Puruṣottama-kṣetra-māhātmya · Chapter 13
Source।। मुनय ऊचुः । ।। कपोतेशस्थली चापि कथं ख्याता महामुने ।। को वा कपोतः कश्चेश एतन्नो वक्तुमर्हसि ।।१।। ।। जैमिनिरुवाच ।। ।। पुरा कुशस्थली सा वै असेव्या सर्वजंतुभिः ।। तीक्ष्णधारैः कुशाग्रैस्तु परितः कंटकैश्चिता ।।२।। निस्तरुर्निर्जलाधारा पिशाचवसतिर्यथा ।। यदा पूर्वं भगवतो नान्यो देवोऽपि पूज्यते ।।३।। पूज्यः स्यामहमप्येवं स्पर्धासीद्धूर्जटेस्तदा ।। चिंतयन्निति तस्यैव विष्णोर्भक्तौ मनोऽदधत्।। ४ ।। सर्वनिर्विषये देशे स्थित्वाऽहं निष्परिग्रहः ।। सुमहत्तप आस्थाय तोषयिष्यामि तं हरिम् ।। ५ ।। किं वदेयं रमेशाय का स्तुतिः शारदापतेः ।। सर्वब्रह्मांडनाथस्य किं वान्यत्तुष्टिकारकम् ।। ६ ।। तस्मान्न बाह्यं वस्त्वन्यदुपयोगाय तस्य वै ।। अंतर्यागं समास्थाय निर्व्यलीकेन चेतसा ।। ७ ।। भक्तेभ्य आत्मप्रददं चराचरगुरुं हरिम् ।। आराधयिष्ये सर्वेषां पूज्यः स्यां तत्प्रसादतः ।। ८ ।। तत इत्यभिसंधाय ययौ पुण्यां कुशस्थलीम् ।। समीपे नीलगोत्रस्य सर्वद्वंद्वविवर्जितः ।। ९ ।। ततस्तेपे तपस्तीव्रं वायुभक्षो महेश्वरः ।। कपोत इव सूक्ष्मोऽभूदष्टमूर्तिरपि प्रभुः ।। 2.2.13.१० ।। ततः प्रसन्नो भगवानैश्वर्यं प्रददौ तदा ।। येनात्मतुल्यः संजातः पूजासंमाननादिषु ।। ११ ।। तपःप्रभावात्तस्यासीत्स्थली वृन्दावनोपमा ।। सरस्तडागसरसी नदीभिः शोभितांतरा ।। १२ ।। नानाद्रुमैर्लताभिश्च सर्वर्तुफलपुष्पकैः ।। मधुमत्तद्विरेफाणां झंकारैर्मुखराशया ।। १३ । नानापक्षिगणाकीर्णा सर्वजंतुसुखाश्रया ।। कपोतसदृशो जातो यतः स तपसा शिवः ।। १४ ।। मुरारेराज्ञया सोऽत्र कपोतेश्वरतां गतः ।। तदाज्ञयाऽत्र वसति मृडान्या त्र्यंबकः सदा ।। १५ ।। येऽर्चयन्ति कपोतेशं स्तुवन्ति प्रणमंति वा ।। निर्धूतकल्मषास्ते वै प्रयांति पुरुषोत्तमम् ।। १६ ।। अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि बिल्वेशमहिमां द्विजाः ।। पातालवासिनः पूर्वं दैत्या भित्त्वा महीतलम् ।। १७ ।। उपद्रवंति भूर्लोकं भक्षयन्ति जनांस्तथा ।। भारावतरणार्थाय देवकीगर्भसंभवः ।। १८ ।। पालयामास पृथिवीं यदा स भगवान्प्रभुः ।। यादवैः पांडवैः सार्द्धं तदा तत्स्थानमागतः ।। १९ ।। तीर्थराजस्य सलिले स्नात्वा तं नीलमाधवम् ।। दूरात्प्रणम्य मनसा दैत्यद्वारमुपागतः ।। 2.2.13.२० ।। दृष्ट्वा तद्विवरं घोरमप्रवेश्यं तु मानवैः ।। भ्रांत्या संमोहयँल्लोकान्प्रथयञ्छिवपूज्यताम् ।। २१ ।। बैल्वं फलं समादाय तत्रावाह्य त्रिलोचनम् ।। पूजयित्वा पुरारातिं तुष्टावासुरसूदनः ।। २२ ।। ।।श्री भगवानुवाच ।। ।। नमस्ते त्रिगुणातीत गुणत्रयविभागकृत् ।। त्रयीमय त्रयातीत त्रिकालज्ञानिने नमः ।। ।। २३ ।। शशिसूर्याग्निनेत्राय ब्रह्मण्याय वरात्मने ।। अष्टैश्वर्यनिधानाय तुभ्यमष्टात्मने नमः ।। २४ ।। यस्य रूपं तमःपारे तमोनाशनमव्ययम् ।। अज्ञानानां तमश्छिन्नं तस्मै वितमसे नमः ।। २५ ।। एवं स्वमात्मनात्मानं स्तुत्वा स भगवान्प्रभुः ।। तस्य प्रसादाद्विवरं सुप्रवेशमपश्यत ।। २६ ।। तेन मार्गेण पातालं ससैन्योऽभ्यगमत्प्रभुः ।। हत्वा तत्र बलोदग्रान्दैत्यान्भारावतारणः ।। २७ ।। पुनरागम्य तत्रैव स्थित्वा स वृषभध्वजम् ।। संपूज्य भगवान्द्वाररोधाय स्थापयञ्छिवम् ।। २८ ।। इदमाह महाबुद्धिर्भक्तिवश्यो गदाधरः ।। धूर्जटे तिष्ठ प्रासादे रुन्धानोऽसुर निर्गमम् ।। २९ ।। त्वदन्यः कः क्षमः शंभो कर्बूरबलनाशने ।। स्थापयित्वा महादेवं ततो द्वारावतीं ययौ ।। 