Chapter 109 - Greatness of Aṣṭaṣaṣṭi Tīrthas

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Īśvara said:

1. O lady of excellent countenance, thus everything that I have been asked, has been narrated to you. This group of Tīrthas is the essence of all the Tīrthas.

2. O lady of great beauty, I abide in all these Tīrthas by my name. So also in the other Tīrthas for the benefit of Devas.

3. A man who takes his holy bath in all these Tīrthas, visits me, and glorifies me with eulogies addressed to me by name shall certainly attain salvation.

Śrī Devī said:

4. O Lord, what is the name whereby you should be glorified in a specific holy spot? If I am your beloved, O Lord, say this holly.

[List of Kṣetras and Names of Śiva associated with each—After giving the list of 68 Tīrthas, this chapter gives the different names of Śīva [Śiva?] associated with each.]

Īśvara said:

5. Mahādeva (is the name) in Vārāṇasī; Maheśvara in Prayāga; Devadeva in Naimiṣa; and Prapitāmaha in Gayā.

6. They know that it is Sthāṇu in Kurukṣetra; Śaśiśekhara in Prabhāsa; Ajagandhi in Puṣkara, and Viśva in Viśveśvara.

7-8. Mahānāda in Aṭṭahāsa; Mahāvrata in Mahendra; Mahākāla in Ujjayinī; Mahotkaṭa in Marukoṭa; Mahāteja in Śaṅkukarṇa; Mahābala in Gokarṇa; Mahāyoga in Rudrakoṭi and Mahāliṅga in Sthaleśvara.

9. Harṣa in Harṣita; Vṛṣabha in Vṛṣabhadhvaja; Īśāna in Kedāra; and Śarva in Madhyamakeśvara.

10. Suparṇākṣa in Sahasrākṣa; Susūkṣma in Kārttikeśvara; Bhava in Vastrāpatha, O goddess; and Ugra in Kanakhala.

11. Śiva in Bhadrakarṇa; Daṇḍin in Daṇḍaka; Ūrdhvareta in Tridaṇḍa; Caṇḍīśa in Kṛmijāṅgala.

12. Kṛttivāsa in Ekāmra and Kapardin in Chāgaleya. Nīlakaṇṭha in Kāliñjara and Śrīkaṇṭha in Maṇḍaleśvara.

13. Vijaya in Kāśmīra; Jayanta in Marukeśvara; Hara in Hariścandra and Śaṅkara in Puraścandra.

14. It should be known that Jaṭī is the name in Vāmeśvara and Saumya in Kukkuṭeśvara; Bhūteśvara in Bhasmagātra and Amarakaṇṭaka in Oṃkāra.

15. Tryaṃbaka in Trisandhyā; Trilocana in Virajā; Dīpta should be known as the name in Arkeśvara; and Paśupālaka in Nepāla.

16. Yamaliṅga in Duṣkarṇa; Kapālin in Karavīraka; Triśūlin in Jāgeśvara; and Tripurāntaka in Śrīśaila.

17. Rohaṇa in Ayodhyā; and Hāṭakeśvara in Pātāla; Nakulīśa in Kārohaṇa; and Umāpati in Devikā.

18. Bhairavākāra in Bhairava; Amara in Pūrvasāgara; Bhīma in Saptagodāvara and Svayaṃbhū in Nirmaleśvara;

19. Gaṇādhyakṣa in Karṇikāra; Gaṇādhipa in Kailāsa; Himasthāna in Gaṅgādvāra; and Jalapriya in Jalaliṅga.

20. Anala in Vāḍava Agni; and Bhīma in Badarikāśrama; Koṭīśvara in Śreṣṭha and Vārāha in Vindhya Parvata.

21. Virūpākṣa in Hemakūṭa; Bhūrbhuva in Gandhamādana; Varada in Liṅgeśvara and Narāntaka in Laṅkā.

22. Thus, O goddess, the sixty-eight of them have been specifically enumerated to you. It is destructive of all the sins in the case of those who read or listen to them.

23. Hence, all clever (sensible) persons should assiduously glorify these names three times a day. They should remain pure. Especially those with the initiation in Śaiva doctrines should recite these.

24. O excellent lady, if these names are kept written in the house, no defect arising from spirits and ghosts can happen in that house.

25. O lady of excellent countenance, there shall be no fear of ailments, serpents, thieves or others such as kings at any time or any place.