The Glory of Tripushkara

Verse 1 (skanda.7.438.1)

॥ पुलस्त्य उवाच ॥ ततस्त्रिपुष्करं गच्छेदभीष्टं पद्मजस्य च॥ ब्रह्मणा तत्समानीतं पर्वतेऽर्बुदसंज्ञके

|| pulastya uvāca || tatastripuṣkaraṁ gacchedabhīṣṭaṁ padmajasya ca|| brahmaṇā tatsamānītaṁ parvate'rbudasaṁjñake

Pulastya said: Thereafter one should go to Tripushkara, dear to the lotus-born (Brahma), which was brought by Brahma to the mountain named Arbuda.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.438.2)

वसिष्ठस्य पुरा सत्रे वर्त्तमाने नराधिप॥ तस्मिन्नगे समायाता ब्रह्माद्याश्च सुरोत्तमाः

vasiṣṭhasya purā satre varttamāne narādhipa|| tasminnage samāyātā brahmādyāśca surottamāḥ

O king, formerly when Vasishtha's sacrificial session was in progress, Brahma and the other chief gods came to that mountain.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.438.3)

प्रतिज्ञातं महाराज ब्रह्मणाऽव्यक्तजन्मना॥ यावत्स्थास्ये नृलोकेऽस्मिंस्तावत्सन्ध्यां त्रिपुष्करे॥ वंदयिष्यामि संप्राप्ते संध्याकाले समाहितः

pratijñātaṁ mahārāja brahmaṇā'vyaktajanmanā|| yāvatsthāsye nṛloke'sminstāvatsandhyāṁ tripuṣkare|| vaṁdayiṣyāmi saṁprāpte saṁdhyākāle samāhitaḥ

O great king, Brahma, whose birth is unmanifest, made this vow: 'As long as I shall remain in this world of men, when the time of twilight comes, with focused mind I shall perform my twilight devotions at Tripushkara.'

Verse 4 (skanda.7.438.4)

एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु प्रस्थितः पुष्करं प्रति॥ संध्यार्थं पद्मजो यावद्वसिष्ठस्तावदब्रवीत्

etasminneva kāle tu prasthitaḥ puṣkaraṁ prati|| sandhyārthaṁ padmajo yāvadvasiṣṭhastāvadabravīt

At this very time, when the lotus-born, for the sake of twilight devotion, was setting out toward Pushkara, Vasishtha spoke.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.438.5)

॥ वसिष्ठ उवाच ॥ कर्मकालश्च सम्प्राप्तो यज्ञेऽस्मिन्सुरसत्तम॥ स विना न त्वया देव सिद्धिं यास्यति कर्हिचित्

|| vasiṣṭha uvāca || karmakālaśca samprāpto yajñe'sminsurasattama|| sa vinā na tvayā deva siddhiṁ yāsyati karhicit

Vasishtha said: O best of gods, the time for the ritual act in this sacrifice has arrived. O deity, without you it will never attain success.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.438.6)

तस्मादानय चात्रैव पद्मयोने त्रिपुष्करम्॥ संध्योपास्तिं ततः कृत्वा तत्र भूयः सुरेश्वर॥ ब्रह्मत्वं कुरु देवेश सत्रे चास्मिन्दयानिधे

tasmādānaya cātraiva padmayone tripuṣkaram|| sandhyopāstiṁ tataḥ kṛtvā tatra bhūyaḥ sureśvara|| brahmatvaṁ kuru deveśa satre cāsmindayānidhe

Therefore, O lotus-born one, bring Tripushkara right here; then, having performed your twilight worship there, come back again, O lord of gods, and perform the office of Brahma in this sacrificial session, O treasury of compassion.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.438.7)

एवमुक्तो वसिष्ठेन ब्रह्मा लोक पितामहः॥ ध्यात्वा तत्रानयामास ज्येष्ठमध्यकनिष्ठिकम्॥ पुष्करत्रितयं चागात्सुपुण्ये सलिलाशये

evamukto vasiṣṭhena brahmā loka pitāmahaḥ|| dhyātvā tatrānayāmāsa jyeṣṭhamadhyakaniṣṭhikam|| puṣkaratritayaṁ cāgātsupuṇye salilāśaye

Thus addressed by Vasishtha, Brahma, the grandsire of the worlds, meditating, brought there the eldest, middle, and youngest — the triad of Pushkaras — into that most sacred pool of water.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.438.8)

ततःप्रभृति संजातमर्बुदेऽस्मिंस्त्रिपुष्करम्

tataḥprabhṛti saṁjātamarbude'sminstripuṣkaram

From that time onward, Tripushkara has existed on this mountain Arbuda.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.438.9)

तत्र यः कार्तिके मासि पौर्णमास्यां समाहितः॥ स्नानं करोति दानं च तस्य लोकाः सनातनाः

tatra yaḥ kārtike māsi paurṇamāsyāṁ samāhitaḥ|| snānaṁ karoti dānaṁ ca tasya lokāḥ sanātanāḥ

Whoever, with focused mind, bathes and gives gifts there on the full-moon day of Kartika month attains the eternal worlds.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.438.10)

तस्य चोत्तरदिग्भागे सावित्रीकुण्डमुत्तमम्॥ स्नानदानादिकं कुर्वन्यत्र याति शुभां गतिम्

tasya cottaradigbhāge sāvitrīkuṇḍamuttamam|| snānadānādikaṁ kurvanyatra yāti śubhāṁ gatim

To its north lies the excellent Savitri-kunda, where one who performs bathing, giving, and the like attains an auspicious destiny.