Chapter 25

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vyāsa uvāca |
śṛṇu sūta pravakṣyāmi kathāṃ kalaśajanmanaḥ |
yāmākarṇya naro bhūyādvirajā jñānabhājanam || 1 ||
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giriṃ pradakṣiṇīkṛtya śrīsaṃjñaṃ kalaśodbhavaḥ |
sapatnīko dadarśātha ramyaṃ skaṃdavanaṃ mahat || 2 ||
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sarvartaṃ kusumāḍhyaṃ ca rasavatphalapādapam |
susevya kaṃdamūlāḍhyaṃ suvalkalamahīruham || 3 ||
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nivītaśvāpadagaṇaṃ sasaritpalvalāvṛtam |
svaccha gaṃbhīrakāsāraṃ sāraṃ sarvabhuvaḥ param || 4 ||
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nānāpatatrisaṃghuṣṭaṃ nānāmunijanoṣitam |
tapaḥsaṃketanilayamivaikaṃ saṃpadāṃ padam || 5 ||
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lohito nāma tatrāsti giriḥ svarṇagiriprabhaḥ |
sukaṃdaraprasravaṇaḥ svasānu śikharaprabhaḥ || 6 ||
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kailāsasyaikaśakalaṃ karmabhūmāvihāgatam |
tapastaptumiva proccairnānāścaryasamanvitam || 7 ||
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tatrādrākṣīnmuniśreṣṭho'gastyaḥ sākṣātṣaḍānanam |
praṇamya daṃḍavadbhūmau sapatnīko mahātapāḥ || 8 ||
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tuṣṭāva girijāsūnuṃ sūktaiḥ śrutisamudbhavaiḥ |
tathā svakṛtayā stutyā prabaddha karasaṃpuṭaḥ || 9 ||
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agastiruvāca |
namostu vṛṃdārakavṛṃdavaṃdya pādāraviṃdāya sudhākarāya |
ṣaḍānanāyāmitavikramāya gaurīhṛdānaṃdasamudbhavāya || 10 ||
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namostu tubhyaṃ praṇatārtihaṃtre kartre samastasya manorathānām |
dātre rathānāṃ paratārakasya haṃtre pracaṃḍāsura tārakasya || 11 ||
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amūrtamūrtāya sahasramūrtaye guṇāya guṇyāya parātparāya |
apārapārāya parāparāya namostu tubhyaṃ śikhivāhanāya || 12 ||
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namostu te brahmavidāṃvarāya digaṃbarāyāṃbara saṃsthitāya |
hiraṇyavarṇāya hiraṇyabāhave namo hiraṇyāya hiraṇyaretase || 13 ||
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tapaḥsvarūpāya tapodhanāya tapaḥphalānāṃ pratipādakāya |
sadā kumārāya himāramāriṇe taṇīkṛtaiśvarya virāgiṇe namaḥ || 14 ||
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namostu tubhyaṃ śarajanmane vibho prabhātasūryāruṇadaṃtapaṃktaye |
bālāya cābālaparākramāya ṣāṇmāturāyālamanāturāya || 15 ||
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mīḍhuṣṭamāyottaramīḍhuṣe namo namo gaṇānāṃ pataye gaṇāya |
namostu te janmajarātigāya namo viśākhāya suśaktipāṇaye || 16 ||
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sarvasya nāthasya kumārakāya krauṃcāraye tārakamārakāya |
svāheya gāṃgeya ca kārtikeya śaiveya tubhyaṃ satataṃ namo'stu || 17 ||
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itthaṃ pariṣṭutya sa kārtikeyaṃ namo namastvityabhibhāṣamāṇaḥ |
dvistriḥparikramya puro viveśa sthito munīśopaviśeti coktaḥ || 18 ||
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kārtikeya uvāca |
kṣemosti kuṃbhaja mune tridaśaikasahāyakṛt |
jāne tvāmiha saṃprāptaṃ tathā viṃdhyācalonnatim || 19 ||
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avimukte mahākṣetre kṣemaṃ tryakṣeṇa rakṣite |
yatra kṣīṇāyuṣāṃ sākṣādvirūpākṣo'sti mokṣadaḥ || 20 ||
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bhūrbhuvaḥ svastale vāpi na pātālatale malam |
nordhvaloke mayā dṛṣṭaṃ tādṛkkṣetraṃ kvacinmune || 21 ||
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ahamekacaropyatra tatkṣetraprāptaye mune |
tapye tapāṃsinādyāpi phaleyurme manorathāḥ || 22 ||
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na tatpuṇyairna taddānairna tapobhirna tajjapaiḥ |
na labhyaṃ vividhairyajñairlabhyamaiśādanugrahāt || 23 ||
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īśvarānugrahādeva kāśīvāsaḥ sudurlabhaḥ |
sulabhaḥ syānmune nūnaṃ na vai sukṛtakoṭibhiḥ || 24 ||
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anyaiva kācitsā sṛṣṭirvidhāturyā'tirekiṇī |
na tatkṣetraguṇānvaktumīśvaro'pīśvaro yataḥ || 25 ||
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aho mateḥ sudaurbalyamahobhāgyasya daurvidham |
aho mohasya māhātmyaṃ yatkāśīha na sevyate || 26 ||
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śarīraṃ jīryate nityaṃ saṃjīryaṃtīṃdriyāṇyapi |
āyurmṛgo mṛgayunā kṛtalakṣyo hi mṛtyunā || 27 ||
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sāpadaṃ saṃpadaṃ jñātvā sāpāyaṃ kāyamuccakaiḥ |
capalā capalaṃ cāyurmatvā kāśīṃ samāśrayet || 28 ||
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yāvannaityāyuṣaścāṃtastāvatkāśī na mucyate |
kālaḥ kalālavasyāpi saṃkhyātuṃ naiva vismaret || 29 ||
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jarānikaṭanikṣiptā bādhaṃte vyādhayo bhṛśam |
tathāpi deho nāneho nāho kāśīṃ samīhate || 30 ||
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tīrthasnānena japyena paropakaraṇoktibhiḥ |
vinārthaṃ labhyate dharmo dharmādarthaḥ svayaṃ bhavet || 31 ||
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vinaivārthārjanopāyaṃ dharmādartho bhaveddhruvam |
ato'rthaciṃtāmutsṛjya dharmamekaṃ samāśrayet || 32 ||
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dharmādartho'rthataḥ kāmaḥ kāmātsarvasukhodayaḥ |
svargopi sulabho dharmātkāśye kā durlabhā param || 33 ||
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upāyatrayamevātra sthāṇurnirvāṇakāraṇam |
śarvāṇyagreva bhāṇāddhā parinirṇīya sarvataḥ || 34 ||
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pūrvaṃ pāśupato yogastatastīrthaṃ sitāsitam |
tatopyekamanāyāsamavimuktaṃ vimuktidam || 35 ||
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śrīśaila himaśailādyā nānānyāyatanāni ca |
tridaṃḍadhāraṇaṃcāpi saṃnyāsaḥ sarvakarmaṇām || 36 ||
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tapāṃsi nānārūpāṇi vratāni niyamā yamāḥ |
siṃdhūnāmapi saṃbhedā araṇyāni bahūnyapi || 37 ||
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mānasānyapi bhaumāni dhārātīrthādikāni ca |
ūṣarāścāpi pīṭhāni hyacchinnāmnāyapāṭhanam || 38 ||
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japaścāpi manūnāṃ ca tathā'gnihavanāni ca |
dānāni nānākratavo devatopāsanāni ca || 39 ||
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trirātraṃ paṃcarātrāṇi sāṃkhyayogādayastathā |
viṣṇorārādhanaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ muktaye'bhihitaṃ kila || 40 ||
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puryaścāpi samākhyātānṛtajaṃtu vimuktidā |
kaivalyasādhanānīha bhavaṃtyeva viniścitam || 41 ||
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etāni yāni proktāni kāśīprāptikarāṇi ca |
prāpya kāśīṃ bhavenmukto jaṃturnānyatrakutracit || 42 ||
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ataeva hi tatkṣetraṃ pavitramaticitrakṛt |
viśveśituḥ priyanityaṃ viṣvagbrahmāṇḍamaṃḍale || 43 ||
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idameva hi tatkṣetraṃ kuśalapraśnakāraṇam |
ehyehi dehi me sparśaṃ nijagātrasya suvrata || 44 ||
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api kāśyāḥ samāgacchatsparśavatsparśa iṣyate |
mayātra tiṣṭhatā nityaṃ kiṃtu tvaṃ tata āgataḥ || 458 ||
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trirātramapiye kāśyāṃ vasaṃti niyateṃdriyāḥ |
teṣāṃ punaṃti niyataṃ spṛṣṭāścaraṇareṇavaḥ || 46 ||
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tvaṃ tu tatra kṛtāvāsaḥ kṛtapuṇyamahoccayaḥ |
uttarapravahā snāna jātapiṃgalamūrdhajaḥ || 47 ||
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tava tatra tu yatkuṃḍamagastīśvarasannidhau |
tatra snātvā ca pītvā ca kṛtasarvodakakriyaḥ || 48 ||
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pitṝnpiṃḍaiḥ samabhyarcya śraddhāśrāddhavidhānataḥ |
kṛtyakṛtyo bhavejjaṃturvārāṇasyāḥ phalaṃ labhet || 49 ||
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ityuktvā sarvagātrāṇi spaṣṭvā kuṃbhodbhavasya ca |
skaṃdo'mṛtasarovāri vigāhya sukhamāptavān || 50 ||
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jaya viśveśa netrāṇi vinimīlya vadannapi |
tataḥ kiṃcitkṣaṇaṃ dadhyau guhaḥ sthāṇusuniścalaḥ || 51 ||
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skaṃde visarjitadhyāne suprasannamanomukhe |
pratīkṣya vāgavasaraṃ papracchātha munirguham || 52 ||
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agastiruvāca |
svāminyathā bhagavatā bhagavatyai purā'kathi |
vārāṇasyāstu mahimā himaśailabhuve mudā || 53 ||
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tvayā yathā samākarṇi tadutsaṃganivāsinā |
tathā kathaya ṣaḍvaktra tatkṣetraṃ me'tirocate || 54 ||
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skaṃda uvāca |
śṛṇuṣva maitrāvaruṇe yathā bhagavatā'kathi |
tatkṣetrasyāvimuktasya mama mātuḥ puraḥ purā || 55 ||
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śrutaṃ ca yattadutsaṃge sthitena sthiracetasā |
māhātmyaṃ tacchṛṇu mune kathyamānaṃ mayā'nagha || 56 ||
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guhyānāṃ paramaṃ guhyamavimuktamiheritam |
tatra saṃnihitā siddhistatra nityaṃ sthito vibhuḥ || 57 ||
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bhūrloke naiva saṃlagnaṃ tatkṣetraṃ tvaṃtarikṣagam |
ayogino na vīkṣaṃte paśyaṃtyeva ca yoginaḥ || 58 ||
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yastatra nivasedvipra saṃyatātmā samāhitaḥ |
trikālamapi bhuṃjāno vāyubhakṣasamo bhavet || 59 ||
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nimeṣamātramapi yo hyavimukte'tibhaktibhāk |
brahmacaryasamāyuktaṃ tena taptaṃ mahattapaḥ || 60 ||
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yastu māsaṃ vaseddhīro laghvāhāro jiteṃdriyaḥ |
sarvaṃ tena vrataṃ cīrṇaṃ divyaṃ pāśupataṃ bhavet || 61 ||
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saṃvatsaraṃ vasaṃstatra jitakrodho jiteṃdriyaḥ |
aparasvavipuṣṭāṃgaḥ parānnaparivarjakaḥ || 62 ||
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parāpavādarahitaḥ kiṃciddānaparāyaṇaḥ |
samāḥ sahasramanyatra tena taptaṃ mahattapaḥ || 63 ||
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yāvajjīvaṃ vasedyastu kṣetramāhātmyavinnaraḥ |
janmamṛtyu bhayaṃ hitvā sa yāti paramāṃ gatim || 64 ||
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na yogairyā gatirlabhyā janmāṃtaraśatairapi |
anyatrahelayā sā'tra labhyeśasya prasādataḥ || 65 ||
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brahmahā yo'bhigacchedvai daivādvārāṇasīṃ purīm |
tasya kṣetrasya māhātmyādbrahmahatyā nivartate || 66 ||
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ādehapatanaṃ yāvadyovimuktaṃ na muṃcati |
na kevalaṃ brahmahatyā prakṛtiśca nivartate || 67 ||
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ananyamānaso bhūtvā tatkṣetraṃ yo na muṃcati |
sa muṃcati jarāmṛtyuṃ garbhavāsaṃ suduḥsaham || 68 ||
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avimuktaṃ niṣeveta devarṣigaṇasevitam |
yadīcchenmānavo dhīmānna punarjananaṃ bhuvi || 69 ||
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avimuktaṃ na muṃceta saṃsārabhayamocanam |
prāpya viśveśvaraṃ devaṃ na sa bhūyo'bhijāyate || 70 ||
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kṛtvā pāpasahsrāṇi piśācatvaṃ varaṃtviha |
na tu kratuśataprāpyaḥ svargaḥ kāśīpurīṃ vinā || 71 ||
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aṃtakāle manuṣyāṇāṃ bhidyamāneṣu marmasu |
vātenātudyamānānāṃ smṛtirnaivopajāyate || 72 ||
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tatrotkramaṇakāle tu sākṣādviśveśvaraḥ svayam |
vyācaṣṭe tārakaṃ brahma yenāsau tanmayo bhavet || 73 ||
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aśāśvatamidaṃ jñātvā mānuṣyaṃ bahukilbiṣam |
avimuktaṃ niṣeveta saṃsārabhayanāśanam || 74 ||
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vighrairāloḍyamānopi yo'vimuktaṃ na muṃcati |
naiḥśreyasī śriyaṃ prāpya duḥkhāṃtaṃ sodhigacchati || 75 ||
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mahāpāpaughaśamanīṃ puṇyopacayakāriṇīm |
bhuktimuktipradāmaṃte ko na kāśīṃ sudhīḥ śrayet || 76 ||
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evaṃ jñātvā tu medhāvī nāvimuktaṃ tyajennaraḥ |
avimuktaprasādena vimukto jāyate yataḥ || 77 ||
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avimuktasya māhātmyaṃ ṣaḍbhirvaktraiḥ kathaṃ mayā |
vaktuṃ śakyaṃ na śaknoti sahasrāsyopi yatparam || 78 ||
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iti śrīskāṃde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ caturthe kāśīkhaṃḍe pūrvārddhe skaṃdāgastyadarśanaṃ nāma paṃcaviśatitamo'dhyāyaḥ || 25 ||
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