Skandapurana 1.2.25

Now, the latter half of the Aruṇācalamāhātmya in the third [sub-section of the] Māheśvarakhaṇḍa [Table of Contents] (1302)

1. In the dialogue of Sūta and Śaunaka, commencement of the dialogue of Mārkaṇḍeya and Nandīśvara; therein, description of the introduction to the māhātmya of the sacred place by way of a prayer made to Nandikeśvara by Mārkaṇḍeya, accompanied by various excellent sages, out of a desire to know Śiva's religious duties taught in the Śaiva Āgamas ..... 237 1

2. Next, description by Nandikeśvara of the various sacred fields, sacred fords, and shrines located across the earthly orb that are residences of Lord Śiva 237 1

3. Next, asking of a question by Mārkaṇḍeya to Nandikeśvara, along with the hosts of great seers, showing eagerness to hear, out of a desire to know the supreme, secret place that yields all fruits ... . .. 239

4. Next, Nandikeśvara, having praised the great seer Mārkaṇḍeya along with his disciples, gives a detailed description of the great splendour and māhātmya of the shrine of the glorious lord of Aruṇācala, situated in the Drāviḍa country in the southern direction.. 239 2

5. Next, description of the various ripenings of karma by Nandikeśvara in the context of describing persons of sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic disposition, in order to strengthen devotion to Śiva

6. Description of the various religious duties to be performed at glorious Aruṇācala, in the context of describing expiations that remove all great sins. ... 241 1

7. Next, description of rites motivated by desire preceded by the māhātmya of specific rituals of worship of the lord of Śoṇa Mountain with reference to particular times: days beginning with Sunday, lunar days beginning with the first, lunar mansions beginning with Aśvinī, zodiacal signs beginning with Aries, morning, midday, evening, solstices, months, and so forth. .. ... .. .... .. 242 1

8. Next, commencement of the detailed narration of the past deeds and māhātmya of the glorious Lord of Aruṇācala, glorious Śaṃkara; therein, the origin of Brahmā and Viṣṇu from the right and left limbs of glorious Śaṃkara; the yoking of Brahmā and Viṣṇu with the qualities of rajas and sattva; then, by the Lord's command, Brahmā's engaging in his role in the work of creation and Mahāviṣṇu's in the work of preservation; description of their acquiring pride through the effect of their respective qualities, forgetting the Lord who produced them. ... .... .. .. 243 1

9. Description of the great dispute between Brahmā and Viṣṇu concerning their own superiority, arising from delusion on account of pride in their respective authorities 243 2

10. Next, description of the manifestation of the glorious Śaṃkara's luminous Lord-liṅga in the midst of Brahmā and Viṣṇu, who were bitterly and jealously quarrelling, to pacify their dispute; then, the determination of both Brahmā and Viṣṇu to discover its end, having resolved to search to the upper and lower limits of that liṅga.. 244 2

11. Next, Viṣṇu, assuming the form of a boar, travels to the nether world to ascertain the lower limit of that luminous liṅga; having searched the lower part of the liṅga and determined that the liṅga is infinite, he turns back and returns to his previous place ... 245

12. Next, Brahmā, assuming the form of a swan, travels to the upper world to ascertain the upper limit of that luminous liṅga; there Brahmā, having set out to search the upper region of the liṅga, meets with a ketakī leaf that had fallen from very far and after a very long time ... .245

13. Next, Brahmā, returning to the original place together with the ketakī leaf requested to give false testimony, confirms to Viṣṇu through the false testimony of the ketakī leaf that he had seen the upper limit of the liṅga 246

14. Next, Viṣṇu, discerning in his heart that it is false, for the sake of protecting himself and removing Brahmā's arrogance, offers praise to the Lord whose nature is the luminous liṅga. ... 246

15. Next, Śaṃkara, pleased by the praise offered by Viṣṇu, splits open the pillar of fire and reveals his five-faced form endowed with attributes; Viṣṇu's joy upon seeing that supreme lord, glorious Śaṃkara, in his form with attributes, and likewise Brahmā's experiencing shame; the bestowal of a curse of unworthiness of worship upon Brahmā by Maheśvara, and the bestowal of a curse upon the ketakī leaf of being unfit for his worship; then, Brahmā's preparation to offer praise to Śiva 247

16. Next, the offering of praise to Śiva by Brahmā; then the Lord, glorious Śaṃkara, pleased with the praise of Brahmā and Viṣṇu, after granting boons to Brahmā and Viṣṇu, commands them to observe their authorities again and commands them to dwell on glorious Śoṇa Mountain; then, after the Lord's disappearance, Brahmā and Viṣṇu dig a lake on glorious Śoṇa Mountain, construct Aruṇapura, and build the temple of the Lord of Aruṇācala- .. 248

17. Now the description of the sporting of Śiva and Pārvatī; in the narration of the account of the austerity performed, preceded by various deeds there, the narration of the account of the four-faced Brahmā and Nārāyaṇa becoming Heramba and the six-faced [Skanda], and so forth... 249

18. Now the arrival of Pārvatī, angered by lovers' quarrel, leaving Śiva's presence to go to the hermitage of Gautama along with her female companions in order to perform austerity for the removal of the dark complexion of her own body; then, by the instruction of Gautama, the Goddess's performance of austerity in the form of daily service to the Lord of Aruṇācala near that hermitage, while observing exceedingly severe vows... 249

19. Now the sending of a female messenger to the Goddess by Mahiṣāsura to declare his own praise in order to entice the Goddess engaged in austerity there; when the female messenger of Mahiṣāsura was driven away from that place by the Goddess's companion, the arrival of Mahiṣāsura toward the Goddess with a vast army; then the Goddess, hearing the uproar of Mahiṣāsura's army, giving command to Durgā for the destruction of the demon; the goddess Durgā's creation of an army comprising various yoginī-cakras, mātṛkās, and others from her own limbs; then the description of the tumultuous single combat between the Goddess's army and the demon's army; then, seeing Mahiṣāsura's invincibility, the praising of the goddess Durgā by the mātṛkās and others; then, in the battle of the goddess Durgā with Mahiṣāsura, the description of the account of the slaying of Mahiṣāsura carried out by the goddess Durgā... 251

20. Now, when Mahiṣāsura's head remained stuck to Durgā's hand, Durgā, by the instruction of the Goddess, splitting a stone slab with her sword, fashioning the Khaḍgatīrtha, and immersing herself there; at the time of that immersion, the falling of the liṅga situated on Mahiṣāsura's neck; the installation of that liṅga on the bank of the Khaḍgatīrtha under the name Pāpanāśana; then, at the moment of emerging from that tīrtha, the falling of Mahiṣāsura's head from the hand of the goddess Durgā; now Pārvatī, after experiencing apprehension of sin due to granting her own assent to the goddess Durgā for the slaying of Mahiṣāsura who was a devotee of Śiva, supplicating Gautama with the desire to know the expiation for expelling the sin; then Gautama imparting instruction to perform the practice of austerities until the darśana of the light of the Lord of Aruṇācala on the full moon day of Kārtika; now Pārvatī's performance of the practice of austerities according to the instruction of Gautama; then, seeing the light on the summit of the venerable Śoṇācala at the end of the day on the full moon of Kārtika, Pārvatī's praising of the Lord of the venerable Śoṇa Mountain; then the description of the Lord, pleased by the praise offered by her, consoling Pārvatī, the Mother of the Universe, by immediately granting darśana of his auspicious own form... 253

21. Now the placing of the Mother of the Universe at his side by the venerable Śaṃkara after praising her; because Pārvatī had departed from Śiva's presence for the sake of austerity leaving behind Skanda who was seeking her breast, the venerable Śaṃkara giving the Mother of the Universe the name Apītakucā; Durgā, the slayer of Mahiṣāsura, remaining near the venerable Mother of the Universe; the description of the conferring of boons by the venerable Śaṃkara upon the Khaḍgatīrtha, the great sage Gautama, and the Seven Mothers and others... 254

22. Now the description of the deeds of King Vajrāṅgada, sovereign of the Pāṇḍya country; there, Vajrāṅgada, mounted on a horse and pursuing a deer toward Śoṇācala, falling from his mount midway on the road; both the horse and the musk-deer attaining the state of sky-wanderers immediately upon death due to their bodies falling on Śoṇādri; now, between the two sky-wandering vidyādharas questioned by the king, the description of the māhātmya of circumambulating the venerable Śoṇa Mountain by the radiant vidyādhara for Vajrāṅgada on the occasion of narrating the cause of his curse from Durvāsas; there, the description of the māhātmya of the circumambulation of himself, the Lord of the venerable Śoṇa Mountain, by Śambhu, the Lord of the venerable Śoṇa Mountain, preceded by conferring the fruit upon Heramba who circumambulated him... 254

23. Now the recounting of the account of his own curse to King Vajrāṅgada by the vidyādhara named Kalādhara; now King Vajrāṅgada forming a firm resolve regarding devotion to the venerable Aruṇācala by the instruction of the two vidyādharas, Kāntiśālin and Kalādhara...

24. Now King Vajrāṅgada, utilizing his entire wealth for the worship of the venerable Aruṇācala, making his own penance grove near Gautama's hermitage by first gifting various agrahāras and other grants to brahmins, and performing the worship of Śiva preceded by bathing in all tīrthas and worship of all deities; the Lord, pleased by the practice of austerities performed by Vajrāṅgada, conferring a boon upon Vajrāṅgada preceded by instruction regarding his own majesty; by the grace of the Lord's boon, the description of Vajrāṅgada's attainment of a good destiny preceded by the attainment of all enjoyments; the description of the conclusion of the Aruṇācalamāhātmya preceded by the description of the supreme and surpassing māhātmya of the Lord of Aruṇācala... 256

Thus ends the second half of the Aruṇācalamāhātmya, the third [part] in the Māheśvarakhaṇḍa. (13–23).

Thus ends the first, the Māheśvarakhaṇḍa, in the Skanda Mahāpurāṇa. || 1