[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Purāṇas](https://indike.org/pramana/in.purana) › [Skandapurana](https://indike.org/pramana/in.purana.skanda) › 4.67.92 # Skandapurana 4.67.92 Skandapurāṇa 4.67.92 - **Language:** Sanskrit ### [4.67.92.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.purana.skanda.4.67.92.1) .. agastya uvāca .. .. ratneśvarasamutpatiṃ kathayasva ṣaḍānana .. ratnabhūtaṃ mahāliṃgaṃ yatkāśyāṃ parivarṇyate .. 1 .. kosya liṃgasya mahimā kenaitacca pratiṣṭhitam .. etaṃ vistarato brūhi gaurīhṛdayanaṃdana .. 2 .. .. skaṃda uvāca .. ratneśvarasya māhātmyaṃ kathayiṣyāmi te mune.. yathā ca ratnaliṃgasya prādurbhāvo'bhavadbhuvi .. 3 .. śrutaṃ nāmāpi liṃgasya yasya janmatrayārjitam.. vṛjinaṃ nāśayettasya prādurbhāvaṃ bruve mune .. 4.. śailarājena ratnāni yāni puṃjīkṛtānyaho.. uttare kālarājasya tāni tasya girervṛṣāt.. 5 .. sarvaratnamayaṃ liṃgaṃ jātaṃ tatsukṛtātmanaḥ .. śakracāpasamacchāyaṃ sarvaratnadyutiprabham .. 6 .. talliṃgadarśanādeva jñānaratnamavāpyate .. śaileśvaraṃ samālokya śivau tatra samāgatau .. 7.. yatra ratnamayaṃ liṃgamāvirbhūtaṃ svayaṃ mune .. tasya sphuratprabhājālaistatamaṃbaramaṃḍalam .. 8 .. tatra dṛṣṭvā śubhaṃ liṃgaṃ sarvaratnasamudbhavam .. bhavānyadṛṣṭapūrvā hi paripapraccha śaṃkaram .. 9 .. devadeva jagannātha sarvabhaktābhayaprada .. kutastyametalliṃgaṃ dvisaptapātālamūlavat .. 4.2.67.10 .. jvālājaṭilitākāśaṃ prabhābhāsita diṅmukham .. kimākhyaṃ kiṃ svarūpaṃ ca kiṃ prabhāvaṃ bhavāṃtaka .. 11 .. yasya saṃvīkṣaṇādeva manometīva hṛṣṭavat .. ihaiva ramate nātha kathayaitatprasādataḥ .. 12 .. .. devadeva uvāca .. .. śṛṇvaparṇe samākhyāmi yattvayā pṛcchi pārvati .. svarūpametalliṃgasya sarvatejonidheḥ param .. 13 .. tava pitrā himavatā girirājena bhāmini .. tvāmuddiśya mahāratnasaṃbhārotrāpyanāyi hi .. 14 .. atra tāni ca ratnāni rāśīkṛtya himādriṇā .. > Agastya said: > Tell of the origin of Ratneśvara, O six-faced one, / the jewel-like great liṅga that is praised in Kāśī. 1 > What is the greatness of this liṅga, and by whom was it established? / Explain this in detail, O delighter of Gaurī's heart! 2 > Skanda said: > I will tell you the māhātmya of Ratneśvara, O sage, / and how the jewel-liṅga appeared on earth. 3 > The mere name of which liṅga, when heard, destroys the sins / accumulated in three lifetimes—of its appearance I speak, O sage. 4 > Ah, the gems that were heaped up by the king of mountains / north of Kālarāja, from the virtuous merit of that mountain, 5 > became a liṅga composed of all precious gems for that virtuous soul, / matching the hue of Indra's bow, possessing the radiant luster of all gems. 6 > From the mere sight of that liṅga, the jewel of knowledge is attained. / Having seen Śaileśvara, the two Śivas came there, 7 > where the gem-filled liṅga manifested of its own accord, O sage. / By the networks of its flashing splendor, the sphere of the sky was pervaded. 8 > Seeing there that auspicious liṅga arisen from all jewels, / Bhavānī, who had never seen it before, asked Śaṃkara: 9 > "O God of gods, Lord of the universe, granter of fearlessness to all devotees! / Whence comes this liṅga, rooted as deep as the twice-seven Pātālas, 10 > its sky enveloped in flames, illuminating the directions with radiance? / What is its name, what is its nature, and what is its power, O destroyer of mundane existence? 11 > From the mere sight of which my mind feels exceedingly joyful, / and delights right here, O Lord—tell me this out of your grace." 12 > The God of gods said: > "Listen, O Aparṇā, and I shall explain what you have asked, O Pārvatī: / the supreme nature of this liṅga, the treasury of all fiery splendor. 13 > O lovely lady, by your father, the king of mountains Himavat, / for your sake a great hoard of jewels was brought here. 14 > Having piled up those jewels here, the mountain of snow, > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) ### [4.67.92.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.purana.skanda.4.67.92.2) sukṛtopārjitānyeva yayau svasadanaṃ punaḥ .. 15 .. tavārthaṃ vāmamārthaṃ vā śraddhayā yatsamarpyate .. kāśyāṃ tasya parīpāko bhavedīdṛgvidho'naghe .. 16 .. liṃgaṃ ratneśvarākhyaṃ vai matsvarūpaṃ hi kevalam .. asya prabhāvo hi mahānvārāṇasyāmume dhruvam .. 17 .. sarveṣāmiha liṃgānāṃ ratnabhūtamidaṃ param .. ato ratneśvaraṃ nāma paraṃ nirvāṇaratnadam .. 18 .. anenaiva suvarṇena pitrā rāśīkṛtena ca .. prāsādamasya liṃgasya vidhāpaya maheśvari ..19.. liṃgaprāsādakaraṇātkhaṃḍasphuṭita saṃskṛteḥ .. liṃgasthāpanajaṃ puṇyaṃ helayaiveha labhyate .. 4.2.67.20.. tatheti bhagavatyoktvā gaṇāḥ prāsādanirmitau .. somanaṃdi prabhṛtayo 'saṃkhyā vyāpāritā mune .. 21 .. gaṇaiśca kāṃcanamayo nānākautukacitritaḥ .. nirmame yāmamātreṇa prāsādo meruśṛṃgavat ..22.. devī pradṛṣṭavadanā dṛṣṭvā prāsādanirmitim .. gaṇebhyo vyataradbhūri samānaṃ pāritoṣikam .. 23 .. punaśca devī papraccha praṇipātapuraḥsaram .. mahimānaṃ mahādevaṃ liṃgasyāsya mahāmune ..24.. .. devadeva uvāca .. .. liṃgaṃ tvanādisaṃsiddhametaddevi śubhapradam .. āvirbhūtamidānīṃ ca tvatpituḥ puṇyagauravāt .. 25 .. guhyānāṃ paramaṃ guhyaṃ kṣetre'smiściṃtitapradam .. kalau kaluṣabuddhīnāṃ gopanīyaṃ prayatnataḥ .. 26 .. yathā ratnaṃ gṛhe guptaṃ na kaiścijjñāyate paraiḥ .. avimukte tathā liṃgaṃ ratnabhūtaṃ gṛhe mama .. 27 .. yāni brahmāṃḍamadhyetra saṃti liṃgāni pārvati .. tairarcitāni sarvāṇi ratneśo yaiḥ samarcitaḥ..28.. pramādenāpi yairgauri liṃgaṃ ratneśamarcitam .. te bhavaṃtyeva niyataṃ saptadvīpeśvarā nṛpāḥ .. 29 .. > which had been earned by good deeds, went back to his abode. 15 > Whatever is offered with faith for your sake or for mine, / such is the fruit of it in Kāśī, O sinless one. 16 > The liṅga named Ratneśvara is indeed my own true form alone. / Great indeed is its power in Vārāṇasī, O Umā, beyond doubt. 17 > Among all the liṅgas here, this is the supreme jewel. / Therefore, named Ratneśvara, it grants the supreme jewel of nirvāṇa. 18 > With this very gold, heaped up by your father, / have a temple constructed for this liṅga, O Maheśvarī! 19 > By building a temple for a liṅga, and by repairing damaged and cracked parts, / the merit born of establishing a liṅga is obtained with ease here." 20 > Saying "So be it," the goddess dispatched innumerable gaṇas / led by Somanandin to construct the temple, O sage. 21 > And by the gaṇas, a golden temple adorned with diverse marvels, / like a peak of Mount Meru, was built in just a single yāma. 22 > The goddess, her face radiant with delight at seeing the temple's construction, / bestowed lavish and fitting rewards upon the gaṇas. 23 > And again the goddess, bowing down, / asked Mahādeva about the greatness of this liṅga, O great sage. 24 > The God of gods said: > "This auspicious liṅga is beginningless and eternally perfected, O goddess; / it has manifested now through the weight of your father's merit. 25 > It is the supreme secret of secrets, granting wishes in this sacred field; / in the Kali age, it must be carefully kept secret from those of defiled intellect. 26 > Just as a jewel hidden in a house is not known to any outsiders, / so is this liṅga, a jewel in Avimukta, kept in my house. 27 > Whatever liṅgas exist here within the cosmic egg, O Pārvatī, / all of them have been worshipped by those who have worshipped Ratneśa. 28 > Even inadvertently, O Gaurī, those who have worshipped the liṅga Ratneśa / surely become kings, rulers over the seven continents. 29 > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) ### [4.67.92.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.purana.skanda.4.67.92.3) trailokye yāni vastūni ratnabhūtāni tāni tu .. ratneśvaraṃ samabhyarcya sakṛtprāpnoti mānavaḥ .. 4.2.67.30 .. pūjayiṣyaṃti ye liṃgaṃ ratneśaṃ kāmavarjitāḥ .. te sarve madgaṇā bhūtvā prāṃte drakṣyaṃti māmiha .. 31 .. rudrāṇāṃ koṭijapyena yatphalaṃ parikīrtitam .. tatphalaṃ labhyate devi ratneśasya samarcanāt .. 32 .. liṃge cānādisaṃsiddhe yadvṛttaṃ tadbravīmi te .. itihāsaṃ mahāścaryaṃ sarvapāpanikṛṃtanam .. 33 .. pureha nartakī kācidāsīnnāṭyārthakovidā .. saikadā phālgune māsi śivarātryāṃ kalāvatī ..34.. nanarta jāgaraṃ prāpya jagau gītaṃ ca peśalam .. svayaṃ ca vādayāmāsa nānāvādyāni vādyavit ..35.. tena tauryatrikeṇāpi prīṇayitvātha sā naṭī.. ratneśvaraṃ mahāliṃgaṃ deśamiṣṭaṃ jagāma ha .. 36 .. kāladharmavaśaṃyātā tatra sā varanartakī .. sutā gaṃdharvarājasya vasubhūterbabhūva ha .. 37 .. saṃgītasya savādyasya tasya lāsyasyapuṇyataḥ .. tatreśāgre kṛtasyeha jāgare śivarātrije .. 38 .. ramyā ratnāvalī nāma rūpalāvaṇyaśālinī .. kalākalāpakuśalā madhurālāpavādinī .. 39 .. piturānaṃdakṛnnityaṃ vasubhūterghaṭodbhava .. sarvagāṃdharvakuśalā guṇaratnamahākhaniḥ .. 4.2.67.40 .. mune sakhītrayaṃ tasyāścāru cāturyabhājanam .. śaśilekhānaṃgalekhā citralekheti nāmataḥ .. 41 .. tisṛbhistābhirekatra vāgdevīpariśīlitā .. tābhyaḥ sarvāḥ kalāḥ prādātpariprītā sarasvatī .. 42 .. prāpya ratnāvalī gauri sā janmāṃtaravāsanām .. ratneśvarasya liṃgasya jagrāha niyamaṃ śubham .. 43.. ratnabhūtasya liṃgasya kāśyāṃ ratneśvarasya vai .. nityaṃ saṃdarśanaṃ prāpya vakṣyāmyapi vaco mukhe .. 44 .. > Whatever things are regarded as jewels in the three worlds, / a mortal obtains them all by worshipping Ratneśvara just once. 30 > Those who, free from desires, will worship the liṅga Ratneśa, / shall all become my gaṇas and will see me here at the end. 31 > Whatever reward is proclaimed for chanting the Rudras a crore of times, / that reward is obtained, O goddess, by worshipping Ratneśa. 32 > And regarding this beginningless and eternally perfected liṅga, I will tell you what occurred: / a most wondrous legend that cuts away all sins. 33 > Formerly, in this place, there was a dancing girl skilled in the arts of the stage; / once, in the month of Phālguna, on the night of Śivarātri, that Kalāvatī, 34 > keeping vigil, danced and sang a lovely song; / and being skilled in instruments, she herself played diverse musical instruments. 35 > Having thus delighted the great liṅga Ratneśvara / with that triple music, the actress went to her desired place. 36 > Having succumbed to the law of time there, that excellent dancer / was born as the daughter of the Gandharva king Vasubhūti. 37 > By the merit of that song, instrumental music, and gentle dance, / performed there before the Lord during the vigil on Śivarātri, 38 > she was born charming, named Ratnāvalī, endowed with beauty and loveliness, / skilled in the whole array of arts, speaking with sweet melodies. 39 > Ever bringing delight to her father, Vasubhūti, O pot-born \[Agastya\], / she was skilled in all Gandharva lore, a great mine of jewel-like virtues. 40 > O sage, she had three female friends, receptacles of charming cleverness, / by name Śaśilekhā, Anaṅgalekhā, and Citralekhā. 41 > By those three together, the goddess of speech was worshipped; / well-pleased, Sarasvatī granted them all the arts. 42 > Having received the impressions of her previous birth, O Gaurī, Ratnāvalī / undertook an auspicious vow dedicated to the liṅga Ratneśvara. 43 > Having obtained daily sight of the jewel-like liṅga, Ratneśvara in Kāśī— / I shall tell you what words were on her lips. 44 > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) ### [4.67.92.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.purana.skanda.4.67.92.4) itthaṃ niyamavatyāsītsā gaṃdharvasutottamā .. tābhiḥ sakhībhiḥ sahitā nityaṃ liṃgaṃ ca paśyati .. 45.. ekadārādhya ratneśaṃ mamaitalliṃgamuttamam .. samānarca ca sā bālā ramyayā gītamālayā .. 46 .. sakhyaḥ pradakṣiṇīkartuṃ liṃgaṃ tisro'pyume gatāḥ .. tasyā gītena tuṣṭohaṃ liṃgastho varadobhavam .. 47 .. yastvayā raṃsyate rātrāvadya gaṃdharvakanyake .. tavanāmasamānākhyaḥ sa te bhartā bhaviṣyati .. 48 .. iti liṃgāṃbudherjātāṃ paripīya vacaḥsudhām .. babhūvānaṃdasaṃdoha maṃtharātīva hrīmatī .. 49 .. gatātha vyomamārgeṇa sakhībhiḥ svapiturgṛham .. kathayaṃtī nijodaṃtaṃ tamālīnāṃ puro mudā .. 4.2.67.50 .. tābhirdiṣṭyeti diṣṭyeti sakhībhiḥ parinaṃditā .. adya te vāṃchitaṃ bhāvi ratneśasya samarcanāt .. 51 .. yadyāyāti sa te rātrāvadya kaumārahārakaḥ .. coro bāhulatāpāśaiḥ pāśitavyotiyatnataḥ .. 