Skandapurana 4.10

Śivaśarman said:

Delighting the mind exceedingly, what city is this? Whose is this,

an unsurpassed city that grants an abundance of joy to the eyes? / 1

The two gaṇas said:

O highly fortunate Śivaśarman, a tree that has borne the fruits of excellent holy fords,

the world delights here, O brahmin; this is the city of the Thousand-eyed One. / 2

It was fashioned by Viśvakarman through great power of austerity;

the moonlight, even by day, takes shelter in the splendour of its rows of palaces. / 3

Whenever the moon becomes invisible anywhere on the new-moon day,

he hides his beloved moonlight in these mansions. / 4

Seeing herself reflected in its clear walls and suspecting another woman,

a confused maiden would swiftly enter her own picture-gallery even though it is wondrous. / 5

In the mansions built of blue gems here, fearlessly

depositing its own blueness, darkness remains even by day. / 6

Receiving pure water just trickling from lattices of moonstones

into jars there, the people desire no other water. / 7

There are no weavers here, nor are there thieves who snatch before one's eyes,

because the wish-fulfilling tree provides garments and ornaments here. / 8

There are no astrologers here skilled in the science of answering queries,

because the wishing-jewel quickly understands everyone's thought. / 9

There are no cooks here skilled in the culinary arts,

because the single Kāmadhenu yields all tastes from her milk. / 10

His fame is loud among all rows of horses;

Uccaiḥśravas is the jewel among horses here, superior in vigor. / 11

Airāvata, the best of elephants, four-tusked, shines here,

like a second Kailāsa, moving and bright as crystal. / 12

The jewel of trees is the pārijāta; the jewel of women is Urvaśī here;

the Nandana is the jewel of gardens, and the Mandākinī is the jewel of waters. / 13

The thirty-three crores of gods proclaimed by the scriptures

await their opportunity here every day for service. / 14

Among heavens, nothing is superior to Indra's realm;

whatever lordship exists in the three worlds is certainly not equal to this. / 15

That which is obtained in exchange for a thousand horse-sacrifices—

what else could be equal to it, pure or great? / 16

Arciṣmatī, Saṃyaminī, Puṇyavatī, Amalāvatī,

Gandhavatī, and Alakā are not equal to this in great splendours. / 17

This very one is the Thousand-eyed One; this very one is the Lord of Heaven;

this god is Śatamanyu; these are his names by designation. / 18

Even the seven world-guardians attend upon him;

he is praised with blessings by the best of sages headed by Nārada. / 19

Through his stability, the stability of all the worlds is desired;

by the defeat of Mahendra, the three worlds would be defeated. / 20

Danavas, human beings, and Daityas, with fierce restraints, perform austerities;

gandharvas, yakṣas, and rākṣasas desire to attain the position of Mahendra. / 21

Kings such as Sagara, performers of horse-sacrifices,

have made great efforts, desiring to seize the sovereignty of Śakra. / 22

Whosoever on earth performs a hundred sacrifices without obstacle,

having conquered his senses, attains Puloman's daughter in Amarāvatī.

Kings whose hundred sacrifices were left incomplete reside here,

as do those twice-born who sacrifice with the Jyotiṣṭoma and other rites.

The sixteen great gifts, beginning with the gift of a man's weight in gold—

those pure souls who bestow them attain Amarāvatī.

Steadfast men who speak without cowardice, who never turn their backs in battle,

valiant kings resting upon the hero's bed—they abide here.

Thus has the realm of Mahendra's city been briefly described;

sacrificers skilled in the science of sacrifice reside here.

Behold this radiant, auspicious city of Vītihotra;

those faithful to Jātavedas, firm in their vows, dwell here.

Those of firm resolve and controlled senses who enter into fire,

or women endowed with courage—all of them shine with the fiery splendour of Agni.

Brahmins devoted to the agnihotra, as well as those who observe the fire-vow of celibacy,

and those who perform the vow of the five fires—they indeed, radiant with the fire's brilliance, dwell in Agni's world.

He who, in the cold, offers loads of firewood to dispel the chill,

or who provides a fire-hearth, dwells in the presence of Agni.

He who, endowed with faith, performs the cremation rites for an orphan,

or, if unable, urges another to do so, is honoured in Agni's world.

He who gives a fiery medicine to kindle the gastric fire

for one of sluggish digestion—that virtuous soul shall dwell long in the realm of fire.

Implements for sacrifice or wealth intended for sacrifice—

he who bestows them according to his means shall indeed dwell in the city of Arciṣmatī.

Fire alone is the supreme bestower of ultimate bliss for the twice-born;

guru, god, vow, and sacred ford—all, it is certain, are Agni.

All impure things, through contact with fire, in an instant

become completely purified; therefore is he traditionally called the Purifier.

Even having known the Veda, he who abandons Jātavedas

and attaches his delight elsewhere—that brahmin is no knower of the Veda.

For this Agni is determined to be the inner Self directly visible;

he digests mouthfuls of meat in the belly, but never the mass of flesh within women.

He is the luminous manifestation of Śambhu, visible and consisting of burning flame;

creator, destroyer, and sustainer—without him, what can be seen?

This Citrabhānu is visibly the eye of the Lord of the three worlds;

in a world enveloped in blinding darkness, who is the illuminator without him?

Incense, lamp, food offering, milk, curd, clarified butter, and sugarcane juice—

partaking of these [through him], all the gods in heaven enjoy them.

Śivaśarma said:

Who is this Kṛśānu? Whose son is he? How was this

fiery realm attained by him? Speak this before me.

The two Gaṇas said:

Listen, O greatly wise one! We shall describe in truth

who he is, whose son he is, and how the city of Jyotiṣmatī was obtained by him.

Formerly, on the charming bank of the Narmadā, in the city of Narmapura,

there lived a virtuous sage named Viśvānara, a devotee of the Enemy of Pura.

Steadfast in the student stage of life, ever devoted to the sacrifice of Vedic recitation,

belonging to the Śāṇḍilya lineage, pure, a treasury of brahma-splendour, and self-restrained,

conversant with the meaning of all treatises, proficient in worldly conduct—

once, meditating in his heart upon Maheśvara, he reflected:

“Among the four stages of life, which one leads to the supreme good for the virtuous,

by treading which one attains happiness both in the hereafter and in this world?

‘This is better; no, this is better; but this one would be easily practised.’

Having thus examined everything, he praised the householder stage:

‘Whether a student, a householder, a forest-dweller, or a mendicant—

this householder is their sole foundation, and not otherwise.’

Because the householder is depended upon daily by gods, men,

ancestors, and animals, therefore the householder in his stage of life is the best.

The householder who eats without having bathed, without having offered oblations, or without having given gifts,

becoming a debtor to the gods and others, falls into hell.

One who eats without having bathed eats filth; one who recites no prayers [eats] pus and blood;

one who eats without offering oblations eats worms; and one who gives nothing eats excrement.

For such celibacy as exists in the householder's life, free of [sensual] fantasy—

where is such [chastity] in a celibate student whose mind is naturally fickle?

If one observing celibacy, through obstinacy, fear of people, or self-interest,

indulges in fantasy in his mind, then what is done is indeed undone.

From renouncing other men's wives, being contented with one's own wife,

and approaching her only in her season, a householder is called a celibate.

He who is free from passion and aversion, rid of desire and anger,

keeping his sacred fire and his wife—that householder is superior to a forest-dweller.

If one leaves home out of dispassion, yet remembers domestic duties in his heart,

he falls from both, neither a forest-dweller nor a householder.

A householder who maintains himself by a livelihood that comes unsought,

contented with whatever [he receives], is superior to an ascetic mendicant.

If [an ascetic] should beg wherever something may be hard to obtain,

and is not satisfied with his food, that ascetic becomes fallen.

Reflecting thus upon merits and defects, that twice-born Viśvānara

duly married a girl of good family suitable for himself.

Devoted to the service of the sacred fire, dedicated to the five daily sacrifices,

constantly engaged in the six duties, he was dear to the gods, ancestors, and guests.

Self-restrained, acquiring duty, wealth, and pleasure each in its proper time,

the couple had no mutual hesitation, living in perfect harmony.

In the forenoon, he, knowing the sacrificial manual, performed rites for the gods;

[rites] for men at midday, and [rites] for the ancestors in the afternoon.

When a long time had thus passed for that twice-born,

his loving wife, named Śuciṣmatī, who observed good vows,

not seeing even a sprout of offspring that secures heaven,

knowing her beloved to be [devoted to] Śaṃkara, bowed down and made a request.

Śuciṣmatī said:

Noble husband, of noble intellect, lord of my life, faithful to beloved vows,

nothing in this world is difficult for me to attain through worshiping your feet.

Whatever pleasures are suitable for women, those, through your grace,

I have enjoyed, adorned; on this occasion I mention them as well:

fine garments, sweet perfumes, a comfortable bed, a lovely woman,

garlands, betel, food, and drink—these are the eight pleasures of those who follow their duty.

One thing has been wished by me, my lord, dwelling long in my heart,

suitable for householders; you ought to grant it to me here.

Viśvānara said:

What indeed should not be given to you, O fair-hipped one, who desire my pleasure and welfare?

Therefore ask, O highly fortunate lady; I shall give it without delay.

By the grace of the Great Lord, nothing is hard to obtain for me

in this world or the next, O auspicious one, [by the grace] of the author of all auspiciousness.

Hearing these words of her husband, she to whom her husband was a god,

with a joyful face, said: “If a boon is to be given to me,

and if I am worthy of a boon, my lord, I choose no other boon:

give me a son equal to the Great Lord, O protector of the devotees of the Great Lord!”

Hearing these words of that Śuciṣmatī, he of pure vows,

concentrating his mind for a moment, contemplated this within his heart:

“Ah, what an exceedingly difficult thing has been asked by this slender lady,

far beyond the reach of desire! Yet, so be it, for he is the maker of all!

Resting in her mouth in the form of speech, Śambhu himself

uttered it; who would venture to alter it? May this come to pass!”

Then, adhering to the vow of having an only wife,

the glorious sage Viśvānara said to that wife: “Beloved, so shall it be.”

Having thus comforted his wife, the sage departed for austerity

to where Viśveśvara himself, the lord of Kāśī, resides.

Quickly reaching Vārāṇasī and beholding Maṇikarṇikā,

he cast off the threefold affliction accumulated over hundreds of births.

Beholding all the liṅgas, with Viśveśa at their head,

and bathing in all the pools, step-wells, wells, and lakes,

having bowed to all the Vināyakas and saluted all the Gaurīs,

and having fully worshipped Kālarāja, the Bhairava who devours sins,

having diligently praised the gaṇas headed by Daṇḍanāyaka,

and having propitiated the Keśavas headed by Ādikeśava,

having repeatedly bowed to the suns headed by Lolārka,

and having untiringly offered funeral cakes in all the sacred fords,

having gratified ascetics and brahmins with thousands of meals and other offerings,

and having worshipped the liṅgas with devotion through the great ritual services of worship,

he pondered repeatedly: 'Which liṅga is the bestower of swift accomplishment,

where austerity, performed out of a desire for a son, may attain steadfastness?

Is it the glorious Oṃkāranātha, or Kṛttivāseśvara?

Kāleśa, Vṛddhakāleśa, or Kalaśeśvara?

Kedāreśa, Kāmeśa, Candreśa, or Trilocana?

Jyeṣṭheśa, Jambukeśa, or Jaigīṣavyeśvara?

Daśāśvamedha, Īśāna, Drumi, or Caṇḍeśa?

Dṛkkeśa, Garuḍeśa, Gokarṇeśa, or Gaṇeśvara?

The one called Ḍhuṇḍhyāśāgajasiddha, Dharmeśa, or Tārakeśvara?

Nandikeśa, Nivāseśa, Patrīśa, or Prītikeśvara?

Parvateśa, Paśupati, Brahmeśa, or Madhyameśvara?

Or Bṛhaspatīśvara, or Vibhāṇḍeśvara?

Or is it Bhārabhūteśvara, or Mahālakṣmīśvara?

Marutteśa, Mokṣeśa, Gaṅgeśa, or Narmadeśvara?

Mārkaṇḍa, Maṇikarṇīśa, or even Ratneśvara?

Or rather the seat of the yoginīs, which brings accomplishment to the practitioner?

Yāmuneśa, Lāṅgalīśa, the glorious, all-pervading Viśveśvara?

Or Avimukteśvara, or Viśālākṣīśa?

Vyāghreśvara, Varāheśa, Vyāseśa, or Vṛṣabhadhvaja?

Varuṇeśa, Vidhīśa, Vasiṣṭheśa, or Śanīśvara?

Someśvara, Indreśa, Svarlīna, or Saṅgameśvara?

Is it Hariścandreśvara, or Harikeśeśvara?

Trisandhyeśa, Mahādeva, or Upaśānta-Śiva?

Bhavānīśa, Kapardīśa, Kandukeśa, or Makheśvara?

Or the one named Mitrāvaruṇa—which of these quickly grants a son?'

Having deliberated for a moment, that sage Viśvānara, wise of mind, [thought]: