Skandapurana 6.3.76

6.3.76.p1

adhyāya 76

6.3.76.1

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca -
tato gacchettu rājendra pāreśvaramanuttamam .
parāśaro mahātmā vai narmadāyāstaṭe śubhe .. 76.1 ..

The venerable Mārkaṇḍeya said:
Then one should go, O best of kings, to the unsurpassed Pāreśvara.
The great-souled Parāśara, indeed, on the auspicious bank of the Narmadā,

6.3.76.2

tapaścacāra vipulaṃ putrārthaṃ pāṇḍunandana .
himavadduhitā tena gaurī nārāyaṇī nṛpa .. 76.2 ..

performed extensive austerity for the sake of a son, O son of Pāṇḍu.
By him the daughter of Himavat, Gaurī, Nārāyaṇī, O king,

6.3.76.3

toṣitā parayā bhaktyā narmadottarake taṭe .
tasya tuṣṭā mahādevī śaṅkarārdhāṅgadhāriṇī .. 76.3 ..

was propitiated with supreme devotion on the northern bank of the Narmadā.
The great goddess, who holds half the body of Śaṅkara, was pleased with him [and said]:

6.3.76.4

bhobho ṛṣivara śreṣṭha tuṣṭāhaṃ tava bhaktitaḥ .
varaṃ yācaya me vipra parāśara mahāmate .. 76.4 ..

'Hail, O best, most excellent of seers! I am pleased with your devotion.
Ask a boon of me, O brahmin, O noble-minded Parāśara!'

6.3.76.5

parāśara uvāca -
parituṣṭāsi me devi yadi deyo varo mama .
dehi putraṃ bhagavati satyaśaucaguṇānvitam .. 76.5 ..

Parāśara said:
'If you are well pleased with me, O goddess, if a boon is to be granted to me,
give me a son, O blessed lady, endowed with the virtues of truth and purity,

6.3.76.6

vedābhyasanaśīlaṃ hi sarvaśāstraviśāradam .
tīrthe cātra bhaveddevi sannidhānavareṇa tu .. 76.6 ..

devoted to the study of the Vedas, and proficient in all the sacred scriptures.
And may there be, O goddess, your presence in this sacred ford by this excellent boon.

6.3.76.7

lokopakārahetośca sthīyatāṃ girinandini .
parāśarābhidhānena narmadādakṣiṇe taṭe .. 76.7 ..

For the sake of helping the world, remain here, O daughter of the mountain,
under the name of Parāśara, on the southern bank of the Narmadā.'

6.3.76.8

śrīdevyuvāca -
evaṃ bhavatu te vipra tatraivāntaradhīyata .
parāśaro mahātmā vai sthāpayāmāsa pārvatīm .. 76.8 ..

The goddess said:
'So be it for you, O brahmin.' Right there she disappeared.
The great-souled Parāśara then established Pārvatī.

6.3.76.9

śaṅkaraṃ sthāpayāmāsa surāsuranamaskṛtam .
acchedyamapratarkyaṃ ca devānāṃ tu durāsadam .. 76.9 ..

He established Śaṅkara, worshipped by gods and asuras,
indivisible, inconceivable, and difficult of access even to the gods.

6.3.76.10

parāśaro mahātmā vai kṛtārtho hyabhavannṛpa .. 76.10 ..

The great-souled Parāśara achieved his purpose, O king.

6.3.76.11

tatra tīrthe tu yo bhaktyā śuciḥ prayatamānasaḥ .
stryathavā puruṣo vāpi kāmakrodhavivarjitaḥ .. 76.11 ..

At that sacred ford, whoever with devotion, pure and restrained in mind,
whether a woman or a man, free from desire and anger,

6.3.76.12

māghe caitre'tha vaiśākhe śrāvaṇe nṛpanandana .
māsi mārgaśire caiva śuklapakṣe tu sarvadā .. 76.12 ..

in Māgha, Caitra, or Vaiśākha, in Śrāvaṇa, O prince,
and in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa, during the bright fortnight at all times,

6.3.76.13

tatra gatvā śubhe sthāne narmadādakṣiṇe taṭe .. 76.13 ..

having gone to that auspicious place on the southern bank of the Narmadā,

6.3.76.14

upoṣya parayā bhaktyā vratametatsamācaret .
rātrau jāgaraṇaṃ kṛtvā dīpadānaṃ svaśaktitaḥ .. 76.14 ..

having fasted with supreme devotion, performs this observance,
keeping vigil at night and giving lamps according to one's capacity,

6.3.76.15

gītaṃ nṛtyaṃ tathā vādyaṃ kāmakrodhavivarjitaḥ .
prabhāte vimale prāpte dvijāḥ pūjyāḥ svaśaktitaḥ .. 76.15 ..

[with] song, dance, and instrumental music, free from desire and anger;
when clear dawn arrives, the twice-born should be honored according to one's capacity.

6.3.76.16

sampūjya brāhmaṇān pārtha dhanadānahiraṇyataḥ .
vastreṇa chatradānena śayyātāmbūlabhojanaiḥ .. 76.16 ..

Having honored the brahmins, O son of Pṛthā, with gifts of wealth and gold,
with clothing, the gift of umbrellas, beds, betel, and meals,

6.3.76.17

prīṇayennarmadātīre brāhmaṇāñchaṃsitavratān .
śrāddhaṃ kāryaṃ nṛpaśreṣṭha āmaiḥ pakvairjalena ca .. 76.17 ..

one should gratify on the bank of the Narmadā the brahmins of commendable vows.
A śrāddha should be performed, O best of kings, with raw food, cooked food, and water.

6.3.76.18

strīṇāṃ caiva tu śūdrāṇāmāmaśrāddhaṃ praśasyate .
āmaṃ caturguṇaṃ deyaṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ yudhiṣṭhira .. 76.18 ..

For women and for śūdras, an āmaśrāddha is praised;
raw food should be given fourfold to the brahmins, O Yudhiṣṭhira.

6.3.76.19

vedoktena vidhānena dvijāḥ pūjyāḥ prayatnataḥ .
hastamātraiḥ kuśaiścaiva tilaiścaivākṣatairnṛpa .. 76.19 ..

According to the rite taught in the Veda, the twice-born are to be honored with care,
with kuśa grass a cubit long, with sesame seeds, and with unbroken rice, O king.

6.3.76.20

viprā udaṅmukhāḥ kāryāḥ svayaṃ vai dakṣiṇāmukhaḥ .
darbheṣu nikṣipedannamityuccārya dvijāgrataḥ .. 76.20 ..

The brahmins should be seated facing north, and oneself facing south.
One should place the food upon the darbha grass, uttering this before the twice-born:

6.3.76.21

pretā yāntu pare loke tīrthasyāsya prabhāvataḥ .
pāpaṃ me praśamaṃ yātu etu vṛddhiṃ śubhaṃ sadā .. 76.21 ..

'May the departed spirits go to the higher world by the power of this sacred ford!
May my sin be pacified; may auspiciousness always increase!

6.3.76.22

vṛddhiṃ yātu sadā vaṃśo jñātivargo dvijottama .
evamuccārya viprāya dānaṃ deyaṃ svaśaktitaḥ .. 76.22 ..

May my lineage and kinsmen always flourish, O best of the twice-born!'
Having uttered this, a gift should be given to the brahmin according to one's capacity.

6.3.76.23

gobhūtisahiraṇyādi cānnaṃ vastraṃ svaśaktitaḥ .
dātavyaṃ pāṇḍavaśreṣṭha pāreśvaravarāśrame .. 76.23 ..

Cows, land, gold and the like, food and clothing, according to one's capacity,
should be given, O best of Pāṇḍavas, at the excellent hermitage of Pāreśvara.

6.3.76.24

ye śṛṇvanti paraṃ bhaktyā mucyante sarvapātakaiḥ .. 76.24 ..

Those who listen with supreme devotion are freed from all sins.

6.3.76.24_2

.. iti śrīskānde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ pañcama āvantyakhaṇḍe revākhaṇḍe pāreśvaratīrthamāhātmyavarṇanaṃ nāma ṣaṭsaptatitamo'dhyāyaḥ ..

Thus ends the seventy-sixth chapter, titled 'Description of the Pāreśvara-tīrtha-māhātmya', in the Revākhaṇḍa of the fifth [part, the] Āvantyakhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, a collection of eighty-one thousand [verses].