Skandapurana 1.1.4

Brahmā said:

Then Vijayā, having bowed down to the Mother of the Universe, spoke,

consoling her with hundreds of hymns of praise, means, and visions of Śiva: 1

“O Goddess, you are never separated from the god Śambhu;

you alone are the mistress of his life, the power (śakti) of that Supreme Self. 2

Even so, you desire to display your own māyā;

the Lord does not manifest a distinct existence by himself. 3

Having accepted his command, you have come, O Pārvatī;

the command of service to Śambhu must never be transgressed by you. 4

Austerity that has been assigned must be performed in this place prepared by Śiva,

by you who have turned away from all desires and have taken refuge in Śambhu. 5

Even otherwise, the protection of the universe depends on you, O you whose nature is the universe;

the preservation of dharma is repeatedly yours together with Śiva. 6

Deeply meditating upon Śiva without parts, established within your self,

you will not remember any sorrow of separation, O Pārvatī. 7

May your exemplary conduct alone, by being taught to your principal devotees,

become renowned in the world, O lover of dharma! 8

Having heard her words, Gaurī, her mind becoming well-steadied,

undertook to perform austerity on the auspicious bank of the river Kampā. 9

Casting off various ornaments, adorned with clusters of rudrākṣa beads,

giving up her divine garment, she put on two auspicious bark garments. 10

With locks of hair, she quickly made the fashion of matted hair;

abandoning saffron, she smeared her entire body with ashes. 11

Taking delight in deer whose livelihood was made of gleaning fallen grains,

endowed with restraint, she murmured the supreme five-syllable mantra of Śiva. 12

Having performed the three-fold ablution (triṣavaṇa-snāna) in the clear water of the Kampā, 13

And making a liṅga of sand, she reverently worshipped it. (13)

By planting trees, giving gifts, and honouring all guests,

dispelling the weariness of living beings, the goddess upheld dharma. (14)

Standing amidst five fires in summer, sleeping on the bare ground in the rainy season,

standing in water during late autumn and in the cold season, she performed tapas. (15)

She inspired wonder in the virtuous great seers who had arrived for darśana,

and she reverently honoured them. (16)

Once, having herself gathered along the edge of the forest

a heap of flowers accompanied by fresh sprouts, she sat down especially to sort them. (17)

And having fashioned a liṅga of sand on the sacred bank of the Kampā,

she began to worship it, preceded by nyāsa and invocation. (18)

Having duly worshipped the Sun with red flowers and sandalwood paste,

she worshipped Śaṃkara in due order, together with the five enclosures, (19)

with incenses, lamps, and food offerings accompanied by a state of devotion.

She perceived the Lord directly present, placed before her. (20)

Then the god Śiva himself, in order to test Ambikā,

surrounded her with a great flood of the river Kampā. (21)

Seeing that vastly swollen flood of the Kampā approaching,

her companions said to Ambikā, who sat engaged in her observance: (22)

"Rise, O goddess! This immense torrent is surging forth;

having filled the directions completely, it will swiftly inundate [everything]." (23)

Hearing their words, she who was meditating with closed eyes

opened them and beheld that matchless velocity of the river. (24)

Distressed by the obstacle to her worship, the goddess thought:

"What shall I do? I cannot abandon the worship I have begun. (25)

Commonly on earth, for the virtuous to attain supreme good without obstacles,

a conjunction with dharma takes place, bestowing the fruit of their desires. (26)

The liṅga of sand will dissolve due to the peerless torrent;

when the liṅga is destroyed, the retention of breath should be relinquished by true devotees. (27)

This torrent is coming forth, fashioned by the māyā of Śiva,

in order to test me who am endowed with devotion in his own abode. (28)

Embracing this unperturbed liṅga very firmly with both arms,

I shall remain; companions, you go far away at once!" (29)

Having spoken thus and tightly embracing the sand liṅga, Ambikā

did not let go, even though she was being rapidly encircled by the flood. (30)

Showing the imprint left by the sinking of her nipples,

she then reverently bowed to the great liṅga joined to herself. (31)

Her eyes closed, her heart solely intent on absorption in meditation,

her entire body bristling with horripilation, she remembered Sadāśiva. (32)

From the giver of playful love, modesty, protection, perspiration, and trembling,

she, unmoving, did not brook separation from the liṅga even for an instant. (33)

Then a certain divine, bodiless voice said to her:

"Release the liṅga, O young girl! This great flood has receded. (34)

This sand liṅga worshipped by you shall have enduring power;

it will be a granter of boons, worshipped by the gods, O highly fortunate one! (35)

Having observed your performance of tapas, this protection of dharma has been accomplished;

and by bowing down to this liṅga, let human beings attain their goals. (36)

Indeed, assuming a form of fiery light upon the surface of the earth,

I dwell here for the sake of spiritual attainment under the name Aruṇācala. (37)

Because it checks (ruṇaddhi) the cruel accumulation of sins for all worlds,

and since no affliction/debt (ruṇa) remains once it is seen, it is called Aruṇācala. (38)

The seers, siddhas, gandharvas, and great-souled yogins,

leaving the peak of Kailāsa and Meru, worship this mountain. (39)

Formerly, when Brahmā and Kṛṣṇa, born of parts of myself, were fighting,

I stood in the form of fiery splendour to dispel their delusion. (40)

By Brahmā in the form of a swan, and by Viṣṇu in the form of a boar,

the crown and feet of which could not be seen, I was bowed to with devotion. (41)

Then, being pleased and manifest before them, on that [occasion] I granted

the desired boon, which was skill in protecting these three worlds. (42)

And I was requested again by both of them under the name Aruṇācala:"

I brought my fiery form into the state of an immovable liṅga.

Go and ask the illustrious Gautama, the sage devoted to me.

Having heard the Aruṇācalamāhātmya, perform tapas there.

There I will show you my own fiery form,

for the removal of all sin and for the welfare of all the worlds."

Having heard this speech uttered by the formless Śiva,

saying "So be it," the goddess at once set out to go.

Then to all the gods and seers who had come behind to serve her,

Ambikā spoke, looking at them with an eye full of affection:

"Stay right here, O gods and sages of firm vows,

observing the religious restraints on the holy bank of the Kampā.

Destroying all sins and increasing all good fortune,

let the earthen liṅga marked by breast and bracelet be worshipped.

And taking recourse to this formless nature day and night,

I worship Śoṇeśvara, the granter of boons, with a mantra.

From the performance of my tapas in the world, from the protection of my dharma,

and from the darśana of my liṅga, let desired prosperities be attained.

Because of granting all desires, and out of grace, as Kāmākṣī,

having bowed to me here, let my devotees obtain their wished-for boon.

For I am the unimpeded servant of the god of gods, Śambhu;

having gone to the Aruṇa mountain, I will carry out his command.

Having gone there, having performed severe tapas and pleased Śambhu,

assembled together, you will see me later, having obtained my boon."

Having thus dismissed all the true devotees attending at her feet,

the young maiden went to the Aruṇa mountain for tapas by the command of Śaṃkara.

Constantly attended by her companion friends with devotion,

she reached the Lord of the Aruṇa mountain, resounded with celestial drums,

fiery within, tranquil, the Lord of Aruṇācala,

worshipped with the dances and songs of apsarases and with showers of flowers.

Having bowed to the immovable liṅga, filled with curiosity,

she saw the assembly of perfected beings, yogins, and seers:

Atri, Bhṛgu, Bharadvāja, Kaśyapa, and Aṅgiras,

Kutsa, Gautama, and other perfected beings, vidyādharas, and immortals,

performing tapas constantly to obtain their desired boons.

Rivers such as the Gaṅgā and others worshipped it all around.

"This divine liṅga is venerable, known as the Aruṇa mountain;

bow down to it!"—thus told by the gods, she bowed again and again.

When requested by all the great seers to accept hospitality,

she said, "By the command of Śiva, Gautama must be seen by me."

"Here he is!"—pointed out by the devoted seers, she then went to him.

That sage was the foremost of Śiva's devotees, a treasury of tapas.

Having set out in the morning into the interior of the forest to gather sacrificial firewood, kuśa grass, and fruits,

having instructed his disciples of firm vows: "Worship the guests who have arrived at the hermitage,"

the righteous-minded one had gone into the middle of the forest.

Then she came to the leaf hut to see Gautama.

"Where has the sage gone?" When she said this, the disciples said, "He will come here in a moment."

Entreated by the disciples with fragrant fruits and roots,

with rising up, with a seat, with water for the feet, with the guest-offering, with pleasing

words, and with fruits and roots, she was worshipped by the host of disciples.

"Please wait for a moment!" A son [of the sage stayed with] her, while others went near him.

As soon as the goddess entered, the great hermitage of the great seer

became full of wish-fulfilling trees and filled with jewelled mansions.

Returning from the middle of the forest, carrying sacrificial firewood, kuśa grass, and fruits,

he saw from afar his own hermitage adorned with hundreds of aerial chariots.

"What is this?" thinking in wonder, the best of sages

saw with the eye of wisdom the entire arrival of Gaurī.

Quickly returning to see that Mother of the Worlds,

he then heard the news related by his swift-moving disciples.

Then the great seer, filled with wonder, considering her arrival to be the very fruit of his tapas

brought about by the compassion of Śiva, reached the hermitage, affectionate towards those who sought his shelter.

Thus ends the fourth chapter, titled "Pārvatī's Arrival from the Kampā at Gautama's Hermitage on Aruṇācala," in the first half of the Aruṇācalamāhātmya, in the first Māheśvarakhaṇḍa, in the Skanda Mahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses.