The Glory of Gautama's Hermitage

Verse 1 (skanda.7.431.1)

॥ पुलस्त्य उवाच ॥ ततो गच्छेन्नृपश्रेष्ठ सुपूर्णं गौतमाश्रमम् । यत्र पूर्वं तपस्तप्तं गौतमेन महात्मना

pulastya uvāca | tato gacchennṛpaśreṣṭha supūrṇaṁ gautamāśramam | yatra pūrvaṁ tapastaptaṁ gautamena mahātmanā

Pulastya said: Then, O best of kings, one should go to the most fulfilling hermitage of Gautama, where austerity was formerly performed by the great soul Gautama.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.431.2)

पुराऽऽसीद्गौतमो नाम मुनिः परमधार्मिकः । स भक्त्याऽऽराधयामास देवदेवं महेश्वरम्

purāsīdgautamo nāma muniḥ paramadhārmikaḥ | sa bhaktyārādhayāmāsa devadevaṁ maheśvaram

There was of old a sage named Gautama, supremely righteous; he devotedly worshipped the god of gods, Maheshvara.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.431.3)

भक्त्याऽऽराधयमानस्य निर्भिद्य धरणीतलम् । समुत्तस्थौ महल्लिंगं परं माहेश्वरं नृप

bhaktyārādhayamānasya nirbhidya dharaṇītalam | samuttasthau mahalliṅgaṁ paraṁ māheśvaraṁ nṛpa

O king, as he was devotedly worshipping, splitting open the earth's surface, a great, supreme linga of Maheshvara rose up.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.431.4)

एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु वागुवाचाशरीरिणी । पूजयैतन्महल्लिंगं त्वद्भक्त्या समुपस्थितम् । वरं वरय भद्रं ते यत्ते मनसि वर्तते

etasminneva kāle tu vāguvācāśarīriṇī | pūjayaitanmahalliṅgaṁ tvadbhaktyā samupasthitam | varaṁ varaya bhadraṁ te yatte manasi vartate

At that very moment a bodiless voice spoke: "Worship this great linga, which has arisen through your devotion. Choose a boon — blessings on you — whatever is in your mind."

Verse 5 (skanda.7.431.5)

॥ गौतम उवाच ॥ अत्राश्रमपदे देव त्वया शम्भो जगत्पते । सदा कार्यं हि सान्निध्यं यदि तुष्टो मम प्रभो

gautama uvāca | atrāśramapade deva tvayā śambho jagatpate | sadā kāryaṁ hi sānnidhyaṁ yadi tuṣṭo mama prabho

Gautama said: "O god, O Shambhu, lord of the world, if you are pleased with me, O lord, your presence must always be maintained at this hermitage."

Verse 6 (skanda.7.431.6)

यस्त्वां पश्यति सद्भक्त्या ब्रह्मलोकं स गच्छतु

yastvāṁ paśyati sadbhaktyā brahmalokaṁ sa gacchatu

"Whoever beholds you with true devotion, let him go to the world of Brahma."

Verse 7 (skanda.7.431.7)

॥ आकाशवाण्युवाच ॥ माघमासे चतुर्द्दश्यां योऽत्र मां वीक्षयिष्यति । कृष्णायां ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठ स यास्यति परां गतिम्

ākāśavāṇyuvāca | māghamāse caturddaśyāṁ yo'tra māṁ vīkṣayiṣyati | kṛṣṇāyāṁ brāhmaṇaśreṣṭha sa yāsyati parāṁ gatim

The voice from the sky said: "O best of brahmins, whoever shall behold me here on the fourteenth of the dark fortnight of the month of Magha shall attain the supreme state."

Verse 8 (skanda.7.431.8)

एवमुक्त्वा ततो वाणी विरराम महीपते । तत्रास्ति कुण्डमपरं पवित्रं जलपूरितम् । तत्र स्नातो नरः सद्यः कुलं तारयतेऽखिलम्

evamuktvā tato vāṇī virarāma mahīpate | tatrāsti kuṇḍamaparaṁ pavitraṁ jalapūritam | tatra snāto naraḥ sadyaḥ kulaṁ tārayate'khilam

Having said this, O lord of the earth, the voice fell silent. There is another sacred pool there, filled with water; a man who bathes there instantly delivers his entire lineage.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.431.9)

यस्तत्र कुरुते श्राद्धं विशेषादिन्दुसंक्षये । गयाश्राद्धफलं तस्य सकलं जायते ध्रुवम्

yastatra kurute śrāddhaṁ viśeṣādindusaṁkṣaye | gayāśrāddhaphalaṁ tasya sakalaṁ jāyate dhruvam

He who performs shraddha there, especially on the day of the moon's waning, for him the complete fruit of the Gaya-shraddha certainly comes about.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.431.10)

तत्र दानं प्रशंसंति तिलानां मुनिपुंगवाः । तिलसंख्यानि वर्षाणि दानात्स्वर्गे वसेन्नृप

tatra dānaṁ praśaṁsanti tilānāṁ munipuṅgavāḥ | tilasaṁkhyāni varṣāṇi dānātsvarge vasennṛpa

There the foremost sages praise the gift of sesame seeds. O king, through such a gift, one dwells in heaven for as many years as there are sesame seeds given.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.431.11)

अर्बुदे गौतमी यात्रा सिंहस्थे च बृहस्पतौ । अमायां सोमवारेण द्विषड्गोदावरीफलम्

arbude gautamī yātrā siṁhasthe ca bṛhaspatau | amāyāṁ somavāreṇa dviṣaḍgodāvarīphalam

A pilgrimage to the Gautami here on Arbuda, when Jupiter is in Leo, on a new moon falling on a Monday, yields twelvefold the fruit of bathing in the Godavari.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.431.12)

षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणि भागीरथ्यवगाहने । सकृद्गोदावरीस्नानात्सिंहस्थे च बृहस्पतौ

ṣaṣṭivarṣasahasrāṇi bhāgīrathyavagāhane | sakṛdgodāvarīsnānātsiṁhasthe ca bṛhaspatau

Sixty thousand years is the merit of immersion in the Bhagirathi; the same is obtained by a single bath in the Godavari when Jupiter is in Leo.