The Greatness of Shukreshwara

Verse 1 (skanda.7.399.1)

पुलस्त्य उवाच । ततः शुक्रेश्वरं गच्छेच्छुक्रेण स्थापितं पुरा । यं दृष्ट्वा मानवः सद्यः सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते

pulastya uvāca | tataḥ śukreśvaraṁ gacchecchukreṇa sthāpitaṁ purā | yaṁ dṛṣṭvā mānavaḥ sadyaḥ sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate

Pulastya said: Then one should go to Shukreshwara, established long ago by Shukra, seeing whom a man is instantly freed from all sins.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.399.2)

दृष्ट्वा दैत्यान्पुरा देवैर्निर्जितान्नृपसत्तम । चिन्तयामास मेधावी भार्गवस्तान्प्रति द्विजः

dṛṣṭvā daityānpurā devairnirjitānnṛpasattama | ciṁtayāmāsa medhāvī bhārgavastānprati dvijaḥ

O best of kings, seeing long ago the demons defeated by the gods, the wise Bhargava brahmin (Shukra) began to reflect concerning them.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.399.3)

कथं दैत्याः सुराञ्जित्वा प्राप्स्यंति च महायशः । आराध्य शंकरं सिद्धिं गच्छामि मनसेप्सितम्

kathaṁ daityāḥ surāñjitvā prāpsyanti ca mahāyaśaḥ | ārādhya śaṅkaraṁ siddhiṁ gacchāmi manasepsitam

How shall the demons defeat the gods and attain great glory? By worshipping Shankara I shall attain the accomplishment my mind desires.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.399.4)

एवं स निश्चयं कृत्वा गतोऽर्बुदमथाचलम् । भूमेर्विवरमासाद्य तपस्तेपे सुदारुणम्

evaṁ sa niścayaṁ kṛtvā gato'rbudamathācalam | bhūmervivaramāsādya tapastepe sudāruṇam

Having so resolved, he went to Mount Arbuda, and, finding a cavity in the ground, performed most severe austerity.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.399.5)

शिवलिंगं प्रतिष्ठाप्य धूपगंधानुलेपनैः । अनिशं पूजयामास श्रद्धया परयान्वितः

śivaliṅgaṁ pratiṣṭhāpya dhūpagandhānulepanaiḥ | aniśaṁ pūjayāmāsa śraddhayā parayānvitaḥ

Establishing a Shiva linga, he worshipped it continuously with incense, fragrance and unguents, endowed with supreme faith.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.399.6)

ततो वर्षसहस्रांते तुतोष भगवाञ्छिवः । तस्य संदर्शनं दत्त्वा वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह

tato varṣasahasrāṁte tutoṣa bhagavāñchivaḥ | tasya saṁdarśanaṁ dattvā vākyametaduvāca ha

Then, at the end of a thousand years, the Blessed Shiva was pleased, and, granting him his sight, spoke these words.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.399.7)

श्रीमहादेव उवाच । परितुष्टोऽस्मि ते विप्र भक्त्या तव द्विजोत्तम । वरं वरय भद्रं ते यद्यपि स्यात्सुदुर्लभम्

śrīmahādeva uvāca | parituṣṭo'smi te vipra bhaktyā tava dvijottama | varaṁ varaya bhadraṁ te yadyapi syātsudurlabham

Mahadeva said: O brahmin, O best of the twice-born, I am greatly pleased with your devotion. May all be well with you; ask for a boon, even if it be most difficult to obtain.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.399.8)

शुक्र उवाच । यदि तुष्टो महादेव विद्यां देहि महेश्वर । यया जीवंति संप्राप्ता मृत्युं संख्येपि जंतवः

śukra uvāca | yadi tuṣṭo mahādeva vidyāṁ dehi maheśvara | yayā jīvanti samprāptā mṛtyuṁ saṁkhye'pi jaṁtavaḥ

Shukra said: O Mahadeva, if you are pleased, then, O Maheshwara, give me the science by which beings who have met death even in battle may live again.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.399.9)

पुलस्त्य उवाच । प्रदाय वै शिवस्तस्मै तां विद्यां नृपसत्तम । अब्रवीच्च पुनः शुक्रं वरमन्यं वृणीष्व मे

pulastya uvāca | pradāya vai śivastasmai tāṁ vidyāṁ nṛpasattama | abravīcca punaḥ śukraṁ varamanyaṁ vṛṇīṣva me

Pulastya said: O best of kings, Shiva, having granted him that science, said again to Shukra: "Ask me for another boon too."

Verse 10 (skanda.7.399.10)

शुक्र उवाच । एतत्कार्तिकमासस्य शुक्लाष्टम्यां तु यः स्पृशेत् । ततो लिंगं पूजयेच्च यः पुमाञ्छ्रद्धयान्वितः

śukra uvāca | etatkārtikamāsasya śuklāṣṭamyāṁ tu yaḥ spṛśet | tato liṅgaṁ pūjayecca yaḥ pumāñchraddhayānvitaḥ

Shukra said: Whoever touches this on the bright eighth of the month of Kartika, and then, endowed with faith, worships this linga.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.399.11)

अल्पमृत्युभयं तस्य मा भूत्तव प्रसादतः । इष्टान्कामानवाप्नोतु इहलोके परत्र च

alpamṛtyubhayaṁ tasya mā bhūttava prasādataḥ | iṣṭānkāmānavāpnotu ihaloke paratra ca

May he, through your grace, have no fear of premature death. May he obtain his cherished desires, in this world and the next.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.399.12)

पुलस्त्य उवाच । एवमस्त्विति स प्रोच्य तत्रैवांतरधीयत । शुक्रोपि दानवान्संख्ये हतान्देवैरनेकशः

pulastya uvāca | evamastviti sa procya tatraivāṁtaradhīyata | śukro'pi dānavānsaṁkhye hatāndevairanekaśaḥ

Pulastya said: Saying "so be it," he vanished right there. Shukra too, the many danavas slain in battle by the gods.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.399.13)

विद्यायाश्च प्रभावेन जीवयामास तान्मुनिः । तस्याग्रेऽस्मिन्महाकुण्डं निर्मलं पापनाशनम्

vidyāyāśca prabhāvena jīvayāmāsa tānmuniḥ | tasyāgre'sminmahākuṇḍaṁ nirmalaṁ pāpanāśanam

by the power of that science, that sage restored to life. Before it stands this great, pure, sin-destroying pool.

Verse 14 (skanda.7.399.14)

तत्र स्नातो नरः सम्यक्पातकैश्च प्रमुच्यते । तत्र श्राद्धेन राजेंद्र तुष्टा यांति पितामहाः

tatra snāto naraḥ samyakpātakaiśca pramucyate | tatra śrāddhena rājendra tuṣṭā yānti pitāmahāḥ

A man who bathes there is fully freed from sins. O king of kings, by the ancestral rite performed there, the forefathers, pleased, ascend to heaven.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.399.15)

तर्पिताः सलिलेनैव किं पुनः पिंडदानतः । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन स्नानं तत्र समाचरेत्

tarpitāḥ salilenaiva kiṁ punaḥ piṇḍadānataḥ | tasmātsarvaprayatnena snānaṁ tatra samācaret

They are satisfied by the mere offering of water - what then of the offering of rice-balls! Therefore one should, with every effort, bathe there.