Skandapurana 5.112

Sūta said: / Then all those brahmins, their anger gone, set their minds / upon sacrificial rites, householdership, and the begetting of sons and grandsons. // 1

In the meantime, the king, hearing that those best of brahmins had arrived, / came forward filled with devotion to bow before them. // 2

He had heard the news of their anger having departed and of their pacification, / as they embraced the householder's life through the words of his wife. // 3

Then the lord of the earth, having prostrated himself before all of them with eight limbs touching the ground, / stood bowed low with folded hands and spoke: // 4

"By your grace, the purpose of my life has been attained, / through the destruction of my disease; therefore tell me, what shall I do?" // 5

The brahmins said: / "O king of kings, by your wife we, who dwelt everywhere, / have been brought to fulfillment, having been given varied gems. // 6

Therefore, having built an excellent city right here in this most splendid kṣetra, / give it to us so that our householdership may be properly realized. // 7

We shall sacrifice with various sacrifices, always with complete priestly gifts, / and residing here constantly, we shall attain both this world and the next." // 8

Hearing that, the king was delighted, and saying "So be it," / when an auspicious day arrived, he summoned numerous artisans. // 9

He had a city laid out, filled with many defensive ramparts, / endowed with boundary walls and moats, and adorned with city-gates. // 10

Then, for sixty-eight brahmins, in its midst the best of kings / constructed sixty-eight truly magnificent houses, // 11

furnished with turrets and along with step-wells, / accompanied by household gardens, like royal palaces. // 12

Having done so and filled them with heaps of jewels and other treasures, / he then gave to them sixty-eight villages. // 13

Then, summoning all his sons and grandsons before him, / he declared in a resonant voice: "Listen to my words! // 14

This city, accompanied by these villages, has been given by me / to these lords among brahmins with a mind purified by faith. // 15

Therefore, protection must be maintained so that at no time shall there be harm, / suffering, or humiliation for these foremost brahmins. // 16

Whoever born in our lineage—or any other king—shall please them, / he will surely attain the highest prosperity. // 17

And whoever, treating them as wrongdoers, brings them sorrow, / or subjects them to afflictions and various indignities, / shall be defeated by his enemies and beset with diverse diseases; // 18

having met dreadful sufferings such as bereavement in this world, / he shall depart to the horrific hells, such as Raurava." // 19

Having spoken thus, the king himself unweariedly carried out / every duty for them daily, day and night. // 20

Then all the wives of those best among brahmins, O excellent twice-born, / approaching the palace of Damayantī, filled with tender affection, // 21

worshiped her image with saffron, aloe-wood, camphor, / flowers, and varied perfumes; and so did the king day after day. // 22

Then those ascetic women, standing before her, said to one another, / bringing joy to that king, O best of the twice-born: // 23

"Whenever there shall be an auspicious occasion in our house, / both before and after it we shall worship Damayantī, / without doubt, in all rites and at all times. // 24

A maiden who, having looked upon her, goes to the middle of the sacrificial altar, / she will beyond doubt forever become as dear as life to her husband. // 25

Therefore, by every effort, when a maiden's wedding sacrifice arrives, / Damayantī is to be viewed and worshiped with devotion." // 26

Sūta said: / Thus in that city, by having settled sixty-eight / lineages [gotras], contentment was established by that great-souled king. // 27

Even among them, four lineages departed from fear of the elephant / to that place where their earlier ancestors dwelt; / the remaining sixty-four of the twice-born stayed in that city. // 28

The ṛṣis said: / What was that fear of an elephant on their part, because of which they departed, / abandoning their own place? O powerful one, tell us this in detail! // 29

Sūta said: / Formerly there was a ruler of Ānarta named Prabhañjana, / who knew the dharma, was of great valor, and brought about the destruction of his enemies' faction. // 30

Then a son was born to him when his late age had arrived, / while the planets were situated in inauspicious positions, O best of the twice-born. // 31

Then he, summoning astrologers learned in the scriptures, / reported to them all about the moment of his birth. // 32

The astrologers said: / "O protector of the earth, this son has been born to you at a very censured time, / at a fierce moment that bestows misfortune, arising in the threefold gaṇḍānta. // 33 // / If by any means he survives, O king, / he will lay waste to lands for the sake of his parents' wealth." // 34

The king said: / "Is there any remedy here, divine or human, / by which security may come to both my son and my realm?" // 35

The brahmins said: / "Just as a raised weapon is repelled by another weapon, / just as armor is the defense against the strikes of arrows, / so pacification rites are the defense against the afflictions of the planets. // 36

Therefore, remaining free from anxiety, constantly perform a pacification rite, O lord of the earth, / whereby all the planets become gentle and bringers of auspiciousness, // 37

even when the planets are unfavorable and stationed in inauspicious houses." / Then that king quickly went to Camatkārapura. // 38

Assembling all the brahmins there, he said respectfully: / "We always rule the kingdom solely through your favor." // 39

Those excellent kings in our lineage who have passed away and those who will be, / you are their refuge here, just as a rain-cloud is for the crops. (40)

Since my son was born here under planets standing in inauspicious houses, / a pacifying rite has been prescribed by the astrologers to bring peace from that misfortune. (41)

Therefore, O foremost brahmins, perform the pacifying rite for me as prescribed, / otherwise neither my son, nor my kingdom, nor my prosperity will flourish. (42)

Then those brahmins, having consulted with one another, said: / 'For your welfare, O lord of the earth, we shall perform the pacifying rite here.' (43)

Sixteen of those brahmins, always restrained and calm [were selected]. / 'Offerings are always to be sent by you with devotion, O lord of the earth, / and at the month's end, an ablution born of the Rudra-pitcher must be received [by you]. (44)

As you do this, your son will attain growth, / and likewise your kingdom, your treasury, and whatever else [belongs to you].' (45)

Then, having bowed to them, overjoyed, he went to his own abode; / encouraged by them, he continually held a celebration for the birth of his son. (46)

He then sent the sacrificial supplies to Camatkārapura; / and at the month's end, the ablution was indeed received according to the rules. (47)

Those tiger-like brahmins too, born of the four quarters, / devoted to celibacy, performed the pacifying rite in due order. (48)

Month after month, they were ever tranquil, self-controlled, and master of their senses; / then at the end of the month, other brahmins performed that pacifying rite. (49)

That king also, arriving at the end of the month with great devotion, / having received the ablution and worshipped the excellent brahmins (50)

with garments and diadems, and solely through the gift of cows and land, / and having gratified other brahmins as well, the ruler of the earth returned to his own place. (51)

As the pacifying rite was thus proceeding there for the lord of the earth, / a very great period of time passed in welfare, health, and acquisition of wealth. (52)

However, after some time, at the beginning of a month for the lord of the earth, / when that pacifying rite was commenced, a great affliction arose. (53)

Especially for his son, and likewise for his inner apartments, / for the entire kingdom, and there was destruction among the mounts and vehicles. (54)

He then sent to that excellent city for the sake of pacification / abundant supplies in particular, and especially priestly gifts. (55)

The more the brahmins performed the fire offering in the fire there, / all the more did the diseases particularly increase on all sides. (56)

His horses died, and so did his large elephants; / enemies appeared on every quarter for battle. (57)

Then, distressed and overcome with illness, that lord of the earth / went to Camatkārapura and spoke to all the brahmins: (58)

'While you are present as my masters, calamities overcome me! / How is this, O fortunate ones? My riches are diminishing, / and diseases increase along with hosts of enemies. (59)

Therefore, a special fire offering must be made for the pacification of disease, / and I will bestow distinguished gifts upon the twice-born.' (60)

Then all those brahmins, right in the presence of that lord of the earth, / became composed and performed that pacifying rite for his benefit. (61)

The more attentively they performed rites at the conclusion of the fire offering, / all the more did the disease of this king increase. (62)

In the meantime, all those best of the twice-born, filled with anger, / resolved to pronounce a curse directed at the planets beginning with the sun. (63)

The brahmins said: / 'Even though worshipped with true devotion and according to the rules, the planets / afflict the city of the king, together with his son, cattle, and kin.' (64)

Having made such a resolve, having purified themselves and become attentive, / as, faint with anger, they were about to deliver that curse to the planets, (65)

just then Agni, assuming a bodily form, spoke this to the excellent twice-born: / 'O foremost brahmins, do not pronounce a curse out of anger under any circumstance (66)

upon the planets, who are free from fault; listen to my word! / Month by month, those sixteen brahmins perform the fire offering. (67)

Standing in their midst is one degraded brahmin, a trijāta; / by him all that substance produced for the fire offering has been defiled. / Offered by me, those planets beginning with the Sun do not accept it; / on that account they inflict this even greater distress upon the king. (68–69)

Therefore, cast him out and perform the fire offering without delay, / so that all the planets, beginning with the Sun, may attain supreme satisfaction. (70)

And the king will become healthy, free of enemies, and accompanied by his son; / he will continually attain happiness by the power of my pacifying rite.' (71)

Having spoken thus, the blessed Agni disappeared; / those brahmins too became dejected, overcome with great shame. (72)

Then, remaining there, praising that fire again, / they said to Vaiśvānara: 'Tell [us], who is the trijāta brahmin here, (73)

so that, having abandoned him, we may perform the rite for the pacification, / completely without remainder, of the faults of this noble king.' (74)

Agni said: / 'Even though knowing it, I will not in any way declare the fault of foremost twice-born ones; / all brahmins on the earth are venerable to me.' (75)

The brahmins said: / 'If you do not declare that brahmin to us, O Agni, / then we will pronounce a curse upon you; therefore, tell us quickly!' (76)

Sūta said: / Hearing that statement of theirs, Agni, filled with fear, / pondered for a long time: 'What auspicious course shall I take here? (77)

If I defame a brahmin, then a sin / will occur, there is no doubt, and also a curse resulting from that. (78)

Or if I do not mention the excellent brahmin who is present, / [these brahmins,] enraged like venomous serpents, will curse [me], there is no doubt.' (79)

As he was thinking thus, a profuse sweat appeared on his body, / by which that pit was filled which had been prepared for the fire offering. (80)

Then the fire, emerging from the pit, trembling and terrified with fear, / stood with folded hands and said to those brahmins: / 81

"I will by no means proclaim with my own tongue a fault born of a brahmin. / Therefore, O twice-born ones, listen! / 82

Here in this water of sweat, let those sixteen brahmins who are standing / take a bath today for the sake of their purification. / 83

And whoever among them is trijāta, / his body, once he has bathed, will become covered with boils." / 84

Then all those brahmins took a plunge there in succession, / and attained purification, except for one brahmin at that time. / 85

Then a great cry of grief arose there among the people, / seeing that best of brahmins suddenly covered with boils. / 86

He too, the brahmin, filled with shame, hanging his head downward, / departed from the midst of the assembly, from that gathering place of the brahmins. / 87

Fire said: / "This duty of yours has been accomplished by me beforehand, O best of brahmins. / Therefore, having been brought to an end by you, I shall go to my own place. / 88

The sight of me should not be in vain, even in a dream, O best of brahmins; / therefore, let something desired that dwells in your hearts be requested." / 89

The brahmins said: / "O Fire, let this water of yours, born of sweat, remain forever right here / for the purification of the twice-born. / 90 / Whichever man born of another takes a plunge here, / on him a mark born of boils must be made by you." / 91

Saying 'So be it,' he vanished from sight. / The fire having vanished, all those twice-born took counsel with one another: / 92

"From this day forward, purification regarding maternal and paternal origin / must be performed here for all born brahmins. / 93

Whatever brahmin is proclaimed as originating from Camatkārapura, / having bathed here and been purified, is to be recognized as of noble lineage. / 94

A maiden should be given to him; he will be worthy of śrāddha rites; / he alone indeed should be engaged in all religious acts. / 95

When the sixty-eight lineages have assembled in proper order, / he who is purified before their eyes is pure and sanctifies the assembly. / 96

And whatever slanders exist, such as the killing of a brahmin, / and others spoken by wicked men that cause doubt about religious law— / 97

all those [men] who are purified here are to be recognized as of noble lineage, / and all other slanders will likewise perish. / 98

As long as a bath is not performed here before the eyes of all the twice-born, / so long indeed he shall clearly not be a brahmin here." / 99

Sūta said: / Having thus made an agreement, those brahmins born in Camatkārapura / performed an expiatory rite for the welfare of that king. / 100

Then in that pit, a bath was taken by all the noble souls, / and terrified by fear, by the remaining noble souls also, for the sake of purification. / 101

Then that king instantly attained freedom from disease, O twice-born ones. / Whoever takes a bath there even today, O best of the twice-born, / 102

on the full moon of Kārttika, is freed from sins born of another's wife. / In the three ages, this purification of twice-born men was performed there. / 103

Considering the terrible Kali age, filled with the lust for other men's wives, / to affect even others who are devoid of good lineage and conduct and sinful, / then a verbal purification was instituted there by all the brahmins, / 104

in the presence of the god of gods, of Brahmā, O best of the twice-born, / by the unwearied ones, for the purification of maternal and paternal descent. / 105

Even today, O best of the twice-born, whoever takes a bath there, / if he is trijāta, he is burned there by fire; there is no doubt. / 106

Thus ends the one hundred and thirteenth chapter, named 'Description of the Glory of the Agnikuṇḍa for the Purification of the Trijātaka', in the Story of Damayantī, in the Glory of the Sacred Field of Hāṭakeśvara, in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa, the sixth [section], in the Skanda Mahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses. / 113