Skandapurana 5.180

English (machine translation) 5.180

Language: English

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Sūta said:
In the meantime, Madhyaga, who was born at Gartātīrtha,
was sent there by all the foremost Nāgara brahmins:

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"Go, O Madhyaga, and say to that bad grandfather,
who destroys the livelihood of brahmins and is devoid of the path of rectitude:

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'This sacred field was given to our twice-born ancestors
by Maheśvara when he was pleased, after the serpent-hole was filled up.

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And since it was given, one hundred and five Grandfathers have passed away,
undoubtedly, until you, O bad grandfather!

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No one has ever shown such contempt for us as [you do] now,
except you, an evil-doer devoid of the path of justice!

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Whoever performs a sacrifice here or a śrāddha outside of the Nāgara brahmins,
he should be slain by all the twice-born!

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No good fortune arising from it can ever accrue to him.'
This was declared by him at that time when he gave us the place.

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'Therefore, whatever sacrifice you perform, perform it with Nāgara brahmins;
otherwise, while the Nāgara twice-born live, you will not be permitted to perform it.'"

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Being addressed thus, Madhyaga went to where the lotus-born [Brahmā] was,
standing far from the sacrificial pavilion, surrounded by brahmins.

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He then related in detail what had been spoken by all the Nāgaras.
Having heard that, the lotus-born spoke these concilatory words,

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having assumed human form, surrounded by the officiating priests:
"All that has been said by you is true, O best of Madhyagas.

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What shall I do? All those priests, beginning with the adhvaryu,
were chosen by me for the sacrificial rite out of negligence, not out of desire.

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Therefore, bring all those foremost twice-born to this place,
so that, permitted by them, I may enter the sacrificial pavilion."

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Madhyaga said:
"Abandoning divine nature, you have resorted to human form;
so how can those foremost twice-born come near you?

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Just as cows are the foremost among beasts, O lotus-born one,
so indeed are the Nāgaras foremost among all brahmins here.

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Therefore, Grandfather, if you desire this attainment arising from the sacrifice,
then appease all the Nāgaras with devotion."

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Sūta said:
Having heard that, the lotus-born, frightened and surrounded by the officiating priests,
went to where the angry Nāgara twice-born were staying.

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Then, having bowed down to all of them, endowed with humility,
standing with hands folded in supplication, he spoke these words after hearing [them]:

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"I know, O foremost twice-born, that in this sacred field of Hāṭakeśvara,
a śrāddha or a sacrificial rite performed without you is in vain.

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Out of fear of the Kali [age], my own Puṣkara tīrtha was brought to this place
and your tīrtha was entrusted as a deposit.

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These officiating priests were brought by the preceptor for the success of the sacrifice,
he being unaware, O foremost twice-born, of the pre-eminence belonging to the Nāgaras.

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Therefore, let me be forgiven, since the appointment of these very brahmins
was already made by me for the sake of the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice."

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And this sacred ford of mine will destroy your sins, / without a doubt, even when the Kali age is established. // 23

The brahmins said: / If you perform the sacrifice here excluding the Nāgaras, / then all other gods too, and likewise kings, will follow your path; / therefore, you must not perform the sacrifice [in this way]. // 24

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If, O lord of the gods, you still perform the sacrificial rite / while disregarding all the brahmins, leave our presence immediately. // 25

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Brahmā said: / From this day forward, whoever performs a sacrifice here, / or a śrāddha, excluding the Nāgaras, it shall be in vain. // 26

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And whichever Nāgara performs a sacrifice elsewhere, / abandoning this sacred field, that too shall be in vain. // 27

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This rule has now been established by me, O brahmins, for the Nāgaras. / Bestow your grace upon us, and be pleased to grant / permission according to rule, O brahmins, so that I may perform the sacrifice. // 28

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Sūta said: / Thereupon, permitted by those gratified brahmins, the grandfather [Brahmā] / performed the sacrifice according to rule, along with those brahmins who had been chosen. // 29

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Then Viśvakarman arrived and, conforming to the opinion of the Nāgaras, / performed the head-adornment, O best of brahmins. // 30

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Brahmā too, having attained supreme satisfaction, said to Nārada: / 'Bring Sāvitrī quickly, so that I may go into the pavilion.' // 31

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While musical instruments were being played by Siddhas, Kinnaras, and Guhyakas, / with Gandharvas engaged in singing, and brahmins devoted to chanting the Vedas, / Pulastya took up the churning-stick and spoke these words: // 32

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'Wife! Wife!' the foremost of brahmins [cried] aloud, stationed there. // 33

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In the meantime, Brahmā dispatched Nārada, the best of sages, / by a sign, [saying], 'Let my wife be brought.' // 34

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He went slowly and playfully said to Sāvitrī— / he who loved strife, desiring a rift between Sāvitrī and the Creator: // 35

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'I have been sent to you by Father, O queen of gods. / Come; having bathed, he has just now departed for the sacrificial pavilion. // 36

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Yet going there entirely alone, O queen of gods, / how would you appear in the assembly, looking like one without a protector? // 37

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Therefore, let all the celestial women, whoever they may be, be brought, / surrounded by whom you will go to the great sacrifice, O goddess.' // 38

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Having spoken thus, the best of sages, Nārada, that most excellent sage, / went and said to his father: 'Father, Mother has been summoned by me. // 39

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However, a certain stillness of disposition was observed by me in her.' / Having heard those words of his, then filled with anger, // 40

