The Skanda Purana
by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words
This page describes The Greatness of Dharmesha which is chapter 78 of the English translation of the Skanda Purana, the largest of the eighteen Mahapuranas, preserving the ancient Indian society and Hindu traditions in an encyclopedic format, detailling on topics such as dharma (virtous lifestyle), cosmogony (creation of the universe), mythology (itihasa), genealogy (vamsha) etc. This is the seventy-eighth chapter of the Uttarardha of the Kashi-khanda of the Skanda Purana.
Chapter 78 - The Greatness of Dharmeśa
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
Note: Dharmeśa is situated to the east of Viśvanātha Temple near Dharma Kūpa.
Pārvatī said:
1-4. O Śaṃbhu, O Īśāna, narrate to me (the qualities of) that Liṅga in Ānandakānana, which causes increase in merit. Merely by remembering the name of it great sins get annihilated. The Liṅga should be always resorted to by the aspirants; where a devotee will have the most excellent delight. Here the result of what is gifted, offered in the sacred fire, repeatedly muttered and meditated upon is of everlasting merit. Remembering it, visiting, bowing down to and touching this Liṅga and adoration of it and bathing with Pañcāmṛta etc. shall result in a series of benefits.
Skanda said:
5. O Pot-born One, I shall expound to you what is recounted by the omniscient Lord, on hearing the request of the goddess. Please listen.
Devadeva said:
6. O Umā, what is asked by you is conducive to release from the bondage of worldly existence. There I shall extol the Liṅga. Be steady in mind.
7. This is the greatest secret of mine in Ānandakānana here. It has not been revealed to anyone by me. Nor does anyone know what to ask about it.
8. O my beloved, in Ānandavana there are many of my Liṅgas, but I shall recount to you only what you have asked.
9. It is here, O Viśvagā (Omnipresent One), that you are yourself present in the form of Mukti (Liberation) and here your son is also present destroying obstacles.
10. When I was desirous of victory in the battle with Tripuras, my hope thereof was fulfilled by the offer of eulogy and many gifts of Modakas (sweetmeats) here.
11. Here is a Tīrtha that increases the pleasure of ancestors and destroys sins; it was by taking his bath here that the Slayer of Vṛtra (Indra) became rid of the sins of killing Vṛtra (a Brāhmaṇa).
12. It was here that Dharmarāja (Yama) obtained Dharmādhikaraṇa (authority over matters pertaining to merit and demerit and their rewards and punishment) after performing a very difficult penance with the greatest concentration.
13. Here itself birds obtained knowledge that effected liberation from worldly existence. There is a beautiful golden tree here with many roots.
14. It was after visiting the Liṅga here that the king named Durdama became pious-minded instantly though he had previously outraged all the worlds.
15. O beautiful lady, listen to the origin and the greatness of that Liṅga. It is destructive of great sins. I shall recount it.
16. Here in my Ānandavana, it is specifically called Dharmapīṭha. By visiting that Dharmapīṭha alone, a man is liberated from sins.
17. Formerly, in front of you, O Viśālākṣī, Yama, the son of Sun-god, performed a severe penance with great self-control.
18-21. During winter he used to stand in water; during rainy season he used to stand directly under the sky; and during summer he used to stand in the middle of five fires. Sometimes he performed the penance standing for a long time, touching the ground with the tips of his feet (i.e. big toes). Sometimes he stood on a single leg for a long time. That fortunate one had the intake of only air for a long time. When he felt thirsty, he drank only a few drops of water through the tips of Darbhas. Performing the penance thus, he spent the period of a cycle of four Yugas in accordance with the reckoning of Devas, with the greatest concentration and mental absorption to see me four times.
22. Then becoming pleased with the penance of that steady-minded (Dharma), I went there to grant the boons to the noble-souled Śamana (Yama).
23-31. There was a banayan tree called Kāñcana-śākha (‘having golden branches’) according shelter to many birds and having extensive shade which removed his distress due to the penance.
When gentle wind shook the tender sprouts resembling hands, it appeared as though it invited the wayfarers distressed due to their travel and as if it wanted to remove their fatigue. The tree delighted groups of suppliants very much through their round fruits which were fully ripe and tasty emitting fragrance and affection.
Beneath it I saw the distinguished son of the Sun-god with the body straight and motionless like a post. His eyes were fixed at the tip of his nose. He resembled the Sun in the blue sky surrounded by his own radiance, when the brilliance of his own austerities made a halo around him.
He had installed a great Liṅga named after himself (i.e. Dharmeśvara Liṅga) which was made of crystalline solar stone and worshipped with great devotion as if with a mass of splendour.
Yama was performing the penance keeping this Liṅga as witness.
I spoke to Dharmarāja: “O Bhāskari (‘son of the Sun-god’), speak out the boon you would have, O highly fortunate one. Enough of your continuance of penance, O splendid-vowed one. I am delighted.” On hearing this and seeing me Śamana bowed down. The son of the Sun-god whose sense-organs and mind were delighted stopped his meditation and eulogized with genuine sincerity.
Dharma said:
[Prayer of Dharma (vv 32-41)]
32. Obeisance, obeisance, O cause of all causes. Obeisance, obeisance to one without a cause. Obeisance, obeisance to you, the presiding deity of all effects. Obeisance, O Lord with a form different from effects.
33. Obeisance to one in the form of formlessness. Obeisance to one having all the forms. Obeisance to the subtlest one; obeisance to one identical with cause and effect. Obeisance to Apārāra (the perfect and extensive one). Obeisance to one according access to the other shore of the greatest ocean (Saṃsāra). Obeisance to you, the moon-crested one.
34. You are Anīśvara (having no other Lord over you). You are the lord of the universe. You are identical with the Guṇas. You are free from attributes; you are beyond Kāla (Time). You are beyond Prakṛti. Obeisance to you, the embodimant of Kāla (Time). Obeisance to you, O ultimate cause devouring Kāla (Time, god of Death).
35. You alone are the bestower of the status of salvation, O Lord of infinite power. You alone are the salvation (personified). You are identical with the individual soul; you are the supreme soul. You are the immanent soul of the mobile and immobile beings.
36. O sole kinsman of the universe, the universe originates from you; you are directly the universe itself; and the universe is yours. You are the first creator, the protector and the annihilator. Obeisance, obeisance to you, O Lord of Vidhātṛ (Brahmā) and Viṣṇu.
37. You are Mṛḍa (bestower of happiness) unto those who follow the path of the Vedas; you alone are Bhīma (‘the terrible one’) unto those who do not follow the path of the Vedas. O Soma (‘one with Umā as his consort’), you are the benefactor of those having excellent devotion. O Rudra, you are Ugra (‘the fierce one’) to those devoid of devotion.
38. You alone are Śūlin (‘the trident-bearer’) unto the enemies; you alone are Śiva (‘the auspicious one’) unto those with humble mind and polite words. You are the sole Śrīkaṇṭha (‘glorious-throated one’) to those who resort to your feet. You are the fierce-throated one with the poison Halāhala to the wicked ones.
39. I offer obeisance to you, O Śaṅkara, the quiescent one. Obeisance to you, O Śaṃbhu, embellished with the digit of the moon; obeisance to you, the lord with serpents for ornaments. O Lord having Pināka in the hand, obeisance to the enemy of Andhaka.
40. He alone is blessed who has devotion unto you. He alone who is your worshipper is meritorious. He who always eulogizes you, shall be eulogized by Indra and other Devas.
41. O Lord with infinite power, who like me with very limited intellectual power can eulogize you adequately—you who are incomprehensible to the words of the ancients? This prayer unto you is mere bowing down unto you.
Skanda said:
42. After uttering (this prayer) the son of the Sun-god said, “Obeisance to Śiva with great devotion.” With great delight he touched the ground with his head and bowed down to Śaṃbhu a thousand times.
43. Then Śiva, the Lord, prevented him from further obeisances as he was already distressed due to the penance and granted the boons to the son of the Seven-horsed One (the Sun-god): “You be Dharmarāja by name also.
44. You alone have been employed by me in the administration of Dharma unto all embodied beings, mobile as well as immobile. At my behest rule over all. Your duty commences today.
45. You are the Lord of the southern direction. Be the witness unto the Karmas of all creatures. May the good and the bad ones from the mortal world attain the goal of their respective Karmas along the path pointed out by you.
46. O Dharma, men shall obtain without delay the Siddhi by visiting, touching and worshipping this Liṅga which has been propitiated here by you with full devotion unto me.
47. If any man of spotlessly pure mind takes his holy bath here in this Dharma Tīrtha in front and visits at least once Dharmeśvara, the achievement of the aims of life is not [out?] of his reach.
48. If in spite of committing a thousand sins, anyone sees Dharmeśvara by chance, he will not suffer from hellish pain at any time; the immortal ones speak highly about him in heaven.
49. If any man does not endeavour for his good even after obtaining Dharmapīṭha at Kāśī, O Dharma of exceeding splendour, how can he, like you, make himself one of fulfilled duty?
50. There is no doubt about this that the desires of the devotees of Dharmeśvara will become fruitful as in your case. O Dharmarāja, all your cherished desires have been attained by you through your excessive austerities.
51. Wherefore should one be afraid if he performs even once the adoration of Dharmeśvara, despite commission of great sins here? A devotee of the Liṅga worshipped by you is your own kindred.
52. If anyone adores Dharmeśvara, O Dharma, with a leaf, flower, water or Dūrvā grass, the Devas with nectar as their food will be exceedingly delighted and they will honour him with garlands of the divine Mandāra flowers.
53. (Usually) people who commit sins are afraid of you. But they need never be afraid if only they make arrangement for the adoration of Dharmeśvara and thereby captivate your mind through kinship.
54. O Dharma, even in the future Yugas (and Kalpas) whatever men offer here in the Dharmapīṭha after having their holy dip in the celestial river and bowing down to your Liṅga becomes everlasting.
55. Those men who observe fast on the eighth lunar day in the bright half of the month of Kārttika and celebrate the festivities, keeping awake during the night, before Dharmeśvara, are not born again on the earth.
56. Those men who recite this prayer uttered by you in front of your (Liṅga) become free of sins, go to my world and attain your companionship.
57. O Dharmarāja, the son of the storehouse of splendour (the Sun), ask for any other boon desired by you. I shall grant it to you. There is nothing here which cannot be given to you. Simply?] make the effort of uttering the word.”
58. On seeing Śaṅkara full of mercy and delighted in form ready to bestow everything he cherished in his mind (Yama) became immersed in the lake of a mass of bliss. For a moment he was unable to utter anything.