The Glory of Bhimeshvara (Shvetaketvishvara)

Verse 1 (skanda.7.40.1)

ईश्वर उवाच॥ ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि श्वेतकेतुप्रतिष्ठितम्॥ लिंगं महाप्रभावं तु भीमेनाराधितं पुरा

īśvara uvāca|| tato gacchenmahādevi śvetaketupratiṣṭhitam|| liṁgaṁ mahāprabhāvaṁ tu bhīmenārādhitaṁ purā

Ishvara said: "Then one should go, O great goddess, to the linga established by Shvetaketu, of great power, worshipped formerly by Bhima."

Verse 2 (skanda.7.40.2)

केदारेश्वरसांनिध्ये नातिदूरे व्यवस्थितम्॥ पूजयते त्तद्विधानेन क्षीरस्नानादिभिः क्रमात् ॥ यात्राफलमभिप्रेप्सुः प्रेत्य स्वर्गफलाय वै

kedāreśvarasāṁnidhye nātidūre vyavasthitam|| pūjayate ttadvidhānena kṣīrasnānādibhiḥ kramāt || yātrāphalamabhiprepsuḥ pretya svargaphalāya vai

It is situated not far from the vicinity of Kedareshvara. One who desires the fruit of the pilgrimage should worship it according to rule, with a bath of milk and the like in due order, for the sake of heavenly fruit hereafter.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.40.3)

॥ देव्युवाच ॥ श्वेतकेतोस्तु यद्देव लिंगं प्रोक्तं त्वया मम ॥ तस्य जातं कथं देव नाम भीमेश्वरेति च

|| devyuvāca || śvetaketostu yaddeva liṁgaṁ proktaṁ tvayā mama || tasya jātaṁ kathaṁ deva nāma bhīmeśvareti ca

The Goddess said: "O god, this linga of Shvetaketu that you have told me of — how, O god, did its name Bhimeshvara come about?"

Verse 4 (skanda.7.40.4)

कथं विनिर्मितं पूर्वं तस्मिन्दृष्टे तु किं फलम्

kathaṁ vinirmitaṁ pūrvaṁ tasmindṛṣṭe tu kiṁ phalam

"How was it made in former times, and what is the fruit of beholding it?"

Verse 5 (skanda.7.40.5)

॥ ईश्वर उवाच ॥ आसीत्त्रेतायुगे पूर्वं राजा स्वायंभुवेंतरे ॥ श्वेतकेतुरिति ख्यातो राजर्षिः सुमहातपाः

|| īśvara uvāca || āsīttretāyuge pūrvaṁ rājā svāyaṁbhuveṁtare || śvetaketuriti khyāto rājarṣiḥ sumahātapāḥ

Ishvara said: "In the Treta age, formerly, in the Svayambhuva Manvantara, there was a king known as Shvetaketu, a royal sage of very great austerity."

Verse 6 (skanda.7.40.6)

स प्रभासं समागत्य प्रतिष्ठाप्य महे श्वरम् ॥ तपस्तेपे सुविपुलं सागरस्य तटे शुभे

sa prabhāsaṁ samāgatya pratiṣṭhāpya mahe śvaram || tapastepe suvipulaṁ sāgarasya taṭe śubhe

He came to Prabhasa, and, having established Maheshvara there, performed vast austerity on the auspicious shore of the ocean.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.40.7)

पंचाग्निसाधको ग्रीष्मे वर्षास्वाकाशगस्तथा ॥ हेमंते जलमध्यस्थो नव वर्षाणि पंच च

paṁcāgnisādhako grīṣme varṣāsvākāśagastathā || hemaṁte jalamadhyastho nava varṣāṇi paṁca ca

Practicing the five-fires austerity in summer, remaining in the open air during the rains, and standing amid water in winter — for fourteen years he did this.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.40.8)

ततश्चतुर्द्दशे देवि तपसा नियमेन च ॥ तुष्टेनोक्तो मया देवि वरं वरय सुव्रत

tataścaturddaśe devi tapasā niyamena ca || tuṣṭenokto mayā devi varaṁ varaya suvrata

Then, O goddess, in the fourteenth year, pleased by his austerity and discipline, I said to him, O goddess: "Choose a boon, O one of good vows."

Verse 9 (skanda.7.40.9)

श्वेतकेतुरथोवाच भक्तिं देहि सुनिश्चलाम् ॥ स्थानेऽस्मिन्स्थीयतां देव यदि तुष्टोऽसि मे प्रभो

śvetaketurathovāca bhaktiṁ dehi suniścalām || sthāne'sminsthīyatāṁ deva yadi tuṣṭo'si me prabho

Then Shvetaketu said: "Grant me unshakeable devotion; O god, remain in this very place, O Lord, if you are pleased with me."

Verse 10 (skanda.7.40.10)

एवमस्त्वित्यथोक्त्वाऽहं तस्यांतर्द्धानमागतः ॥ ततः कालांतरेऽतीते श्वेतकेतुर्महाप्रभः

evamastvityathoktvā'haṁ tasyāṁtarddhānamāgataḥ || tataḥ kālāṁtare'tīte śvetaketurmahāprabhaḥ

Saying "So be it," I then disappeared from his presence. Then, after some time had passed, Shvetaketu, of great splendour—

Verse 11 (skanda.7.40.11)

समाराध्य त्विदं लिंगं प्राप्तः स्थानं महोदयम् ॥ ततो जातं नाम तस्य श्वेतकेत्वीश्वरं श्रुतम्

samārādhya tvidaṁ liṁgaṁ prāptaḥ sthānaṁ mahodayam || tato jātaṁ nāma tasya śvetaketvīśvaraṁ śrutam

—having well propitiated this linga, attained a place of great glory. Then its name became known as Shvetaketvishvara.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.40.12)

अग्नितीर्थे महापुण्ये सर्वपातकनाशने ॥ ततः कलियुगे प्राप्ते भ्रातृभिश्च समन्वितः

agnitīrthe mahāpuṇye sarvapātakanāśane || tataḥ kaliyuge prāpte bhrātṛbhiśca samanvitaḥ

This is at the greatly meritorious Agnitirtha, which destroys all sin. Then, when the Kali age arrived, together with his brothers—

Verse 13 (skanda.7.40.13)

तीर्थयात्राप्रसंगेन यदा प्रभासमागतः ॥ भीमसेनो महाबाहुर्वायुपुत्रो ममांशजः

tīrthayātrāprasaṁgena yadā prabhāsamāgataḥ || bhīmaseno mahābāhurvāyuputro mamāṁśajaḥ

—on the occasion of a tirtha-pilgrimage, when the mighty-armed Bhimasena, son of Vayu, born of a portion of me, came to Prabhasa—

Verse 14 (skanda.7.40.14)

तल्लिंगं पूजयामास कृत्वा जागेश्वरं निजम् ॥ मत्वा तीर्थं महापुण्यं सागरस्य समीपतः

talliṁgaṁ pūjayāmāsa kṛtvā jāgeśvaraṁ nijam || matvā tīrthaṁ mahāpuṇyaṁ sāgarasya samīpataḥ

—he worshipped that linga, having made it his own object of night-vigil, considering it a most sacred tirtha near the ocean.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.40.15)

तदा प्रभृति भीमेशं पुनर्नामाऽभवच्छुभम् ॥ दृष्टमात्रेण तेनैव सकृल्लिंगेन भामिनि

tadā prabhṛti bhīmeśaṁ punarnāmā'bhavacchubham || dṛṣṭamātreṇa tenaiva sakṛlliṁgena bhāmini

From that time onward, its auspicious name again became Bhimesha. O fair lady, by that very linga, by its sight alone, even once—

Verse 16 (skanda.7.40.16)

अन्यजन्मकृतान्येव पापानि सुबहून्यपि ॥ नाशमायांति सर्वाणि तथैवामुष्मिकाणि तु

anyajanmakṛtānyeva pāpāni subahūnyapi || nāśamāyāṁti sarvāṇi tathaivāmuṣmikāṇi tu

—all the many sins committed in another birth, as well as those pertaining to the next world, are all destroyed likewise.