Skandapurana 3.3.20

Sūta said:

Now I will describe briefly the māhātmya of the rudrākṣa,

which causes the destruction of all sins for those who hear it and also those who read it.

Whether a non-devotee or a devotee, low-born or even lower,

he who wears rudrākṣas is freed from all sins.

To what could the meritorious wearing of rudrākṣa be equal?

Sages who see reality have declared this to be a great vow.

Whoever, having undertaken the vow, wears a thousand rudrākṣas,

to him all the gods bow; as Rudra is, even so is he.

In the absence of a thousand, however, sixteen on each of the two arms,

one on the tuft of hair, and twelve on each of the hands;

thirty-two around the neck, and forty on the head,

one [or] six on each of the two ears, and one hundred and eight upon the chest—

whoever wears [these] rudrākṣas is worshiped like Rudra himself.

Combined with pearls, corals, crystals, silver, lapis lazuli, and gold,

he who wears rudrākṣas becomes Śiva.

Even rudrākṣas alone, as they are obtained, whoever wears them,

sins do not touch him, just as darkness [does not touch] the sun.

A mantra muttered with a rudrākṣa rosary yields endless fruit;

japa performed without rudrākṣa yields only limited fruit for men.

On whose body there is not even a single rudrākṣa that bestows abundant merit,

his life would be useless if he is devoid of the tripuṇḍra.

He who, having tied a rudrākṣa upon his head, performs a head-ablution,

obtains the fruit of an ablution in the Gaṅgā; there is no doubt in this.

And he who worships a rudrākṣa, [even] without ritual sprinkling with water,

undoubtedly attains that very fruit which comes from the worship of a liṅga.

Rudrākṣas with one face, five faces, others with eleven faces,

[and] some with fourteen faces are revered by the world.

Constantly worshipped with devotion, the rudrākṣa, being identical to Śaṃkara,

makes even a pauper endowed with the splendour of a king of kings.

In this regard, wise men recount this holy narrative,
which destroys great sins by merely listening to or reciting it.

There was a famous king of the Kāśmīra country named Bhadrasena.

He had an intelligent and valiant son named Sudharmā.

His minister had a son named Tāraka, endowed with good qualities,

who became a magnificent companion to the prince.

Both boys, deeply affectionate toward each other and possessing handsome forms,

devoted to the pursuit of learning, played together in their childhood.

Constantly adorned with rudrākṣas on all their limbs,

the noble-bodied youths moved about, always wearing sacred ash.

Abandoning ornaments of gold and jewels—

necklaces, armlets, bracelets, and earrings—the two wore rudrākṣas.

Always garlanded with rudrākṣas, with rudrākṣa bracelets on their hands,

wearing rudrākṣa neck-ornaments, and constantly having rudrākṣa earrings,

they viewed gold, jewels, and other ornaments as clods of earth or stone.

Even when admonished by the people, they would not take off their rudrākṣas.

By chance, Parāśara, the best of sages,

like the Grandfather [Brahmā] in bodily form, arrived at the palace of that king of Kāśmīra.

Having worshipped him according to the rules, the king, foremost of upholders of righteousness,

asked the great sage, who was seated comfortably and knew the three times:

The king said:

"O holy one, this son of mine, and also that son of my minister,

constantly wear rudrākṣas and have no desire for jewelled ornaments.

Although constantly instructed to wear ornaments of gems,

they disobey our words and remain devoted solely to rudrākṣas.

These two boys were never instructed [in this] by anyone.

How did this natural inclination arise in the two young men?"

Parāśara said:

"Listen, O king, I will tell you of your intelligent son,

and likewise of the minister's son: their astonishing past history.

Formerly, in Nandigrāma, there was a well-known

courtesan named Mahānandā, charming in appearance with erotic elegance.

A parasol resembling the full moon, a conveyance gleaming with gold,

fly-whisks with fine handles, and golden sandals;

varied garments, highly precious and radiant;

couches resembling moonbeams, and golden beds;

cows and buffaloes by the hundreds, and likewise male servants by the hundreds;

female servants in the prime of youth, their limbs radiant with all kinds of ornaments;

the most exquisite ornaments, sparkling with the nine gems;

unguent of sandalwood paste, saffron, musk, camphor, and aloe;

garlands of varied flowers for the head, and sweet food as much as desired;

a house enriched with various painted canopies and stocked with various grains;

wealth enriched with many thousands of gems, amounting to more than a crore—

thus endowed with riches, the courtesan, sporting in pleasures of love,

was constantly devoted to the worship of Śiva, dedicated to truth and righteousness,

attached to stories of Sadāśiva, eager for recitations of Śiva's names,

bowing before the feet of Śiva's devotees, and night and day devoted to the worship of Śiva.

For amusement, that courtesan, in the midst of the dance hall,

having adorned a monkey and a rooster with rudrākṣas,

constantly made them dance herself to hand-clapping and songs,

and then laughed aloud, surrounded by her female companions.

[Pair]

Adorned with armlets and ear-ornaments made of rudrākṣas,

the monkey, trained by her, constantly danced like a child.

With a rudrākṣa tied to its crest, the rooster, knowing how to dance, danced long

along with the monkey, evoking wonder in the onlookers.

One day, to her residence, a certain merchant who was observing a vow to Śiva...

Wearing rudrākṣa beads and the tripuṇḍra, free from selfish attachment, accomplished;

bearing ashes [on his body], wearing an excellent bracelet on his fair wrist,

inlaid with splendid gems and blazing like the morning sun.

Having honoured that guest with supreme delight,
the courtesan, seeing the bracelet on his wrist, was astonished and said:

“This bracelet on your hand is made of splendid gems;

fit for adorning a celestial woman, it captivates my heart, O virtuous one!”

Seeing her longing for the hand-ornament rich in excellent gems,

the noble-minded vaiśya smiled and replied:

The vaiśya said:

“If your heart longs for this excellent, heavenly gem[-bracelet],

take it with great pleasure! What will you give as its price?”

The courtesan said:

“We are indeed free-roaming courtesans, not devoted wives;

the traditional way of our family is wantonness, no doubt.

If you give me this jewel-inlaid hand-ornament,

I will be your wife for three days and three nights.”

The vaiśya said:

“So be it, if your word is true, O courtesan;

I give you the gem-encrusted bracelet; be my bride for three nights.

In this agreement, however, the moon and sun are witnesses;

saying ‘It is truth’ three times, touch my heart, my dear!”

The courtesan said:

“Becoming your wife for three days and nights, O master,

I will practice virtue alongside you!” Saying thus, she touched his heart.

Then the vaiśya gave her the gem bracelet;

and placing a gem-made liṅga in her hand, he said this:

“This jeweled liṅga of Śiva is as dear to me as my very life;

you must protect it, my lovely one: its loss will be my death.”

Saying “So be it,” the lovely woman took the jewel-born liṅga,

placed it on a pillar of the dance pavilion, and entered the house.

United that night with that vaiśya behaving like a paramour,

she slept happily upon a couch adorned with a soft mattress.

Then, at midnight, inside the dance pavilion,

a fire suddenly arose and quickly enveloped it.

As the pavilion was burning, rising up in great agitation,

the courtesan released the monkey from its bond there.

That monkey, freed from bondage, together with that rooster,

fled far away in terror, shaking off many sparks of fire.

The liṅga was consumed along with the pillar and shattered to pieces;

seeing it, the courtesan and the vaiśya suffered boundless grief.

Seeing the liṅga—equal to his life—burned, the vaiśya husband likewise,

having fallen into deep despondency, set his mind on death.

From deep world-weariness and utter distress, the vaiśya said to that sorrowful woman:

“Since the Śiva-liṅga is broken to pieces, I do not wish to live.

