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Mārgaśīrṣa-māhātmya · Chapter 5

Chapter 5

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Mārgaśīrṣa-māhātmya · Chapter 5

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।। ब्रह्मोवाच ।। ।। पंचामृतस्य स्नपनाद्यत्फलं लभते हरेः।। शंखोदकेन यत्किंचित्तन्मे ब्रूह्यजिताऽच्युत ।।१।। ।। ।। श्रीभगवानुवाच।। ।। क्षीरस्नानं प्रकुर्वंति ये नरा मम मूर्द्धनि।। शताश्वमेधजं पुण्यं बिंदुना बिंदुना स्मृतम्।।२।। क्षीराद्दशगुणं दध्ना घृतेनैव दशोत्तरम्।। मधुना तद्दशगुणं सितया तु ततोऽधिकम् ।। गंधपुष्पोदके मंत्रं सर्वोत्कृष्टं प्रशस्यते ।।३।। द्वादश्यां पंचदश्यां वा गव्येन पयसा मम ।। स्नापनं देवशार्दूल महापातकनाशनम्।। ४ ।। दध्यादीनां विकाराणां क्षीरतः संभवो यथा ।। तथैव शेषकामानां क्षीरस्नपनतो मम ।। ५ ।। क्षीरस्नानेन सौभाग्यं दध्ना मिष्टान्नभोजनम्।। घृतेन स्नापयेद्यो मां नरो मम पुरं व्रजेत् ।। ६ ।। मधुना सितया यस्तु कारयेन्मार्गशीर्षके ।। स राजा जायते लोके पुनः स्वर्गादिहागतः ।।७।। गजाश्वरथसंपूर्णं स राज्यं लभते भुवि ।। कारयेन्मार्गशीर्षे वै यः क्षीरस्नापनं मम ।। ८ ।। स्वर्गे लोके स जयति चंद्रेंद्ररुद्रमारुतान् ।। क्षीरस्नानं परं श्रेष्ठं मार्गशीर्षे च पुत्रक ।। ९ ।। क्षीरस्नपनमाहात्म्यं वर्चस्कं पुष्टिवर्धनम् ।। दौर्भाग्यं विलयं याति क्षीरस्नानेन मे सुत ।। 2.5.5.१० ।। स्नापयेन्मार्गशीर्षे मां यो वै पंचाऽमृतेन तु ।। स न शोच्यो भवेज्जंतुर्बंधुना भुवि मानद ।। ११ ।। कपिलाक्षीरमादाय यः स्नापयति मां सुत ।। कपिलाशतदानस्य फलं प्राप्नोति मानवः ।। १२ ।। शंखे तीर्थोदकं कृत्वा यः स्नापयति देशिकः ।। बिंदुनाऽपि सहोमासे स्वकुलं तारयेद्धि सः ।।१३।। कापिलं क्षीरमादाय शंखे कृत्वा च मानवः ।। यः स्नापयति मां भक्त्या सर्वतीर्थफलं लभेत् ।।१४।। शंखे कृत्वा तु पानीयं साक्षतं कुशसंयुतम् ।। यः स्नापयेत्सहोमासे सर्वतीर्थफलं लभेत् ।। १५ ।। शंखाष्टकेन यः स्नानं कारयेन्मार्गशीर्षके ।। भक्त्या भगवतः श्रेष्ठो मम लोके महीयते ।। १६ ।। शंखषोडशकेनाथ यः स्नापयति मे सुत ।। स पापमुक्तः सुचिरं स्वर्गलोके महीयते ।। १७ ।। चतुर्विंशतिसंख्याकैः शंखैर्यः स्नापयेच्च माम् ।। इंद्रलोके चिरं स्थित्वा स राजा भुवि जायते ।। १८ ।। शंखाऽष्टोत्तरशतेनैव स्नापयेन्मार्गशीर्षके ।। शंखेशंखे सुवर्णस्य फलं प्राप्नोति मानवः ।। १९ ।। मार्गशीर्षे भक्तिमान्यः कृत्वा शंखध्वनिं हि माम् ।। स्नापयेत्पितरस्तस्य स्वर्गं तावत्प्रतिष्ठिताः ।। 2.5.5.२० ।। अष्टोत्तरसहस्रं तु शंख स्नानं तु यश्चरेत् ।। स गणो मुक्तिमाप्नोति यावदाभूतसंप्लवम् ।। २१ ।। नित्यं संस्नापयेद्यो मां शंखेन सुरसत्तम ।। गंगास्नानफलं प्राप्य नित्यं नंदति देववत् ।। २२ ।। शंखेतोयं समादाय यः स्नापयति मां सुत ।। नमो नारायणेत्युक्त्वा मुच्यते सर्वकिल्बिषैः ।। २३ ।। कृत्वा पादोदकं शंखे वैष्णवानां महात्मनाम् ।। यो ददाति तिलोन्मिश्रं चांद्रायणफलं लभेत् ।। २४ ।। नाद्यं तडागजं वाऽपि वापीकूपादिकं च यत् ।। गांगेयं जायते सर्वं जलं शंखकृतं च यत् ।।२५।। गृहीत्वा मम पादांबु शंखे कृत्वा तु वैष्णवः ।। यो वहेच्छिरसा नित्यं स मुनिस्तपतां वरः ।।२६।। त्रैलोक्ये यानि तीर्थानि मम चैवाज्ञया सुत ।। शंखे तानि वसंतीह तस्माच्छंखो वरः स्मृतः ।। २७ ।। सांबुं शंखं करे धृत्वा मंत्रैरेतैस्तु वैष्णवः ।। यः स्नापयेन्मार्गशीर्षे तुष्टस्तस्य भवाम्यहम् ।। २८ ।। शंखादौ चंद्रदैवत्यं कुक्षौ वरुणदेवता ।। पृष्ठे प्रजापतिश्चैव अग्रे गंगा सरस्वती ।। २९ ।। तेषामुच्चारपूर्वं तु स्नापयेन्मामतंद्रितः ।। तस्य पुण्यस्य संख्यां वै कर्तुं नैव सुराः क्षमाः।। 2.5.5.३० ।। पुरतो मम देवेश सपुष्पः सजलाक्षतः।। शंखस्त्वभ्यर्चितस्तिष्ठेत्तस्य श्रीः सर्वतोमुखी ।। ३१ ।। विलेपनेन संपूर्णं शंखं कृत्वा तु मां भजेत् ।। तदा मे परमा प्रीतिर्भवेद्वै शतवार्षिकी ।। ३२ ।। शंखे कृत्वा तु पानीयं सपुष्पं सजलाक्षतम् ।। अर्घ्यं ददाति यो मां वै तस्य पुण्यमनंतकम् ।। ३३ ।। अर्घ्यं कृत्वा स्वयं शंखे यः करोति प्रदक्षिणाम् ।। प्रदक्षिणीकृता तेन सप्तद्वीपा वसुंधरा ।। ३४ ।। भ्रामयित्वा च मे मूर्ध्नि मंदिरं शंखवारिणा ।। प्रोक्षयेद्वैष्णवो यस्तु नाशुभं तद्ग्रहे भवेत् ।। ३५ ।। नाधयो न क्लमस्तस्य नारकं न भयं क्वचित् ।। यस्य पादोदकं शंखे कृतं मूर्धानमालभेत् ।। ३६ ।। ग्रहा रक्षांसि कूष्मांडपिशाचोरगदानवाः ।। दृष्ट्वा शंखोदकं मूर्ध्नि विद्रवंति दिशो दश ।। ३७ ।। वादित्रनिनदैरुच्चैर्गीतमंगलनिःस्वनैः ।। यः स्नापयति मां भक्त्या जीवन्मुक्तो भवेद्धि सः ।। ३८ ।। इति श्रीस्कांदे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां सहितायां द्वितीये वैष्णवखण्डे ब्रह्मविष्णुसंवादे मार्गशीर्षमाहात्म्ये शंखपूजनफलकथनंनाम पंचमोऽध्यायः ।। ५ ।।

|| brahmovāca || || paṃcāmṛtasya snapanādyatphalaṃ labhate hareḥ|| śaṃkhodakena yatkiṃcittanme brūhyajitā'cyuta ||1|| || || śrībhagavānuvāca|| || kṣīrasnānaṃ prakurvaṃti ye narā mama mūrddhani|| śatāśvamedhajaṃ puṇyaṃ biṃdunā biṃdunā smṛtam||2|| kṣīrāddaśaguṇaṃ dadhnā ghṛtenaiva daśottaram|| madhunā taddaśaguṇaṃ sitayā tu tato'dhikam || gaṃdhapuṣpodake maṃtraṃ sarvotkṛṣṭaṃ praśasyate ||3|| dvādaśyāṃ paṃcadaśyāṃ vā gavyena payasā mama || snāpanaṃ devaśārdūla mahāpātakanāśanam|| 4 || dadhyādīnāṃ vikārāṇāṃ kṣīrataḥ saṃbhavo yathā || tathaiva śeṣakāmānāṃ kṣīrasnapanato mama || 5 || kṣīrasnānena saubhāgyaṃ dadhnā miṣṭānnabhojanam|| ghṛtena snāpayedyo māṃ naro mama puraṃ vrajet || 6 || madhunā sitayā yastu kārayenmārgaśīrṣake || sa rājā jāyate loke punaḥ svargādihāgataḥ ||7|| gajāśvarathasaṃpūrṇaṃ sa rājyaṃ labhate bhuvi || kārayenmārgaśīrṣe vai yaḥ kṣīrasnāpanaṃ mama || 8 || svarge loke sa jayati caṃdreṃdrarudramārutān || kṣīrasnānaṃ paraṃ śreṣṭhaṃ mārgaśīrṣe ca putraka || 9 || kṣīrasnapanamāhātmyaṃ varcaskaṃ puṣṭivardhanam || daurbhāgyaṃ vilayaṃ yāti kṣīrasnānena me suta || 2.5.5.10 || snāpayenmārgaśīrṣe māṃ yo vai paṃcā'mṛtena tu || sa na śocyo bhavejjaṃturbaṃdhunā bhuvi mānada || 11 || kapilākṣīramādāya yaḥ snāpayati māṃ suta || kapilāśatadānasya phalaṃ prāpnoti mānavaḥ || 12 || śaṃkhe tīrthodakaṃ kṛtvā yaḥ snāpayati deśikaḥ || biṃdunā'pi sahomāse svakulaṃ tārayeddhi saḥ ||13|| kāpilaṃ kṣīramādāya śaṃkhe kṛtvā ca mānavaḥ || yaḥ snāpayati māṃ bhaktyā sarvatīrthaphalaṃ labhet ||14|| śaṃkhe kṛtvā tu pānīyaṃ sākṣataṃ kuśasaṃyutam || yaḥ snāpayetsahomāse sarvatīrthaphalaṃ labhet || 15 || śaṃkhāṣṭakena yaḥ snānaṃ kārayenmārgaśīrṣake || bhaktyā bhagavataḥ śreṣṭho mama loke mahīyate || 16 || śaṃkhaṣoḍaśakenātha yaḥ snāpayati me suta || sa pāpamuktaḥ suciraṃ svargaloke mahīyate || 17 || caturviṃśatisaṃkhyākaiḥ śaṃkhairyaḥ snāpayecca mām || iṃdraloke ciraṃ sthitvā sa rājā bhuvi jāyate || 18 || śaṃkhā'ṣṭottaraśatenaiva snāpayenmārgaśīrṣake || śaṃkheśaṃkhe suvarṇasya phalaṃ prāpnoti mānavaḥ || 19 || mārgaśīrṣe bhaktimānyaḥ kṛtvā śaṃkhadhvaniṃ hi mām || snāpayetpitarastasya svargaṃ tāvatpratiṣṭhitāḥ || 2.5.5.20 || aṣṭottarasahasraṃ tu śaṃkha snānaṃ tu yaścaret || sa gaṇo muktimāpnoti yāvadābhūtasaṃplavam || 21 || nityaṃ saṃsnāpayedyo māṃ śaṃkhena surasattama || gaṃgāsnānaphalaṃ prāpya nityaṃ naṃdati devavat || 22 || śaṃkhetoyaṃ samādāya yaḥ snāpayati māṃ suta || namo nārāyaṇetyuktvā mucyate sarvakilbiṣaiḥ || 23 || kṛtvā pādodakaṃ śaṃkhe vaiṣṇavānāṃ mahātmanām || yo dadāti tilonmiśraṃ cāṃdrāyaṇaphalaṃ labhet || 24 || nādyaṃ taḍāgajaṃ vā'pi vāpīkūpādikaṃ ca yat || gāṃgeyaṃ jāyate sarvaṃ jalaṃ śaṃkhakṛtaṃ ca yat ||25|| gṛhītvā mama pādāṃbu śaṃkhe kṛtvā tu vaiṣṇavaḥ || yo vahecchirasā nityaṃ sa munistapatāṃ varaḥ ||26|| trailokye yāni tīrthāni mama caivājñayā suta || śaṃkhe tāni vasaṃtīha tasmācchaṃkho varaḥ smṛtaḥ || 27 || sāṃbuṃ śaṃkhaṃ kare dhṛtvā maṃtrairetaistu vaiṣṇavaḥ || yaḥ snāpayenmārgaśīrṣe tuṣṭastasya bhavāmyaham || 28 || śaṃkhādau caṃdradaivatyaṃ kukṣau varuṇadevatā || pṛṣṭhe prajāpatiścaiva agre gaṃgā sarasvatī || 29 || teṣāmuccārapūrvaṃ tu snāpayenmāmataṃdritaḥ || tasya puṇyasya saṃkhyāṃ vai kartuṃ naiva surāḥ kṣamāḥ|| 2.5.5.30 || purato mama deveśa sapuṣpaḥ sajalākṣataḥ|| śaṃkhastvabhyarcitastiṣṭhettasya śrīḥ sarvatomukhī || 31 || vilepanena saṃpūrṇaṃ śaṃkhaṃ kṛtvā tu māṃ bhajet || tadā me paramā prītirbhavedvai śatavārṣikī || 32 || śaṃkhe kṛtvā tu pānīyaṃ sapuṣpaṃ sajalākṣatam || arghyaṃ dadāti yo māṃ vai tasya puṇyamanaṃtakam || 33 || arghyaṃ kṛtvā svayaṃ śaṃkhe yaḥ karoti pradakṣiṇām || pradakṣiṇīkṛtā tena saptadvīpā vasuṃdharā || 34 || bhrāmayitvā ca me mūrdhni maṃdiraṃ śaṃkhavāriṇā || prokṣayedvaiṣṇavo yastu nāśubhaṃ tadgrahe bhavet || 35 || nādhayo na klamastasya nārakaṃ na bhayaṃ kvacit || yasya pādodakaṃ śaṃkhe kṛtaṃ mūrdhānamālabhet || 36 || grahā rakṣāṃsi kūṣmāṃḍapiśācoragadānavāḥ || dṛṣṭvā śaṃkhodakaṃ mūrdhni vidravaṃti diśo daśa || 37 || vāditraninadairuccairgītamaṃgalaniḥsvanaiḥ || yaḥ snāpayati māṃ bhaktyā jīvanmukto bhaveddhi saḥ || 38 || iti śrīskāṃde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ sahitāyāṃ dvitīye vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍe brahmaviṣṇusaṃvāde mārgaśīrṣamāhātmye śaṃkhapūjanaphalakathanaṃnāma paṃcamo'dhyāyaḥ || 5 ||

