The Glory of Rama-tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.7.433.1)

॥ पुलस्त्य उवाच ॥ रामतीर्थं ततो गच्छेत्पुण्यमृषिनिषेवितम्॥ तत्र स्नातस्य मर्त्त्यस्य जायते पापसंक्षयः

|| pulastya uvāca || rāmatīrthaṁ tato gacchetpuṇyamṛṣiniṣevitam|| tatra snātasya marttyasya jāyate pāpasaṁkṣayaḥ

Pulastya said: Thereafter the king should go to the sacred Rama-tirtha, frequented by sages. There, for the mortal who bathes, destruction of sin comes about.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.433.2)

पितॄणां च परा तुष्टिर्यावदाभूतसंप्लवम्॥ पुरासीद्भार्गवो रामः सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वरः

pitṝṇāṁ ca parā tuṣṭiryāvadābhūtasaṁplavam|| purāsīdbhārgavo rāmaḥ sarvaśastrabhṛtāṁ varaḥ

And supreme satisfaction comes to the ancestors, lasting until the dissolution of the world. Long ago there was Rama, born of Bhrigu's line, the foremost among all wielders of weapons.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.433.3)

तेन पूर्वं तपस्तप्तं शत्रूणामिच्छता क्षयम्॥ ततः पाशुपतं नाम तस्यास्त्रं परमं ददौ

tena pūrvaṁ tapastaptaṁ śatrūṇāmicchatā kṣayam|| tataḥ pāśupataṁ nāma tasyāstraṁ paramaṁ dadau

Desiring the destruction of his enemies, he formerly performed austerities. Then he was given the supreme weapon called Pashupata.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.433.4)

तपस्तुष्टो महादेवो गते वर्षशतत्रये॥ अब्रवीद्वरदोऽस्मीति स वव्रे शत्रुसंक्षयम्

tapastuṣṭo mahādevo gate varṣaśatatraye|| abravīdvarado'smīti sa vavre śatrusaṁkṣayam

When three hundred years had passed, Mahadeva, pleased by his austerity, said, 'I am the giver of boons.' Then he asked for the destruction of his enemies.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.433.5)

ततः पाशुपतं नाम तस्यास्त्रं परमं ददौ॥ स्मरणेनापि शत्रूणां यस्य संजायते क्षयः

tataḥ pāśupataṁ nāma tasyāstraṁ paramaṁ dadau|| smaraṇenāpi śatrūṇāṁ yasya saṁjāyate kṣayaḥ

Then He bestowed upon him that supreme weapon called Pashupata, by the mere remembrance of which the destruction of enemies comes about.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.433.6)

अब्रवीद्वचनं चापि प्रहस्य वृषभध्वजः॥ जामदग्न्य महाबाहो शृणु मे परमं वचः

abravīdvacanaṁ cāpi prahasya vṛṣabhadhvajaḥ|| jāmadagnya mahābāho śṛṇu me paramaṁ vacaḥ

And Vrishabhadhvaja (Shiva), smiling, spoke these words: 'O mighty-armed son of Jamadagni, hear my supreme word.'

Verse 7 (skanda.7.433.7)

अस्त्रेणानेन युक्तस्त्वमजेयः सर्वदेहिनाम्॥ भविष्यसि न संदेहो मत्प्रसादाद्भृगूद्वह

astreṇānena yuktastvamajeyaḥ sarvadehinām|| bhaviṣyasi na saṁdeho matprasādādbhṛgūdvaha

Armed with this weapon, you shall become invincible to all beings — of this there is no doubt, O foremost of Bhrigu's line, by my grace.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.433.8)

एतज्जलाशयं पुण्यं त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे॥ रामतीर्थमिति ख्यातं मत्प्रसादाद्भविष्यति

etajjalāśayaṁ puṇyaṁ trailokye sacarācare|| rāmatīrthamiti khyātaṁ matprasādādbhaviṣyati

This sacred pool of water, by my grace, shall become renowned throughout the three worlds together with all moving and unmoving beings, under the name Rama-tirtha.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.433.9)

येऽत्र श्राद्धं करिष्यंति पौर्णमास्यां समाहिताः॥ संप्राप्ते कार्त्तिके मासि कृत्तिकायोगसंयुते

ye'tra śrāddhaṁ kariṣyaṁti paurṇamāsyāṁ samāhitāḥ|| saṁprāpte kārttike māsi kṛttikāyogasaṁyute

Those who, with focused mind, perform the shraddha rite here on the full-moon day of Kartika month, when conjoined with the Krittika asterism —

Verse 10 (skanda.7.433.10)

पितृमेधफलं तेषामशेषं च भविष्यति॥ तथा शत्रुक्षयो राजन्वासः स्वर्गेषु चाक्षयः

pitṛmedhaphalaṁ teṣāmaśeṣaṁ ca bhaviṣyati|| tathā śatrukṣayo rājanvāsaḥ svargeṣu cākṣayaḥ

will obtain the entire fruit of the Pitrimedha sacrifice. Likewise, O king, they will gain the destruction of enemies and imperishable residence in heaven.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.433.11)

॥ पुलस्त्य उवाच ॥ एवमुक्त्वा महादेवस्ततश्चादर्शनं गतः॥ रामोऽप्यसूदयत्क्षत्रं पितृदुःखेन दुःखितः

|| pulastya uvāca || evamuktvā mahādevastataścādarśanaṁ gataḥ|| rāmo'pyasūdayatkṣatraṁ pitṛduḥkhena duḥkhitaḥ

Pulastya said: Having spoken thus, Mahadeva then vanished from sight. Rama too, grieved by his father's suffering, began to destroy the Kshatriyas.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.433.12)

त्रिःसप्त तर्पयामास पितॄंस्तत्र प्रहर्षितः॥ जमदग्नौ मृते तेन प्रतिज्ञातं महात्मना

triḥsapta tarpayāmāsa pitṝṁstatra praharṣitaḥ|| jamadagnau mṛte tena pratijñātaṁ mahātmanā

There, rejoicing, he offered libations to the ancestors twenty-one times. When Jamadagni was slain, that great soul had made this vow.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.433.13)

दृष्ट्वा मातुः क्षतान्यंगे त्रिःसप्त मनुजाधिप॥ शस्त्रजातानि विप्राणां समाजे समुपस्थिते

dṛṣṭvā mātuḥ kṣatānyaṁge triḥsapta manujādhipa|| śastrajātāni viprāṇāṁ samāje samupasthite

O lord of men, having seen twenty-one wounds made by weapons upon his mother's body, in the assembly of Brahmins there gathered —

Verse 14 (skanda.7.433.14)

पिता मे निहतो यस्मात्क्षत्रियैस्तापसो द्विजः॥ अयुध्यमान एवाथ तस्मात्कृत्वा त्रिसप्त वै

pitā me nihato yasmātkṣatriyaistāpaso dvijaḥ|| ayudhyamāna evātha tasmātkṛtvā trisapta vai

'Since my father, an ascetic Brahmin, was slain by Kshatriyas even while not fighting, therefore, having done so twenty-one times —'

Verse 15 (skanda.7.433.15)

क्षत्त्रहीनामहं पृथ्वीं प्रदास्ये सलिलं पितुः॥ तत्सर्वं तस्य संजातं तीर्थमाहात्म्यतो नृप

kṣattrahīnāmahaṁ pṛthvīṁ pradāsye salilaṁ pituḥ|| tatsarvaṁ tasya saṁjātaṁ tīrthamāhātmyato nṛpa

'I shall offer to my father, as water-libation, the earth emptied of Kshatriyas.' O king, all of that was accomplished for him through the greatness of that tirtha.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.433.16)

तस्मात्सर्वं प्रयत्नेन श्राद्धं तत्र समाचरेत्॥ क्षत्रियश्च विशेषेण य इच्छेच्छत्रुसंक्षयम्

tasmātsarvaṁ prayatnena śrāddhaṁ tatra samācaret|| kṣatriyaśca viśeṣeṇa ya icchecchatrusaṁkṣayam

Therefore everyone should diligently perform the shraddha rite there, and especially the Kshatriya who desires the destruction of his enemies.