The Glory of Kameshvara

Verse 1 (skanda.7.96.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। ततोगच्छेन्महादेवि कामेश्वरमिति स्मृतम्। तस्यैवोत्तरदिग्भागे धनुषां त्रितये स्थितम्। रतीश्वरमिति ख्यातं त्रेतायां तत्सुरेश्वरि

īśvara uvāca| tato gacchenmahādevi kāmeśvaramiti smṛtam| tasyaivottaradigbhāge dhanuṣāṁ tritaye sthitam| ratīśvaramiti khyātaṁ tretāyāṁ tatsureśvari

Ishvara said: Then, O great Goddess, one should go to what is remembered as Kameshvara; it stands to the north of that place, at a distance of three bows — known in the Treta age as Ratishvara, O queen of gods.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.96.2)

यस्मिन्दृष्टे मनुष्याणां पूजिते तु वरानने। नश्येच्च सप्तजन्माघं गृहभंगश्च नो भवेत्

yasmindṛṣṭe manuṣyāṇāṁ pūjite tu varānane| naśyecca saptajanmāghaṁ gṛhabhaṁgaśca no bhavet

Upon beholding whom, O fair one, when duly worshipped by men, the sin of seven births is destroyed, and no breach of the home occurs.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.96.3)

देव्युवाच। केनायं स्थापितो देव कस्मात्प्रोक्तो रतीश्वरः। दर्शनेनास्य किं श्रेयः सर्वं विस्तरतो वद

devyuvāca| kenāyaṁ sthāpito deva kasmātprokto ratīśvaraḥ| darśanenāsya kiṁ śreyaḥ sarvaṁ vistarato vada

The Goddess said: By whom was this established, O Lord? Why is it called Ratishvara? What benefit comes from beholding it? Tell me all of this at length.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.96.4)

ईश्वर उवाच। शृणु देवि प्रवक्ष्यामि कथां पापप्रणाशिनीम्। रतिर्नामाभवत्साध्वी कामपत्नी यशस्विनी

īśvara uvāca| śṛṇu devi pravakṣyāmi kathāṁ pāpapraṇāśinīm| ratirnāmābhavatsādhvī kāmapatnī yaśasvinī

Ishvara said: Listen, O Goddess, I shall tell the tale that destroys sin. There was a virtuous, renowned woman named Rati, the wife of Kama.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.96.5)

दग्धे मनसिजे पूर्वं देवेन त्रिपुरारिणा। तदर्थाय तपस्तेपे तस्मिन्देशे रतिः किल

dagdhe manasije pūrvaṁ devena tripurāriṇā| tadarthāya tapastepe tasmindeśe ratiḥ kila

When Manasija, the mind-born one, was formerly burnt by the god Tripurari, Rati performed austerity for his sake in that very place.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.96.6)

अंगुष्ठाग्रेण तिष्ठन्त्या यावद्युगचतुष्टयम्। आराधितो महादेवः शांतेन मनसा प्रिये

aṁguṣṭhāgreṇa tiṣṭhantyā yāvadyugacatuṣṭayam| ārādhito mahādevaḥ śāntena manasā priye

Standing on the tip of her toe, for a span of four Yugas, she worshipped Mahadeva with a tranquil mind, O beloved.

Verse 7 (skanda.7.96.7)

कस्मिंश्चिदथ काले तु निर्भिद्य धरणीतलम्। तदग्रतः समुत्तस्थौ लिगं माहेश्वरं प्रिये

kasmiṁścidatha kāle tu nirbhidya dharaṇītalam| tadagrataḥ samuttasthau liṅgaṁ māheśvaraṁ priye

Then, at a certain time, piercing through the surface of the earth, the great Linga of Maheshvara rose up before her, O beloved.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.96.8)

एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु वागुवाचाशरीरिणी। आह्लादयंती सहसा तस्याश्चित्तं वरानने

etasminneva kāle tu vāguvācāśarīriṇī| āhlādayaṁtī sahasā tasyāścittaṁ varānane

At this very time, a bodiless voice spoke, suddenly delighting her mind, O fair one.

Verse 9 (skanda.7.96.9)

यस्मान्माहेश्वरं लिंगं त्वद्भक्त्या सहसोत्थितम्। पूजयेस्तन्महाभागे ततः कांतमवाप्स्यसि

yasmānmāheśvaraṁ liṅgaṁ tvadbhaktyā sahasotthitam| pūjayestanmahābhāge tataḥ kāntamavāpsyasi

'Since this Linga of Maheshvara has risen up suddenly through your devotion, worship it, O greatly fortunate one; thereafter you shall regain your beloved.'

Verse 10 (skanda.7.96.10)

एतच्छुत्वा तु सा साध्वी देवदूतस्य भाषितम्। तल्लिंगं पूजयामास स भक्त्या परमया युता

etacchrutvā tu sā sādhvī devadūtasya bhāṣitam| talliṅgaṁ pūjayāmāsa sa bhaktyā paramayā yutā

Hearing this utterance of the divine messenger, that virtuous woman worshipped that Linga, filled with the utmost devotion.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.96.11)

ततः कामः समुत्तस्थौ सुप्तोत्थित इव प्रिये। ततः प्रभृति तल्लिंगं कामेश्वरमिति श्रुतम्

tataḥ kāmaḥ samuttasthau suptotthita iva priye| tataḥ prabhṛti talliṅgaṁ kāmeśvaramiti śrutam

Then Kama rose up again, as one awakened from sleep, O beloved; from that time onward, that Linga has been known as Kameshvara.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.96.12)

ततः सा कामदयिता वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह। प्रहृष्टा कामदेवाप्त्या पुरतः पुष्पधन्वनः

tataḥ sā kāmadayitā vākyametaduvāca ha| prahṛṣṭā kāmadevāptyā purataḥ puṣpadhanvanaḥ

Then she, the beloved of Kama, filled with joy at regaining Kamadeva, spoke these words before the flower-bowed god.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.96.13)

पूजयिष्यंति ये चान्ये लिंगमेतत्समाहिताः। एवं ते वांछितां सिद्धिं भूयो यास्यंति सद्गतिम्

pūjayiṣyaṁti ye cānye liṅgametatsamāhitāḥ| evaṁ te vāṁchitāṁ siddhiṁ bhūyo yāsyaṁti sadgatim

'Whoever else shall worship this Linga with a composed mind shall likewise attain the accomplishment they desire, and thereafter go to a good state.'

Verse 14 (skanda.7.96.14)

मनोऽभीष्टं तथा सर्वं यद्यपि स्यात्सदुर्ल्लभम्। तत्प्राप्स्यंति न संदेहो लिंगस्यास्य प्रसादतः

mano'bhīṣṭaṁ tathā sarvaṁ yadyapi syātsadurllabham| tatprāpsyaṁti na saṁdeho liṅgasyāsya prasādataḥ

'And whatever is desired in the mind, however hard it may be to obtain, they shall obtain it — of this there is no doubt — through the grace of this Linga.'

Verse 15 (skanda.7.96.15)

एवमुक्त्वा गता साध्वी रतिः कामेन संयुता। स्वस्थाने पूर्णकामा सा प्रहृष्टेनांतरात्मना

evamuktvā gatā sādhvī ratiḥ kāmena saṁyutā| svasthāne pūrṇakāmā sā prahṛṣṭenāṁtarātmanā

Having said this, the virtuous Rati departed, united with Kama, to her own abode, her desire fulfilled, with a joyful inner spirit.

Verse 16 (skanda.7.96.16)

एनं चैत्रत्रयोदश्यां शुक्लायां यः समर्चति। सकामवद्भवेन्नृणां श्रुतं सौभाग्यदायकम्

enaṁ caitratrayodaśyāṁ śuklāyāṁ yaḥ samarcati| sakāmavadbhavennṛṇāṁ śrutaṁ saubhāgyadāyakam

He who worships this Linga on the bright thirteenth of Chaitra becomes, among men, as one fulfilled in desire — it is known to bestow good fortune.