Skandapurana 3.3.5

Sūta said:

Śiva is the guru, Śiva is the god, Śiva is the kinsman of embodied beings.

Śiva is the Self, Śiva is the individual soul; there is nothing other than Śiva.

Whatever is given, whispered in prayer, offered into the fire, or performed with Śiva as the aim,

is declared to yield boundless fruit; this is determined by all sacred traditions.

A leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water offered with devotion to Śambhu,

even if exceedingly small, leads to endless reward.

Leaving aside all duties determined by all sacred traditions,

whoever worships Śiva alone is freed from all bondage.

Whatever affection one has for one's son, one's wife, or even for wealth,

if directed towards the worship of Śiva, what wonder is there that it saves?

Therefore, some great-souled persons abandon all worldly pleasures,

and even their own body, though hard to abandon, for the sake of worshipping Śiva.

That is a tongue which praises Śiva; that is a mind which meditates on Śiva;

those are ears eager for his stories; those are hands that worship him;

those are eyes that behold his worship; that is a head bowed down to Śiva;

those are feet that constantly wander through a sacred field of Śiva with devotion.

He whose senses are all engaged in deeds for Śiva,

crosses over worldly existence and attains enjoyment and liberation.

A mortal endowed with devotion to Śiva, even a cāṇḍāla or a pulkasa,

a woman, a man, or a eunuch, is instantly freed from transmigratory existence.

What is the use of noble birth? What of traditional observances? What of good character or virtue?

One who possesses even a fraction of devotion to Śambhu is worthy of homage by all embodied beings.

In Ujjayinī there was a king named Candrasena,

born in human form like a second Indra.

To Mahākāla, the supreme lord residing in that city,

that Candrasena, the best of kings, rendered worship with devotion.

That king had a friend, the foremost attendant of Śiva,

named Maṇibhadra, who had conquered misfortune and was revered by all the worlds.

Once, pleased with that ruler of the earth, the follower of Śaṃkara,

the noble-minded Maṇibhadra gave him a divine wish-granting jewel.

That jewel, blazing like the Kaustubha and resembling the sun,

granted whatever was wished for to people when seen, heard of, or meditated upon.

Touched by even a ray of its brilliance, bronze, copper, iron, tin,

stone, or anything else, instantly turned to gold.

Wearing that wish-granting jewel on his neck and seated upon the royal throne,

the king shone like the sun itself in the midst of the gods.

Hearing of that best of kings whose neck always bore the wish-granting jewel,

all the kings, their greed inflamed, became agitated at heart.

Some asked for it out of friendship, while some, blinded by pride, out of arrogance.

The envious kings, unaware that the jewel was obtained from fate, (20)

when the request of all the kings had been rendered futile by him,

then the kings of all lands made preparations for battle. (21)

The Saurāṣṭras, Kaikayas, Śālvas, Kaliṅgas, Śakas, Madrakas,

Pāñcālas, Avantīs, Sauvīras, Māgadhas, Matsyas, and Sṛñjayas— (22)

these and other kings, accompanied by horses, chariots, and elephants,

made an effort with their might to conquer Candrasena in battle. (23)

All of them, fiercely agitated and making the earth tremble,

with numerous troops, blockaded the four gates of Ujjayinī. (24)

Seeing his city besieged by the arrogant kings,

Candrasena went to Mahākāla alone for refuge. (25)

Free from doubts, without food, and firm of resolve,

that king worshiped the lord of Gaurī day and night with undistracted mind. (26)

Meanwhile, a certain cowherd woman living in that city,

who had an only son, was without a husband, and was a long-time resident there, (27)

that widow, carrying her five-year-old child,

saw the great worship performed by the king for the husband of Girijā. (28)

Having witnessed all that wondrous magnificence of the worship of Śiva,

she bowed down and returned again to her own dwelling. (29)

Having watched all this in its entirety, that cowherd's son,

out of curiosity, performed a worship of Śiva that produces detachment. (30)

Bringing an appealing stone into an empty, excellent tent

not far from his own dwelling, he set up a Śiva-liṅga. (31)

Whatever flowers were within reach of his hand,

bringing them and bathing that liṅga, he worshiped it with devotion. (32)

Fragrances, ornaments, garments, incense, lamps, unbroken rice, and the like—

having arranged these with makeshift, wonderful [substitutes], he also offered food. (33)

Having worshiped again and again with delightful leaves and flowers,

and having performed various dances, he bowed down repeatedly. (34)

While he was thus performing worship with a mind devoted solely to Śiva,

the cowherd woman, out of affection, called her son for a meal. (35)

Although called many times by his mother, his mind was attached to worship;

the boy did not want food, and then the mother came herself. (36)

Seeing him seated before Śiva with closed eyes,

she dragged him by taking his hand and struck him in anger. (37)

When her son did not come even though dragged or struck,

she destroyed that worship, throwing the liṅga far away. (38)

Reproaching her son who was crying out 'Alas, alas!',

the cowherd woman, filled with wrath, entered her own house again. (39)

Seeing the worship of the trident-bearing god destroyed by his mother,

that boy cried out, 'O God of gods!', and fell down. (40)

Having suddenly lost consciousness, flooded with a torrent of tears,

he regained consciousness after a moment and opened his eyes. (41)

Then, radiant with pillars of jewels, with golden doorways, door-leaves, and archways,

having a dais of priceless sapphires and flawless diamonds—that very tent had become a temple of Śiva. (42)

Charming with shining crystal palace floors, adorned with many colorful finials of refined gold,

and delightful—in the middle of that splendid seat of Śiva's city, the boy beheld the liṅga together with jewels. (43)

Seeing this and rising up suddenly, his mind was frightened and astonished,

as if submerged out of satisfaction into an ocean of supreme bliss. (44)

Recognizing through its power the māhātmya of the worship of Śiva,

he bowed like a staff upon the ground for the pacification of his mother's sin: (45)

“O God, forgive the transgression of my mother, O lord of Umā!

