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Mārgaśīrṣa-māhātmya · Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Unit 134 of 221Mārgaśīrṣa-māhātmya · Chapter 1Mārgaśīrṣa-māhātmya · Chapter 11 source entries

Mārgaśīrṣa-māhātmya · Chapter 1

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।। सूत उवाच ।। ।। देवकीनन्दनं कृष्णं जगदानन्दकारकम् ।। भु्क्तिमुक्तिप्रदं वन्दे माधवं भक्तवत्सलम् ।। १ ।। श्वेतद्वीपे सुखासीनं देवदेवं रमापतिम् ।। चतुर्वक्त्रो नमस्कृत्य पप्रच्छ पितरं तदा ।। २ ।। ।। ब्रह्मोवाच ।। ।। हृषीकेश जगद्धातः पुण्यश्रवणकीर्तन ।। पृष्टं यद्ब्रूहि देवेश सर्वज्ञ सकलेश्वर ।। ३ ।। मासानां मार्गशीर्षोऽहमित्युक्तं भवता पुरा ।। तस्य मासस्य माहात्म्यं ज्ञातुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः ।। ४ ।। को देवस्तस्य किं दानं कथं स्नानं विधिश्च कः ।। पुरुषैस्तत्र किं कार्यं भोक्तव्यं किं रमापते ।। ५ ।। वक्तव्यं किं तथा पूजाध्यानमंत्रादिकं च यत् ।। तत्र यत्क्रियते कर्म तत्सर्वं ब्रूहि मेऽच्युत ।। ६ ।। ।। श्रीभगवानुवाच ।। ।। साधु पृष्टं त्वया ब्रह्मन्सर्वलोकोपकारिणा ।। यस्मिन्कृते कृतं सर्वमिष्टापूर्तादिकं भवेत ।। ७ ।। सर्वयज्ञेषु यत्पुण्यं सर्वतीर्थेषु यत्फलम् ।। तत्फलं समवाप्नोति मार्गशीर्षे कृते सुत ।। ८ ।। तुलापुरुषदानाद्यैर्यत्फलं लभते नरः ।। तत्फलं प्राप्यते पुत्र माहात्म्यश्रवणात्किल ।। ९ ।। यज्ञाध्ययनदानाद्यैः सर्वतीर्थावगाहनैः ।। संन्यासेन च योगेन नाऽहं वश्योऽभवं नृणाम् ।। 2.5.1.१० ।। स्नानेन दानेन च पूजनेन ध्यानेन मौनेन जपादिभिश्च ।। वश्यो यथा मार्गशिरे च मासि तथा न चान्येषु च गुह्यमुक्तम् ।। ११ ।। अन्यैर्धर्मादिभिः कृत्वा गोपितं मार्गशीर्षकम् ।। मत्प्राप्तेः कारणं मत्वा देवैः स्वर्गनिवासिभिः ।। १२ ।। ये केचित्पुण्यकर्माणो मम भक्तिपरायणाः ।। तेषामवश्यं कर्तव्यो मार्गशीर्षो मदापनः ।। १३ ।। मार्गशीर्षं न कुर्वंति ये नरा भारताऽजिरे ।। पापरूपाश्च ते ज्ञेयाः कलिकालविमोहिताः ।। १४ ।। अष्टस्वपि च मासेषु यत्फलं लभते नरः ।। तत्फलं प्राप्यते वत्स माघे मकरगे रवौ ।। १५ ।। माघाच्छतगुणं पुण्यं वैशाखे मासि लभ्यते ।। तस्मात्सहस्रगुणितं तुलासंस्थे दिवाकरे ।। १६ ।। तस्मात्कोटिगुणं पुण्यं वृश्चिकस्थे दिवाकरे ।। मार्गशीर्षोऽधिकस्तस्मात्सर्वदा च मम प्रियः ।। १७ ।। उषस्युत्थाय यो मर्त्यः स्नानं विधिवदाचरेत् ।। तुष्टोऽहं तस्य यच्छामि स्वात्मानमपि पुत्रक ।। १८ ।। अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीदं शृणु पुत्र कथानकम् ।। नन्दगोपो महात्मा वै ख्यातो यो भूतलेऽभवत् ।। १९।। तस्य वै गोकुले रम्ये गोपकन्याः सहस्रशः ।। तासां चित्तं च मद्रूपे लग्नमासीत्पुराऽनघ ।। 2.5.1.२० ।। तासां बुद्धिर्मया दत्ता मागशीर्षाऽवगाहने ।। ततस्ताभिः कृतं स्नानं प्रातःकाले यथाविधि ।। २१ ।। पूजा कृता हविष्यान्नं भुक्तं ताभिः कृता नतिः ।। एवं कृतेन विधिना प्रसन्नोऽहं ततोऽनघ ।। २२ ।। वरो दत्तो मयाऽऽत्मा हि तासां तुष्टेन वै किल ।। तस्मान्नरैस्तु कर्तव्यो मार्गशीर्षो यथाविधि ।। २३ ।। इति श्रीस्कान्दे महापुराण एकाशीति साहस्र्यां संहितायां द्वितीये वैष्णवखण्डे ब्रह्मविष्णुसंवादे मार्गशीर्षमाहात्म्ये गोपीकृतमार्गशीर्षस्नानफलकथनंनाम प्रथमोऽध्यायः ।।।। १ ।।

