Skandapurana 3.1.13

Śrī Sūta said:

After bathing in the great sacred ford called Maṅgala and becoming free of blemish,

a man should next go to the sacred field called Ekāntarāmanātha. // 1

There Rāma, the lord of the world, along with Jānakī and Lakṣmaṇa,

and surrounded by monkeys led by Hanumān, // 2

is ever present, O brahmins, out of a desire to bestow grace upon the worlds.

There exists there a merit-yielding stepwell indeed named Amṛtavāpikā. // 3

For men plunging into it, there is no fear born of old age or death.

A person who faithfully bathes in this Amṛtavāpī // 4

attains immortality by the grace of Śaṃkara.

To those plunging into this stepwell that destroys heinous sins, // 5

Hara is ever present on the bank to grant immortality.

The seers said:

For what reason is this called 'Amṛtavāpī'? // 6

Tell this to us graciously, O one instructed by Vyāsa,

and likewise the grandeur of the stepwell named Amṛtā.

We who drink the nectar of your speech find no satiety. // 7

Śrī Sūta said:

Its name of Amṛtā and its charming grandeur // 8

I shall declare in detail; listen, O best of the twice-born!

Formerly, on the slope of the Himālaya, crowded with various sages, // 9

resorted to by siddhas, cāraṇas, gandharvas, gods, and kinnaras,

thronged with lions, tigers, boars, elephants, buffaloes, and the like, // 10

overspread with tamāla, tāla, hintāla, campaka, and aśoka trees,

adorned with swans, cuckoos, gallinules, cakravāka birds, and others,

surrounded by lakes abounding in lotuses, blue water lilies, kahlāra, and white water lilies,

the brother of Agastya, truthful, virtuous, eloquent, self-controlled,

resided constantly performing austerity, desiring liberation, dear to Śaṃkara.

Worshipping Śambhu at the three junctures of the day with wild roots, fruits, and the like,

and honoring guests who came near his hermitage with food of the forest,

tending the fire and devoted to the twilight worship,

joyfully reciting at the proper times the great mantras such as the Gāyatrī,

relinquishing sleep at the hour of Brahmā and meditating on Viṣṇu,

performing ritual ablution at dawn and bowing to the twilight with a serene mind,

reciting the Gāyatrī, O brahmins, and worshipping Hari and Śaṃkara,

studying the Veda, reciting the scriptures, honoring guests at midday,

listening to the recitations of the Purāṇas, unwearied in the rites of the fire,

constantly dedicated to the five great sacrifices, offering the bali for all the gods,

performing the annual śrāddha for his parents and other śrāddhas, O twice-born ones—

thus did he spend his time, dedicated to daily observances.

As he lived in this way, practicing excellent austerity,

with his mind fixed on Śaṃkara, a thousand years passed.

Even so, Śaṃkara did not manifest visibly to him then.

Then the brother of Agastya, standing amid five fires in the summer,

fixing his gaze upon the sun, observing the vow of silence,

standing motionless upon the little toe of his left foot,

with his arms raised, unsupported, performed exceedingly severe austerity.

Then Mahādeva, pleased in his heart and an ocean of compassion,

appeared, illuminating the ten directions with his own radiance.

Then the sage beheld Śambhu, accompanied by the Goddess, seated upon the bull.

Seeing him and bowing down, he praised Īśvara, the lord of Bhavānī.

The sage said:

Homage to you, lord of Pārvatī, blue-throated one, Maheśvara!

O Śiva, Rudra, Mahādeva, homage to you, O Śambhu, O all-pervading lord!

O Śrīkaṇṭha, lord of Umā, bearer of the trident, remover of Bhaga's eyes, imperishable one!

Bearer of the Gaṅgā, odd-eyed one, homage to your wrath, O Rudra!

O slayer of Antaka, enemy of Kāma, god of gods, lord of the world!

O Master, Paśupati, Śarva, homage to you of a hundred bows!

Homage to the destroyer of the sacrifice of Dakṣa, to the lord of sinews!

Homage to you who move stealthily, homage to the lord of the thriving!

Again and again, homage to you, O Mahādeva, abode of compassion!

Deliver me, O three-eyed lord, from the ocean of worldly existence, so hard to cross!

Praised in this manner by the brother of Agastya, Śambhu spoke,

delighting the sage, the younger brother of the pot-born one, with his words.

Īśvara said:

O younger brother of the pot-born one, O sinless one, I shall tell you the means to liberation.

In the midst of the Causeway, on Mount Gandhamādana, there is a great sacred ford.

It lies not far from the sacred ford named Maṅgala.

Going there, perform ritual ablution; then you shall attain liberation.

Other than resorting to that sacred ford, there is no easy means of liberation for you.

Indeed, the excellence of that sacred ford cannot be fully told even by me.

No doubt should be entertained here by you today, O best of sages.

Therefore, go to that very place if you desire the cessation of worldly existence.

Having spoken thus, the divine Īśa vanished right there.

Then, according to the god's command, the brother of Agastya,

having gone to the Causeway in the ocean, upon Mount Gandhamādana,

quickly reached that sacred ford described by Īśvara.

At that exceedingly meritorious sacred ford, which grants liberation to those who bathe,

named Ekāntarāmanātha, an auspicious ornament of the sacred field,

that twice-born one bathed according to rule for three years.

Then, in the fourth year, that great sage, absorbed in samādhi,

having raised his vital breath into the crown of his head through the channel of Brahman by yoga,

released his vital breaths right there through the aperture of Brahman.

Then that younger brother of Agastya, having abandoned his bodily frame,

he attained supreme liberation through the power of that sacred ford.

Since, for him whose sorrows were entirely destroyed through the power of ritual ablution in that sacred ford,

deathlessness occurred for Agastya's younger brother,

therefore, O lords of sages, it became renowned as Amṛtavāpī.

Those men who, unwearied, in this sacred ford for three years

perform ritual ablution, truly attain immortality.

Thus the renown [of the place] as Amṛtavāpī and its power

have been related to you, O brahmins. What further do you wish to hear?

The seers said:

How did the name Ekāntarāmanātha come to that sacred field,

O Sūta? You ought to tell this, O sage.

O tiger among sages, our desire to hear that is very great.

The venerable Sūta said:

Formerly, Rāma, son of Daśaratha, along with Sugrīva and Vibhīṣaṇa,

accompanied by his brother Lakṣmaṇa and by Hanūmat who knows counsel,

while the bridge was being built in the midst of the ocean by the monkeys,

thinking of Sītā in his mind, deliberated in secret.

While they were taking counsel concerning the slaying of Rāvaṇa and the others,

the ocean roared intensely, its billowing waves tossing high.

While the terrible, mighty roar of the ocean was resounding,

they could not hear what was spoken to one another.

Then, becoming somewhat enraged, with a glance curved in a frown,

Rāma, having restrained the ocean with playful knit of his brow,

took counsel, O best of brahmins, concerning the destruction of the rākṣasas.

Because Rāghava deliberated there in secret with them,

that sacred field came to be called Ekāntarāmanātha, O brahmins.

This very ocean, restrained by the playful knit of Rāma's brow,

even today is seen with motionless water in those regions.

This is that excellent sacred field named Ekāntarāmanātha.

Having arrived and having bathed in Amṛtavāpī according to the rule,

those who venerate Rāma and the others will all attain liberation.

Though destitute of non-dual knowledge and discernment, lacking detachment and devoid of deep meditation,

and abandoned of rituals such as Vedic sacrifices, having bathed here they will attain immortality, O best of brahmins.

Thus ends the thirteenth chapter, named 'The Description of the Liberation of Agastya's Brother in Praise of Amṛtavāpī', in the Setumāhātmya of the third Brahmakhaṇḍa in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa of eighty-one thousand verses.