Be gracious, O Śaṃkara, to the foolish woman who does not know you! (46)

If there is in me any religious merit whatsoever arisen from devotion to you,

through that too, O Śiva, may my mother attain your compassion!” (47)

Having thus propitiated the mountain-dweller and bowed repeatedly,

when the sun had set, the boy went out from the temple of Śiva. (48)

Then he saw his own dwelling resembling the city of Purandara,

instantly turned into gold, ablaze with wonderful opulence. (49)

Entering inside the residence, rejoicing at the beginning of night, […]

filled with heaps of great gems, radiant with piles of gold. (50)

There he saw his mother, meditating, free from fear,

resting upon a white bed on a couch of precious jewels; (51)

her limbs shining with jewel ornaments, resplendent in celestial garments,

endowed with divine marks, like an apsaras in bodily form. (52)

With eyes wide with wonder, he quickly awakened her:

"Mother, wake up! Blessings to you! Behold this great wonder!" (53)

Thus awakened by her noble-minded son,

smiling, radiant with a diadem, his mother then saw it. (54)

Rising in astonishment, she looked all around.

Looking upon herself as though unprecedented, and upon the boy as though unprecedented, (55)

and seeing her own home transformed, she was overwhelmed with joy.

Hearing from the son's mouth everything about the grace of Girijā's lord, (56)

she reported it to the king, who constantly worshipped Śiva.

The king, having completed his religious observances at night, arrived in haste; (57)

he saw the marvelous power of the cowherd's son, born of Śiva's satisfaction:

the golden temple of Śiva, and likewise the liṅga made of gems, (58)

and the cowherd woman's home, shining with excellent rubies.

Having seen everything, the king, together with his ministers and family priest, (59)

his composure arrested in wonder for a moment, filled with supreme bliss,

shed tears of love and embraced that boy. (60)

Thus, through the narration of Śiva's glory in this exceedingly wondrous manner,

and through the excitement of the citizens, that night passed like a single moment. (61)

Then, at dawn, the kings who stood besieging the city for battle

heard the supreme wonder from the mouths of their spies. (62)

Immediately abandoning their enmity, greatly astonished,

the kings laid down their weapons and entered, welcomed by Candrasena. (63)

Entering that delightful city and bowing before Mahākāla,

all the kings went to the house of that cowherd woman. (64)

Going out to meet them, Candrasena honored them there;

seated on costly seats, they rejoiced with affection, filled with wonder. (65)

Beholding the temple of Śiva that had appeared for the grace of the cowherd's son,

and the immense liṅga, they directed their highest devotion to Śiva. (66)

Delighted, all those kings gave to that cowherd boy

garments, gold, gems, wealth such as cows and buffaloes, (67)

elephants, horses, golden chariots, parasols, vehicles, and attendants;

seeking the grace of Śiva, they gave many male and female servants. (68)

All the cowherds who lived in great numbers in all the regions—

all the kings made him alone the king over them. (69)

Then, in the meantime, worshipped by all the thirty gods,

the radiant Hanūmān, lord of the monkeys, manifested himself. (70)

Merely upon his arrival, the kings, struck with reverence,

rose up and bowed down, their bodies bent low in devotion. (71)

Seated in their midst and worshipped, the lord of the monkeys,

embracing the cowherd's son, looked toward the kings and said: (72)

"Listen, all of you—kings and whatever embodied beings are here! Blessings to you!

There is no other refuge for embodied beings than the worship of Śiva. (73)

By good fortune, on a Saturday at twilight (pradoṣa), this cowherd's son,

even without mantras, having worshipped Śiva, attained auspiciousness (śiva). (74)

This pradoṣa on a Saturday is rare to attain for all embodied beings;

even rarer is it when it falls in the dark fortnight. (75)

He is the most virtuous in the world, the enhancer of the cowherds' fame.

In his lineage, the eighth descendant will be of great renown, named Nanda;

Nārāyaṇa himself, Kṛṣṇa, will become his son. (76)

From this day forward, in this world, this son of the cowherd

shall attain lofty fame in the world by the name of Śrīkara. (77)"

Sūta said:

Having spoken thus, Añjanā's son [Hanūmān], having instructed that cowherd boy

in the righteous conduct of Śiva, vanished right there. (78)

And all those kings, delighted and mutually honored,

took leave of Candrasena and departed whence they had come.

Śrīkara too, of great splendor, instructed by Hanūmat,

worshiped Śambhu together with brahmins knowledgeable in dharma.

In the course of time, that Śrīkara and King Candrasena,

having worshiped Śiva with devotion, attained the supreme abode.

This supreme secret, purifying, bringing renown, holy, and increasing great prosperity,

this narrative has been recounted, destroying heaps of sins and increasing devotion to the lotus feet of the Lord of Gaurī.

Thus ends the fifth chapter, titled "The Description of the Deeds of the Cowherd Boy," in the Brahmottara section of the third [part] of the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, in the collection of eighty-one thousand [verses].