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Chapter 82: Story of the Kṛttikās and of Skanda's birth

SS 147

brahmovāca:

BRP082.001.1 yat khyātaṃ kṛttikātīrthaṃ kārttikeyād anantaram |
BRP082.001.2 tasya śravaṇamātreṇa somapānaphalaṃ labhet || 1 ||
BRP082.002.1 purā tārakanāśāya bhavareto 'pibat kaviḥ |
BRP082.002.2 retogarbhaṃ kaviṃ dṛṣṭvā ṛṣipatnyo 'spṛhan mune || 2 ||
BRP082.003.1 saptarṣīṇām ṛtusnātāṃ varjayitvā tv arundhatīm |
BRP082.003.2 tāsu garbhaḥ samabhavat ṣaṭsu strīṣu tadāgnitaḥ || 3 ||
BRP082.004.1 tapyamānās tu śobhiṣṭhā ṛtusnātās tu tā mune |
BRP082.004.2 kiṃ kurmaḥ kva nu gacchāmaḥ kiṃ kṛtvā sukṛtaṃ bhavet || 4 ||
BRP082.005.1 ity uktvā tā mitho gaṅgāṃ vyagrā gatvā vyapīḍayan |
BRP082.005.2 tābhyas te niḥsṛtā garbhāḥ phenarūpās tadāmbhasi || 5 ||
BRP082.006.1 ambhasā tv ekatāṃ prāptā vāyunā sarva eva hi |
BRP082.006.2 ekarūpas tadā tābhyaḥ ṣaṇmukhaḥ samajāyata || 6 ||
BRP082.007.1 srāvayitvā tu tān garbhān ṛṣipatnyo gṛhān yayuḥ |
BRP082.007.2 tāsāṃ vikṛtarūpāṇi dṛṣṭvā te ṛṣayo 'bruvan || 7 ||
BRP082.008.1 gamyatāṃ gamyatāṃ śīghraṃ svairī vṛttir na yujyate |
BRP082.008.2 strīṇām iti tato vatsa nirastāḥ patibhis tu tāḥ || 8 ||
BRP082.009.1 tato duḥkhaṃ samāviṣṭās tyaktāḥ svapatibhiś ca ṣaṭ |
BRP082.009.2 tā dṛṣṭvā nāradaḥ prāha kārttikeyo harodbhavaḥ || 9 ||
BRP082.010.1 gāṅgeyo 'gnibhavaś ceti vikhyātas tārakāntakaḥ |
BRP082.010.2 taṃ yāntu na cirād eva prīto bhogaṃ pradāsyati || 10 ||
BRP082.011.1 devarṣer vacanād eva samabhyetya ca ṣaṇmukham |
BRP082.011.2 kṛttikāḥ svayam evaitad yathāvṛttaṃ nyavedayat || 11 ||
BRP082.012.1 tābhyo vākyaṃ kṛttikābhyaḥ kārttikeyo 'numanya ca |
BRP082.012.2 gautamīṃ yāntu sarvāś ca snātvāpūjya maheśvaram || 12 ||
BRP082.013.1 eṣyāmi cāhaṃ tatraiva yāsyāmi suramandiram |
BRP082.013.2 tathety uktvā kṛttikāś ca snātvā gaṅgāṃ ca gautamīm || 13 ||
BRP082.014.1 deveśvaraṃ ca sampūjya kārttikeyānuśāsanāt |
BRP082.014.2 deveśvaraprasādena prayayuḥ suramandiram || 14 ||
BRP082.015.1 tataḥ prabhṛti tat tīrthaṃ kṛttikātīrtham ucyate |
BRP082.015.2 kārttikyāṃ kṛttikāyoge tatra yaḥ snānam ācaret || 15 ||
BRP082.016.1 sarvakratuphalaṃ prāpya rājā bhavati dhārmikaḥ |
BRP082.016.2 tattīrthasmaraṇaṃ vāpi yaḥ karoti śṛṇoti ca |
BRP082.016.3 sarvapāpavinirmukto dīrgham āyur avāpnuyāt || 16 ||