The Power of Mahaujas-tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.7.443.1)

॥ पुलस्त्य उवाच ॥ ततो महौजसं गच्छेत्तीर्थं पातकनाशनम्॥ यस्मिन्स्नातो नरो राजंस्तेजसा युज्यते ध्रुवम्॥ ब्रह्महत्याग्निना शक्रः पुरा दैन्यं परं गतः

|| pulastya uvāca || tato mahaujasaṁ gacchettīrthaṁ pātakanāśanam|| yasminsnāto naro rājaṁstejasā yujyate dhruvam|| brahmahatyāgninā śakraḥ purā dainyaṁ paraṁ gataḥ

Pulastya said: Thereafter one should go to the tirtha called Mahaujas, the destroyer of sins. There, O king, a man who bathes surely becomes endowed with radiance. Formerly, through the fire of the sin of Brahmin-slaying, Indra fell into the deepest misery.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.443.2)

निःश्रीकस्तेजसा हीनो दुर्गन्धेन समन्वितः॥ परित्यक्तः सुरैः सर्वैर्विषादं परमं गतः

niḥśrīkastejasā hīno durgandhena samanvitaḥ|| parityaktaḥ suraiḥ sarvairviṣādaṁ paramaṁ gataḥ

Bereft of splendor, devoid of radiance, and afflicted with foul odor, abandoned by all the gods, he fell into extreme despair.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.443.3)

ततः पप्रच्छ देवेन्द्रो द्विजश्रेष्ठं बृहस्पतिम्॥ भगवंस्तेजसो वृद्धिः कथं स्यान्मे यथा पुरा

tataḥ papraccha devendro dvijaśreṣṭhaṁ bṛhaspatim|| bhagavaṁstejaso vṛddhiḥ kathaṁ syānme yathā purā

Then Devendra asked the foremost of Brahmins, Brihaspati: 'O lord, how may the increase of my radiance come about, as it was before?'

Verse 4 (skanda.7.443.4)

॥ बृहस्पतिरुवाच ॥ तीर्थयात्रां सुरश्रेष्ठ कुरुष्व धरणीतले॥ तीर्थं विना ध्रुवं वृद्धिस्तेजसो न भविष्यति

|| bṛhaspatiruvāca || tīrthayātrāṁ suraśreṣṭha kuruṣva dharaṇītale|| tīrthaṁ vinā dhruvaṁ vṛddhistejaso na bhaviṣyati

Brihaspati said: O best of gods, undertake a pilgrimage upon the earth. Without a holy tirtha, the increase of your radiance will surely not occur.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.443.5)

ततस्तीर्थान्यनेकानि भ्रांत्वा शक्रो नराधिप॥ क्रमेणैवार्बुदं प्राप्तस्तत्र दृष्ट्वा जलाशयम्॥ स्नानं चक्रे ततः श्रान्तो महौजाः प्रत्यपद्यत

tatastīrthānyanekāni bhrāṁtvā śakro narādhipa|| krameṇaivārbudaṁ prāptastatra dṛṣṭvā jalāśayam|| snānaṁ cakre tataḥ śrānto mahaujāḥ pratyapadyata

Then, O king, wandering through many holy fords, Indra came in due course to Arbuda; there, seeing the pool of water, weary, he bathed, and then became possessed of great splendor.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.443.6)

दुर्गन्धेन विनिर्मुक्तस्ततो देवैः समावृतः॥ उवाच प्रहसन्वाक्यं शृणुध्वं सर्वदेवताः

durgandhena vinirmuktastato devaiḥ samāvṛtaḥ|| uvāca prahasanvākyaṁ śṛṇudhvaṁ sarvadevatāḥ

Freed from the foul odor, then, surrounded by the gods, he spoke, smiling, these words: 'Listen, all you gods!'

Verse 7 (skanda.7.443.7)

येऽत्र स्नानं करिष्यन्ति प्राप्ते शक्रोच्छ्रये सदा॥ आश्विने शुक्लपक्षांते ते यास्यंति परां गतिम्॥ सुश्रीकाश्च भविष्यंति सदा जन्मनिजन्मनि

ye'tra snānaṁ kariṣyanti prāpte śakrocchraye sadā|| āśvine śuklapakṣāṁte te yāsyaṁti parāṁ gatim|| suśrīkāśca bhaviṣyaṁti sadā janmanijanmani

Whoever shall bathe here whenever Shakrocchraya (Indra's festival) arrives, at the end of the bright fortnight of Ashvina month, shall attain the supreme goal, and shall always be endowed with great splendor, birth after birth.