The Glory of Chandrodbheda-tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.7.435.1)

॥ पुलस्त्य उवाच ॥ ततो गच्छेन्नृपश्रेष्ठ चंद्रोद्भेदमनुत्तमम्॥ तीर्थं पापहरं नृणां निशानाथेन निर्मितम्

|| pulastya uvāca || tato gacchennṛpaśreṣṭha caṁdrodbhedamanuttamam|| tīrthaṁ pāpaharaṁ nṛṇāṁ niśānāthena nirmitam

Pulastya said: Thereafter, O best of kings, one should go to the incomparable Chandrodbheda, a tirtha that destroys the sins of men, fashioned by the Lord of Night (the Moon).

Verse 2 (skanda.7.435.2)

प्रतिज्ञातं यदा राजन्ग्रहणे चंद्रसूर्ययोः॥ राहुणा कृतवैरेण च्छिन्ने शिरसि विष्णुना

pratijñātaṁ yadā rājangrahaṇe caṁdrasūryayoḥ|| rāhuṇā kṛtavaireṇa cchinne śirasi viṣṇunā

O king, when Rahu, whose head had been severed by Vishnu and who had thus formed a hostility, vowed to seize both the moon and the sun in eclipse —

Verse 3 (skanda.7.435.3)

तदा भयान्वितश्चन्द्रो मत्वा दैत्यं दुरासदम्॥ पीयूषभक्षणोद्युक्तं ततश्चार्बुदमभ्यगात्

tadā bhayānvitaścandro matvā daityaṁ durāsadam|| pīyūṣabhakṣaṇodyuktaṁ tataścārbudamabhyagāt

Then the Moon, filled with fear, knowing that daitya — intent on drinking the nectar — to be unassailable, went thereupon to Mount Arbuda.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.435.4)

तत्र भित्त्वा गिरेः शृंगे कृत्वा विवरमुत्तमम्॥ प्रविष्टस्तस्य मध्ये तु तपस्तेपे सुदुश्चरम्

tatra bhittvā gireḥ śṛṁge kṛtvā vivaramuttamam|| praviṣṭastasya madhye tu tapastepe suduścaram

There, having split open the mountain's peak and made a fine cavity, he entered its interior and performed the most difficult austerity.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.435.5)

ततः कालेन महता तुष्टस्तस्य महेश्वरः॥ अब्रवीद्वृणु भद्रं ते वरं यत्ते हृदिस्थितम्

tataḥ kālena mahatā tuṣṭastasya maheśvaraḥ|| abravīdvṛṇu bhadraṁ te varaṁ yatte hṛdisthitam

Then, after a long time, Maheshvara, pleased with him, said: 'Blessed be you; ask the boon that dwells in your heart.'

Verse 6 (skanda.7.435.6)

॥ चंद्र उवाच ॥ प्रतिज्ञातं सुरश्रेष्ठ राहुणा ग्रहणं मम॥ बलवानेष दुर्धर्षः प्रकृत्या सिंहिकासुतः

|| caṁdra uvāca || pratijñātaṁ suraśreṣṭha rāhuṇā grahaṇaṁ mama|| balavāneṣa durdharṣaḥ prakṛtyā siṁhikāsutaḥ

The Moon said: O best of gods, Rahu has vowed to seize me in eclipse. This son of Simhika is by nature powerful and unassailable.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.435.7)

सांप्रतं भक्षितं तेन पीयूषं सुरसत्तम॥ अहं मध्ये धृतश्चापि राहुणाऽसौ दुरासदः

sāṁprataṁ bhakṣitaṁ tena pīyūṣaṁ surasattama|| ahaṁ madhye dhṛtaścāpi rāhuṇā'sau durāsadaḥ

O best of gods, just now he has drunk the nectar of immortality, and I too was seized in the midst by that formidable Rahu.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.435.8)

पीयमानेऽमृते देव देवैः पूर्वं पराजितैः॥ दैवतं रूपमास्थाय दानवोऽसौ समागतः

pīyamāne'mṛte deva devaiḥ pūrvaṁ parājitaiḥ|| daivataṁ rūpamāsthāya dānavo'sau samāgataḥ

O god, while the nectar was being drunk by the gods who had earlier been defeated, that danava came there, assuming the form of a deity.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.435.9)

अपिबच्चामृतं राहुस्तेनास्य मृत्युवर्जितम्॥ अमृतं चाक्षयं जातं शिरो देवभयप्रदम्

apibaccāmṛtaṁ rāhustenāsya mṛtyuvarjitam|| amṛtaṁ cākṣayaṁ jātaṁ śiro devabhayapradam

And Rahu drank the nectar, whereby his head became free from death and imperishable, becoming a terror to the gods.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.435.10)

ततो देवैः कृतं साम ग्रहमध्ये प्रतिष्ठितः॥ प्रतिज्ञाते ग्रहेऽस्माकं ततो मे भयमाविशत्

tato devaiḥ kṛtaṁ sāma grahamadhye pratiṣṭhitaḥ|| pratijñāte grahe'smākaṁ tato me bhayamāviśat

Then the gods made a conciliation, establishing him among the planetary bodies. Since he has vowed to eclipse us, fear has entered into me from that time.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.435.11)

भयात्तस्य सुरश्रेष्ठ भित्त्वा शृंगं गिरेरिदम्॥ कृतं श्वभ्रमगाधं च तपोऽर्थं सुरसत्तम॥ तस्मादत्र प्रसादं मे कुरु कामनिषूदन

bhayāttasya suraśreṣṭha bhittvā śṛṁgaṁ gireridam|| kṛtaṁ śvabhramagādhaṁ ca tapo'rthaṁ surasattama|| tasmādatra prasādaṁ me kuru kāmaniṣūdana

Out of fear of him, O best of gods, this peak of the mountain was split and this unfathomable cavity made for the sake of austerity, O foremost of gods. Therefore, O destroyer of Kama, show me your grace here.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.435.12)

॥ भगवानुवाच ॥ अवध्यः सर्वदेवानामजेयः स महाबलः॥ करिष्यति ग्रहं नूनं राहुः कोपपरायणः॥ परं तव निशानाथ करिष्येऽहं प्रतिक्रियाम्

|| bhagavānuvāca || avadhyaḥ sarvadevānāmajeyaḥ sa mahābalaḥ|| kariṣyati grahaṁ nūnaṁ rāhuḥ kopaparāyaṇaḥ|| paraṁ tava niśānātha kariṣye'haṁ pratikriyām

The Lord said: That mighty Rahu is unslayable and unconquerable by all the gods; given to wrath, he will surely eclipse you. But, O Lord of Night, I shall provide a remedy for you.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.435.13)

ग्रहणे तव संप्राप्ते स्नानदानादिकाः क्रियाः॥ करिष्यंति जना लोके सम्यक्छ्रेयःसमन्विताः

grahaṇe tava saṁprāpte snānadānādikāḥ kriyāḥ|| kariṣyaṁti janā loke samyakchreyaḥsamanvitāḥ

When your eclipse occurs, people in the world will perform rites of bathing, giving gifts, and the like, and will be truly endowed with well-being.

Verse 14 (skanda.7.435.14)

ताभिस्तव न संतापः स्वल्पोऽप्येवं भविष्यति॥ अक्षयं सुकृतं तेषां कृतं कर्म भविष्यति

tābhistava na saṁtāpaḥ svalpo'pyevaṁ bhaviṣyati|| akṣayaṁ sukṛtaṁ teṣāṁ kṛtaṁ karma bhaviṣyati

Through these rites, not even the slightest suffering shall come to you — thus it shall be — and the deeds they perform will become imperishable merit for them.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.435.15)

ग्रहणे तव संजाते मम वाक्यादसंशयम्॥ एतद्भिन्नं त्वया यस्मात्तपोऽर्थं शिखरं गिरेः॥ चन्द्रोद्भेदमिति ख्यातं तीर्थं लोके भविष्यति

grahaṇe tava saṁjāte mama vākyādasaṁśayam|| etadbhinnaṁ tvayā yasmāttapo'rthaṁ śikharaṁ gireḥ|| candrodbhedamiti khyātaṁ tīrthaṁ loke bhaviṣyati

Your eclipse shall surely occur according to my word. And because you have split this mountain's peak for the sake of austerity, this tirtha shall become renowned in the world as Chandrodbheda.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.435.16)

ग्रहणे तव संप्राप्ते योऽत्र स्नानं करिष्यति॥ न तस्य पुनरेवात्र जन्म लोके भविष्यति

grahaṇe tava saṁprāpte yo'tra snānaṁ kariṣyati|| na tasya punarevātra janma loke bhaviṣyati

Whoever bathes here when your eclipse occurs will not again take birth in this world.

Verse 17 (skanda.7.435.17)

यो वा सोमदिने स्नानं दर्शनं तत्र चाचरेत्॥ तव लोके ध्रुवं वासस्तस्य चंद्र भविष्यति

yo vā somadine snānaṁ darśanaṁ tatra cācaret|| tava loke dhruvaṁ vāsastasya caṁdra bhaviṣyati

Or whoever performs bathing and darshan there on a Monday, O Moon, will certainly gain residence in your world.

Verse 18 (skanda.7.435.18)

एवमुक्त्वा स भगवांस्ततश्चांतर्दधे हरः॥ चन्द्रोऽपि प्रययौ हृष्टः स्वस्थानं नृपसत्तम

evamuktvā sa bhagavāṁstataścāṁtardadhe haraḥ|| candro'pi prayayau hṛṣṭaḥ svasthānaṁ nṛpasattama

Having spoken thus, the Lord Hara then vanished. The Moon too, rejoicing, departed to his own abode, O best of kings.