The Greatness of Vasishtha's Ashrama

Verse 1 (skanda.7.390.1)

पुलस्त्य उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्नृपश्रेष्ठ वसिष्ठं तपसां निधिम् । यं दृष्ट्वा मानवः सम्यक्कृतार्थत्वमवाप्नुयात्

pulastya uvāca | tato gacchennṛpaśreṣṭha vasiṣṭhaṁ tapasāṁ nidhim | yaṁ dṛṣṭvā mānavaḥ samyakkṛtārthatvamavāpnuyāt

Pulastya said: O best of kings, then one should go to Vasishtha, that treasury of austerity, beholding whom a man truly attains fulfillment.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.390.2)

तत्रास्ति जलसम्पूर्णं कुण्डं पापहरं नृणाम् । तस्मिन्कुण्डे नृपश्रेष्ठ वसिष्ठेन महात्मना

tatrāsti jalasampūrṇaṁ kuṇḍaṁ pāpaharaṁ nṛṇām | tasminkuṇḍe nṛpaśreṣṭha vasiṣṭhena mahātmanā

There is a pool there, full of water, that removes the sins of men. O best of kings, into that pool the great soul Vasishtha.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.390.3)

गोमती च समानीता तपसा नृपसत्तम । तत्र स्नातो नरः सम्यक्पातकैर्विप्रमुच्यते

gomatī ca samānītā tapasā nṛpasattama | tatra snāto naraḥ samyakpātakairvipramucyate

O best of kings, brought the river Gomati there by his austerity. A man who bathes there is fully freed from sins.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.390.4)

ऋषिधान्येन यस्तत्र श्राद्धं नृप समाचरेत् । स पितृंस्तारयेत्सर्वान्पक्षयोरुभयोरपि

ṛṣidhānyena yastatra śrāddhaṁ nṛpa samācaret | sa pitṛṁstārayetsarvānpakṣayorubhayorapi

O king, whoever performs the ancestral rites there with sage's grain (nivara) delivers all his ancestors on both sides of his family.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.390.5)

अत्र गाथा पुरा गीता नारदेन महात्मना । स्नात्वा पुण्योदके तत्र दृष्ट्वा तं मुनिसत्तमम्

atra gāthā purā gītā nāradena mahātmanā | snātvā puṇyodake tatra dṛṣṭvā taṁ munisattamam

Here, in ancient times, the great sage Narada recited a verse, after bathing in that holy water and beholding that foremost of sages.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.390.6)

किं गयाश्राद्धदानेन किमन्यैर्मखविस्तरैः । वसिष्ठस्याश्रमं प्राप्य यः श्राद्धं कुरुते नरः । स पितॄंस्तारयेत्सर्वानात्मना नृपसत्तम

kiṁ gayāśrāddhadānena kimanyairmakhavistaraiḥ | vasiṣṭhasyāśramaṁ prāpya yaḥ śrāddhaṁ kurute naraḥ | sa pitṝṁstārayetsarvānātmanā nṛpasattama

What is the use of ancestral offerings at Gaya, what use other elaborate sacrifices? O best of kings, whatever man, reaching Vasishtha's hermitage, performs the ancestral rite, delivers by himself all his forefathers.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.390.7)

तत्रैवारुंधती साध्वी वसिष्ठस्य समीपतः । पूजनीया विशेषेण सर्वकामप्रदा नृणाम्

tatraivāruṁdhatī sādhvī vasiṣṭhasya samīpataḥ | pūjanīyā viśeṣeṇa sarvakāmapradā nṛṇām

There, near Vasishtha, is the virtuous Arundhati, especially worthy of worship, granting all desires to men.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.390.8)

बाल्ये वयसि यत्पापं वार्द्धके यौवनेऽपि वा । वसिष्ठदर्शनात्सद्यो नराणां याति संक्षयम्

bālye vayasi yatpāpaṁ vārddhake yauvane'pi vā | vasiṣṭhadarśanātsadyo narāṇāṁ yāti saṁkṣayam

Whatever sin a man commits in childhood, in old age, or in youth, is instantly destroyed by the sight of Vasishtha.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.390.9)

दीपं प्रयच्छते यस्तु वसिष्ठाग्रे समाहितः । सुखसौभाग्यसंयुक्तस्तेजस्वी जायते नरः

dīpaṁ prayacchate yastu vasiṣṭhāgre samāhitaḥ | sukhasaubhāgyasaṁyuktastejasvī jāyate naraḥ

Whoever, with focused mind, offers a lamp before Vasishtha, becomes endowed with happiness and good fortune, and radiant.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.390.10)

उपवासपरो यस्तु तत्रैका रजनीं नयेत् । स याति परमं स्थानं यत्र सप्तर्षयोऽमलाः

upavāsaparo yastu tatraikā rajanīṁ nayet | sa yāti paramaṁ sthānaṁ yatra saptarṣayo'malāḥ

Whoever, keeping a fast, spends a single night there attains the supreme abode where the pure Seven Sages dwell.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.390.11)

त्रिरात्रिं कुरुते यस्तु वसिष्ठाग्रे समाहितः । स याति च महर्लोकं जरामरणवर्जितः

trirātriṁ kurute yastu vasiṣṭhāgre samāhitaḥ | sa yāti ca maharlokaṁ jarāmaraṇavarjitaḥ

Whoever, with focused mind, keeps three nights' vigil before Vasishtha attains the world of Mahar, free from old age and death.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.390.12)

यस्तु मासोपवासं च वसिष्ठाग्रे करोति च । सोऽपि मुक्तिमवाप्नोति न याति स भवार्णवम्

yastu māsopavāsaṁ ca vasiṣṭhāgre karoti ca | so'pi muktimavāpnoti na yāti sa bhavārṇavam

Whoever keeps a month-long fast before Vasishtha also attains liberation and does not return to the ocean of worldly existence.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.390.13)

श्रावणस्य सिते पक्षे पौर्णमास्यां समाहितः । ऋषिं तर्पयते यस्तु ब्रह्मलोकं स गच्छति

śrāvaṇasya site pakṣe paurṇamāsyāṁ samāhitaḥ | ṛṣiṁ tarpayate yastu brahmalokaṁ sa gacchati

Whoever, with focused mind, offers water-libations to the sage on the full moon of the bright fortnight of Shravana attains the world of Brahma.

Verse 14 (skanda.7.390.14)

वसिष्ठस्याग्रतो यस्तु गायत्र्यष्टशतं जपेत् । आजन्ममरणात्पापात्सद्यो मुच्येत मानवः

vasiṣṭhasyāgrato yastu gāyatryaṣṭaśataṁ japet | ājanmamaraṇātpāpātsadyo mucyeta mānavaḥ

Whoever recites the Gayatri mantra one hundred and eight times before Vasishtha is instantly freed from all sins accumulated from birth to death.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.390.15)

वामदेवं यजेत्तत्र यदि श्रद्धासमन्वितः । अग्निष्टोमफलं राजन्सद्यः प्राप्नोति मानवः

vāmadevaṁ yajettatra yadi śraddhāsamanvitaḥ | agniṣṭomaphalaṁ rājansadyaḥ prāpnoti mānavaḥ

If one worships Vamadeva there with faith, O king, a man immediately obtains the fruit of the Agnishtoma sacrifice.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.390.16)

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन द्रष्टव्योऽसौ महामुनिः । शुचिभिः श्रद्धया युक्तास्ते यास्यंति परं पदम्

tasmātsarvaprayatnena draṣṭavyo'sau mahāmuniḥ | śucibhiḥ śraddhayā yuktāste yāsyanti paraṁ padam

Therefore one should, with every effort, seek the sight of that great sage. Those who are pure and endowed with faith attain the supreme state.

Verse 17 (skanda.7.390.17)

तस्मात्सर्वात्मना राजन्वामदेवं च पूजयेत्

tasmātsarvātmanā rājanvāmadevaṁ ca pūjayet

Therefore, O king, one should worship Vamadeva with one's whole being.