The Greatness of Pindodaka-tīrtha

Verse 1 (skanda.7.405.1)

पुलस्त्य उवाच ततो गच्छेन्नृपश्रेष्ठ पिण्डोदकमनुत्तमम् तीर्थं यत्र तपस्तप्तं पिण्डोदकद्विजातिना

pulastya uvāca tato gacchennṛpaśreṣṭha piṇḍodakamanuttamam tīrthaṁ yatra tapastaptaṁ piṇḍodakadvijātinā

Pulastya said: Then, O best of kings, one should go to Pindodaka, the most excellent tirtha, where austerity was performed by the twice-born Pindodaka.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.405.2)

पुरा पिण्डोदकोनाम ब्राह्मणोऽभून्महामते मन्दप्रज्ञोऽल्पमेधावी सोपाध्यायेन पाठितः

purā piṇḍodakonāma brāhmaṇo'bhūnmahāmate mandaprajño'lpamedhāvī sopādhyāyena pāṭhitaḥ

Formerly, O wise one, there was a Brahmin named Pindodaka — dull of mind and of little intelligence, though taught by his teacher.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.405.3)

अशक्तोऽध्ययनं कर्तुं जाड्यभावान्महीपते स वैराग्यं परं गत्वा संप्राप्तो गिरिगह्वरे

aśakto'dhyayanaṁ kartuṁ jāḍyabhāvānmahīpate sa vairāgyaṁ paraṁ gatvā saṁprāpto girigahvare

Unable to study because of his dullness, O lord of the earth, he attained supreme dispassion and came to a mountain cave.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.405.4)

एतस्मिन्नेव कालेतु तत्रैव च सरस्वती वीणाविनोदसंयुक्ता विविक्ते तमुपस्थिता

etasminneva kāletu tatraiva ca sarasvatī vīṇāvinodasaṁyuktā vivikte tamupasthitā

At that very time, Sarasvati herself, engaged in the pastime of the vina, came to that solitary place, to him.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.405.5)

तं दृष्ट्वा ब्राह्मणं खिन्नं वैराग्येण समन्वितम् कृपाविष्टा महादेवी वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह

taṁ dṛṣṭvā brāhmaṇaṁ khinnaṁ vairāgyeṇa samanvitam kṛpāviṣṭā mahādevī vākyametaduvāca ha

Seeing that Brahmin afflicted, filled with dispassion, the great goddess, moved by compassion, spoke these words:

Verse 6 (skanda.7.405.6)

सरस्वत्युवाच कस्मात्त्वं खिद्यसे विप्र विरक्त इव भाससे कस्मान्न हृष्यसि हृदा कस्मादत्र त्वमागतः वद शीघ्रं महाभाग तवांतिके वसाम्यहम्

sarasvatyuvāca kasmāttvaṁ khidyase vipra virakta iva bhāsase kasmānna hṛṣyasi hṛdā kasmādatra tvamāgataḥ vada śīghraṁ mahābhāga tavāṁtike vasāmyaham

Sarasvati said: Why do you grieve, O Brahmin? You appear as if detached. Why does your heart not rejoice? Why have you come here? Tell me quickly, O greatly fortunate one — I shall dwell near you.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.405.7)

पिण्डोदक उवाच अहं वैराग्यमापन्न उपाध्यायतिरस्कृतः ज्ञानहीनो महाभागे मृत्युं वांछामि सांप्रतम्

piṇḍodaka uvāca ahaṁ vairāgyamāpanna upādhyāyatiraskṛtaḥ jñānahīno mahābhāge mṛtyuṁ vāṁchāmi sāṁpratam

Pindodaka said: I have attained dispassion, scorned by my teacher; devoid of knowledge, O greatly fortunate one, I now wish for death.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.405.8)

न मे सरस्वती देवी जिह्वाग्रे परिवर्तते कारणं नान्यदस्तीह मृत्योर्मम वरानने

na me sarasvatī devī jihvāgre parivartate kāraṇaṁ nānyadastīha mṛtyormama varānane

