Skandapurana 6.3.58

6.3.58.p1

adhyāya 58

6.3.58.1

uttānapāda uvāca -
athāto devadeveśa bhānumatyakarocca kim .
eṣa me saṃśayo deva kathayasva prasādataḥ .. 58.1 ..

Uttānapāda said: / “Now then, O Lord of the gods of gods, what did Bhānumatī do? / This is my doubt, O God; speak out of your grace.”

6.3.58.2

īśvara uvāca -
cintayitvā muhūrtaṃ sā gatā kuṇḍasya sannidhau .
dṛṣṭvā kuṇḍasya māhātmyaṃ rājñī harṣeṇa pūritā .. 58.2 ..

Īśvara said: / “Having reflected for a muhūrta, she went near the pool; / seeing the māhātmya of the pool, the queen was filled with joy.

6.3.58.3

viprān bahūn samāhūya pūjayāmāsa tatkṣaṇāt .
dattvā tu vidhivaddānaṃ brāhmaṇebhyo nṛpātmaja .. 58.3 ..

Having summoned many brahmins, she worshipped them at that very moment; / having given gifts in accordance with the rules to the brahmins, O prince,

6.3.58.4

niścayaṃ paramaṃ kṛtvā sthitā śāntena cetasā .
tataḥ sampūjya vidhivatpitṝndevānnarādhipa .. 58.4 ..

and making a supreme resolution, she remained with a tranquil mind. / Then, having duly worshipped the ancestors and the gods, O king,

6.3.58.5

kṣapayitvā pakṣamekaṃ madhumāsasya sā sthitā .
amāvāsyāṃ tato rājñī gatā parvatasannidhau .. 58.5 ..

and spending one fortnight of the spring month, she remained. / Then on the new-moon day the queen went near the mountain.

6.3.58.6

nagaśṛṅgaṃ samāruhya kṛtvā mukulitau karau .
vijñāpya brāhmaṇān sarvānidaṃ vacanamabravīt .. 58.6 ..

Ascending the peak of the mountain, joining her hands in reverence, / she addressed all the brahmins and spoke these words:

6.3.58.7

mama mātā pitā bhrātā ye cānye sakhibāndhavāḥ .
kṣamāpayitvā sarvāṃstānvacanaṃ mama kathyatām .. 58.7 ..

‘My mother, father, brother, and whoever else are friends and kinsmen— / asking forgiveness from all of them, let my message be told:

6.3.58.8

tvatputrī śūlabhede tu tapaḥ kṛtvā svaśaktitaḥ .
visṛjya caiva sātmānaṃ tasmiṃstīrthe divaṃ yayau .. 58.8 ..

“Your daughter, having performed austerity at Śūlabheda according to her power, / and casting off herself, went to heaven at that sacred ford.”’

6.3.58.9

brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ .
saṃdeśaṃ kathayiṣyāmastvayoktaṃ śobhanavrate .
mātāpitṛbhyāṃ suśroṇi mā te'bhūdatra saṃśayaḥ .. 58.9 ..

The brahmins said: / ‘We will deliver the message spoken by you, O woman of virtuous vows, / to your mother and father, O fair-hipped lady; let there be no doubt of yours in this regard.’

6.3.58.10

tato visṛjya tāṃllokān sthitā parvatamūrdhani .
ardhottarīyavastreṇa gāḍhaṃ baddhā punaḥpunaḥ .. 58.10 ..

Then, dismissing those people, she stood on top of the mountain, / tying herself tightly again and again with half of her upper garment.

6.3.58.11

tataścikṣepa sātmānamekacittā narādhipa .
nagārddhe patitā yāvattāvaddṛṣṭāḥ surāṅganāḥ .. 58.11 ..

Then with single-minded focus she threw herself down, O lord of men; / no sooner had she fallen halfway down the mountain than celestial women were seen:

6.3.58.12

bhobho vatse mahābhāge bhānumatyatitāpasi .
divyaṃ vimānamāruhya kailāsaṃ prati gamyatām .. 58.12 ..

‘O child, highly fortunate Bhānumatī, eminent in austerity! / Mounting a celestial aerial chariot, proceed towards Kailāsa!’

6.3.58.13

tataḥ sā paśyatāṃ teṣāṃ janānāṃ tridivaṃ gatā .. 58.13 ..

Then, as those people watched, she went to heaven.”

6.3.58.14

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca -
iti te kathitaḥ sarvaḥ śūlabhedasya vistaraḥ .
yaḥ śrutaḥ śaṅkarātpūrvamṛṣidevasamāgame .. 58.14 ..

Mārkaṇḍeya said: / “Thus the entire account of Śūlabheda has been told to you, / which was heard previously from Śaṅkara at the gathering of seers and gods.

6.3.58.15

ya idaṃ paṭhate bhaktyā tīrthe devakule'pi vā .
sa mucyate mahāpāpādapi janmaśatārjitāt .. 58.15 ..

Whoever recites this with devotion at a sacred ford or in a temple / is freed from great sin, even if earned in a hundred births.

6.3.58.16

brahmahā ca surāpī ca steyī ca gurutalpagaḥ .
goghātī strīvighātī ca devabrahmasvahārakaḥ .. 58.16 ..

The killer of a brahmin, the drinker of liquor, the thief, the violator of the Guru's bed, / the cow-killer, the killer of a woman, the stealer of property belonging to the gods or brahmins,

6.3.58.17

svāmidrohī mitraghātī tathā viśvāsaghātakaḥ .
paranyāsāpahārī ca paranikṣepalopakaḥ .. 58.17 ..

the betrayer of a master, the killer of a friend, and likewise the violator of trust, / the stealer of another's trust-deposit, the violator of another's bailment,

6.3.58.18

rasabhedī tulābhedī tathā vārddhuṣikastu yaḥ .
yaḥ kanyāvighnakartā ca tathā vikrayakārakaḥ .. 58.18 ..

the adulterator of liquids, the tamperer with scales, and the usurer, / one who causes obstacles to a maiden, and likewise one who sells [her],

6.3.58.19

parabhāryā bhrātṛbhāryā gauḥ snuṣā kanyakā tathā .
abhigāmī paradveṣī tathā dharmapradūṣakaḥ .. 58.19 ..

one who has intercourse with another's wife, a brother's wife, a cow, a daughter-in-law, or an unmarried girl, / one who hates others, and likewise one who corrupts dharma—

6.3.58.20

mucyante sarve evaite śūlabhedaprabhāvataḥ .. 58.20 ..

all of these indeed are liberated through the power of Śūlabheda.

6.3.58.21

ya idaṃ śrāvayecchrāddhe viprāṇāṃ bhuñjatāṃ nṛpa .
mudaṃ prayānti saṃhṛṣṭāḥ pitarastasya sarvaśaḥ .. 58.21 ..

Whoever causes this to be heard at a śrāddha while brahmins are dining, O king, / his ancestors, exceedingly delighted, attain joy in every way.”

6.3.58.22

yaścedaṃ śṛṇuyādbhaktyā paṭhyamānaṃ naro vaśī .
sa muktaḥ sarvapāpebhyaḥ sarvakalyāṇabhāgbhavet .. 58.22 ..

And whatever self-controlled man should hear this recited with devotion / is freed from all sins and becomes an heir to every blessing.

6.3.58.23

idaṃ yaśasyamāyuṣyamidaṃ pāvanamuttamam .
paṭhatāṃ śṛṇvatāṃ nṛṇāmāyuḥkīrtivivardhanam .. 58.23 ..

This brings renown and long life; this is supreme purification, / increasing the lifespan and glory of people who read and hear it.

6.3.58.24

iti kathitamidaṃ te śūlabhedasya puṇyaṃ mahimana hi manuṣyaiḥ śrūyate yatsapāpaiḥ .
madanariputaṭinyā yāmyakūlasthitasya prabaladuritakandocchedakuddālakalpam .. 58.24 ..

Thus has been declared to you the merit of Śūlabheda, its greatness never heard by sinful men, / situated on the southern bank of the river of the enemy of Madana, like a spade to eradicate the root of powerful evils.

6.3.58.24_2

.. iti śrīskānde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ pañcama āvantyakhaṇḍe revākhaṇḍe śūlabhedatīrthamāhātmyavarṇanaṃ nāmāṣṭapañcāśattamo'dhyāyaḥ..

Thus ends the fifty-eighth chapter, named 'The Description of the Greatness of the Śūlabheda Sacred Ford', in the Revākhaṇḍa of the fifth [section], the Āvantyakhaṇḍa, in the great Purāṇa of eighty-one thousand verses, the glorious Skandapurāṇa.

6.3.58.24_3

śūlabhedamāhātmyaṃ samāptam

The greatness of Śūlabheda is completed.