Skandapurana 4.54

Skanda said:

O pot-born one, I shall speak; listen attentively

to the supreme and great māhātmya of the liṅga Kapardīśa.

A leader of the gaṇas named Kapardin was extremely dear to Śambhu.

Having installed a liṅga of Śambhu to the north of Pitrīśa,

he dug a pool in front of it named Vimalodaka,

by the touch of whose water a mortal becomes spotless.

I shall narrate an ancient legend there from the Tretā age,

as it happened, O pot-born one, which destroys sins upon hearing.

There was an eminent Pāśupata named Vālmīki;

that sage performed austerity, worshiping Kapardīśa.

Once, during the cold season, in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa, that ascetic,

having bathed at midday in that great tīrtha, Vimalodaka,

took an ablution with ashes from the soles of his feet to his head.

Having performed his midday rites to the south of the liṅga,

having placed dust upon his head, remembering the spiritual twilight prayer,

reciting the five-syllable mantra, meditating on the god Kapardin,

having circumambulated duly in the reverse order [of dissolution],

uttering loudly three times 'huḍuṃ', 'huḍuṃ', 'huḍuṃ',

placing the Praṇava first, through modulations of notes beginning with ṣaḍja,

offering song with joy, together with dance accompanied by hand gestures,

captivating with graceful bodily movements, joined with gaits and circular motions,

the great ascetic sat for a moment there on the shore of the lake.

He beheld a dreadful rākṣasa of extremely deformed appearance:

his temples, cheeks, and mouth were dried like conches, his reddish-brown eyes were sunken,

the ends of his hair were dry and split, his neck was excessively long,

his nose was extremely flat, his lips were dried up, and his teeth projected greatly,

his head was very large, with his hair bristling upwards,

his earlobes hung down long, and he was terrifying with a tawny beard,

his drooping tongue lolled out, the nape of his neck was massive,

the structure of his collarbones had thick bones, his pair of long shoulders was huge,

the hollows of his armpits were sunken, his pair of arms was withered and short,

the ends of his hands had sparse fingers, and his rows of nails were curved and thick,

his dry lap was covered in dust, the skin of his belly clung to his back,

he was monstrous in the region of his hips, the joints of his sacrum were devoid of flesh,

he had a pair of drooping buttocks, shriveled testicles, and a small penis.

having long, fleshless thighs, and a skeleton with massive knee bones,

reduced to bones and skin alone, his body covered by a network of veins,

veiny, with long shanks, terrifying with thick ankle bones,

having very broad feet and long, crooked, emaciated toes,

with a body reduced to bones and skin, beaten with veins,

monstrous, of terrifying form, emaciated with hunger, excessively hairy,

resembling a tree scorched by a forest fire, with extremely restless eyes,

like terror embodied, causing fear to all living beings.

Seeing that heart-trembling ghost, the aged ascetic,

seeing him with a most wretched face, courageously asked: “Who are you?

Whence have you arrived here? Why is your state such as this?

Out of compassion, O rākṣasa, I ask: speak without fear.

We who are ascetics have not the slightest fear of someone like you,

for we have made armor of the thousand names of Śiva and sacred ash.”

Having heard this spoken by the ascetic, that rākṣasa, filled with affection,

with folded hands addressed that compassionate one rich in austerity.

The rākṣasa said:

“If you have compassion, O venerable best of ascetics,

then I shall tell my own story; listen attentively for a moment.

There is a land named Pratiṣṭhāna on the bank of the Godāvarī.

There I was a brahmin eager to accept gifts at sacred fords.

Through the ripening of that action, I have attained such a state as this,

in a terrible desert tract devoid of trees and water.

A very long time passed as I dwelt there, O sage,

hungry, afflicted with thirst, and enduring cold and heat.

Even when a great cloud rained downpours day and night

in the rainy season, and the wind blew, I had no covering at all.

Those who do not give gifts on sacred days, yet take gifts at sacred fords—

they enter this womb that binds them to great suffering.

After much time had passed in the desert, O sage,

I once saw a descendant of a brahmin who had arrived there.

Though sunrise had arrived, he neglected the rites of the twilight twilight devotions;

having passed urine and feces, he omitted purification and sipping water;

his loincloth was loose, he was impure, and abandoned the twilight rites.

Seeing him, I entered into his body out of a desire for enjoyment.

Because of my misfortune, that twice-born man, along with a merchant,

out of greed for wealth reached this holy city, O sage.

That twice-born man entered inside the city, O best of sages;

but I was cast out of his body in an instant, together with his sins.

For ghosts like us have no entry, O treasure of austerities,

nor do great sins, into Vārāṇasī, by the command of Śiva.

Even today, those sins remain strictly outside on the boundary

due to fear of the Pramathas, waiting for his exit outside.

‘Today, tomorrow, or the day after, he will come out’—

with this hope we have waited until today, O you whose wealth is austerity.

Even now he does not come out, nor does our hope fade away;

thus we sit without support, bound by the cords of hope.

I will tell you a wonder of today, O ascetic; listen to it!

I think that very great good fortune is about to come right now.

Every day we go hungry all the way to Prayāga,

wishing for food somewhere, but we obtain nothing at all!

Everywhere there are fruit-bearing trees in every forest,

and bodies of clear water exist on the earth at every step;

other foods as well are easily available to all, alas,

and various drinks exist in abundance everywhere;

yet as soon as they come into our sight, alas, they move far, far away!

By chance, seeing a pilgrim coming today, O sage,

I approached near him, tormented by hunger,

hastening with the thought: ‘I will forcefully devour him!’

Just as I wished to seize him, from his lotus-face

from his lotus-like mouth came forth speech purified by the name of Śiva, dispelling obstacles.

From the remembrance of Śiva's name, even my sin

became weakened; therefore, by him, I gained entry.

I was not immediately noticed by the Pramathas stationed at the boundary;

for even Yama does not look upon those who hear the name of Śiva.

Along with him I have now reached the threshold of the inner chamber;

that pilgrim entered within, while I remained here.

Seeing you now, O sage, I deem myself fortunate.

Deliver me, O compassionate one, from this most dreadful womb!

Hearing these words of the ghost, that compassionate ascetic

reflected in his mind: 'Fie upon men whose efforts are only for themselves!

All beings such as beasts, birds, and animals merely fill their own bellies;

he alone is blessed in this world who is ever intent on the welfare of others.

Today, by my own austerity, this ghost afflicted by sin,

who has taken refuge in me alone, I shall surely deliver.'

Reflecting thus in his mind, that best of men said to the piśāca:

'Bathe in this lake of clear water to dispel your sin, O [ghost]!

O piśāca, through the power of this sacred ford

and by the sight of Kapardīśa, your state as a piśāca will be destroyed, dwindling away this very moment.'

Hearing these words of the sage, the ghost bowed down to him

with a joyful soul and joined palms, and spoke to the glad-minded [sage]:

'O best of sages, I cannot even get water to drink; / what question is there of bathing, O protector? The water deities guard it.

What mention can there be of drinking here? Even touching the water is hard to attain.'

Hearing what the ghost said, he was filled with deep compassion

and the ascetic, capable of delivering the world, said to him:

'Take this sacred ash and place it upon your forehead.

By virtue of the majesty of this sacred ash, no ghost anywhere

causes any affliction to anyone, even to a great sinner!

Seeing a forehead white with sacred ash, the servants of Yama

flee from even a sinner, terrified by the Pāśupata weapon.

Just as travelers go far away from a body of water upon seeing it marked with a banner of bones,

so the servants of Yama keep far away from a forehead marked with ash.

Even violent beings from all sides never approach the best of men

who has made armor of ash with Śiva's mantras.

He who with devotion wears ash purified by Śiva's mantras

on his forehead, chest, and armpits—injurious beings do not harm him.

Because it protects day and night from all evil creatures,

it is therefore called rakṣā (protection); and it is called vibhūti because it creates prosperity (bhūti).

It is called bhasma from shining (bhāsana) and rebuking [evil] (bhartsana); it is called pāṃsu because it bestows the nature of fine dust;

and it is named kṣāra by the wise from dissolving (kṣāraṇa) sins.'

Taking ash from his pouch, he placed it in the ghost's hand;

he too took it reverently and applied it to the region of his forehead.

Seeing the piśāca wearing sacred ash

intent on plunging into the water, the water deities did not stop him.

As soon as he bathed, drank, and came out of that lake, / his piśāca state vanished and he attained a divine body.

Wearing divine garlands and garments, anointed with divine fragrances,

he mounted a celestial vehicle and set out on the pure path. / Moving through the sky, he bowed to that ascetic

and spoke aloud: 'O venerable one, I have been liberated by you, O sinless one!

From that despicable and utterly censured birth

I have attained a divine body by the majesty of this sacred ford!

Beginning today, this sacred ford, by the name Piśācamocana,

shall also remove the condition of a piśāca for others through ritual ablution.

Whatever mortals shall bathe here in this most sacred ford

and offer funeral cakes preceded by twilight devotion and libations,

even if their fathers and grandfathers have through fate fallen into the state of a piśāca,

they too will abandon the piśāca state and attain the supreme destination.

Today, on the bright fourteenth day in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa, O treasure of austerity,

ablutions and similar rites are to be performed here to bring complete release from the state of a piśāca.

Whatever mortals undertake this annual pilgrimage,

those men shall be freed from the sin of receiving gifts at a sacred ford.'

Having bathed in Piśācamocana and worshipped Kapardīśa,

and having given gifts of food there, men become fearless even elsewhere.

On the fourteenth day of the bright fortnight of Mārgaśīrṣa, in the presence of Kapardīśvara,

having bathed, even if dying elsewhere, they will not attain the state of a piśāca.

Having spoken thus, the divine person, repeatedly bowing to that

richly ascetic sage, attained a divine destination.

The ascetic too, having seen that great marvel, O pot-born one,

propitiated Kapardīśvara and in due course attained nirvāṇa.

Beginning from that time, O great sage, the Piśācamocana tīrtha,

destroyer of all sins, attained supreme fame in Vārāṇasī.

Having fed a Śaiva yogin at the Paiśācamocana tīrtha,

the fruit is truly equivalent to feeding ten million, one by one.

Having heard this sacred chapter, a man of controlled mind

is never overcome by bhūtas, pretas, and piśācas.

Bringing pacification to children afflicted by childhood spirits,

this supreme great narrative should be recited with diligence.

A man going to another country, having heard this narrative,

will not be overcome anywhere by thieves, tigers, piśācas, and the like.

Thus ends the fifty-fourth chapter, titled 'The Declaration of the Greatness of Piśācamocana', in the second half of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, in the fourth [part] of the eighty-one-thousand-verse collection of the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa.