus obtained so virtuous a wife, the joyful lord of his people, King Bhoja, praised the sage Sarasvata and spoke these words.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.375.9)

राजोवाच। ब्रह्मा विष्णुर्हरः सूर्य इन्द्रोऽग्निर्मरुतां गणः। ब्रह्मचर्येण तपसा त्वया सन्तोषिताः प्रभो

rājovāca| brahmā viṣṇurharaḥ sūrya indro'gnirmarutāṁ gaṇaḥ| brahmacaryeṇa tapasā tvayā santoṣitāḥ prabho

The king said: Brahma, Vishnu, Hara, Surya, Indra, Agni, and the host of the Maruts — all of them, O lord, have been well pleased by your celibacy and austerity.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.375.10)

दैवतं परमं मे त्वं पिता माता गुरुः प्रभुः। येन जन्मांतरं सर्वं प्रत्यक्षं कथितं मम

daivataṁ paramaṁ me tvaṁ pitā mātā guruḥ prabhuḥ| yena janmāṁtaraṁ sarvaṁ pratyakṣaṁ kathitaṁ mama

You are my supreme deity, my father, mother, teacher, and lord — for by you, all my former births have been told to me as if seen with my own eyes.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.375.11)

सुराष्ट्रदेशो विख्यातो गिरी रैवतको महान्। भवः स्वयंभूर्भगवान्क्षेत्रे वस्त्रापथे श्रुतः

surāṣṭradeśo vikhyāto girī raivatako mahān| bhavaḥ svayaṁbhūrbhagavānkṣetre vastrāpathe śrutaḥ

The land of Saurashtra is renowned, and the great mountain Raivataka too; the self-existent Lord Bhava, I have heard, is famed there in the field of Vastrapatha.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.375.12)

उज्जयंतगिरेर्मूर्ध्नि गौरीस्कन्दगणेश्वराः। भावयंतो भवं सर्वे संस्थिता ब्रह्मवासरम्

ujjayaṁtagirermūrdhni gaurīskandagaṇeśvarāḥ| bhāvayaṁto bhavaṁ sarve saṁsthitā brahmavāsaram

Upon the summit of Mount Ujjayanta, Gauri, Skanda, and the lords of the ganas, all meditating upon Bhava, remain established there for the whole span of a day of Brahma.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.375.13)

वामनो नगरं स्थाप्य शिवं सिद्धेश्वरं प्रति। जित्वा दैत्यं बलिं बद्ध्वा स्वयं रैवतके स्थितः

vāmano nagaraṁ sthāpya śivaṁ siddheśvaraṁ prati| jitvā daityaṁ baliṁ baddhvā svayaṁ raivatake sthitaḥ

Vamana too, having established a city facing Shiva Siddheshvara, and having conquered and bound the demon Bali, himself abides upon Raivataka.

Verse 14 (skanda.7.375.14)

इत्येतत्सर्वमाश्चर्यं जीवद्भिर्यदि दृश्यते। तीर्थयात्राविधानेन भवो वस्त्रापथे हरिः

ityetatsarvamāścaryaṁ jīvadbhiryadi dṛśyate| tīrthayātrāvidhānena bhavo vastrāpathe hariḥ

If all this wonder can indeed be seen by the living, then, through the due observance of tirtha-pilgrimage, one may behold Bhava and Hari together at Vastrapatha.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.375.15)

त्यक्त्वा राज्यं प्रियान्पुत्रान्पत्त्यश्वरथकुञ्जरान्। पुत्रं राज्ये प्रतिष्ठाप्य गन्तव्यं निश्चितं मया

tyaktvā rājyaṁ priyānputrānpattyaśvarathakuñjarān| putraṁ rājye pratiṣṭhāpya gantavyaṁ niścitaṁ mayā

Abandoning my kingdom, my beloved sons, my foot-soldiers, horses, chariots, and elephants, and establishing my own son upon the throne, I have resolved that I must go there.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.375.16)

त्वत्प्रसादाच्छ्रुतं सर्वं गम्यते यदि दृश्यते। तीर्थयात्राविधानेन भवो वस्त्रापथे हरिः

tvatprasādācchrutaṁ sarvaṁ gamyate yadi dṛśyate| tīrthayātrāvidhānena bhavo vastrāpathe hariḥ

By your grace, I have heard it all; and if it can indeed be seen, one should go there, through the due observance of tirtha-pilgrimage, to behold Bhava and Hari at Vastrapatha.

Verse 17 (skanda.7.375.17)

सूर्यलोकं सोमलोकमिंद्रलोकं हरेः पुरम्। ब्रह्मलोकमतिक्रम्य यास्येऽहं शिवमंदिरम्

sūryalokaṁ somalokamiṁdralokaṁ hareḥ puram| brahmalokamatikramya yāsye'haṁ śivamandiram

Passing beyond the world of the Sun, the world of the Moon, the world of Indra, the very city of Hari, and even the world of Brahma, I shall go to the temple of Shiva.

Verse 18 (skanda.7.375.18)

श्रुत्वा हि वाक्यं विविधं नरेन्द्रात्प्रहृष्टरोमा स मुनिर्बभूव। जिज्ञासमानो हि नृपस्य सर्वं निवारयामास मुनिर्नरेन्द्रम्

śrutvā hi vākyaṁ vividhaṁ narendrātprahṛṣṭaromā sa munirbabhūva| jijñāsamāno hi nṛpasya sarvaṁ nivārayāmāsa munirnarendram

Hearing these many words from the king, the sage's hair stood on end with joy; yet, wishing to test the king's resolve fully, the sage sought to dissuade him.

Verse 19 (skanda.7.375.19)

सारस्वत उवाच। गृहेऽपि देवा हरविष्णुमुख्या जलानि दर्भा नृपते तिलाश्च। अनेकदेशांतरदर्शनार्थं मनो निवार्यं नृपते त्वयेति

sārasvata uvāca| gṛhe'pi devā haraviṣṇumukhyā jalāni darbhā nṛpate tilāśca| anekadeśāṁtaradarśanārthaṁ mano nivāryaṁ nṛpate tvayeti

Sarasvata said: Even at home, O king, the gods headed by Hara and Vishnu are present, and so too are water, kusha grass, and sesame. For the sake of merely seeing many distant lands, O king, you should restrain your mind.