The Glory of Varuneshvara

Verse 1 (skanda.7.70.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि वरुणेश्वरमुत्तमम्। गौरीतपोवनाग्नेय्यां धनुषां विंशतौ स्थितम्। लिंगं महाप्रभावं हि वरुणेन प्रतिष्ठितम्

īśvara uvāca| tato gacchenmahādevi varuṇeśvaramuttamam| gaurītapovanāgneyyāṁ dhanuṣāṁ viṁśatau sthitam| liṅgaṁ mahāprabhāvaṁ hi varuṇena pratiṣṭhitam

Ishvara said: Thereafter, O great Goddess, one should go to the excellent Varuneshvara, situated twenty bow-lengths to the south-east of Gauri's penance-grove. This Linga of great power was consecrated by Varuna.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.70.2)

पूर्वं पीतो यदा देवि समुद्रः कुम्भजन्मना। तदा कोपेन सन्तप्तो वरुणः सरितां पतिः

pūrvaṁ pīto yadā devi samudraḥ kumbhajanmanā| tadā kopena santapto varuṇaḥ saritāṁ patiḥ

O Devi, formerly when the pot-born sage (Agastya) drank up the ocean, Varuna, the lord of the rivers, was consumed with anger and grief.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.70.3)

कामिकं तु समाज्ञाय क्षेत्रं प्राभासिकं तदा। तत्रातपद्देवि तपः स वै परमदुश्चरम्

kāmikaṁ tu samājñāya kṣetraṁ prābhāsikaṁ tadā| tatrātapaddevi tapaḥ sa vai paramaduścaram

Then, knowing the Prabhasa field to be one that grants desires, he, O Devi, performed there a most difficult austerity.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.70.4)

प्रतिष्ठाप्य महालिंगं संपूजयति भक्तितः। वर्षाणामयुतं साग्रं पूजितो वृषभध्वजः

pratiṣṭhāpya mahāliṅgaṁ saṁpūjayati bhaktitaḥ| varṣāṇāmayutaṁ sāgraṁ pūjito vṛṣabhadhvajaḥ

Having installed the great Linga, he worshipped it with devotion; thus the Bull-bannered Lord (Shiva) was worshipped for over ten thousand years.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.70.5)

ततः प्रसन्नो देवेशि निजगंगाजलेन तु। पूरयामास तं रिक्तं समुद्रं यादसांपतिम्

tataḥ prasanno deveśi nijagaṁgājalena tu| pūrayāmāsa taṁ riktaṁ samudraṁ yādasāṁpatim

Then, O Queen of gods, being pleased, the Lord refilled with the water of his own Ganga that emptied ocean, the lord of aquatic creatures.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.70.6)

छंदयामास तं लिंगं वरदानैरनेकधा। तत्प्रभृत्येव ते सर्वे समुद्राः परिपूरिताः

chaṁdayāmāsa taṁ liṅgaṁ varadānairanekadhā| tatprabhṛtyeva te sarve samudrāḥ paripūritāḥ

He gratified that Linga with manifold boons; and from that time onward all the oceans became completely full.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.70.7)

वरुणेश्वरनामेति तल्लिंगं तत्प्रभृत्यभूत्

varuṇeśvaranāmeti talliṅgaṁ tatprabhṛtyabhūt

From that time that Linga came to be known by the name Varuneshvara.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.70.8)

को ह्यर्थो बहुभिर्लिंगैर्दृष्टैर्वा सुरसुन्दरि। वरुणेशेन दृष्टेन सर्वतीर्थफलं लभेत्

ko hyartho bahubhirliṅgairdṛṣṭairvā surasundari| varuṇeśena dṛṣṭena sarvatīrthaphalaṁ labhet

O beautiful one among the gods, what need is there of beholding many Lingas? By the mere sight of Varunesha, one obtains the fruit of all sacred fords.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.70.9)

अष्टम्यां च चतुर्दश्यां तद्दध्ना स्नापयेद्यदि। स ब्राह्मणश्चतुर्वेदो जायते नात्र संशयः

aṣṭamyāṁ ca caturdaśyāṁ taddadhnā snāpayedyadi| sa brāhmaṇaścaturvedo jāyate nātra saṁśayaḥ

If one bathes that Linga with curd on the eighth and fourteenth lunar days, he is born a Brahmin versed in all four Vedas — of this there is no doubt.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.70.10)

ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रिया वैश्याः शूद्राश्चान्ये वरानने। मूकांधबधिरा बालाः स्त्रियश्चैव नपुंसकाः

brāhmaṇāḥ kṣatriyā vaiśyāḥ śūdrāścānye varānane| mūkāṁdhabadhirā bālāḥ striyaścaiva napuṁsakāḥ

O fair-faced one, Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras and others — the mute, the blind, the deaf, children, women, and eunuchs as well —

Verse 11 (skanda.7.70.11)

दृष्ट्वा गच्छंति ते देवि स्वर्गं धर्मपरायणाः। स्नानं जाप्यं बलिं होमं पूजां स्तोत्रं च नर्तनम्। तस्मिन्स्थाने तु यः कुर्यात्तत्सर्वं चाक्षयं भवेत्

dṛṣṭvā gacchaṁti te devi svargaṁ dharmaparāyaṇāḥ| snānaṁ jāpyaṁ baliṁ homaṁ pūjāṁ stotraṁ ca nartanam| tasminsthāne tu yaḥ kuryāttatsarvaṁ cākṣayaṁ bhavet

Having beheld it, O Devi, they, devoted to righteousness, go to heaven. Whatever one performs at that place — bathing, muttered prayer, offering, fire-oblation, worship, hymn-recitation, or dance — all of it becomes imperishable.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.70.12)

हैमं पद्मं मौक्तिकं च दानं तत्रैव दापयेत्। सम्यग्यात्राफलापेक्षी स्वर्गापेक्षी तथा नरः

haimaṁ padmaṁ mauktikaṁ ca dānaṁ tatraiva dāpayet| samyagyātrāphalāpekṣī svargāpekṣī tathā naraḥ

A man who desires the complete fruit of pilgrimage and longs for heaven should offer there gifts of gold, lotuses, and pearls.