|| sūta uvāca || || devakīnandanaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ jagadānandakārakam || bhuktimuktipradaṃ vande mādhavaṃ bhaktavatsalam || 1 || śvetadvīpe sukhāsīnaṃ devadevaṃ ramāpatim || caturvaktro namaskṛtya papraccha pitaraṃ tadā || 2 || || brahmovāca || || hṛṣīkeśa jagaddhātaḥ puṇyaśravaṇakīrtana || pṛṣṭaṃ yadbrūhi deveśa sarvajña sakaleśvara || 3 || māsānāṃ mārgaśīrṣo'hamityuktaṃ bhavatā purā || tasya māsasya māhātmyaṃ jñātumicchāmi tattvataḥ || 4 || ko devastasya kiṃ dānaṃ kathaṃ snānaṃ vidhiśca kaḥ || puruṣaistatra kiṃ kāryaṃ bhoktavyaṃ kiṃ ramāpate || 5 || vaktavyaṃ kiṃ tathā pūjādhyānamaṃtrādikaṃ ca yat || tatra yatkriyate karma tatsarvaṃ brūhi me'cyuta || 6 || || śrībhagavānuvāca || || sādhu pṛṣṭaṃ tvayā brahmansarvalokopakāriṇā || yasminkṛte kṛtaṃ sarvamiṣṭāpūrtādikaṃ bhaveta || 7 || sarvayajñeṣu yatpuṇyaṃ sarvatīrtheṣu yatphalam || tatphalaṃ samavāpnoti mārgaśīrṣe kṛte suta || 8 || tulāpuruṣadānādyairyatphalaṃ labhate naraḥ || tatphalaṃ prāpyate putra māhātmyaśravaṇātkila || 9 || yajñādhyayanadānādyaiḥ sarvatīrthāvagāhanaiḥ || saṃnyāsena ca yogena nā'haṃ vaśyo'bhavaṃ nṛṇām || 2.5.1.10 || snānena dānena ca pūjanena dhyānena maunena japādibhiśca || vaśyo yathā mārgaśire ca māsi tathā na cānyeṣu ca guhyamuktam || 11 || anyairdharmādibhiḥ kṛtvā gopitaṃ mārgaśīrṣakam || matprāpteḥ kāraṇaṃ matvā devaiḥ svarganivāsibhiḥ || 12 || ye kecitpuṇyakarmāṇo mama bhaktiparāyaṇāḥ || teṣāmavaśyaṃ kartavyo mārgaśīrṣo madāpanaḥ || 13 || mārgaśīrṣaṃ na kurvaṃti ye narā bhāratā'jire || pāparūpāśca te jñeyāḥ kalikālavimohitāḥ || 14 || aṣṭasvapi ca māseṣu yatphalaṃ labhate naraḥ || tatphalaṃ prāpyate vatsa māghe makarage ravau || 15 || māghācchataguṇaṃ puṇyaṃ vaiśākhe māsi labhyate || tasmātsahasraguṇitaṃ tulāsaṃsthe divākare || 16 || tasmātkoṭiguṇaṃ puṇyaṃ vṛścikasthe divākare || mārgaśīrṣo'dhikastasmātsarvadā ca mama priyaḥ || 17 || uṣasyutthāya yo martyaḥ snānaṃ vidhivadācaret || tuṣṭo'haṃ tasya yacchāmi svātmānamapi putraka || 18 || atrāpyudāharantīdaṃ śṛṇu putra kathānakam || nandagopo mahātmā vai khyāto yo bhūtale'bhavat || 19|| tasya vai gokule ramye gopakanyāḥ sahasraśaḥ || tāsāṃ cittaṃ ca madrūpe lagnamāsītpurā'nagha || 2.5.1.20 || tāsāṃ buddhirmayā dattā māgaśīrṣā'vagāhane || tatastābhiḥ kṛtaṃ snānaṃ prātaḥkāle yathāvidhi || 21 || pūjā kṛtā haviṣyānnaṃ bhuktaṃ tābhiḥ kṛtā natiḥ || evaṃ kṛtena vidhinā prasanno'haṃ tato'nagha || 22 || varo datto mayā''tmā hi tāsāṃ tuṣṭena vai kila || tasmānnaraistu kartavyo mārgaśīrṣo yathāvidhi || 23 || iti śrīskānde mahāpurāṇa ekāśīti sāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ dvitīye vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍe brahmaviṣṇusaṃvāde mārgaśīrṣamāhātmye gopīkṛtamārgaśīrṣasnānaphalakathanaṃnāma prathamo'dhyāyaḥ |||| 1 ||

English translation

Summary: Fruit of the Holy Bath in the Month of Mārgaśīrṣa (Obtained by Gopīs ).

Obeisance to Śrī Gaṇeśa

Here begins (the narration of) the greatness of the month of Mārgaśīrṣa.

Sūta said :

1. I salute Mādhava , Kṛṣṇa , who is the son of Devakī , the cause of delight to all the worlds, and the bestower of worldly pleasures and salvation and who is fond of his devotees.

2. After bowing down to his progenitor ( Viṣṇu ), the consort of Ramā , the Lord of Devas , who was comfortably seated in Śvetadvīpa , [1] the Four-faced Lord (god Brahmā ) asked him thus:

Brahmā said :

3. O Hṛṣīkeśa , the creator of the universe, O Lord of Devas, listening to whose glorification is meritorious, O omniscient lord of all, tell me what is being asked (presently).

4. Formerly this was declared by you: “Among the months, I am Mārgaśīrṣa.” I wish to know succinctly the greatness of that month.

5-6. Who is the Lord (Presiding Deity) of that month? What is to be given as gift? How is the holy bath to be performed? What is its procedure? What should be done by men on that occasion? O Lord of Ramā, what should be eaten? What should be spoken? What are the rites to be performed by way of worship, meditation, Mantras etc? Speak everything to me, O Acyuta .

Śrī Bhagavān said :

7-8. Well-asked by you, O Brahmā, the benefactor of all the worlds. When the holy rite of Mārgaśīrṣa is performed every other rite (may be deemed as) performed including Iṣṭāpūrta etc. (i.e. sacrifices, works of public utility like building of rest houses, digging of wells and tanks ). O son, if any holy rite is performed in Mārgaśīrṣa, one gets that merit which is obtained by ablutions in all the Tīrthas , and by performance of all Yajñas .

9. By listening to the greatness (of Mārgaśīrṣa), O son, that benefit is obtained which a man obtains by the gift of Tulāpuruṣa [2] etc.

10-11. I have never been won over by men by means of Yajñas, study of the Vedas , charitable gifts etc., by taking bath into all the Tīrthas, by renunciation or by means of Yoga (practice). In other months I am not as easily won over as in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa by holy bath, charitable gifts, worship, meditation, vow of silence, Japa and other things. (Hereby) a secret has been revealed.

12. Thinking that it is the means of attaining me, Devas have created other Dharmas etc. and thus (the efficacy of) Mārgaśīrṣaka has been rendered a well-guarded secret by Devas, the residents of heaven.

13. Mārgaśīrṣa is the month that is conducive to attain me. Holy rites should necessarily be performed in it by those people of meritorious deeds who are devoted to me.

14. Those men in the region (land) of Bhārata who do not perform holy rites in Mārgaśīrṣa should be known as sinners. They are deluded by Kali Age.

15. O dear one, in the month of Māgha , when the Sun is in Capricorn, one gets that benefit which a man obtains in the eight months.

16. In the month of Vaiśākha hundred times the merit of Māgha is obtained. Thousand times that merit is obtained when the Sun is in Libra.

17. A crore times that merit is obtained when the Sun is in Scorpio. Hence Mārgaśīrṣa is superior (to all). So I always love it.

18. If a man gets up early in the morning and duly performs the holy bath according to injunctions, O my son, I am delighted with him and I give him even my own self.

19. In this regard, they cite the following anecdote. Listen to it, O son. Nanda , [3] the cowherd, was a noble soul who became very famous on the earth.

20. In his colony named Gokula there were thousands of cowherd lasses. O sinless one, their mind became attached to my form formerly.

21. I gave them the idea of taking holy bath in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa. Thereupon, holy bath was duly undertaken by them in the morning.

22. Worship was performed. Haviṣya [4] rice was consumed by them and they bowed down. When this procedure was followed I became delighted.

23. Verily a boon was granted to them by me as I was delighted. My own self was granted to them by me. Hence (the rites in) Mārgaśīrṣa should be performed by men in accordance with the injunctions.

[1]: [1] : Śvetadvīpa : A mythical island in the Milky Ocean to the north of the world. It is the resting place of Mahā-Viṣṇu. (Mbh, Śānti 335.8-12, 336. 27-59).

[2]: [2] : Tulāpuruṣa : Weighing of a person (donor) against gold or precious metals etc. and distributing them to Brāhmaṇas as Dāna . For the procedure see MtP, Ch. 274.

[3]: [3] : The cowherd chief who protected Kṛṣṇa in his childhood. Kṛṣṇa’s childhood sports and pranks described in BhP X, Part i, took place at Nanda’s pḷace.

[4]: [4] : Haviṣya : Worthy of being oblated in a sacrifice ten materials such as rice, clarified butter etc. are enlisted as such (vide HD 11,1, p. 681).

Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 23016, revision 329313 (2022-01-02T01:04:36Z). English is G. V. Tagare’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-skanda-purana/d/doc371680.html and the archival publication witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.