Skandapurana 16.256

Īśvara said:
Then one should go with composed mind to Nandāditya, O great goddess, / which was formerly established right there by Nanda of boundless intellect.

In ancient times there was King Nanda, who gave happiness to all people. / There was neither famine nor disease, nor untimely death for men.

While he, knower of dharma, ruled, there was no fear caused by drought. / But at a certain time, according to his past karma,

he was afflicted with severe leprosy and attained supreme dispassion. / Overcome by that disease, he installed the god of gods, the Sun, / on the bank of the river, and he was liberated from the disease.

The Goddess said:
“Why did that king, a universal monarch, ruler of the earth, become diseased? / Even though he was devoted to dharma, why did disease arise in him?”

Īśvara said:
This powerful King Nanda, whose conduct was righteous, / wandered through all the worlds seated in an excellent aerial chariot.

An aerial chariot had been given to him by Viṣṇu himself, who was pleased, / moving at will, resonant with peacocks of excellent color.

Once, that best of kings, roaming about seated in it, / went to the divine lake Mānasa, accompanied by hosts of gods.

There he saw a large white lotus situated in the middle of the lake, / and in it stood a supreme person the size of a thumb,

clothed in red garments, two-armed, of blazing splendor. / Seeing him, he said to his charioteer: ‘Bring this lotus!

Bearing this on my head in the presence of all the world, / I shall be praised! Therefore bring it without delay!’

Addressed thus by him, the charioteer entered [the water], / and began to seize that lotus, O fair-complexioned one. / As soon as the lotus was touched, a roar arose.

And instantly, by that sound, the king became / a leper, robbed of his color, deprived of strength and vigor.

Then, seeing himself reduced to such a state, that bull among men / stood right there, afflicted with grief, thinking: ‘What is this?’

While he was reflecting, the wise Vasiṣṭha of great austerity, / the son of Brahmā, arrived; and the king questioned him:

‘O venerable one, this disaster has befallen my body. / Overcome by leprosy, I have no desire to live!

Tell me a means, O brahmin, a cure for me who am diseased, / or else another observance, a gift, or even a sacrifice!’

Vasiṣṭha said:
‘This lotus is known as Brahmodbhava, renowned in the three worlds. / As soon as it is seen, all the deities are seen.

This lotus is seen only by certain fortunate persons anywhere, O king. / As soon as it is seen, whatever man enters the water

becomes freed from all sins and attains the state of nirvāṇa. / Having seen it, your charioteer entered the water to seize it.

By your command, O king of kings, he would have died and become diseased; / but because I am Brahmā’s son, I behold the Supreme Lord.

Coming day after day, you have seen it again. / The deities constantly harbor this desire in their hearts:

“When shall we, having seen the lotus of Brahmā in Mānasa and bathed, / attain the supreme Brahman, having reached which there is no rebirth?”

Hear further the second reason, O king, / for the leprosy that you incurred through wishing to take the lotus.

The Sun himself is present inside its womb. / This thought occurred to you upon seeing this excellent lotus:

“I shall wear it on my head as an ornament in the midst of the world.” / For you who thought this sin, it was thus shown by the god.

Therefore, worship that Sun with all effort. / Through the grace of the god of gods, you will be freed; there is no doubt about this.

Go to Prabhāsa, O king of kings, the sacred ford famous in the three worlds! / There, attainment quickly comes to afflicted creatures on earth.’

Īśvara said:
Having heard those words of the great-souled Vasiṣṭha, / he reached the sacred field of Prabhāsa, on the auspicious bank of the Māheśvarī,

established Nandāditya, and worshipped him, O goddess, / with perfumes, incenses, unguents, and diverse flowers.

The Lord of Day, pleased with him, then said: ‘I am the giver of boons.’

Nanda said:
‘Behold me afflicted with severe leprosy, O best among gods! / Act in such a way, O Sun, that it is destroyed!

Make your presence always in this place, O Lord of gods, O pervasive one!’

Sūrya said:
‘You will become free of disease this very moment, O great king! / And whatever men on earth, having come here, will behold me,

on a Sunday falling on the seventh lunar day, they will attain the highest state. / Here, on the seventh lunar day with a Sunday, my presence / will be felt, without doubt. I shall depart; be happy!"

Having spoken thus, the thousand-rayed Sun vanished right there.

Attaining freedom from disease and exercising unsurpassed rule, / he went to the supreme abode where the divine Sun dwells. / Having bathed at that sacred ford and performed a śrāddha with diligence,

and seeing Nandāditya once again, one will not return to mortal existence. / One should donate a brown cow there to a brahmin who has mastered the Vedas,

or, having fasted for a day and night, a cow of clarified butter. / The measure of his merit cannot be calculated by anyone.

Thus has the māhātmya of the god of gods, of blazing brilliance, / been told to you, O fair-hipped lady, destroying all sins.

Thus ends the two hundred and fifty-sixth chapter, named 'Description of the Māhātmya of Nandāditya', in the first [sub-section], Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya, of the seventh section, Prabhāsakhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses.