The Greatness of Kanakhala-tīrtha

Verse 1 (skanda.7.410.1)

पुलस्त्य उवाच ततो गच्छेन्नृपश्रेष्ठ तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम् तस्मिन्कनखलंनाम पर्वते पापनाशने

pulastya uvāca tato gacchennṛpaśreṣṭha tīrthaṁ trailokyaviśrutam tasminkanakhalaṁnāma parvate pāpanāśane

Pulastya said: Then, O best of kings, one should go to that tirtha famed in the three worlds, on that sin-destroying mountain, called Kanakhala.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.410.2)

शृणु तत्राऽभवत्पूर्वं यदाश्चर्यं महीपते पार्थिवः सुमतिर्नाम संप्राप्तोऽर्बुदपर्वते

śṛṇu tatrā'bhavatpūrvaṁ yadāścaryaṁ mahīpate pārthivaḥ sumatirnāma saṁprāpto'rbudaparvate

Listen, O lord of the earth, to the wonder that formerly occurred there: a king named Sumati came to Mount Arbuda.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.410.3)

सूर्यग्रहे महीपाल तीर्थं कनखलं गतः तेन विप्रार्थमानीतं सुवर्णं जात्यमेव हि

sūryagrahe mahīpāla tīrthaṁ kanakhalaṁ gataḥ tena viprārthamānītaṁ suvarṇaṁ jātyameva hi

At the time of a solar eclipse, O lord of the earth, he went to Kanakhala-tirtha; he had brought pure, excellent gold for the sake of the Brahmins.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.410.4)

प्रभूतं पतितं तोये प्रमादात्तस्य भूपतेः न लब्धं तेन भूपाल अन्वेषणपरेण च

prabhūtaṁ patitaṁ toye pramādāttasya bhūpateḥ na labdhaṁ tena bhūpāla anveṣaṇapareṇa ca

Through that king's carelessness, a great quantity fell into the water, O lord of the earth, and, O king, despite searching, he did not recover it.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.410.5)

ततः स्नात्वा गृहं प्राप्तः पश्चात्तापसमन्वितः ततः कालेन महता स भूयस्तत्र चागतः

tataḥ snātvā gṛhaṁ prāptaḥ paścāttāpasamanvitaḥ tataḥ kālena mahatā sa bhūyastatra cāgataḥ

Then, having bathed, he returned home filled with remorse. Then, after a great length of time, he came there again.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.410.6)

स्नानार्थं भास्करे ग्रस्ते तं च देशमपश्यत चिंतयामास मेधावी ह्यस्मिन्देशे तदा मम

snānārthaṁ bhāskare graste taṁ ca deśamapaśyata ciṁtayāmāsa medhāvī hyasmindeśe tadā mama

When the sun was seized [by eclipse], he came for bathing and beheld that place, and, wise, he reflected: Here, in this very place, my

Verse 7 (skanda.7.410.7)

सुवर्णं पतितं हस्तान्न च लब्धं कथंचन

suvarṇaṁ patitaṁ hastānna ca labdhaṁ kathaṁcana

gold once fell from my hand, and it was not recovered in any way.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.410.8)

पुलस्त्य उवाच एवं चिंतयतस्तस्य वागुवाचाशरीरिणी नात्र नाशोऽस्ति राजेन्द्र इह लोके परत्र च

pulastya uvāca evaṁ ciṁtayatastasya vāguvācāśarīriṇī nātra nāśo'sti rājendra iha loke paratra ca

Pulastya said: As he was thus reflecting, a disembodied voice spoke to him: There is no loss here, O king of kings, in this world or the next.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.410.9)

अत्र कोटिगुणं जातं सुवर्णं यत्पुरातनम् पश्चात्तापस्त्वया भूरि कृतो यद्द्रव्यनाशने

atra koṭiguṇaṁ jātaṁ suvarṇaṁ yatpurātanam paścāttāpastvayā bhūri kṛto yaddravyanāśane

Here that old gold has multiplied a hundred-million-fold, because you felt such great remorse over the loss of wealth.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.410.10)

तस्मात्संख्या च संजाता तथैवाकल्पितस्य च येऽत्र श्रद्धासमायुक्ताः सुवर्णैर्नृपसत्तम यत्नाच्छ्राद्धं करिष्यंति सुवर्णं च विशेषतः

tasmātsaṁkhyā ca saṁjātā tathaivākalpitasya ca ye'tra śraddhāsamāyuktāḥ suvarṇairnṛpasattama yatnācchrāddhaṁ kariṣyaṁti suvarṇaṁ ca viśeṣataḥ

Therefore an accounting has arisen, of that immeasurable [gold] too. Whoever, O best of kings, endowed with faith, diligently performs shraddha here with gold, and especially gold

Verse 11 (skanda.7.410.11)

ब्राह्मणेभ्यः प्रदास्यंति संख्या तस्य न विद्यते अत्रान्वेषय देशे त्वं प्राप्स्यसे नाऽत्र संशयः

brāhmaṇebhyaḥ pradāsyaṁti saṁkhyā tasya na vidyate atrānveṣaya deśe tvaṁ prāpsyase nā'tra saṁśayaḥ

given to Brahmins — their number is beyond count. Search in this place; you shall surely obtain it — there is no doubt in this.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.410.12)

स श्रुत्वा भारती तत्र ह्याकाशादुत्थितां नृप अन्वेषमाणोऽस्मिन्देशे सुवर्णं तच्च लब्धवान्

sa śrutvā bhāratī tatra hyākāśādutthitāṁ nṛpa anveṣamāṇo'smindeśe suvarṇaṁ tacca labdhavān

Having heard that voice arising there from the sky, O king, searching in that place he obtained that gold —

Verse 13 (skanda.7.410.13)

शुभ्रं कोटिगुणं प्राज्यं ततस्तुष्टिं समागतः ज्ञात्वा तीर्थप्रभावं तं ब्राह्मणेभ्यः सहस्रशः प्रददौ च दयायुक्त उद्दिश्य पितृदेवताः

śubhraṁ koṭiguṇaṁ prājyaṁ tatastuṣṭiṁ samāgataḥ jñātvā tīrthaprabhāvaṁ taṁ brāhmaṇebhyaḥ sahasraśaḥ pradadau ca dayāyukta uddiśya pitṛdevatāḥ

bright, a hundred-million-fold, abundant — and he became content. Knowing the power of the tirtha, filled with compassion, he gave it to thousands of Brahmins, dedicating it to the ancestor-deities.

Verse 14 (skanda.7.410.14)

ततस्तस्य प्रभावेण स दानस्य महीपतिः संजातो धनदोनाम यक्षो नानाधनप्रदः

tatastasya prabhāveṇa sa dānasya mahīpatiḥ saṁjāto dhanadonāma yakṣo nānādhanapradaḥ

Then, by the power of that gift, that king became a Yaksha named Dhanada, a bestower of manifold riches.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.410.15)

तत्र यः कुरुते श्राद्धं ग्रहे सूर्यस्य भूमिप आकल्पं पितरस्तस्य तृप्तिं यांति सुतर्पिताः

tatra yaḥ kurute śrāddhaṁ grahe sūryasya bhūmipa ākalpaṁ pitarastasya tṛptiṁ yāṁti sutarpitāḥ

Whoever performs shraddha there at the time of a solar eclipse, O lord of the earth — his ancestors attain satisfaction, well-satiated, until the end of the kalpa.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.410.16)

स्नानेन ऋषयो देवास्तुष्टिं यांति महोरगाः नाशः संजायते सद्यः पापस्य पृथिवीपते

snānena ṛṣayo devāstuṣṭiṁ yāṁti mahoragāḥ nāśaḥ saṁjāyate sadyaḥ pāpasya pṛthivīpate

By bathing, sages, gods, and great serpents attain satisfaction; destruction of sin arises instantly, O lord of the earth.

Verse 17 (skanda.7.410.17)

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन स्नानं तत्र समाचरेत् यथाशक्त्या तथा दानं श्राद्धं च नृपसत्तम

tasmātsarvaprayatnena snānaṁ tatra samācaret yathāśaktyā tathā dānaṁ śrāddhaṁ ca nṛpasattama

Therefore, O best of kings, with all effort one should perform ablution there, and, according to one's ability, gift and shraddha.