52 .. gocarīkriyatesmābhiryathā sa sukṛtaikabhūḥ .. prātareva tava preyānratneśādiṣṭa iṣṭakṛt ..53 .. yātāsvasmāsu hṛṣṭāsu bhavatī śayagauravāt .. aho ratneśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ pratyakṣīkṛtavatyasi .. 54 .. ahobhāgyodayo nṛṇāmaho puṇyasamucchrayaḥ .. ekasyaiva bhavetsiddhiryadekatrāpi tiṣṭhatām .. 55 .. satyaṃ vadaṃti nāsatyaṃ daivaprādhānyavādinaḥ .. daivameva phaledekaṃ nodyamo nāparaṃ balam .. 56 .. bhavatyā api cāsmākameka eva hi codyamaḥ .. paraṃ daivaṃ phalatyekaṃ yathā tava na naḥ puraḥ .. 57 .. lokānāṃ vyavahāroyamāliproktaprasaṃgataḥ .. paraṃ manorathāvāptistava yā saiva naḥ sphuṭam ..58.. iti saṃvyāharaṃtīnāmanaṃtodhvā'titucchavat .. > In this way, observant of her vows, that foremost Gandharva daughter lived; / together with those friends of hers, she would see the liṅga constantly. > Once, having worshipped Ratneśa, this excellent liṅga of mine, / the young girl adored it with a charming garland of songs. > Her three friends also went, O Umā, to perform circumambulation of the liṅga; / pleased by her singing, I, abiding in the liṅga, became a grantor of boons: > 'He who will take pleasure with you tonight, O Gandharva maiden, / having a name identical to yours, he shall become your husband.' > Drinking deeply of this nectar of words born from the ocean of the liṅga, / she became sluggish with an abundance of bliss, exceedingly bashful. > Then she went by the sky-path with her friends to her father’s home, / happily relating her tale before her companions. > Congratulated by those friends with cries of 'By good fortune! By good fortune!': / 'Today your desire will come to pass through the worship of Ratneśa. > If he who steals your maidenhood comes to you tonight, / that thief must be bound very firmly with the cords of your creeper-like arms, > so that that sole foundation of good deeds may be seen by us / tomorrow morning itself—your beloved, ordained by Ratneśa, who fulfills your wish. > While we had gone off rejoicing, you, through your deep modesty, / O! You have brought the Ratneśvara-liṅga before your very eyes! > O, the dawn of good fortune for mortals! O, the accumulation of merit! / For success comes only to one among those even standing together. > Those who speak of the supremacy of destiny speak the truth, not falsehood: / destiny alone bears fruit; neither effort nor other strength avails. > For you and for us there was indeed the very same effort, / but supreme destiny bears fruit for one, as for you, and not before us. > Such is the worldly way, spoken in the course of friendly talk; / yet the attainment of your wish is indeed clear to us.' > As they were speaking thus, the endless distance, as if very trifling, > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) ### [4.67.92.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.purana.skanda.4.67.92.5) kṣaṇāttāsāṃ vyatikrāṃtaḥ prāptāśca svaṃsvamālayam .. 59 .. atha prātaḥ samutthāya punarekatra saṃgatāḥ .. sā ca maunavatī tābhiḥ paribhukteva lakṣitā .. .. 4.2.67.60 .. tūṣṇīṃ prāpyātha kāśīṃ sā snātvā maṃdākinījale .. sakhībhiḥ sahitāpaśyalliṃgaṃ ratneśvaraṃ mama .. 61 .. nirvartya niyamaṃ sātha lajjāmukulitekṣaṇā .. nirbaṃdhena vayasyābhiḥ paripṛṣṭā jagāda ha .. 62 .. .. ratnāvalyuvāca .. .. atha ratneśa yātrāyāḥ prayātāsu svamaṃdiram .. bhavatīṣu smaraṃtyeva tadratneśavaco'mṛtam.. 63 .. saviśeṣāṃgasaṃskārā'viśaṃ saṃveśamaṃdiram .. nidrādaridranayanā tadvilokanalālasā ..64.. balātsvapnadaśāṃ prāptā bhāvinorthasya gauravāt .. ātmavismaraṇe hetū tato me dvau babhūvatuḥ .. 65 .. taṃdrī tadaṃgasaṃsparśau mama bodhāpahārakau .. taṃdryā paravaśā cāsaṃ tatastatsparśanena ca .. 66 .. na jāne tvatha kiṃ vṛttaṃ kāhaṃ kvāhaṃ sa cātha kaḥ .. taṃ nirjigamiṣuṃ sakhyo yāvaddhartuṃ prasāritaḥ ..67.. doḥ kaṃkaṇena ripuṇā kvaṇitaṃ tāvadutkaṭam .. mahatā siṃjitenāhaṃ tenālpaparibodhitā .. 68 .. sukhasaṃtānapīyūṣa hrade parinimajya vai .. kṣaṇena tadviyogāgnikīlāsu patitā balāt ..69.. kiṃkulīyaḥ sa no vedmi kiṃdeśīyaḥ kimākhyakaḥ .. dunoti nitarāṃ sakhyastadviśleṣānalo mahān .. 4.2.67.70 .. analpotkalitaṃ cetaḥ punastatsaṃgamāśayā .. prāṇānāṃ me yiyāsūnāmekameva mahauṣadham .. 71 .. vayasyā niśibhuktasya tasyaiva punarīkṣaṇam .. bhavatīnāmadhīnaṃ ca tatpunardarśanaṃ mama ..72.. kā'līkamālayo vakti snigdhamugdhesakhījane .. taddarśanena sthāsyaṃti prāṇā yāsyaṃti cānyathā .. 73 .. > was crossed by them in an instant, and each reached her own abode. > Then, having risen in the morning, they met together once again; / and she, keeping silence, appeared to them as though she had been enjoyed. > Reaching Kāśī in silence, and having bathed in the water of the Mandākinī, / she, accompanied by her friends, beheld my liṅga, Ratneśvara. > Having completed her observance, with eyes half-closed in modesty, / she spoke when insistently questioned by her companions: > Ratnāvalī said: > 'Then, when you had departed to your own home from the Ratneśa pilgrimage, / remembering that very nectar of words from Ratneśa, > I entered the bedchamber, adorned with special decorations. / With eyes bereft of sleep, longing to behold him, > I was brought forcibly to a dream-state by the majesty of the impending matter. / Thereupon, two causes arose for my forgetting of myself: > drowsiness and the touch of his body—both rob me of consciousness. / I became helpless through drowsiness, and then through his touch. > I do not know what happened, who I am, where I am, and who he was. / O friends, as I stretched out my arm to hold him who wished to depart, > my enemy, the bracelet, jingled loudly; / by that great tinkling, I was awakened slightly. > Having plunged indeed into a pool of the nectar of continuous bliss, / in an instant I was forcibly cast into the flames of the fire of separation from him. > I do not know to what family he belongs, to what country, or what his name is. / O friends, the great fire of separation from him torments me intensely. > My mind is greatly agitated with the hope of union with him once again; / for my life-breaths that are eager to depart, there is only one sovereign remedy: > the sight once again of that very companion enjoyed in the night. / And seeing him again is dependent upon you. > Who speaks a false falsehood in the circle of affectionate and innocent friends? / By the sight of him my life-breaths will remain; otherwise, they will depart. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) ### [4.67.92.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.purana.skanda.4.67.92.6) daśamyavasthā sannahyedbādhituṃ mādhunā bhṛśam .. iti tasyā giraḥ śrutvā dūnāyā nitarāṃ ca tāḥ .. 74 .. pravepamānahṛdayāḥ procurvīkṣya parasparam .. 75 .. .. sakhya ūcuḥ .. .. yasya grāmo na no nāma nānvayo nāpi budhyate .. sa kathaṃ prāpyate bhadre ka upāyo vidhīyatām .. 76 .. iti ratnāvalī śrutvā sasaṃdehāṃ ca tadgiram .. vayasyāstadavāptau me yūyaṃ kuṃṭhi mumūrcha ha .. 77 .. ityardhoktena sā bālā yūyaṃ kuṃṭhitaśaktayaḥ .. yadvaktavyaṃ tviti tayā yūyaṃ kuṃṭhīti bhāṣitam .. 78 .. tatastāstvaritāḥ sakhyaḥ paritāpopahārakān .. bahuśaḥ śītalopāyānvyadhurmohapraśāṃtaye .. 79 .. vyapaiti na yadā mūrchā tattacchītopacārataḥ .. tasyāstadaikayānītaṃ ratneśasnapanodakam .. 4.2.67.80 .. tadukṣaṇātkṣaṇādeva tanmūrchā virarāma ha .. suptotthiteva sāvādīnmuhuḥ śivaśiveti ca .. 81 .. .. skadaṃ uvāca .. śraddhāvatāṃ svabhaktānāmupasarge mahatyapi .. nopāyāṃtaramastyeva vineśa caraṇodakam .. 82.. ye vyādhayopi duḥsādhyā bahiraṃtaḥ śarīragāḥ .. śraddhayeśodakasparśātte naśyaṃtyeva nānyathā .. 83 .. sevitaṃ yena satataṃ bhagavaccaraṇodakam.. taṃ bāhyābhyaṃtaraśuciṃ nopasarpati durgatiḥ .. 84 .. ādhibhautikatāpaṃ ca tāpaṃ vāpyādhidaivikam .. ādhyātmikaṃ tathā tāpaṃ harecchrīcaraṇodakam .. 85 .. vyapetasaṃjvarā cātha gaṃdharvatanayā mune .. ucitajñeti hovāca tāḥ sakhīḥ srigdhadho(dhī?)radhīḥ .. 86 .. .. ratnāvalyuvāca .. .. śaśilekhenaṃgalekhe citralekhe madīhitaṃ .. yūyaṃ kuṃṭhitasāmarthyāḥ kuto vastāḥ kalāḥ kva vā ..87.. matpriyaprāptaye samyagupāyo'sti mayekṣitaḥ .. > The tenth stage \[of love\] might now prepare to afflict me severely.' / Having heard these words of hers, who was intensely tormented, > their hearts trembling, they looked at one another and said: > The friends said: > 'He whose village is not known to us, nor his name, nor his lineage— / how is he to be found, auspicious one? What means may be employed?' > Having heard that speech of theirs full of doubt, Ratnāvalī said: / 'Friends, in securing him for me, you are dull—' and fainted. > With these half-spoken words, 'you are of blunted powers'— / that which was to be said by her, she uttered as 'you are dull'. > Then those friends swiftly applied many cooling measures / to banish her torment, in order to pacify her fainting. > When the fainting did not depart from those various cooling remedies, / then the ceremonial bath water of Ratneśa was brought by one \[of them\]. > From its sprinkling, her faint ceased in that very instant; / as if awakened from sleep, she repeatedly uttered, 'Śiva, Śiva!' > Skanda said: > For his devoted ones endowed with faith, even in great affliction, / there is no other remedy whatsoever except the water from the Lord’s feet. > Even those diseases difficult to cure that reside outside or inside the body / are indeed destroyed through faithful contact with the Lord’s water, not otherwise. > He by whom the water from the Lord’s feet is constantly revered, / pure internally and externally, misfortune does not approach him. > Afflictions caused by other beings, or afflictions caused by the gods, / and likewise afflictions originating from oneself—the holy water from his feet removes them. > Then, her fever having departed, O sage, the Gandharva daughter, / discerning what was fitting, spoke to those friends with an affectionate and calm mind: > Ratnāvalī said: > 'Śaśilekhā, Anaṅgalekhā, Citralekhā! As for my desire, / you are of blunted capacities! Whence are those arts of yours, or where \[are they gone\]? > A proper means for the attainment of my beloved has been seen by me: > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) ### [4.67.92.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.purana.skanda.4.67.92.7) ratneśvarānugrahato'nutiṣṭhata hi taṃ hitāḥ .. 88 .. śaśilekhebhilaṣitaprāptyai lekhāṃstvamālikha .. saṃlikhānaṃgalekhe tvaṃ yūnaḥ sarvāvanīcarān .. 89 .. citrage citralekhe tvaṃ pātālatalaśāyinaḥ .. kiṃcidāvirbhavaccāru tāruṇyālaṃkṛtīm̐llikha .. 4.2.67.90 .. athākaṇyeti tāḥ sakhyastaccāturyaṃ pravarṇya ca .. lilikhuḥ kramaśaḥ sakhyo yūno yauvana śevadhīn .. 91 .. niryatkaumāralakṣmīkānpuṃvattva śrīsamāvṛtān .. prātaḥsaṃdhyeva gaṃdharvī nṛpādyāṃstānavaikṣata .. 92 .. sarvānsuranikāyānsā vyalokata śubhekṣaṇā .. na cāṃcalyaṃ jahāvakṣṇosteṣu svarlokavāsiṣu .. 93 .. tato madhyamalokasthānmunirājakumārakān .. vilokyāpi na sā prītiṃ kvāpyāpa premanirbharā .. 94 .. atha ratnāvalī bālā karṇābhyarṇavilocanā .. dṛśau vyāpārayāmāsa balisadmayuvasvapi .. 95 .. ditijāndanujānvīkṣya sā gaṃdharvī kumārakān .. ratiṃ babaṃdha na kvāpi tāpitā mānmathaiḥ śaraiḥ .. 96 .. sudhākara karaspṛṣṭāpyatidūnāṃgayaṣṭikā .. paśyaṃtī nāgayūnaḥ sā kiṃciducchvasitā'bhavat .. 97 .. bhoginastānvilokyāpi citraṃcitragatānatha .. manātsaṃbhuktabhogeva kṣaṇamāsītkumārikā .. 98 .. yūnaḥ pratyekamadrākṣīdaśeṣāñcheṣa vaṃśajān .. takṣakānvayagāṃstadvadatha vāsukigotrajān .. 99 .. pulīkānaṃta karkoṭa bhadrasaṃtānagānapi .. dṛṣṭvā nāgakumārāṃstāñchaṃkhacūḍamathaikṣata .. 4.2.67.100 .. śaṃkhacūḍekṣaṇādeva parāṃ lajjāṃ babhāra sā .. udbhinnapulakāpyāsīdaṃgapratyaṃga saṃdhiṣu .. 1 .. tattrapābharato'jñāyi tatkaumāraharo varaḥ .. tayā vaidagdhyavarayā kṣaṇataścitralekhayā .. 2 .. atha citrapaṭī citralekhā citrapaṭāṃcalam .. > "Perform it, then, through the grace of Ratneśvara, for \[you are\] benevolent! / O Śaśilekhā, paint the gods so that the desired \[one\] may be obtained! > O Anaṅgalekhā, paint all the young men who roam upon the earth! / O painter Citralekhā, you paint those who dwell in the realm of Pātāla, > adorned with a youthful charm that is just beginning to appear!" / Then, hearing this and praising that cleverness, those friends > painted in due order the youths, the treasures of youthful vigor, / whose boyhood grace was departing, endowed with the splendor of manhood. > Like the morning twilight, that Gandharva maiden looked upon those kings and others; / the fair-eyed one examined all the hosts of gods, > and her eyes did not cease their restlessness upon those dwellers of heaven. / Then, although looking at the sons of the royal sages living in the middle world, > she, filled with love, found delight nowhere at all. / Then the maiden Ratnāvalī, whose eyes reached almost to her ears, > directed her gaze even toward the youths in the realm of Bali. / Seeing the sons of Diti and Danu, that Gandharva maiden / did not fasten her love anywhere, tormented by the arrows of love. > Though touched by the rays of the moon, the slender stalk of her body was deeply distressed; / looking upon the young Nāgas, she breathed a little \[relief\]. > Seeing those serpents, even depicted in the painting, / the maiden felt for a moment as though she had enjoyed pleasure. > She looked at each one of the youths, all born in the lineage of Śeṣa, / likewise those belonging to Takṣaka's family, and then those sprung from the lineage of Vāsuki, > those descended from Pulīka, Ananta, Karkoṭa, and Bhadra. / Having seen those serpent-youths, she then beheld Śaṅkhacūḍa. > Just upon the sight of Śaṅkhacūḍa, she felt supreme bashfulness, / and her hair bristled across the joints of all her limbs. > From that abundance of bashfulness, the groom who had stolen her virginity / was instantly recognized by Citralekhā, supreme in cleverness. > Then Citralekhā, holding the picture-canvas, \[took\] the border of the painted cloth, > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) ### [4.67.92.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.purana.skanda.4.67.92.8) parikṣipyāvṛṇottūrṇaṃ parihāsaikapeśalā .. 3 .. ratnāvalī citralekhāṃ hriyā maunāvalaṃbinī .. dṛśā kuṭilayādrākṣītprasphuraddaśanāṃbarā .. 4 .. kaṭākṣitānaṃgalekhā tayātha śaśilekhayā .. citralekhāparikṣipta paṭāṃcalamapākarot .. 5 .. vasubhūtisutā sātha kanyā ratnāvalī śubhā .. śaṃkhacūḍānvavāye taṃ ratnacūḍamavaikṣata .. 6 .. tadīkṣaṇakṣaṇāddṛṣṭirānaṃdāśrubhirāvṛtā .. kapolabhittirabhavatsvedodakaṇikāṃcitā .. 7 .. cakaṃpe gātralatikā dhṛtaromāṃcakaṃcukā .. citranyasteva tastaṃbha kṣaṇaṃ mukulitānanā.. 8 .. tataḥ sā citralekhā tāmetyāśvāsayadāturām.. mautsukyaṃ vraja gaṃdharvi siddhastedya manorathaḥ ..9.. etasyāvagataṃ sarvaṃ deśanāmānvayādikam.. mā viṣīdālisulabhastveṣa ratneśvarārpitaḥ ..4.2.67.110.. aho sadṛgvarāvāptyā ratneśenāsi toṣitā .. uttiṣṭha yāmaḥ sadanaṃ ratneśaḥ sarvadohinaḥ .. 11 .. atha devavaśādyāṃtyastā dṛṣṭā gaganādhvagāḥ .. subāhunā dānavena pātālatalavāsinā .. 12 .. gṛhītvā tāścatasropi niragāddānavo gṛham.. harirvikaṭadaṃṣṭrāsyaḥ prāṃtare hariṇīriva .. 13 .. tāstaṃ vilokya gaṃdharvyo daṃṣṭrāvikaṭitānanam .. rudhirāruṇanetraṃ ca jātā vepathubhūmayaḥ .. 14 .. hā mātarhā pitastrāhi hā vidhe mā vidhehi tat .. yadetatkartumārabdhamanāthāsvatiniṣṭhuram .. 15 .. hā daiva maṃdabhāgyābhiḥ kimasmābhiranuṣṭhitam .. sukṛtetaravārtāpi no citte vyāhṛtā kvacit .. 16 .. śiśukrīḍanakaṃ hitvā hitvā ratneśvarārcanam .. pitroḥ svādhīna sacceṣṭā iṣṭaṃ vidmo na kiṃcana ..17.. adhobhuvanagā dīnā hīnānāthena kotra naḥ .. trāti trāṇārthinīrbālāḥ śaṃbho ratneśa sarvaga .. 18 .. > and, being solely adept at joking, quickly cast it around and concealed it. > Ratnāvalī, observing silence out of modesty, / looked at Citralekhā with a sidelong glance, her lips trembling. > Anaṅgalekhā, looked at with a side-glance by Śaśilekhā, then / pulled away the border of the cloth that Citralekhā had thrown over it. > Then that auspicious maiden Ratnāvalī, daughter of Vasubhūti, / beheld Ratnacūḍa in the lineage of Śaṅkhacūḍa. > From the moment of seeing him, her vision was filled with tears of joy; / the surface of her cheeks was covered with droplets of sweat. > The slender creeper of her body trembled, wearing a bodice of horripilation; / she stood motionless for a moment with closed eyes, as if depicted in a painting. > Then Citralekhā, approaching her, consoled the agitated maiden: / "Do not be anxious, O Gandharva maiden; your wish has been granted today! > Everything—his country, name, lineage, and so forth—is known to this \[friend\]. / Do not sorrow, my friend; he is easily attained, being granted by Ratneśvara! > Ah, through the attainment of a suitable groom, you have been favored by Ratneśa! / Rise, let us go home; Ratneśa grants everything to us!" > Then, as they were travelling along the path of the sky, by decree of fate / they were spotted by the Dānava Subāhu, who lived in the realm of Pātāla. > Seizing all four of them, the Dānava set out for his home, / like a lion with frightful fangs in his mouth \[carrying off\] female deer in the wilderness. > Seeing him with his face made terrible by fangs / and his eyes red with blood, those Gandharva maidens became abodes of trembling: > "Alas, Mother! Alas, Father, save us! Alas, Providence, do not ordain that / which has been begun—this extremely cruel act toward helpless girls! > Alas, Destiny! What have we done, unfortunate as we are? / Even mention of anything other than good deeds was never uttered in our hearts! > Leaving aside childish play, leaving aside the worship of Ratneśvara, / obedient to our parents with pure conduct, we know of no selfish desire! > Who here will rescue us poor girls, fallen into the netherworld, / devoid of a protector, seeking protection? O Śambhu, O Ratneśa, omnipresent one!" > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) ### [4.67.92.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.purana.skanda.4.67.92.9) itthaṃ gaṃdharvatanayā vilapaṃtīḥ kṛpāturam .. śuśrāva nāgarājosau ratnacūḍo mahāmanāḥ .. 19 .. kosau matsvāmino nāma ratneśasya maheśituḥ .. liṃgarājasya gṛhṇāti karmabaṃdhanabhedinaḥ .. 4.2.67.120 .. punarapyārtarāvaṃ sa śrutvā bālāmukheritam .. ratneśa rakṣarakṣeti gṛhītāstro viniryayau ..21 .. taṃ vasārasapānena mahāmāṃsaniṣevaṇāt .. atyaṃtonmatta duśceṣṭaṃ ratnacūḍo niraikṣata.. 22 .. adhyākṣipacca re duṣṭa śiṣṭakanyāpahāraka .. maddṛṣṭigocaraṃ yātaḥ kva yāsyasyadya re'dhama .. 