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he sent Pulastya to Sāvitrī's presence: / 'Go, my child, bring her to this place; she is indolent. / Look at me standing upright, exhausted by the burden of the soma. // 41

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A lapse of the proper time will occur now in this sacrificial rite; / the auspicious hour for proceeding to the sacrifice has only a little remaining.' // 42

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Hearing his words, Pulastya went swiftly / to where Sāvitrī remained, surrounded by singing and dancing. // 43

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Then he said: 'Why, O goddess, do you remain untroubled? / That very time suitable for proceeding to the sacrifice has only a fraction left. // 44

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Therefore come, let us go; Father waits with difficulty, / distressed by the burden of the soma, standing upright, surrounded by all the gods.' // 45

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Sāvitrī said: / 'My child, your father waits surrounded by all the gods; / how can I go there alone, like one without a protector? // 46

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Therefore go and tell Father: "Let him wait for a muhūrta." // 47

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Until Śakrāṇī, Gaurī, Lakṣmī, and other celestial maidens / arrive in this gathering, with them I will come swiftly. // 48

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Vāyu has been sent by me to invite them all; / they will come quickly—so you must tell Father.' // 49

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Sūta said: / He too, having gone swiftly, said to the Creator, who was afflicted by the burden of the soma: / 'She does not come, O Lord of the Universe, being occupied with household duties. // 50

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And she said to me: "I shall go to the sacrifice accompanied by the wives of the gods." / And not one of them is seen yet. // 51

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Knowing this, O best of the gods, do what pleases you best. / This time belonging to proceeding to the sacrifice is passing away, / and she remains occupied with household affairs, that indolent woman.' // 52

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Hearing that speech of Pulastya, the Grandfather [Brahmā] / then spoke these words to Śakra standing near, O brahmins: // 53

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Brahmā said: / 'Śakra, Sāvitrī does not come; that woman is indolent. / But this sacrifice must certainly be performed by me with a wife. // 54

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Go, Śakra, and bring some maiden with haste, / before the time for proceeding to the sacrifice has passed.' // 55

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Having heard the Grandfather's words, a maiden for that purpose, O brahmins, / was quickly found by Śakra wandering nearby. // 56

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Then a girl born of a cowherd was seen by him, her head occupied with a pot of buttermilk, / slender, moon-faced, and lotus-eyed, // 57

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endowed with all auspicious marks, entering the bloom of youth. / She was then asked by Śakra: 'Who are you, O lotus-eyed one? // 58

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Are you an unmarried girl, or do you have a husband? Whose daughter are you? Tell us.' // 59

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The girl said: / 'I am a cowherd girl, may you be blessed; I have come to sell buttermilk. / If you will take it, give me the price quickly, do not delay.' // 60

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Hearing that, the lord of heaven [Indra], recognizing that she was a cowherd girl, / seized her with haste, casting the buttermilk down onto the ground. // 61

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Then Śakra, taking that weeping girl in haste, / caused her to enter through the mouth of a cow and pulled her out through its anus. // 62

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Having thus made her supremely pure, having bathed her in the auspicious waters / of the Jyeṣṭhakuṇḍa, O foremost of brahmins, and dressed her in two fine garments, // 63

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and then filled with joy, he went quickly and presented her in front of the Four-faced One [Brahmā], / in the assembly of all the gods, and spoke: // 64

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"This maiden, O best of the gods, has now been brought by me / for your sake, lovely-limbed and marked with all auspicious marks.

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Knowing her to be a cowherd's daughter, and having made her enter through the mouth of a cow, / she was drawn out through the secret parts for purification, O four-faced one."

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The venerable Vāsudeva said: / "The family of cows and that of brahmins was made one, divided in two: / in one reside the mantras, while in the other resides the oblation.

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She came forth from the belly of a cow; she is born of that [lineage] of the twice-born. / O god, take her hand in marriage for the attainment of the sacrifice,

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as long as the time appointed for the sacrificial performance does not slip away."

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Rudra said: / "Because she entered into the mouth of the cow and came forth through the anus, / she shall therefore become your wife, named Gāyatrī."

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Brahmā said: / "Let all the brahmins declare whether she, even if a cowherd's daughter, / can become the best of brahmin women and be my wife."

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The brahmins said: / "She is the best of brahmin women, free from the cowherd caste. / Upon our word, O four-faced one, take her hand in marriage quickly."

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Sūta said: / Then the god, the grandfather, took her hand in marriage, / having placed soma on her head according to the rule declared in the Gṛhya [texts], O twice-born ones.

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And dwelling there stands the great goddess, exceedingly purifying, / renowned in the world even today, bestowing wealth and good fortune.

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Whatever mortal, attentive in mind, gives a maiden [in marriage] at that [tīrtha] / obtains the entire fruit of the Rājasūya and Aśvamedha sacrifices.

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The maiden who undergoes the taking of the hand with her husband there / becomes possessed of sons, virtuous, and endowed with happiness and good fortune.

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Whatever man offers a piṇḍa there, O best of the twice-born, / his ancestors are gratified and satisfied, as at a pitṛ-tīrtha."

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Thus ends the one hundred eighty-first chapter, named 'Description of the greatness of Gāyatrītīrtha at the marriage of Gāyatrī', in the Great Purāṇa of Skanda, in the compilation of eighty-one thousand [verses], in the sixth Nāgarakhaṇḍa, in the glorification of Hāṭakeśvarakṣetra. // 181

Linked texts (1)

Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit