The Greatness of Pindaraka-tīrtha

Verse 1 (skanda.7.409.1)

पुलस्त्य उवाच ततः पिंडारकं गच्छेत्तीर्थं पापहरं नृप यत्र पूर्वं तपस्तप्तं मंकिना ब्राह्मणेन च सिद्धिं गतस्तथा राजंस्तीर्थस्यास्य प्रभावतः

pulastya uvāca tataḥ piṁḍārakaṁ gacchettīrthaṁ pāpaharaṁ nṛpa yatra pūrvaṁ tapastaptaṁ maṁkinā brāhmaṇena ca siddhiṁ gatastathā rājaṁstīrthasyāsya prabhāvataḥ

Pulastya said: Then, O king, one should go to Pindaraka, the sin-destroying tirtha, where formerly austerity was performed by the Brahmin Manki, and, O king, by the power of this tirtha he attained accomplishment.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.409.2)

पुरा मंकिरभूद्विप्रो नाममात्रेण भूपते मूर्खो ब्राह्मणकृत्यानामनभिज्ञः सुमन्दधीः

purā maṁkirabhūdvipro nāmamātreṇa bhūpate mūrkho brāhmaṇakṛtyānāmanabhijñaḥ sumandadhīḥ

Formerly, O lord of the earth, there was a Brahmin named Manki — a Brahmin in name only, foolish, ignorant of Brahminical duties, exceedingly dull-witted.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.409.3)

अथासौ पर्वते रम्ये लोकानां नृपसत्तम महिषी रक्षयामास ततः पिंडारकर्मणि

athāsau parvate ramye lokānāṁ nṛpasattama mahiṣī rakṣayāmāsa tataḥ piṇḍārakarmaṇi

He, on a delightful mountain, O best of kings, tended the she-buffaloes of the people, engaged thus in the work of buffalo-herding (pindaraka).

Verse 4 (skanda.7.409.4)

कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य तेन वित्तमुपार्जितम् दूरात्कृच्छ्रेण च स्तोकं जगृहे गोयुगं ततः

kasyacittvatha kālasya tena vittamupārjitam dūrātkṛcchreṇa ca stokaṁ jagṛhe goyugaṁ tataḥ

After some time, he earned some wealth, and with great difficulty acquired, from afar and at small cost, a pair of oxen.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.409.5)

ततस्तद्दमयामास गोयुगं नृपसत्तम अथ दैववशाद्राजन्दमितं तस्य गोयुगम्

tatastaddamayāmāsa goyugaṁ nṛpasattama atha daivavaśādrājandamitaṁ tasya goyugam

Then, O best of kings, he tamed that pair of oxen; and then, O king, by the working of fate, his now-tamed pair of oxen

Verse 6 (skanda.7.409.6)

निबद्धमुष्ट्रमासाद्य ग्रीवादेशे बलात्स्थितम् अथोष्ट्रस्त्वरया राजन्नुत्थितस्त्रासतत्परः

nibaddhamuṣṭramāsādya grīvādeśe balātsthitam athoṣṭrastvarayā rājannutthitastrāsatatparaḥ

came upon a tethered camel and became lodged forcibly at its neck. Then, O king, the camel, seized with fright, rose up hastily,

Verse 7 (skanda.7.409.7)

गोयुगेन हि ग्रीवायां लम्बमानेन भूपते तद्दृष्ट्वा सुमहाश्चर्यं विनाशं गोयुगस्य तु

goyugena hi grīvāyāṁ lambamānena bhūpate taddṛṣṭvā sumahāścaryaṁ vināśaṁ goyugasya tu

with the pair of oxen dangling from its neck, O lord of the earth. Having witnessed this most astonishing destruction of the pair of oxen,

Verse 8 (skanda.7.409.8)

मंकिर्वैराग्यमापन्नस्त्यक्त्वा ग्रामं वनं ययौ स गत्वा निर्झरं कञ्चिदर्बुदे नृपसत्तम

maṁkirvairāgyamāpannastyaktvā grāmaṁ vanaṁ yayau sa gatvā nirjharaṁ kañcidarbude nṛpasattama

Manki attained dispassion, and, leaving the village, went to the forest. Having gone, O best of kings, he came to a certain spring on Arbuda,

Verse 9 (skanda.7.409.9)

त्रिकालं कुरुते स्नानं गायत्रीजपमुत्तमम् तेनासौ गतपापोऽभूद्दिव्यदर्शी च भूमिप

trikālaṁ kurute snānaṁ gāyatrījapamuttamam tenāsau gatapāpo'bhūddivyadarśī ca bhūmipa

where he bathed thrice daily and performed excellent recitation of the Gayatri. By this he became free from sin and, O lord of the earth, gained divine sight.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.409.10)

एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु तेन मार्गेण शंकरः सह गौर्या विनिष्क्रांतः क्रीडार्थं रम्यपर्वते

etasminneva kāle tu tena mārgeṇa śaṁkaraḥ saha gauryā viniṣkrāntaḥ krīḍārthaṁ ramyaparvate

At that very time, by that path, Shankara, together with Gauri, went forth for sport on that delightful mountain.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.409.11)

स दृष्टः सहसा तेन पिंडारेण महात्मना प्रणाममकरोद्राजंस्ततस्तं शंकरोऽब्रवीत्

sa dṛṣṭaḥ sahasā tena piṇḍāreṇa mahātmanā praṇāmamakarodrājaṁstatastaṁ śaṁkaro'bravīt

He was suddenly seen by that great-souled Pindara [Manki], who, O king, offered his prostration; then Shankara spoke to him:

Verse 12 (skanda.7.409.12)

न वृथा दर्शनं मे स्याद्वरो मे गृह्यतां द्विज यदभीष्टं महाराज यद्यपि स्यात्सुदुर्लभम्

na vṛthā darśanaṁ me syādvaro me gṛhyatāṁ dvija yadabhīṣṭaṁ mahārāja yadyapi syātsudurlabham

Let my darshan not go in vain, O twice-born — accept a boon from me. O great king, whatever is desired, however difficult to obtain.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.409.13)

पिंडारक उवाच गणोऽहं तव देवेश भवानि त्रिपुरांतक यथा तथा कुरु विभो नान्यन्मे हृदि वर्तते

piṇḍāraka uvāca gaṇo'haṁ tava deveśa bhavāni tripurāṁtaka yathā tathā kuru vibho nānyanme hṛdi vartate

Pindaraka said: I am your gana, O lord of the gods, O consort of Bhavani, O destroyer of Tripura; do as is fitting, O mighty one — there is nothing else in my heart.

Verse 14 (skanda.7.409.14)

एतत्पिण्डारकं तीर्थ मम नाम्ना प्रसिध्यतु

etatpiṇḍārakaṁ tīrtha mama nāmnā prasidhyatu

Let this tirtha become famed by my name as Pindaraka.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.409.15)

भगवानुवाच भविष्यसि गणोऽस्माकं देहांते त्वं द्विजोत्तम एतत्पिंडारकंनाम तीर्थमत्र भविष्यति

bhagavānuvāca bhaviṣyasi gaṇo'smākaṁ dehāṁte tvaṁ dvijottama etatpiṁḍārakaṁnāma tīrthamatra bhaviṣyati

Bhagavan said: You shall become our gana at the end of this body, O best of the twice-born; this tirtha here shall be known by the name Pindaraka.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.409.16)

अहमत्र महाष्टम्यां निवेक्ष्यामि महामते ये च स्नानं करिष्यंति संप्राप्ते चाष्टमीदिने ते यास्यंति परं स्थानं यत्राहं नित्यसंस्थितः

ahamatra mahāṣṭamyāṁ nivekṣyāmi mahāmate ye ca snānaṁ kariṣyaṁti saṁprāpte cāṣṭamīdine te yāsyaṁti paraṁ sthānaṁ yatrāhaṁ nityasaṁsthitaḥ

I shall dwell here on the great eighth (Mahashtami), O wise one; and those who bathe when the eighth day arrives shall go to the supreme abode where I dwell eternally.

Verse 17 (skanda.7.409.17)

पुलस्त्य उवाच एवमुक्त्वा महादेवस्तत्रैवांतरधीयत मंकिः पिंडारकस्तत्र तपस्तेपे दिवानिशम्

pulastya uvāca evamuktvā mahādevastatraivāṁtaradhīyata maṁkiḥ piṁḍārakastatra tapastepe divāniśam

Pulastya said: Having said this, Mahadeva vanished right there. Manki Pindaraka performed austerity there day and night.

Verse 18 (skanda.7.409.18)

ततः कालेन महता त्यक्त्वा देहं दिवं गतः यत्रास्ते भगवान्रुद्रो गणस्तत्र बभूव ह

tataḥ kālena mahatā tyaktvā dehaṁ divaṁ gataḥ yatrāste bhagavānrudro gaṇastatra babhūva ha

Then, after a great length of time, having left his body, he went to heaven, where Bhagavan Rudra dwells, and became a gana there.

Verse 19 (skanda.7.409.19)

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन स्नानं मन्त्रेण चाचरेत्

tasmātsarvaprayatnena snānaṁ mantreṇa cācaret

Therefore, with all effort, one should perform ablution there together with mantra,

Verse 20 (skanda.7.409.20)

राजेन्द्र महिषीदानमथाष्टम्यां विशेषतः य इच्छति सदाऽभीष्टमिह लोके परत्र च

rājendra mahiṣīdānamathāṣṭamyāṁ viśeṣataḥ ya icchati sadā'bhīṣṭamiha loke paratra ca

and, O king of kings, the gift of a she-buffalo especially on the eighth — for whoever always desires his wish, in this world and the next.