Goddess Sarasvati does not dwell on the tip of my tongue; there is no other cause here for my death, O fair-faced one.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.405.9)

दृष्टोऽकस्मात्त्वया चाहं ततो यास्यामि चान्यतः मरणं हि मम श्रेयो मूकभावान्न जीवितम्

dṛṣṭo'kasmāttvayā cāhaṁ tato yāsyāmi cānyataḥ maraṇaṁ hi mama śreyo mūkabhāvānna jīvitam

Having now unexpectedly been seen by you, I shall go elsewhere; for death is indeed better for me than a life of dull-witted muteness.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.405.10)

सरस्वत्युवाच अहं सरस्वती देवी सदास्मिन्वरपर्वते निशासुखे त्रयोदश्यां करोमि वसतिं द्विज तस्मात्त्वं प्रार्थय वरं यदभीष्टं सुदुर्लभम्

sarasvatyuvāca ahaṁ sarasvatī devī sadāsminvaraparvate niśāsukhe trayodaśyāṁ karomi vasatiṁ dvija tasmāttvaṁ prārthaya varaṁ yadabhīṣṭaṁ sudurlabham

Sarasvati said: I, the goddess Sarasvati, always dwell on this excellent mountain; on the pleasant night of the thirteenth, O twice-born, I make my abode here. Therefore, ask for a boon — whatever you desire, however difficult to obtain.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.405.11)

पिण्डोदक उवाच प्रसादात्तव वै वाणि सर्वज्ञत्वं ममेप्सितम् एतत्तीर्थं तु मन्नाम्ना ख्यातिं यातु शुचिस्मिते

piṇḍodaka uvāca prasādāttava vai vāṇi sarvajñatvaṁ mamepsitam etattīrthaṁ tu mannāmnā khyātiṁ yātu śucismite

Pindodaka said: By your grace, O Vani, I desire omniscience; and may this tirtha become famed by my name, O one of pure smile.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.405.12)

सरस्वत्युवाच अद्यप्रभृति सर्वज्ञो ह्यत्र लोके भविष्यसि नाम्ना तव तथा तीर्थमेतत्ख्यातिं प्रयास्यति

sarasvatyuvāca adyaprabhṛti sarvajño hyatra loke bhaviṣyasi nāmnā tava tathā tīrthametatkhyātiṁ prayāsyati

Sarasvati said: From today you shall become omniscient in this world; and likewise this tirtha shall attain fame by your name.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.405.13)

निशामुखे त्रयोदश्यां योऽत्र स्नानं करिष्यति भविष्यति स सर्वज्ञो यद्यपि स्यात्सुमन्दधीः

niśāmukhe trayodaśyāṁ yo'tra snānaṁ kariṣyati bhaviṣyati sa sarvajño yadyapi syātsumandadhīḥ

Whoever bathes here at nightfall on the thirteenth shall become omniscient, even if he be exceedingly dull-witted.

Verse 14 (skanda.7.405.14)

अत्र मे सततं वासो भविष्यति द्विजोत्तम यस्मात्तस्मात्सदा स्नानं कर्तव्यं सुसमाहितैः

atra me satataṁ vāso bhaviṣyati dvijottama yasmāttasmātsadā snānaṁ kartavyaṁ susamāhitaiḥ

My constant abode shall be here, O best of the twice-born; therefore bathing should always be performed here by those who are well-composed.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.405.15)

एवमुक्त्वा ततो देवी तत्रैवांतरधीयत पिण्डोदको हि सर्वज्ञो भूत्वाथ स्वगृहं ययौ व्यस्मापयज्जनान्सर्वांस्तत्तीर्थस्य समाश्रयात्

evamuktvā tato devī tatraivāṁtaradhīyata piṇḍodako hi sarvajño bhūtvātha svagṛhaṁ yayau vyasmāpayajjanānsarvāṁstattīrthasya samāśrayāt

Having said this, the goddess then vanished right there. And Pindodaka, having become omniscient, went to his own home, and by his taking refuge in that tirtha he astonished all the people.