The Glory of Shakalyeshvara

Verse 1 (skanda.7.74.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि शाकल्येश्वरमुत्तमम्। दैत्यसूदनवायव्ये धनुषां त्रिंशता स्थितम्

īśvara uvāca| tato gacchenmahādevi śākalyeśvaramuttamam| daityasūdanavāyavye dhanuṣāṁ triṁśatā sthitam

Ishvara said: Thereafter, O great Goddess, one should go to the excellent Shakalyeshvara, situated thirty bow-lengths to the north-west of Daityasudana.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.74.2)

शाकल्येन महादेवि पूजितं सर्वकामदम्। शाकल्योनाम राजर्षिर्यत्र तप्त्वा महत्तपः

śākalyena mahādevi pūjitaṁ sarvakāmadam| śākalyonāma rājarṣiryatra taptvā mahattapaḥ

O great Goddess, it was worshipped by Shakalya and grants all desires; here the royal sage named Shakalya, having performed great austerity —

Verse 3 (skanda.7.74.3)

समाराध्य महादेवं प्रत्यक्षीकृतवान्भवम्। लिंगेऽवतारयामास प्रसन्नं तं महेश्वरम्

samārādhya mahādevaṁ pratyakṣīkṛtavānbhavam| liṅge'vatārayāmāsa prasannaṁ taṁ maheśvaram

having propitiated the great god, made Bhava manifest before his eyes, and caused that pleased Maheshvara to descend into a Linga.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.74.4)

तस्मिन्दृष्टे वरारोहे सप्तजन्मकृतं नृणाम्। पापं प्रणश्यते शीघ्रं तमः सूर्योदये यथा

tasmindṛṣṭe varārohe saptajanmakṛtaṁ nṛṇāṁ| pāpaṁ praṇaśyate śīghraṁ tamaḥ sūryodaye yathā

O fair one, upon beholding it, the sins committed by men across seven births are swiftly destroyed, just as darkness vanishes at sunrise.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.74.5)

तत्राष्टम्यां चतुर्द्दश्यां स्नापयेत्पयसा शिवम्। पूजयेच्च विधानेन गन्धपुष्पादिभिः क्रमात्

tatrāṣṭamyāṁ caturddaśyāṁ snāpayetpayasā śivam| pūjayecca vidhānena gandhapuṣpādibhiḥ kramāt

There, on the eighth and fourteenth lunar days, one should bathe Shiva with milk, and worship him duly, in order, with fragrant substances, flowers, and the like.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.74.6)

हिरण्यं तत्र दातव्यं सम्यग्यात्राफलेप्सुभिः। चत्वारि तस्य नामानि कथ्यमानानि मे शृणु

hiraṇyaṁ tatra dātavyaṁ samyagyātrāphalepsubhiḥ| catvāri tasya nāmāni kathyamānāni me śṛṇu

Those who desire the complete fruit of pilgrimage should give gold there. Now hear from me its four names, which I am about to relate.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.74.7)

आदौ कृतयुगे देवि कीर्तितो भैरवेश्वरः। ततः सावर्णिमनुना सम्यगाराधितः प्रिये

ādau kṛtayuge devi kīrtito bhairaveśvaraḥ| tataḥ sāvarṇimanunā samyagārādhitaḥ priye

O Devi, at first, in the Krita age, it was proclaimed as Bhairaveshvara; thereafter, O beloved, it was duly worshipped by Savarni Manu.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.74.8)

सावर्णिकेश्वरं नाम त्रेतायां तस्य संज्ञितम्। ततस्तु द्वापरे देवि गालवेन महात्मना। सम्यगाराधितस्तत्र लिंगरूपीवृषध्वजः

sāvarṇikeśvaraṁ nāma tretāyāṁ tasya saṁjñitam| tatastu dvāpare devi gālavena mahātmanā| samyagārādhitastatra liṅgarūpīvṛṣadhvajaḥ

In the Treta age its name was declared as Savarnikeshvara; then, O Devi, in the Dvapara age, the great soul Galava duly worshipped there the Bull-bannered one in the form of the Linga.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.74.9)

तृतीयं तस्य देवस्य गालवेश्वरसंज्ञितम्। कलौ युगे तु संप्राप्ते शाकल्योनाम वै मुनिः

tṛtīyaṁ tasya devasya gālaveśvarasaṁjñitam| kalau yuge tu saṁprāpte śākalyonāma vai muniḥ

The third name of that god became known as Galaveshvara; and when the Kali age arrived, a sage named Shakalya —

Verse 10 (skanda.7.74.10)

यत्र सिद्धिमनुप्राप्त ऐश्वर्यं चाणिमादिकम्। शाकल्येश्वरनामेति ततः ख्यातं तुरीयकम्

yatra siddhimanuprāpta aiśvaryaṁ cāṇimādikam| śākalyeśvaranāmeti tataḥ khyātaṁ turīyakam

attained there the accomplishments beginning with the power of minuteness (anima) and lordly power; from then its fourth name, Shakalyeshvara, became renowned.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.74.11)

