Skandapurana 6.3.99

6.3.99.p1

adhyāya 99

6.3.99.1

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca -
tato gacchenmahīpāla narmadādakṣiṇe taṭe .
sthāpitaṃ vāsukīśaṃ tu samastāghaughanāśanam .. 99.1 ..

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said: / Then one should go, O king, to the southern bank of the Narmadā, / to Vāsukīśa, which was consecrated [there] and destroys all hosts of sins. // 99.1

6.3.99.2

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca -
kasmācca kāraṇāttāta revāyā dakṣiṇe taṭe .
vāsukīśasthāpito vai vistarādvada me guro .. 99.2 ..

Yudhiṣṭhira said: / And for what reason, dear sir, was Vāsukīśa consecrated / on the southern bank of the Revā? Tell me in detail, O guru. // 99.2

6.3.99.3

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca -
etatsarvaṃ samāsthāya nṛtyaṃ śambhuścakāra vai .. 99.3 ..

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said: / Undertaking all this, Śambhu performed a dance. // 99.3

6.3.99.4

śramādajāyata svedo gaṅgātoyavimiśritam .
patantamurago'śnāti haramaulivinirgatam .. 99.4 ..

From fatigue, sweat arose, mixed with the waters of the Gaṅgā. / A serpent consumed it as it fell, having issued from Hara's head. // 99.4

6.3.99.5

mandākinī tataḥ kruddhā vyālasyopari bhārata .
prāpnuhyajagarattvaṃ hi bhujaṅga kṣudrajantuka .. 99.5 ..

Then Mandākinī, enraged at the serpent, [said], O descendant of Bharata: / ‘Become a python, O serpent, you lowly creature!’ // 99.5

6.3.99.6

vāsukiruvāca -
anugrāhyo'smi te pāpo durnayo'haṃ harādṛte .
trailokyapāvanī puṇyā sarittvaṃ śubhalakṣaṇā .. 99.6 ..

Vāsuki said: / ‘I am sinful and ill-behaved, worthy of your favor; I have no resort except Hara. / You are the river that purifies the three worlds, auspicious and endowed with good marks; // 99.6

6.3.99.7

saṃsāracchedanakarī hyārtānāmārtināśanī .
svargadvāre sthitā tvaṃ hi dayāṃ kuru mayīśvari .. 99.7 ..

you cut through transmigration and remove the distress of the afflicted. / Standing at the gate of heaven, O goddess, show compassion to me!’ // 99.7

6.3.99.8

gaṅgovāca -
kuruṣva vipulaṃ vindhyaṃ tapastvaṃ śaṅkaraṃ prati .
tataḥ prāpsyasi svaṃ sthānaṃ pannagatvaṃ mamājñayā .. 99.8 ..

Gaṅgā said: / ‘Go to the vast Vindhya mountain and perform austerity directed to Śaṅkara. / Then, by my command, you shall attain your own abode and status as a serpent.’ // 99.8

6.3.99.9

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca -
tato'sau tvarito vindhyaṃ nāgo gatvā nagaṃ śubham .
tapastaptuṃ samārebhe śaṅkarārādhanodyataḥ .. 99.9 ..

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said: / Then that snake went swiftly to the auspicious Vindhya mountain / and, intent on propitiating Śaṅkara, began to perform austerity. // 99.9

6.3.99.10

nityaṃ dadhyau mahādevaṃ tryakṣaṃ ḍamarukodyatam .
tato varṣaśate pūrṇa uparuddho jagadguruḥ .
āgatastatsamīpaṃ tu ślakṣṇāṃ vāṇīmudāharat .. 99.10 ..

He constantly meditated on Mahādeva, the three-eyed one holding up a ḍamaru drum. / Then, when a hundred years had elapsed, the guru of the world, having been besought, / came into his presence and spoke smooth words: // 99.10

6.3.99.11

varaṃ varaya me vatsa pannaga tvaṃ kṛtādara .. 99.11 ..

‘Choose a boon from me, my child, O serpent, you who have paid reverence.’ // 99.11

6.3.99.12

vāsukiruvāca -
yadi tuṣṭo'si me deva varaṃ dāsyasi śaṅkara .
prasādāttava deveśa bhūyānniṣpāpatā mama .
tīrthaṃ kiṃcitsamākhyāhi sarvapāpapraṇāśanam .. 99.12 ..

Vāsuki said: / ‘If you are pleased with me, O God, and will grant me a boon, O Śaṅkara, / by your grace, O Lord of gods, may I become sinless! / Tell me of some sacred ford that completely destroys all sins.’ // 99.12

6.3.99.13

īśvara uvāca -
pannaga tvaṃ mahābāho revāṃ gaccha śubhaṃkarīm .
yāmye tasyāstaṭe puṇye snānaṃ kuru yathāvidhi .. 99.13 ..

Īśvara said: / ‘O serpent of mighty arms, go to the auspicious Revā. / On its sacred southern bank, perform a ritual ablution according to rule.’ // 99.13

6.3.99.14

ityuktvāntardadhe devo vāsukistvarayānvitaḥ .
rūpeṇājagareṇaiva praviṣṭo narmadājalam .. 99.14 ..

Having spoken thus, the god disappeared. Vāsuki, filled with haste, / entered the waters of the Narmadā in the very form of a python. // 99.14

6.3.99.15

mārgeṇa tasya saṃjātaṃ jāhnavyāḥ srota uttamam .
nirdhūtakalmaṣaḥ sarpaḥ saṃjāto narmadājale .. 99.15 ..

Along his path arose an excellent stream of the Jāhnavī. / The serpent had his impurities washed away in the water of the Narmadā. // 99.15

6.3.99.16

sthāpitaḥ śaṅkarastatra narmadāyāṃ yudhiṣṭhira .
tato nāgeśvaraṃ liṅgaṃ prasiddhaṃ pāpanāśanam .. 99.16 ..

Śaṅkara was consecrated there at the Narmadā, O Yudhiṣṭhira. / Thence the liṅga became renowned as Nāgeśvara, destroying sin. // 99.16

6.3.99.17

aṣṭamyāṃ vā caturdaśyāṃ snāpayenmadhunā śivam .
vimuktakalmaṣaḥ sadyo jāyate nātra saṃśayaḥ .. 99.17 ..

On the eighth or fourteenth day, one should bathe Śiva with honey. / He instantly becomes freed from impurity; there is no doubt about this. // 99.17

6.3.99.18

aputrā ye narāḥ pārtha snānaṃ kurvanti saṅgame .
te labhante sutāñchreṣṭhān kārttavīryopamāñchubhān .. 99.18 ..

Childless men who perform ritual ablution at the confluence, O son of Pṛthā, / obtain excellent and auspicious sons resembling Kārttavīrya. // 99.18

6.3.99.19

śrāddhaṃ tatraiva yaḥ kuryādupavāsaparāyaṇaḥ .
kurvanpramocayetpretānnarakānnṛpanandana .. 99.19 ..

A person devoted to fasting who performs a śrāddha right there, / performing it, releases spirits of the dead from hell, O delight of kings. // 99.19

6.3.99.20

sarpāṇāṃ ca bhayaṃ vaṃśe jñātivarge na jāyate .
nirdoṣaṃ nandate tasya kulaṃ nāgaprasādataḥ .. 99.20 ..

No fear of serpents arises in his lineage or kinship group. / His family rejoices free of blemish by the grace of the serpent. // 99.20

6.3.99.21

etatte sarvamākhyātaṃ tava snehānnṛpottama .. 99.21 ..

All this has been told to you out of affection for you, O best of kings. // 99.21

6.3.99.21_2

.. iti śrīskānde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ pañcama āvantyakhaṇḍe revākhaṇḍe nāgeśvaratīrthamāhātmyavarṇanaṃ nāmaikonaśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ ..

Thus ends the ninety-ninth chapter, titled “Description of the Māhātmya of Nāgeśvaratīrtha,” in the Revākhaṇḍa of the Āvantyakhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skandapurāṇa, a collection of eighty-one thousand verses.