Skandapurana 3.1.25

Śrī Sūta said:
Having bathed in Śivatīrtha, which frees from the killing of a brahmin,
a man should then go to Śaṅkhatīrtha to quell the web of his sins,
where by mere plunging even an ungrateful person is freed.
Deluded people who do not revere mothers, fathers, and teachers,
and whatever other wicked, ungrateful, shameless people there may be,
they all become purified in this Śaṅkhatīrtha merely by bathing.
Formerly, a sage named Śaṅkha lived on Mount Gandhamādana,
performing austerity, meditating on Viṣṇu with a concentrated mind.
There he fashioned an excellent sacred ford for the purpose of bathing;
the sacred ford created by Śaṅkha is called Śaṅkhatīrtha.
Having bathed there even once, a mortal—even an ungrateful one—is liberated.
Here I shall relate an ancient tale that destroys sin,
merely by hearing which a man attains liberation.
Formerly there was a foremost brahmin, the great sage Vatsanābha,
truthful, virtuous, eloquent, devoted to compassion for all beings,
equal toward enemy and friend, restrained, ascetic, with conquered senses,
versed in the Supreme Brahman, taking refuge solely in Brahman the Reality.
Endowed with such power, that sage performed austerity in his own hermitage.
Standing motionless in all his limbs on the ground right there,
he did not move from his place even by the distance of an atom.
As he remained in one place performing austerity for many hundreds of years,
an anthill crept over him and covered his limbs.
Even though his body was covered by an anthill, that great sage Vatsanābha
performed austerity alone, and did not notice the anthill at all.
While he was performing austerity, O foremost sages, Vāsava,

having released masses of clouds, swiftly caused it to rain.

In this way he rained unceasingly for seven days.

Even while being rained upon with an immense torrential downpour, the sage

received that rain with his eyes closed.

With a great roar instantly deafening the ears then,

a mighty thunderbolt fell upon the anthill.

While the cloud was raining, unbearable with cold wind,

the top of the anthill was destroyed, struck by the thunderbolt.

When the summit of that anthill had shattered, struck by the thunderbolt,

Vatsanābha, meditating, endured the unbearable rain.

As the great seer was afflicted day and night by streams of rain,

exceedingly great compassion arose in the heart of Dharma.

That Dharma reflected, while Vatsanābha was performing austerity:

"Even though an excessive rain is falling, he does not turn back from austerity.

Oh, how Vatsanābha's mind is devoted solely to righteousness!"

As he was thinking thus, such a thought arose in him:

"Taking on the form of a buffalo, very great and charming,

with a tough skin capable of bearing the fall of downpours of rain,

having assumed the buffalo form, I will stand above the yogin.

The rain, even accompanied by great force, will certainly not trouble [him]."

Having decided thus, Dharma, bearing the streams [of rain] on his back,

stood above Vatsanābha, covering him with his body.

Then, at the end of seven days, that rain indeed ceased.

Then Dharma, in the form of a buffalo, filled with immense compassion,

departed from that anthill and stayed not far away.

Then, when the rain had stopped, the great sage Vatsanābha,

turning away quickly from his austerity, looked around in all directions:

"I stood amidst the downpour of rain, performing great austerity today.

The earth is seen drenched with water in all directions;

the peaks of the mountains, the forests, and the groves,

and the hermitages of the great seers are flooded with fresh water."

Having seen all these things, he became delighted;

the righteous-minded great sage Vatsanābha thought:

"I have surely been protected by someone in this great deluge of rain.

For while such a great deluge of rain fell, how else could there be life?"

Having reflected thus, the best of sages looked in all directions.

Then, standing not far ahead, he saw a huge-bodied,

dark-colored buffalo; and Vatsanābha, rich in tapas,

reflected in his mind concerning that buffalo:

"How is a righteous disposition seen even among animals born of brute wombs?

For I have indeed been thoroughly protected from the great rain by a buffalo.

May long life be his, since he protected me here!"

Having reflected thus and so forth, he set out again for tapas.

Seeing him practicing tapas once more, the one bearing the form of a buffalo,

with all his limbs covered in horripilation, felt exceedingly great joy.

Yet, as the sage Vatsanābha was practicing tapas once again,

his mind did not become focused on the supreme Brahman as before.

Becoming dejected in mind, Vatsanābha thought:

"If there is no purity, then the mind must be unsteady.

And when there is an abundance of sin, the mind does not at all become pure.

Yet I have not even a trace of sin; why then does my mind waver?"

Vatsanābha pondered again and again the cause of the fault.

Having reflected and determined [it], he straightway condemned himself:

"Fie on me, an evil-minded one today! Oh, how exceedingly foolish I am!

The great fault of ingratitude has come upon me today.

Because, towards the excellent buffalo who saved me from such a great rain,

I remain without even worshipping [him]; therefore, ingratitude has arisen in me.

Ingratitude is a great fault; there is no expiation for the ungrateful.

For the ungrateful there are no worlds, nor does the ungrateful have kinsmen.

By the power of the fault of ingratitude, my mind is defiled.

The ungrateful go to hell, as do those who betray the trusting.

I see no expiation whatsoever for the ungrateful,

except the abandonment of life, as is the teaching of the knowers of righteousness.

Failing to maintain one's parents, not giving the teacher's fee,

and contracting ingratitude—for these the expiation ends only with death.

Therefore, renouncing my life, I shall perform an expiation."

Having resolved thus in his mind, the great sage Vatsanābha,

holding his own life as straw, with an inner self detached,

climbed the peak of Meru, wishing to perform the expiation.

The sage wished to throw himself down from that peak of Sumeru.

As he began to jump, saying, "Do not act in haste!",

Dharma himself, abandoning the form of a buffalo, restrained him.

Dharma said:

"O Vatsanābha of great wisdom, live for many years!

I am well pleased with your desire to renounce your body; may you prosper!

Indeed, in the world there is no one equal to your standard of righteousness.

Although the abandonment of life is the expiation for an ungrateful person,

nonetheless, because of your righteous character, I shall tell you another expiation.

There is a sacred ford named Śaṅkhatīrtha on Gandhamādana.

For the pacification of this sin, bathe there with a concentrated mind.

You will attain purity of mind, and will thereby be freed from stain.

And then, having attained wisdom, you will reach the eternal abode.

I am Dharma, O lord of yogins; I speak truth to you."

Having heard these words of Dharma, the great sage Vatsanābha,

wishing to bathe in Śaṅkhatīrtha, went towards Gandhamādana.

Reaching Śaṅkhatīrtha, the great sage bathed there.

Then, his sin departed, his mind attained purity.

Then, before long, the sage attained oneness with Brahman.

"Thus has the power of Śaṅkhatīrtha been told to you, O brahmins,

where merely by bathing, even an ungrateful person is liberated.

One who injures his mother, one who injures his father, likewise one who injures his teacher,

and other hosts of ungrateful people are freed by immersing here.

Therefore, this [ford] should always be frequented by ungrateful men."

Ah, the māhātmya of the sacred ford, by which even the ungrateful person is freed!

Failing to maintain one's parents, failing to give the fee to the guru,

and falling into ungratefulness—the expiation [for these] indeed ends only in death.

Here, however, by mere ritual ablution there is expiation even for the ungrateful person;

even ungratefulness is destroyed in that sacred ford merely by ritual ablution.

What need be said now of all other trifling sins?

Even an ungrateful mortal who recites this chapter with devotion is freed from sin;

with an inner self purified, having gone to Satyaloka, he would quickly attain liberation together with Brahmā.

Thus ends the twenty-fifth chapter, titled 'The Description of the Pacification of Vatsanābha's Sin of Ungratefulness in the Praise of Śaṅkhatīrtha,' in the Setumāhātmya of the third section, the Brahmakhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skandapurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses.