Skandapurana 3.3.23.3

3.3.23.3

2 atha māghakṛṣṇacaturdaśīmahāśivarātrimāhātmyavarṇanam, tatropavāsaśivaliṅgapūjana- bilvapatrasamarpaṇamāhātmyam, tatprasaṃgenekṣvākuvaṃśajamitrasahākhyarājavṛttāntavarṇa- nam, tatra mitrasahena rājñā mṛgayāyāṃ gatvā kasmiṃścidrākṣase nihate sati tasya rākṣasasyānujabhrātrā chadmanā bhṛtyaveṣaṃ dhṛtvā chidrānveṣaṇapratīkṣaṇāya rājānaṃ prati vinītarūpeṇāgamanam, rājñā tasya rākṣasasya nijamahānasādhyakṣatāyāṃ niyoja- nam, tatastena rājñā kadācinnijakulagurau vasiṣṭhe bhojanārthaṃ nimantrite sati tadbhojanapātre chadmaveṣadhāriṇā rākṣasena manuṣyamāṃsapariveṣaṇam, tadamedhyaṃ bhojanaṃ nirīkṣya kruddhena vasiṣṭhamaharṣiṇā rājñe dvādaśavarṣaparyaṃtarākṣasatvarūpaśāpapradānam, tato niṣkāraṇaśāpaṃ śrutvā kruddhena rājñā svagurave vasiṣṭhāya pratiśāpaṃ pradātuṃ haste jalagrahaṇam, tato rājñyā madayantyā gurave śāpaṃ pradātumudyatasya tasya rājñaḥ prārthanāṃ kṛtvā nivartanam, tatastena rājñā gurave śāpapradānāya haste gṛhītasya jalasya nijapādayoḥ prakṣepaṇam, tena tatpādayoḥ kalmāṣatāpattyā tasya rājñaḥ kalmāṣapādanāmatvena prasiddhiḥ, atha rākṣasatvaprāptyanantaraṃ vane vicaratā kalmāṣa pādarājñā kasyacinmunikumārasya bhakṣaṇe kṛte tatra tena saha caraṃtyā tasya munikumārasya palyā tasmai rākṣasatvaṃ prāptāya kalmāṣapādarājñe 'strīsaṃge sati te mṛtyurbhaviṣyati' iti śāpaṃ pradāyāgnau praveśakaraṇam, atha śāpakālāvadhyanaṃtaraṃ śāpanirmu- ktsya tasya svasvarūpaṃ prāpya svagṛhaṃ pratyāgamanam, tatastatpalyā madayantyā viprapatnī- śāpaṃ śrutvā nijavaidhavyabhītyā ratiṃ yācamānasya patyurnivāraṇam, atha rājya- bhoganirāśe rājñi vanaṃ prayāte sati sūryavaṃśasya pratiṣṭhāyai vasiṣṭhena muninā tadrāja- patnyāṃ madayantyāṃ sutotpādanam, atha vanaṃ prati gatasya tasya kalmāṣapādarājñaḥ paścādghorāyā brahmahatyāyānudravaṇam brahmahatyopadrutasya rājño mithilodyāne gautamamaharṣiṃ prati gamanam, tato gautamamaharṣiṇā rājñe vrahmahatyādoṣanivāraṇāya gokarṇakṣetre śivaliṅgadarśanaṃ kartuṃ gamanāyopadeśakaraṇam, tatprasaṃgena gokarṇeśvara- māhātmyavarṇanam .. ....... .-173 2

2. Now, description of the māhātmya of the great Śivarātri on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of Māgha; therein, the māhātmya of fasting, worshiping the Śivaliṅga, and offering bilva leaves; in that connection, description of the account of the king named Mitrasaha born of the Ikṣvāku dynasty; therein, after a certain rākṣasa was slain when King Mitrasaha went on a hunt, the arrival before the king in a humble form by that rākṣasa's younger brother, having disguised himself as a servant in order to watch for an opportune vulnerability; the appointment by the king of that rākṣasa to the overseership of his royal kitchen; then, once, when his family preceptor Vasiṣṭha was invited by that king for a meal, the serving of human flesh in his dish by the rākṣasa wearing disguise; seeing that impure food, the granting of a curse consisting of rākṣasa-hood for twelve years to the king by the enraged great seer Vasiṣṭha; then, hearing the unmerited curse, taking water in his hand by the enraged king in order to give a counter-curse to his guru Vasiṣṭha; then, the holding back, by making a plea, of that king who was intent on cursing the guru, by Queen Madayantī; then, throwing onto his own feet, by that king, of the water taken in hand to give the curse to the guru; through that, because his feet acquired black spots, the king's fame under the name Kalmāṣapāda; then, after obtaining rākṣasa-hood, when a certain young sage was eaten by King Kalmāṣapāda wandering in the forest, the entering into fire after giving the curse 'When there is sexual union with a woman, your death will occur' to that King Kalmāṣapāda who had become a rākṣasa, by that young sage's wife who was wandering with him; then, after the expiration of the curse's term, the return to his home of him who was freed from the curse after regaining his own true form; then, hearing the brahmin's wife's curse, the warding off of her husband who was begging for sexual pleasure by his wife Madayantī out of fear of her own widowhood; then, when the king, despairing of the enjoyment of kingship, departed for the forest, the fathering of a son on that king's wife Madayantī by the sage Vasiṣṭha for the continuity of the Solar dynasty; then, the pursuit by terrible brahmahatyā after that King Kalmāṣapāda who had gone to the forest; the going before the great seer Gautama in the garden of Mithilā by the king afflicted by brahmahatyā; then, the instructing by the great seer Gautama to the king to go do darśana of the Śivaliṅga in the Gokarna sacred field in order to remove the fault of brahmahatyā; in that connection, description of the māhātmya of Gokarṇeśvara. ... 173 2