The Power of Jambu-tirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.7.444.1)

॥ पुलस्त्य उवाच ॥ ततो गच्छेन्नृपश्रेष्ठ जंबूतीर्थमनुत्तमम्॥ तत्र स्नातो नरः सम्यगिष्टं फलमवाप्नुयात्॥ जंबूद्वीपसमुत्थानां तीर्थानां नृपसत्तम

|| pulastya uvāca || tato gacchennṛpaśreṣṭha jaṁbūtīrthamanuttamam|| tatra snāto naraḥ samyagiṣṭaṁ phalamavāpnuyāt|| jaṁbūdvīpasamutthānāṁ tīrthānāṁ nṛpasattama

Pulastya said: Thereafter, O best of kings, one should go to the peerless Jambu-tirtha. There a man who bathes truly attains his desired fruit, O foremost of kings — for there abide all the holy fords arisen from Jambudvipa.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.444.2)

आसीत्पुरा निमिर्नाम क्षत्रियः सूर्यवंशजः॥ वयसः परिणामे स पर्वतं चार्बुदं गतः

āsītpurā nimirnāma kṣatriyaḥ sūryavaṁśajaḥ|| vayasaḥ pariṇāme sa parvataṁ cārbudaṁ gataḥ

Formerly there was a Kshatriya of the solar dynasty named Nimi. When his years had advanced, he went to Mount Arbuda.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.444.3)

प्रायोपवेशनं कृत्वा स्थितस्तत्र समाहितः॥ अथाजग्मुर्मुनिगणास्तस्य पार्श्वे सहस्रशः

prāyopaveśanaṁ kṛtvā sthitastatra samāhitaḥ|| athājagmurmunigaṇāstasya pārśve sahasraśaḥ

Having undertaken a fast unto death, he sat there in deep concentration. Then hosts of sages, by the thousands, came to his side.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.444.4)

चक्रुर्धर्मकथां पुण्यां राजर्षीणां महात्मनाम्॥ देवर्षीणां पुराणानां तथान्येषां महात्मनाम्

cakrurdharmakathāṁ puṇyāṁ rājarṣīṇāṁ mahātmanām|| devarṣīṇāṁ purāṇānāṁ tathānyeṣāṁ mahātmanām

They engaged in sacred discourse on Dharma concerning great-souled royal sages, divine sages, the Puranas, and other great souls.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.444.5)

ततः कश्चित्कथांते च लोमशो नाम सन्मुनिः॥ कीर्त्तयामास माहात्म्यं सर्वतीर्थसमुद्भवम्

tataḥ kaścitkathāṁte ca lomaśo nāma sanmuniḥ|| kīrttayāmāsa māhātmyaṁ sarvatīrthasamudbhavam

Then, at the end of the discourse, a certain virtuous sage named Lomasha related the greatness arising from all the holy fords.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.444.6)

तच्छ्रुत्वा पार्थिवो राजन्निमिः परमदुर्मनाः॥ बभूव न कृतं पूर्वं यतस्तीर्थावगाहनम्

tacchrutvā pārthivo rājannimiḥ paramadurmanāḥ|| babhūva na kṛtaṁ pūrvaṁ yatastīrthāvagāhanam

Hearing this, O king, King Nimi became greatly distressed, for he had never before bathed in the holy fords.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.444.7)

ततः प्रोवाच तं विप्रमस्त्युपायो द्विजोत्तम॥ कश्चिद्येन च सर्वेषां तीर्थानां लभ्यते फलम्

tataḥ provāca taṁ vipramastyupāyo dvijottama|| kaścidyena ca sarveṣāṁ tīrthānāṁ labhyate phalam

Then he said to that Brahmin: 'O best of the twice-born, is there some means by which the fruit of all the holy fords may be obtained?'

Verse 8 (skanda.7.444.8)

॥ लोमश उवाच ॥ दया मे नृप सञ्जाता त्वां दृष्ट्वा दुःखितं भृशम्॥ तीर्थयात्राकृते यस्मात्करिष्येऽहं तव प्रियम्

|| lomaśa uvāca || dayā me nṛpa sañjātā tvāṁ dṛṣṭvā duḥkhitaṁ bhṛśam|| tīrthayātrākṛte yasmātkariṣye'haṁ tava priyam

Lomasha said: O king, seeing you so greatly distressed for the sake of a pilgrimage, compassion has arisen in me; therefore I shall do what is dear to you.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.444.9)

अत्रैव चानयिष्यामि जंबूद्वीपोद्भवानि च॥ सर्वतीर्थानि राजेन्द्र मन्त्रशक्त्या न संशयः

atraiva cānayiṣyāmi jaṁbūdvīpodbhavāni ca|| sarvatīrthāni rājendra mantraśaktyā na saṁśayaḥ

I shall bring here, through the power of mantra, all the holy fords that have arisen in Jambudvipa, O foremost of kings — of this there is no doubt.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.444.10)

स्नानं कुरु महाराज ह्येकीभूतेषु तत्र च॥ अस्मिञ्जलाशये पुण्ये सत्यमेतद्ब्रवीम्यहम्

snānaṁ kuru mahārāja hyekībhūteṣu tatra ca|| asmiñjalāśaye puṇye satyametadbravīmyaham

O great king, once they have all become gathered together, bathe in this sacred pool. I speak this truthfully.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.444.11)

एवमुक्त्वा स विप्रर्षिर्ध्यानं चक्रे समाहितः॥ ततस्तीर्थानि सर्वाणि तत्रायातानि तत्क्षणात्

evamuktvā sa viprarṣirdhyānaṁ cakre samāhitaḥ|| tatastīrthāni sarvāṇi tatrāyātāni tatkṣaṇāt

Having spoken thus, that Brahmin-sage, with concentrated mind, entered meditation, and then, that very instant, all the holy fords came there.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.444.12)

प्रत्ययार्थं च राजर्षे जंबूवृक्षो व्यजायत॥ तत्र स्नानं नृपश्चक्रे सर्वतीर्थमये ध्रुवे

pratyayārthaṁ ca rājarṣe jaṁbūvṛkṣo vyajāyata|| tatra snānaṁ nṛpaścakre sarvatīrthamaye dhruve

And as proof, O royal sage, a Jambu (rose-apple) tree sprang up there. Then the king bathed in that fixed abode, filled with all the holy fords.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.444.13)

सदेहश्च गतः स्वर्गे तीर्थस्नानादनन्तरम्॥ ततः प्रभृति तत्तीर्थं जंबूतीर्थमनुस्मृतम्

sadehaśca gataḥ svarge tīrthasnānādanantaram|| tataḥ prabhṛti tattīrthaṁ jaṁbūtīrthamanusmṛtam

Immediately after bathing in the tirtha, he went to heaven together with his own body. From that time onward, that tirtha has been remembered as Jambu-tirtha.

Verse 14 (skanda.7.444.14)

कन्यागते रवौ तत्र यः श्राद्धं कुरुते नरः॥ गयाशीर्षसमं तस्य पुण्यमाहुर्महर्षयः

kanyāgate ravau tatra yaḥ śrāddhaṁ kurute naraḥ|| gayāśīrṣasamaṁ tasya puṇyamāhurmaharṣayaḥ

Whoever performs the shraddha rite there when the sun enters the sign of Virgo — the great sages declare his merit to be equal to that of Gaya-shirsha.