Skandapurana 6.3.80

6.3.80.p1

adhyāya 80

6.3.80.1

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca -
tato gacchettu rājendra nandikeśvaramuttamam .
yatra siddho mahānandī tatte sarvaṃ vadāmyaham .. 80.1 ..

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:
Then one should go, O best of kings, to the excellent Nandikeśvara,
where the great Nandī attained perfection. I shall tell you all about it.

6.3.80.2

revāyāṃ purataḥ kṛtvā purā nandī gaṇeśvaraḥ .
tapastapañjayaṃ kurvaṃstīrthāttīrthaṃ jagāma ha .. 80.2 ..

Formerly Nandī, the lord of the gaṇas, placing the Revā in front [of him],
went from sacred ford to sacred ford, performing tapas and repeating prayers.

6.3.80.3

dadhiskandaṃ madhuskandaṃ yāvattyaktvā tu gacchati .
tāvattuṣṭo mahādevo nandināthamuvāca ha .. 80.3 ..

As he left Dadhiskanda and Madhuskanda and went on,
Mahādeva became pleased and spoke to the lord Nandī:

6.3.80.4

īśvara uvāca -
bhobhoḥ prasanno nandīśa varaṃ vṛṇu yathepsitam .
tapasā tena tuṣṭo'haṃ tīrthayātrākṛtena te .. 80.4 ..

Īśvara said:
"Hail, hail! I am pleased, O lord of Nandī; choose a boon as you desire.
I am satisfied with that tapas performed by you during your pilgrimage to the sacred fords."

6.3.80.5

nandīśvara uvāca -
na cāhaṃ kāmaye vittaṃ na cāhaṃ kulasantatim .
muktvā na kāmaye kāmaṃ tava pādāmbujātparam .. 80.5 ..

Nandīśvara said:
"I do not desire wealth, nor do I desire offspring for my lineage.
Apart from your lotus feet, I desire no object of desire whatsoever.

6.3.80.6

kṛmikīṭapataṅgeṣu tiryagyoniṃ gatasya vā .
janma janmāntare'pyastu bhaktistvayi mamācalā .. 80.6 ..

Even if I enter the womb of animals, among worms, insects, or moths,
may my devotion to you remain unshakable in life after life!"

6.3.80.7

tathetyuktvā mahādevaḥ parayā kṛpayā nṛpa .
gṛhītvā taṃ kare siddhaṃ jagāma nilayaṃ haraḥ .. 80.7 ..

Saying, "So be it," out of supreme compassion, O king,
Hara took that perfected one by the hand and went to his abode.

6.3.80.8

tasmiṃstīrthe tu yaḥ snātvā bhaktyā tryakṣaṃ prapūjayet .
agniṣṭomasya yajñasya phalaṃ prāpnoti mānavaḥ .. 80.8 ..

Whoever bathes at that sacred ford and worships the Three-Eyed One with devotion,
that person obtains the fruit of an Agniṣṭoma sacrifice.

6.3.80.9

tatra tīrthe tu yaḥ snātvā prāṇatyāgaṃ karoti cet .
śivasyānucaro bhūtvā modate kalpamakṣayam .. 80.9 ..

If a person bathes at that sacred ford and gives up their life,
they become an attendant of Śiva and rejoice for an imperishable aeon.

6.3.80.10

tataḥ kālena mahatā jāyate vimale kule .
vedavedāṅgatattvajño jīvecca śaradāṃ śatam .. 80.10 ..

Then, after a great length of time, he is born into a pure lineage,
knowing the true meaning of the Vedas and Vedāṅgas, and lives for a hundred autumns.

6.3.80.11

etatte kathitaṃ tāta tīrthamāhātmyamuttamam .
durlabhaṃ martyasaṃjñasya sarvapāpakṣayaṃkaram .. 80.11 ..

This excellent māhātmya of the sacred ford has been told to you, dear one;
it is difficult to attain for mortals and destroys all sins.

6.3.80.11_2

.. iti śrīskānde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ pañcama āvantyakhaṇḍe revākhaṇḍe nandikeśvaratīrthamāhātmyavarṇanaṃ nāmāśītitamo'dhyāyaḥ ..

Thus ends the eightieth chapter, titled 'Description of the Māhātmya of Nandikeśvara Tīrtha', in the Revākhaṇḍa of the fifth section, the Āvantyakhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, a compendium of eighty-one thousand verses.