एवं चातुर्युगं नाम तस्य लिंगस्य कीर्तितम्। पापघ्नं पुण्यदं नॄणां कीर्त्तितं सर्वकामदम्

evaṁ cāturyugaṁ nāma tasya liṅgasya kīrtitam| pāpaghnaṁ puṇyadaṁ nṝṇāṁ kīrttitaṁ sarvakāmadam

Thus the names of that Linga across the four ages have been declared — it is proclaimed as the destroyer of sin, the bestower of merit upon men, and the fulfiller of all desires.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.74.12)

तस्यैव देवदेवस्य क्षेत्रोत्पत्तिं शृणु प्रिये

tasyaiva devadevasya kṣetrotpattiṁ śṛṇu priye

O beloved, now hear of the origin of the sacred field of that very god of gods.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.74.13)

अष्टादशधनुर्देवि समंतात्परिमण्डलम्। महापापहरं देवि तत्र क्षेत्रनिवासिनाम्

aṣṭādaśadhanurdevi samaṁtātparimaṇḍalam| mahāpāpaharaṁ devi tatra kṣetranivāsinām

O Devi, it extends all around in a circuit of eighteen bow-lengths, and, O Devi, it removes the great sins of those who dwell in that sacred field.

Verse 14 (skanda.7.74.14)

कृमिकीटपतंगानां तिरश्चामपि मोक्षदम्। यत्र कूपादितोयेषु जलं सारस्वतं स्मृतम्

kṛmikīṭapataṁgānāṁ tiraścāmapi mokṣadam| yatra kūpāditoyeṣu jalaṁ sārasvataṁ smṛtam

It grants liberation even to worms, insects, moths, and beasts; here the water of the wells and other sources is remembered as Sarasvata (the water of Sarasvati).

Verse 15 (skanda.7.74.15)

यत्र तत्र नरः स्नात्वा स्वर्गलोके महीयते। अश्वमेधसहस्रस्य वाजपेयशतस्य च

yatra tatra naraḥ snātvā svargaloke mahīyate| aśvamedhasahasrasya vājapeyaśatasya ca

Bathing anywhere there, a man is exalted in the heavenly world; he obtains the fruit of a thousand Ashvamedha (horse) sacrifices and a hundred Vajapeya sacrifices —

Verse 16 (skanda.7.74.16)

तत्फलं समवाप्नोति तस्य लिंगस्य दर्शनात्। सोमपर्वणि संप्राप्ते यस्तत्र शुचिरात्मवान्

tatphalaṁ samavāpnoti tasya liṅgasya darśanāt| somaparvaṇi saṁprāpte yastatra śucirātmavān

that fruit merely by the sight of that Linga. When the lunar festival (Soma-parvan) arrives, whoever, pure and self-controlled, remains there,

Verse 17 (skanda.7.74.17)

अघोरं च जपेत्सम्यगाज्यहोमसमन्वितम्। तल्लिंगस्य समीपस्थो यावन्मासावधिः प्रिये

aghoraṁ ca japetsamyagājyahomasamanvitam| talliṅgasya samīpastho yāvanmāsāvadhiḥ priye

and properly recites the Aghora mantra together with a ghee-oblation, remaining near that Linga for the duration of a month, O beloved,

Verse 18 (skanda.7.74.18)

महापातकयुक्तोऽपि युक्तो वाऽप्युपपातकैः। स सर्वां लभते सिद्धिमुत्तमां वरवर्णिनि

mahāpātakayukto'pi yukto vā'pyupapātakaiḥ| sa sarvāṁ labhate siddhimuttamāṁ varavarṇini

even though burdened with great sins or with minor sins, O fair one, he obtains every kind of supreme accomplishment.

Verse 19 (skanda.7.74.19)

कामिकं तत्स्मृतं लिंगं सर्वकामफलप्रदम्। अघोर वक्त्रं देवस्य तत्रस्थं भैरवं महत्

kāmikaṁ tatsmṛtaṁ liṅgaṁ sarvakāmaphalapradam| aghora vaktraṁ devasya tatrasthaṁ bhairavaṁ mahat

That Linga is remembered as Kamika, granting the fruit of all desires; the great Bhairava present there is the Aghora face of the god.

Verse 20 (skanda.7.74.20)

भैरवेश्वरनामेति पूर्वं ख्यातमभूद्भुवि। अस्मिन्युगे तु संप्राप्ते शाकल्येश्वरनामकम्

bhairaveśvaranāmeti pūrvaṁ khyātamabhūdbhuvi| asminyuge tu saṁprāpte śākalyeśvaranāmakam

In former times it was known on earth by the name Bhairaveshvara; with the arrival of this present age, it became known by the name Shakalyeshvara.