Skandapurana 17.6

Īśvara said: / Now I shall declare: one should go to the west of Maṅgalā; / there one should see Siddheśvara, who grants all perfections. // 1

Right there is Cakra-tīrtha, granting the fruit of crores of sacred fords, / and the self-manifest Lokeśvara, previously called Indreśvara. // 2

Having beheld him according to rule, O goddess, one should then go to Yakṣavana / in the region to the west of Maṅgalā, where the Goddess herself resides. // 3

Yakṣeśvarī, highly blessed, grants desired objects; / having worshiped her according to the prescribed rules, one should then again to Vastrāpatha— // 4

having gone to Mount Raivataka, perform the pilgrimage according to the rules; / sacred fords such as Mṛgīkuṇḍa are right there in crores. // 5

The liṅga on that peak of enjoyment, O goddess, is known as the boundary liṅga; / ten crores of sacred fords are there, O fair-faced one! // 6

Where the Yādavas indeed achieved perfection, who in the Kali age have the form of intellect; / and right there stands a hundred thousand and an arbuda of liṅgas. // 7

The footprint of the lord of elephants is there, and right there are small wells of elixir; / right there are seven pools on Raivata, the best of mountains. // 8

And the goddess Ambikā resides [there], along with Pradyumna and Sāmba; / upon the mountain shaped like a liṅga, there are crores of sacred fords. // 9

Mṛgīkuṇḍa is right there, and likewise Kālamegha; / the great ocean itself stands there in the form of the guardian of the sacred field, / and Dāmodara is right there, as well as Bhava, the master of the cosmic egg. // 10

Pārvatī said: / Your sacred fords have been heard, O lord of the gods, as spoken by you: / the holy Gaṅgā, Sarasvatī, and the great river Yamunā; // 11

the Godāvarī, the Gomatī, and the river Tāpī, and the Narmadā; / the Sarayū, the Svarṇarekhā, and the sin-destroying Tamasā. // 12

All the holy rivers that meet the sea have been heard by me, / as well as the divine forests of liberation and the divine sacred fields; // 13

those cities that grant liberation have been heard through your grace, / [sacred to] Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, and others, and to the Sun, Moon, and Varuṇa. // 14

There are many places of the deities and the seers. / But, O Lord, you have described to me the holy Prabhāsa. 15

And greater than that you mentioned the sacred field Vastrāpatha. / As I listened earlier, I did not ask the reason then. 16

Now that I have heard everything and am composed, tell the reason. / First speak of the power of the sacred field and of Bhava. 17

In what region is that sacred ford, and by whom was Śiva established there? / How did the lord, self-manifest Rudra, stay there himself? / O Lord, it is a great wonder to me; tell it now. 18

Īśvara said: / First hear of the power of the sacred field Vastrāpatha. / Then hear the māhātmya of Bhava, O fair-faced lady. 19

In the great sacred field of Kānyakubja there was a king famed as Bhoja. / Formerly, in the holy age, righteous, he ruled his subjects with righteousness. 20

He had large eyes and long arms; he was learned, eloquent, and pleasant-spoken, / endowed with all auspicious marks, an observer of many marvels. 21

Once, a forest keeper came from the woods and said this: / 'A wonder, O King, has now been seen by me wandering in the forest! 22

On a mountain, in rugged terrain dense with many trees, / I saw a woman amidst a herd of deer, with the face of a deer. 23

The maiden leaps like a deer, and she is always seen right there.' / Hearing these words, the pleased king gave him wealth, 24

a swift, splendid horse, garments, and gold ornament[s]: / 'I will go right now, commander of the army, along with you! 25

Let ten thousand horses and snares of many kinds, / let foot-soldiers go everywhere and encircle the excellent mountain. 26

No deer must be killed, but that doe must indeed be protected. / A woman wearing a woman's dress is a doe upon the earth! 27

Where will that wretched creature go when hemmed in by my forces?' / The army, free of weapons and missiles, followed in the footsteps of the forest keeper. 28

