Adhyaya 60
Pulastya instructs the listener to proceed to the unsurpassed Jambū Tīrtha, declaring that bathing there in the proper manner grants the desired fruits. The account then turns to an earlier time: King Nimi of the Sūryavaṃśa, in his old age, goes to Mount Arbuda and undertakes prāyopaveśana (a disciplined fast unto death) with a concentrated mind. Many sages arrive and hold uplifting dharma-discourses on exemplary royal sages, divine sages, and Purāṇic traditions. At the end, the sage Lomaśa recites a full tīrtha-māhātmya. Hearing it, Nimi is troubled with regret that he had not earlier performed extensive tīrtha-bathing, and he asks for a way to obtain the fruit of all tīrthas. Moved by compassion, Lomaśa promises to bring the Jambūdvīpa-origin tīrthas to that very place through mantra-power, and instructs the king to bathe in the now-unified sacred waters. Lomaśa meditates; the tīrthas arrive instantly, and a Jambū tree appears as proof. Nimi bathes in the reservoir of ‘all tīrthas’ and immediately attains heaven with his body; thus the site is remembered as Jambū Tīrtha. It is also said that when the sun is in Kanyā (Virgo), performing śrāddha there yields merit equal to that of Gayāśīrṣa.
Shlokas
Verse 1
पुलस्त्य उवाच । ततो गच्छेन्नृपश्रेष्ठ जंबूतीर्थमनुत्तमम् । तत्र स्नातो नरः सम्यगिष्टं फलमवाप्नुयात् जंबूद्वीपसमुत्थानां तीर्थानां नृपसत्तम
Pulastya said: “Then, O best of kings, one should go to the unsurpassed Jambū Tīrtha. Having properly bathed there, a man attains the desired fruit—O finest ruler—for this tīrtha has arisen from the sanctity of the holy places of Jambūdvīpa.”
Verse 2
आसीत्पुरा निमिर्नाम क्षत्रियः सूर्यवंशजः । वयसः परिणामे स पर्वतं चार्बुदं गतः
There once was a kṣatriya named Nimi, born in the Solar dynasty. In the later stage of life, he went to Mount Arbuda.
Verse 3
प्रायोपवेशनं कृत्वा स्थितस्तत्र समाहितः । अथाजग्मुर्मुनिगणास्तस्य पार्श्वे सहस्रशः
Having undertaken prāyopaveśana (the vow of fasting unto death), he remained there, composed and concentrated. Then hosts of sages came to his side in their thousands.
Verse 4
चक्रुर्धर्मकथां पुण्यां राजर्षीणां महात्मनाम् । देवर्षीणां पुराणानां तथान्येषां महात्मनाम्
They held a holy discourse on dharma—concerning great-souled royal seers, divine seers, the Purāṇas, and other exalted ones as well.
Verse 5
ततः कश्चित्कथांते च लोमशो नाम सन्मुनिः । कीर्त्तयामास माहात्म्यं सर्वतीर्थसमुद्भवम्
Then, at the close of the discourse, a true sage named Lomaśa began to proclaim a māhātmya—said to arise from the very essence of all tīrthas.
Verse 6
तच्छ्रुत्वा पार्थिवो राजन्निमिः परमदुर्मनाः । बभूव न कृतं पूर्वं यतस्तीर्थावगाहनम्
Hearing that, O king, Nimi became deeply distressed, for he realized that earlier he had not performed immersion and bathing in the sacred tīrthas.
Verse 7
ततः प्रोवाच तं विप्रमस्त्युपायो द्विजोत्तम । कश्चिद्येन च सर्वेषां तीर्थानां लभ्यते फलम्
Then he addressed that brāhmaṇa: “O best of the twice-born, there is a certain means by which the fruit of all sacred tīrthas can be obtained.”
Verse 8
लोमश उवाच । दया मे नृप सञ्जाता त्वां दृष्ट्वा दुःखितं भृशम् । तीर्थयात्राकृते यस्मात्करिष्येऽहं तव प्रियम्
Lomaśa said: “O king, compassion has arisen in me on seeing you greatly afflicted. Therefore, for the sake of your pilgrimage to the tīrthas, I shall do what is pleasing to you.”
Verse 9
अत्रैव चानयिष्यामि जंबूद्वीपोद्भवानि च । सर्वतीर्थानि राजेन्द्र मन्त्रशक्त्या न संशयः
“Right here, O lord of kings, I shall bring all the sacred tīrthas that arise in Jambūdvīpa—by the power of mantra, without any doubt.”
Verse 10
स्नानं कुरु महाराज ह्येकीभूतेषु तत्र च । अस्मिञ्जलाशये पुण्ये सत्यमेतद्ब्रवीम्यहम्
“Perform the sacred bath, O great king, when all have become united there. In this holy reservoir, I speak the truth.”
Verse 11
एवमुक्त्वा स विप्रर्षिर्ध्यानं चक्रे समाहितः । ततस्तीर्थानि सर्वाणि तत्रायातानि तत्क्षणात्
Having spoken thus, the brāhmaṇa-sage entered meditation, fully composed. Then, in that very instant, all the tīrthas arrived there.
Verse 12
प्रत्ययार्थं च राजर्षे जंबूवृक्षो व्यजायत । तत्र स्नानं नृपश्चक्रे सर्वतीर्थमये ध्रुवे
And as a confirmation, O royal sage, a jambu tree came into being. There the king performed his bath in that sure place which embodied all tīrthas.
Verse 13
सदेहश्च गतः स्वर्गे तीर्थस्नानादनन्तरम् । ततः प्रभृति तत्तीर्थं जंबूतीर्थमनुस्मृतम्
Immediately after bathing at the tīrtha, he went to heaven with his very body. From that time onward, that holy place has been remembered as Jambū Tīrtha.
Verse 14
कन्यागते रवौ तत्र यः श्राद्धं कुरुते नरः । गयाशीर्षसमं तस्य पुण्यमाहुर्महर्षयः
When the Sun has entered Kanyā (Virgo), whoever performs śrāddha there—the great sages declare his merit to be equal to that of Gayāśīrṣa.
Verse 60
इति श्रीस्कान्दे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां सप्तमे प्रभासखंडे तृतीयेऽर्बुदखण्डे जंबूतीर्थप्रभाववर्णनंनाम षष्टितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the sixtieth chapter, entitled “The Description of the Glory of Jambū Tīrtha,” in the third division, the Arbuda Khaṇḍa, within the seventh, the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, of the Śrī Skanda Mahāpurāṇa in the Ekāśītisāhasrī Saṃhitā.