Skandapurana 1.1.13

Brahmā said:

Then Gaurī, the Mother of the Universe, having bowed down to the enemy of Tripura,

begged Śambhu for her own perpetual inseparability from such a one.

For the sake of bestowing grace upon the world, she petitioned this:

Filled with supreme compassion, Gaurī, lovely in conversation, [said]:

“This form of yours, delighting the sight, must never be abandoned here;

and I must never be forsaken by you, even if I have offended.

May this charming form of yours, which brings auspiciousness to the world

and is endowed with divine fragrance, be continually beheld by all!

Enough with serpents, poison, Brahmā's skull, and funeral ashes,

and terrifying attires, O Īśāna! Be victorious!

Become tender with divine garlands, fragrances, garments, and the like!

Adorned with gem ornaments, sport here, O Maheśvara!

May maidens of the gods and Gandharvas come here constantly, O Īśāna,

and serve the Lord of the Gods here with dances, instrumental music, and songs!

And may your Gaṇas, assuming human forms, serve you day and night!

By your grace, O God, may this fragrant, nourishing union of ours

seen [here] bestow all desired aims!

A body consisting of all mantras has been assumed here, O Lord of the Gods;

service to you has been performed. May there always be devotion to you!

May the thousands of offenses committed daily, whether knowingly or unknowingly,

by your devotees be forgiven, seeing that they have no other refuge!”

Having heard these words of the Goddess, Śambhu, the lord of the red mountain,

the granter of boons, granted her that very entire boon she desired.

Addressing Gaurī with delight, Śiva himself, desiring to make love,

said to her: “Apply this charming musk.”

Mahādeva said:

“A great Daitya named Pulaka, taking the form of a deer, / performed severe austerity and obtained from me a boon of supreme, wondrous fragrance.

having performed [it], obtained from me a boon of supremely wonderful fragrance.

Having obtained the boon, he infatuated the wives of the gods with his fragrance;

and having thus taken to unrighteousness, he oppressed the entire world.

Beseeched by the gods, I summoned that leader of the Asuras

and commanded: ‘Relinquish this demonic body for the protection of the world!’

Pulaka said:

‘O God of the gods, I shall relinquish this body at your command.’

Bowing down with a mind of devotion, he also worshiped me and said:

‘May this divine fragrance arising from my body, which enchants the universe,

be worn always by you, O God, Lord of the Gods, with a respectful heart!

Indeed, born from the sweat of Pulaka, may this musk be ever renowned

as yours in the world, heightening the mood of erotic love,

dear to you, and bestowing beauty, good fortune, form, and charm! / I cast off my own body, O God of gods, O Lord of the World!

I abandon my own body, O God of gods, Lord of the universe.

May it always be highly esteemed by the Goddess who desires divine perfume!

Whatever [fragrances] arise from parts of me and have attained scent through my austerities—

let them merge into your form, O Lord of the Gods, under the guise of an ointment!’

When I said, ‘So be it,’ that Daitya named Pulaka

cast off his body, having surrendered his life unto me.

Then, out of love, I put on that musk born from his body, / possessing abundant fragrance and heightening a hundredfold the mood of love.

Out of love I wore [it], enhancing love's hundred charms.

O Queen of the Gods, your emaciated body has been heated by austerity,

and my body has been heated by separation from you; cool it now with this!”

Having thus praised in many ways the wondrous affection of Pulaka,

Mahādeva embraced Pārvatī, the abode of love,

and, smiling, the god asked Pārvatī, who had assumed the form of a beautiful woman: // 25

"What is this?" Seeing that [flower] in her hand, the Mother of the Universe,

bowing to the Lord of Aruṇādri, the Mother of the Universe explained // 26

the arrival of that flower which was ever in her hand: // 27

The Goddess said:

"From the peak of Kailāsa, O God of gods, by your command,

I arrived at Kāñcī, adorned with golden arches, to perform austerity. // 28

Having obtained this excellent white water lily born from [Lake] Mānasa,

unfading and richly fragrant, I worshipped Mahādeva, // 29

since it was imperishable and employed without ceasing in worship by me.

[This lamp,] of unbroken great brilliance, filled with the ghee of the wishing-cow, // 30

must be inspected by kings and maintained at all times.

The token of dharma should be established with reverence for the protection of the worlds. // 31

For the attainment of all desired ends and to give me pleasure,

thirty-two dharmas were established by me for the safeguarding of the worlds. // 32

They are to be protected with effort by those who approach its presence.

Adorned with all ornaments, celebrating every enjoyment,

may this radiant form of mine be beheld as a maiden." // 33

Brahmā said:

Hearing these words of the Goddess, Śambhu, the Lord of Śoṇācala, // 34

the bestower of boons, said, "So be it," and granted every desired boon.

This glorious Śoṇācala is seen, worshipped by the worlds, // 35

always granting boons with Gaurī and surrounded by all enjoyments.

Those who behold this form of Śambhu standing as the Aruṇa mountain // 36

and bow to it—all of them attain their goal.

Those on earth who hear this Aruṇācalamāhātmya // 37

always possess all fortunes in full measure.

Prosperity, mastery of speech, beauty, and unimpeded strength, // 38

as well as the destruction of sin, they obtain through remembering this māhātmya.

The merit of ritual ablution in all sacred fords and of all sacrificial rites, // 39

as well as the grace of Sadāśiva, the sight of Śoṇādri bestows. // 40

Thus the Goddess, who came from the peak of Kailāsa by Śiva's command,

attained release from her curse by beholding Śoṇācala. // 41

Although other abodes of the god exist on earth

and in heaven that are exceedingly sacred, Śambhu was pleased here. // 42

This is Sadāśiva himself in the form of Aruṇācala;

he is seen as supreme brilliance, the cause of creation, maintenance, and destruction. // 43

Indeed, this fiery liṅga is worshipped by all the gods;

this land of ritual action is visible, and on that account it is considered superior in dharma. // 44

Their impurities washed away by the brilliance of the Lord of Aruṇācala,

devout men in the world shall attain happiness in every way. // 45

Through circumambulations, prostrations, austerities, and observances,

Śambhu comes under the power of those who worship the Lord of Aruṇādri. // 46

Śaṃkara is not so pleased by austerity, yogas, or gifts

as he is by the darśana of Aruṇācala obtained even once. // 47

The self-manifest Vedas, along with the epics, abiding in heaven,

stand all around in the form of mountains, praising the Aruṇa mountain. // 48

The whole majesty of this [mountain] cannot be described in words

either by me or by the wielder of the bow Śārṅga, even in hundreds of millions of years. // 49

The gods led by Hari, and the celestial trees such as the kalpa-tree,

serve Aruṇācala continually in disguised forms. // 50

No fault of the Kali age touches him, nor any surge of mental affliction or bodily disease,

wherever the liṅga named Aruṇācala is worshipped. // 51

Thus has all this been told to you, resting upon the state of Śambhu—

the legend of this Aruṇa, difficult to attain without the merits of an eon." // 52

Sūta said:

Drinking through the hollow of his ears this delightful river of nectar—the noble tale of the Lord of Aruṇagiri issuing from the mouth of the Creator—

the sage Sanaka attained the fruit of his austerities. // 53

Thus ends the thirteenth chapter, entitled "The Description of the Bestowal of Boons Establishing the Supreme Preeminence of Aruṇācala by Śiva," in the first half of the Aruṇācalamāhātmya in the first section, the Māheśvarakhaṇḍa, of the glorious Skandapurāṇa, a collection of eighty-one thousand [verses]. // 13
The first half of the Aruṇācalamāhātmya is complete.
Thus ends the first half of the Aruṇācalamāhātmya. (3.1)