The Skanda Purana
by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words
This page describes The Greatness of Bhimeshvara (bhima-ishvara-tirtha) which is chapter 77 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-seventh chapter of the Reva-khanda of the Avantya-khanda of the Skanda Purana.
Chapter 77 - The Greatness of Bhīmeśvara (bhīma-īśvara-tīrtha)
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:
1-7. Thereafter, one should go to the Bhīmeśvara Tīrtha, which destroys all sins. It is resorted to by the groups of sages who are splendid and regular performers of severe Vratas.
A person controlling the sense-organs and observing fast, should take his holy bath in the Tīrtha. Raising his arms up towards the Sun, he should utter the single-syllabled Mantra. The sins accrued to him in the course of that birth perish instantly.
By (the recitation of) Gāyatrī, the sins acquired in the course of seven births perish certainly. A hundred repetitions destroy the sins committed before in the course of ten births. Gāyatrī destroys the sins arising in the course of three births by means of a thousand repetitions.
The Mantra whether Vedic or secular (non-Vedic) in origin that is repeated, O king, instantly burns down all sins like fire that burns blades of grass.
One should not wilfully commit sins on the strength of the power of a deity. If the sin is committed due to ignorance, it perishes quickly, but not the other one at any time.
A person should offer gifts at that Tīrtha according to his capacity. O son of Pāṇḍu, everything yields everlasting benefit.