Skandapurana 4.14

The two attendants said:

To the front of Alakā is the illustrious city of the northeast.

Here dwell constantly the devotees of Rudra rich in austerity, (1)

absorbed in the remembrance of Śiva, devoted to the observances of Śiva,

having consecrated their actions to Śiva, always delighting in the worship of Śiva. (2)

Desirous [of this alone], they practice tapas, thinking, 'May ours be the enjoyment of heaven here!'

Those men dwell here in the charming city of Rudra, bearing the form of Rudra. (3)

Led by Ajaikapād and Ahirbudhnya, indeed all eleven

Rudras are the lords here, their hands holding up tridents. (4)

And they protect the group of eight cities from wicked beings and enemies of the gods;

the excellent ones constantly grant boons to the devotees of Śiva. (5)

Austerity was performed by them as well, having reached the city of Vārāṇasī,

and having established the auspicious, great liṅga Īśāneśa. (6)

By the grace of Īśāneśa, the guardians of the northeast direction,

even all eleven, walking alone, adorned with crowns of matted hair, (7)

with an eye on the forehead, blue throats, pure limbs, and bull banners,

and the thousands of countless Rudras who are upon the earth, (8)

dwell in this northeastern city, rich with all enjoyments.

Those who, having worshipped Īśāneśa in Kāśī, or even in other regions, (9)

have died, are born here as favored ministers by that merit.

Those who worship Īśāneśa on the eighth and fourteenth days [of the lunar fortnight] (10)

are certainly to be recognized as Rudras themselves, both in this world and the next.

Having kept a vigil at night in the presence of Īśāneśvara, (11)

and having fasted on whatever fourteenth day [it may be], a person does not partake of the womb again.

Listening thus on the path to heaven to the tale told by the attendants of Viṣṇu, (12)

Śivaśarman saw from high above the moonlight of the moon even by day,

delighting abundantly the mind together with all the senses. (13)

Filled with wonder again and again, Śivaśarman asked the two attendants of Hari:

'What realm is this?' And the two spoke to that twice-born: (14)

The two attendants said:

'O highly fortunate Śivaśarman, this is the realm of the treasury of arts (the Moon),

by whose rays raining nectar the world is refreshed. (15)

O brahmin, the blessed seer Atri was born as the father of Soma

from the mind of Brahmā, who in the beginning was eager to create offspring. (16)

Indeed, an unexcelled tapas was performed by him long ago

for three thousand celestial years, as we have heard here. (17)

His semen, having attained the state of Soma, surged upward,

and flowed forth from his two eyes, illuminating the directions in ten ways. (18)

Then the ten goddesses (directions), commanded by Brahmā, received that embryo;

having gathered, they held it, but they were not able to hold it at all. (19)

When those directions were unable to bear that embryo,

then Soma fell down to the earth together with them. (20)

Seeing Soma fallen, Brahmā, the grandfather of the worlds,

placed him upon a chariot out of a desire for the welfare of the worlds. (21)

With that excellent chariot, Brahmā carried him in circumambulation

around the ocean-bounded earth three times seven (twenty-one) times. (22)

Whatever radiance of his dripped down and reached the earth,

from that the medicinal plants arose by which the world is sustained. (23)

Having obtained his brilliance and being nurtured by Brahmā himself,

the blessed one performed tapas, O fortunate one, for a hundred padmas [of years]. (24)

Having reached the supreme, purifying sacred field Avimukta,

and having established an immortal liṅga called Candreśa after his own name, (25)

he became the king of seeds, medicinal plants, waters, and brahmins,

by the grace of the god of gods, the lord of the universe who holds the Pināka bow. (26)

Having constructed a well there known as Amṛtoda,

by drinking whose water and bathing [in it] a man is freed from ignorance. (27)

He who was placed by the pleased god of gods upon his own crest-lock,

having taken that single supreme digit which revives the universe. // 28

Afterwards, though cursed by Dakṣa and having waned throughout the month,

that moon is nourished again by that very digit. // 29

Having obtained that great sovereignty, Soma, the best among those endowed with soma,

undertook the Rājasūya sacrifice, with a sacrificial fee of hundreds of thousands. // 4.1.14.30

Soma gave the three worlds as the sacrificial fee—so we have heard,

to those foremost brahmin seers and to the assembly members, O twice-born one! // 31

Where Brahmā, Hiraṇyagarbha, Atri, and Bhṛgu were the priests,

and Hari, accompanied by many sages, was an assembly member. // 32

Taṃsinī, Kuhū, Dyuti, Puṣṭi, Prabhāvasu,

Kīrti, Dhṛti, and Lakṣmī—nine goddesses served him. // 33

Having propitiated Rudra together with Umā through the sacrificial rite,

he obtained the renown 'Soma', bestowed by Śambhu, who is with Umā. // 34

Right there Soma performed the most difficult austerity;

right there he also performed the Rājasūya before Candreśvara. // 35

Right there that treasure of digits was addressed by the delighted brahmins:

'Soma is the king of us brahmins, one whose generosity extends to the three worlds.' // 36

Right there he attained the position of the eye of the God of gods,

by the God with a delighted mind, for the sake of gladdening the three worlds. // 37

'You are my supreme form'—thus he was addressed by the power of that austerity—

'When the world attains your rising, happiness will arise. // 38

Touched by your hands filled with nectar, this moving and unmoving world,

though overcome by the heat of the sun, will cast off supreme exhaustion.' // 39

Having said this, Maheśāna joyfully granted other boons:

'O king of the twice-born, because you performed exceedingly fierce austerity here, // 4.1.14.40

and because the offering of the sacrificial rite was dedicated by you to me,

and because this liṅga bearing the name Candreśvara was established by you,

therefore, O Soma, in this liṅga bearing your name, bearing the form of the crescent moon,

though I am all-pervading, every month on the fifteenth day of the bright fortnight, // 42

I will dwell for a day and a night endowed with the sovereignty of the three worlds.

Therefore, even a small pious deed performed here on the full moon day— // 43

recitation of mantras, oblation, worship, meditation, gift-giving, feeding of brahmins,

and great worship—will surely be for my delight. // 44

Renovating ruins and the like, offering dance, instrumental music, and the like,

the act of raising a banner, and satisfying ascetics and renunciants— // 45

all that is done at Candreśvara leads to endless fruit.

I will tell you another secret; listen, O treasure of digits! // 46

It should not be told to a non-devotee, to an atheist, or to a hater of the Vedas.

When a new moon day falls on a Monday, O Soma, // 47

then a fast should be observed with reverence by virtuous men on the fourteenth day.

Having performed the daily rites on the thirteenth day, O Soma, listen! // 48

Having worshipped the liṅga called Candreśvara during the twilight on Saturday,

having taken a single meal at night on the thirteenth day and undertaken the observance, // 49

having fasted on the fourteenth day and kept vigil at night,

and having bathed in the morning in the waters of Candroda at the conjunction of Monday and the new moon, // 4.1.14.50

having worshipped the twilight according to rule, and having performed all the water rites,

one should properly perform a śrāddha at the sacred fords near Candroda. // 51

Without the invocation and the guest water, one should carefully offer rice balls

to the three generations of ancestors who are in the nature of the Vasus, Rudras, and Ādityas, // 52

and dedicating them likewise to maternal grandfathers and to other members of the lineage,

the giver of rice balls, having pronounced the names of teachers, fathers-in-law, and kinsmen, // 53

and performing the śrāddha with faith at this sacred ford, delivers them all.

Just as ancestors are satisfied by the offering of rice balls at Gayā, // 54

so ancestors are satisfied by śrāddhas here at the Candroda pool.

And just as a man at Gayā is released from all debts born of ancestors, // 55

so he is completely released from debt by the offering of rice balls at Candroda.

Whenever any best of men goes to see Candreśvara, // 56

then his ancestors and great-grandfathers dance with joy:

'He will make a water offering to us at this sacred ford Candroda!' // 57

If due to our misfortune he does not make it at all,

then through contact with that sacred ford our satisfaction will come to pass.

Even if the indolent person does not touch it, he will gaze upon it for [our] satisfaction.

Having thus performed the śrāddha and then touched Candreśvara, the observer of the vow,

having satisfied the brahmins and ascetics, should then break his fast.

When the vow is thus observed in Kāśī on a Monday with a new-moon day,

he will be freed from the three debts, O moon, through my grace.

Here a pilgrimage should be undertaken on the full-moon day of Caitra by dwellers of the sacred field;

it dispels obstacles in the sacred field to attain liberating knowledge.

Having thoroughly worshipped Candreśvara, even if staying elsewhere,

having pierced the veil of the flood of sins, he will reach the world of Soma.

In the Kali age, the greatness of Candreśa is not comprehended by the unfortunate.

And I shall tell you something else, a supreme secret, O lord of the night:

This seat of Siddhayogīśvara grants accomplishment to practitioners.

Among gods and asuras, Gandharvas, Nāgas, and Vidyādharas too,

among Rākṣasas, Guhyakas, Yakṣas, Kiṃnaras, and mortals,

seventy million accomplished beings have attained perfection here before me.

Restricting his diet for six months and meditating upon Viśveśvarī here,

he sees the foremost siddhas who have arrived to worship Candreśvara.

Siddhayogīśvarī manifestly becomes the granter of boons to him.

You too [attained] great perfection by beholding Siddhayogīśvarī.

There are many sacred seats on earth for the accomplishment of practitioners;

yet on the surface of the earth, none grants siddhi more swiftly than the seat of Yogīśvarī.

Where this Candreśvara liṅga has been established by you, O moon,

that very place is that seat, invisible to those whose minds are unrefined.

Those who have conquered desire, anger, greed, longing, and pride

behold Yogīśvarī, my supreme, beneficial Śakti.

Those people who, on every eighth and fourteenth lunar day,

worship with devotion at the seat of Siddhayogīśvarī—

she of unseen form, auspicious, tawny-hued, granter of all accomplishments—

she will manifest before them with incense, food-offerings, lamps, and other rites.

Having thus granted boons to that moon, O twice-born,

Maheśāna vanished there in the city of the Lord of All.

Beginning from that time, the king of the twice-born became a ruler in this world,

making the quarters free from darkness with his spreading rays.

Men who observe the Monday vow and are devoted to drinking soma

go indeed to the world of Soma by a vehicle lustrous like the moon.

The origin of Candreśvara and the austerity of the moon—

the person who listens to this with devotion is honoured in the world of the moon.

Agasti said:

As the two attendants were telling this auspicious story that brought joy to Śivaśarman / and dispelled fatigue on the divine path,

they then reached the world of the stars.

Thus ends the fourteenth chapter, named 'The Description of the World of Soma', in the first half of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, in the fourth [book] of the glorious Skandapurāṇa, a compendium of eighty-one thousand verses.