Skandapurana 4.48

Skanda said:

Listen, O son of Mitra and Varuṇa! In Dvāravatī, the foremost of the Yadus,

for the slaughter of the Dānavas and the removal of the earth's burden, (1)

Kṛṣṇa himself, having the radiance of fire, manifested—

Vāsudeva, the abode of the universe, from Vasudeva through Devakī. (2)

He had eighty-one hundred thousand sons possessing the luster of the sun.

Even in heaven there were no boys like these of such good conduct, O jar-born one! (3)

They were exceedingly endowed with beauty, exceedingly great in strength,

exceedingly skilled in weapons and scriptures, and exceedingly possessed of auspicious marks. (4)

To see them, the mind-born son of Brahmā, a treasure of austerities,

having a bark loincloth, wearing a black antelope skin as garment, [5]

holding a staff of Brahmā, having a fine girdle of triple-twisted muñjā-grass,

adorned with a garland of tulasī resting upon his chest, (6)

his body glistening with an unguent of the essence of Gopīcandana,

all his limbs emaciated by austerity, blazing like embodied fire, (7)

Nārada, who moves through the sky, came to the city of Dvārakā,

which was built by Viśvakarman and had surpassed the splendor of the heavenly city. (8)

Seeing that Nārada, all the descendants of Vṛṣṇi,

having bowed their necks very low and folded their hands upon their heads, prostrated. (9)

Sāmba, deluded by the totality of pride in his own handsome form,

did not bow to the sage there, laughing at [the sage's] physical condition. (10)

Understanding that intention of Sāmba, that great sage

Nārada entered the exceedingly delightful palace of Kṛṣṇa. (11)

Then, seeing Nārada arriving, Kṛṣṇa went out to meet him,

honored him with a honey-mixture, and seated him on his own seat. (12)

Having held conversations with manifold topics, Nārada then, in private,

spoke into Kṛṣṇa's ear concerning the conduct of Sāmba: (13)

"Surely there is something here, O increaser of Yaśodā's joy!

Generally that does not happen; or rather, O Lord, nothing is impossible in the case of a woman. (14)

Among the youths dwelling in the three worlds, Sāmba is exceedingly handsome,

and the mental disposition of unsteady-eyed women is by nature very fickle. (15)

Infatuated-eyed women do not consider lineage, character, learning, or wealth;

they look only at beauty, bewildered by the god of love. (16)

Or is the behavior of the cowherd women not known to you?

Except for the eight chief queens, O Kṛṣṇa, these women desire him!" (17)

From the natural disposition of fair-browed women and from the words of Nārada,

Kṛṣṇa, having learned the entire matter, also considered it to be true. (18)

"The constancy of unsteady-eyed women lasts only so long, and the discernment of their minds lasts only so long,

as a suitor does not stand in a secluded place, and they are not in private with a suitor; not otherwise." (19)

Reflecting thus in his mind, the wise Kṛṣṇa, damming up the torrent

of the river of anger with the dam of discernment, sent Nārada away. (20)

Kṛṣṇa did not perceive any misconduct at all in Sāmba anywhere,

even though he watched day and night after that divine sage had departed. (21)

When some time had passed, the sage came once again,

and knowing that Kṛṣṇa was seated amidst his playful women, (22)

Nārada called Sāmba, who was playing outside, and said this to him:

"Go quickly to Kṛṣṇa's presence and announce my arrival." (23)

Sāmba too thought for a moment in this way: "Shall I go or shall I not go?

How can I go to my father who is in a private apartment in the company of women? (24)

And how can I not go upon the command of this celibate,

the splendor of all whose limbs flashes like blazing embers? (25)

Once, when the young princes were prostrating, he was put to shame by me.

If even now I do not go on the command of this great sage, (26)

then a great disaster will occur here on account of the perception of two offenses.

Even my father's anger towards me is quite praiseworthy, but not that of a brahmin. (27)

Those burned by the fire of a brahmin's anger never sprout again,

while those burned by other fires grow back like trees scorched by a forest fire." (28)

Having reflected thus for a moment, Sāmba entered his father's inner apartment.

Just as the son of Jāmbavatī [approached] Kṛṣṇa in the midst of the assembly of women,

and bowing from afar, made his petition, full of apprehension,

at that moment Nārada followed after him to accomplish his own purpose.

Then Kṛṣṇa also, seeing Sāmba and Nārada with sudden fluster,

stood up, putting on his yellow silk garment.

When the son of Devakī stood up, all those cowherd women too,

embarrassed, stood up, gathering their respective garments.

Taking that great sage by the hand, upon a costly couch

Kṛṣṇa seated him; and Sāmba went away to play.

Seeing the slip of those women who stood before him,

whose best limbs were melted by Kṛṣṇa's erotic sports, the sage spoke to Hari:

"Look, look, O highly intelligent one! Having seen the son of Jāmbavatī,

these women have fallen into a lapse, their minds agitated by his handsome form."

Then Kṛṣṇa, summoning Sāmba, instantly cursed his son,

who, through misfortune, was looking [at them], though all were like Jāmbavatī to him:

"Because having seen your beauty these cowherd women have lapsed,

and because of your untimely arrival, therefore quickly become a leper!"

Trembling with fear of that terrible, great affliction, Sāmba too

appeased Kṛṣṇa repeatedly for the pacification of his sin.

Kṛṣṇa, recognizing Sāmba as his own legitimate son,

said to him: "For release from leprosy, go to the city of Viśveśvara.

Worshipping the Sun there, you will regain your natural state,

since nowhere except in Vārāṇasī is there the destruction of great sins,

where Viśveśvara is visibly present, and where that river of heaven is.

For those great sins where no expiation has been seen by the sages,

the purification of them certainly exists upon reaching the city of Vārāṇasī.

For in Vārāṇasī one is freed not only from [ordinary] sins;

by Śaṃkara's command, one is freed even from natural sins.

Anciently, Avimukta was created by the Enemy of Pura for the liberation

of all living beings who abandon their bodies at the end, out of compassion.

There, in Śambhu's Ānandavana, is the removal of your curse.

Therefore, Sāmba, go quickly; in no other way is there relief from the curse."

Then, taking leave of Kṛṣṇa, with his actions freed from karma,

Nārada, having accomplished his purpose, departed by the path of the sky.

Sāmba, having reached Vārāṇasī and worshipped the Sun,

and having made a pond behind it, attained his natural state.

From that time forth, Sāmbāditya, the Sun that removes all afflictions,

gives all devotees health and all fortunes.

A person who performs a ritual ablution in the Sāmba pond on Sunday at dawn,

and worships Sāmbāditya, is never overcome by diseases.

A woman does not meet widowhood through the service of Sāmbāditya;

a barren woman gives birth to a son endowed with pure beauty.

O twice-born, on the bright seventh lunar day in the month of Māgha, falling on a Sunday,

there is declared a great festival, auspicious and equal to the festival of the Sun.

One is released from severe disease by performing a ritual ablution there at dawn;

and by worshipping Sāmbāditya, one attains imperishable merit.

Whatever merit is gained at the Sannihitā [lake] in Kurukṣetra during the sight of Rāhu [at an eclipse],

that same merit is gained on the Sun's seventh day in Māgha at Kāśī; there is no doubt.

In the month of Madhu, on a Sunday, the annual pilgrimage should take place.

Worshipping there with aśoka flowers, having performed a ritual ablution in the pond according to rule,

a person [who worships] Sāmbāditya is never overcome by griefs;

he becomes freed that very moment from the sin committed over a year.

In the western direction from Viśveśa, here by the noble Sāmba,

the auspicious form of the Sun was properly worshipped.

This future image of his has been recounted before you, O Agastya.

Having worshipped it, bowed down to it, and made eight circumambulations,

a person becomes free from sin and obtains the fruit of living in Kāśī.

The māhātmya of Sāmbāditya has been told to you, O noble-minded one;

merely by hearing which, a person never sees the realm of Yama.

Now, O sinless one, I will relate Draupadāditya to you.

Likewise, Draupadāditya is to be worshipped, bestowing perfection upon devotees.

Thus ends the forty-eighth chapter, entitled "The Narration of the Māhātmya of Sāmbāditya," in the first half of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, in the fourth [part of] the venerable Skandapurāṇa, the Mahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses.