The Glory of Bhuteshvara

Verse 1 (skanda.7.87.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। एवं कृत्वा नरो यात्रां सम्यक्छ्रद्धासमन्वितः। ततो गच्छेन्महादेवि रुद्रानेकादश क्रमात्

īśvara uvāca| evaṁ kṛtvā naro yātrāṁ samyakchraddhāsamanvitaḥ| tato gacchenmahādevi rudrānekādaśa kramāt

Ishvara said: Having thus made the pilgrimage, endowed with proper faith, a man should then go, O great Goddess, in order, to the eleven Rudras.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.87.2)

प्रभासक्षेत्रमध्यस्थान्महापातकनाशनान्। यदेकादशधा पापमर्जितं मनुजैः पृथक्

prabhāsakṣetramadhyasthānmahāpātakanāśanān| yadekādaśadhā pāpamarjitaṁ manujaiḥ pṛthak

Those destroyers of great sin stand in the midst of the field of Prabhasa; whatever sin men separately accumulate in eleven forms —

Verse 3 (skanda.7.87.3)

तदेकादशरुद्राणां पूजनात्क्षयमेष्यति। संक्रांतावयने वापि चंद्रसूर्यग्रहेऽथवा

tadekādaśarudrāṇāṁ pūjanātkṣayameṣyati| saṁkrāntāvayane vāpi candrasūryagrahe'thavā

— that comes to destruction through the worship of the eleven Rudras, at the time of a solar transit, a solstice, or a lunar or solar eclipse.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.87.4)

अन्यासु पुण्यतिथिषु सम्यग्भावेन भावितः। पूजयेदानुपूर्व्येण रुद्रैकादशकं क्रमात्

anyāsu puṇyatithiṣu samyagbhāvena bhāvitaḥ| pūjayedānupūrvyeṇa rudraikādaśakaṁ kramāt

On other auspicious days too, filled with proper feeling, one should worship the group of eleven Rudras in due order, one after another.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.87.5)

तेषां नामानि वक्ष्यामि यान्यतीतानि मे पुरा। आद्ये कृतयुगे तानि शृणु देवि यथार्थतः

teṣāṁ nāmāni vakṣyāmi yānyatītāni me purā| ādye kṛtayuge tāni śṛṇu devi yathārthataḥ

I shall tell their names, as they have come down to me from ancient times; hear them truly, O Goddess, as they were in the first, the Krita Yuga.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.87.6)

अजैकपादहिर्बुध्न्यो विरूपाक्षोऽथ रैवतः। हरश्च बहुरूपश्च त्र्यंबकश्च सुरेश्वरः। वृषाकपिश्च शंभुश्च कपर्दी चापराजितः

ajaikapādahirbudhnyo virūpākṣo'tha raivataḥ| haraśca bahurūpaśca tryaṁbakaśca sureśvaraḥ| vṛṣākapiśca śaṁbhuśca kapardī cāparājitaḥ

Ajaikapad and Ahirbudhnya, Virupaksha, and then Raivata, Hara and Bahurupa, Tryambaka and Sureshvara, Vrishakapi and Shambhu, Kapardi and Aparajita.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.87.7)

आदौ कृतयुगे देवि त्रेतायां द्वापरेऽपि च। कलौ युगे तु संप्राप्ते जातं नामांतरं पुनः

ādau kṛtayuge devi tretāyāṁ dvāpare'pi ca| kalau yuge tu saṁprāpte jātaṁ nāmāntaraṁ punaḥ

In the first, the Krita Yuga, O Goddess, and in the Treta and also the Dvapara — when the Kali Yuga arrived, a further change of names occurred.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.87.8)

एकादशधा रुद्राणां तानि ते वच्मि सांप्रतम्। भूतेशो नीलरुद्रश्च कपाली वृषवाहनः

ekādaśadhā rudrāṇāṁ tāni te vacmi sāṁpratam| bhūteśo nīlarudraśca kapālī vṛṣavāhanaḥ

Now I tell you the present names of the eleven Rudras: Bhutesha, and Nilarudra, Kapali, Vrishavahana,

Verse 9 (skanda.7.87.9)

त्र्यंबको घोरनामा च महाकालोऽथ भैरवः। मृत्युंजयोऽथ कामेशो योगेश इति कीर्तितः। एकादशैते रुद्रास्ते कथिताः क्रमशः प्रिये

tryambako ghoranāmā ca mahākālo'tha bhairavaḥ| mṛtyuṁjayo'tha kāmeśo yogeśa iti kīrtitaḥ| ekādaśaite rudrāste kathitāḥ kramaśaḥ priye

Tryambaka, and he called Ghora, Mahakala, and then Bhairava, Mrityunjaya, and then Kamesha, and Yogesha so proclaimed — these eleven Rudras have been told to you in order, O beloved.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.87.10)

अनादिनिधना देवि भेदभिन्नास्तु ते पृथक्। एकादशस्वरूपेण पृथङ्नामप्रभेदतः

anādinidhanā devi bhedabhinnāstu te pṛthak| ekādaśasvarūpeṇa pṛthaṅnāmaprabhedataḥ

Without beginning or end, O Goddess, yet distinguished by difference, they exist separately in eleven forms, through the distinction of their individual names.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.87.11)

देव्युवाच। भगवन्विस्तराद्ब्रूहि लिंगैकादशकक्रमम्। स्थानसीमाप्रभेदेन माहात्म्योत्पत्तिकारणैः

devyuvāca| bhagavanvistarādbrūhi liṅgaikādaśakakramam| sthānasīmāprabhedena māhātmyotpattikāraṇaiḥ

The Goddess said: O Lord, tell me at length the order of the eleven Lingas, through the distinctions of place and boundary, together with the causes of the origin of their glory.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.87.12)

कथं पूज्यानि तानीश के मंत्राः को विधिः स्मृतः। कस्मिन्पर्वणि काले वा सर्वं विस्तरतो वद

kathaṁ pūjyāni tānīśa ke mantrāḥ ko vidhiḥ smṛtaḥ| kasminparvaṇi kāle vā sarvaṁ vistarato vada

How are they to be worshipped, O Lord? What are the mantras? What ritual is prescribed? On what occasion or at what time? Tell me all of this at length.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.87.13)

ईश्वर उवाच। शृणु देवि प्रवक्ष्यामि रहस्यं पापनाशनम्। सोमनाथादितः कृत्वा सिद्धिनाथादिकारणम्

īśvara uvāca| śṛṇu devi pravakṣyāmi rahasyaṁ pāpanāśanam| somanāthāditaḥ kṛtvā siddhināthādikāraṇam

Ishvara said: Listen, O Goddess, I shall tell the sin-destroying secret, beginning from Somanatha and proceeding to the cause beginning with Siddhinatha.

Verse 14 (skanda.7.87.14)

यच्छ्रुत्वा मुच्यते जंतुः पातकैः पूर्वसंचितैः। ये चैकादश रुद्रा वै तव प्रोक्ता मया प्रिये

yacchrutvā mucyate jantuḥ pātakaiḥ pūrvasaṁcitaiḥ| ye caikādaśa rudrā vai tava proktā mayā priye

By hearing which a creature is freed from sins accumulated previously; those eleven Rudras which have been told to you by me, O beloved —

Verse 15 (skanda.7.87.15)

दश ते वायवः प्रोक्ता आत्मा चैकादशः स्मृतः। तेषां नामानि वक्ष्यामि वायूनां शृणु मे क्रमात्

daśa te vāyavaḥ proktā ātmā caikādaśaḥ smṛtaḥ| teṣāṁ nāmāni vakṣyāmi vāyūnāṁ śṛṇu me kramāt

— ten of them are proclaimed to be the vital breaths, and the eleventh is remembered as the Self. I shall tell their names; hear from me, in order, the names of the breaths.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.87.16)

प्राणोऽपानः समानश्च ह्युदानो व्यान एव च। नागश्च कूर्मः कृकलो देवदत्तो धनंजयः

prāṇo'pānaḥ samānaśca hyudāno vyāna eva ca| nāgaśca kūrmaḥ kṛkalo devadatto dhanaṁjayaḥ

Prana, Apana, and Samana, and Udana, and also Vyana; Naga, Kurma, Krikala, Devadatta, Dhananjaya —

Verse 17 (skanda.7.87.17)

आत्मा चेति क्रमाज्ज्ञेया रुद्राधिपतयः क्रमात्। तेषां यात्रां क्रमाद्वक्ष्ये सर्वप्राणिहिताय वै

ātmā ceti kramājjñeyā rudrādhipatayaḥ kramāt| teṣāṁ yātrāṁ kramādvakṣye sarvaprāṇihitāya vai

— and the Self, in this order, are to be known as the presiding lords of the Rudras. I shall tell their pilgrimage in order, for the welfare of all living beings.

Verse 18 (skanda.7.87.18)

रुद्राणामादिदेवोऽसौ पूर्वं सोमेश्वरः प्रिये। भूतेश्वरेति नाम्ना वै पूजयेत्तं विधानतः

rudrāṇāmādidevo'sau pūrvaṁ someśvaraḥ priye| bhūteśvareti nāmnā vai pūjayettaṁ vidhānataḥ

The first deity of the Rudras is indeed, at the outset, Someshvara, O beloved; one should worship him, by the name Bhuteshvara, according to the prescribed ritual.

Verse 19 (skanda.7.87.19)

राजोपचारयोगेन श्रद्धापूतेन चेतसा। पंचामृतेन संस्नाप्य सद्योजातेन पूजयेत्

rājopacārayogena śraddhāpūtena cetasā| pañcāmṛtena saṁsnāpya sadyojātena pūjayet

With royal offerings, with a mind purified by faith, having bathed him with the five nectars, one should worship him with the Sadyojata mantra.

Verse 20 (skanda.7.87.20)

पुष्पैर्मनोहरैर्भक्त्या ध्यात्वा देवं सदाशिवम्। त्रिभिः प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य साष्टांगं प्रणिपत्य च

puṣpairmanoharairbhaktyā dhyātvā devaṁ sadāśivam| tribhiḥ pradakṣiṇīkṛtya sāṣṭāṅgaṁ praṇipatya ca

With charming flowers, meditating with devotion upon the god Sadashiva, having circumambulated him three times, and having prostrated with eight limbs touching the ground —

Verse 21 (skanda.7.87.21)

रुद्रैकादशयात्रार्थी निर्विघ्नार्थं व्रजेत्ततः। भूतेश्वरेति यन्नाम प्रोक्तं तत्ते ब्रवीम्यहम्

rudraikādaśayātrārthī nirvighnārthaṁ vrajettataḥ| bhūteśvareti yannāma proktaṁ tatte bravīmyaham

— one desirous of the pilgrimage of the eleven Rudras should then proceed, so as to be free from obstacles. I now tell you why the name Bhuteshvara was declared for him.

Verse 22 (skanda.7.87.22)

महदादि विशेषांतं भूतजालं यदीरितम्। पंचविंशति संख्याकं तेषामीशो यतः स्मृतः

mahadādi viśeṣāntaṁ bhūtajālaṁ yadīritam| pañcaviṁśati saṁkhyākaṁ teṣāmīśo yataḥ smṛtaḥ

The mass of created principles, beginning with Mahat and ending with the particulars, is declared to number twenty-five; since he is reckoned their lord —

Verse 23 (skanda.7.87.23)

तेन भूतेश्वरेत्युक्तं नाम तस्य पुरा किल। पंचविंशतितत्त्वानि ज्ञात्वा मुक्तिमवाप्नुयात्

tena bhūteśvaretyuktaṁ nāma tasya purā kila| pañcaviṁśatitattvāni jñātvā muktimavāpnuyāt

— therefore his name Bhuteshvara was declared, long ago indeed. Knowing the twenty-five principles, one attains liberation.

Verse 24 (skanda.7.87.24)

भूतेशरुद्रं संपूज्य गच्छेद्वै मुक्तिमव्ययाम्। इति संक्षेपतः प्रोक्तमादि रुद्रस्य कीर्तनम्। कीर्तनीयं द्विजातीनां कीर्तितं पुण्यवर्द्धनम्

bhūteśarudraṁ saṁpūjya gacchedvai muktimavyayām| iti saṁkṣepataḥ proktamādi rudrasya kīrtanam| kīrtanīyaṁ dvijātīnāṁ kīrtitaṁ puṇyavarddhanam

Having worshipped Bhutesha-Rudra, one indeed attains imperishable liberation. Thus has this recitation of the first Rudra been told in brief — fit to be recited by the twice-born, declared to increase merit.