Skandapurana 6.3.16

6.3.16.p1

adhyāya 16

6.3.16.1

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca -
samātṛbhirbhūtagaṇaśca ghorairvṛtaḥ samantātsa nanarta śūlī .
gajendracarmāvaraṇe vasānaḥ saṃhartukāmaśca jagatsamastam .. 16.1 ..

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said: / Surrounded on all sides by the Mothers and dreadful hosts of ghosts, the trident-bearer danced, / dressed in the covering of an elephant hide, desiring to destroy the entire world.

6.3.16.2

maheśvaraḥ sarvasureśvarāṇāṃ mantrairanekekhabaddhamālī .
medovasāraktavicarcitāṅgastrailokyadāhe praṇanarta śambhuḥ .. 16.2 ..

Maheśvara, having garlands strung with many syllables by the mantras of all lords of gods, / his limbs smeared with marrow, fat, and blood, Śambhu danced at the burning of the three worlds.

6.3.16.3

sa kālarātryā sahito mahātmā kāle trilokīṃ sakalāṃ jahāra .
saṃvartakākhyaḥ sahabhānubhāvaḥ śambhurmahātmā jagato variṣṭhaḥ .. 16.3 ..

Accompanied by Kālarātri, the great-souled one destroyed the entire three worlds in due time. / Known as Saṃvartaka, possessing the splendor of the sun, the great-souled Śambhu is the highest in the universe.

6.3.16.4

sa visphuliṅgotkaradhūmamiśraṃ maholkavajrāśanivātatulyam .
tato'ṭṭahāsaṃ pramumoca ghoraṃ vivṛtya vaktraṃ vaḍavāmukhābham .. 16.4 ..

Then, opening his mouth that resembled the submarine fire, he let loose a dreadful, loud laugh / mixed with a multitude of sparks and smoke, resembling a wind of great meteors and thunderbolts.

6.3.16.5

sahasravajrāśanisaṃnibhena tenāṭṭahāsena harodgatena .
āpūritāstatra diśo daśaiva saṃkṣobhitāḥ sarvamahārṇavāśca .. 16.5 ..

By that loud laugh issuing from Hara, resembling a thousand thunderbolts, / all the ten directions were filled there, and all the great oceans were agitated.

6.3.16.6

sa brahmalokaṃ prajagāma śabdo brahmāṇḍabhāṇḍaṃ pracacāla sarvam .
kimetadityākulacetanāste vitrastarūpā ṛṣayo babhūvuḥ .. 16.6 ..

That sound reached the world of Brahmā; the entire vessel of the universe trembled. / 'What is this?'—their minds perturbed, the seers became terrified.

6.3.16.7

praṇamya sarve sahasaiva bhītā brahmāṇamūcuḥ parameśvareśam .
bhītāśca sarve ṛṣayastataste surāsuraiścaiva mahoragaiśca .. 16.7 ..

Bowing at once in fear, they spoke to Brahmā, the lord of supreme gods; / and all those seers were frightened, along with gods, demons, and great serpents.

6.3.16.8

vidyutprabhābhāsurabhīṣaṇāṅgaḥ ka eṣa cikrīḍati bhūtalasthaḥ .
kālānalaṃ gātramidaṃ dadhāno yasyāṭṭahāsena jagadvimūḍham .. 16.8 ..

"Who is this, standing on the surface of the earth, playing, with terrifying limbs blazing with the radiance of lightning, / bearing this body [resembling] the fire of destruction, by whose loud laughter the universe is bewildered? 16.8

6.3.16.9

vitrastarūpaṃ prababhau kṣaṇena saṃhartumicchetkimayaṃ trilokīm .
sārdhaṃ tvayā saptabhirarṇakaiśca janastapaḥ satyamabhiprayāti .. 16.9 ..

In an instant, it appeared terrified in form. Does he desire to destroy the three worlds? / Together with you and the seven children, the people of the worlds—Jana, Tapas, and Satya—are approaching [ruin]. 16.9

6.3.16.10

saṃhartukāmo hi ka eṣa deva etatsamastaṃ kathayāprameya .
na dṛṣṭametadviṣamaṃ kadāpi jānāsi tattvaṃ paramo mato naḥ .. 16.10 ..

Indeed, who is this god wishing to destroy [all]? Tell us all this, O immeasurable one! / Such a terrible thing has never been seen before. You know the truth; we consider you supreme." 16.10

6.3.16.11

niśamya tadvākyamathābabhāṣe brahmā samāśvāsya surādisaṅghān .. 16.11 ..

Having heard their words, Brahmā then, comforting the hosts of gods and others, spoke: 16.11

6.3.16.12

śrībrahmovāca -
sa eṣa kālastridivaṃ tvaśeṣaṃ saṃhartukāmo jagadakṣayātmā .
pūrṇe ca śete parivatsarāṇāṃ bhaviṣyatīśānavibhurna citram .. 16.12 ..

The venerable Brahmā said: / "He is Time, desiring to destroy the entire heaven and universe, of imperishable nature. / And when the cycle of years is complete, he rests; he will become the all-pervading lord—it is no wonder. 16.12

6.3.16.13

saṃvatsaro'yaṃ parivatsaraśca udvatsaro vatsara eṣa devaḥ .
dṛṣṭo'pyadṛṣṭaḥ prahutaḥ prakāśī sthūlaśca sūkṣmaḥ paramāṇureṣaḥ .. 16.13 ..

This god is the Saṃvatsara, the Parivatsara, the Udvatsara, and the Vatsara. / He is seen and unseen, sacrificed to, shining, gross, subtle, and an ultimate atom. 16.13

6.3.16.14

nātaḥ paraṃ kiṃcidihāsti loke parāparo'yaṃ prabhurātmavādī .
tuṣyeta me kālasamānarūpa ityevamuktvā bhagavānsureśaḥ .. 16.14 ..

There is nothing higher than this in this world; he is higher than the high, the master who asserts himself. / May he who resembles Time be pleased with me!" Having spoken thus, the venerable lord of gods, 16.14

6.3.16.15

sanatkumārapramukhaiḥ sametaḥ saṃtoṣayāmāsa tato yatātmā .. 16.15 ..

accompanied by Sanatkumāra and the others, restrained in mind, then propitiated him. 16.15

6.3.16.16

brahmovāca -
namo'stu sarvāya suśāntamūrtāye hyaghorarūpāya namonamaste .
sarvātmane sarva namonamaste mahātmane bhūtapate namaste .. 16.16 ..

Brahmā said: / "Homage to Sarva, whose form is exceedingly peaceful; homage, homage to you whose form is non-terrific. / Homage, homage to you, the soul of all, O Sarva! Homage to you, the great soul, O lord of creatures! 16.16

6.3.16.17

oṅkāra huṅkārapariṣkṛtāya svadhāvaṣaṭkāra namonamaste .
guṇatrayeśāya maheśvarāya te trayīmayāya triguṇātmane namaḥ .. 16.17 ..

Homage, homage to you adorned with the sounds Oṃ and Huṃ, and with Svadhā and Vaṣaṭ! / Homage to you, the master of the three qualities, Maheśvara, composed of the three Vedas, the embodiment of the three qualities. 16.17

6.3.16.18

tvaṃ śaṅkaratvaṃ hi maheśvaro'si pradhānamagryaṃ tvamasi praviṣṭaḥ .
tvaṃ viṣṇurīśaḥ prapitāmahaśca tvaṃ saptajihvastvamanantajihvaḥ .. 16.18 ..

You are Śaṅkara, you indeed are Maheśvara; you have entered the foremost primal matter. / You are Viṣṇu, Īśa, and the great-grandfather; you are the seven-tongued, you are the endless-tongued. 16.18

6.3.16.19

sraṣṭāsi sṛṣṭiśca vibho tvameva viśvasya vedyaṃ ca paraṃ nidhānam .
āhurdvijā vedavido vareṇyaṃ parātparastvaṃ parataḥ paro'si .. 16.19 ..

You are the creator, and you alone, O all-pervading one, are creation, the knowable, and the supreme treasure of the universe. / The twice-born knowers of the Veda declare you to be the most excellent; you are higher than the high, supreme beyond the supreme. 16.19

6.3.16.20

sūkṣmātisūkṣmaṃ pravadanti yacca vāco nivartanti mano yataśca .. 16.20 ..

And you are that which they call the subtlest of the subtle, from which words turn back along with the mind." 16.20

6.3.16.21

śrīmahādeva uvāca -
tvayā stuto'haṃ vividhaiśca mantraiḥ puṣṇāmi śāntiṃ tava padmayone .
īkṣasva māṃ lokamimaṃ jvalantaṃ vaktrairanekaiḥ prasabhaṃ harantam .. 16.21 ..

The venerable Mahādeva said: / "Praised by you with various mantras, I bring peace to you, O lotus-born one. / Look upon me, blazing, forcibly seizing this world with my many mouths!" 16.21

6.3.16.22

evamuktvā sa deveśo devyā saha jagatpatiḥ .
pitāmahaṃ samāśvāsya tatraivāntaradhīyata .. 16.22 ..

Having spoken thus, that lord of the gods, the master of the universe, together with the Goddess, / comforting the grandfather, vanished right there. 16.22

6.3.16.23

idaṃ mahatpuṇyatamaṃ variṣṭhaṃ stotraṃ niśamyeha gatiṃ labhante .
pāpairanekaiḥ pariveṣṭitā ye prayānti rudraṃ vimalairvimānaiḥ .. 16.23 ..

Hearing this hymn, which is exceedingly auspicious and most excellent, they attain the supreme goal here. / Those who are surrounded by numerous sins go to Rudra in spotless aerial chariots. 16.23

6.3.16.24

bhayaṃ ca teṣāṃ na bhavetkadācitpaṭhanti ye tāta idaṃ dvijāgryāḥ .
saṅgrāmacaurāgnivane tathābdhau teṣāṃ śivastrāti na saṃśayo'tra .. 16.24 ..

And no fear shall ever arise for those best of twice-born, my dear, who recite this. / In battle, from thieves, fire, in the forest, and likewise in the ocean, Śiva protects them; of this there is no doubt. 16.24

6.3.16.24_2

.. iti śrīskānde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ pañcama āvantyakhaṇḍe revākhaṇḍe narmadāmāhātmye brahmakṛtaśivastutivarṇanaṃ nāma ṣoḍaśo'dhyāyaḥ ..

Thus ends the sixteenth chapter, named 'The Description of the Praise of Śiva Uttered by Brahmā', in the Narmadāmāhātmya of the Revākhaṇḍa, in the fifth Avantīkhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, a collection of eighty-one thousand verses.