Skanda Purana 1.3.23: adhyāyaḥ 25

Lomaśa said: / There, all those gods along with their retinues, full of joy and with their mounts, / entered and were honored by the snow-mountain. 25.1

And right there, an immense [mansion] endowed with supreme radiance / was built by Viśvakarman for the residence of the self-manifest [Brahmā]. 25.2

Likewise, another brilliant and very marvelous house, delightful to the mind, / was fashioned personally by Tvaṣṭṛ for Viṣṇu; / and likewise he himself made an attractive storehouse. 25.3

Likewise, he fashioned that white, supreme, charming mansion of great splendor, / highly revered by the best of the gods and well-adorned with the great luster and beauty of Kailāsa. 25.4

Right there, Śambhu was indeed installed with supreme majesty by that snow-mountain. 25.5

In the meantime, Menā arrived with hosts of female companions / and surrounded by seers, in order to perform the wave-offering of lights for Śambhu. 25.6

Then, with long sounds of musical instruments, the three worlds were made to resound; / and the wave-offering of lights was performed by Menā for that ascetic. 25.7

Looking at him, the supremely chaste Menā then recognized Hara; / remembering what Girijā had said, Menā was filled with wonder:

"Indeed, what was spoken before by Pārvatī in my presence— / I see the beauty of the Supreme Lord to be even greater than that; / the beauty of Maheśa seen by me now is beyond description."

Having thus fallen into wonder, surrounded by the wives of the brahmins, / adorned with a pair of unwashed garments, the fair-complexioned lady—

a supremely divine bodice, adorned with various gems, / was then put on by the goddess; she shone with supreme splendor.

And then she wore a necklace adorned with divine gems, / and costly bracelets made of pure gold.

Seated there, the fortunate lady, meditating on the Supreme Lord, / being attended upon by her female companions and by the wives of the brahmins—

at that moment, Garga spoke these words: / "Bring Śambhu to your palace for taking [her] hand, / with all haste at this very hour, O wise ones!"

Hearing that speech of the high-souled Garga, / all the mountains together with their wives rose up ready [to depart].

Possessed of great magnificence, all holding auspicious articles in their hands, / well-ornamented at that time, their wives adorned with ornaments,

with affectionate eyes, they took many gifts. / Then, amidst the sound of musical instruments and the loud chanting of the Veda,

they all arrived there with their wives, where the divine Lord Maheśvara was, / surrounded by the pramathas and attended upon by Caṇḍī,

as well as by the great seers there, along with the hosts of gods. / Surrounded by these, the glorious Śaṃkara, who brings welfare to the world,

hearing the sound of musical instruments, all Śaṃkara's attendants / stood up as one, surrounded by gods and seers.

Likewise prepared, accompanied by the circle of yoginīs, the hosts of attendants, and the single lord of the hosts of unique splendor, / having placed Śiva in the forefront, those of great power and likewise all the leaders of the hosts,

that exceedingly fierce circle of yoginīs, with the clang and roar of kettle-drums, / placing the fearsome Caṇḍī in front, then adorned with great magnificence,

she made the serpent Karkoṭaka into a necklace at her throat, / wearing a pendant of scorpions and venomous serpents.

She wore ear-ornaments made of hands and feet, / and on her chest the heads of other heroes slain in battle.

Clad in a leopard skin, joined by the circle of yoginīs, / surrounded by the guardian of the sacred field, and likewise enclosed by the bhairavas,

surrounded likewise by pretas, bhūtas, and kapaṭas, / and the exceedingly dreadful attendants headed by Vīrabhadra, / who had then been ordered by Śiva for the destruction of Dakṣa's sacrifice;

and likewise Kālī, Bhairavī, and terrifying Māyā, / Tripurā, Jayā, and the auspicious Kṣemakarī,

and all the other exceedingly fierce [goddesses], placing Sadāśiva in front, / were eager to go, surrounded by bhūtas and pretas.

Beholding all these, Janārdana, devoted to Śiva, / placing the great seers in front, and likewise the immortals, / placing Anasūyā in front, and likewise Arundhatī—

Viṣṇu said: / "Keep Caṇḍī near yourself, who brings bowing reverence to the world-protectors, O Lord!"

