Skandapurana 6.3.43

6.3.43.p1

adhyāya 43

6.3.43.1

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca -
tato gacchettu rājendra vimaleśvaramuttamam .
tatra devaśilā ramyā svayaṃ devairvinirmitā .. 43.1 ..

The venerable Mārkaṇḍeya said: / "Then one should go, O king of kings, to the supreme Vimaleśvara; / there is a charming divine rock, fashioned by the gods themselves.

6.3.43.2

tatra snātvā tu yo bhaktyā brāhmaṇānpūjayennṛpa .
svalpenāpi hi dānena tasya cānto na vidyate .. 43.2 ..

Whoever bathes there with devotion and honors brahmins, O king, / there is no end to [the fruit of] his gift, even if it be very small."

6.3.43.3

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca -
kāni dānāni viprendra śastāni dharaṇītale .
yāni dattvā naro bhaktyā mucyate sarvapātakaiḥ .. 43.3 ..

Yudhiṣṭhira said: / "Which gifts are commended on the surface of the earth, O foremost of brahmins, / by giving which with devotion a person is freed from all sins?"

6.3.43.4

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca -
suvarṇaṃ rajataṃ tāmraṃ maṇimauktikameva ca .
bhūmidānaṃ ca godānaṃ mocayatpaśubhānnaram .. 43.4 ..

The venerable Mārkaṇḍeya said: / "Gold, silver, copper, as well as gems and pearls, / the gift of land, and the gift of cows liberate a man from bestial existence.

6.3.43.5

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ kaścitkurute prāṇasaṃkṣayam .
rudraloke vasettāvadyāvadā bhūtasamplavam .. 43.5 ..

Whoever causes the end of his life's breaths at that sacred ford / dwells in the realm of Rudra until the dissolution of beings.

6.3.43.6

tataḥ puṣkariṇīṃ gacchetsarvapāpakṣayaṃkarīm .
tatra snātvārcayeddevaṃ tejorāśiṃ divākaram .. 43.6 ..

Then one should proceed to the Puṣkariṇī that causes the destruction of all sins; / having bathed there, one should worship the god, the sun, a mass of radiance.

6.3.43.7

ṛcamekāṃ japetsāmnaḥ sāmavedaphalaṃ labhet .
yajurvedasya japanādṛgvedasya tathaiva ca .. 43.7 ..

Reciting a single verse of the Sāman, one gains the fruit of the Sāmaveda, / and likewise from reciting a verse of the Yajurveda and the Ṛgveda."

6.3.43.8

akṣaraṃ vā japenmantraṃ dhyāyamāno divākaram .
ādityahṛdayaṃ japtvā mucyate sarvakilbiṣaiḥ .. 43.8 ..

Or, meditating upon the sun, he should chant the monosyllable mantra;
reciting the Ādityahṛdaya, he is freed from all sins.

6.3.43.9

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ snātvā vidhinā japeddvijān .
tasya koṭiguṇaṃ puṇyaṃ jāyate nātra saṃśayaḥ .. 43.9 ..

Whoever bathes in that sacred ford and duly prays for the twice-born,
his merit becomes ten millionfold; there is no doubt in this.

6.3.43.10

anāśakenāgnigatyā jale vā dehapātanāt .
tasmiṃstīrthe mṛto yastu sa yāti paramāṃ gatim .. 43.10 ..

By fasting, by entering fire, or by casting off the body into water,
he who dies at that sacred ford attains the supreme destination.

6.3.43.11

brāhmaṇaḥ kṣatriyo vaiśyaḥ śūdro vā nṛpasattama .
vihitaṃ karma kurvāṇaḥ sa gacchetparamāṃ gatim .. 43.11 ..

A brahmin, a kṣatriya, a vaiśya, or a śūdra, O best of kings,
performing his ordained duty, shall go to the supreme destination.

6.3.43.12

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca -
vyādhiṃ sattvakṣayaṃ mohaṃ jñātvā varṇā dvijottama .
pāpebhyo vipramucyante kena tatsādhanaṃ vada .. 43.12 ..

Yudhiṣṭhira said:
Recognising illness, loss of strength, and delusion, O best of the twice-born,
by what means are the castes freed from sins? Tell [me] that.

6.3.43.13

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca -
tilodakī tilasnāyī kāmakrodhavivarjitaḥ .
brāhmaṇo'naśanaiḥ prāṇāṃstyajallabhati sadgatim .. 43.13 ..

The venerable Mārkaṇḍeya said:
Offering sesamum water, bathing with sesamum, free from desire and anger,
a brahmin relinquishing his life breaths through fasting attains a good destination.

6.3.43.14

saṅgrāme sadgatiṃ tāta kṣatriyo nidhane labhet .
tadabhāvānmahāprājña sevamāno labhediti .. 43.14 ..

In battle, dear child, a kṣatriya attains a good destination at his death;
in its absence, O wise one, he attains it through devoted service.

6.3.43.15

vyādhigrahagṛhīto vā vṛddho vā vikalendriyaḥ .
ātmānaṃ dāhayitvāgnau vidhinā sadgatiṃ labhet .. 43.15 ..

Or if seized by disease or evil planets, or old, or with impaired senses,
he attains a good destination by duly having himself consumed in fire.

6.3.43.16

vaiśyo'pi hi tyajanprāṇānevaṃ vai śubhabhāgbhavet .
jale vā śuddhabhāvena tyaktvā prāṇāñchivo bhavet .. 43.16 ..

Even a vaiśya, relinquishing his life breaths in this manner, indeed shares in good fortune;
or giving up his life breaths in water with a pure mind, he becomes Śiva.

6.3.43.17

śūdro'pi dvijaśuśrūṣustoṣayitvā maheśvaram .
vimucya nānyathā pāpaḥ patate narake dhruvam .. 43.17 ..

Even a śūdra, intent on serving the twice-born, having pleased Maheśvara,
and having freed himself [from sin, attains it]; otherwise, sinful, he falls inevitably into hell.

6.3.43.18

athavā praṇavāśakto dvijebhyo gurave tathā .
pañcāgnau śoṣayeddehamāpṛcchya dvijasattamān .. 43.18 ..

Or, unable to recite the praṇava, having asked the best of the twice-born,
he may desiccate his body in the five fires for the twice-born and the guru.

6.3.43.19

śāntadāntajitakrodhāñchāstrayuktān vicakṣaṇān .
teṣāṃ caivopadeśena karīṣāgniṃ prasādhayet .. 43.19 ..

[Asking] those who are calm, self-restrained, who have conquered anger, learned in scripture, and discerning,
by their instruction he should prepare a fire of dried cow-dung.

6.3.43.20

evaṃ varṇā yathātvena mūḍhāhaṅkāramohitāḥ .
patanti narake ghore yathāndho girigahvare .. 43.20 ..

Thus the castes, foolish and deluded by egoism, failing to act properly,
fall into terrible hell, like a blind man into a mountain chasm.

6.3.43.21

ye śāstravidhimutsṛjya vartante kāmacārataḥ .
kṛmiyoniṃ prapadyante teṣāṃ piṇḍo na ca kriyā .. 43.21 ..

Those who abandon the scriptural injunction and act according to their own desire,
reach the womb of worms; for them there is neither funeral cake nor rite.

6.3.43.22

śrutismṛtyuditaṃ dharmaṃ tyaktvā yathecchācārasevinaḥ .
aṣṭāviṃśatirvai koṭyo narakāṇāṃ yudhiṣṭhira .. 43.22 ..

Abandoning the duty taught in the Śruti and Smṛti, indulging in wilful conduct—
there are twenty-eight crores of hells, O Yudhiṣṭhira.

6.3.43.23

pratyekaṃ vā patantyete magnā narakasāgare .
durlabhaṃ mānuṣaṃ janma bahudharmārjitaṃ nṛpa .. 43.23 ..

One by one these [sinners] fall, submerged in the ocean of hell.
Human birth is hard to attain, acquired through much virtue, O king.

6.3.43.24

tallabdhvā madamātsaryaṃ yo vai tyajati mānavaḥ .
saṃniyamya sadātmānaṃ jñānacakṣurnaro hi saḥ .. 43.24 ..

The man who, having attained it, gives up pride and malice,
always restraining himself, is indeed a man whose eye is knowledge.

6.3.43.25

ajñānatimirāndhasya jñānāṃjanaśalākayā .. 43.25 ..

For him who is blinded by the darkness of ignorance, if with the collyrium-probe of knowledge

6.3.43.26

yasya nonmīlitaṃ cakṣurjñeyo jātyandha eva saḥ .
etatte kathitaṃ sarvaṃ yatpṛṣṭaṃ nṛpasattama .. 43.26 ..

the eye is not opened, he should be known as blind from birth.
All this has been told to you as asked, O best of kings.

6.3.43.27

tathāniṣṭatarāṇāṃ hi rudrasya vacanaṃ yathā .
narmadā saritāṃ śreṣṭhā rudradehādviniḥsṛtā .. 43.27 ..

So too, for those who are most undesirable, according to Rudra's word:
the Narmadā, the best of rivers, came forth from Rudra's body.

6.3.43.28

tārayetsarvabhūtāni sthāvarāṇi carāṇi ca .
sarvadevādhidevena īśvareṇa mahātmanā .. 43.28 ..

She carries across all beings, unmoving and moving.
By Īśvara, the great-souled supreme god of all gods,

6.3.43.29

lokānāṃ ca hitārthāya mahāpuṇyāvatāritā .
mānasaṃ vācikaṃ pāpaṃ snānānnaśyati karmajam .. 43.29 ..

for the welfare of the worlds, she was brought down, very holy;
sin born of action—mental and verbal—is destroyed by bathing [in her].

6.3.43.30

rudradehādviniṣkrāntā tena puṇyatamā hi sā .
prātarutthāya yo nityaṃ bhūmimākramya bhaktitaḥ .. 43.30 ..

She came forth from Rudra's body; therefore she is most holy.
Waking at dawn, whoever, stepping on the ground with devotion,

6.3.43.31

etanmantraṃ japettāta snānasya labhate phalam .
namaḥ puṇyajale devi namaḥ sāgaragāmini .. 43.31 ..

should chant this mantra, dear child, obtains the fruit of bathing:
'Homage to you with holy water, O goddess! Homage to you who flow to the ocean!

6.3.43.32

namo'stu pāpanirmoce namo devi varānane .. 43.32 ..

Homage be to you who release from sin! Homage to you, O fair-faced goddess!

6.3.43.33

namo'stu te ṛṣivarasaṅghasevite namo'stu te trinayanadehaniḥsṛte .
namo'stu te sukṛtavatāṃ sadā vare namo'stu te satatapavitrapāvani .. 43.33 ..

Homage to you served by multitudes of excellent seers! Homage to you who issued from the body of the Three-Eyed One!
Homage to you, always the boon for the meritorious! Homage to you, who eternally purify the pure!'

6.3.43.33_2

.. iti śrīskānde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ pañcama āvantyakhaṇḍe revākhaṇḍe vimaleśvaratīrthamāhātmyavarṇanaṃ nāma tricatvāriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ ..

Thus ends the forty-third chapter, named the Description of the Greatness of the Sacred Ford Vimaleśvara, in the Revākhaṇḍa of the fifth section, the Āvantyakhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, a collection of eighty-one thousand verses.