Skandapurana 2.2.12

Jaimini said:

When Brahmā's son [Nārada] had spoken thus, King Indradyumna,

having heard the sage's words, rejoiced in his inner self.

Reflecting with supreme discernment, he considered his exertion fruitful:

“Ah, supreme is my good fortune, earned across many births,

that the Grandfather of all the worlds has taken interest in my undertaking!

He made his own son, who is liberated while living, my helper.

For as the helper of men is, so indeed is the outcome of the task.

Such is the precept of the elders heard in all assemblies.”

Reflecting thus, the king dismissed the members of the assembly.

Then, taking the sage by the hand, he entered the inner quarters, O twice-born ones.

Having honoured him according to rule, upon a couch with him indeed,

the king spent the remainder of the night conversing reciprocally.

Then, at clear dawn, having performed his daily duties,

and worshipped the Lord of the Universe, he crossed the great river.

With the path shown ahead by the ruler of the Odhra country who was leading the way,

accompanied by his army, he set out towards the sacred field of Ekāmravana.

Having traversed a short distance, reaching [the river] named Gandhavahā,

the swift [king] crossed that rapid river of cool water.

At the time of the morning worship of Koṭiliṅgeśvara,

the king heard from afar the sound of carcarī songs, conches, kāhala horns, mṛdaṅgas, and muraja drums,

pervading the great forest.

Believing it to belong to the Lord residing on the Blue Mountain,

delighted, he said to Nārada: “Where does this sound come from, O great sage?

Has the Supreme Lord residing on the crest of the Blue Mountain arrived,

since this tumultuous sound is heard at the time of His worship?

Or is some other deity nearby, O sage?”
Thus questioned by the king, the bull among sages spoke:

“O King, that sacred field is extremely hard to attain, kept secret by the Enemy of Mura.

The Lord is not known by any men to be there.

For you are the best among the fortunate; through your good fortune, by your family priest,

the Lord was somehow seen by means of the path of restrained senses.

You are equipped with armies having six components, O best of kings,

yet you have undertaken an extreme venture; I have doubts, O protector of the earth.

The Blue Mountain is situated at the third yojana.

This Ekāmrakavana is the sacred field of the all-pervading Lord of Gaurī [Śiva].

Not far from here, O ruler of the earth, he took refuge, being terrified.”

Indradyumna said:

“How was the Lord of Gaurī terrified, or to whom did he take refuge,

he who formerly burned dreadful Tripura with a single arrow?

Astonishment has arisen in me regarding this; I wish to hear what is rarely told.

Bhava [Śiva], the supreme purifier, is the protector of those terrified of worldly existence.

For what reason was he stricken with fear? Who indeed was capable of conquering him?”

Nārada said:

In this matter I shall recount to you an ancient event, O king:

Formerly, having been brought under sway by her tapas, he married Gaurī.

The Lord Nīlalohita, a celibate student on the Himalaya,

abandoned his vow of celibacy, tormented by the arrows of the Bodiless One.

He disported with that radiant lady, intoxicated by youth, O king,

and enjoyed in her father's domain pleasures coveted even by the gods.

Then once, as the virtuous woman was stepping out from her dwelling-house,

she was addressed gently with a smile by her mother, in the presence of the noble women of the family:

“O noble lady, great tapas was performed in the dense forest for the sake of a husband,

and a husband of no family, devoid of qualities, and old was obtained, O fair-faced one!

Day and night you do not leave the presence of such a one.

Tell me, my child, what virtue is there, or what ornaments and clothes

have been obtained born from your husband's favor? Dwelling in my house alone,

you stay for a long time, O blessed one, pampered with the pleasures of your father.

In the three worlds, maiden daughters married from their father's house

depart adorned by their husband to their husband's home—so we have heard.

I, however, being the mind-born daughter of the ancestors from the world of the ancestors,

came here, O highly fortunate one, and was married by the Snowy Mountain.

This was spoken by me in jest, not out of anger, O tremulous-eyed one;

it must not be spoken before your husband, for he is considered equal to Viṣṇu.”

Nārada said:

Hearing this speech of her mother, pained by the disparagement of her husband,

her lower lip trembling with anger, she uttered not a single word.

She went near her husband, concealing the mother’s words,

and spoke a sharp yet affectionate speech of measured words:

“O Lord, this residence in the father-in-law's abode is not proper

even for the lowly; how much less for you, the teacher of the three worlds?

Therefore dwelling here is not suitable for us two, nor is it pleasing to me, O omnipresent one.

Are there no lands suitable for residence for you, the Lord?”

Thus spoken to by Śivā, the blessed Lord who bears the bull on his banner

mounted the bull together with her and swiftly went to the Central Region.

Passing beyond all sacred fords and the great purifying Prayāga,

on the northern bank of the Gaṅgā flowing toward the eastern ocean,

he built the city named Vārāṇasī for Gaurī’s residence,

measuring five krośas, charming, and adorned with excellent palaces,

endowed with hundreds of watchtowers, possessing countless gardens,

provided with various sacred fords, crowded with manifold people,

radiant, constructed by Viśvakarman at the command of Dhūrjaṭi,

[a city] where sins are destroyed by the pure and cool waves of the Gaṅgā.

There, in the center of the city adorned with golden ramparts and watchtowers,

well-fashioned with pillars of gems, fulfilling all desires,

Paśupati disported with her, as Madhusūdana with Śrī.

That city is never at any time abandoned by the Lord of the Universe;

known as Avimuktā, she grants liberation to mortals,

resorted to in former times, O ruler of men, by those who fear worldly existence.

Dwelling there at that time, richly adorned by that husband of hers,

Gaurī did not even remember her mother and father, O king.

When many ages had thus elapsed, the Lord went to Mount Kailāsa,

having established there ten million liṅgas of himself.

Kings protected that city frequently, O king.

There was one named the king of Kāśi in the former Dvāpara age;

he propitiated the Lord Śambhu by severe tapas.

Thinking, “In battle I shall overcome Acyuta,

who conquers kings led by Jarāsandha,” that monarch

[pleased Śiva], and the Wielder of the Pināka, being gratified, granted him a boon:

“You shall conquer the slayer of Kaṃsa in battle, O subduer of enemies!

For your sake, mounted upon the bull, I myself shall fight together with the Pramathas.”

Having obtained this boon from Śambhu, that infatuated king,

valorous as he was, challenged Hari, the wielder of the conch and discus, in battle.

That blessed Lord, the Inner Controller, having known such an occurrence,

[Viṣṇu] dispatched his discus to slay the king of Kāśī.

That discus of terrifying appearance, shining like a thousand suns,

having severed the head of the king of Kāśī, and then his army and that city,

burned them, O king, enraged, knowing Viṣṇu's intention and power.

Seeing that exceedingly grave deed, Paśupati, enraged,

surrounded by his gaṇas and mounted on his bull, bearing the Pināka, charged towards it.

Then, having seen the Sudarśana discus first before him,

Śambhu hurled the Pāśupata weapon, like a cosmic portent of doom.

Formerly a boon had been obtained from Viṣṇu by Śambhu, who had pleased him with devotion:

‘I will replenish your weapon with power when remembered by you;

if you turn against me, however, it shall become devoid of luster.’

And when this terrible Pāśupata weapon was rendered futile,

and Vārāṇasī was burned, the bull-bannered [Śiva], terrified with fear,

praised Puruṣottama, the origin of the worlds, who has no beginning:

Mahādeva said:

O Nārāyaṇa, supreme abode, supreme Self, higher than the highest!

O you whose sovereign power is existence, consciousness, and bliss, taintless one, homage be to you!

O cause of the universe, performer of actions such as creation through the distinctions of the guṇas,

hidden by your own māyā, self-luminous one, homage be to you!

Not inside, yet outside; outside, yet inside; situated far off, yet near at hand;

heavy, light, firm, more subtle, and grosser—homage be to you!

O peerless one, millions of Brahmā’s [lifespans] and half an instant of mine

arise from the play of your glance: homage to that embodiment of Time!

Surrounded by hosts of universes held in each single hair,

whose body is beyond measure: homage to that universal Self!

Homage be to you who measure the dissolution and birth of the Creator by his own measure of time,

and the arrangement of manvantaras and the like!

I was created from tamas, O Lord, ignorant of your majesty.

Therefore forgive my offense; protect me who have approached for refuge!

While the burner of Tripura was making this hymn of praise,

Adhokṣaja, relinquishing the form of the discus, manifested himself,

gracious of countenance, glorious, bearing conch, discus, and mace,

seated on Garuḍa upon a lotus throne, adorned with a garland of forest flowers,

radiant with necklaces, earrings, armlets, diadem, and other ornaments,

holding Lakṣmī on his left lap and having Satyā on his right side,

an ocean of compassion possessing a charming body like a dark raincloud.

As if possessed by anger, he spoke to the trembling lord of Girijā:

The Blessed Lord said:

O Śambhu, after so much time, how has this bad judgment come upon you,

that for the sake of a king who is a mere insect you have stood up to fight with me?

How many powers of mine were not known by you, O Dhūrjaṭi?

True, your Pāśupata weapon is invincible to gods and asuras together;

yet that discus is the form of my anger, which does not spare even you.

Who indeed, except you, wanders in the world disrespecting me?

Formerly you were strengthened by numerous austerities as [part of] my body;

now, if you wish to sport here for a long time together with Gaurī,

and if you wish this city of Vārāṇasī to remain long-standing,

there is a sacred field renowned on earth by my name, the glorious Puruṣottama-kṣetra,

on the shore of the southern ocean, adorned by the Nīlācala mountain,

ten yojanas in extent, reaching as far as the Viraja-maṇḍala.

Progressively purifying is that sacred field as far as the Citrotpalā river;

from there onwards, whatever region reaches up to the southern ocean,

step by step most excellent, is the Nīlādri, which bestows liberation,

where indeed I abide in four forms, made of sapphire.

To the north of it is the renowned forest named Ekāmraka;

dwell there with Pārvatī without fear, O destroyer of Tripura!

By the self-manifest [Brahmā] creating all the worlds at my command,

you shall be anointed as king even there over ten million liṅgas.

And this sacred ford which is Maṇikarṇikā consists of all sacred fords;

abandoning your egoism here, go there with your retinue.

Nārada said:

Thus addressed by Vāsudeva, Tryambaka, his neck bowed down,

folded his hands in reverence and spoke to the slayer of Madhu:

Mahādeva said:

“O God of gods, O Lord of the universe, O remover of the distress of those bowed down, O Lord!

O Lord of the world, obeying your command is the cause of the highest good for me.

As for the pride displayed by me out of delusion, O Lord,

in that very matter, O Lord, your own favor was the cause of my fickle mind.

Since you command, O Lord of gods, my journey to Puruṣottama,

placing that upon my head, I shall go to that auspicious sacred field that grants liberation.

Make a compact today to grant me your favor:

Do you yourself protect my sacred field, O Puruṣottama,

so that it will never again suffer such destruction.”

In this way this sacred field was established in ancient times by Mahādeva.

Worshiping the Lord Puruṣottama accompanied by Bala and Śrī,

here the lover of Umā was directly installed by the Supreme Lord.

We shall go there and behold the destroyer of the cities,

the husband of the mountain-born goddess, who shines as a sun dispelling the mass of dense inner darkness.

This sacred field belonging to Śambhu is the supreme destroyer of darkness.

It washes away passion; it is the celebrated, auspicious Virajamaṇḍala.

Renowned for its abundance of sattva is Puruṣottama, which grants liberation.

As many other sacred fields as have been heard by you to grant liberation,

all of them truly bestow liberation right here, O king of kings.

This sacred field, O great king, for those whose minds are tainted by wicked deeds,

does not come into the path of faith; it is the secret of the disc-bearer.

Jaimini said:

Hearing Nārada’s words, the king, delighted in heart,

spoke to that tiger among sages, his eyes wide with wonder:

“Well spoken to me, O brahmin, is this most holy sacred field,

where that lord of Umā dwells, and Puruṣottama is the protector.

We must certainly go there, even though the path is winding ground,

since this is the great cause for obtaining the desired goal.”

Jaimini said:

Then at noon, O twice-born, the sage and the king,

together with their army, reached the sacred field called the Ekāmra forest.

The king, bathing in the Bindutīrtha and worshiping

Puruṣottama situated on the bank according to the rules, went to the great temple of Koṭīśvara.