2.2.13.३० ।। ततःप्रभृति बिल्वेशः पृथिव्यां ख्यातिमागतः ।। पूर्वविधिः स बिल्वेशः क्षेत्रराजस्य भो द्विजाः ।। ३१ ।। तं दृष्ट्वा पापहंतारं मृड्रानीपतिमव्ययम् ।। सर्वान्कामानवाप्नोति विपत्तिं दुस्तरां जयेत् ।। ३२ ।। कपोतबिल्वेश्वरयोर्माहात्म्यं कथितं तु वः ।। अतः परं भो मुनयः किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छथ ।। ३३ ।। इति श्रीस्कांदे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां द्वितीये वैष्णवखण्डे पुरुषोत्तमक्षेत्रमाहात्म्ये जैमिनिऋषिसंवादे त्रयोदशोऽध्यायः ।। १३ ।।
|| munaya ūcuḥ | || kapoteśasthalī cāpi kathaṃ khyātā mahāmune || ko vā kapotaḥ kaśceśa etanno vaktumarhasi ||1|| || jaiminiruvāca || || purā kuśasthalī sā vai asevyā sarvajaṃtubhiḥ || tīkṣṇadhāraiḥ kuśāgraistu paritaḥ kaṃṭakaiścitā ||2|| nistarurnirjalādhārā piśācavasatiryathā || yadā pūrvaṃ bhagavato nānyo devo'pi pūjyate ||3|| pūjyaḥ syāmahamapyevaṃ spardhāsīddhūrjaṭestadā || ciṃtayanniti tasyaiva viṣṇorbhaktau mano'dadhat|| 4 || sarvanirviṣaye deśe sthitvā'haṃ niṣparigrahaḥ || sumahattapa āsthāya toṣayiṣyāmi taṃ harim || 5 || kiṃ vadeyaṃ rameśāya kā stutiḥ śāradāpateḥ || sarvabrahmāṃḍanāthasya kiṃ vānyattuṣṭikārakam || 6 || tasmānna bāhyaṃ vastvanyadupayogāya tasya vai || aṃtaryāgaṃ samāsthāya nirvyalīkena cetasā || 7 || bhaktebhya ātmapradadaṃ carācaraguruṃ harim || ārādhayiṣye sarveṣāṃ pūjyaḥ syāṃ tatprasādataḥ || 8 || tata ityabhisaṃdhāya yayau puṇyāṃ kuśasthalīm || samīpe nīlagotrasya sarvadvaṃdvavivarjitaḥ || 9 || tatastepe tapastīvraṃ vāyubhakṣo maheśvaraḥ || kapota iva sūkṣmo'bhūdaṣṭamūrtirapi prabhuḥ || 2.2.13.10 || tataḥ prasanno bhagavānaiśvaryaṃ pradadau tadā || yenātmatulyaḥ saṃjātaḥ pūjāsaṃmānanādiṣu || 11 || tapaḥprabhāvāttasyāsītsthalī vṛndāvanopamā || sarastaḍāgasarasī nadībhiḥ śobhitāṃtarā || 12 || nānādrumairlatābhiśca sarvartuphalapuṣpakaiḥ || madhumattadvirephāṇāṃ jhaṃkārairmukharāśayā || 13 | nānāpakṣigaṇākīrṇā sarvajaṃtusukhāśrayā || kapotasadṛśo jāto yataḥ sa tapasā śivaḥ || 14 || murārerājñayā so'tra kapoteśvaratāṃ gataḥ || tadājñayā'tra vasati mṛḍānyā tryaṃbakaḥ sadā || 15 || ye'rcayanti kapoteśaṃ stuvanti praṇamaṃti vā || nirdhūtakalmaṣāste vai prayāṃti puruṣottamam || 16 || ataḥ paraṃ pravakṣyāmi bilveśamahimāṃ dvijāḥ || pātālavāsinaḥ pūrvaṃ daityā bhittvā mahītalam || 17 || upadravaṃti bhūrlokaṃ bhakṣayanti janāṃstathā || bhārāvataraṇārthāya devakīgarbhasaṃbhavaḥ || 18 || pālayāmāsa pṛthivīṃ yadā sa bhagavānprabhuḥ || yādavaiḥ pāṃḍavaiḥ sārddhaṃ tadā tatsthānamāgataḥ || 19 || tīrtharājasya salile snātvā taṃ nīlamādhavam || dūrātpraṇamya manasā daityadvāramupāgataḥ || 2.2.13.20 || dṛṣṭvā tadvivaraṃ ghoramapraveśyaṃ tu mānavaiḥ || bhrāṃtyā saṃmohaya~llokānprathayañchivapūjyatām || 21 || bailvaṃ phalaṃ samādāya tatrāvāhya trilocanam || pūjayitvā purārātiṃ tuṣṭāvāsurasūdanaḥ || 22 || ||śrī bhagavānuvāca || || namaste triguṇātīta guṇatrayavibhāgakṛt || trayīmaya trayātīta trikālajñānine namaḥ || || 23 || śaśisūryāgninetrāya brahmaṇyāya varātmane || aṣṭaiśvaryanidhānāya tubhyamaṣṭātmane namaḥ || 24 || yasya rūpaṃ tamaḥpāre tamonāśanamavyayam || ajñānānāṃ tamaśchinnaṃ tasmai vitamase namaḥ || 25 || evaṃ svamātmanātmānaṃ stutvā sa bhagavānprabhuḥ || tasya prasādādvivaraṃ supraveśamapaśyata || 26 || tena mārgeṇa pātālaṃ sasainyo'bhyagamatprabhuḥ || hatvā tatra balodagrāndaityānbhārāvatāraṇaḥ || 27 || punarāgamya tatraiva sthitvā sa vṛṣabhadhvajam || saṃpūjya bhagavāndvārarodhāya sthāpayañchivam || 28 || idamāha mahābuddhirbhaktivaśyo gadādharaḥ || dhūrjaṭe tiṣṭha prāsāde rundhāno'sura nirgamam || 29 || tvadanyaḥ kaḥ kṣamaḥ śaṃbho karbūrabalanāśane || sthāpayitvā mahādevaṃ tato dvārāvatīṃ yayau || 2.2.13.30 || tataḥprabhṛti bilveśaḥ pṛthivyāṃ khyātimāgataḥ || pūrvavidhiḥ sa bilveśaḥ kṣetrarājasya bho dvijāḥ || 31 || taṃ dṛṣṭvā pāpahaṃtāraṃ mṛḍrānīpatimavyayam || sarvānkāmānavāpnoti vipattiṃ dustarāṃ jayet || 32 || kapotabilveśvarayormāhātmyaṃ kathitaṃ tu vaḥ || ataḥ paraṃ bho munayaḥ kimanyacchrotumicchatha || 33 || iti śrīskāṃde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ dvitīye vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍe puruṣottamakṣetramāhātmye jaiminiṛṣisaṃvāde trayodaśo'dhyāyaḥ || 13 ||
English translation
Note: Kapoteśa is at Chandanpur ( Puri ) and Bilveśa on the seashore to the east of Gundicā house.
The sages enquired :
1. It behoves you to recount to us why this site of Kapoteśa became famous, O great sage. Who Kapota was and who was the Lord, O great sage?
Jaimini replied :
2. Formerly Kuśasthalī became inhospitable for habitation of creatures because it was fully overgrown with Kuśa grass having keen edges and thorns.
3-4. It was devoid of trees. It had no water-reservoirs. It was like an abode of Piśācas (ghosts). Formerly no Deva other than the Lord ( Viṣṇu ) was worshipped. A desire to compete with (Viṣṇu) and a feeling of rivalry arose in Dhūrjaṭi ( Śiva ) who thought, ‘Let me too be worshipped’. Thinking thus he turned his mind to the devotion of the same Viṣṇu.
5-8. ‘I shall propitiate Hari by resorting to a very great penance, staying in a place devoid of all objects. I shall have no personal possessions. What is it that I should speak to the Lord of Ramā ? What can be the eulogy for Śāradāpati(?)? What else can give satisfaction to the deity who is the lord of the whole universe? Hence no external thing can be of any use to him. Therefore, I shall adopt Antaryāga (‘Internal sacrifice’ i.e. Mātṛkā Nyāsa etc.) with a pure mind. I shall propitiate Hari, the sire of mobile and immobile beings, the Lord who offers his own soul unto the devotees. By his grace I shall be worthy of being worshipped by all.’
9-10. Thinking thus in his mind, he went to the holy spot Kuśasthalī. He performed a very severe penance near Nīla mountain. Maheśvara avoided all Dvandvas (i.e. pairs of opposites e.g. heat-cold, pleasure-pain). He took in only air. Eight-formed [1] though he was, the Lord was reduced to the size of a dove.
11. The delighted Lord granted him supremacy, so that he became equal (to Viṣṇu) in respect of worship, reverence etc.
12. By the power of his penance that holy spot became one comparable to Vṛndāvana , the forest near Gokula . Its interior was rendered splendid by lakes, ponds, reservoirs and rivers.
13. It was full of different kinds of trees and creepers (laden) with fruits and flowers of all seasons. It was resonant with the humming sounds of bees inebriated with honey.
14-15. It was full of different kinds of flocks of birds. It was a comfortable place of resort for all creatures. Since by means of his penance Śiva became (small) like a dove, he came to be called Kapoteśvara [2] at the behest of Murāri (Viṣṇu). It is at his bidding that the Three-eyed Lord always stays here along with Mṛḍānī ( Pārvatī ).
16. Those who worship, eulogize and bow down to Kapoteśa shall get rid of all their sins and attain Puruṣottama .
17-22. Henceforth I shall narrate the greatness of Bilveśa, O Brāhmaṇas .
Formerly Daityas who were the residents of Pātāla pierced through the surface of the earth and began to harass Bhūrloka . They used to devour people.
When the Lord incarnated as the son of Devakī in order to reduce the burden on the earth, and protected the earth along with the Yādavas and the Pāṇḍavas , he once came to that spot.
He took his bath in the water of the Tīrtharāja (the ocean) and paid obeisance to Nīla Mādhava from a great distance mentally. Then he came to the entrance (of the abode of) Daityas.
He found that the underground passage was awful and impenetrable for human beings. He deluded the worlds with wrong notions (?) and desirous of spreading (the idea of) the venerability of Śiva, he took up a fruit of a Bilva tree and invoked the Three-eyed Lord there. After worshipping the Destroyer of the Puras , Śrīkṛṣṇa eulogized him.
Śrī Bhagavān prayed :
23. Obeisance to you, O Lord beyond the three Guṇas , O Lord who divides the three Guṇas, O Lord, embodiment of the three Vedas , O Lord beyond the three (Vedas). Obeisance to the knower of the three divisions of time (viz. Past, Present and Future).
24. To the Lord with the Moon, the Sun and Fire as eyes, obeisance to the excellent Ātman favourable to Brāhmaṇas. Salute to you, the storehouse of eightfold prosperity, to the eight-formed Lord.
25. Obeisance to the Lord devoid of Tamas , the Lord whose form is beyond darkness, who is immutable and is destructive of darkness and who dispels the darkness of ignorance.
26. After eulogizing his own Ātman by means of his own Ātman, the Lord saw that the passage had become easily penetrable by his favour.
27-29a. Through that passage the Lord went to Pātāla along with his army. There he slew the Daityas who were fierce and powerful and removed the burden (of the earth).
He then came back to the same place. There the Lord worshipped the Bull-emblemed Lord. Desirous of establishing Śiva there in order to block the passage, the highly intelligent Gadādhara ( Kṛṣṇa ), the Lord who can be won over by devotion, said thus:
29b-33. “O Dhūrjaṭi (Śiva), stay here in the place preventing Asuras from coming out. Who else, O Śaṃbhu , is competent to destroy the army of Rākṣasas ?”
After establishing Mahādeva he returned to Dvārakā . Since then Bilveśa became famous on the earth.
O Brāhmaṇas, that Bilveśa is the first creator of the prominent sacred place. By visiting that immutable Lord of Mṛḍānī, the Lord who destroys sins, one shall derive all the desired results. One shall surmount adversity very difficult to cross.
The greatness of Kapoteśa and Bilveśvara has been recounted to you, O sages. Henceforth, what else do you wish to hear?
[1]: [1] : The following are the eight forms of Śiva: (The special name of that form is given in the bracket) 1. Earth (Śarva); 2. Water (Bhava); 3. Fire (Rudra); 4. Wind (Ugra); 5. Ether (Bhīma); 6. The sacrificer i.e. Yajamāna (Paśupati); 7. The Moon (Mahādeva); 8. The Sun (Īśāna).
[2]: [2] : The above is an explanatory legend to support the derivation of the name Kapoteśvara.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 22925, revision 335863 (2022-04-15T20:14:16Z). English is G. V. Tagare’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-skanda-purana/d/doc370733.html and the archival publication witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.