Skanda Purana · Verses 7.4-3

// sūta uvāca // //
evaṃ munīndrāḥ kathite prabhāve śaṃkareṇa tu //
punaḥ papraccha sā devī kṛtāṃjalipuṭā satī

// devyuvāca // //
devadeva jagannātha kṣetratīrthamaya prabho //
prabhāsakṣetramāhātmyaṃ vistarātkathayasva me

kathaṃ tuṣyasi martyānāṃ kṣetre tatra vicetasām //
japtaṃ dattaṃ hutaṃ yaṣṭaṃ tapastaptaṃ kṛtaṃ ca yat //
prabhāse tu mahākṣetre kasmāttatrākṣayaṃ bhavet

jātyaṃtarasahasreṣu yatpāpaṃ pūrvasaṃcitam //
tatkathaṃ kṣayamāpnoti tanmamācakṣva śaṃkara

yadi prabhāsaṃ sarveṣāṃ tīrthānāṃ pravaraṃ matam//
kimanyairbahubhistatra karttavyaṃ tīrthavistaraiḥ

ekaṃ yadi bhavettīrthaṃ mano niḥsaṃśayaṃ bhavet //
bahutve sati tīrthānāṃ mano vicalate nṛṇām

tasmātsarvaṃ parityajya tīrthajālaṃ savistaram //
prabhāsasyaiva māhātmyaṃ kathayasva sureśvara

kṣetrapramāṇaṃ sīmāṃ ca kṣetrasāraṃ hi yatprabho //
vaktumarhasi tatsarvaṃ paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi me

//
īśvara uvāca // //
śṛṇu devi pravakṣyāmi kṣetrāṇāṃ kṣetramuttamam //
sarvakṣetreṣu yatkṣetraṃ prabhāsaṃ tu priyaṃ mama

prabhāse tu parā siddhiḥ prabhāse tu parā gatiḥ //
yatra saṃnihito nityamahaṃ bhadre nirantaram

tasya pramāṇaṃ vakṣyāmi sarvasīmāsamanvitam//
kṣetraṃ tu trividha proktaṃ tatte vakṣyāmyanukramāt

kṣetraṃ pīṭhaṃ garbhagṛhaṃ prabhāsasya prakīrtyate //
yathākramaṃ phalaṃ tasya koṭikoṭiguṇaṃ smṛtam

kṣetraṃ tu prathamaṃ proktaṃ tacca dvādaśayojanam //
pañcayojanamānena kṣetrapīṭhaṃ prakīrtitam

garbhagṛhaṃ ca gavyūtiḥ karṇikā sā mama priyā //
kṣetrasīmā pravakṣyāmi śṛṇu devi yathākramam

āyāmavyāsataścaiva ādimadhyāntasaṃsthitam //
pūrve taptodaka svāmī paścime mādhavaḥ smṛtaḥ

dakṣiṇe sāgarastadvadbhadrā nadyuttare matā //
evaṃ sīmāsamāyuktaṃ kṣetraṃ dvādaśayojanam

etatprābhāsikaṃ kṣetraṃ sarvapātakanāśanam//
tanmadhye pīṭhikā proktā pañcayojanavistṛtā

nyaṃkumanyapareṇaiva vajriṇyāḥ pūrvatastathā //
māheśvaryā dakṣiṇataḥ samudrottaratastathā

āyāmavyāsataścaiva pañcayojanavistaram //
pīṭhametatsamākhyātamatho garbhagṛhaṃ śṛṇu

dakṣiṇottarato yāvatsamudrā tkauraveśvarī //
pūrvapaścimato yāvadgomukhāccāśvamedhikam //
etadgarbhagṛhaṃ proktaṃ kailāsānmama vallabham

atrāntare tu deveśi yāni tīrthāni bhūtale //
vāpīkūpataḍāgāni devatāyatanāni ca

sarāṃsi saritaścaiva palvalāni hradāstathā //
tāni medhyāni sarvāṇi sarvapāpaharāṇi ca

