Skandapurana 3.2.3

Vyāsa said:

"Listen, O tiger among kings, to the auspicious ancient tale,

hearing which one is freed from all sins, there is no doubt about this.

Once, Dharmarāja performed exceedingly difficult austerity

which protected against the cold, rain, and extremes of water [endured] by Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Maheśa, and others.

At the beginning of the Tretāyuga, O king, for thirty thousand years,

[he sat] in the middle of the forest practicing austerity at the foot of an aśoka tree,

a mass of bones held together only by dry sinews, motionless in form,

whose blood had been completely drained away by millions of anthill-dwelling insects,

a heap of fleshless bones, motionless as a crystal stone,

radiant with a luster like a conch, a jasmine blossom, the moon, snow, or a great white conch,

his vital breath sustained only by pure spirit, preserved by what remained of his lifespan,

his life indicated only by the subtle movement of inhalation and exhalation,

the small creatures [around him] made gentle by the mere movement of his opening and closing eyelids,

the quarters of the sky illuminated by his eyes that radiated flashing reddish-yellow beams,

the forest withered, kissed by the forest-fire flame of his austerity,

yet with all trees sprinkled by the shower of nectar brought forth by his peaceful calm,

as if austerity itself had assumed human form and was practicing austerity in visible presence,

having made [himself] formless and spaceless, and his devotion pure as gold,

surrounded by young deer wandering about in herds,

and guarded all around by forest beasts whose muzzles roar terrifyingly.

Having seen such a terrifying [spectacle], the gods, along with Indra,

beholding him meditating upon Mahādeva, the bestower of fearlessness upon all,

all the deities headed by Brahmā went toward Kailāsa,

[where Śiva was] seated together with Umā in the shade of a pārijāta tree,

attended by Nandin, Bhṛṅgin, Mahākāla, and other great gaṇas,

and likewise by the divine lord Skanda and the lord of the gaṇas (Gaṇeśa).

There the gods headed by Brahmā stood in their respective places.

Brahmā said:

"Homage to you whose form is infinite; O blue-throated one, homage to you!

To the one whose essential nature is unknowable, to absolute liberation, to the immortal nectar!

To him whose end the gods do not know, homage, homage to that one!

Whom words cannot adequately praise, homage to that embodiment of pure consciousness!

Whom yogins, motionless through profound contemplation within the chamber of the heart,

perceive as the form of light—homage to that glorious Brahman!

To the one who is beyond time, who is time itself, and who by his own will is the Puruṣa;

homage to the one whose nature consists of the three guṇas, who takes the form of Prakṛti;

to Viṣṇu whose form is sattva, to the Creator (Vedhas) whose form is rajas,

to Rudra whose form is tamas, the agent of maintenance, creation, and dissolution;

homage to the one who takes the form of intellect (buddhi), and the threefold ego (ahaṃkāra);

homage to the one who takes the form of the five subtle elements (tanmātras), who takes the form of Prakṛti!"

Praise, praise to you whose nature is one's own self, who are the self of the five cognitive senses!

Praise to you whose form consists of the five [elements] beginning with earth, who are the self of sensory objects! // 3.2.3.20

Praise to you who have the form of the cosmic egg, praise to you who dwell within it!

Praise to you whose universal form encompasses what is near and what is far! // 21

Praise to the lord of the existent and nonexistent, whose nature is both non-eternal and eternal!

Praise to you who manifest your body out of your own will through compassion for devotees! // 22

The Vedas are your breath; the whole universe is your Veda.

All beings are your foot; the sky arose as your head. // 23

The intermediate space came from your navel, and the trees were the hair on your body;

the moon was born from your mind, and the sun from your eye, O Lord! // 24

You alone are everything; in you, O God, is everything; you alone are praised by all praise here.

O Īśa, all this indeed is to be inhabited by you; let there be praise again and again, praise, praise to you! // 25

Having thus praised Mahādeva, they fell upon the earth like a staff.

Śambhu then replied, "I am the granter of boons; what is desired?" // 26

Mahādeva said:

"Why are all the gods agitated, with Bṛhaspati at their head?

Declare that to me, O Brahmā, the cause of your distress." // 27

Brahmā said:

"O blue-throated Mahādeva, granter of freedom from fear and destroyer of sorrow!

Listen to our sorrow, which I shall tell to you. // 28

Dharmarāja, righteous in soul, has performed an intolerable austerity.

I do not know what he desires—the supreme station of the gods? // 29

All [the gods], with Indra at their head, are terrified by his austerity.

For a long time his mind has been surrendered to your feet.

Raise him up, O Lord of the gods! What does that Dharmarāja desire?" // 3.2.3.30

Īśvara said:

"You have no fear from Dharma; I speak the truth." // 31

Then, rising up, all those gods, the sky-dwellers,

circumambulated Rudra and, having bowed again and again, // 32

together with Indra, all returned from Kailāsa.

All the sky-dwellers then swiftly went to their respective abodes. // 33

Indra, the sovereign lord, also went to Sudharmā;

there he found no sleep, no happiness, and no peace. // 34

He thought in his mind, "An obstacle has befallen me!"

Then the god, the husband of Śacī, fell into great anxiety: // 35

"He has performed an austerity exceedingly difficult to practice in order to seize my station!"

Having summoned all the gods, he spoke these words: // 36

Indra said:

"Let all the deities listen to the cause of my distress:

Could Yama be seeking that which was obtained by me with great difficulty?"

Having considered this, Bṛhaspati then said to all the gods: // 37

Bṛhaspati said:

"O sky-dwellers, there is no power to put an obstacle to austerity.

Let Urvaśī and the others be summoned and sent there indeed." // 38

In order to summon them, he set out towards every doorway.

Having gone and gathered them, he returned swiftly to the assembly. // 39

When they had arrived, Hari said, "A great task has presented itself!

Let all of you go quickly, hastening toward Dharmāraṇya, // 3.2.3.40

where that Dharmarāja has undertaken an austerity exceedingly difficult to perform!

With laughter, amorous gestures, side-glances, and also with singing and dancing, // 41

entice that ascetic so that he may fall from his station of austerity!"

Hearing the command of the god, the hosts of apsarases // 42

deliberated among themselves and resolved together to do so.

That Urvaśī, the excellent celestial woman, set out for Dharmāraṇya. // 43

They praised her, and showered rains of flowers upon her head.

Then, being praised on all sides by the gods and brahmins, // 44

she went forth with supreme delight to the most holy forest,

overgrown with bilva, arka, and khadira trees, and crowded with kapittha and dhava trees, // 45

where the sun did not shine at all, filled with deep darkness,

deserted, devoid of humans, and extending for many yojanas. // 46

filled with deer, terrible lions, and also other forest-dwellers,

strewn with flowering trees, with delightfully charming grassy lawns,

vast, made to echo with the sweet cries of birds,

rich with the calls of male cuckoos, resounding with swarms of crickets,

covered all around with large, imposing trees offering pleasant shade; / its ground shaded by trees, endowed with supreme splendour.

There was no tree without flowers, none without fruit, nor any that was thorny;

nor was there any in that forest that was not crowded with six-footed bees.

It echoed with birds and was exceedingly adorned with flowers,

filled with trees bearing flowers of all seasons and providing pleasant shade.

The trees there, their branches laden with blossoms, shaken by the wind,

shed a wonderful rain of flowers.

Touching the sky, thriving, accompanied by birds with sweet voices,

the trees shone there, covered with fragrant flowers.

Alighting upon sprouts bowed under the weight of blossoms,

bees, longing for nectar, hummed their sweet melodies.

There, many regions adorned with sprouts of fragrance,

enclosed by bowers of creepers, gladdening the mind—

beholding them, she of great splendour then became delighted.

With trees whose branches embraced one another, covered in blossoms,

that forest shone, resembling Indra's banners.

A pleasantly cool and fragrant breeze carried the pollen of flowers.

Endowed with such qualities, she then beheld the forest.

Then, there she saw the sacred and radiant [river] born of the sun,

and she beheld there an excellent, delightful hermitage,

surrounded by Vālakhilyas as masters, crowded with hosts of sages,

with many fire-houses, [and ascetics] suspended from tree branches,

with smoke-drinkers there, and sky-clad ascetics.

Wild beasts protected there became exceedingly gentle:

cats were peaceful with mice there, and mongooses with snakes;

lions behaved peacefully with fawn fawns;

they played with one another just like brothers.

He beheld that forest from afar, and then the god spoke there:

Indra said:

“This king of righteousness stands performing fierce austerity.

He desires my realm; therefore strive in this matter here!

Cause an obstacle to his austerity; go there by my command!”

Hearing Indra's words, Urvaśī, Tilottamā,

Sukeśī, Mañjughoṣā, Ghṛtācī, and Menakā,

Viśvācī, Rambhā, and sweet-speaking Pramlocā,

Pūrvacitti, the fair-formed Surūpā, and famous Anumlocā—

these and many other [apsarases] residing there pondered.

Looking at one another with hesitation out of fear,

[they thought:] “Both Yama and Śakra are indeed a refuge for you.”

Having thus deliberated in many ways, O descendant of Bharata, the one named Vardhanī,

the best of all the apsarases, adorned with all ornaments,

spoke there to Urvaśī: “Why are you distressed, O fair-faced one?

To accomplish the purpose of the gods, by the power of illusory form,

I shall act, O chastiser of Pāka, so that the order of the castes remains intact.”

Indra said:

“Well done, well done, O highly fortunate one, Vardhanī of good vows!

Go swiftly yourself, O auspicious one, and accomplish the task, O slender-waisted lady!

None other than you, O fair-browed one, is capable of winning over the steadfast.”

And Vardhanī, having said “So be it,” went to where the king of righteousness was.

Assuming a charming form with splendid ornaments,

adorned with saffron, collyrium, fine clothes, and jewellery,

adorned with flowers, garments, and tiny bells at her waist,

and adorned on both feet with tinkling sounds,

richly decorated with various ornaments, anointed with diverse sandals,

decked with garlands of various flowers, the auspicious one clad in fine silk,

holding a pure vīṇā in her hand, beautiful in every limb—

There she performed a threefold dance that delighted all the world,

blended with high-pitched notes and the sweet sounding of a flute,

endowed with modulations and rhythm, and united with the lute's melody.

In an instant, suddenly, the god Dharmarāja, though self-controlled,

became agitated in mind, Dharmarāja, the king's son.

Yudhiṣṭhira said:

A great wonder has arisen in me, O brahmin, best of brahmins!

How did an interruption of austerity occur for one who is endowed with Brahman?

The earth and heaven rest on dharma; upon dharma rests Pātāla itself;

the moon, the sun, and the waters rest on dharma, and upon dharma wind and fire;

and the entire universe rests on dharma. How did that Dharma fall into distraction?

O lord, tell me the truth of that agitation, O you of noble vows!

Vyāsa said:

The downfall of the rash is the very cause of hell.

This pit of the womb is created on earth like the Kumbhīpāka hell.

Binding them firmly with the rope of their eyes, they assault the resolute;

beating him with the great staves of their breasts, making him senseless,

they quickly cast him down to hell, O best of kings.

A woman has been created thus to delude all living beings.

Alas, firmness of mind lasts only so long, [as do] scripture and undisturbed truth,

until a snare, as it were, appears before the pure-minded man in the form of an intoxicated woman.

The increase of austerity lasts only so long, only so long charity, compassion, and restraint;

only so long the practice of sacred study, and purity, and the vow that is maintained,

until he beholds the restless glance of a frightened doe.

Mother lasts only so long, father only so long, the Creator only so long, and friends only so long;

modesty and fear last only so long, and righteous conduct lasts only that long;

knowledge, generosity, and majesty shine only that long,

until one is cast down by the bonds and fetters of an intoxicated woman.

Thus ends the third chapter, named 'The Recounting of Indra's Fear,' in the Dharmāraṇyamāhātmya of the third section, the Brahmakhaṇḍa, of the great Skanda Purāṇa in eighty-one thousand verses.