Skandapurana 4.24

The two Gaṇas said:

"O Śivaśarman, we two will tell you your future; listen!

Having enjoyed abundant pleasures here in the world of Viṣṇu

for a full year of Brahmā, sporting with hosts of apsarases,

by the remainder of the merit acquired through death at the sacred ford, you will indeed

become a king in the city of Nandivardhana,

having attained a kingdom without rivals, rich in armies and mounts,

frequented by joyful and well-fed peasants adorned with charming gold ornaments,

who constantly perform the duties of sacrifices and public works,

always rich in crops, filled with fertile fields,

a good country with good subjects, prosperous, with fine pasture, rich in cattle,

adorned with rows of shrines to deities,

where the villages have sacrificial posts, resplendent with the prosperity of great wealth,

with cultivated gardens of beautiful flowers, and trees bearing fruit in all seasons."

where lands shine adorned with lakes full of lotuses;

where the row of rivers is full of reeds, but the people are never full of deceit;

where families are indeed noble, and wealth is never unjustly gained;

where amorous grace is seen in women, but confusion is never found among the wise;

where rivers take crooked courses, but the subjects in that realm never go astray;

where nights are full of darkness in the waning fortnights, but men are never endowed with dull ignorance;

where women alone are subject to their monthly periods, but men devoted to virtue are never touched by passion;

where no one is blinded by riches, and food is never mere imagining;

where lack of guidance belongs only to the movement of a chariot, and never to a royal officer;

where the rod is found only in the rows of axes, spades, and chowries,

and in parasols, but punishment born of anger or crime is found nowhere else;

where lamentation exists nowhere except among groups of gamblers;

where only gamblers are seen with dice in hand;

where talk of coldness is only in the waters, and only women's waists are slender;

where only women's breasts are hard, but human hearts are never so;

where the application of costus exists only in medicines, but leprosy never touches a man;

where boring exists only within fine gems, and an iron pin only in the hands of sculptors;

where trembling arises only from spiritual emotion, never anywhere from fear in anyone;

where fever is born only of love, and poverty belongs only to impurity;

where what good thing could ever be scarce on account of good deeds?

where only elephants are in rut, and conflict belongs only to waves in a reservoir;

where cessation of giving is seen only in the ichor of elephants, and thorns belong only to trees;

where wandering belongs only to the people, and no one's chest is ever pierced;

where detachment from the bowstring belongs only to arrows, and firm binding is only spoken of in a book;

where abandonment of affection exists ever only among the Pāśupata ascetics;

where mention of the staff belongs ever to those who have undertaken the vows of renunciation;

where seeking belongs to arrows, and mendicants are only celibate students;

where only Digambara monks are seen bearing dirt;

and where only bees are generally of fickle movement;

when, in such a virtuous land, you rule the kingdom

with righteousness, knowing the duties of kings, endowed with the quality of valour,

possessing good fortune, endowed with beauty, possessing heroism and generosity,

you will have ten thousand charming wives possessing splendid beauty

and surpassing grace, and three hundred sons.

Known as Vṛddhakāla, fierce, conqueror of enemies' cities,

victorious in many battles, satisfying petitioners with wealth,

abounding in countless virtues, radiant like the full moon,

your hair ever wet from the ablutions of sacrifices, a bull among kings,

accomplished in protecting subjects, gladdening brahmins from your treasury,

unweariedly meditating on Govinda's lotus feet in your heart,

spending days and nights in conversation on tales of Vāsudeva—

once, seated in the midst of the royal assembly, O twice-born,

you will be seen from afar by pilgrims arrived from Vārāṇasī.

At that time, you will be greeted by them, who correspond to what is to come,

with manifold blessings, O tiger among kings:

‘May the glorious Lord Viśveśvara, teacher of all the worlds,

the Lord of Kāśī, bring about the removal of evil thoughts when praised!

He who would grant the highest beatitude even from being remembered,

may that Lord of Kāśī bestow upon you knowledge free from stain!

By that merit through which an abundant, thornless kingdom was attained by you,

by the remainder of that merit, may your mind be set on Viśvanātha!

By whose grace long life, sons, clothes, women,

riches, heaven, and liberation are easily attained—may that Lord of All be pleased!

By the mere hearing of whose name, the all-pervading Lord of All,

great sins are destroyed—may that Lord of All abide in your heart!’

Hearing this succession of blessings, you, king Vṛddhakāla,

will then remember this incident, your body covered in goosebumps.

Concealing your emotion, giving much wealth to them,

and waiting for an auspicious moment, after bestowing the kingdom upon your son,

you will then depart for Kāśī along with queen Anaṅgalekhā.

Having given abundant gifts and satisfied those who ask,

and having established there a liṅga under your own name, which causes nirvāṇa,

having built a lofty temple there and, in front of it, an excellent well,

having duly performed the installation of the pinnacle and other [rites] there,

having given wealth in jewels, rubies, gold, fine silks, elephants, horses, and cattle,

and large banners, flags, parasols, chowries, and mirrors,

having bestowed abundant equipment for the god, untiring,

your body emaciated through vows, fasts, and observances,

at midday in that deserted place you will see an ascetic:

with an extremely aged body, having reddish matted hair,

tall, like Dharma incarnate, charming to people,

resting the weight of his staff-like body upon a firm staff,

emerging from the inner sanctum and approaching the theater pavilion.

Sitting down beside you, he will ask you thus in order:

“Who are you? Why are you here? Who is this, like a second [self] to you?

By whom was this temple built? If you know, tell me.

What is the name of this liṅga? On account of old age, I generally do not know.”

Questioned thus by the aged ascetic, O Lord,

you will say: “I am a king, known as Vṛddhakāla,

a southerner, arrived here together with this beloved wife.

I meditate on this liṅga, and I ask for nothing.

O ascetic with matted hair, Śiva himself is the builder of this temple.

In particular, I do not know for certain the name of this liṅga.”

Hearing these words of the king, the ascetic with matted hair said:

“You have spoken only one truth: that you do not know the name of the liṅga.

I see you constantly seated here, completely motionless.

Surely it has been heard by you by whom this temple was built.

Tell me that plainly, if you know in truth.”

Hearing his speech, you will say again:

“Śambhu is the maker and the one who causes it to be made; what untruth am I speaking?

Or else, O powerful ascetic, what does this concern matter to me?”

When you remain silent, that aged ascetic again [will say]:

“I am thirsty; fetch water quickly and give it to me.”

Urged thus by him, you will bring water from the well

and give it to that aged ascetic to drink; and in that instant he,

from drinking that water, will become endowed with the radiance of the full moon,

young, endowed with beauty, like a serpent freed from its skin.

Filled with wonder, you will speak to him once more:

“What power is this indeed, O venerable one, by which you

have discarded old age here and now shine as young?

If you have the time, then tell me, O ascetic.”

The ascetic said:

“O King Vṛddhakāla of great intellect, I know you;

and I also know this devoted wife of yours.

Prior to this birth, O King, she was the daughter of a brahmin,

of Turvasu, who was the embodiment of the Veda, herself of auspicious conduct and fair face.

By him she was given in marriage to the noble-minded Naidhruva;

and that Naidhruva fell under the power of Time before reaching youth.

Observing widowhood, keeping auspicious vows, she died in Avantī.

Through that merit, she was born as the daughter of the Pāṇḍya king.

Wedded by you, O King, ever devoted to her husband,

arrived here along with you, she will attain unsurpassed liberation.

Whether in Ayodhyā or in Avantī, or in Mathurā,

or in Dvāravatī, or in Kāñcī, or in Māyāpurī, O King,

even sinners who meet their death in the course of time—

they, coming here from heaven, will indeed attain liberation in Kāśī.

I know you too, O King: in your previous birth you were a brahmin,

a native of Mathurā named Śivaśarman, and you died in Māyāpurī.

Having attained Vaikuṇṭha through that merit and enjoyed delightful pleasures,

from the remainder of that merit you were born as a king in Nandivardhana.

O protector of the earth of Vṛddhakāla, by that very good deed,

you have reached this sacred field of liberation and will attain unsurpassed liberation. (67)

Moreover, listen, O king of kings, to what was spoken by you:

'Śambhu is the maker and the one who causes the temple to be made'—that is plainly true. (68)

A good deed should never be constantly proclaimed;

from saying 'this was done by me', merit vanishes that very instant. (69)

Therefore, with every effort, it must be concealed like a treasure;

a good deed becomes futile by boasting, just like an oblation offered into ashes. (70)

Prompted indeed by Viśvanātha, O sinless one,

the temple and the rest have been built here by you whose purpose is accomplished; so I know. (71)

This liṅga, O king, named Vṛddhakāleśvara,

know to be established from beginningless time, yet you indeed were the instrumental cause. (72)

From seeing, touching, worshipping, hearing of, and bowing to

this liṅga of Vṛddhakāleśa, one obtains everything desired. (73)

The well named Kālodaka destroys old age and disease;

by drinking its water, one never drinks mother’s milk again. (74)

Having bathed in the well's water and worshipped this liṅga,

a person attains within a year the perfection desired by the mind. (75)

Neither leprosy, nor boils, nor blemishes, nor scabies,

nor phlegm remain, when one has drunk or touched the water of Kālatama. (76)

Neither sluggish digestion, nor colic, nor urinary disease, nor dysentery,

nor strangury, nor cutaneous eruptions [afflict] from drinking and resorting to this [water]. (77)

Whatever fevers caused by spirits and whatever intermittent fevers there be,

they quickly subside indeed from using the water of this well. (78)

Before your eyes, my old age and grey hair duly

perished in a moment through drinking the water of this well, and I became young again. (79)

When the liṅga Vṛddhakāleśvara is worshipped, there is no poverty,

no afflictions, nor diseases, no sin, and no fruit born of wrongdoing. (80)

To the north of Kṛttivāsa in Vārāṇasī, with diligence,

the Vṛddhakāleśvara liṅga must be beheld by those who desire siddhi. (81)

Having spoken thus and grasped that king by the hand, the ascetic,

along with Queen Anaṅgalekhā, entered dissolution into that liṅga. (82)

From proclaiming, 'O Mahākāla, O Mahākāla, O Mahākāla!',

one is freed a hundredfold from sins; no doubt should be entertained here. (83)

In this manner, liberation will be yours after the darśana of the enemy of Kaiṭabha,

having enjoyed diverse pleasures in the auspicious city of Vaikuṇṭha. (84)

Thus, with hair bristling with joy, having heard [this] from the mouth of that attendant of the Lord,
the brahmin beheld his own future in Hari's realm, delightful as ten million suns. (85)

Maitrāvaruṇi said:

O Lopāmudrā, that best of brahmins, having enjoyed delightful pleasures,

and by the power of the merit of relinquishing his life in Māyāpurī, (86)

came from the realm of Vaikuṇṭha to the city of Nandivardhana,

enjoyed earthly pleasures, fathered handsome sons, (87)

and, transferring the kingdom to them, reached the city of Vārāṇasī,

where, having worshipped Viśveśvara, he attained the state of nirvāṇa. (88)

Having heard this most sacred narrative of the brahmin Śivaśarman,

a person is freed from sin and attains supreme knowledge. (89)

Thus ends the twenty-fourth chapter, entitled 'Attainment of Nirvāṇa by Śivaśarman', in the first half of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, in the fourth [section] of the eighty-one-thousand-verse collection of the glorious Skandapurāṇa. (24)

Vyāsa said:
Listen, Sūta, I will recount the story of the pot-born [sage],
hearing which a man becomes free from passion and a vessel of knowledge. (1)
Having circumambulated the mountain named Śrī,
the pot-born one, together with his wife, then beheld the vast, charming grove of Skanda, (2)
filled with flowers in all seasons, with trees bearing succulent fruits,
rich in edible roots and tubers, with trees having excellent bark, (3)
frequented by herds of wild beasts, surrounded by rivers and pools,
with clear and deep lakes, the supreme essence of all the earth, (4)
resounding with various birds, inhabited by diverse sages,
as if it were the sole gathering-place of austerity and the abode of prosperity. (5)
There is a mountain there named Lohita, possessing the splendour of the golden mountain,
with lovely caves and waterfalls, its ridges shining like peaks, (6)
as if it were a single piece of Kailāsa that had descended here into the realm of action
to practice austerity intensely, endowed with many wonders. (7)
There the best of sages, Agastya, beheld the six-faced one in person.
Having bowed prostrate on the ground together with his wife, the one of great austerity (8)
praised the son of Girijā with hymns originating from the Vedas
and with a hymn of his own composition, with his hands folded in reverence. (9)
Agastya said:
Salutations to the one whose lotus feet are worshipped by the host of gods, who creates nectar,
who has six faces, boundless valour, and is the source of joy to Gaurī’s heart! (10)
Salutations to you, who removes the distress of the surrendered, the fulfiller of all wishes,
the granter of chariots for crossing over, the slayer of the fierce demon Tāraka! (11)
To the unformed yet formed, of a thousand forms, possessing qualities, the locus of qualities, higher than the high,
beyond the boundless shore, beyond the prior and the posterior, salutations to you whose mount is the peacock! (12)
Salutations to you, the best among knowers of Brahman, clad in space, abiding in the firmament,
golden-hued, golden-armed; salutations to the golden one, the golden-seeded! (13)
To the one whose nature is austerity, rich in austerity, the bestower of the fruits of austerity...