Skandapurana 16.334

[The Goddess] said: / O Lord, O god of gods, O ferryman across the ocean of transmigration, / out of devotion and curiosity, I ask you once again: / 1

Regarding the great glory of Talasvāmin that was spoken of by you, O god: / what was the reason there, O god, by which Tala was struck down? / 2

Who is this one known as Tala? What was his valor, what was his nature? / From what place did he arise, and how was he born? Tell me! / 3

Īśvara said: / Listen, O goddess, I shall explain the secret that destroys sins; / that which has not been told to anyone, I will tell you completely. / 4

Even the gods do not know the cause of Tala's origin. / Formerly, in the Kṛta age, O goddess, he was celebrated as Govinda. / 5

In the Tretā [age], he was Vāmanasvāmin; in the third, Stutisvāmin; / in the Kali age, O great goddess, he is celebrated as Talasvāmin. / 6

Likewise, Taptodakasvāmin is another name of his, my dear. / Now I shall relate to you the origin of Tala, my dear. / 7

There was a Dānava named Mahendra who took a terrible form. / In former times, my dear, he performed austerity for a crore of years. / 8

Endowed with the power of austerity, he conquered the gods along with Indra. / Having conquered all the gods, then, in due course of time, / 9

he sought a battle with me, an exceedingly terrifying one. / Then a great battle took place, causing the destruction of the universe. / 10

Then, out of fury in the great battle, O fair-faced one, from my body / a flame arose there; in the midst of it, that Tala came into being. / 11

By him was seen that Mahendra, roaring and taking refuge in a mountain cave. / 12

'Why are you roaring, O fool? Fight with me!' / When this was spoken, O queen of gods, a fight began with him. / 13

When the fight between them, Tala and Mahendra, had commenced there, / 14

Mahendra was struck down in a wrestling match / by the mighty Tala of noble deeds, who was endowed with Rudra's vigor. / 15

Then, seeing him fallen, that Tala was filled with wonder. / Knowing him to be dead, he then danced out of joy. / 16

While he was dancing, everything stationary and moving / trembled, O woman of shapely limbs, from his power and vigor. / 17

Then the earth, afflicted by Tala, was overcome by a heavy burden; / [all creatures,] together with gods, asuras, and humans, were terrified with intense fear. / 18

All the mountains were agitated, and the great oceans were scattered; / the trees met their destruction, and the rivers abandoned their courses. / 19

The sun and other celestial bodies lost their brilliance and ceased to shine; / the threefold world was confounded by the power of Tala's dance. / 20

Then all the hosts of gods went to Rudra for refuge. / What had happened was reported properly, and then Rudra said to them: / 21

'Tala is not to be slain by me, O gods, for he is established in the status of a son.' / Having spoken thus to Hṛṣīkeśa, who resides in the sacred field of Prabhāsa— / 22

named Stutisvāmin, who stands before Durvāsas, / stationed in the eastern part near the Prabhāsa sacred field.

"Go there, O gods, near the Taptodakuṇḍa. / Indeed, eon after eon, that Dānava is pierced by him alone."

When this was said, the gods then came to the Prabhāsa sacred field; / there those deities went to where the lord of Taptodaka is.

Seeing Nārāyaṇa there, the gods, endowed with faith, / praised the god of gods, Janārdana, with supreme devotion:

"O Vaikuṇṭha, protect us gods! We have been driven out by Tala, / who was born from the fiery brilliance of Rudra that arose from Mahendra's anger.

All the matter was reported by us in the presence of Rudra; / then we were all sent by Rudra, the highest lord, / to your side, O Great God! Become our refuge, O God!"

Hearing their words, the god of gods, Janārdana, / the mighty-armed one, fond of the Prabhāsa sacred field, / made an effort to slay the Dānava and protect the gods.

Summoning the Daitya then from the midst of the Prabhāsa sacred field, / he then waged a battle, O Goddess, that brought about universal dissolution.

Then all the gods, surrounded by their own armies, / fought a tremendous, hair-raising battle with the Daitya.

Then, seeing the Daitya resembling a mountain and endowed with great might, / the glance-darting one whose mount is Garuḍa said:

"Ah, Daitya of mighty arms, give me wrestling combat! / Having seen your pair of arms, I have no desire for [ordinary] battle."

Hearing Nārāyaṇa's words, the Dānava, raising his hand, / the Daitya with radiance like the Time of Death, ran forward.

Then a battle began between the two desiring victory over each other: / locking legs with shanks, and locking arms with arms,

binding neck with neck, and belly with belly. / In the meantime, the gods were filled with fear.

Then Viṣṇu, overcome with exhaustion, remembered Hara. / Instantly Rudra of great might arrived: "What shall I do?"

Viṣṇu said:
"I am tired, O Lord of the gods of gods, from wrestling combat, O Śaṃkara! / Create hot water here now to dispel my fatigue.

Then I shall kill the terrifying Tala in a mere moment."

Īśvara said:
"Formerly, in the Kṛta age, O Kṛṣṇa, what was created by Umā / to dispel the fatigue of the seers—the hot water (Taptoda)—was fashioned there.

Due to the power of that Daitya's sin, it had become cold again. / Then it was brought to heat again at the end of the eon."

Having spoken thus, Maheśvara then cast his gaze upon the god / with his very third eye, adorned with a wreath of flames.

By that mass of flames, the pool was pervaded on all four sides; / it became the Taptodakuṇḍa, renowned by that [name] on the surface of the earth.

Then the best of limbs was washed here by Nārāyaṇa; / from the washing of that god, his fatigue met its destruction.

Then, delighted in mind, the god remembered the ten crores of sacred fords, / and having properly cast them there, O lovely-faced one, and bathed,

he then fought a great, extremely terrifying battle with Tala. / He struck the Daitya Tala on the head with the blow of a fist.

When that tumultuous battle began, the worlds together with the earth trembled; / the terrified gods and the quarters did not shine, and the world fainted, enveloped in great darkness.

The perfected beings vanished, [praying:] "May Hari, the destroyer of sin, indeed bring peace to this world! / Protect us!" O ruler of the gods, the hosts of great seers and the frightened beings spoke thus.

Then the Dānava was thrown to the ground in wrestling combat; / stepping on his neck with his foot, he was pressed down with a sword.

Then the Daitya, his neck pinned down by Viṣṇu, laughed. / The lotus-eyed one said to him: "What is this cause for laughter?

One feels joy in prosperity, and becomes sorrowful in ruin; / this is the worldly saying. For you, Daitya, it is the reverse."

Addressed thus, the Daitya then replied to Janārdana: / "By sacrifices such as the Agniṣṭoma, by Vedic study in various ways,

by daily fasts, vows, baths, gifts, recitations, and so forth, / that supreme abode is attained by the pure who are devoted to yoga.

That supreme abode of Viṣṇu has been attained by me through wicked intent!" / When this was said, the blessed Viṣṇu became intent on bestowing a boon.

He spoke supreme words to Tala, the supreme lord of the Daityas: / "Choose a boon, O lord of Daityas, whatever resides in your mind."

Hearing Viṣṇu's words, the Dānava made a request: / "O supporter of the earth, act in such a way that my name endures in the world.

During the bright fortnight of the month of Mārga, on the eleventh day, / may the sin of whoever sees you with devotion with a concentrated mind be destroyed."

Saying, "It shall be so," the god experienced joy. / Various kettledrums sounded, and a rain of flowers fell.

Upon the head of Viṣṇu, O fortunate lady, the worlds became at ease. / Then all the hosts of gods danced, filled with delight; / filled with joy, devoted to Nārāyaṇa, they said:

"This sacred ford is a great sacred ford, destroying all sins, / removing Viṣṇu's fatigue, and purifying the killing of a brahmin and other [sins].

Nārāyaṇa is stationed there, and Śaṃkara is there as Bhairava / in the form of the guardian of the field, renowned as Kālamegha.

I shall tell the rite of pilgrimage to it: having gone there, a pure person, / O Great Goddess, should remember Viṣṇu, who is heard of as Talasvāmin.

He should praise Viṣṇu, O Great Goddess, with this verse, 'Idaṃ Viṣṇur', O beloved; / he should perform the water-offering and other rites with the mantra 'Sahasraśīrṣā...'

Having bathed thus according to rule, and having offered arghya to Janārdana, / and having worshiped with fragrant flowers, garments, flowers, and ointments,

One should anoint [him] with honey, sugarcane juice, and saffron, / mixed with camphor and uśīra, and combined with musk.

Then one should envelop [him] with garments and offer excellent food. / Thereafter, a vigil must be observed, accompanied by the hearing of dharma.

A bull should be given there, along with gold and a pair of garments. / One should give [these] to a brahmin who is learned in the Veda and a Śrotriya.

Then, O fair lady, one should observe a fast on that day. / Having bowed to Janārdana, one should also behold Rukmiṇī.

By doing so with devotion, a man attains the fruit of [his whole] lifetime; / he attains the fruit of indeed all sacrifices and all gifts,

and likewise he attains the fruit of all sacred fords and vows. / He rescues the lineage of his father and likewise the lineage of his mother.

Destruction of sins committed since birth takes place. / Neither sorrow nor poverty, nor misfortune arises [for him]

for seven successive births, through the darśana of Talasvāmin. / Whatever fruit is obtained when a thousand [coins] of gold are given to a brahmin who has mastered the Veda, O goddess, one obtains by bathing in that pool.

Thus the excellent narrative of Talasvāmin was heard of old by the hosts of perfected beings and great seers. / Having heard of his power, in the presence of the god Talasvāmin one attains all that is desired in one's mind.

Thus ends the three hundred and thirty-fourth chapter, entitled “Description of the Māhātmya of Talasvāmin,” in the first [sub-section], Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya, of the seventh section, Prabhāsakhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, a compendium of eighty-one thousand [verses].