English translation

Brahmā said :

1. O Acyuta , the unconquered one, tell me what fruit is obtained by bathing Hari with Pañcāmṛta and what by bathing with conch-water?

Śrī Bhagavān said :

2. If men bathe me by pouring milk over the head, it is declared that for every drop the merit is that of a hundred horse-sacrifices.

3. If the bathing is done with curds, the fruit is ten times that of the milk-bath; that with ghee has ten times this; that with honey has ten times this still. If the bathing is done with sugar [1] the fruit is still better. Water mixed with sweet-smelling flowers accompanied by Mantra recitation is praised as superior to all.

4. Bathing me with cow’s milk on the twelfth and fifteenth (lunar) days is destructive of great sins, O tiger among Devas .

5. Just as the products, curds etc., develop from milk, so also all the remaining desires (are realized) through bathing me with milk.

6. Good fortune and felicity are obtained by bathing me with milk; sweet food by means of curds. One who bathes me with ghee shall go to my region ( Vaikuṇṭha ).

7. He who bathes me with honey and sugar in the month of Mārgaśīrṣaka (goes to heaven and) coming back from heaven, he is born as a king in this world.

8. He who baṃes me in milk in the month of Mārgaśīrṣaka obtains on the earth a kingdom full of elephants, horses and chariots.

9. In the heavenly world, he conquers the Moon, Indra , Rudra and the Wind-god. O son, bathing (me) with milk in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa is most excellent.

10. The efficacy of bathing with milk gives splendour. It causes increase in nourishment. All ill-luck perishes by bathing me in milk, O my son.

11. He who bathes me in Pañcāmṛta in Mārgaśīrṣa never falls into a pitiable condition to be bewailed by kinsmen on the earth, O bestower of honour.

12. The man who takes the milk of a tawny-coloured cow and bathes me, obtains the fruit of the gift of a hundred tawny-coloured cows.

13. If a preceptor takes Tīrtha -water in a conch [2] and baṃes me in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa even with a drop of it, he will redeem his family.

14. The men who takes the milk of a tawny-coloured cow in a conch and baṃes me devoutly, obtains the fruit of (visiting) all the Tīrthas .

15. The man who takes water along with raw rice grains and Kuśa grass in a conch and baṃes me (with it) in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa, shall obtain the fruit of (visiting) all the Tīrthas.

16. He who devoutly bathes the Lord with eight conchfuls of water in Mārgaśīrṣa becomes an excellent man. He is honoured in my world.

17. He who bathes me with sixteen conchfuls of water, O my son, shall be liberated from sins. He is honoured in the heavenly world for a very long time.

He who bathes me with twenty-four conchfuls of water dwells in the world of Indra for a long time and is born on the earth as a king.

19. He who bathes me with one hundred and eight conchfuls of water in the month of Māṛgaśīrṣa attains the fruit in the form of (a) gold (coin?) for every conchful (of water).

20. If a devout man blows a conch and bathes me in Mārgaśīrṣa, his Pitṛs pass on towards heaven.

21. He who bathes me with a thousand and eight conchfuls of

water, shall become a Gaṇa (attendant) and attain salvation until all the living beings are annihilated.

22. O most excellent one among Suras , he who bathes me with conch everyday obtains the fruit of bathing in Gaṅga and is always joyful like Devas.

23. O son, he who takes water in a conch, utters “Obeisance to Nārāyaṇa ” and bathes me, is absolved of all sins.

24. He who takes the water with which my feet are washed, puts it in a conch and gives it to noble-souled Vaiṣṇavas after mixing it with gingelly seeds shall obtain the fruit of Cāndrāyaṇa .

25. Whether the water is taken from a river or a lake, or a well or a tank etc., if it is kept in a conch it becomes Gaṅgā water.

26. The Vaiṣṇava who takes my Pādāṃbu (water with which Viṣṇu ’s feet are washed) in a conch and carries it on his head always, is a sage and the most excellent one among those who blaze (i.e. perform penance).

21. At my behest, O son, all the Tīrthas in the three worlds reside within the conch. Hence Śaṅkha is remembered as the most excellent.

28. The Vaiṣṇava who holds a conch filled with water in his hand and bathes me repeating these Mantras in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa causes delight to me:

29. “In the first portion of the conch the Moon ( Candra ) is the deity. In the belly Varuṇa is the deity. On the back it is Prajāpati and at the tip Gaṅgā and Sarasvatī .”

30. Their names should be uttered and I must be bathed. Suras are not competent to reckon his merits.

31. In front of me, O Lord of Devas, let the conch [3] be worshipped along with flowers, water and raw rice-grains. Its splendour is unlimited and on all sides.

32. One should worship me after filling a conch fully with unguents. Thereby my pleasure becomes very great extending to a hundred years.

33. If one takes drinking water in a conch with flowers, water and raw rice-grains and offers me Arghya , his merit is infinite.

34. If a man circumambulates taking Arghya a conch himself, it is as good as though the earth consisting of the seven continents is circumambulated.

35. If a man whirls the conch (with water) above my head and sprinkles the temple with the water from the conch, there shall be nothing inauspicious in his house.

36. If the Pādodaka (the water with which the feet are washed) is taken in a conch and applied to the head, neither anxieties nor exhaustion nor the fear of hell shall torment him.

37-38. On seeing the conch-water on the head, evil spirits, Rākṣasas , Kūṣmāṇḍa devils, ghosts, serpents and Dānavas fun towards all the ten quarters.

He who devoutly bathes me to the accompaniment of the sounds of musical instruments and the loud sounds of auspicious songs, shall become a man liberated while living.

[1]: [1] : VV 2-3 describe Pañcāmṛta-snāna . When separate ingredients are used, ‘Sugar-bath’ is the application of sugar to the idol. When the mixture of these ingredients is used, the liquefied sugar in that mixture can be used for ‘bathing’.

[2]: [2] : VV 13-25 describe efficacy of the use of conch in Pañcāmṛta-snāna.

[3]: [3] : VV 3Iff describe the importance of conch-worship and its efficacy in dispelling evil.

Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 14172, revision 329315 (2022-01-02T02:10:55Z). English is G. V. Tagare’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-skanda-purana/d/doc371684.html and the archival publication witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.