Skandapurana 3.1.16

Sūta said:

Having bathed in the pool of Hanumat, which is frequented by Rudra himself,

one should then go, concentrated in mind, to the Agastitīrtha, O foremost of brahmins.

This sacred ford was fashioned directly by the Pitcher-Born [Agastya],

long ago when a quarrel was taking place between Meru and Vindhya.

Mount Vindhya grew, obstructing the expanse of the world.

Then, when all living beings were breathless, the gods,

having gone to Mount Kailāsa, made this known to Śambhu.

Then he, eager with desire to take Pārvatī's hand in marriage,

having sent Vasiṣṭha and other sages to ask for Pārvatī,

commanded him, "O pot-born one, you must restrain the Vindhya mountain!"

Then that pot-born [sage] spoke to the blessed wielder of Pināka:

"O Lord, how will I not behold your wedding attire, O all-pervading one?"

Addressed in this way, Śambhu said again to the pot-born [sage]:

"O pot-born one, together with Pārvatī I indeed

will show you my wedding attire in the most holy Vedāraṇya, without a doubt.

Therefore, go quickly, O chief of sages, to restrain the Vindhya mountain."

Having been spoken to thus, Agastya then subdued the Vindhya mountain, and,

making the surface of the earth level by merely treading upon it with his feet,

having traversed the southern regions, he reached Gandhamādana.

Knowing the majesty of Gandhamādana, that great seer,

the sage, created there a most holy sacred ford in his own name.

Accompanied by Lopāmudrā, the pot-born one dwells there even today.

Having bathed there and drank [the water], one will not partake of rebirth again.

In this world, even across the three times, O twice-born ones,

there is no holy sacred ford equal to that sacred ford, bestowing the fruit of enjoyment and liberation,

granting all desired things to men, through the majesty of bathing in that sacred ford.

The son of the extremely illustrious Dīrghatamas, known by name as Kakṣīvat,

obtained the beloved daughter of Svanaya, named Manoramā.

That holy story of Kakṣīvat destroys sins;

I shall tell that story to you: listen to it, O chiefs of sages!

There is an exceedingly righteous sage named Dīrghatamas;

he had a son renowned as Kakṣīvat.

Invested with the sacred thread, that Kakṣīvat was a celibate student, master of his senses;

he took up residence in the family of his guru to study the Vedas.

Residing in the house of the guru Udaṅka, the son of Dīrghatamas

studied the four Vedas along with their auxiliary branches, and likewise the six treatises,

the epics, the Purāṇas, and also the Upaniṣads.

Having lived for sixty years in the presence of his guru, Kakṣīvat,

about to depart for his own home, O brahmins, gave the sacrificial fee to his guru.

The learned Kakṣīvat, the foremost knower of Brahman, said to the guru:

Kakṣīvat said:

"I am going home, O great sage; grant me permission.

Looking upon me with a glance of compassion, protect me now, O Udaṅka."

Delighted indeed, Udaṅka then said to Kakṣīvat:

Udaṅka said:

"I permit you, O Kakṣīvat; go to your own home.

I shall tell you a means for your marriage, my child: listen to it.

Go to the bridge of Rāma, to Mount Gandhamādana.

There is a sacred ford made by Agastya, bestowing all desires,

granting enjoyment and liberation to men, destroying all sins.

Bathe there, in that source of all auspiciousness;

dwell there for three years, observant of rules and proper conduct.

When three years have passed, then, in the fourth year,

an elephant will emerge from that best of sacred fords,

four-tusked, huge-bodied, with the splendor of an autumn cloud.

Having bathed there, mount that elephant resembling a mountain.

Having mounted that elephant, my child, go to the city of Svanaya.

Seeing you mounted on the four-tusked elephant like a second Śakra,

the royal sage Svanaya, wise, with eyes agitated with joy,

will abandon the grief dwelling in his heart on account of his daughter.

For formerly that daughter of his, Manoramā, made a vow:

'He who arrives mounted upon a four-tusked, huge-bodied elephant,

white in all its limbs, shall be my husband.'

Having heard that vow of his daughter, that king,

becoming troubled in mind with sorrow, pondered constantly.

While Svanaya was thinking thus, Nārada arrived.

Seeing that sage who had arrived, the exceedingly righteous royal seer,

went out to meet him, filled with joy, and honoured him with foot-water, guest-water, and other offerings.

Bowing to Nārada, the king spoke these words:

“O divine seer, formerly this maiden daughter of mine made a vow:

‘Whosoever should arrive having mounted a colossal elephant

with four tusks, white in every limb, he shall become my husband.’

A colossal elephant with four tusks, white in every limb,

might exist in the abode of Indra; on the surface of the earth it does not exist at all.

And she, foolish girl, made this vow difficult to fulfill.

Indeed, this vow torments me constantly and exceedingly.

For an unmarried daughter always brings sorrow to her father.”

Hearing these words of his, Nārada said to Svanaya:

“Do not despair, O royal seer! Such a husband for her,

an excellent brahmin, will soon appear on the earth.

Renowned as Kakṣīvat, he will become your son-in-law.”

Having spoken thus, the sage Nārada departed by way of the sky.

Svanaya, having heard those words spoken by Nārada,

longed day and night for the arrival of such a one.

“Therefore, gentle and fortunate Kakṣīvat, young ascetic,

go in haste today to Agastyatīrtha to bathe.

Attainment of all auspiciousness will be yours, without a doubt.”

Thus addressed by Udaṅka, the eminent twice-born Kakṣīvat,

permitted by his guru, set forth to Gandhamādana.

Having reached Agastyatīrtha, he bathed there, his senses restrained.

The lordly sage observed a fast at the sacred field for one day.

On the next day, having bathed again, the brahmin broke his fast.

At night Kakṣīvat, dedicated to righteousness, slept right there.

For the sage Kakṣīvat, endowed with such observances,

three years, lessened by a single day, then passed.

Then, at the end of the three years, on that very day, the sage,

having observed the evening twilight rites, slept comfortably on its bank.

When only a single watch of the night remained, a great sound,

resembling the roar of the waves of the ocean of cosmic dissolution, arose.

At that tremendous sound, Kakṣīvat awoke.

Then the powerful king named Svanaya, accompanied by his attendants,

fond of hunting, the ruler of Madhurā, arrived there.

Slaying elephants, lions, boars, buffaloes, ruru-deer,

and other kinds of game, the king killed them with his arrows.

Accompanied by his ministers, intent on hunting, surrounded by chariots, horses, and elephants,

and accompanied by soldiers, he approached the vicinity of Agastyatīrtha.

The king, exhausted from the hunt and surrounded by tired soldiers,

the lord of the earth sat down on the edges of the bank of that sacred ford.

Then, in the clear dawn, Kakṣīvat, the best of sages,

having bathed in Agastyatīrtha and performed the morning twilight worship,

stood on its bank reciting mantras, observing his vows.

Meanwhile, an elephant emerged from the excellent sacred ford,

having four tusks, a colossal body, like Kailāsa embodied.

Rising from that sacred ford, it went into the presence of Kakṣīvat.

Observing that it had arrived, endowed with the characteristics stated by Udaṅka,

Kakṣīvat then performed a bath in order to mount it.

Having bowed to that sacred ford and praised it again and again,

Kakṣīvat mounted the great four-tusked elephant.

Having mounted that four-tusked elephant resembling the silver mountain,

Kakṣīvat desired to go to the city of Svanaya itself.

Seeing him mounted upon that four-tusked elephant, the foremost of white-tusked beasts,

the king made sure, ‘This is Kakṣīvat.’

With a pleased heart, the king approached near to him.

Then, drawing near, the king spoke to Kakṣīvat:

Svanaya said:

"O brahmin, whose son are you? Tell me what your name is.

And mounting this elephant, where do you wish to go?"

Addressed thus by Svanaya, Kakṣīvant spoke these words:

Kakṣīvant said:

"I am the son of Dīrghatamas, renowned as Kakṣīvant.

I am traveling to the city of the royal seer Svanaya.

I wish to marry his beautiful daughter.

Riding a four-tusked elephant and fulfilling his condition,

I will take the hand of Svanaya's daughter, O ruler of men."

Hearing his speech, which showered nectar upon the ears,

Svanaya, his eyes blooming with joy, spoke these words:

"O Kakṣīvant, I am blessed! Indeed, I myself am that Svanaya

whose beautiful daughter you wish to marry.

Welcome to you, O best of sages, O Kakṣīvant, young ascetic!

Take my beautiful daughter, O you whose wealth is austerity.

Practicing dharmas together with her, maintain the householder's life."

Addressed by the king, Kakṣīvant, devoted to dharma, then spoke

to the delighted king Svanaya, the dweller of the city of Madhurā:

Kakṣīvant said:

"My father, named Dīrghatamas, O lord, in the Vedāraṇya forest,

gentle and devoted to vows and conduct, resides performing austerity.

Send a brahmin to him, O lord of the earth."

Spoken to in this manner, that king Svanaya, delighted in mind,

dispatched his family priest along with a large army,

a brahmin named Sudarśana, to the region of the Vedāraṇya forest.

That Sudarśana, instructed by King Svanaya,

went forth to the Vedāraṇya forest accompanied by a vast army.

There, the sage Dīrghatamas seated in a leaf-hut,

seated practicing austerity, meditating upon the Lord of the Vedāraṇya forest—

the family priest then saw him reciting the supreme mantra.

Sudarśana bowed down to that sage,

and spoke to the sage Dīrghatamas as if gladdening him:

Sudarśana said:

"Is all well with you, O brahmin? Does your austerity prosper?

Is it well in the hermitage? Tell me, is there ease in dharma?"

Questioned thus by Sudarśana, the sage Dīrghatamas then,

after performing the rites of offering water and respect, said this to Sudarśana:

Dīrghatamas said:

"All is well everywhere, O noble-minded brahmin Sudarśana.

By the grace of the Lord of the Vedāraṇya forest, there is nothing inauspicious anywhere.

Is it well with you also, O brahmin? Was your journey comfortable?

What is the purpose of your coming to my hermitage, O Sudarśana?

You are the family priest of Svanaya, indeed the foremost of knowers of the Veda.

Leaving that great king, who dwells in the city of Madhurā,

for what purpose have you come here with a large army?"

Addressed thus by Dīrghatamas, that Sudarśana then

spoke to that great-souled sage of blazing splendor:

"It is well with me everywhere, O brahmin, always by your grace.

Revered sir, King Svanaya, having bowed down with eight limbs,

has spoken humble words to you; hear them through my mouth:

Svanaya said:

'Your son Kakṣīvant, O brahmin, is now on Mount Gandhamādana,

taking his ritual bath in the sacred ford of Agastya.

Recognizing in your son such beauty, austerity, dharma,

Vedic conduct, mastery of the Vedas and treatises,

and high birth, all of which are extraordinary in this world,

I wish to give him my daughter Manoramā, O sage.

And I, eager for the hunt, have come to Mount Gandhamādana,

O tiger among sages, and am in the presence of your son.

[He told me:] "Without my father's permission, I cannot marry your daughter."

“Thus speaks your son Kakṣīvat, O best of sages:

‘Therefore, show me your grace by giving your daughter to him!’

And I have sent Sudarśana to your presence with an army.”

Sudarśana said:

“Thus, O venerable one, the king sent me into your presence.

Therefore, grant your consent to that king’s desire.”

Śrī Sūta said:

Having spoken thus, Svanaya's family priest fell silent.

Then Dīrghatamas said to Svanaya's family priest:

Dīrghatamas said:

“Sudarśana, let it be just so as was spoken by Svanaya!

Indeed, this auspicious marriage is most desirable to me.

I shall come, O brahmin, to Mount Gandhamādana.”

Having spoken thus, O brahmins, that sage, the great sage Dīrghatamas,