The Glory of Ketulinga and the Summary of the Fourteen Shrines

Verse 1 (skanda.7.51.1)

॥ ईश्वर उवाच ॥ ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि केतुलिंगं महाप्रभम् ॥ राह्वीशानादुत्तरे च मंगलायाश्च दक्षिणे

|| īśvara uvāca || tato gacchenmahādevi ketuliṁgaṁ mahāprabham || rāhvīśānāduttare ca maṁgalāyāśca dakṣiṇe

Ishvara said: "Then one should go, O great goddess, to the greatly radiant Ketulinga, north of Rahvishana and south of Mangala."

Verse 2 (skanda.7.51.2)

धनुषोंतरमानेन नातिदूरे व्यवस्थितम् ॥ लिंगं महाप्रभावं हि सर्वपातकनाशनम्

dhanuṣoṁtaramānena nātidūre vyavasthitam || liṁgaṁ mahāprabhāvaṁ hi sarvapātakanāśanam

Situated at a measure of one bow-length, not far; this linga is indeed of great power, destroying all sin.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.51.3)

केतुर्नाम ग्रहोत्युग्रः शिवसद्भावभावितः ॥ वर्तुलोऽतीव विस्तीर्णो लोचनाभ्यां सुभीषणः

keturnāma grahotyugraḥ śivasadbhāvabhāvitaḥ || vartulo'tīva vistīrṇo locanābhyāṁ subhīṣaṇaḥ

The planet named Ketu is most fierce, imbued with the true nature of Shiva; exceedingly round and vast, most terrifying to behold.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.51.4)

पलालधूमसंकाशो ग्रहपीडापहारकः ॥ तत्राकरोत्तपश्चोग्रं दिव्याब्दानां शतं प्रिये

palāladhūmasaṁkāśo grahapīḍāpahārakaḥ || tatrākarottapaścograṁ divyābdānāṁ śataṁ priye

Resembling the smoke of burning straw, he removes the affliction of the planets; there, O beloved, he performed fierce austerity for a hundred divine years.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.51.5)

तस्य तुष्टो महादेवो ग्रह त्वं प्रददौ प्रिये ॥ एकादशशतानां च ग्रहाणामाधिपत्यताम्

tasya tuṣṭo mahādevo graha tvaṁ pradadau priye || ekādaśaśatānāṁ ca grahāṇāmādhipatyatām

Mahadeva, pleased with him, gave him the status of a planet, O beloved, along with lordship over eleven hundred planets.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.51.6)

तत्रस्थं पूजयेद्भक्त्या केतुलिंगं महाप्रभम् ॥ केतूदये महाघोरे तस्मिन्दृष्टे विशेषतः

tatrasthaṁ pūjayedbhaktyā ketuliṁgaṁ mahāprabham || ketūdaye mahāghore tasmindṛṣṭe viśeṣataḥ

One should worship with devotion that greatly radiant Ketulinga established there, especially when Ketu's rising is most terrible, upon beholding it.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.51.7)

ग्रहपीडासु चोग्रासु पूजयेत्तं विधानतः ॥ पुष्पैर्गंधैस्तथा धूपैर्नैवेद्यैर्विविधैः शुभैः

grahapīḍāsu cogrāsu pūjayettaṁ vidhānataḥ || puṣpairgaṁdhaistathā dhūpairnaivedyairvividhaiḥ śubhaiḥ

In fierce planetary afflictions, one should worship him according to rule, with flowers, fragrances, incense, and various auspicious food-offerings.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.51.8)

तोषयेद्विधिवद्देवं केतुं कल्मषनाशनम्

toṣayedvidhivaddevaṁ ketuṁ kalmaṣanāśanam

One should satisfy according to rule the god Ketu, the destroyer of impurity.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.51.9)

इति संक्षेपतः प्रोक्तं केतुलिंगं महोदयम् ॥ ग्रहपीडोपशमनं सर्वपातकनाशनम्

iti saṁkṣepataḥ proktaṁ ketuliṁgaṁ mahodayam || grahapīḍopaśamanaṁ sarvapātakanāśanam

Thus, in brief, has been told the great glory of the Ketulinga, which pacifies planetary afflictions and destroys all sin.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.51.10)

एतानि नव लिंगानि ग्रहाणां कथितानि ते ॥ यः पश्यति नरो नित्यं तस्य पीडाभयं कुतः

etāni nava liṁgāni grahāṇāṁ kathitāni te || yaḥ paśyati naro nityaṁ tasya pīḍābhayaṁ kutaḥ

These nine lingas of the planets have been told to you; the man who beholds them daily — whence for him is fear of affliction?

Verse 11 (skanda.7.51.11)

न दौर्भाग्यं कुले तस्य न रोगी नैव दुःखितः ॥ जायते पुत्रवद्देवि तं रक्षंति महाग्रहाः

na daurbhāgyaṁ kule tasya na rogī naiva duḥkhitaḥ || jāyate putravaddevi taṁ rakṣaṁti mahāgrahāḥ

In his family there is no misfortune; he is never diseased nor grieved. O goddess, the great planets protect him as if he were their own son.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.51.12)

इति ते कथितं सम्यक्चतुर्दशायतनं प्रिये ॥ विघ्नेश्वरं समारभ्य यावत्केतुप्रतिष्ठितम्

iti te kathitaṁ samyakcaturdaśāyatanaṁ priye || vighneśvaraṁ samārabhya yāvatketupratiṣṭhitam

Thus, O beloved, has been fully told to you the fourteen shrines, beginning with Vighneshvara up to the one established by Ketu.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.51.13)

नवग्रहेश्वराणां तु माहात्म्यं पापनाशनम् ॥ तथैव पंचलिंगानां श्रुत्वा पापैः प्रमुच्यते

navagraheśvarāṇāṁ tu māhātmyaṁ pāpanāśanam || tathaiva paṁcaliṁgānāṁ śrutvā pāpaiḥ pramucyate

The greatness of the nine planet-lords destroys sin; likewise, by hearing of the five lingas, one is freed from sins.

Verse 14 (skanda.7.51.14)

कपर्द्दिनं समारभ्य चंडनाथांतकानि च ॥ पंचैव मुद्रालिंगानि नापुण्यो वेद मानवः

kaparddinaṁ samārabhya caṁḍanāthāṁtakāni ca || paṁcaiva mudrāliṁgāni nāpuṇyo veda mānavaḥ

Beginning with Kapardin, up to and ending with Chandanatha, these are the five seal-lingas; no impious man knows them.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.51.15)

सूर्येश्वरं समारभ्य केतुलिंगांतकानि वै ॥ नवग्रहाणां लिंगानि नान्यो जानाति कश्चन

sūryeśvaraṁ samārabhya ketuliṁgāṁtakāni vai || navagrahāṇāṁ liṁgāni nānyo jānāti kaścana

Beginning with Suryeshvara, up to and ending with the Ketulinga, these are indeed the lingas of the nine planets; no other person whatsoever truly knows them.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.51.16)

चतुर्दशविधा त्वेवं प्रोक्ताऽऽयतनसंगतिः ॥ यश्चैनां वेद भावेन स क्षेत्रफलमश्नुते

caturdaśavidhā tvevaṁ proktā''yatanasaṁgatiḥ || yaścaināṁ veda bhāvena sa kṣetraphalamaśnute

Thus has this fourteen-fold assemblage of shrines been declared; whoever knows it with true feeling obtains the fruit of the sacred field.