On Samantapañcaka

 tretādvāparayoḥ saṅdhau rāmaḥ śastrabhṛtāṁ varaḥ

asakṛtpārthiva kṣatraṁ jaghānāmarṣacoditaḥ

At the end of Tretā Yuga and in the beginning of Dvāpara Yuga, the greatest of all who wielded arms, Paraśurāma, being impatient of wrongs, repeatedly destroyed all Kṣatriya races of the world.

sa sarvaṁ kṣatramutsādya svavīryeṇānaladyutiḥ

samantapañcake pañca cakāra raudhirānhradāna

That fiery Rāma, after destroying Kṣatriyas by his own prowess, made 5 lakes of blood at Samantapañcaka.

sa teṣu rughirāmbhaḥ suhradeṣu krodhamūrcchitaḥ

pitṝn satarpayāmāsa rudhireṇeti naḥ śrutam

We have heard that being senseless in anger, he offered oblations to the manes standing in the bloody water of these lakes.

atharcīkādayo ̍bhyetya pitaro rāmamabruvan

rāma rāma mahābhāga prītāḥ sma tava bhārgava

Thereupon Rcīka and others of his ancestors appeared and said: Rāma, O blessed Rāma! O son of Bhṛgu! We are pleased!

anayā pitṛbhktyā ca vikrameṇa tava prabho

varaṁ vṛṇīṣva bhadraṁ te yamicchasi mahādyute

With your filial piety and prowess, O mighty one, blessings be upon you! Ask for the boon you desire to have!

rāma uvāca

yadi me pitaraḥ prītā yadyanugrāhyatā mayi

yacca roṣābhibhūtena kṣatramutsāditaṁ mayā

hradāśca tīrthabhūtā me bhaveyurbhuvi viśrutāḥ

Rāma said:

If, O fathers, you are pleased with me, the boon I ask is that I may be freed from the sin of annihilation of Kṣatriyas and that the lakes that I have made, may become celebrated shrines in the world.

evaṁ bhaviṣyatītyevaṁ pitarastamathābruvan

taṁ kṣamasveti niṣiṣidhustataḥ sa virarāma ha

Ancestors then said:

It would be as you have wished! Be pacified!

teṣāṁ samīpe yo deśo hradānāṁ rudhirāmbhasām

samantapañcakamiti puṇyaṁ tatparikīrtitam

The region, that lies near those 5 bloody lakes, has become famous from that day by the name of holy Samantapañcaka.

yena liṅgena yo deśo yuktaḥ samupalakṣyate

tenaiva nāmnā taṁ deśaṁ vācyamāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ

The wise men have said that every place should be known by the name significant of something what may have made it famous.

antare caiva saṁprāpte kalidvāparayorabhūt

samantapañcake yuddhaṁ kurupāṇḍavasenayoḥ

At the end of Dvāpara and in the beginning of Kali, the great battle was fought between Kurus and Pāṇḍavas here at this holy Samantapañcaka.

tasmin paramadharmiṣṭhe deśe bhūdoṣavarjite

aṣṭādaśa samājagmurakṣauhiṇyo yuyutsayā

On that holy place, where there was not the least raggedness, were assembled 18 Akṣauhiṇīs of soldiers, all eager to fight.

sametya taṁ dvijāstāśca tatraiva nidhanaṁ gataḥ

etannāmābhinirvṛttaṁ tasya deśasya vai dvijāḥ

O Brāhmaṇas, they were all killed in that place. Thus, O Brāhmaṇas, its name is explained.

puṇyaśca ramaṇīyaśca sa deśo vaḥ prakīrtitaḥ

tadetatkathitaṁ sarvaṁ mayābrāhmaṇasattamāḥ

yathā deśaḥ sa vikhyātastriṣu lokeṣu suvratāḥ

I have described to you that beautiful and holy place. I have told you, O best of Brāhmaṇas, all about this place, a place famous in 3 worlds.