Skandapurana 1.3.33: adhyāyaḥ 35

Lomaśa said: / When Mahādeva went to the forest, the daughter of the mountain, distressed by separation, / the slender-limbed lady found no joy in palaces or shrines.

The slender, fair woman meditated on Śiva with all her heart. / Knowing that Śivā was thus contemplating, her friend Vijayā said:

Vijayā said: / Through great tapas, O fair lady, you obtained Śiva. / In vain was that dice game played by the ascetic Śaṃkara.

Have you not heard of the many faults in gambling, O faultless one? / Pacify Śiva at once, O slender-limbed, wise woman!

Go, go together with us, O goddess of lovely face!

Before Śambhu goes far away, go and seek Śaṃkara's forgiveness. / Otherwise, O slender lady, if you do not pacify Śiva, sorrow will surely come upon you later.

Hearing the words spoken by Vijayā, smiling, with a deeply composed mind, / she spoke to her friend Vijayā wondrous words full of ultimate truth:

"He was defeated by me, shameless, though chosen of old with supreme majesty. / I have no urgent need [of him]; without me, he has become formless and deformed.

The god Maheśa was given form by me; do not speak otherwise. / Between me and him there is neither separation nor union.

Maheśa, though formless, was indeed made with form by me.

This entire universe, moving and unmoving, together with the foremost gods, was created by me. / Behold, O Vijayā, my sport, undertaken for the sake of play, through the causes of its creation and existence."

Having spoken thus, the goddess Girijā, the all-auspicious, / assumed the form of a Śabarī tribal woman, wishing to approach Maheśvara.

Girijā was youthful and slender, with pointed teeth, lips like the bimba fruit, a noble neck, bent with the weight of her breasts, and glossy hair; / slender at the waist, broad-hipped, fair with thighs like golden plantains, belonging to the wilderness hamlet, wearing excellent bangles, and adorned with peacock feathers as ear-ornaments.

Holding in her hand a bow resembling a lotus stalk, with a gleaming quiver of arrows made of ketakī on her back, / attended by many female friends, the lovely-faced one saw him there, the lord without an equal.

Making the three worlds resound with the great humming of bees, / Girijā brought Manmatha back to life, again and again.

At that very instant, the royal swans became filled with desire; / bees and peacocks—all of them were overcome with love.

Where Maheśvara remained alone, established in deep absorption, / he was seen there by the goddess, enchanted by the humming sound of the bees.

Then Mahādeva, captivated upon seeing the Śabarī woman, / at once arose from his absorption, Maheśa filled with love.

Just as he approached to seize Girijā by the hand, / so quickly did Satī disappear before him.

Seeing that, the god who destroys delusions, / wandering about at that moment, Śambhu did not see the dark-eyed woman.

Stricken with separation, overcome by desire, / Śambhu, the enemy of Madana, who is ever of the nature of pure consciousness,

though free from delusion, fell into delusion, and saw Girijā again. / He spoke great words suited to the occasion to the Śabarī woman:

Śiva said: / "Listen to my words, O slender-limbed lady, and having heard them, you should act upon them. / Who are you, whose are you, O slender woman, and for what purpose are you wandering in the forest? / Tell me truly, O highly fortunate one of lovely waist!"

Śivā said: / "I seek a husband who is omniscient, bestowing all desires, / independent, immutable, the supreme Lord of the worlds."

Addressed thus, the bull-bannered lord replied to Girijā: / "I am your fitting husband, O auspicious lady; none other is, O beautiful woman!

Consider this in truth, O lady of fair hips and lovely face!" / Hearing the words of Rudra, she spoke with a smile:

"You are desired by me as husband, O highly fortunate one; do not speak otherwise. / But I tell you—blessing be upon you—you are devoid of qualities, an ascetic scorcher of foes.

She by whom you were chosen of old through supreme tapas, / that passionate woman was abandoned by you in the forest in a mere moment.

You are difficult to propitiate constantly for all living beings. / Therefore, what you said before me must not be repeated."

Hearing the words of the Śabarī woman, the bull-bannered god replied: / "Do not speak thus, O large-eyed woman; that ascetic woman has not been abandoned. / If she was abandoned by me, O slender lady, what more can be said here?

Knowing me thus, O large-eyed woman, as pitiable and fond of the distressed, / therefore, O lady of lovely waist, you should obey my word."

Being thus entreated in many ways by the trident-bearing god, / Girijā laughed and spoke words full of mockery:

"You are rich in tapas, the lord of yogins, detached, stainless, / delighting in the Self, beyond duality, the one by whom Madana was slain.

As such, you, the three-eyed god in visible form, have been seen by me today. / You are impossible for me to attain, insurmountable for all. / Therefore, you must not repeat what you said to me earlier."

Hearing her words, the destroyer of Madana said: / "Become my wife! You ought not do otherwise!"

Having said this, afflicted by love, he seized the Śabarī woman by the hand. / Smiling, she respectfully said to him: "Release me, release me!

It is not fitting for the Lord, an ascetic, to do this by force. / Ask my father; you will not win me in any other way."

Mahādeva said: / "Quickly tell me about your father, where he stays, O lady of auspicious face! / I will see him, O large-eyed woman, bowing down with reverence."

Having heard what was said then by him, the dark-eyed, slender woman led him whose banner bears a bull to her father,

to Himavat, the foremost of mountains, standing on the peak of Kailāsa, surrounded by many serpents and endowed with great splendour.

Shown to Śaṃkara by the goddess as he stood at the doorway: / 'This is my father, O god; ask him, free of bashfulness! / He will give me [to you], there is no doubt, O ascetic, without delay.'

Agreeing, 'So be it,' and bowing quickly before Himālaya, he spoke this word: / 'Bestow her today, O best of mountain lords, the auspicious maiden, upon me who am distressed, O wise one!'

Hearing this humble word, Himālaya stood up, / and embracing Maheśa, the mountain king himself spoke:

'Why do you chatter thus, O god? It is unfitting for you now! / You are the giver in the three worlds, you are the master of the universes, O omnipresent Lord!

By you this entire universe, moving and unmoving, is pervaded.' / While the great mountain Himālaya was thus devoted to praising him, / Nārada arrived there, surrounded by seers.

Smiling, he said words: 'O wielder of the trident, homage to you, O Lord! / O Śambhu, hear my word, which is the supreme essence of truth.

Association with women leads men to humiliation. / You are the master, the lord of the worlds, the highest beyond the high. / Having considered everything, O Lord of gods, you should speak properly.'

Thus awakened by that great-souled Nārada, / Śambhu came to his senses, and the Supreme Lord laughed.

Śiva said: / 'You have spoken the truth here, Nārada; it is never otherwise. / By the mere company of women, men fall indeed;

there is no doubt, your word is never false. / Deluded by her today, I was brought to Gandhamādana,

and like a piśāca I performed this most wondrous act.

Therefore I shall not remain near the mountain; I depart this very day again to another forest.' / Having spoken thus, he took the path that is insurmountable, impassable even for yogins.

Perceiving him to be unattached, Nārada spoke words / swiftly to the mountain's daughter, to the king of mountains, and to the attendants:

'He is worthy of praise and reverence; in absolute truth, let him be forgiven. / This Maheśa is the Lord of the universe, the slayer of Tripura, of great renown.'

Hearing this word issuing from Nārada's mouth, / the mountains of great splendour, placing the mountain's daughter before them,

all fell down like sticks before Śaṃkara, who brings welfare to the world. / Bowing low, all the pramathas, guhyakas, and others praised him.

Being praised, the Lord came to Gandhamādana. / The Lord of all was indeed consecrated by the great-souled Aṅgiras [and others].

Then kettle-drums sounded, and many musical instruments; / Indra and all the gods rained down a shower of flowers.

Surrounded by many hosts of gods headed by Brahmā, the Lord of yoga, adored by the universe, together with the mountain's daughter, / entreated with the most auspicious blessings, shone forth with great splendour upon a divine seat.

Such are the many deeds of the great-souled Maheśa, / O brahmins, which remove sin for those who hear them.

Whatever great and supreme deeds of Rudra / have been heard here, what more shall I tell you?'

The seers said: / 'Thus the story of Śaṃkara has been narrated by you, O Sūta; / by this very deed we are satisfied, there is no doubt.'

Sūta said: / 'By the grace of Vyāsa everything has been heard by me, the wondrous form of Śaṃkara pervading all; / and this supreme [teaching], fully expanded, containing the wondrous essence of the Vedas and consisting of knowledge, has been proclaimed.

Endowed with supreme faith, those who recite what is dear to Śiva / and who listen with devotion to the wondrous māhātmya of Śambhu, / to this scripture of Śiva with joy, go to the supreme goal.'

Thus ends the thirty-fifth chapter, titled 'The Description of the Coronation of Śiva Performed by Bṛhaspati, Preceded by Śiva Being Brought to Mount Gandhamādana by Pārvatī in the Form of a Śabarī', in the Śivaśāstra of the Kedārakhaṇḍa, in the first section, the Māheśvarakhaṇḍa, of the glorious Skandapurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses.

Thus ends the first Kedārakhaṇḍa, in the first section, the Māheśvarakhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skandamahāpurāṇa. 1.