The Glory of Sannihita

Verse 1 (skanda.7.85.1)

देव्युवाच। तत्र संनिहिता प्रोक्ता या त्वया वृषभध्वज। कथं देव समायाता कुरुक्षेत्रान्महानदी। किं प्रभावा तु सा प्रोक्ता फलं स्नानादिकेन किम्

devyuvāca| tatra saṁnihitā proktā yā tvayā vṛṣabhadhvaja| kathaṁ deva samāyātā kurukṣetrānmahānadī| kiṁ prabhāvā tu sā proktā phalaṁ snānādikena kim

The Devi said: O Bull-bannered one, that Sannihita you have spoken of — how did that great river come here from Kurukshetra? O god, what power is declared of her, and what fruit does one obtain from bathing and the like?

Verse 2 (skanda.7.85.2)

ईश्वर उवाच। शृणु देवि प्रवक्ष्यामि यत्र संनिहिता शुभा। पापघ्नी सर्वजंतूनां दर्शनात्स्पर्शनादपि

īśvara uvāca| śṛṇu devi pravakṣyāmi yatra saṁnihitā śubhā| pāpaghnī sarvajaṁtūnāṁ darśanātsparśanādapi

Ishvara said: Listen, O Devi, I shall tell you where the auspicious Sannihita is found — she who destroys the sins of all creatures merely by sight or touch.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.85.3)

आदिनारायणाद्देवि पश्चिमे धनुषां त्रये। संस्थिता सा महादेवी सरिद्रूपा महानदी

ādinārāyaṇāddevi paścime dhanuṣāṁ traye| saṁsthitā sā mahādevī saridrūpā mahānadī

O Devi, three bow-lengths to the west of Adinarayana, that great goddess, the great river in the form of a stream, is situated.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.85.4)

कथयामि समासेन तदुत्पत्तिं शृणु प्रिये। जरासंधभयाद्देवि विष्णुः परिजनैः सह

kathayāmi samāsena tadutpattiṁ śṛṇu priye| jarāsaṁdhabhayāddevi viṣṇuḥ parijanaiḥ saha

I shall tell you her origin in brief — listen, O beloved. O Devi, out of fear of Jarasandha, Vishnu, together with his kinsfolk —

Verse 5 (skanda.7.85.5)

गृहीत्वा यादवान्सर्वान्बालवृद्धवणिग्जनान्। स शून्यां मथुरां कृत्वा प्रभासं समुपागतः

gṛhītvā yādavānsarvānbālavṛddhavaṇigjanān| sa śūnyāṁ mathurāṁ kṛtvā prabhāsaṁ samupāgataḥ

having taken with him all the Yadavas — the children, the elderly, and the merchant folk — and having emptied Mathura, came to Prabhasa.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.85.6)

समुद्रं प्रार्थयामास स्थानं संवासहेतवे। एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु देवदेवो दिवाकरः

samudraṁ prārthayāmāsa sthānaṁ saṁvāsahetave| etasminneva kāle tu devadevo divākaraḥ

He besought the ocean for a place to dwell. At that very time, the god of gods, the Sun —

Verse 7 (skanda.7.85.7)

संग्रस्तो राहुणा देवि पर्वकाले ह्युपस्थिते। तं दृष्ट्वा यादवाः सर्वे विषादं परमं गताः

saṁgrasto rāhuṇā devi parvakāle hyupasthite| taṁ dṛṣṭvā yādavāḥ sarve viṣādaṁ paramaṁ gatāḥ

O Devi, was seized by Rahu, the eclipse period having arrived; seeing this, all the Yadavas fell into the deepest dejection.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.85.8)

अप्राप्ताः संनिहित्यायां तानुवाच जनार्द्दनः। मा विषादं यदुश्रेष्ठा व्रजध्वं मयि संस्थिते

aprāptāḥ saṁnihityāyāṁ tānuvāca janārddanaḥ| mā viṣādaṁ yaduśreṣṭhā vrajadhvaṁ mayi saṁsthite

Not finding the Sannihita there, they grieved; then Janardana said to them: 'O foremost of the Yadus, do not despair — proceed on, while I am here.'

Verse 9 (skanda.7.85.9)

दृश्यतां मत्प्रभावोऽद्य धर्मार्थमिह भूतले। आनयिष्याम्यहं सम्यक्पुण्यं सांनिहितं सरः

dṛśyatāṁ matprabhāvo'dya dharmārthamiha bhūtale| ānayiṣyāmyahaṁ samyakpuṇyaṁ sāṁnihitaṁ saraḥ

'Behold now my power here on this earth, for the sake of righteousness; I shall duly bring forth the meritorious Sannihita pool here.'

Verse 10 (skanda.7.85.10)

एवमुक्त्वा स भगवान्समाधिस्थो बभूव ह। एवं संध्यायतस्तस्य विष्णोरमिततेजसः

evamuktvā sa bhagavānsamādhistho babhūva ha| evaṁ saṁdhyāyatastasya viṣṇoramitatejasaḥ

Having said this, the Lord entered into a state of deep meditation; as that Vishnu of immeasurable splendor thus meditated —

Verse 11 (skanda.7.85.11)

प्रादुर्भूता ततस्तस्य वारिधाराऽग्रतः शुभा। बिभेद्य धरणीपृष्ठं स्नानार्थं चासुरद्विषः

prādurbhūtā tatastasya vāridhārā'grataḥ śubhā| bibhedya dharaṇīpṛṣṭhaṁ snānārthaṁ cāsuradviṣaḥ

then, before that foe of the demons, a blessed stream of water appeared, splitting open the surface of the earth, for the purpose of bathing.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.85.12)

तत स्ते यादवाः सर्वे रामसांबपुरोगमाः। चक्रुः स्नानं महादेवि राहुग्रस्ते दिवाकरे

tata ste yādavāḥ sarve rāmasāṁbapurogamāḥ| cakruḥ snānaṁ mahādevi rāhugraste divākare

O great Goddess, then all the Yadavas, led by Balarama and Samba, bathed there while the sun was seized by Rahu.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.85.13)

प्राप्तपुण्या बभूवुस्ते संनिहित्यासमुद्भवम्। कुरुक्षेत्रस्य यात्रायाः प्राप्य सम्यक्फलं हि ते

prāptapuṇyā babhūvuste saṁnihityāsamudbhavam| kurukṣetrasya yātrāyāḥ prāpya samyakphalaṁ hi te

They obtained the merit arising from the manifestation of Sannihita, and thereby truly obtained the complete fruit of a pilgrimage to Kurukshetra.

Verse 14 (skanda.7.85.14)

एवं तत्समनुप्राप्तं पुण्यं सान्निहितं सरः। तत्र स्नात्वा महादेवि राहुग्रस्ते दिवाकरे। अग्निष्टोमस्य यज्ञस्य फलं प्राप्नोत्यशेषतः

evaṁ tatsamanuprāptaṁ puṇyaṁ sānnihitaṁ saraḥ| tatra snātvā mahādevi rāhugraste divākare| agniṣṭomasya yajñasya phalaṁ prāpnotyaśeṣataḥ

Thus that Sannihita pool came to bestow merit. O great Goddess, bathing there while the sun is seized by Rahu, one obtains in full the fruit of the Agnishtoma sacrifice.

Verse 15 (skanda.7.85.15)

यस्तत्र भोजयेद्विप्रं षड्रसं विधिपूर्वकम्। एकेन भोजितेनैव कोटिर्भवति भोजिता

yastatra bhojayedvipraṁ ṣaḍrasaṁ vidhipūrvakam| ekena bhojitenaiva koṭirbhavati bhojitā

Whoever feeds there a Brahmin, duly, with the six flavors of food, by that single feeding it becomes as though a crore have been fed.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.85.16)

यस्तत्र कारयेद्धोमं संनिहित्यासमीपतः। एकैकाहुतिदानेन कोटिहोमफलं लभेत्

yastatra kārayeddhomaṁ saṁnihityāsamīpataḥ| ekaikāhutidānena koṭihomaphalaṁ labhet

Whoever performs a fire-oblation there near Sannihita obtains, from each single offering, the fruit of a crore fire-oblations.

Verse 17 (skanda.7.85.17)

मन्त्रजाप्यं तु कुरुते तत्र स्थाने स्थितो यदि। एकैकमंत्रजाप्येन कोटिजाप्यफलं लभेत्

maṁtrajāpyaṁ tu kurute tatra sthāne sthito yadi| ekaikamaṁtrajāpyena koṭijāpyaphalaṁ labhet

If one, dwelling in that place, performs the recitation of mantras, he obtains from each single mantra-recitation the fruit of a crore recitations.

Verse 18 (skanda.7.85.18)

सुवर्णदानं दातव्यं तत्र यात्राफलेप्सुभिः। स्नात्वा संपूजनीयश्च आदिदेवो जनार्द्दनः

suvarṇadānaṁ dātavyaṁ tatra yātrāphalepsubhiḥ| snātvā saṁpūjanīyaśca ādidevo janārddanaḥ

Those who desire the complete fruit of pilgrimage should give a gift of gold there; having bathed, one should worship the primal god Janardana.

Verse 19 (skanda.7.85.19)

इति वै कथितं सम्यक्फलं सांनिहितं तव। श्रुतं पापहरं नृणां सम्यक्छ्रद्धावतां प्रिये

iti vai kathitaṁ samyakphalaṁ sāṁnihitaṁ tava| śrutaṁ pāpaharaṁ nṛṇāṁ samyakśraddhāvatāṁ priye

O beloved, thus I have fully related to you the fruit of Sannihita, hearing of which removes the sins of men possessed of true faith.