Skandapurana 3.1.43

The illustrious Sūta said:

Now I shall describe the glory of Rāmanātha,

hearing which a person on earth is freed from all sins.

The man who sees even once the liṅga installed by Rāma,

that man attains liberation consisting of union with Śiva.

Whatever merit is performed in ten years in the Kṛta age,

that merit is attained by men in one year in the Tretā age;

and in the Dvāpara age in a month; in the Kali age, in a single day;

and that fruit is multiplied ten million times at every instant for men—

without doubt it will be so for those who behold Rāmanātha.

In the great liṅga of Rāmeśvara, all sacred fords,

all the gods, the sages, and the ancestors are present.

Once, twice, or thrice a day, or always,

those who remember the Great God Rāmanātha, the giver of liberation,

or praise him, O brahmins, their cages of sins are shattered;

they go indeed to Rudra, who is existence, consciousness, and bliss, non-dual, accompanied by Ambā.

Regarding the liṅga named Rāmeśvara, which was worshipped by Rāmacandra,

by merely remembering it, not even torment by Yama occurs.

The men who worship the great liṅga of Rāmeśvara even once

are not to be regarded as human beings, but as Rudras, without doubt.

He by whom the great liṅga of Rāmeśvara has not been worshipped with devotion

wanders for a long time in worldly existence filled with grief.

The men who see the great liṅga of Rāmeśvara even once—

what need have they of gifts, what of vows, what of austerities, what of sacrificial rites?

He who does not contemplate the great liṅga of Rāmeśvara even for a moment

is ignorant and a sinner, dumb and deaf;

he should be known as stupid and blind, and a defect will always befall him.

There will likewise be loss of his wealth, field, sons, and the rest.

When the great liṅga of Rāmeśvara is seen even once, O lords of sages,

what need is there of Kāśī, what of Gayā, or what is the fruit gained even by Prayāga?

Having attained human birth, which is difficult to attain, where on the earth human beings

bow to and worship the great liṅga Rāmanātha,

their birth indeed bears fruit, and they have achieved their goal, but not others.

When the great liṅga Rāmeśvara is worshipped or even remembered,

what need is there of Viṣṇu, Brahmā, or even Śakra and all the immortals?

Those men who are endowed with devotion to the great liṅga Rāmanātha,

and the men who are engaged in prostrating to, remembering, and worshipping them,

they do not see sorrows, nor do they go to the abode of Yama.

Thousands of murders of brahmins and tens of thousands of drinkings of liquor,

when the god Rāmeśvara is beheld, go entirely to dissolution.

Those who always desire enjoyment and sovereignty in the abode of the gods,

let them bow with joy even once to the great liṅga Rāmeśvara.

Whatever sins have been committed even in ten million births,

they all dissolve always when Rāmeśvara is beheld.

Remembering from association, curiosity, greed, or even from fear,

the great liṅga Rāmeśvara, one does not experience sorrow here or in the hereafter.

Praising and also worshipping the great liṅga Rāmeśvara,

one inevitably attains conformity of form with Rudra; there is no doubt in this.

Just as a kindled fire reduces pieces of firewood to ashes in an instant,

so all sins [are destroyed] from the sight of Rāmeśvara.

Devotion to the great liṅga Rāmeśvara is declared to be of eight kinds:

affection toward His devotees, delight in His worship,

worshipping Him oneself with devotion, bodily activity for His sake,

and likewise reverence in listening to the stories of His māhātmya,

likewise the thrill of emotion in voice, eyes, and body,

and continuous remembrance of the great liṅga Rāmeśvara,

and living purely by taking refuge in the great liṅga Rāmeśvara.

In whomsoever this eightfold devotion exists, even in a barbarian,

he alone is proclaimed as an heir of the sacred fields of liberation.

Liberation is determined through single-minded devotion, through knowledge of Brahman,

arising from the hearing of the Vedānta scriptures for celibate ascetics.

And that liberation—without the arising of knowledge, sight, or hearing,

without ascetic life, O brahmins, and likewise without dispassion,

for all castes and indeed for members of all stages of life—

solely from the darśana of the great liṅga Rāmeśvara,

will occur without delay, granting cessation of rebirth.

Worms, insects, gods, and sages rich in austerity

are equal in the sacred field of Rāmeśvara by the grace of Rāmanātha.

Let not fear be felt, thinking, “Much sin has been done by me!”

Nor let pride be taken by people, thinking, “Merit was performed by me!”

When the great liṅga Rāmeśvara, Rudra accompanied by Ambā, is beheld,

there are none inferior and none superior; rather, all people are equal.

He who beholds the great liṅga Rāmeśvara with devotion,

even one who knows the four Vedas on earth does not equal him.

One who is devoted to the great liṅga Rāmeśvara, even though an outcaste,

to him gifts should be given, and not to another who merely knows the three Vedas.

Whatever destination is obtained by celibate sages endowed with yoga,

that is the destination of all creatures who behold Rāmeśvara.

Those men who dwell in the sacred field of Rāmanātha-Śiva, O twice-born,

they all will have five faces, their heads adorned with the crescent moon,

equipped with serpent ornaments, and having the bull on their banner,

three-eyed, their limbs smeared with ashes, crowned with skull crests,

they will become Mahādevas accompanied by Ambā in bodily presence; there is no doubt in this.

Those men who joyfully travel to the sacred field of Rāmanātha-Śiva

obtain at every step the merits of horse-sacrifices.

Taking refuge at the bridge of Rāma, for the pleasure of Rāmanātha,

he who gives a single village to a brahmin with devotion,

by him the entire earth has been given, along with its mountains and forests.

That man who offers a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water to Rāmanātha

with devotion, him Rāmanātha protects day and night.

Toward the great liṅga Rāmanātha, with the Mother, compassionate, Śiva,

devotion is extremely rare, and worship of him is also very rare.

Praise is declared difficult to attain, and remembrance is exceedingly rare. // 46

To the liṅga Rāmanātheśvara, the great god, the three-eyed one,

those who take refuge with a mind filled with devotion, // 47

theirs is gain, theirs is victory in this world and in the next.

He whose intellect is directed toward the great liṅga Rāmanātha // 48

day and night—he indeed is the most fortunate on earth.

Whoever does not worship the liṅga Rāmanātheśvara, Śiva, // 49

he is not a vessel for enjoyment, liberation, or even kingdoms.

Whoever worships the great liṅga Rāmeśvara with devotion, // 3.1.43.50

he is the supreme vessel for enjoyment, liberation, and kingdoms.

There is indeed no merit equal to or greater than the worship of Rāmanātha. // 51

Whoever, overcome by delusion, hates the liṅga Rāmanātheśvara,

by him ten thousand killings of brahmins have been committed, causing [descent into] hell. // 52

Merely by conversing with him, a mortal would go to hell.

The gods are devoted to Rāmanātha; the sacrifices are devoted to Rāmanātha; // 53

all are devoted to Rāmanātha—there exists nothing other than him.

Therefore, abandoning everything, one should take refuge in Rāmanātha. // 54

If a man goes for refuge to the great liṅga Rāmanātha,

his wicked mind ceases to exist, and he will go to the world of Śiva. // 55

Whatever fruit [lies] in all sacrifices, austerities, gifts, and bathing at sacred fords,

that fruit is multiplied ten million times through service to Rāmanātha. // 56

Meditating on the liṅga Rāmanātheśvara for two ghaṭikās,

delivering twenty-one generations of his lineage, he is exalted in the world of Śiva. // 57

And he who gazes upon Rāmanātha, the great lord, for just one day,

having become wealthy in this very life, becomes Rudra at the end. // 58

He who, having risen in the morning, remembers Rāmanātha, the great lord,

in this very body he exists on earth as Śiva. // 59

Merely by the darśana of one who has seen the great liṅga Rāmanātha,

the sin of other living beings is destroyed that very instant. // 3.1.43.60

Whoever gazes upon the liṅga Rāmanātheśvara at midday,

thousands of [his sins of] drinking liquor are destroyed that very instant. // 61

He who gazes upon Rāmanātha in the evening with devotion,

the sin born of going to the guru’s wife is destroyed for him. // 62

And he who praises Rāmeśvara in the evening with great hymns,

thousands of [his sins of] stealing gold are destroyed that very instant. // 63

Bathing at Dhanuṣkoṭi and the darśana of Rāmanātha—

if such is obtained by men, what need is there of serving the waters of the Gaṅgā? // 64

Whatever is not obtained through the service of the great liṅga Rāmanātha,

that could never be obtained by any network of other religious duties. // 65

He who never looks upon the great liṅga Rāmanātha,

he should be known as a hybrid, not born from his father's seed. // 66

Having risen in the morning, whoever recites three times the word 'Rāmanātha',

his sin produced on the previous day is destroyed in an instant. // 67

While the great liṅga Rāmanātha is consecrated to protecting devotees,

and while food is present, why will you go begging? // 68

When the great liṅga Rāmanātha, the treasure of compassion, is pleased,

all afflictions are destroyed, like snow at sunrise. // 69

If at the time of the departure of the life-breaths one remembers Rāmanātha,

he is not fit for rebirth; he attains Śiva-hood once again. // 3.1.43.70

'O Rāmanātha, O Mahādeva, protect me, O ocean of mercy!'—

he who speaks thus constantly is not afflicted by Kali. // 71

'O Rāmanātha, O Jagannātha, O Dhūrjaṭi, O Nīlalohita!'—

he who speaks thus constantly is not afflicted by illusion. // 72

'O Nīlakaṇṭha, O Mahādeva, O Rāmeśvara-Sadāśiva!'—

saying this always, a living being is not troubled by desire. // 73

'O Rāmeśvara, O enemy of Yama, O consumer of the kālakūṭa poison!'—

a person uttering this daily is not tormented by anger. // 74

Whoever builds an abode for Rāmanātha out of timber,

that person attains heaven together with three tens of millions of ancestors in his lineage. (75)

One who builds it with bricks attains Vaikuṇṭha;

one who builds it with stones goes to the abode of Brahmā. (76)

A person who builds his temple with various kinds of stone such as crystal

attains the realm of Śiva, mounted on an excellent aerial chariot. (77)

One who builds the temple of Rāmanātha out of copper with devotion

attains proximity to Śiva, seated upon half of Śiva's throne. (78)

A man who joyfully builds the temple of Rāmeśvara with silver

attains similarity of form to Śiva and rejoices constantly like Śiva. (79)

He who builds the temple of Rāmanātha with gold, endowed with devotion,

that man attains liberation consisting of union with Śiva. (80)

If a wealthy man builds the temple of Rāmanātha with gold

and a poor man builds it with clay, the religious merit of the two is considered equal. (81)

O best of brahmins, at the time of the ritual ablution of the great liṅga of Rāmanātha,

at the three junctures of the day, with song and dance, vocal mouth-music, and the kāhala trumpet, (82)

the person who provides other musical instruments with devotion,

released from great sins, is exalted in the realm of Rudra. (83)

Whoever, at the time of the ceremonial bath of Rāmanātha the bearer of the trident,

recites the Rudrādhyāya, the Camaka, and likewise the Puruṣasūkta, (84)

the Trisuparṇa, the five Śānti hymns, and likewise the Pāvamānī hymns and others,

recites them with joy, O brahmins, does not undergo hell. (85)

With cow's milk, curd, the five products of the cow, and ghee,

the ritual ablution of the great liṅga of Rāmanātha destroys hell. (86)

And whoever bathes the great liṅga of Rāmanātha with ghee,

his sin accumulated over kalpas and lifetimes is destroyed that very instant. (87)

A man bathing the great liṅga of Rāmanātha with cow's milk,

having delivered twenty-one generations of his lineage, is exalted in the realm of Śiva. (88)

A man bathing the great liṅga of Rāmanātha completely with curd,

freed from all sins, is exalted in the realm of Viṣṇu. (89)

Whoever indeed performs an anointing with sesame oil for Śiva Rāmeśvara

even once with devotion, dwells in the abode of Kubera. (90)

Whoever performs the ritual ablution of the great liṅga of Rāmanātha with sugarcane juice,

even once with devotion, attains the realm of the Moon. (91)

A man bathing with the extract produced from the juice of monkey-jackfruit and mangoes

the great liṅga of Rāmanātha, attains the realm of the ancestors. (92)

The ritual ablution of Rāmanātha the great lord with coconut water

is proclaimed to destroy sins such as the killing of a brahmin. (93)

Rubbing the great liṅga of Rāmanātha with ripe plantains,

destroying all sin, one is exalted in the realm of Vāyu. (94)

Bathing Rāmanātha the great lord with water filtered through cloth,

one attains the realm of Varuṇa, O best of brahmins. (95)

If a man bathes Rāmanātha the great lord with streams of sandalwood water,

O brahmins, he will attain the realm of the Gandharvas. (96)

From the ritual ablution of Rāmeśvara with water perfumed with flowers,

with water mixed with gold, and with water perfumed with lotuses, (97)

having mounted the throne of Mahendra, he rejoices with him.

With pāṭalā, utpala, kalhāra, punnāga, and karavīra blossoms, (98)

with waters perfumed [by these], O brahmins, having given a ceremonial bath to the great lord Rāmeśvara,

he is liberated even from great sins. (99)

And whatever other flowers there are, fragrant and great,