O auspicious one, have a funeral pyre prepared for me by your strong servants;

fixing my mind on Śiva, I will enter the fire.

Even if Brahmā, Indra, Viṣṇu, and the others should assemble and forbid me,

even so, resolute at this very moment, I will enter the fire and give up my life.”

Realizing his firm resolve, deeply grieved,

she had a pyre built by her servants outside her city.

Then that vaiśya, purified by devotion to Śiva, circumambulated the blazing fire; / resolute, he entered [it] as people watched, and the young woman was seized with remorse.

Then that sorrowful woman, recollecting the immaculate dharma,

looked upon all her kinsmen and spoke these mournful words:

“Taking the jewel bracelet, I uttered the truth:

‘For three days I am agreed to be the wife of this vaiśya.’

Because of an act done by me, this vaiśya who observed the vow of Śiva is dead;

therefore, I will enter the fire along with him.

I said, ‘I shall be a partner in dharma’—behold this truth!

By truth the gods, the lords of the three worlds, are pleased;

devotion to truth is the highest dharma; upon truth everything is established.”

By truth come heaven and liberation, and by untruth the supreme state is not [attained].

Therefore, taking refuge in truth, I shall enter the fire.”

Thus with firm resolve, although dissuaded by her kinsfolk,

the woman set her mind to giving up her life out of fear of abandoning truth.

Having given all her possessions to the devotees of Śiva and meditated upon Sadāśiva,

she circumambulated the fire three times and stood facing the place [of sacrifice].

As she was falling into the kindled fire, with her mind fixed on his abode,

Śiva himself, the self of all, manifested and held her back.

Beholding that God of all gods, the three-eyed one adorned with the crescent moon,

radiant as ten million moons, suns, and fires, she stood as though petrified, as though terrified.

Comforting her who was distraught, frightened, trembling, and stunned,

with tears falling [from her eyes], he took her by the hand and spoke these words:

Śiva said:

“In order to test your truthfulness, your righteousness, your steadfastness, and your unwavering devotion to me,

I came into your presence disguised as a merchant.

Having magically raised a fire, I burnt down the theater pavilion,

and making the jewel liṅga appear burnt, I entered the fire.

Courtesans are deceitful, self-willed, and swindlers of men;

yet you, remembering truth, have entered the fire with me.

Therefore, I shall grant you pleasures difficult even for the gods to attain,

an exceedingly long lifespan, health, and the prosperity of offspring.

Whatever you desire, O fair-hipped woman, that very thing I grant to you.”

Sūta said:

As the lord of Gaurī spoke thus, the courtesan replied:

The courtesan said:

“I have no desire for pleasures on earth, in heaven, or in the underworld.

Other than the touch of your lotus feet, I choose nothing at all.

These servants, maidservants, and whichever other relatives I have,

are all devoted to your worship, their livelihoods dedicated to you.

Taking all of them along with me to your supreme abode,

free us from the terrifying fear of rebirth. Salutations to you!”

Saying 'So be it', Maheśvara praised her words,

and led all of them together with her to the supreme abode.

Parāśara said:

“The two who previously ran far away during the burning of the theater pavilion,

those very two left behind there were a rooster and a monkey.

Her dancing monkey who met his death in the course of time,

he became this prince of yours, and the rooster became the minister's son.

From the merit acquired in a previous existence by wearing the rudrākṣa,

these two boys have been born and live in an exalted family.

Because of previous habit, their minds pure, they wear rudrākṣas;

in this life, having worshiped Śiva, the two shall go to that world [of Śiva].

Thus the past history of these two boys has been narrated,

as well as the story of the devotee of Śiva. What else do you wish to ask?”

Thus ends the twentieth chapter, named 'Description of the Greatness of Rudrākṣa', in the Brahmottarakhaṇḍa, the third [section] of the venerable Skanda Mahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses.