Skandapurana 3.1.23

Glorious Sūta said:

Having performed a ritual ablution in the sacred ford named Agnitīrtha, which destroys all sins,

one should then proceed, with a purified self, to Cakratīrtha.

Whatever desire a mortal aims for, O best of brahmins,

when performing a ritual ablution at Cakratīrtha, that very desire he attains.

Formerly, a great seer named Ahirbudhnya, strict in his vows,

an ascetic, worshipped Sudarśana on this Gandhamādana [mountain].

While the sage was performing austerities there, rākṣasas of terrible forms,

intent solely on obstructing austerities, constantly harassed him, O brahmins.

Then Sudarśana, having arrived there out of a desire to protect his devotee,

effortlessly struck down the tormenting demons of old.

From that time forward, O brahmins, that discus [Sudarśana], at the request of the devotee,

constantly established its presence in the sacred ford made by Ahirbudhnya.

From that time forward, that sacred ford is called Cakratīrtha.

By the grace of Sudarśana, through plunging into that sacred ford,

affliction caused by rakṣases, piśācas, and others never occurs at all.

Having bathed in this purifying sacred ford in ancient times, the sun god Ravi, whose hands had been cut off,

obtained two hands made of gold by the glory of this sacred ford.

The seers said:

How did Āditya's hands come to be cut off, O son of Sūta?

And tell us how he obtained golden hands.

Glorious Sūta said:

Formerly, the gods, led by Indra, were continually afflicted by the Daityas.

Pondering, "What shall we do?", they assembled and deliberated together.

Placing Bṛhaspati at their head, having deliberated for a long time, the gods,

putting Turāṣāh at their forefront, went to the abode of the Self-born.

Having approached Brahmā, seen him, and praised him with devotion,

they then informed him of the purpose of their arrival.

The gods said:

"O Lord, husband of Bhāratī, the Daityas, exceedingly arrogant with might,

continually oppress us, O God! Tell us the remedy for this."

Addressed thus by the gods, Brahmā spoke words to them with compassion:

Brahmā said:

"Do not fear, O gods! I will tell you the means in this matter.

A great sacrifice sacred to Maheśvara, which brings destruction to the asuras,

you, O gods, together with sages who see the truth, should begin.

And let this sacrifice sacred to Maheśvara, performed by all the deities without desire to curtail ritual rules,

be celebrated on Mount Gandhamādana.

For if they were to perform that sacrifice elsewhere, O best of gods,

then the wicked-minded enemies of the gods would cause obstacles to the sacrifice.

If this sacrifice is performed on Mount Gandhamādana,

then through the favor of Sudarśana, no obstacle will arise at all.

To grant favor to the great seer named Ahirbudhnya on Gandhamādana,

Sudarśana is present in that sacred ford.

Therefore, O gods, perform that sacrifice on Gandhamādana,

which destroys the asuras, not far from Cakratīrtha."

Then, at the word of Brahmā, they quickly went to Gandhamādana,

placing Bṛhaspati at their head, desirous of performing the sacrifice.

Having bowed to the great-souled Ahirbudhnya, lord of sages,

they prepared the sacrificial enclosure not far from his hermitage.

Together with those whose wealth is austerity, experts in sacrificial rites,

the gods commenced the sacrifice that destroys the asuras.

In that rite, Bṛhaspati himself was the hotṛ;

Jayanta, son of Pākaśāsana, was the maitrāvaruṇa;

the eighth Vasu of the Vasus was the acchāvāka;

Parāśara, son of Śakti, was the grāvastut;

Aṣṭāvakra of great fiery energy bore the yoke of the adhvaryu;

the great sage Viśvāmitra was the pratiprasthātṛ;

Varuṇa was the neṣṭṛ, and the lord of wealth was the unnetṛ;

Savitṛ was the brahmā, bearing half the yoke of the sacrifice;

Vasiṣṭha, foremost of knowers of the Veda, was the brāhmaṇācchaṃsin;

Śunaḥśepa was the āgnīdhra, and the sacrificial fire was the potṛ;

Vāyu was the udgātṛ, and the king of the departed was the prastotṛ;

Agastya, jar-born, was the pratihartṛ;

the great Madhucchandas, son of Viśvāmitra, was the subrahmaṇya;

Purandara, king of the gods, was himself the patron of the sacrifice;

and the sage Śuka, son of Vyāsa, was the upadraṣṭṛ.

Then all those priests duly consecrated

Purandara, king of the gods, in that sacrifice sacred to Maheśvara.

Thus the great sacrifice proceeded indeed on Gandhamādana.

Greatly afflicted by the unbearable majesty of Sudarśana,

the asuras found no flaw there as the sacrifice proceeded.

Thus, free from hindrance, that great sacrifice went on.

And there the sacrificial fire, carrying the oblation, blazed, consuming the offerings.

Having duly performed the series of rites without agitation,

the adhvaryu poured the sacrificial cake, purified by mantras, into the fire.

Having reverently divided the remainder of the sacrificial cake offered in the fire,

the adhvaryu gave the sin-destroying portions to the priests, headed by the hotṛ.

And to Savitṛ, the brahmā, one portion of exceedingly fierce brilliance,

the share of the sacrificial cake named prāśitra, he gave there.

Then Savitṛ took the prāśitra with both hands.

As soon as it was touched by Savitṛ, that unapproachable prāśitra portion

severed his hands while all the officiating priests were watching.

Then, his hands severed by the prāśitra possessing terrible fiery energy,

he was terrified, saying, "What is this?", with a downcast face.

Calling together all the officiating priests, Savitṛ said this:

Savitṛ said:

"This portion of the puroḍāśa named prāśitra

was given to me, yet it severed my hands even while you were looking on.

Therefore, all of you officiating priests coming together

must restore these two hands, or else I shall destroy this sacrifice."

Hearing Savitṛ's words, they all deliberated.

There in the midst of the foremost sages and all the gods,

Aṣṭāvakra, endowed with great fiery energy, spoke to those officiating priests.

Aṣṭāvakra said:

"Listen with collected minds to my word, all you officiating priests:

while I have lived, O foremost brahmins, a hundred Viriñcas have passed away.

Tens of millions of four-faced [Brahmās] are born and die,

and watching them all, I have maintained my life.

During the tenure of a Prajāpati named Lokeśvara,

a brahmin named Harihara was residing in Śyāmalāpura.

By a forest-dwelling hunter who was shooting at a target for sport,

his feet were cut off with arrows as he stepped into the middle of the target.

Having gone to Gandhamādana, impelled then by sages,

and having bathed in this Munitīrtha, he regained his feet in ancient times.

Then, this sacred ford was called Munitīrtha;

now it is known as Cakratīrtha, having acquired the name of the Discus.

Therefore, let a bath be taken here by him whose hands were severed by the prāśitra,

even by Savitṛ in Munitīrtha, if it pleases you."

Thus addressed by the great seer Aṣṭāvakra,

the officiating priests, all overjoyed, spoke to Savitṛ:

"O Savitṛ, bathe in this sacred ford; you will receive your hands.

Do with a concentrated mind just as Aṣṭāvakra has said."

Then Savitṛ, having gone to the exceedingly great Cakratīrtha,

bathed there in order to regain his hands, [in that ford] which grants desired wishes.

Even as he was rising after bathing there with devotion,

he was seen endowed with two golden hands.

Seeing him golden-handed, all the officiating priests rejoiced.

Then, having completed that sacrifice and having conquered the hosts of Daityas,

all the gods headed by Indra happily returned to heaven.

Therefore, having arrived at this sacred ford, by all human beings

it should be resorted to with effort for the attainment of their respective desires:

by the blind, the crippled-handed, the mute, the deaf, the hunchbacked,

by the limping and the lame, and by others deprived of limbs,

those whose hands and feet are severed, and those who have lost other bodily parts,

by men and others as well, for the restoration of deficient limbs,

this sacred ford, granter of all desired things, should be resorted to.

Thus the majesty of Cakratīrtha has been told to you, O brahmins,

where formerly, having bathed, the Light-maker regained his severed hands.

Whoever recites this chapter or listens to it attentively,

his deficient limbs will become whole, without doubt;

for a mortal desiring liberation, liberation will ensue—there is no doubt about this.

Thus ends the twenty-third chapter titled 'Description of the Sun's Regaining of Golden Hands in the Praise of Cakratīrtha' in the Setumāhātmya in the third Brahmakhaṇḍa of the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, in the collection of eighty-one thousand [verses].