Skandapurana 1.4.65.14

1.4.65.14

13 lomaśavacaḥśravaṇānantaramindradyumnādīnāṃ sarveṣāṃ śivabhaktyekaniṣṭhayā śivadīkṣāgrahaṇārthaṃ lomaśaprārthanam, lomaśamaharṣiṇā sarveṣāṃ teṣāṃ śivadīkṣāpradānapūrvakaśivaliṅga .pūjopadeśakaraṇam-tatasteṣāṃ mārkaṇḍeyādīnāṃ kriyāyogārambhapūrvakaṃ tapaścaryākaraṇam, tapasyatāṃ teṣāṃ samīpaṃ prati nāradāgamanam, nāradaṃ prati śāpabhraṣṭānāṃ nāḍījaṅghādīnāṃ svamuktyarthamupāyajijñāsayā praśnakaraṇam, nāradena tebhyo vārāṇasīsthasaṃvartamaharṣi darśanārtha gantavyamityupadeśakaraṇam, vārāṇasyāṃ saṃvartaparīkṣaṇārthamupāyakathanam, nāḍījaṃghādibhirvārāṇasīṃ gatvā nāradoktopāyena saṃvartaṃ parijñāya tena saha samāgamakaraṇam, saṃvartena nāḍījaṅghādibhyaḥ śāpato vimuktyarthaṃ mahīsāgarasaṃgame gamanārthama-
nujñākaraṇam, tatprasaṃgena mahīnadyutpattivṛttāntakathanam, mahīsāgarasaṃgame yājñavalkyasya sthitikāraṇatayā saṃjātasya nakulāvamānavṛttāntasya varṇanam, mahīsāgarasaṃgamatīrthasavistaramāhātmyavarṇanam saṃvartasakāśānmahīsāgarasaṃgamamāhātmyaṃ śrutvā bako-
lūkagṛdhrakūrmendradyumnānāṃ pañcānāmapi mahīsāgarasagamaṃ samabhyetya śivaliṅgasthāpanena śivasārūpyamuktivarṇanam, lomaśamārkaṇḍeyayośca jīvanmuktivarṇanam, tatra cendradyumnasthāpitendradyumneśvaraliṅgamāhātmyavarṇanam, mahīsāgarasaṃgamaśatarudriyādiliṃgamāhātmya-
varṇanaṃ ca . ..... 98 2

13. After hearing the words of Lomaśa, all [of them] headed by Indradyumna pray to Lomaśa to receive initiation into Śiva's cult out of exclusive devotion to Śiva; great sage Lomaśa confers initiation into Śiva's cult on all of them and instructs them in the worship of the Śivaliṅga; thereupon Mārkaṇḍeya and the others perform austerity following the commencement of the yoga of action; Nārada arrives before those performing austerities; Nāḍījaṅgha and the others who had fallen due to a curse question Nārada desiring to know the means for their own liberation; Nārada instructs them that they should go to see the great sage Saṃvarta residing in Vārāṇasī; he explains the means to test Saṃvarta in Vārāṇasī; Nāḍījaṅgha and the others go to Vārāṇasī, recognize Saṃvarta by the method told by Nārada, and meet with him; Saṃvarta gives permission to Nāḍījaṅgha and the others to go to the confluence of the Mahī and the ocean in order to be freed from the curse; in that context, the narration of the story of the origin of the river Mahī; description of the incident of the disrespect shown by the mongoose, which was the reason for Yājñavalkya's stay at the confluence of the Mahī and the ocean; extensive description of the māhātmya of the sacred ford of the confluence of the Mahī and the ocean; after hearing the māhātmya of the confluence of the Mahī and the ocean from Saṃvarta, the five—the crane, the owl, the vulture, the tortoise, and Indradyumna—reach the confluence of the Mahī and the ocean, and their liberation consisting in attaining Śiva's own form by establishing a Śivaliṅga is described; the living liberation of Lomaśa and Mārkaṇḍeya is described; and therein the description of the māhātmya of the Indradyumneśvara liṅga established by Indradyumna; and the description of the māhātmya of the Śatarudrīya and other liṅgas at the confluence of the Mahī and the ocean. . .... 98 2