In a day and a night it arrived, with many hunters leading the way. / Mounted on horseback, the mighty King Bhoja went himself. 29

Moving with noiseless steps, communicating by signs and gestures, / the king himself encircled the mountain with snares. 30

Together with the forest keeper he saw the herd of deer. / That doe stood in the midst of the deer, with a woman's body and a doe's face. / The maiden acted like a deer and ran along with the deer. 31

Sniffing the scent of the horses, terrified, the leaders of the deer herd, / agitated and wandering in that moment, all scattered in the ten directions. 32

That woman with a deer's face, however, along with a few deer, / as she leapt, fell unconscious into the snare. 33

She was held by the army commander along with the deer, and gently the king, / King Bhoja, surrounded by his men, saw this great wonder. 34

Then an uproar arose, a sound of supreme joy. / Along with the deer, the king brought the doe to Kānyakubja. 35

Covered in splendid garments and adorned with celestial ornaments, / seated in a palanquin, the woman entered, surrounded by the deer. 36

Accompanied by musical instruments and the chanting of the Vedas, she was brought to the king's palace. / She was watched along the road by the countrymen, and in the king's palace 37

as she was being brought by the citizens who spoke of this great wonder. / When an auspicious hour arrived, that doe [entered] the king's palace. 38

By the doorkeeper, O king of kings, the crowd was kept back by word. / The general, taking his army, went to his own abode. 39

The king too, having reached his house, bathed, and worshipped the deities, / had that doe bathed and anointed with divine fragrances. 40

Her limbs were smeared with saffron, she was veiled in splendid garments, / and adorned with heavenly ornaments appropriately and in their proper places. 41

In private, in a secluded spot, the king spoke to the fair-eyed one: / 'Who are you, whose daughter, and for what reason are you with deer? 42

Why do you have the body of a woman, and whence the face of a doe? / Explain all this to me, for my curiosity is immense.' 43

Even though addressed in this way, she did not speak at all. / Like a mute she understood nothing, nor did the fair-eyed one eat. 44

The ruler of the earth did not eat, nor did he value his kingdom greatly; / he had no concern for his wives, nor for his horses, elephants, or chariots. 45

Kingdom, wives, elephants, and great wealth are truly only that / in which the mind, impassioned with passion for a woman, takes delight. 46

Bewitched by her, the king summoned the doorkeeper and said: / 'Quickly bring the chaplain, the preceptor, the brahmins, and the teachers, 47

as well as astrologers, knowers of mantras, physicians, and tantric practitioners.' / Urged thus by the king, the doorkeeper went himself. 48

He came swiftly, bringing the best of brahmins, / and announced to the king: 'O King, the brahmins have arrived.' 49

'Usher in the preceptor, the doorkeeper, and those arrived who are devoted to my welfare.' / Urged thus by the king, the intelligent man did so. 50

The king, having first risen, bowed, and worshipped them, / spoke to them as they sat upon their seats, intent on his task: 51

'How can this singular marvel be explained? / Indeed, know it yourselves, through the world or from the scriptures: 52

How was she born? The fruit of what deed is this? / In what way could human speech arise in her? 53

How will she herself come to have a human face? / Let the brahmins be attentive, reflect on everything, and tell me.' 54

The brahmins said: / 'O King, an excellent brahmin named Sārasvata in Kurukṣetra, / of upward-drawn seed, practiced austerity on the Sarasvatī, his senses conquered. 55

Instructed by him, the doe herself will tell you everything.' / Hearing their words, the king went to the brahmin Sārasvata. 56

Having seen him at Prabhāsa, bathed in the waters of the Sarasvatī and absorbed in meditation, circumambulating him clockwise and bowing down to him with all eight limbs, / the king sat upon the earth with folded hands, his senses fully restrained.

Hearing the sound of human footsteps and understanding the reason, / the Sarasvata then spoke to that king who was intent upon devotion.

The Sarasvata said: / 'O King of Bhoja, may it be well with you! That matter is known to me: / that a deer-faced woman was brought by you from the forest indeed.

This great wonder remains in your heart. / Instructed by me, the young woman will tell you everything.

I know, O great king, what her conduct and birth were like. / It will be a wonder in the world when told by her own mouth.'

Having thus instructed him, he went swiftly in a chariot bright as the sun; / in just two days and nights he reached the king's palace.

Having entered and seen the doe-woman where the fawn-eyed one was staying, / she recognized the Sarasvata, the brahmin who knew dharma and was all-knowing.

The doe said: / 'He indeed knows everything: the reason, of whatever kind it may be, / and whatever is present, future, and past in the three worlds.

By him my death in my previous birth is known. / Austerity was performed [by him] in the great sacred field of Vastrāpatha, in the abode of Bhava.

Having shaken off all defilement and generated knowledge with effort, / freed from old age and death, he saw Bhava face to face.

Lord Bhava was pleased with him; the cause of the sacred ford was known [by him]. / Instructed [by him], I must declare the cause that pertains to my birth.'

While she was thus absorbed in thought, the brahmin arrived. / Wholly intent upon bowing down to him, she fell into a faint.

Then the Sarasvata knew through his knowledge that reason: / 'Let the brahmins swiftly bring a pitcher filled with water,

all medicinal herbs, sprouts, dūrvā grass, flowers, unbroken grains, / incense, sandalwood, cow dung, honey, and clarified butter!'

Thus commanded, it was swiftly brought by the brahmins at the king's command. / And having smeared the ground with cow dung and placed a svastika design [there],

having performed the fire-rite there, and having deposited the Vedas in the water-jar, / and having installed Indra in it and the guardians of the directions in proper order, / having made offerings into the fire and prepared the caru offering, he had worship of the planets performed.

Having placed water into a gold vessel and [brought] the jars himself, the guru / then performed the consecration at an astrologically auspicious hour yielding all desires.

Consecrated by him and purified with the water for ritual ablution, / the young woman regained consciousness and saw everything with her eyes.

She heard everything and knew the deeds of her previous birth. / Then the guru gave her a sacrificial cake merely the size of a jujube fruit.

It was eaten by her with effort; then he performed the ritual sprinkling. / Then the guru imparted knowledge into her ear in human speech.

Having given the priestly fee to the guru, that deer-faced woman then / [proceeded to tell] the King of Bhoja all the deeds of her previous birth.

Having first bowed to the guru, the brahmins, and the kṣatriyas, / she began to tell what had happened from childhood in her previous birth.

The doe said: / 'You must not feel grief, O king, having heard what is spoken by me. / In the seventh birth from here, you were the son of the ruler of Kaliṅga.

When your father died, while still a boy you were well consecrated by your ministers. / I, indeed, was born as the daughter of the king of Vaṅga.

I was wedded by you, O lord, given by my father himself, O king; / by you I was made chief queen, since I was an excellent woman.

Having become a youth in due course, [you] became violent and cruel indeed, / not skilled in the Vedas and Śāstras, devoid of compassion and dharma,

greedy, arrogant, very wrathful, expelled from truthful conduct. / Malicious, he recognized neither god nor guru nor brahmins.

His subjects were alienated, for he was a destroyer of brahmins. / All his territory was plundered by neighbouring kings; / taking all his army, he went out for battle.

I went along with you, O lord; a battle took place with the kings. / His soldiers were defeated; they fled and vanished into the ten directions.

Abandoning his own dharma, the king became intent on flight. / But as the king was fleeing, he was hard-pressed by his enemies.

Saying "I am yours!", the wicked-souled one, enemy of the world, was killed. / Taking his body, I entered the fire, O best of kings.

For a man who has died in this way there is no good state; he cooks in hell. / If a wife, taking her deceased beloved, enters the fire,

she delivers the most sinful man until the dissolution of the elements; / having wiped away his sin here, he is subsequently glorified in heaven.

Therefore you were born as a brahmin in the country of Mālava, O king; / and I was born there as that very one's brahmin wife, O king.

He was rich in wealth and grain, and had abundant cattle. / His father had died, his mother had died, and he was devoid of brothers.

Though rich in wealth and grain, greedy, he wandered upon the earth. / The brahmin was exceedingly wrathful and devoid of Vedic recitation.

Lacking ritual ablution, the twilight prayers, and the like, deceitful, he begged from people. / I offered supreme devotion, but he was angry with me.

Indeed he had no offspring, for he was intent only on guarding wealth; / he neither gave, nor ate, nor sacrificed into the fire; he [only] hoarded.

Out of excessive greed, the brahmin did not even perform the water-offering with sesame seeds; / even when Kārttika arrived, he was devoid of the worship of Viṣṇu.

The brahmin did not offer a lamp continuously for one month; / he did not eat vegetable leaves, eating constantly only one meal a day [out of stinginess].

When the month of Nabhasya arrived, when its dark fortnight arrived, O best of kings, / he did not perform the ancestral offering in the house, devoid of ritual ablution and libation.

He did not observe the day of the ancestors continuously throughout the fortnight; / that brahmin ate elsewhere, even when the anniversary of death had arrived.

Even at the solstice when [the sun] enters Capricorn, he gives no boiled rice and sesame, / nor sesame seeds, gold, silver, clothing, or even fruit, / nor leafy greens, flowers, or even firewood.

He gives no daily grass to the cows; how could liberation come to be? / When the southern transit of the sun arrives, he does not seek refuge in Viṣṇu.

During an eclipse of the moon or the sun, the brahmin gives no milch cow.

Even a single cow, yielding abundant milk, gifted along with cloth, bells, and ornaments, / and accompanied by her calf, grants liberation to the giver and brings prosperity to his family.

For as many hairs as are upon her, for so many years he is glorified; / surrounded by hosts of siddhas in the abode of Brahmā, he abides, brilliant as the sun.

He builds no temple of the gods, no stepwell, well, reservoir, or pool; / he performs no meritorious marriage, provides no help to virtuous folk, and builds no dwelling for good men or brahmins.

He constantly buries his wealth in the earth and knows no religious duty of his family. / Indeed, I followed him; for how could I deceive my husband?

Living in this way, he met the fate of death. / Out of greed for wealth, O Lord, death was avoided by me [then].

As I watched, the entire heap of wealth was seized by the kinsmen. / After a long time, O Lord, I died in the brahmin's house.

A white snake came into being in that country, O best of men; / and right there I was born as the daughter of a brahmin, O king.

When my eighth year arrived, I was married to a twice-born man. / That very snake lived in my house, O king.

Thinking, 'She is my wife,' my husband was bitten at night by that great serpent. / Though dead, the snake was struck down with clubs by the brahmins.

Having granted me widowhood, both the brahmin and the snake died. / My father and mother, grieving greatly, had my head shaved.

Wearing white garments and devoted to bhakti towards Viṣṇu, / dedicated to month-long fasts, I visited sacred fords many times.

The snake, however, was born as a crocodile in the Godāvarī at a shrine of Śiva. / I went with my relatives to see the lord Bhīmeśvara.

As I stepped in to perform my ritual ablution, surrounded by all the people, O king, / I was seen by the crocodile, who thought, 'This is my beloved wife.' / I was seized by the crocodile to be dragged into the water, O king.

A cry of distress arose, and the people all around were agitated. / By a thrust of a spear by someone, that crocodile was struck down.

Held in the mouth of the aquatic beast, dead, I was dragged out by the people. / Having set fire [to the corpse] and cast the ashes into the water, the people went home.

Because of the slaying of a woman, the aquatic beast became a hunter; by the power of the sacred ford, / he attained a human birth in that very great forest.

Those whose death is from fire, from water, from a snake, from an elephant, from a lion, or even from a bull, / from an aquatic beast, or from smallpox—they go to hell.

A suicide, an aborticide, the killer of a woman, the killer of a brahmin, one who bears false witness, / one who sells a maiden, and one who maintains a false vow;

one who sells a sacrifice, a twice-born man who drinks intoxicants, / a traitor to the king, a thief of gold, one who destroys the livelihood of a brahmin;

the killer of a cow, an embezzler of a deposit, and one who steals the boundary of a village— / all of them go to hell, as does a woman who deceives her husband.

By the power of dying from an aquatic beast, I was born as a krauñcī bird in the forest, O king. / In the forest of the Godāvarī, the hunter wandered, tracking game.

In the forest, an impassioned krauñca bird eagerly prepared to mate with me with joy. / As he wandered, that hunter saw me, and drawing his bow,

the krauñca bird was struck and died, O king; then I fled from that place. / In that forest of the Godāvarī, a seer saw him in that condition.

Seeing that despicable deed, the seer cursed the hunter: / 'Since you killed the krauñca bird when he was not engaged in the act of love, / but was wholly intent on speaking with his beloved, therefore you shall become a lion.'

The seer, being approached humbly by him as he stood there, was appeased, O king. / The seer spoke before him: 'My word cannot be false.

When you have become a lion, I shall bestow grace upon you for the sake of your liberation. / In the country of Surāṣṭra, you will be a lion on the Raivataka mountain.

In the great sacred field of Vastrāpatha, your liberation is surely ordained.' / Having spoken thus, O Lord, that seer went toward Bhīmeśvara. / Upon hearing those harsh words, the hunter gradually met his death.

Separated from the krauñca bird, that female krauñcī went to another forest; / having died by the power of fate, she was born as a doe on Mount Raivataka.

Always going among the herd of deer, she rejoiced, overcome with infatuation. / The hunter became a lion in the great forest of that mountain.

As he roamed, the lion diligently spotted the doe, who was distressed by desire. / The lion and the doe constantly roved about there in the forest.

By the power of fate, the lion too thought, 'She is mine.' / Yet, driven by his predatory nature, he set about to seize her.

Fickleness has been ordained for deer by the Creator himself. / Again the lovely-eyed doe rejoined the herd and gamboled.

In the western part of Bhava's [shrine], there on Mount Raivataka, / he, the king of beasts, the leader of the deer, then slowly followed. / Then the lion leaped upon the head of the herd.

The lion had no concern with the other deer, as he gazed toward the doe. / Wherever that doe went, the lion pursued her in just the same way.

When the doe made a dash, the lion grew furious in the forest; / the lion too gained speed, exceeding the speed of the doe.

When attacked by the lion, that doe took a leap; / in front of Bhava's [shrine], she fell into the water of the river, upon the surface of the water.

My body hung down, while my head was impaled on a bamboo; / the lion fell along with me and died in the middle of the water.

In the water of the Svarṇareṣā, O Lord, that body of mine decayed; / but the head did not fall down, remaining fixed upon the bamboo.

This entire history was indeed seen by the sage belonging to Sarasvatī. / By the power of that sacred ford, you were born as a lion.

This indeed is the seventh birth, marking the rise of the destruction of all sins. / In the great country of Kānyakubja, you are the king well known as Bhoja.

I was born in the womb of a doe, having human form. / My face became that of a deer because it did not fall into the water.

Thus ends the sixth chapter, named 'Description of the Previous Seven Births of Both as Told by the Deer-Faced Woman, in Which the Flow of Clear Speech Was Obtained by Eating the Sacrificial Cake Consecrated by the Great Seer Sārasvata, in the Description of the Story of the Deer-Faced Woman and Bhoja, in the Māhātmya of Bhava, in the Māhātmya of the Vastrāpatha Sacred Field, in the Second Prabhāsakhaṇḍa, in the Seventh [Section] of the Eighty-One-Thousand-Verse Compendium, the Glorious Skanda Purāṇa.