Skandapurana 3.1.53.26

3.1.53.26

22 athāgnitīrthamāhātmyavarṇanam, tatprasaṃgena sītāśuddhivṛttāntavarṇanam, tatra rāmaca-ndreṇa laṃkāyāṃ rāvaṇaṃ hatvā śakrādibhiḥ saha setumārgeṇa gandhamādanaṃ pratyāgatya lakṣmītīrthataṭe sthitvā jānakīśodhanāyāgnerāhvānakaraṇam, tato'gninā tatra same-tya rāmasyāgre sītāyāḥ śuddhatākathanam, agnivacanādrāmacandreṇa jānakyāḥ svīka-raṇam, agnervinirgamasthānasyāgnitīrthābhidhayā prasiddhiḥ, agnitīrthamāhātmyaprasaṃge-na paśumannāmadheyasya vaṇigvarasya caritravaṇarnam, tatra tasya paśumato'ṣṭaputreṣu madhye'-ṣṭamaputrasya duṣpaṇyākhyasya nagarasthabālakamāraṇarūpātiduṣkarmaparasya rājñā tatpituḥ sacchīlaṃ nirīkṣya deśānnirvāsanam , tato vanaṃ prayātenāpi tenograśravomuniputre jale nimajjya mārite satyugraśravasā muninā duṣpaṇyāya jalanimajjanataste mṛtyurbha-viṣyatīti śāpapradānam, atha varṣākāle'tivṛṣṭau satyāṃ duṣpaṇyena mṛtapatita-gajaśarīramadhye praveśe kṛte tasya gajaśarīrasya mahatā payapūrapravāheṇa samudraṃ prati praveśe sati tadantaḥsthitasya duṣpaṇyasya mṛtyuḥ, tadanaṃtaraṃ tasya piśācatvaprāptiḥ, tataḥ piśācarūpiṇā tenāgastyāśramasamīpaṃ pratyabhyetyoccaiḥ svamuktaye maharṣīṇāṃ prārthanākaraṇam, atha tasya vimuktaye'gastyamaharṣiṇā sutīkṣṇākhyaṃ svaśiṣyaṃ prati taduddeśenāgnitīrthe snānārthamājñākaraṇam, sutīkṣṇena piśācasya vimuktyuddeśenā-gnitīrthe snāne kṛte sati duṣpaṇyasya piśācatvavimuktipūrvakaṃ divyaṃ vimānamāruhya maharṣīṃnnamaskṛtya divyalokaṃ prati gamanam , agnitīrthamāhātmyam..... 39 2

22. Now begins the description of the māhātmya of Agnitīrtha. In connection with that, the narrative of Sītā's purification is described: there, after Rāmacandra slew Rāvaṇa in Laṅkā and returned to Gandhamādana via the bridge with Indra and the other [gods], he stood on the bank of Lakṣmītīrtha and summoned Agni to examine Jānakī; then, Agni arrived there and proclaimed Sītā's purity before Rāma; upon Agni's words, Rāmacandra accepted Jānakī; the place from which Agni emerged became famous by the name of Agnitīrtha. In connection with the māhātmya of Agnitīrtha, the story of the excellent merchant named Paśumant is described: there, among the eight sons of that Paśumant, the eighth son named Duṣpaṇya, intent upon extreme evil deeds such as killing boys residing in the city, was exiled from the realm by the king in consideration of his father's virtuous character; then, though he had gone to the forest, he submerged and killed the son of the sage Ugraśravas in the water, whereupon the sage Ugraśravas cursed Duṣpaṇya, saying, 'Your death shall occur through drowning in water'; then, during the rainy season when excessive rain fell, Duṣpaṇya entered inside the body of a fallen, dead elephant; when that elephant's body was carried into the ocean by a great flood of water, Duṣpaṇya within it died; thereafter, he attained the state of a piśāca; then, in the form of a piśāca, he approached the hermitage of Agastya and loudly prayed to the great seers for his liberation; then, for his release, the great seer Agastya instructed his own pupil named Sutīkṣṇa to perform a ritual ablution in Agnitīrtha on his behalf; when Sutīkṣṇa performed the ritual ablution in Agnitīrtha for the sake of the piśāca's liberation, Duṣpaṇya was freed from the state of a piśāca, mounted a celestial aerial chariot, bowed to the great seers, and departed to the celestial realm. [Thus ends] the māhātmya of Agnitīrtha. 39. 2.