Chapter 1

[English text for this chapter is available]

| atha śrīskāṃde mahāpurāṇe pañcamaāvantyakhaṃḍe 'vaṃtīsthacaturaśītiliṅgamāhātmyaṃ dvitīyaṃ prārabhyate || |
śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ |
śrīmahākālāya namaḥ |
athāvantyakhaṇḍe'vantīsthacaturaśītiliṅgamāhātmyaṃ prārabhyate |
umovāca |
pṛthivyāṃ yāni tīrthāni puṇyāśca saritastathā |
kathyatāṃ tāni yatnena śrāddhaṃ yeṣu pradīyate || 1 ||
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īśvara uvāca |
asti lokeṣu vikhyātā gaṃgā tripathagāminī |
sevitā devagaṃdharvairmunibhiśca niṣevitā || 2 ||
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tapanasya sutā devī yamunā lokapāvanī |
pitṝṇāṃ vallabhā devi mahāpātaka hāriṇī || 3 ||
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candrabhāgā vitastā ca narmadā'marakaṃṭake |
kurukṣetraṃ gayā devi prabhāsaṃ naimiṣaṃ tathā || 4 ||
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kedāraṃ puṣkaraṃ caiva tathā kāyāvarohaṇam |
tathā puṇyatamaṃ devi mahākālavanaṃ śubham || 5 ||
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yatrāste śrīmahākālaḥ pāpeṃdhanahutāśanaḥ |
kṣetraṃ yojanaparyaṃtaṃ brahmahatyāvināśanam || 6 ||
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bhuktidaṃ muktidaṃ kṣetraṃ kalikalmaṣanāśanam |
pralaye'pyakṣayaṃ devi duṣprāpyaṃ tridaśairapi || 7 ||
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umovāca |
prabhāvaḥ kathyatāṃ deva kṣetrasyāsya maheśvara || 8 ||
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yāni tīrthāni vaṃdyāni yāni liṃgāni saṃti vai |
tānyahaṃ śrotumicchāmi paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi me || 9 ||
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īśvara uvāca |
śṛṇu devi prayatnena prabhāvaṃ pāpanāśanam |
kṣetramādyaṃ mahādevi mamātīva priyaṃ sadā || 10 ||
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yatrāsti ca mahāpuṇyā sarvapāpaharā parā |
tathā gaṃdhavatī puṇyā divyā navanadīpriyā || 11 ||
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nīlagaṃgā caturthī tu śreṣṭhā nadyaḥ prakīrtitāḥ |
āsāṃ tu saṃgame snātvā śrāddhaṃ yaḥ kurute naraḥ || 12 ||
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gaṃgāyāstriguṇaṃ devi caturvargaphalapradam |
kṣetraṃ yojanaparyaṃtamavaṃtyā viddhi suvrate || 13 ||
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siddhaliṃgāni tiṣṭhaṃti bhuktimuktikarāṇi ca |
īśvarāścaturāśītistathāṣṭau saṃti bhairavāḥ || 14 ||
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ekādaśa tathā rudrā ādityā dvādaśa smṛtāḥ |
ṣaḍvai vināyakāścātra caturviṃśatimātaraḥ || 15 ||
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yadāhaṃ gatavāṃstatra mahākālavane śubhe |
brahmaviṣṇvādayaḥ sarve tatrājagmurmudānvitāḥ || 16 ||
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ebhirvyāptaṃ kṣetramidaṃ devi yojanamāyatam |
daśa sthānagato viṣṇuḥ sarvapāpapraṇāśanaḥ || 17 ||
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etannāmāni yo'dhīte prabhāte bhaktitaḥ pumān |
vimuktaḥ sarvapāpaistu rudralokaṃ sa gacchati || 16 ||
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umovāca |
caturāśītiliṃgāni tvayoktānīha yāni tu |
tāni vistarato brūhi sarvapāpaharāṇi tu || 19 ||
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hara uvāca |
śṛṇu devi pravakṣyāmi teṣāṃ nāmāni yāni ca |
khyātaṃ pṛthivyāṃ prathamamagastyeśvaramuttamam |
yasya darśanamātreṇa kṛtakṛtyo naro bhavet || 20 ||
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umovāca |
agastyeśvaranāmeha kathaṃ labdhamanena vai |
kasminsthāne kathaṃ jātaṃ vistarādvaktumarhasi || 21 ||
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hara uvāca |
śṛṇu devi mahābhāge kathāmasya purātanīm |
sarvapāpapraśamanīṃ samīhitaphalapradām || 22 ||
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purā'surairjitā devā nirutsāhāśca te tataḥ |
bhāgāścaiṣāṃ hṛtāḥ sarve nirāśāḥ pitaraḥ kṛtā |
bhraṣṭaiśvaryyāstadā devi cerurdevā mahītale || 23 ||
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tataḥ kadācitte dīnā dīptamādityavarcasam |
dadṛśustejasāyuktamagastyaṃ vipulavratam || 24 ||
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abhivādya tato devā dṛṣṭvā taṃ tejasā vṛtam |
idamūcurmahātmānamagastyaṃ lokaviśrutam || 25 ||
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dānavairnirjitā yuddhe sarve svargācca pātitāḥ |
tatastvaṃ no bhayāttīvrāttrāyasva munipuṃgava || 26 ||
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ityuktaḥ sa tadā devairagastyaḥ kupito'bhavat |
prajajvāla ca tejasvī kālāgniriva saṃkṣaye || 27 ||
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tadā dīptāṃśujālena nirdagdhā dānavāstathā |
aṃtarikṣānmahādevi patitāśca sahasraśaḥ || 28 ||
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dahyamānāstato daityā stasyāgastyasya tejasā |
ṛṣeśca dānavāḥ sarve pātālaṃ vavrajurbhayāt || 29 ||
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tato 'gastyo mahātmā vai tānhatvā śokamūrchitaḥ |
babhūvātiśayaṃ cāsau ciṃtayodvignamānasaḥ || 30 ||
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kṛtaṃ ghoraṃ mahatpāpaṃ hatā yaddānavā mayā |
ahiṃsā paramo dharmo manunā kathyate yataḥ |
kiṃ karomi kva gacchāmi kathaṃ śudhyeya cāpyaham || 31 ||
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evaṃ ciṃtayatastasya samāgacchatpitāmahaḥ |
provāca sa muniṃ tatra kasmāttvaṃ śokavihvalaḥ || 32 ||
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lakṣyase muniśārdūla kāraṇaṃ kathyatāṃ tvaram |
sa brahmāṇaṃ namaskṛtya kathayāmāsa pṛcchataḥ || 33 ||
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devadeva jagannātha dāhoṃtarmānasaṃ mama |
brahmahatyā samāyātā yanmayā dānavā hatāḥ || 34 ||
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mamopāyaṃ samācakṣva prasādatsurasattama |
bahukālārjitaṃ deva gataṃ me saṃkṣayaṃ tapaḥ || 35 ||
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provācedaṃ suraśreṣṭhaḥ śṛṇu tvaṃ yatnataḥ param |
upāyaṃ sarvapāpasya kṣayo yena bhaveddhruvam || 36 ||
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mahākālavane divye yakṣagaṃdharvasevite |
uttare vaṭayakṣiṇyā yattalliṃgamanuttamam || 37 ||
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piśācasyāpi tīrthasya bhāge dakṣiṇataḥ sthitam |
taṃ samārādhyataḥ sarvaṃ pāpaṃ nāśamavāpnuyāt || 38 ||
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ārādhaya śubhaṃ liṃgaṃ sarvapāpapraṇā śanam |
bāḍhaṃ provāca dharmātmā mahākālavanaṃ yayau || 39 ||
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tasminsa liṃge deveśi samārādhanatatparaḥ |
babhūvāharniśaṃ bhaktyā taddhyānaikarato muniḥ || 40 ||
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ahaṃ tuṣṭastadā devi munestasya mahātmanaḥ || 41 ||
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proktaṃ mayā mahābhāga mune śṛṇu samāhitaḥ |
varaṃ varaya vipreṃdra yatte manasi varttate || 42 ||
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tuṣṭo'hamanayā bhaktyā tapasā duṣkareṇa tu |
liṃgasyāsya prabhāveṇa jātastvaṃ nirmalo'dhunā || 43 ||
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praṇaṣṭā brahmahatyā te dānavotthā munīśvara |
madīyaṃ vacanaṃ śrutvā tenoktaṃ varavarṇini || 44 ||
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yadi deva prasannastvaṃ śaraṇāgatavatsalaḥ |
tvadaṃghriyugale bhūyānmama bhaktirmaheśvara || 45 ||
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tapasyatha tathā dharme na me vighno bhavediti |
tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā kuṃbhayonermahātmanaḥ |
mayā proktaṃ viśālākṣi mune evaṃ bhaviṣyati || 46 ||
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yastvayā pūjito devo brahmahatyāvināśanaḥ |
tvannāmnā triṣu lokeṣu so'haṃ khyāto bhaviṣyati || 47 ||
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agastyeśvaradevopi vikhyāto bhuvanatraye |
evamukto mayā devi sa viprastatra saṃsthitaḥ |
kṛpayā tasya liṃgasya paṃcamudrāvibhūṣitaḥ || 48 ||
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ye narāstanmahāliṃgaṃ nirīkṣiṣyaṃti bhaktitaḥ |
sarvapāpavinirmuktāḥ sarvakāmairalaṃkṛtāḥ || 49 ||
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bhaviṣyaṃti mahātmānaḥ putraiśvaryasamanvitāḥ |
aṃtakāle ca māṃ yāṃti vimānaiḥ sarvakāmadaiḥ || 50 ||
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stutā gaṃdharvamukhyaiśca rudraloke ca śāśvate |
ye'rcayaṃti sadā devamagastveśvarasaṃjñakam || 51 ||
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kṛtapuṇyā narā marttyāste yāṃti paramaṃ padam |
saṃsmṛte devade veśe narāṇāṃ koṭijanmajam || 52 ||
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aśubhaṃ kṣayamāpnoti kastaṃ na praṇamecchivam |
yaḥ praṇamya naro bhaktyā devaṃ taṃ ca niṣevate || 53 ||
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mucyate brahmahatyādipā takairnarakapradaiḥ || 54 ||
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rājasūyaśatenaiva yatpuṇyaṃ ca bhaviṣyati |
tatpuṇyamadhikaṃ devi darśanācca bhaviṣyati || 55 ||
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kiṃ tīrthairvividhaiḥ snānaiḥ kiṃ dānairvividhaiḥ kṛtaiḥ |
te prāpsyaṃti phalaṃ sarve matprasādānna saṃśayaḥ || 56 ||
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aṣṭamyāṃ ca caturddaśyāṃ dine somasya śaktitaḥ |
yaḥ kariṣyati liṃgasya pūjā bhaktisamanvitaḥ |
kulānāṃ tārayatyeva mātṛkaṃ pitṛkaṃ śatam || 57 ||
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ye ca paśyaṃti puruṣā bhāvahīnāḥ prasaṃgataḥ |
na te paśyaṃti saṃsāre narakaṃ vai kadā cana || 58 ||
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etatte kathitaṃ devi liṃgamahātmyamuttamam |
prathamaṃ kathitaṃ loke dvitīyaṃ śṛṇu yatnataḥ || 59 ||
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