The Greatness of Yama-tīrtha

Verse 1 (skanda.7.402.1)

पुलस्त्य उवाच ततो गच्छेन्नृपश्रेष्ठ यमतीर्थमनुत्तमम् मोचकं नरकेभ्यश्च प्राणिनां पापनाशनम्

pulastya uvāca tato gacchennṛpaśreṣṭha yamatīrthamanuttamam mocakaṁ narakebhyaśca prāṇināṁ pāpanāśanam

Pulastya said: Then, O best of kings, one should go to Yama-tīrtha, most excellent, which frees creatures from hell and destroys sin.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.402.2)

पुरा चित्रांगदो नाम राजा परमलोभवान् न तेन सुकृतं किंचित्कृतं पार्थिवसत्तम

purā citrāṁgado nāma rājā paramalobhavān na tena sukṛtaṁ kiṁcitkṛtaṁ pārthivasattama

Formerly there was a king named Chitrangada, exceedingly greedy; he did not perform a single good deed, O best of kings.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.402.3)

अतीव निष्ठुरो दुष्टो देवब्राह्मणपीडकः परदारहरो नित्यं परवित्तहरस्तथा

atīva niṣṭhuro duṣṭo devabrāhmaṇapīḍakaḥ paradāraharo nityaṁ paravittaharastathā

He was extremely cruel and wicked, a tormentor of gods and Brahmins; he was ever a ravisher of others' wives and a thief of others' wealth.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.402.4)

सत्यशौचविहीनस्तु मायामत्सरसंयुतः स कदाचिन्मृगयासक्त आरूढोऽर्बुदपर्वते

satyaśaucavihīnastu māyāmatsarasaṁyutaḥ sa kadācinmṛgayāsakta ārūḍho'rbudaparvate

Devoid of truth and purity, filled with deceit and envy — once, engrossed in hunting, he climbed Mount Arbuda.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.402.5)

अटनात्स परिश्रांतः क्षुत्पिपासासमाकुलः तेन तत्र ह्रदः प्राप्तः स्वच्छोदकप्रपूरितः

aṭanātsa pariśrāntaḥ kṣutpipāsāsamākulaḥ tena tatra hradaḥ prāptaḥ svacchodakaprapūritaḥ

Wearied from wandering, afflicted by hunger and thirst, he came upon a lake there, filled with clear water.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.402.6)

पद्मिनीभिः समाकीर्णो ग्राहनक्रझषाकुलः नानापक्षिसमायुक्तो मनोहारी सुविस्तरः

padminībhiḥ samākīrṇo grāhanakrajhaṣākulaḥ nānāpakṣisamāyukto manohārī suvistaraḥ

It was covered with lotus-plants, teeming with crocodiles, alligators and fish; adorned with various birds, it was charming and vast.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.402.7)

तृषार्तः संप्रविष्टः स तस्मिन्नेव जलाशये ग्राहेण तत्क्षणाद्धृत्वा भक्षितो नृपसत्तम

tṛṣārtaḥ saṁpraviṣṭaḥ sa tasminneva jalāśaye grāheṇa tatkṣaṇāddhṛtvā bhakṣito nṛpasattama

Tormented by thirst, he entered into that very pool; and, seized at once by a crocodile, he was devoured, O best of kings.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.402.8)

तस्यार्थे नरका रौद्रा निर्मिताश्च यमेन च यमदूतैस्ततः क्षिप्तः स नीत्वा पापकृत्तमः

tasyārthe narakā raudrā nirmitāśca yamena ca yamadūtaistataḥ kṣiptaḥ sa nītvā pāpakṛttamaḥ

For his sake terrible hells were fashioned by Yama; then, most sinful, he was seized and carried off by Yama's messengers.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.402.9)

तस्य स्पर्शेन ते सर्वे नरकस्था सुखं गताः

tasya sparśena te sarve narakasthā sukhaṁ gatāḥ

By his mere touch, all those dwelling in hell attained happiness.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.402.10)

ते दूता धर्मराजाय वृत्तान्तं नरकोद्भवम् आचख्युर्विस्मयाविष्टा नरकस्थानां सुखोद्भवम्

te dūtā dharmarājāya vṛttāntaṁ narakodbhavam ācakhyurvismayāviṣṭā narakasthānāṁ sukhodbhavam

Those messengers, filled with astonishment, reported to Dharmaraja the event that had occurred in hell — the arising of happiness among the hell-dwellers.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.402.11)

तदा वैवस्वतः प्राह भूमावस्त्यर्बुदाचलः तत्र मेऽतिप्रियं तीर्थं यत्र तप्तं मया तपः

tadā vaivasvataḥ prāha bhūmāvastyarbudācalaḥ tatra me'tipriyaṁ tīrthaṁ yatra taptaṁ mayā tapaḥ

Then Vaivasvata [Yama] said: On earth there is Mount Arbuda; there is my most beloved tīrtha, where I performed austerity.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.402.12)

तत्रासौ मृत्युमापन्नो भात्यदस्त्विह कारणम् तैरुक्तं सत्यमेतद्धि मृतोऽसावर्बुदाचले

tatrāsau mṛtyumāpanno bhātyadastviha kāraṇam tairuktaṁ satyametaddhi mṛto'sāvarbudācale

He met death there — this indeed appears to be the reason. They (the messengers) said: This is true indeed — he died at Mount Arbuda,

Verse 13 (skanda.7.402.13)

ग्राहेण स धृतस्तत्र मृत्युं प्राप्तो नृपाधमः

grāheṇa sa dhṛtastatra mṛtyuṁ prāpto nṛpādhamaḥ

seized there by a crocodile, that lowest of kings met death.

Verse 14 (skanda.7.402.14)

यम उवाच मुच्यतामाशु तेनायं नानेयाश्चापरे जनाः ये मृता मम तीर्थे वै सर्वपातकनाशने

yama uvāca mucyatāmāśu tenāyaṁ nāneyāścāpare janāḥ ye mṛtā mama tīrthe vai sarvapātakanāśane

Yama said: Let him be released at once because of that; and let no other people be brought here who have died in my tīrtha, which destroys all sin.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.402.15)

ततस्तैः किंकरैर्मुक्तो यमवाक्यान्नृपोत्तम त्रिविष्टपं मुदा प्राप्तः सेव्यमानोऽप्सरोगणैः

tatastaiḥ kiṁkarairmukto yamavākyānnṛpottama triviṣṭapaṁ mudā prāptaḥ sevyamāno'psarogaṇaiḥ

Then, released by those attendants at Yama's word, O best of kings, he joyfully attained heaven, waited upon by hosts of Apsaras.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.402.16)

यस्तु भक्तिसमायुक्तः स्नानं तत्र समाचरेत् स याति परमं स्थानं जरामरणवर्जितम्

yastu bhaktisamāyuktaḥ snānaṁ tatra samācaret sa yāti paramaṁ sthānaṁ jarāmaraṇavarjitam

Whoever, filled with devotion, performs ablution there attains the supreme abode, free from old age and death.

Verse 17 (skanda.7.402.17)

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन स्नानं तत्र समाचरेत् चैत्रशुक्लत्रयोदश्यां यत्र सिद्धिं गतो यमः

tasmātsarvaprayatnena snānaṁ tatra samācaret caitraśuklatrayodaśyāṁ yatra siddhiṁ gato yamaḥ

Therefore, with all effort, one should bathe there — on the thirteenth day of the bright half of Chaitra, when Yama attained accomplishment there.

Verse 18 (skanda.7.402.18)

तस्मिन्नेव नरः सम्यक्छ्राद्धकृत्यं समाचरेत् आकल्पं पितरस्तस्य स्वर्गे तिष्ठंति पार्थिव

tasminneva naraḥ samyakchrāddhakṛtyaṁ samācaret ākalpaṁ pitarastasya svarge tiṣṭhaṁti pārthiva

On that very day a man should properly perform the shraddha rite; till the end of the kalpa, his ancestors dwell in heaven, O king.