The Glory of the Origin of Chakratirtha

Verse 1 (skanda.7.82.1)

देव्युवाच। चक्रतीर्थेति किं नाम त्वया प्रोक्तं वृषध्वज। कुत्र तिष्ठति तत्तीर्थं किं प्रभावं वदस्व मे

devyuvāca| cakratīrtheti kiṁ nāma tvayā proktaṁ vṛṣadhvaja| kutra tiṣṭhati tattīrthaṁ kiṁ prabhāvaṁ vadasva me

The Devi said: O Bull-bannered one, that place you named Chakratirtha — where does that sacred ford lie, and what is its power? Tell me.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.82.2)

ईश्वर उवाच। पुरा देवासुरे युद्धे हत्वा दैत्याञ्जनार्द्दनः। चक्रं प्रक्षालयामास तत्र वै रक्तरंजितम्

īśvara uvāca| purā devāsure yuddhe hatvā daityāñjanārddanaḥ| cakraṁ prakṣālayāmāsa tatra vai raktaraṁjitam

Ishvara said: Formerly, in the war between gods and demons, having slain the demons, Janardana washed there his discus, which had become stained with blood.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.82.3)

अष्टकोटिसुतीर्थानि तत्रानीय स्वयं हरिः। तीर्थे प्रकल्पयामास शुद्धिं कृत्वा सुदर्शने। तीर्थस्य चक्रे नामापि चकतीर्थमिति श्रुतम्

aṣṭakoṭisutīrthāni tatrānīya svayaṁ hariḥ| tīrthe prakalpayāmāsa śuddhiṁ kṛtvā sudarśane| tīrthasya cakre nāmāpi cakatīrthamiti śrutam

Hari himself brought eight crores of sacred fords there, and established that ford after purifying his discus Sudarshana in it. From the name of that discus, the ford too came to be known, as it is heard, by the name Chakratirtha.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.82.4)

अष्टायुतानि तीर्थानामष्टौ कोट्यस्तथैव च। तत्र संति महादेवि चक्रतीर्थे न संशयः

aṣṭāyutāni tīrthānāmaṣṭau koṭyastathaiva ca| tatra saṁti mahādevi cakratīrthe na saṁśayaḥ

O great Goddess, eighty thousand and eight crore sacred fords exist there in Chakratirtha — of this there is no doubt.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.82.5)

यस्तत्र कुरुते स्नानमेकचित्तो नरोत्तमः। सर्वतीर्थाभिषेकस्य स प्राप्नोत्यखिलं फलम्

yastatra kurute snānamekacitto narottamaḥ| sarvatīrthābhiṣekasya sa prāpnotyakhilaṁ phalam

The excellent man who bathes there with a focused mind obtains the entire fruit of bathing in all sacred fords.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.82.6)

तीर्थानामष्टकोटिस्तु निवसंति वरानने। एकादश्यां विशेषेण चन्द्रसूर्यग्रहे तथा

tīrthānāmaṣṭakoṭistu nivasaṁti varānane| ekādaśyāṁ viśeṣeṇa candrasūryagrahe tathā

O fair-faced one, eight crore sacred fords dwell there always, especially on Ekadashi and during lunar and solar eclipses.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.82.7)

तत्र स्नात्वा महादेवि यज्ञकोटिफलं लभेत्। तस्यैव कल्पनामानि शृणु ते कथयाम्यहम्

tatra snātvā mahādevi yajñakoṭiphalaṁ labhet| tasyaiva kalpanāmāni śṛṇu te kathayāmyaham

O great Goddess, bathing there, one obtains the fruit of a crore sacrifices. Now I shall tell you the names by which it was known in the different aeons — listen.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.82.8)

कोटितीर्थं पूर्वकल्पे श्रीनिधानं द्वितीयके। तृतीये शतधारं च चक्रतीर्थं चतुर्थके

koṭitīrthaṁ pūrvakalpe śrīnidhānaṁ dvitīyake| tṛtīye śatadhāraṁ ca cakratīrthaṁ caturthake

In the previous aeon it was Kotitirtha; in the second aeon, Shrinidhana; in the third, Shatadhara; and in the fourth aeon, Chakratirtha.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.82.9)

एवं ते कल्पनामानि ह्यतीतान्यखिलानि वै। कथितान्येवमन्यानि ज्ञेयानि विबुधैः क्रमात्

evaṁ te kalpanāmāni hyatītānyakhilāni vai| kathitānyevamanyāni jñeyāni vibudhaiḥ kramāt

Thus I have told you all the names of its past aeons; likewise the other names too should be known by the wise, in due order.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.82.10)

तत्र यद्दीयते दानं तस्य संख्या न विद्यते। अर्द्धक्रोशप्रमाणं हि विष्णुक्षेत्रं प्रकीर्त्तितम्

tatra yaddīyate dānaṁ tasya saṁkhyā na vidyate| arddhakrośapramāṇaṁ hi viṣṇukṣetraṁ prakīrttitam

The gift given there is beyond counting; this field of Vishnu is proclaimed to measure half a krosha in extent.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.82.11)

ब्रह्महत्या नोपसर्पेत्सत्यमेतन्मयोदितम्। मासोपवासी तत्क्षेत्रे अग्निहोत्री यतव्रतः

brahmahatyā nopasarpetsatyametanmayoditam| māsopavāsī tatkṣetre agnihotrī yatavrataḥ

Not even the sin of Brahmin-killing can approach there — this I have spoken truly. He who, in that field, fasts for a month, maintains the fire-offering, and keeps disciplined vows,

Verse 12 (skanda.7.82.12)

स्वाध्यायी यज्ञयाजी च तपश्चांद्रायणा दिकम्। तिलोदकं पितॄणां च श्राद्धं च विधिपूर्वकम्

svādhyāyī yajñayājī ca tapaścāṁdrāyaṇā dikam| tilodakaṁ pitṝṇāṁ ca śrāddhaṁ ca vidhipūrvakam

who studies the scriptures, performs and officiates sacrifices, undertakes the Chandrayana and other austerities, offers sesame-water to the ancestors, and duly performs the ancestral rites —

Verse 13 (skanda.7.82.13)

एकरात्रं त्रिरात्रं वा कृच्छ्रं सांतपनं तथा। मासोपवासं तच्चैव अन्यद्वा पुण्यकर्म तत्

ekarātraṁ trirātraṁ vā kṛcchraṁ sāṁtapanaṁ tathā| māsopavāsaṁ tacchaiva anyadvā puṇyakarma tat

a one-night or three-night observance, the Krichchhra and Santapana penances, a month-long fast, or any other meritorious act —

Verse 14 (skanda.7.82.14)

दैत्यारिक्षेत्रमासाद्य यत्किंचित्कुरुते नरः। अन्यक्षेत्रात्कोटिगुणं पुण्यं भूयान्न संशयः

daityārikṣetramāsādya yatkiṁcitkurute naraḥ| anyakṣetrātkoṭiguṇaṁ puṇyaṁ bhūyānna saṁśayaḥ

whatever a man performs having come to the field of Daityari (the demons' foe, Vishnu) yields merit a crore-fold greater than in any other field — of this there is no doubt.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.82.15)

सुदर्शने वरे तीर्थे गोदानं तत्र दापयेत्। सम्यग्यात्राफलप्रेप्सुः सर्वपापविशुद्धये

sudarśane vare tīrthe godānaṁ tatra dāpayet| samyagyātrāphalaprepsuḥ sarvapāpaviśuddhaye

One who desires the complete fruit of pilgrimage should, at the excellent ford of Sudarshana, give the gift of a cow there for the purification of all sins.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.82.16)

चंडालः श्वपचो वाऽपि तिर्यग्योनिगतस्तथा। तस्मिंस्तीर्थे मृतः सम्यगाच्युतं लोकमाप्नुयात्

caṁḍālaḥ śvapaco vā'pi tiryagyonigatastathā| tasmiṁstīrthe mṛtaḥ samyagācyutaṁ lokamāpnuyāt

Whether he be an outcaste, a Shvapaca, or one born in an animal womb, dying at that ford he truly attains the imperishable world of Achyuta.

Verse 17 (skanda.7.82.17)

इति संक्षेपतः प्रोक्तं चक्रतीर्थसमुद्भवम्। माहात्म्यं सर्वपापघ्नं सर्वकामफलप्रदम्

iti saṁkṣepataḥ proktaṁ cakratīrthasamudbhavam| māhātmyaṁ sarvapāpaghnaṁ sarvakāmaphalapradam

Thus, in brief, has been told this glory of the origin of Chakratirtha, which destroys all sins and grants the fruit of all desires.