Skandapurana 6.2.74.21

6.2.74.21

.. śrīhara uvāca .. ..
catuḥsaptatikaṃ viddhi śivaṃ rājasthaleśvaram ..
yasya darśanamātreṇa sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate .. 1 ..
viṣṇukalpe purā vṛtte manvaṃtaramukhapriye ..
arājake mahīpṛṣṭhe brahmā ciṃtāparo'bhavat .. 2 ..
na manuṣyairvinā devāḥ samarthā lokadhāraṇe ..
dānejyājapatodevā bhajaṃte puṣṭimuttamām .. 3 ..
yogyo rājā prajāpālaḥ ko bhavejjanavatsalaḥ ..
so'paśyadatha rājarṣi stapasyaṃtaṃ ripuṃjayam .. 4 ..
pṛthvyāṃ sarvaguṇākīrṇaṃ dharmaniṣṭhaṃ mahāvratam ..
tamuvācātha deveśo brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ .. 5 ..
.. brahmovāca .. ..
ripuṃjaya nibodhedaṃ vacanaṃ mama putraka ..
rājyaṃ ca pālyatāṃ vatsa ekakalpena cetasā .. 6 ..
alaṃ te tapasā tāta kaṣṭenānena sāṃpratam ..
dharmeṇa vijitāḥ sarve tvayā lokā narottama .. 7 ..
kriyatāmadhunā lokapālanaṃ tu mamājñayā ..
yataḥ paropakāro hi phalaṃ dehasya dehinaḥ .. 8 ..
na dharmastādṛśo'nyo'sti na cānyo'rthasya sādhakaḥ ..
nirayāptirapi śreya upakṛtya parasya vai ..9..
nāpakāreṇa bhūtānāmapi syādbhuvaneśatā ..
satataṃ loka kāryārthaṃ madājñāgauraveṇa ca ..
pṛthvīṃ samudravasanāṃ prajāścaiva prapālaya .. 5.2.74.10 ..
ityuktaḥ sa tu rājarṣirbrahmaṇā parvatātmaje ..
provāca prāṃjalirbhūtvā brahmāṇaṃ tu ripuṃjayaḥ .. 11 ..
svabhāvenācalā pṛdhvī tvayā pūrvaṃ vinirmitā ..
vinaiva pālakaṃ hyeṣā kutra yāsyati medinī .. 12 ..
yadyavaśyaṃ mayā pṛdhvī pālanīyā pitāmaha ..
dehi me nagarīṃ ramyāmavantīṃ saptakalpagām ..13..
manuṣyaloke vikhyātā sakale sāmarāvatī ..
svargacyutānāṃ devānāṃ nivāsārthaṃ pratiṣṭhitā .. 14 ..
maryādāmanuvatteṃyuryadi me nākavāsinaḥ ..
adatte ca mayā sthāne na vāsaḥ kasyacidbhavet ..
anena vidhinā pṛthvīṃ pālayiṣyāmyahaṃ prabho .. 15..
.. brahmovāca .. ..
bhaviṣyatyeṣa te kāmo yastvayokto narottama..
ye kecittridaśāḥ saṃti madgauravavaśena te ..
tavādeśaṃ kariṣyaṃti sadā tvadvaśavarttinaḥ .. 16..
devanātheti vai nāma bhaviṣyati ca suvrata..
ityuktvāṃtardadhe brahmā haṃsayānaṃ samāsthitaḥ ..17..
atha rājā pratijñāya brahmaṇā bhūmipālanam..
pṛthvyāmudghoṣayāmāsa provāca tridivaukasām ..18..
bhavatāṃ vihitaḥ svargo manujānāṃ ca bhūtalam ..
ye cātra kaṃda raratāḥ sthale vā bhūdhareṣu ca .. 19..
ye sthitā yāṃtu te devā manujānāmiyaṃ dharā ..
tacchrutvā ghoṣitaṃ tasya rājño bhayanipīḍitāḥ ..
tridaśā brahmaṇo vākyādgauravāttridivaṃ gatāḥ .. 5.2.74.20 ..
atha prajāḥ sa nṛpatirdharmeṇāvardhayattadā ..
putravatsehayuktena hṛdayenātinirvṛtāḥ..21.

The venerable Hara said:
Know the seventy-fourth Śiva to be Rājasthaleśvara,
merely by whose darśana one is released from all sins. (1)
Formerly, when the Viṣṇukalpa had occurred, pleasing to the beginning of the Manvantara,
when the earth’s surface was without a king, Brahmā became filled with anxiety: (2)
“Without human beings, the gods are unable to sustain the worlds;
from gifts, sacrifices, and recitations, the gods enjoy supreme nourishment. (3)
Who could be a fit king, a protector of subjects, fond of the people?”
He then saw the royal sage Ripuñjaya performing austerity (4)
on earth, endowed with every virtue, devoted to dharma, of great vows.
Then the Lord of the gods, Brahmā, grandfather of the worlds, said to him: (5)
Brahmā said:
Ripuñjaya, heed this word of mine, my child;
and let the kingdom be protected, dear son, with a resolute mind. (6)
Enough of your austerity now, my child, with this hardship;
all the worlds have been conquered through dharma by you, best of men. (7)
Now let the protection of the world be carried out at my command,
for indeed benevolence toward others is the fruit of having an embodied form. (8)
There is no other dharma like that, nor anything else that accomplishes wealth;
even attainment of hell is better, if one has benefited another. (9)
Not by harming beings should there be sovereignty over the earth.
Constantly, for the sake of the affairs of the world, and out of respect for my command,
protect the earth, whose garment is the ocean, and the subjects as well. (10)
Thus addressed by Brahmā, O daughter of the mountain,
that royal sage Ripuñjaya, joining his palms, said to Brahmā: (11)
“By nature the earth was formerly fashioned motionless by you;
without a protector, indeed, where will this earth go? (12)
If the earth must certainly be protected by me, O Grandfather,
then give me the charming city of Avantī, which endures for seven kalpas. (13)
It is renowned in the entire world of mortals as comparable to Amarāvatī,
established as a dwelling for the gods fallen from heaven. (14)
If the dwellers of heaven will abide by my decree,
and without my grant no one will have a residence [there],
then by this rule I will protect the earth, O Lord.” (15)
Brahmā said:
“This desire of yours that you have spoken shall come to pass, best of men.
Whatever gods there are, out of respect for me,
they will execute your command, always subject to your authority. (16)
And your name will indeed be Devanātha, O you of noble vows.”
Having said this, Brahmā, mounted on his swan vehicle, vanished. (17)
Then the king, having promised the protection of the earth to Brahmā,
proclaimed on earth, and spoke to the dwellers of heaven: (18)
“Heaven has been designated for you, and the surface of the earth for mortals;
and those gods who dwell here, engaged in caves, or on the ground, or on mountains— (19)
let them depart; this earth belongs to mortals.”
Hearing that proclamation of his, afflicted with fear,
the gods, because of Brahmā’s words and out of respect, went to heaven. (20)
Then that king fostered the subjects through dharma at that time,
and they were exceedingly delighted by his heart filled with affection as for a son. (21)