The Greatness of Nagatirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.7.389.1)

ऋषय ऊचुः । अर्बुदस्य च माहात्म्यं विस्तरेण वदस्व नः । कौतुकं सूत नो जातं कथयस्व यथा शुभम्

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | arbudasya ca māhātmyaṁ vistareṇa vadasva naḥ | kautukaṁ sūta no jātaṁ kathayasva yathā śubham

The sages said: O Suta, tell us the greatness of Arbuda in detail. Curiosity has arisen in us; please relate that auspicious tale.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.389.2)

सूत उवाच । पुरासीच्च ऋषिश्रेष्ठः पुलस्त्यो भगवान्मुनिः । ययातेश्च गृहे यातस्तं नत्वा चाब्रवीन्नृपः

sūta uvāca | purāsīcca ṛṣiśreṣṭhaḥ pulastyo bhagavānmuniḥ | yayāteśca gṛhe yātastaṁ natvā cābravīnnṛpaḥ

Suta said: Long ago there was the revered sage Pulastya, foremost of seers. He came to the house of King Yayati, and the king, bowing to him, said this.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.389.3)

ययातिरुवाच । स्वागतं ते मुनिश्रेष्ठ सफलं मेऽद्यजीवितम् । कथयस्व प्रसादेन कथामर्बुदसंभवाम्

yayātiruvāca | svāgataṁ te muniśreṣṭha saphalaṁ me'dyajīvitam | kathayasva prasādena kathāmarbudasaṁbhavām

Yayati said: Welcome, O best of sages! My life has borne fruit today. Please, by your grace, relate the story of Arbuda's origin.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.389.4)

अर्बुदाख्यो नगो नाम विख्यातो यो धरातले । तस्य यात्राक्रमं ब्रूहि तत्फलं द्विजसत्तम

arbudākhyo nago nāma vikhyāto yo dharātale | tasya yātrākramaṁ brūhi tatphalaṁ dvijasattama

O best of brahmins, tell me the procedure for pilgrimage to that mountain known as Arbuda, renowned on earth, and its fruit.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.389.5)

सर्वं विस्तरतो ब्रूहि तीर्थयात्रापरायण । तस्माद्वद मुनिश्रेष्ठ येन यात्रां करोम्यहम्

sarvaṁ vistarato brūhi tīrthayātrāparāyaṇa | tasmādvada muniśreṣṭha yena yātrāṁ karomyaham

O sage devoted to pilgrimage, tell me everything in detail, so that I may undertake that pilgrimage.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.389.6)

पुलस्त्य उवाच । बहुधर्ममयो राजन्नर्बुदः पर्वतोत्तमः । अशक्तो विस्तराद्वक्तुमपि वर्षशतैरपि

pulastya uvāca | bahudharmamayo rājannarbudaḥ parvatottamaḥ | aśakto vistarādvaktumapi varṣaśatairapi

Pulastya said: O king, the mountain Arbuda, best of mountains, abounds in many sacred merits; it cannot be described in full detail even in a hundred years.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.389.7)

संक्षेपादेव वक्ष्यामि तीर्थमुख्यानि ते तथा । नागतीर्थं तु तत्राद्यं सर्वकामप्रदं नृणाम्

saṁkṣepādeva vakṣyāmi tīrthamukhyāni te tathā | nāgatīrthaṁ tu tatrādyaṁ sarvakāmapradaṁ nṛṇām

I shall tell you briefly the principal sacred fords there. First among them is Nagatirtha, which grants all desires to men.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.389.8)

नारीणां च विशेषेण पुत्रसौभाग्यदायकम् । शृणु राजन्पुरावृत्तं यतोऽत्याश्चर्यमुत्तमम्

nārīṇāṁ ca viśeṣeṇa putrasaubhāgyadāyakam | śṛṇu rājanpurāvṛttaṁ yato'tyāścaryamuttamam

For women especially it bestows sons and good fortune. O king, hear an ancient tale about it, most wonderful indeed.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.389.9)

गौतमी ब्राह्मणी नाम्ना सती साध्वी पतिव्रता । बालवैधव्यसंप्राप्ता तीर्थयात्रापरायणा

gautamī brāhmaṇī nāmnā satī sādhvī pativratā | bālavaidhavyasaṁprāptā tīrthayātrāparāyaṇā

There was a brahmin woman named Gautami, chaste, virtuous, devoted to her husband, who had become a widow in her childhood and was devoted to pilgrimage.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.389.10)

अर्बुदं सा च संप्राप्ता नागतीर्थं विवेश ह । तस्मिञ्जले निमग्ना सा स्नातुमभ्याययौ पुरा

arbudaṁ sā ca samprāptā nāgatīrthaṁ viveśa ha | tasmiñjale nimagnā sā snātumabhyāyayau purā

She reached Mount Arbuda and entered Nagatirtha. She had come there to bathe, immersed in that water.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.389.11)

नायका पुत्रसंयुक्ता तत्तीर्थं समुपागता । शुश्रूषां सा तस्तस्याश्चक्रे नानाविधां नृप

nāyakā putrasaṁyuktā tattīrthaṁ samupāgatā | śuśrūṣāṁ sā tastasyāścakre nānāvidhāṁ nṛpa

O king, a married woman accompanied by her son also came to that ford. She rendered him varied kinds of loving service.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.389.12)

सर्वोपकरणैर्दर्भैः सुमनोभिः पृथग्विधैः । अथ सा चिंतयामास गौतमी पुत्रदुःखिता

sarvopakaraṇairdarbhaiḥ sumanobhiḥ pṛthagvidhaiḥ | atha sā ciṁtayāmāsa gautamī putraduḥkhitā

With all manner of ritual implements, kusha grass, flowers of many kinds. Then Gautami, grieving for lack of a son, fell to thinking.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.389.13)

धन्योऽयं तनयो ह्यस्याः शुश्रूषां कुरुते सदा । पुत्रयुक्ता त्वियं धन्या धिगहं पुत्रवर्जिता

dhanyo'yaṁ tanayo hyasyāḥ śuśrūṣāṁ kurute sadā | putrayuktā tviyaṁ dhanyā dhigahaṁ putravarjitā

Blessed is this son who ever serves his mother. Blessed is this woman blessed with a son; shame on me, who am without a son.

Verse 14 (skanda.7.389.14)

अहं भर्त्रा वियुक्ता च पुत्रहीना सुदुःखिता । अथ सा निर्गता तस्मात्सलिलान्नृपसत्तम

ahaṁ bhartrā viyuktā ca putrahīnā suduḥkhitā | atha sā nirgatā tasmātsalilānnṛpasattama

I am parted from my husband, without a son, and deeply grieving. O best of kings, then she came out of that water.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.389.15)

विनाऽपि भर्तृसंयोगात्सद्यो गर्भवती ह्यभूत् । सा गर्भलक्षणैर्युक्ता सुजनव्रीडयाऽन्विता

vinā'pi bhartṛsaṁyogātsadyo garbhavatī hyabhūt | sā garbhalakṣaṇairyuktā sujanavrīḍayā'nvitā

Without any union with a husband, she at once became pregnant. Showing the signs of pregnancy, she was filled with shame before good people.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.389.16)

चकार मरणे बुद्धिं ज्वालयामास पावकम् । एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु वागुवाचाशरीरिणी

cakāra maraṇe buddhiṁ jvālayāmāsa pāvakam | etasminneva kāle tu vāguvācāśarīriṇī

She resolved to die and kindled a fire. At that very moment a bodiless voice spoke.

Verse 17 (skanda.7.389.17)

वागुवाच । नो त्वं गौतमि चित्याग्नौ प्रवेशं कर्तुमर्हसि । दोषो नास्ति तवात्रार्थे तीर्थस्यास्य प्रभावतः

vāguvāca | no tvaṁ gautami cityāgnau praveśaṁ kartumarhasi | doṣo nāsti tavātrārthe tīrthasyāsya prabhāvataḥ

The voice said: O Gautami, you must not enter the funeral fire. There is no fault in you in this matter; it has happened through the power of this sacred ford.

Verse 18 (skanda.7.389.18)

यो यद्वांछति चित्ते च जलमध्ये स्थितो नरः । चिन्तितं च तदाप्नोति नारी वा नात्र संशयः

yo yadvāñchati citte ca jalamadhye sthito naraḥ | ciṁtitaṁ ca tadāpnoti nārī vā nātra saṁśayaḥ

Whatever a man or woman standing in this water desires in their heart, that they obtain, without doubt.

Verse 19 (skanda.7.389.19)

त्वया तस्याः सुतं दृष्ट्वा पुत्रवांछा कृता हृदि । तव गर्भगतो नूनं पुत्रः पुत्रि भविष्यति

tvayā tasyāḥ sutaṁ dṛṣṭvā putravāñchā kṛtā hṛdi | tava garbhagato nūnaṁ putraḥ putri bhaviṣyati

Seeing her son, you conceived a desire for a son in your heart. O daughter, surely a son has now entered your womb.

Verse 20 (skanda.7.389.20)

तस्माद्विरम भद्रं ते निर्दोषासि पतिव्रते । विरराम ततः साध्वी गौतमी मरणान्नृप

tasmādvirama bhadraṁ te nirdoṣāsi pativrate | virarāma tataḥ sādhvī gautamī maraṇānnṛpa

Therefore desist; may all be well with you, O faithful wife; you are blameless. O king, then the virtuous Gautami desisted from dying.

Verse 21 (skanda.7.389.21)

श्रुत्वाऽऽकाशगतां वाणीं देवदूतेन भाषिताम् । दृष्ट्वा पतिं विना गर्भं वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह

śrutvā'kāśagatāṁ vāṇīṁ devadūtena bhāṣitām | dṛṣṭvā patiṁ vinā garbhaṁ vākyametaduvāca ha

Hearing that voice from the sky, spoken by a divine messenger, and beholding her pregnancy though without a husband, she spoke these words.

Verse 22 (skanda.7.389.22)

अहो तीर्थप्रभावोऽयमपूर्वः प्रतिभाति मे । यत्र संजायते गर्भः स्त्रीणां शुक्ररजोविना

aho tīrthaprabhāvo'yamapūrvaḥ pratibhāti me | yatra saṁjāyate garbhaḥ strīṇāṁ śukrarajovinā

Ah, this power of the sacred ford seems unprecedented to me, where women conceive a womb without the union of seed and blood.

Verse 23 (skanda.7.389.23)

नाहं कुत्रापि यास्यामि मुक्त्वेदं तीर्थमुत्तमम् । एवमुक्त्वा ततः साध्वी तत्रैव न्यवसत्सदा

nāhaṁ kutrāpi yāsyāmi muktvedaṁ tīrthamuttamam | evamuktvā tataḥ sādhvī tatraiva nyavasatsadā

I shall go nowhere else, forsaking this excellent sacred ford. Having said this, that virtuous woman dwelt there forever.

Verse 24 (skanda.7.389.24)

पुत्रं वै जनयामास सर्वलक्षणलक्षितम् । तत्र पार्थिवशार्दूल कृष्णपक्षेऽश्विनस्य च

putraṁ vai janayāmāsa sarvalakṣaṇalakṣitam | tatra pārthivaśārdūla kṛṣṇapakṣe'śvinasya ca

O tiger among kings, there, in the dark fortnight of the month of Ashvina, she gave birth to a son marked with all auspicious signs.

Verse 25 (skanda.7.389.25)

यः पुनः कुरुते श्राद्धं तस्य वंशो न नश्यति । न प्रेतो जायते राजन्वंशे तस्य कदाचन

yaḥ punaḥ kurute śrāddhaṁ tasya vaṁśo na naśyati | na preto jāyate rājanvaṁśe tasya kadācana

Whoever performs the ancestral rites here, his lineage does not perish. O king, in his line no one is ever born as a wandering ghost.

Verse 26 (skanda.7.389.26)

यः पुमान्कामरहितः स्नानं तत्र समाचरेत् । श्राद्धं च पार्थिवश्रेष्ठ तस्य लोकाः सनातनाः

yaḥ pumānkāmarahitaḥ snānaṁ tatra samācaret | śrāddhaṁ ca pārthivaśreṣṭha tasya lokāḥ sanātanāḥ

O best of kings, whoever bathes there and performs the ancestral rites without desire attains eternal worlds.

Verse 27 (skanda.7.389.27)

या स्त्री पुष्पफलान्येव तीर्थे चास्मिन्विसर्जयेत् । सा स्यात्पुत्रवती धन्या सौभाग्यं च प्रपद्यते

yā strī puṣpaphalānyeva tīrthe cāsminvisarjayet | sā syātputravatī dhanyā saubhāgyaṁ ca prapadyate

Whatever woman offers flowers and fruit at this sacred ford becomes blessed with a son and attains good fortune.

Verse 28 (skanda.7.389.28)

निष्कामा स्वर्गमाप्नोति दुष्प्राप्यं त्रिदशैरपि । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन यात्रां तस्य समाचरेत्

niṣkāmā svargamāpnoti duṣprāpyaṁ tridaśairapi | tasmātsarvaprayatnena yātrāṁ tasya samācaret

The desireless woman attains a heaven hard to obtain even for the gods. Therefore one should undertake that pilgrimage with every effort.