yatra tatra naraḥ snātvā svargaloke mahīyate //
kṣetrasya prathamo bhāgo medhyo māheśvaraḥ smṛtaḥ

dvitīyo vaiṣṇavo bhāgo brahmabhāgastṛtīyakaḥ //
tīrthānāṃ koṭirekā tu brāhme bhāge vyavasthitā

vaiṣṇave koṭirekā tu tīrthānāṃ varavarṇini //
sārddhakoṭistu saṃproktā rudrabhāge ca madhyataḥ //

evaṃ devi samākhyātaṃ tatkṣetraṃ hi tridaivatam //
guhyādguhyataraṃ kṣetraṃ mama priyataraṃ śubhe

tisraḥ koṭyo'rddhakoṭiśca kṣetre proktā vibhāgataḥ //
yātrā tu trividhā jñeyā tāṃ śṛṇuṣva varānane

raudrī tu prathamā yātrā vaiṣṇavī ca dvitīyikā//
brāhmī tṛtīyā saṃkhyātā sarvapātakanāśinī //

brāhme vibhāge saṃproktā icchāśaktirvarānane //
kriyā ca vaiṣṇave bhāge dvitīye tu prakīrtitā

raudre bhāge tṛtīye tu jñānaśaktirvarānane //
yadi pāpo yadi śaṭho yadi naiṣkṛtiko naraḥ

nirmuktaḥ sarvapāpebhyo madhyabhāge vasettu yaḥ //
himavaṃtaṃ parityajya parvataṃ gaṃdhamādanam

kailāsaṃ niṣadhaṃ caiva merupṛṣṭhaṃ mahādyutim //
ramyaṃ triśikharaṃ caiva mānasaṃ ca mahāgirim

devodyānāni ramyāṇi naṃdanaṃ vanameva ca //
svargasthānāni ramyāṇi tīrthānyāyatanāni ca //
tāni sarvāṇi saṃtyajya prabhāse tu ratirmama

yastatra vasate devi saṃyatātmā samāhitaḥ //
trikālamapi bhuṃjāno vāyubhakṣasamo bhavet

vighnairāloḍyamāno'pi yaḥ prabhāsaṃ na muṃcati //
sa muṃcati jarāṃ mṛtyuṃ janmacakramaśāśvatam

janmāṃtaraśatairdevi yogo vā yadi labhyate //
mokṣasya ca sahasreṇa janmanāṃ labhyate na ca

prabhāse tu mahādevi ye sthitā kṛtaniścayāḥ //
ekena janmanā teṣāṃ mokṣo naivātra saṃśayaḥ

prabhāse tu sthitā ye vai brāhmaṇāḥ saṃśitavratāḥ //
mṛtyuṃjayena saṃyuktaṃ japaṃti śatarudriyam

kālāgnirudrasāṃnidhye dakṣiṇāṃ diśamāśritāḥ //
jñānaṃ cotpadyate tatra ṣaṇmāsābhyaṃtareṇa tu

śivastu procyate vedo nāmaparyāyavācakaiḥ //
tasya cātmasvarūpaṃ tu śatarudraṃ prakīrtitam

kalpeṣu vedāśca punaḥpunarāvartakāḥ smṛtāḥ //
maṃtrāścaiva tathā devi muktvā tu śatarudriyam

īḍyaṃ caiva tu maṃtreṇa māmeva hi yajaṃti ye //
prabhāsakṣetramāsādya te muktā nātra saṃśayaḥ

samaṃtro'maṃtrako vāpi yastatra vasate naraḥ //
so'pi yāṃ gatimāpnoti yajñairdānairna sādhyate

asmikṣetre svayaṃbhūśca sthitaḥ sākṣānmaheśvaraḥ //
rudrāṇāṃ koṭayaścaiva prabhāse saṃvyavasthitāḥ

dhyāyamānāstathoṃkāraṃ sthitāḥ someśadakṣiṇe

brahmāṃḍodaramadhye tu yāni tīrthāni suvrate //
someśvaraṃ gamiṣyaṃti vaiśākhasya caturdaśī

manobuddhirahaṃkāraḥ kāmakrodhau tathā'pare //
ete rakṣaṃti satataṃ someśaṃ pāpanāśanam

na sā gatiḥ kurukṣetre gaṃgādvāre tripuṣkare //
yā gatirvihitā puṃsāṃ prabhāsakṣetravāsinām

tiryagyonigatāḥ sattvā ye prabhāse kṛtālayāḥ //
kālena nidhanaṃ prāptāstepi yāṃti parāṃ gatim

tadguhyaṃ devadevasya tattīrthaṃ tattapovanam //
tatra brahmādayo devā nārāyaṇapurogamāḥ

yoginaśca tathā sāṃkhyā bhagavaṃtaṃ sanātanam //
upāsate prabhāsaṃ tu madbhaktā matparāyaṇāḥ

aṣṭau māsānvihāraḥ syādyatīnāṃ saṃyatātmanām //
eke ca caturo māsānaṣṭau vā niyataṃ vaset

prabhāse tu praviṣṭānāṃ vihārastu na vidyate //
atra yogaśca mokṣaśca prāpyate durlabho naraiḥ

tasmātprabhāsaṃ saṃtyajya nānyadgacchettapovanam //
prabhāsaṃ ye na sevaṃte mūḍhāste tamasā vṛtāḥ

viṇmūtraretasāṃ madhye saṃbhavaṃti punaḥpunaḥ //
kāmaḥ krodhastathā lobho daṃbhaḥ staṃbho'tha matsaraḥ //

nidrā taṃdrā tathā''lasyaṃ paiśunyamiti te daśa //
ete rakṣaṃti satataṃ someśaṃ tīrthanāyakam

na prabhāse mṛtaḥ kaścinnarakaṃ yāti kilbiṣī //
yāvajjīvaṃ naro yastu vasate kṛtaniścayaḥ

agnihotraiśca saṃnyāsairāśramaiśca supālitaiḥ //
tridaṃḍairekadaṃḍaiśca śaivaiḥ pāśupatairapi

etairanyaiśca yatibhiḥ prāpyate yatphalaṃ śubham //
tatsarvaṃ labhyate devi śrīsomeśvarayātrayā

eko hyarcayate liṃgaṃ tapasyati tathāparaḥ //
tayormadhye tu śreṣṭho yaḥ someśaṃ ca prapūjayet

/
yattadyoge ca sāṃkhye ca siddhāṃte paṃcarātrike //
anyaiśca śāstrairvijñeyaṃ prabhāse saṃvyavasthitam

liṃge caiva sthitaṃ sarvaṃ jagadetaccarācaram//
tasmālliṃge sadā devaḥ pūjanīyaḥ prayatnataḥ

mamaiva sā parā mūrtiḥ śrīsomeśākhyayā sthitā //
tena caiṣā tmanātmānamārādhanaparo hyaham

anekajanmasāhasrairbhramamāṇastu janmabhiḥ //
kastāṃ prāpnoti vai muktiṃ vinā someśapūjanāt

yatkiñcidaśubhaṃ karma kṛtaṃ mānuṣabuddhinā //
tatsarvaṃ vilayaṃ yāti śrīsomeśvarapūjanāt

anekajanmakoṭībhirjaṃtubhiryatkṛtaṃ hyagham //
tatsarvaṃ nāśamāyāti śrīsomeśvarapūjanāt

tīrthāni yāni loke'sminsevyaṃte pāpamokṣibhiḥ //
tāni sarvāṇi śuddhyarthaṃ prabhāse saṃviśaṃti hi

yo'sau kālāgnirudrastu procyate vedavādibhiḥ //
so'yaṃ bhairavanāmnā tu prabhāse saṃvyavasthitaḥ

janānāṃ duṣkṛtaṃ sarvaṃ kṣetramadhye vyavasthitaḥ //
bhairavaṃ rūpamāsthāya nāśayāmi sureśvari

jagatsarvaṃ caritvā tu sthito'haṃ sacarācaram //
tena bhairavanāmāhaṃ prabhāse saṃvyavasthitaḥ

agninā yatra taptaṃ tu divyābdānāṃ caturyugam //
meghavāhanakalpe tu tatra liṃgaṃ babhūva ha

agnimīḍeti vedoktaprabhāvaḥ surasuṃdari //
kālāgnirudranāmā ca devaiḥ sarvairudāhṛtam

agnīśāneti deveśi nāmatritayamucyate //
kalpekalpe tu nāmāni kathituṃ naiva śakyate //
asaṃkhyatvācca kalpānāṃ brahmaṇā ca varānane

evaṃ caiva rahasyaṃ ca mahāgopyaṃ varānane //
snehānmahatyā bhaktyā ca mayā te parikīrtitam

ekatastu jagatsarvaṃ karma kāṃḍe pratiṣṭhitam //
yajñadānatapohomaiḥ svādhyāyaiḥ pitṛtarpaṇaiḥ

upavāsairvrataiḥ kṛtsnaiścāṃdrāyaṇaśataistathā //
ṣaḍrātraiśca trirātraiśca tīrthādigamanaiḥ paraiḥ

āśramairvividhākārairyatibhirbrahmacāribhiḥ //
vānaprasthairgṛhasthaiśca vedakarmaparāyaṇaiḥ

anyaiśca vividhākārairlokamārgasthitaiḥ śubhaiḥ //
na tatpadaṃ paraṃ devi śakyaṃ vīkṣayituṃ kvacit

yāvanna cārcayeddevi someśaṃ liṃganāyakam //
līlayā vāpi tairdraṣṭuṃ tatpadaṃ durlabhaṃ param

pūjito yairjagannāthaḥ someśaḥ kila bhairavaḥ //
tiryagyonigatā ye tu paśupakṣipipīlikāḥ

antarjjalagatā ye tu kṛmikīṭapataṃgakāḥ //
sthāvarā jaṃgamāścānye manuṣyāḥ paśavaḥ striyaḥ // ८! //
bālā vṛddhāstathā ṣaṇḍhāḥ śvānagarddabhavāyasāḥ //
caṃḍālāḥ puṣkasāḥ śūdrā mlecchā ye'nye viyonijāḥ

mūrkhāstu paṇḍitāścāpi ye cānye kutsitā bhuvi //
te sarve muktimāyāṃti prabhāse ye mṛtāḥ śubhe

kālānalasya rudrasya kālarājena cāgninā //
dagdhāste jantavaḥ sarve prabhāse ye mṛtāḥ śubhe

durllabhaṃ tu mama kṣetraṃ prabhāsaṃ devi pāpinām //
na tatra labhate mṛtyuṃ pāpātmā lokavaṃdite

mayā dakṣiṇabhāge ca vighneśaḥ saṃpratiṣṭhitaḥ //
uttare daṇḍapāṇistu kṣetrametacca rakṣati

tathānye gaṇapāḥ sarve madājñāvaśavartinaḥ //
kṣetraṃ rakṣaṃti deveśi teṣāṃ nāmāni me śṛṇu

mahābalastu caṇḍīśo ghaṃṭākarṇastu gomukhaḥ //
vināyako mahānādaḥ kākavaktraḥ śubhekṣaṇaḥ //
ekākṣo dundubhiścaṃḍastālajaṃghastathaiva ca

bhūmidaṃḍaśca caṃḍaśca śaṃkukarṇaśca vaidhṛtiḥ //
tālacaṇḍo mahātejā vikaṭāsyo hayānanaḥ

hastivaktraḥ śvānavaktro biḍālavadanastathā //
siṃhavyāghramukhāścānye vīrabhadrādayastathā

vināyakaṃ puraskṛtya deva devaṃ kaparddinam //
ekādaśa tathā koṭyo niyutāni trayodaśa

arbudaṃ ca gaṇānāṃ ca prabhāsaṃ kṣetramāśritāḥ //
dvāridvāri pracaṃḍāste śūlamudgarapāṇayaḥ

prabhāsakṣetraṃ rakṣaṃti devadevasya vai gṛham //
na kaścidduṣṭabuddhyā tu praviśediti saṃsthitiḥ

śatakoṭigaṇaiścāpi pūrvadvāri tu saṃvṛtaḥ //
aṭṭahāso gaṇo nāma prabhāsaṃ tatra rakṣati

kālākṣo bhīṣaṇaścaṃḍo vṛto'ṣṭādaśakoṭibhiḥ //
ghaṃṭākarṇagaṇo nāma dakṣiṇaṃ dvāramāśritaḥ

paścimadvāramāśritya sthitavānviṣṭaro gaṇaḥ //
daṇḍapāṇiḥ sthitastatra devadevasya cottare

yogakṣemaṃ vahannityaṃ prabhāse bhāvitātmanām//
bhīṣaṇākṣastathaiśānyāmāgneyyāṃ chāgavaktrakaḥ

nairṛtyāṃ caṃḍanādastu vāyavyāṃ bhairavānanaḥ //
nandī caiva mahākālo daṇḍapāṇirvināyakaḥ //

eteṅgarakṣakā madhye śatakoṭigaṇairvṛtāḥ //
evaṃ rakṣaṃti bahavo hyasaṃkhyeyā gaṇeśvarāḥ

kalikalmaṣasaṃbhūtyā yeṣāṃ copahatā matiḥ //
na teṣāṃ tadbhavedgamyaṃ sthānamardhendumaulinaḥ

gaṃdharvaiḥ kinnarairyakṣairapsarobhistathoragaiḥ //
siddhaiḥ saṃpūjya deveśaṃ someśaṃ pāpanāśanam

antardhānaṃ gatairnityaṃ prabhāsaṃ tu niṣevyate //
saptalokeṣu ye santi siddhāḥ pātālavāsinaḥ //
pradakṣiṇaṃ te kurvaṃti someśaṃ kālabhairavam

/
pṛthivyāṃ yāni tīrthāni puṇyānyāyatanāni ca //
lākuliṃ bhārabhūtiṃ ca āṣāḍhiṃ daṇḍameva ca

puṣkaraṃ naimiṣaṃ caiva amareśaṃ tathāparam ///
bhairavaṃ madhyamaṃ kālaṃ kedāraṃ kaṇavīrakam

haricaṃdrastu śaileśastathā vastrāṃtikeśvaraḥ //
aṭṭahāsaṃ mahendraṃ ca śrīśailaṃ ca gayā tathā

etāni sarvatīrthāni devaṃ someśvaraṃ prabhum //
pradakṣiṇaṃ prakurvaṃti tatra liṃgaṃ stuvaṃti ca

brahmā janārdanaścānye ye devā jagati sthitāḥ //
agniliṃgasamīpasthāḥ saṃdhyākāle stuvaṃti ca

ṣaṣṭikoṭisahasrāṇi ṣaṣṭikoṭiśatāni ca //
sarve someśvaraṃ yāṃti māghakṛṣṇacaturddaśīm ///

tasminkāle ca yo dadyātsomeśe ghṛtakambalam

ghṛtaṃ rasaṃ tilāndugdhaṃ jalaṃ caṃdrādhivāsitam //
ekatra kṛtvā kāśmīramityetadghṛtakaṃbalam

/
śivarātryāṃ tu karttavyametadgopyaṃ mama priyam //
evaṃ kṛte ca yatpuṇyaṃ gadituṃ tanna śakyate

tatra dakṣiṇabhāge tu svayaṃ bhūtavināyakam //
prathamaṃ pūjayeddevi yadīcchetsiddhimātmanaḥ

ūṣarāṇāṃ ca sarveṣāṃ prabhāsakṣetramūṣaram //
pīṭhānāṃ caiva pīṭhaṃ ca kṣetrāṇāṃ kṣetramuttamam //
sandehānāṃ ca sarveṣāmayaṃ saṃdeha uttamaḥ

ye kecidyoginaḥ saṃti śatakoṭipravistarāḥ //
teṣāṃ kṣetre prabhāse tu ratirnnānyatra kutracit ///

liṃgādīśānabhāge tu saṃsthitā surasundari

mayā yā kathitā tubhyamumā nāma kalā śubhā //
sā satī procyate devi dakṣasya duhitā purā

dakṣakopāccharīraṃ tu saṃtyajya paramā kalā //
himavaṃtagṛhe jātā umānāmnā ca viśrutā

tena devi tvayā sārddhaṃ tatrasthā varadāḥ smṛtāḥ //
navakoṭyastu cāmuṃḍāstasminkṣetre sthitāḥ svayam

caitre māsi sitāṣṭamyāṃ tatra tvāṃ yadi pūjayet //
eka viṃśatijanmāni dāridryaṃ tasya no bhavet

amā somena saṃyuktā kadācidyadi labhyate //
tasyāṃ someśvaraṃ dṛṣṭvā koṭiyajñaphalaṃ labhet //

etatkṣetraṃ mahāguhyaṃ sarvapātakanāśanam//
rudrāṇāṃ koṭayo yatra ekādaśa samāsate

dvādaśātra dineśānāṃ vasavo'ṣṭau samāgatāḥ //
gandharvayakṣarakṣāṃsi asaṃkhyātā gaṇeśvarāḥ

umāpi tatra pārśvasthā sarvadevaistu saṃstutā //
nandī ca gaṇanātho yo devadevasya śūlinaḥ

mahākālasya ye cānye gaṇapāḥ saṃti pārśvagāḥ //
gaṃgā ca yamunā caiva tathā devī sarasvatī

anyāśca saritaḥ puṇyā nadāścaiva hradāstathā //
samudrāḥ parvatāḥ kūpā vanaspataya eva ca

sthāvaraṃ jaṃgamaṃ caiva prabhāse tu samāgatam //
anye caiva gaṇāstatra prabhāse saṃvyavasthitāḥ //

na mayā kathitāḥ sarva uddeśena kvacitkvacit //
bhaktyā paramayā yukto devadevi vināyakam //
tṛtīyaṃ pūjayettatra vāṃchetkṣetraphalaṃ yadi

dvādaśaivaṃ tathā cāṣṭau catvāriṃśacca koṭayaḥ //
nadīnāmagnitīrthasya dvāre tiṣṭhaṃti bhāmini

nirmālyalaṃghanaṃ kiṃcidajñātādyadi vai kṛtam //
tatsarvaṃ vilayaṃ yāti agnitīrthasya darśanāt

devi kiṃ bahunoktena kṣetrametanmahāprabham //
na te varṇayituṃ śakyaṃ kalpakoṭiśatairapi

/
ye cāṃtarikṣe bhuvi ye ca devāstīrthāni vai yāni digaṃtareṣu //
kṣetraṃ prabhāsaṃ pravaraṃ hi teṣāṃ someśvaraṃ devi tathā variṣṭham

ye cāṃḍajāścodbhijāścaiva jīvāḥ sasvedajāścaiva jarāyujāśca //
devi prabhāse tu gatāsavo'tha muktiṃ paraṃ yāṃti na saṃśayo'tra

iti nigaditametaddevadevasya citraṃ caritamidamaciṃtyaṃ devi te śaṃkarasya //
kalikaluṣavidāraṃ sarvaloko'pi yāyādyadi paṭhati śṛṇoti stauti nityaṃ ya ittham

iti śrīskāṃde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ saptame prabhāsakhaṃḍe prathame prabhāsakṣetramāhātmye kṣetrapramāṇavarṇanaṃ nāma caturtho'dhyāyaḥ