Skandapurana 3.3.23.8

3.3.23.8

7 atha tayomākhyayā vipravanitayā pṛṣṭena śrīśāṇḍilyamaharṣiṇā pradoṣavrataprasaṃgena savistarayathāsāṃgaśrīśivapūjāvidhānavarṇanam, atha tena śāṇḍilyamaharṣiṇā tayorbrāhmaṇakumārarājakumārayormadhye brāhmaṇakumārasya śucivrataiti nāmakaraṇaṃ rājakumārasya ca dharmagupta iti nāmakaraṇaṃ ca kṛtvā tayoḥ śivapūjāvidhānāya śivamantropadeśakaraṇam, tatastasyā dvijāṃganāyāstābhyāṃ kumārābhyāṃ saha śāṃḍi- lyamuniṃ natvā samāmantrya gamanam, tataḥ prabhṛti tābhyāṃ dvijarājabālakābhyāṃ pradoṣe śivapūjākaraṇapūrvakaṃ nijamāturājñāyāṃ vartanam, aya kadāciddvijaputrasya nadītīre vicarato nidhānasuvarṇakalaśīprāptau mātrā tayorbālakayoḥ samaṃ vibhajya grahaṇāyājñākaraṇam, tadā rājakumāreṇa dvijakumāralabdhasya dhanasya svena grahaṇe svasyānicchāpradarśanapūrvarkaṃ svabhāgyalabdhenaiva svasantoṣapradarśanam, athaikadā vanāṃ- tare vicaradbhyāṃ dvijarājakumārābhyāṃ krīḍantīnāṃ gandharvakanyānāṃ darśanam, tā dṛṣṭvā tatsaṃnidhau gamanāya dvijakumoraṇa niṣiddhenāpi tena rājakumāreṇa tāsāṃ gandharva- kanyānāṃ samīpe gamanam , taṃ sundarāṃgaṃ yuvānaṃ rājakumāraṃ dṛṣṭvā tatsamīpa ekākinyā dravikanāmakagandharvarājakanyāyā aṃśumatyākhyāyā āgamanam, ubhayoḥ parasparāvalokanena kāmaśaranipīḍitayoḥ parasparasaṃvāde gandharvarājakanyayā tasmai dharmaguptāya rājaputrāya nijakaṃṭhasthamuktāhāraṃ samarpya paraśvastvayā sahāhaṃ vivāhaṃ kariṣyāmi' iti pratijñāṃ kṛtvā svasakhībhiḥ saha svapituraṃtikaṃ prati gamanam, tato dharmaguptena rājakumāreṇa śucivratākhyena dvijakumāreṇa saha svabhavana gatvā svamātre viprabhāryā- yai vane saṃjāyamānasya vṛttasya nivedanam, atha paraśvodine prāpte tena dharmaguptākhyena rājaputreṇa dvijaputreṇa saha tasminvane gamanam, samāgatayostayoḥ kumārayorgandharva- patinā saṃmānaṃ kṛtvā śrīśaṃkarasya svaṃ prati jātāmājñāṃ nivedya tasmai dharmaguptāya rājakumārāya svakanyāyāḥ pāṇigrahaṇavidhānapūrvakaṃ samarpaṇam, vivāhe vividharatnagajāśva- rathaśastrāstrasauvarṇavarmadāsadāsyādivaibhavapāribarhaṃ pradāya svayaṃ vimānena gandharvalokaṃ pratigamanam, tayāṃśumatyā gandharvakanyayā saha kṛtodvāhena tena dharmaguptākhyena rājakumāreṇa tayā śvaśureṇa pāribarhe dattayā śūragaṃdharvāṇāṃ senayā saha nijapitṛrājadhā- nīvidarbhanagaramāgatya sarvaśatrūnhatvā nijapitṛpaitāmaharājyapade rājyābhiṣekapūrvakama- dhirohaṇam, tasyāṃ viprabanitāyāṃ mātṛtvasammānaṃ tasminviprakumārake ca bhrātṛtva- sanmānaṃ kṛtvā tayā gandharvatanayayā nijabhāryayā saha tasya dharmaguptākhyasya rājakumārasya vidarbhanagare pradoṣavrataprabhāveṇa śrīśaṅkaraprasādānmahatā saukhyena rājyakaraṇavarṇanam. pradoṣavrataśivapūjāmāhātmyavarṇanam...... ... 184 2

7. Now, asked by that brahmin woman named Umā, the great sage Śāṇḍilya describes in full detail the complete ritual of worshipping Śiva in connection with the pradoṣa observance. Then, between the two boys—the brahmin's son and the king's son—that great sage Śāṇḍilya performs the name-giving of the brahmin's son as Śucivrata and of the prince as Dharmagupta, and imparts the Śiva mantra to the two for performing Śiva's worship. Thereupon, after bowing to and taking leave of the sage Śāṇḍilya, that twice-born woman departs with the two boys. Thenceforward, performing the worship of Śiva at the pradoṣa hour, the two boys, brahmin and prince, live in obedience to their mother's command. Then, on one occasion, as the brahmin's son is wandering on a riverbank, he finds a golden pot of treasure; his mother bids them divide it equally between the two boys, whereupon the prince shows his reluctance to take the wealth obtained by the brahmin boy, showing instead his contentment solely with what is gained by his own destiny. Then, once, while roaming deep in the forest, the two boys—the brahmin and the prince—see gandharva maidens sporting; seeing them, though forbidden by the brahmin boy to go near them, the prince approaches those gandharva maidens. Seeing the handsome youth, the prince, the daughter of the gandharva king named Dravika, herself named Aṃśumatī, comes alone to his side; tormented by the arrows of love upon beholding each other, during their mutual conversation, the gandharva king's daughter gives to that prince Dharmagupta the pearl necklace from her neck, vows 'the day after tomorrow I will marry you', and departs to her father's presence with her female companions. Then the prince Dharmagupta returns to his home with the brahmin boy named Śucivrata and relates to his mother, the brahmin woman, what had happened in the forest. Then, when the day after tomorrow arrives, that prince named Dharmagupta goes with the brahmin's son into that forest. When the two youths arrive, the lord of the gandharvas honors them, declares the command received by him from Śrī Śaṃkara, gives his own daughter in marriage according to the rites of grasping the hand to that prince Dharmagupta, presents a dowry consisting of various gems, elephants, horses, chariots, weapons, golden armor, male and female servants, and other riches, and himself ascends in an aerial chariot to the gandharva realm. Having thus wedded the gandharva maiden Aṃśumatī, that prince named Dharmagupta, accompanied by the army of valiant gandharvas given by his father-in-law as dowry, arrives at his father's royal capital, the city of Vidarbha, slays all his enemies, and ascends his ancestral throne upon receiving the royal consecration. Treating that brahmin woman with the honor due to a mother and that brahmin boy with the honor due to a brother, that prince named Dharmagupta, together with his wife, the gandharva princess, rules in the city of Vidarbha in great happiness through the grace of Śrī Śaṅkara by the efficacy of the pradoṣa observance—thus is narrated. Description of the greatness of the pradoṣa observance and the worship of Śiva. 184. 2