The Greatness of Koteshwara

Verse 1 (skanda.7.395.1)

पुलस्त्य उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्नृपश्रेष्ठ देवं कोटीश्वरं परम् । यं दृष्ट्वा मानवः सम्यक्परां सिद्धिमवाप्नुयात्

pulastya uvāca | tato gacchennṛpaśreṣṭha devaṁ koṭīśvaraṁ param | yaṁ dṛṣṭvā mānavaḥ samyakparāṁ siddhimavāpnuyāt

Pulastya said: O best of kings, then one should go to the supreme deity Koteshwara, seeing whom a man fully attains the highest accomplishment.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.395.2)

शृणु तत्राभवत्पूर्वं यदाश्चर्यं महीपते । दक्षिणस्या मुनिवराः कोटिसंख्याप्रमाणतः

śṛṇu tatrābhavatpūrvaṁ yadāścaryaṁ mahīpate | dakṣiṇasyā munivarāḥ koṭisaṅkhyāpramāṇataḥ

O king, hear the wondrous thing that happened there long ago. From the south, best of sages came in a number of ten million.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.395.3)

अन्योऽन्यं स्पर्धया सर्वे हेलयाऽर्बुदमागताः । अहं पूर्वमहं पूर्वं प्रपश्याम्यचलेश्वरम्

anyonyaṁ spardhayā sarve helayā'rbudamāgatāḥ | ahaṁ pūrvamahaṁ pūrvaṁ prapaśyāmyacaleśvaram

All of them, competing with one another in pride, came to Arbuda, each saying: "I first, I first shall behold Acaleshwara."

Verse 4 (skanda.7.395.4)

आगमिष्यति यः पश्चाद्ब्राह्मणः श्वा भविष्यति । पापीयान्भक्तिरहितः श्रद्धाहीनो भविष्यति

āgamiṣyati yaḥ paścādbrāhmaṇaḥ śvā bhaviṣyati | pāpīyānbhaktirahitaḥ śraddhāhīno bhaviṣyati

"Whichever brahmin arrives last shall become a dog - sinful, devoid of devotion, and lacking faith."

Verse 5 (skanda.7.395.5)

इत्येवं स्पर्धमानास्ते हेलयाऽर्बुदमागताः । ततः सर्वे यतात्मानः सम्यग्व्रतपरायणाः

ityevaṁ spardhamānāste helayā'rbudamāgatāḥ | tataḥ sarve yatātmānaḥ samyagvrataparāyaṇāḥ

Thus, competing with one another, they came to Arbuda in pride. Then they all, becoming self-controlled, devoted themselves properly to their vows.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.395.6)

शांतास्तपस्विनः सर्वे वेदविद्याविशारदाः । तेषामीहितमाज्ञाय सम्यक्कामनिषूदनः

śāṁtāstapasvinaḥ sarve vedavidyāviśāradāḥ | teṣāmīhitamājñāya samyakkāmaniṣūdanaḥ

All were peaceful, austere, and skilled in Vedic learning. Fully knowing their desire, the slayer of Kama.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.395.7)

कृपया परयाविष्टो भक्तिभावान्महेश्वरः । कोटिं कृत्वाऽऽत्मलिंगानां तस्मिन्स्थाने व्यवस्थितः

kṛpayā parayāviṣṭo bhaktibhāvānmaheśvaraḥ | koṭiṁ kṛtvā'tmaliṅgānāṁ tasminsthāne vyavasthitaḥ

Overcome by supreme compassion, moved by their devotional love, Maheshwara created ten million manifestations of his own linga and established himself in that place.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.395.8)

एकस्मिन्नेव काले तु सर्वैर्दृष्टो महेश्वरः । मुनिभिश्च नृपश्रेष्ठ कोटिसंख्यैः पृथक्पृथक्

ekasminneva kāle tu sarvairdṛṣṭo maheśvaraḥ | munibhiśca nṛpaśreṣṭha koṭisaṅkhyaiḥ pṛthakpṛthak

In that very same moment, Maheshwara was beheld separately by all those ten million sages, O best of kings.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.395.9)

अथ ते मुनयः सर्वे समं दृष्ट्वा महेश्वरम् । विस्मयोत्फुल्लनयना साधुसाध्विति चाब्रुवन्

atha te munayaḥ sarve samaṁ dṛṣṭvā maheśvaram | vismayotphullanayanā sādhusādhviti cābruvan

Then all those sages, seeing Maheshwara equally, exclaimed with eyes wide in astonishment: "Well done, well done!"

Verse 10 (skanda.7.395.10)

भक्तियुक्ता द्विजाः सर्वेऽस्तुवंस्ते वैदिकैः स्तवैः । तेषां तुष्टस्ततः शंभुर्वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह

bhaktiyuktā dvijāḥ sarve'stuvaṁste vaidikaiḥ stavaiḥ | teṣāṁ tuṣṭastataḥ śambhurvākyametaduvāca ha

Full of devotion, all the brahmins praised him with Vedic hymns. Pleased with them, Shambhu then said this.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.395.11)

श्रीमहादेव उवाच । तुष्टोऽहं मुनयः सर्वे श्रद्धया परया हि वः । वरं वै व्रियतां शीघ्रं सर्वैश्चैव पृथक्पृथक्

śrīmahādeva uvāca | tuṣṭo'haṁ munayaḥ sarve śraddhayā parayā hi vaḥ | varaṁ vai vriyatāṁ śīghraṁ sarvaiścaiva pṛthakpṛthak

Mahadeva said: O sages, I am pleased with the supreme faith of you all. Let each of you swiftly and separately ask for a boon.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.395.12)

ऋषय ऊचुः । एष एव वरोऽस्माकं सर्वेषां हृदि वर्त्तितः । युगपद्दर्शनाद्देव जायतां फलमुत्तमम्

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | eṣa eva varo'smākaṁ sarveṣāṁ hṛdi varttitaḥ | yugapaddarśanāddeva jāyatāṁ phalamuttamam

The sages said: This alone is the boon that resides in all our hearts - O god, may an excellent fruit arise from beholding you simultaneously.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.395.13)

श्रीमहादेव उवाच । न वृथा दर्शनं मे स्याद्विशेषाद्ब्राह्मणस्य च । दर्शनं ये करिष्यंति तेषां च तीर्थजं फलम्

śrīmahādeva uvāca | na vṛthā darśanaṁ me syādviśeṣādbrāhmaṇasya ca | darśanaṁ ye kariṣyanti teṣāṁ ca tīrthajaṁ phalam

Mahadeva said: My sight is never in vain, especially for a brahmin. Whoever shall behold me shall obtain the fruit born of a sacred ford.

Verse 14 (skanda.7.395.14)

मुनय ऊचुः । अवश्यं यदि दातव्यो वरोऽस्माकं महेश्वर । एकं कोटिमयं लिंगं क्रियतां वृषभध्वज

munaya ūcuḥ | avaśyaṁ yadi dātavyo varo'smākaṁ maheśvara | ekaṁ koṭimayaṁ liṅgaṁ kriyatāṁ vṛṣabhadhvaja

The sages said: O Maheshwara, if a boon must certainly be given to us, then, O bull-bannered one, make a single linga equal in worth to ten million lingas.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.395.15)

यस्मिन्दृष्टे फलं नृणां जायते कोटिलिंगजम् । एवमेष वरोऽस्माकं दीयतां वृषभध्वज

yasmindṛṣṭe phalaṁ nṛṇāṁ jāyate koṭiliṅgajam | evameṣa varo'smākaṁ dīyatāṁ vṛṣabhadhvaja

Seeing which, men obtain the fruit of beholding ten million lingas. O bull-bannered one, let this boon be given to us.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.395.16)

पुलस्त्य उवाच । एवं सप्रार्थमानानां मुनीनां भावितात्मनाम् । निर्भिद्य पर्वतश्रेष्ठं सहसा लिंगमुद्गतम्

pulastya uvāca | evaṁ saprārthamānānāṁ munīnāṁ bhāvitātmanām | nirbhidya parvataśreṣṭhaṁ sahasā liṅgamudgatam

Pulastya said: Thus, for those sages of purified souls who were praying, a linga suddenly arose, splitting through the best of mountains.

Verse 17 (skanda.7.395.17)

एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु वागुवाचाशरीरिणी । कृपया परया सर्वांस्तानृषीन्वसुधाधिप

etasminneva kāle tu vāguvācāśarīriṇī | kṛpayā parayā sarvāṁstānṛṣīnvasudhādhipa

At that very moment a bodiless voice spoke, with supreme compassion addressing, O lord of earth, all those sages.

Verse 18 (skanda.7.395.18)

वागुवाच । कोटीश्वराख्यं मे लिंगं लोके ख्यातिं गमिष्यति । माघकृष्णचतुर्द्दश्यां यश्चैनं पूजयिष्यति

vāguvāca | koṭīśvarākhyaṁ me liṅgaṁ loke khyātiṁ gamiṣyati | māghakṛṣṇacaturddaśyāṁ yaścainaṁ pūjayiṣyati

The voice said: This linga of mine shall become known in the world by the name "Koteshwara." Whoever worships it on the fourteenth of the dark fortnight of Magha.

Verse 19 (skanda.7.395.19)

सर्वं कोटिगुणं तस्य फलं विप्रा भविष्यति । दाक्षिणात्यो नरो यस्तु श्राद्धमत्र करिष्यति

sarvaṁ koṭiguṇaṁ tasya phalaṁ viprā bhaviṣyati | dākṣiṇātyo naro yastu śrāddhamatra kariṣyati

O brahmins, he shall obtain a fruit ten million times over in everything. Whatever man of the south performs the ancestral rite here.

Verse 20 (skanda.7.395.20)

फलं कोटिगुणं तस्य गयाश्राद्धसमं भवेत् । तस्माद्विशेषतः पूज्यं मम लिंगं च मानवैः

phalaṁ koṭiguṇaṁ tasya gayāśrāddhasamaṁ bhavet | tasmādviśeṣataḥ pūjyaṁ mama liṅgaṁ ca mānavaiḥ

He shall obtain a fruit ten million times greater, equal to the ancestral rite performed at Gaya. Therefore this linga of mine is especially worthy of worship by men.

Verse 21 (skanda.7.395.21)

पुलस्त्य उवाच । एवमुक्त्वा तु सा वाणी विरराम महीपते । ततस्ते मुनयः सर्वे गंधधूपानुलेपनैः

pulastya uvāca | evamuktvā tu sā vāṇī virarāma mahīpate | tataste munayaḥ sarve gandhadhūpānulepanaiḥ

Pulastya said: O king, having said this, that voice fell silent. Then all those sages, with fragrance, incense and unguents.

Verse 22 (skanda.7.395.22)

तल्लिंगं पूजयामासुः श्रद्धया परया नृप । पूजयित्वा गताः सिद्धिं सर्वे लिंगप्रसादतः

talliṅgaṁ pūjayāmāsuḥ śraddhayā parayā nṛpa | pūjayitvā gatāḥ siddhiṁ sarve liṅgaprasādataḥ

O king, worshipped that linga with supreme faith. Having worshipped it, they all attained accomplishment through the grace of the linga.