Hearing that speech uttered by Viṣṇu, the Lord of the Universe, / Sadāśiva, smiling, spoke to Caṇḍī:

"Stay right here, O Caṇḍī, until the wedding takes place; / you understand my intentions regarding what is to be done and what is not to be done, O very fair one!"

Hearing this speech of Śambhu of immeasurable splendor, / Caṇḍī, enraged, addressed Viṣṇu with respect.

And likewise all the other pramathas, greatly angered, said to Viṣṇu: / "Wherever Śiva shines, there we are, O Lord!

Why have we been stopped by you on this supreme festive occasion?" / Hearing those words of theirs, Keśava spoke:

Addressing Caṇḍī, the pramathas, and the others of that kind: / "You have been addressed by me [for a reason]; you ought not to be angry."

Thus addressed by him then, the attendants headed by Caṇḍī, / their hearts burning because of Viṣṇu's words, all resorted to seclusion.

Meanwhile, all the ministers of the king of mountains, / together with their wives, quickly came in haste toward Maheśa.

With the sound of five musical instruments, with the loud chanting of the Veda, / surrounded by women there, with a great sound of singing,

they thus arrived where Śambhu was, surrounded by all. / Having arrived, Sadāśiva was indeed bathed with jars / by the women with auspicious songs, and adorned with all ornaments.

The seers, gods, gandharvas, and other excellent mountains / went before Śambhu, and the well-honored women also; / he shone with a great parasol being held over his head.

Being fanned with chowries, radiant with a diadem— / Brahmā, Viṣṇu, the Moon, and the world-protectors,

going in front, also shone, endowed with supreme splendor; / and conches, kettle-drums, paṭahas, ānakas, and gomukhas,

and likewise all the singers [sang] the supreme blessing. / Again and again the musical instruments were played at the great festival.

The highly fortunate Arundhatī, and likewise Anasūyā, / Sāvitrī, and Lakṣmī, surrounded by the divine mothers—

accompanied by these, the sole kin of the universe shone at that time with supreme splendor, / surrounded by the Moon, the Sun, Anila, Vāyu, the eminent world-protectors, and the great seers.

He was fanned by the Wind in visible form, and a parasol was held over him by the Moon; / the Sun went before him as the illuminator, and Viṣṇu, endowed with splendor, was near him.

Scattered [about], the gods then showered flowers together with the sages. / He then approached the great mansion with a golden floor, adorned with immense magnificence. / Śambhu entered, being worshipped with supreme honor by humans, gods, and dānavas.

Thus arrived, Śambhu, the supreme lord, entered the sacrificial pavilion, / being extolled with hymns of praise by the gods.

The foremost of mountains helped Maheśa dismount from the elephant. / Then, seating him upon a throne and performing a great waving of lights (nīrājana),

along with Menā, with her companions, and likewise with the family priest, / [he performed] whatever [rites were customary] there, such as offering the honey-mixture (madhuparka).

Prompted at once by Brahmā, the powerful family priest performed / many auspicious ceremonies appropriate for the occasion.

Leading [him] into the inner altar-chamber where Pārvatī was standing / upon the altar-platform, the slender-limbed lady adorned with all ornaments,

Hara was brought there in person together with Viṣṇu and Brahmā. / Those headed by Bṛhaspati, watching closely for the astrological moment (lagna),

and the sage Garga sat right there at the water-clock. / As soon as the water-clock was filled, there was the chanting of the syllable Oṃ.

Chanting “Oṃ, auspiciousness!”, Garga held the bride's folded hands; / filled with unbroken rice grains (akṣata), Pārvatī showered them upon Śiva.

Rudra was worshipped by her with curds, unbroken grains, kuśa grass, and other items. / Endowed with supreme joy, Pārvatī of lovely countenance,

gazing upon that Śambhu, for whose sake supreme austerity, / great beyond that of all others, had been performed of old by the great goddess,

[rejoiced that] through that austerity, the life of the life of the world was obtained. / Then the great god, whose banner bears the bull, was addressed by Nārada,

as well as by the others headed by the Gaṅgā, and sages headed by Sanaka: / “Quickly return the worship unto Pārvatī, O three-eyed one!” / Then that slender lady was worshipped by Śiva with water for honor (arghya), unbroken grains, and the rest.

Thus, being worshipped mutually at that time, / both Pārvatī and Parameśvara, who embody the universe, shone resplendent,

enveloped in the splendor of the three worlds, looking at one another. / Then those two, the husband and wife, the supreme lords, were honored with lights by Lakṣmī, and especially by Sāvitrī, and by Arundhatī.

Likewise, beholding Śambhu and the illustrious Pārvatī, / Anasūyā performed the waving of lights, her eyes overflowing with affection.

Likewise, all the wives of the twice-born performed the waving of lights, ah, again and again, / looking at Satī and Śambhu, all of them joyful and smiling.

Lomaśa said: / Meanwhile, prompted there by the preceptor Garga, / Himavān, together with Menā, proceeded to give away the maiden.

Taking a golden pitcher, Menā took her place at half the body / of Himādri, the illustrious lady adorned with all ornaments.

Then Himādri spoke to the lord of the universe, the bestower of boons, / having conferred with Brahmā and Viṣṇu likewise,

and together with the priest, the great-souled Garga: / “Today I perform the gift of the maiden to the god of gods, the wielder of the trident.

Let the ritual procedure be recited, O brahmin, now that this moment has arrived.” / Agreeing to this, all those foremost of twice-born, knowers of the proper time, [said]:

“Dear one, declare your lineage (gotra) and especially your family; / speak, O illustrious one!” Hearing that statement, / his cheerful face suddenly turned away, and he who was not to be pitied appeared pitiable.

When the blessed Maheśa was thus seen speechless / by the foremost gods, the seers, and likewise by the hosts of gandharvas, yakṣas, munis, and siddhas, Nārada laughed very loudly.

Then Nārada, the son of Brahmā, brought forth his vīṇā. / At that moment, the wise one was stopped: “Do not play the vīṇā, O master!”

Addressed thus by the Mountain, Nārada spoke these words: / “Bhava was questioned by you directly regarding the declaration of his gotra.

Sound (nāda) alone is his gotra and family, O mountain. / Śambhu is established in sound, and sound is established in him.

Therefore Śambhu consists of sound, and through sound he is attained; / for that reason, O scorcher of foes, the vīṇā was played by me today.

Neither the gods headed by Brahmā know his gotra, family, or name, O mountain; / what then to say of others?

You have fallen into ignorance and know nothing at all; / the [qualities] to be spoken or unspoken of Maheśa are beyond worldly perception, for senses face outward.

Whichever traditionalists [speak otherwise], O mountain, are ruined, there is no doubt of this. / He is formless, yet odd-eyed (virūpākṣa); he is spoken of as having no lineage (akulīna).

He is without gotra (agotra), O best of mountains, your son-in-law, without doubt. / No hesitation should be made here by you, an intelligent one.

All do not know Hara—what is the use of my speaking much, O lord? / Through ignorance of him, O illustrious one, these seers have been bewildered.

Even Brahmā does not know the head of the supreme lord; / Viṣṇu went to Pātāla, and likewise did not see [the base].

Know that the three worlds are pervaded by that great, bottomless liṅga! / What is the use of this [questioning about gotra]?

He was surely propitiated by this daughter of yours, O Himālaya. / How is it that you truly do not know him, O great mountain?

By these two the universe is generated, and by these two it is sustained.” / Hearing this speech of that great-souled Nārada,

all [the guests] headed by Himādri, as well as those led by Indra, / with astonished minds, all said, “Well done! Well done!”

Knowing the profound depth of Īśvara, all the wise ones, / embraced by wonder, spoke to one another.

The seers said: / “By whose command this vast world has arisen, which is beyond the highest, possessing the nature of his own consciousness, / accessible through devotion to the independent supreme lord—he is this great-souled one, endowed with the true form of the three worlds.”

Thus ends the twenty-fifth chapter, entitled "The Description of the Marriage of Śiva and Pārvatī," in the Kedārakhaṇḍa of the first section, the Māheśvarakhaṇḍa, in the Śiva-śāstra of the eighty-one-thousand-verse collection of the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa.