The Greatness of Kameshvara

Verse 1 (skanda.7.424.1)

॥ पुलस्त्य उवाच ॥ ततः कामेश्वरं गच्छेत्तत्र कामप्रतिष्ठितम् । यस्मिन्दृष्टे सदा मर्त्यः सुरूपः सुप्रभो भवेत्

pulastya uvāca | tataḥ kāmeśvaraṁ gacchettatra kāmapratiṣṭhitam | yasmindṛṣṭe sadā martyaḥ surūpaḥ suprabho bhavet

Pulastya said: Then one should go to Kameshvara, where Kama himself is established; seeing which, a mortal ever becomes handsome and radiant.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.424.2)

॥ ययातिरुवाच ॥ त्वया प्रोक्तं पुरा शंभुः कामबाण भयात्किल । वालखिल्याश्रमं प्राप्तो यत्र लिंगं पपात ह

yayātiruvāca | tvayā proktaṁ purā śaṁbhuḥ kāmabāṇa bhayātkila | vālakhilyāśramaṁ prāpto yatra liṅgaṁ papāta ha

Yayati said: You have told earlier that Shambhu, out of fear of Kama's arrow indeed, reached the hermitage of the Valakhilyas, where the linga fell.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.424.3)

स कथं पूजितस्तेन शंभुर्मे कौतुकं महत् । वद सर्वं द्विजश्रेष्ठ कामेश्वरनिवेशनम्

sa kathaṁ pūjitastena śambhurme kautukaṁ mahat | vada sarvaṁ dvijaśreṣṭha kāmeśvaraniveśanam

How was he worshipped by him? Great is my curiosity about this. Tell me everything, O best of brahmins, of the establishment of Kameshvara.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.424.4)

॥ पुलस्त्य उवाच ॥ मुक्तलिंगेऽपि देवेशे न स्मरस्तं मुमोच ह । दर्शयन्नात्मनो बाणं तस्यासौ पृष्ठतः स्थितः

pulastya uvāca | muktaliṅge'pi deveśe na smarastaṁ mumoca ha | darśayannātmano bāṇaṁ tasyāsau pṛṣṭhataḥ sthitaḥ

Pulastya said: Even though the lord of gods had let fall the linga, Kama did not release him; showing his own arrow, he remained behind him.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.424.5)

ततो वाराणसीं प्राप्तस्तद्भयात्त्रिपुरांतकः । तत्राऽपि च तथा दृष्ट्वा धृतचापं मनोभवम्

tato vārāṇasīṁ prāptastadbhayāttripurāntakaḥ | tatrā'pi ca tathā dṛṣṭvā dhṛtacāpaṁ manobhavam

Then, out of fear of him, the destroyer of Tripura reached Varanasi; there too, likewise, he saw Manobhava (Kama) with bow drawn.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.424.6)

ततः प्रयागमापन्नः केदारं च ततः परम् । नैमिषं भद्रकर्णं च जंबूमार्गे त्रिपुष्करम्

tataḥ prayāgamāpannaḥ kedāraṁ ca tataḥ param | naimiṣaṁ bhadrakarṇaṁ ca jambūmārge tripuṣkaram

Then he reached Prayaga, and beyond that Kedara; Naimisha, Bhadrakarna, and Tripushkara on the Jambu path.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.424.7)

गोकर्णं च प्रभासं च पुण्यं च कृमिजांगलम् । गंगाद्वारं गयाशीर्षं कालाभीष्टं वटेश्वरम्

gokarṇaṁ ca prabhāsaṁ ca puṇyaṁ ca kṛmijāṅgalam | gaṅgādvāraṁ gayāśīrṣaṁ kālābhīṣṭaṁ vaṭeśvaram

Gokarna, and Prabhasa, and the sacred Krimijangala; Gangadvara, Gayashirsha, Kalabhishta, Vateshvara.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.424.8)

किं वा तेन बहूक्तेन तीर्थान्यायतनानि च । असंख्यानि गतो देवः कामं च ददृशे तथा

kiṁ vā tena bahūktena tīrthānyāyatanāni ca | asaṁkhyāni gato devaḥ kāmaṁ ca dadṛśe tathā

What need to say more? Innumerable were the sacred fords and shrines the god visited, and everywhere he saw Kama likewise.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.424.9)

यत्रयत्र महादेवस्तद्भयान्नृप गच्छति । तत्रतत्र पुनः कामं प्रपश्यति धृतायुधम्

yatrayatra mahādevastadbhayānnṛpa gacchati | tatratatra punaḥ kāmaṁ prapaśyati dhṛtāyudham

O king, wherever Mahadeva went out of fear of him, there again he beheld Kama, weapon in hand.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.424.10)

कस्यचित्त्वथकालस्य पुनः प्राप्तोऽर्बुदं प्रति । तत्रापश्यत्तथा काममाकर्णाकर्षितायुधम् । आकुंचितैकपादं च स्थिरदृष्टिं नृपोत्तम

kasyacittvathakālasya punaḥ prāpto'rbudaṁ prati | tatrāpaśyattathā kāmamākarṇākarṣitāyudham | ākuñcitaikapādaṁ ca sthiradṛṣṭiṁ nṛpottama

Then, after some time, he arrived once more at Arbuda; there too he saw Kama likewise, his weapon drawn back to the ear, one leg bent, his gaze fixed, O best of kings.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.424.11)

अथाऽसौ भगवाञ्छांतः प्रियादुःखसमन्वितः । क्रोधं चक्रे विशेषेण दृष्ट्वा तं पुरतः स्थितम्

athā'sau bhagavāñchāntaḥ priyāduḥkhasamanvitaḥ | krodhaṁ cakre viśeṣeṇa dṛṣṭvā taṁ purataḥ sthitam

Then that Lord, though tranquil, afflicted by the sorrow of his beloved, flew into particular rage on seeing him standing before him.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.424.12)

तस्य कोपाभिभूतस्य तृतीयान्नयनान्नृप । निश्चक्राम महाज्वाला ययाऽसौ भस्मसात्कृतः

tasya kopābhibhūtasya tṛtīyānnayanānnṛpa | niścakrāma mahājvālā yayā'sau bhasmasātkṛtaḥ

O king, from his third eye, overcome with anger, a great flame issued forth, by which he was reduced to ashes.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.424.13)

सचापः सशरो राजंस्तस्मिन्पर्वतरोधसि । शंकरो रोषपर्यंतं गत्वा सौख्यमवाप्तवान्

sacāpaḥ saśaro rājaṁstasminparvatarodhasi | śaṅkaro roṣaparyantaṁ gatvā saukhyamavāptavān

O king, with his bow and arrow, on that mountain slope, he was reduced to ashes; Shankara, having gone to the extremity of his rage, attained peace.

Verse 14 (skanda.7.424.14)

कैलासं पर्वतश्रेष्ठं जगाम सुरपूजितः । दग्धे मनोभवे भार्या रतिरस्य पतिव्रता । व्यलपत्करुणं दीना पतिशोकपरिप्लुता

kailāsaṁ parvataśreṣṭhaṁ jagāma surapūjitaḥ | dagdhe manobhave bhāryā ratirasya pativratā | vyalapatkaruṇaṁ dīnā patiśokapariplutā

Worshipped by the gods, he went to the foremost mountain Kailasa. When Manobhava was burnt, his devoted wife Rati, wretched, overwhelmed by grief for her husband, lamented piteously.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.424.15)

ततो दारूणि चाहृत्य चितिं कृत्वा नराधिप । आरुरोहाग्निसंदीप्तां चितिं सा पतिदुःखिता । तावदाकाशगां वाणीं शुश्राव च यशस्विनी

tato dārūṇi cāhṛtya citiṁ kṛtvā narādhipa | āruroha agnisaṁdīptāṁ citiṁ sā patiduḥkhitā | tāvadākāśagāṁ vāṇīṁ śuśrāva ca yaśasvinī

O lord of men, then, gathering wood and making a pyre, she, grieving for her husband, mounted the fire-lit pyre; just then that illustrious lady heard a voice going through the sky.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.424.16)

॥ वागुवाच ॥ मा पुत्रि साहसं कार्षीस्तपसा तिष्ठ सुन्दरि । भूयः प्राप्स्यसि भर्त्तारं कामें तुष्टेन शंभुना

vāguvāca | mā putri sāhasaṁ kārṣīstapasā tiṣṭha sundari | bhūyaḥ prāpsyasi bharttāraṁ kāmeṁ tuṣṭena śaṁbhunā

The voice said: "O daughter, do not commit this rash act; remain in austerity, O lovely one. You shall again obtain your husband Kama, when Shambhu is pleased."

Verse 17 (skanda.7.424.17)

सा श्रुत्वा तां तदा वाणीं समुत्तस्थौ समुमध्यमा । देवमाराधयामास दिवानक्तमतंद्रिता । व्रतैर्दानैर्जपैर्होमैरुपवासैस्तथा परैः

sā śrutvā tāṁ tadā vāṇīṁ samuttasthau samumadhyamā | devamārādhayāmāsa divānaktamataṁdritā | vrataidānairjapairhomairupavāsaistathā paraiḥ

Hearing that voice, she, of slender waist, then rose up; and, untiring, worshipped the god day and night, with vows, gifts, recitations, fire-offerings, fasting, and other means.

Verse 18 (skanda.7.424.18)

ततो वर्ष सहस्रांते तुष्टस्तस्या महेश्वरः । अब्रवीद्वद कल्याणि वरं यन्मनसि स्थितम्

tato varṣa sahasrānte tuṣṭastasyā maheśvaraḥ | abravīdvada kalyāṇi varaṁ yanmanasi sthitam

Then, at the end of a thousand years, Maheshvara, pleased with her, said: "Speak, O auspicious one, the boon that is in your mind."

Verse 19 (skanda.7.424.19)

॥ रतिरुवाच ॥ यदि तुष्टोऽसि मे देव भगवँल्लोक भावनः । अक्षतांगः पुनः कामः कांतो मे जायतां पतिः

ratiruvāca | yadi tuṣṭo'si me deva bhagavallloka bhāvanaḥ | akṣatāṅgaḥ punaḥ kāmaḥ kānto me jāyatāṁ patiḥ

Rati said: "If you are pleased with me, O god, O Lord, nourisher of the world, let Kama, my beloved, become again my husband, unharmed in limb."

Verse 20 (skanda.7.424.20)

एवमुक्ते तया वाक्ये तत्क्षणात्समुपस्थितः । यथा सुप्तो महाराज तद्वद्रूपः स हर्षितः

evamukte tayā vākye tatkṣaṇātsamupasthitaḥ | yathā supto mahārāja tadvadrūpaḥ sa harṣitaḥ

When she had spoken thus, he appeared that very instant, O great king, in the same form as before, as though just awakened from sleep, joyful.

Verse 21 (skanda.7.424.21)

इक्षुयष्टिमयं चापं पुष्पबाणसमन्वितम् । भृंगश्रेणिमय्या मौर्व्या शोभितं सुमनोहरम्

ikṣuyaṣṭimayaṁ cāpaṁ puṣpabāṇasamanvitam | bhṛṅgaśreṇimayyā maurvyā śobhitaṁ sumanoharam

With a bow made of sugarcane, joined with flower-arrows, adorned with a bowstring formed of a row of bees, most enchanting.

Verse 22 (skanda.7.424.22)

ततो रतिसमायुक्तः प्रणिपत्य महेश्वरम् । अनुज्ञातस्तु तेनैव स्वव्यापारेऽभ्यवर्त्तत

tato ratisamāyuktaḥ praṇipatya maheśvaram | anujñātastu tenaiva svavyāpāre'bhyavarttata

Then, reunited with Rati, having bowed to Maheshvara, and given leave by him, he returned to his own occupation.

Verse 23 (skanda.7.424.23)

स दृष्ट्वा शिवमाहात्म्यं श्रद्धां कृत्वा नृपोत्तम । शिवं संस्थापयामास पर्वतेऽर्बुदसंज्ञिते

sa dṛṣṭvā śivamāhātmyaṁ śraddhāṁ kṛtvā nṛpottama | śivaṁ saṁsthāpayāmāsa parvate'rbudasaṁjñite

O best of kings, having witnessed Shiva's greatness, and having developed devotion, he established Shiva on the mountain named Arbuda.

Verse 24 (skanda.7.424.24)

यस्मिन्दृष्टे महाराज नारी वा यदि वा नरः । सप्तजन्मांतराण्येव न दौर्भाग्यमवाप्नुयात्

yasmindṛṣṭe mahārāja nārī vā yadi vā naraḥ | saptajanmāntarāṇyeva na daurbhāgyamavāpnuyāt

O great king, whoever, whether woman or man, sees it, shall not encounter misfortune for seven successive births.

Verse 25 (skanda.7.424.25)

एवमेतन्मया ख्यातं यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि । कामेश्वरस्य माहात्म्यं कामदाह सविस्तरम्

evametanmayā khyātaṁ yanmāṁ tvaṁ paripṛcchasi | kāmeśvarasya māhātmyaṁ kāmadāha savistaram

Thus I have related to you, as you asked me, the greatness of Kameshvara and the burning of Kama, in detail.