23 .. mama bāṇahataprāṇaḥ prayāṇaṃ kuru durmate .. ārtatrāṇodyatamate vaivasvatapuraṃ prati .. 24 .. ratneśvarasya yairnāma pralayāpadyapi sphuṭam .. gṛhītaṃ na bhavādṛgbhyasteṣu bhītirbhayātmasu .. 25 .. ratneśvaramahānāma kṛtatrāṇāstu ye narāḥ .. teṣāṃ janmajarāvyādhi kalikālabhayaṃ kutaḥ ..26.. ityuktvā tā bhayatrastāstanmukhaprahitekṣaṇāḥ .. vyāghraghrātā iva mṛgīrmābhaiṣiṣṭetyuvāca saḥ .. 27 .. ityāśvāsyātha gaṃdharvīḥ sa vai bhujagarājajaḥ .. ākarṇapūrṇamākṛṣya kodaṃḍaṃ prāhiṇoccharam .. 28 .. sopi kruddho danujarāṭpadāspṛṣṭabhujaṃgavat .. āviddhya kāladaṃḍābhaṃ parighaṃ vyasṛjanmahat ..29.. hṛdi ratneśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ yasya samyagvijṛṃbhate .. alātadaṃḍavattasminkāladaṃḍopi jāyate .. .. 4.2.67.130 .. aṃtareva sa ciccheda parighaṃ svamaheṣubhiḥ .. durvṛtasya yathehāyurvicchidyetāṃtaraiva hi .. 31 .. tatosya bāṇaṃ cikṣepa kālānalasamaprabham .. sa bāṇastasya hṛdayaṃ praviśya pragaveṣya ca .. 32 .. prāṇānasya viniryātya svayaṃ tūṇamagātpunaḥ .. > As the Gandharva daughters were thus lamenting in deep distress, / that high-minded king of Nāgas, Ratnacūḍa, heard them: > "Who is this taking the name of my lord Ratneśa, the great ruler, / the king of liṅgas who shatters the bonds of karma?" > Hearing once more the cry of distress uttered from the maiden's mouth— / "O Ratneśa, save us! Save us!"—he took up his weapon and went forth. > Ratnacūḍa beheld him, who from drinking the serum of fat / and consuming human flesh was behaving wicked and utterly frenzied. > And he rebuked him: "O wicked one! O abductor of virtuous maidens! / You have come within the range of my sight; where will you go now, O vile one? > Bereft of life by my arrows, make your journey, O evil-minded one, / toward the city of Vaivasvata, \[for\] my mind is resolved on protecting the afflicted! > Those by whom the name of Ratneśvara is uttered clearly, / even in the calamity of universal dissolution, have no fear of such as you, who are fear personified. > Indeed, for those men who have found protection in the great name of Ratneśvara, / whence can there be any fear of birth, old age, disease, or the age of Kali?" > Having spoken thus, he said, "Do not fear!" / to those maidens trembling with fright, whose eyes were fixed upon his face like deer smelled out by a tiger. > Having thus consoled the Gandharva maidens, that son of the serpent king / drew his bow up to his ear and discharged an arrow. > That king of Danus also, enraged like a serpent stepped on with a foot, / whirled around and hurled a huge iron club resembling the rod of Death. > For him in whose heart the Ratneśvara liṅga fully manifests itself, / even the rod of Death becomes like a wooden fire-brand. > With his great arrows he cut the iron club to pieces midway in the air, / just as a wicked person's lifespan is severed right midway in this world. > Then he shot an arrow at him, shining like the fire of cosmic dissolution; / that arrow entered his heart, searched it thoroughly, > and having driven out his vital breaths, returned of its own accord to the quiver. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) ### [4.67.92.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.purana.skanda.4.67.92.10) hṛdisthaṃ tasya daurātmyaṃ sarvaṃ vijñāya tattvataḥ .. 33 .. digaṃganāpuraḥ khyātumiva nāgāśugo gataḥ .. 34 .. anyāyopārjitairdravyairyaḥ sukhaṃ bhoktumicchati .. tāni dravyāṇi yāṃtyeva sa prāṇāni kutaḥ sukhama .. 35 .. iti taṃ dānavaṃ hatvā nāgarājo mahābalī .. pratyuvācātha tāḥ kanyāḥ kā yūyaṃ kasya cātmajāḥ .. 36 .. durātmanā kutonena saṃgatā danujanmanā .. kva vā ratneśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ bhavatībhirvilokitam .. 37 .. yasya nāmākṣaroccārādvyapeta paramāpadaḥ .. yṛyamāśu tadākhyāta yena jānāmi tattvataḥ ..28.. iti śrutvā girastasya nitarāṃ premanirbharāḥ.. parasparaṃ mukhaṃ vīkṣya kosau syāddṛṣṭapūrvavat .. 39 .. akāraṇa sakhā kosau prāṃtare samupasthitaḥ .. nijaprāṇānpaṇīkṛtya yena trātā sma bālikāḥ .. 4.2.67.140 .. asya saṃdarśanādeva svabhāva capalānyapi .. maṃtharāṇīṃdriyāṇistu paripīya sudhāmiva .. 41 .. yātumanyatra no netre protsahete yathā tathā .. anyadvastvaṃtaraṃ prekṣya ramaṇīyataraṃtvapi .. 42.. vacaḥpīyūṣamādhurya nitarāṃ prāpya naḥ śrutī .. śabdāṃtaragrahāpekṣāṃ na kurvāte svajanmanaḥ .. 43 .. āpnutaḥ paṃgutāmetau pādau naścaṃcalāvapi .. amuṃ yuvānamālokya coraṃ naḥ sanmanomaṇeḥ .. 44 .. iti bruvaṃtyastā bālāḥ parasparamanulbaṇam .. dṛṣṭvāpi citramadhyasthaṃ vividustanna bālikāḥ .. 45 .. atīva bhīṣaṇākāra danujasyātisādhvasāt .. aṃdhībhūtekṣaṇāstaṃ nājñāsiṣurhariṇīkṣaṇāḥ .. 46 .. ūcuśca taṃ yuvānaṃ tā nijajīvitarakṣiṇam.. yadaṃga bhavatā pṛṣṭaṃ snehanirbharacetasā .. 47 .. tadācakṣāmahe sarvamavadhehi kṣaṇaṃ manaḥ .. > Having known in full the wickedness present in his heart, / the snake's arrow went forth as if to proclaim it before the maiden of the quarters. > He who wishes to enjoy happiness through wealth acquired unjustly— / that wealth departs, and how can he have life or happiness? > Having thus slain that Dānava, the mighty king of snakes / then answered those maidens: “Who are you, and whose daughters are you? > From where did you encounter this wicked one born of Danu? / Or where was the liṅga of Ratneśvara seen by you, > by uttering whose name's syllables your supreme danger vanished? / Tell that quickly, so that I may know it in truth.” > Having heard his words, filled with supreme love, / looking at each other's faces, \[they said:\] “Who can this be, seeming as if seen before? > Who is this friend without cause who has appeared in the wilderness, / by whom, having wagered his own life, we young girls were saved? > Just by the sight of him, though naturally fickle, / our senses have indeed become sluggish, as if having drunk ambrosia. > Our eyes do not dare to go elsewhere in any way, / even upon seeing another object that is yet more delightful. > Having abundantly attained the sweetness of the nectar of his speech, our ears / make no demand for grasping other sounds in their existence. > These feet of ours, though restless, have attained lameness / upon beholding this youth, the thief of the jewel of our virtuous minds.” > Speaking thus softly among themselves, / those young girls did not recognise him, though they had seen him in the painting. > Because of their extreme terror of the Dānava of terribly frightful form, / their vision had become blinded; those fawn-eyed girls did not recognise him. > And they said to that youth who had saved their lives: / “O noble one, as you have asked with a heart filled with affection, > we shall tell you everything; direct your mind \[to us\] for a moment. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) ### [4.67.92.11](https://indike.org/pramana/in.purana.skanda.4.67.92.11) iyaṃ gaṃdharvarājasya vasubhūtestanūdbhavā .. .. 48 .. kanyā ratnāvalī nāma guṇaratnamahākhaniḥ .. vayaṃ vayasyā etasyāśchāyevānugatāḥ sadā .. 49 .. ārabhya bālyamapyeṣā liṃgaṃ ratneśvarābhidham .. yāṃti pitrāpyanujñātā kāśyāmarcayituṃ sadā .. 4.2.67.150 .. varopi dattastenāsyai prasannenātha śaṃbhunā .. hariṣyatīti yaḥ svapne kaumāraṃ te kumārike .. 51 .. tava nāmasamānākhyaḥ sa te bhartā bhaviṣyati .. yuvānaṃ svapnabhoktāraṃ prāpyāpyeṣā suduḥkhitā ..52.. punastadvirahotthena vahninātīva tāpitā.. kalākauśalyato'smābhiḥ sopi citre pradarśitaḥ .. 53 .. yasya na grāma nāmāpi nānvayopyavabudhyate .. taṃ dṛṣṭvā citralikhitamapyeṣā jīvitā punaḥ .. 54 .. tato ratneśvaraṃ natvā svagṛhāyotsukābhavat .. yāṃtīstato'nayā sārdhaṃ prāṃtare gaganā dhvani .. 55.. atarkitā yamaścāsmāndhṛtvā pātālamāviśat .. anaṃtaraṃ bhavāneva taṃ vetti danujādhamam .. ..56.. aṃga ityeva vṛttāṃto nijo'smābhirudīritaḥ .. prasādaṃ kuru cāsmākaṃ puraḥ kosi kṛpānidhe ..57.. yadā prabhṛti cāsmābhiḥ sa dṛṣṭo duṣṭadānavaḥ .. tadāprabhṛti no netre vidyuteva hataprabhe .. 58 .. kāṃdiśīkā bhayatrātarna vidmaḥ kiṃcideva hi .. kva vayaṃ kā vayaṃ kastvaṃ kiṃ jātaṃ kiṃ bhaviṣyati .. 59 .. niśamyeti sa puṇyātmā nāgarājakumārakaḥ .. āśvāsya tā bhayatrastāḥ provācedaṃ ca puṇyadhīḥ .. 4.2.67.160 .. mayā saha samāyāta ratneśaṃ darthayāmi vaḥ .. ityāhūya sa tā ninye krīḍāvāpīṃ sukhodakām ..61.. vitritramaṇisopānāṃ haṃsakokakṛtāravām.. kavīnāṃ vāsitavyājātsvāgataṃ kurvatīmiva ..62.. > “This is the daughter of the Gandharva king Vasubhūti, / a maiden named Ratnāvalī, a great mine of jewels of virtues. > We are her companions, always following her like shadows. > Beginning even from childhood, having been permitted by her father, / she always went to worship the liṅga named Ratneśvara in Kāśī. > And a boon was given to her by that pleased Śambhu: / ‘He who will take away your maidenhood in a dream, O girl, > having a name equal to your own name, he shall be your husband.’ / Even after obtaining in a dream the youth who enjoyed her, she became exceedingly sorrowful, > and again she was severely tormented by the fire arisen from separation from him. / Then, by our artistic skill, he too was shown in a painting, > whose village, name, or family was not even known. / Having seen him even drawn in a painting, she revived again. > Then, having bowed to Ratneśvara, she was eager \[to return\] to her own home. / Going with her along the path in the sky over the wilderness, > an unexpected Yama seized us and entered Pātāla. / What happened after that, you yourself know concerning that lowest of Danu’s sons. > O noble one, thus has our own story been recounted by us. / Grant us your grace: who are you before us, O treasure of compassion? > And from the time that wicked Dānava was seen by us, / from that time our eyes have lost their luster, as if by lightning. > Fleeing in fear, O savior from danger, we truly know nothing at all: / where we are, who we are, who you are, what has happened, and what will be.” > Having heard this, that righteous young prince of snakes, / having comforted those terrified girls, whose mind was virtuous, said this: > “Come with me; I shall show Ratneśa to you.” / Calling them thus, he led them to a pleasure pond with pleasant waters, > with steps of diverse gems, resounding with geese and ruddy sheldrakes, / as if bidding welcome under the guise of the sounds of waterfowl. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) ### [4.67.92.12](https://indike.org/pramana/in.purana.skanda.4.67.92.12) tatra tenābhyanujñātāḥ krīḍāvāpyāṃ nimajjya tāḥ .. sacailapuṣpābharaṇāḥ pronmamajjustataḥ punaḥ .. 63 .. bahirnirgatya gaṃdharvyaḥ paśyaṃtyaḥ sthagitā iva .. ratneśālayamālokya kālarājasamīpataḥ .. 64.. parasparaṃ tataḥ procurgaṃdharvyo vismitā iva .. svapnoyaṃ kiṃ nu vā satyaṃ khelo ratneśvarasya vā .. 65 .. vayameva hi vā bhrāṃtā gaṃdharvyo na vayaṃ kimu .. kimetannaiva jānīma aiṃdrajālika khelavat.. 66.. eṣottaravahā gaṃgā sphuṭameva bhavediha.. śaṃkhacūḍasya vāpyeṣā śaṃkhacūḍālayastvasau .. 67 .. etatpaṃcanadaṃ tīrthameṣa vāgīśvarālayaḥ .. yasya saṃdarśanādeva vāgvibhūtirvijṛṃbhate .. 68 .. śaṃkhacūḍeśvaraścaiṣa śaṃkhacūḍapratiṣṭhitaḥ .. yasya saṃdarśanātpuṃsāṃ na bhayaṃ kālasarpajam .. 69 .. eṣā maṃdākinī nāma dīrghikā puṇyatoyabhūḥ .. yasyāṃ kṛtodakā martyā martyaloke viśaṃti na .. 4.2.67.170 .. . asāvāśāpurī devī yā stutā tripurāriṇā .. tripuraṃ jetukāmena maṃdākinyāstaṭe śubhe .. 71 .. yādyāpi pūjitā martyairāśāṃ pūrayaterthinām.. maṃdākinyāḥ pratīcyāṃ tu eṣa siddhyaṣṭakeśvaraḥ .. 72 .. bhavedyasya saparyāto gṛhe siddhyaṣṭakaṃ sphuṭam .. kuṃḍasiddhyaṣṭakākhyaṃ ca tatraiva virajodakam .. 73 .. yatra snātvā kṛtaśrāddho virajasko divaṃ vrajet .. mūrtyastāḥ siddhayaścāṣṭau yāḥ kāśyāṃ sarvasiddhidāḥ .. 74 .. sarvasiddhipradaścāsau mahārājavināyakaḥ .. vināyakāḥ praṇaśyaṃti yasmai praṇamatāṃ nṛṇām .. 75 .. asau siddheśvarasyoccaiḥ prāsādaḥ kāṃcanojjvalaḥ .. ratnadhvajapatākāśca siddhiḥ syādyadvilokanāt .. 76 .. kṣetrasya madhyame .. bhāge madhyameśvara eṣa vai .. > There, permitted by him, having plunged into the pleasure pond, / they then emerged again, dressed in garments, flowers, and ornaments. > Having come outside, looking around as if spellbound, / the Gandharva women, having beheld the abode of Ratneśa near Kālarāja, > then said to one another, as if astonished: / “Is this a dream, or is it true, or a sport of Ratneśvara? > Or are we ourselves bewildered? Are we not Gandharva women? / What is this? We do not know at all, like a magician's display! > This is clearly the north-flowing Gaṅgā here; / this is the pond of Śaṅkhacūḍa, and this is the dwelling of Śaṅkhacūḍa. > This is the Pañcanada sacred ford; this is the dwelling of Vāgīśvara, / just by the sight of which the power of speech expands. > And this is Śaṅkhacūḍeśvara, consecrated by Śaṅkhacūḍa, / by the sight of which men have no fear arising from the serpent of Death. > This is the oblong reservoir named Mandākinī, having sacred waters, / having offered water in which, mortals do not enter the world of mortals. > This is the goddess Āśāpurī, who was praised by the enemy of Tripura / on the auspicious bank of the Mandākinī when he desired to conquer Tripura, > who, worshipped even today by mortals, fulfills the hope of petitioners. / And to the west of Mandākinī is this Siddhyaṣṭakeśvara, > from whose worship the eight perfections would clearly be present in one’s home. / And right there is the pool named Siddhyaṣṭaka, with pure water, > having bathed in which and performed the śrāddha, one freed from dust would go to heaven. / And those eight perfections are forms which grant all perfections in Kāśī. > And this is the great king Vināyaka, the bestower of all perfections, / to whom when men bow down, obstacles perish. > That is the high, gold-resplendent palace of Siddheśvara, / with flags and banners of gems, from the sight of which perfection is attained. > In the middle part of the sacred field, this indeed is Madhyameśvara.” > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) ### [4.67.92.13](https://indike.org/pramana/in.purana.skanda.4.67.92.13) madhyādholokayormadhye na vasedyasya vīkṣaṇāt .. 77 .. madhyameśaṃ samabhyarcya naro madhyamaviṣṭape .. āsamudrakṣitīṃdraḥ syāttato mokṣaṃ ca viṃdati .. 78 .. airāvateśvaraṃ liṃgaṃ tatprācyāmiṣṭasiddhikṛt .. dṛśyate yatpatākāyāṃ ramya airāvato gajaḥ ..79 .. vṛddhakāleśvarasyaiṣa prāsādo ratnanirmitaḥ .. . pratidarśaṃ vasedyatra rātrau caṃdraḥ satārakaḥ .. 4.2.67.180 .. yasya saṃdarśanānnṛṇāṃ na kālaḥ prabhavedbhave .. na kaliḥ prabhavetsatyaṃ na ca kalmaṣarāśayaḥ .. 81 .. iti yāvatkathāṃ cakruḥ saṃbhrāṃtā iva bālikāḥ.. tāvadvasuvibhūtiḥ sa gaṃdharvastvarayā yayau ..82.. nāradācchrutavṛttāṃtaḥ subāhudanujanmanaḥ .. ratnāvalī sutā prītā sasakhīkā yathāhṛtā .. 83 .. ratneśvarātsamāyāṃtī śūnye gaganavartmani .. yathānayacca pātālaṃ yathā yuddhamabhūtpunaḥ .. 84 .. yathā ratneśa bhaktena ratnacūḍena ghātitaḥ .. sa subāhurdanujanurmaheṣvāsena ceṣuṇā .. 85 .. yathā ca pṛṣṭavṛttāṃto vāpīmārgeṇa cānayat .. śaṃkhacūḍasya vāpīṃ tāṃ pātāleṣu pravartinīm .. 86 .. yathā ca prāpya niryātāḥ kāśīṃ dṛṣṭvāpi bālikāḥ .. bhṛśaṃ saṃbhrāṃtimāpannāḥ paśyaṃtyopi samutsukāḥ .. 87 .. dṛṣṭvā gaṃdharvarājastāṃ punarjātāmivātmajām .. savayasyāmanāmlānamukhapaṃkajasuśriyam.. 88 .. pariṣvajya samāghrāya lalāṭaphalakaṃ muhuḥ .. aṃkamāropya papraccha sarvaṃ vṛttāṃtamādarāt..89.. atha sā kathayāmāsa danujāpahṛteḥ kathām.. .. ratneśvaraṃ varāvāptiṃ svapnāvasthāṃ vihāya ca..4.2.67.190.. ratnāvalīmanovṛttiṃ vijñāyātha mukheṃgitaiḥ .. śaśilekhā samācaṣṭa spaṣṭavarṇaiḥ savistaram.. 91 .. > "By the sight of which one does not dwell between the middle world and the nether world. > Having worshipped Madhyameśa, a man becomes an emperor whose realm extends to the sea / in the middle world, and then attains liberation. > To the east thereof is the liṅga Airāvateśvara, bestower of desired perfections, / upon whose banner is seen the lovely elephant Airāvata. > This temple of Vṛddhakāleśvara is fashioned of gems, / wherein the moon with the host of stars dwells every new-moon night; > by the sight of which time has no power over men in this transmigratory existence, / Kali truly has no power, nor do heaps of sins." > While the maidens, as if bewildered, were talking thus, / Vasuvibhūti, that gandharva, came in haste, > having heard the news from Nārada about the son of Danu, Subāhu: / how his beloved daughter Ratnāvalī, together with her companions, was abducted > while returning from Ratneśvara through the empty path of the sky; / how he carried her to Pātāla, and how a battle then ensued; > how that son of Danu, Subāhu, was slain by the devotee of Ratneśa, / Ratnacūḍa, with a great bow and an arrow; > and how, having inquired of the matter, he brought \[them\] by way of the stepped-well, / that stepped-well of Śaṅkhacūḍa that opens into the nether worlds; > and how, having reached and emerged from it, the maidens, even upon seeing Kāśī, / fell into great bewilderment, gazing eagerly. > Seeing his daughter, who seemed as if born anew, / accompanied by her companions, the beauty of her lotus-face unfaded, > the king of the gandharvas embraced her, repeatedly smelled her forehead, / placed her on his lap, and respectfully asked about the whole account. > Then she related the story of her abduction by the Danu-born, / but omitted \[mention of\] Ratneśvara, the obtaining of the boon, and the dream-state. > Then, having discerned Ratnāvalī's intention through the expressions of her face, / Śaśilekhā recounted \[everything\] at length in clear words. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) ### [4.67.92.14](https://indike.org/pramana/in.purana.skanda.4.67.92.14) tutoṣa nitarāṃ sotha gaṃdharvādhipatiḥ kṛtī .. prabhāvaṃ varṇayāmāsa mudā ratneśvarasya ca .. 92 > Then that gandharva king, accomplished and delighted, was exceedingly pleased, / and with joy described the power of Ratneśvara. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.purana.skanda~en-mt.4.67.92.1) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [Daśavidhahetunirūpaṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/in.vedanga.kalpa.grhya.vaikhanasa!tatparyacintamani.dasavidhahetunirupana.72.11) — Śrīnivāsamakhin, Sanskrit --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.purana.skanda.4.67.92](https://indike.org/pramana/in.purana.skanda.4.67.92) · Pramāṇa