Skandapurana 5.124

Sūta said: / Next is the renowned and auspicious Karṇotpalātīrtha, / bathed in which a man duly never undergoes separation,

in any way, from a beloved [object], from wealth, from female companions, / from prowess, from righteousness, and especially from a wife.

Formerly there was an earthly sovereign renowned as Satyasaṃdha, / born in the lineage of Ikṣvāku, endowed with all beauty and virtues.

To him, who had many sons, was born a single, very beautiful maiden / named Karṇotpalā, marked with all auspicious signs.

Then, on the twelfth day, her father gave [her] a name, / having repeatedly taken counsel together with brahmins, servants, and ministers:

“Since this girl was born to me resembling a blue lotus at the ear (karṇotpala), / therefore she is born a very beautiful maiden named Karṇotpalā.

She is the only daughter of [me] who have many sons, marked with all auspicious signs; / therefore, O best of the twice-born, let her name be Karṇotpalā.”

Having thus been named, that young girl grew day by day, / ever bringing delight, like a digit of the moon.

Then gradually she attained youth, pampered by her relatives, / passing from hand to hand of all, O best of the twice-born.

Then, having seen her endowed with youth, that sovereign of the earth / pondered in his mind: “To whom shall I give this girl?

There is no groom equal to her here on the surface of the earth, / nor in heaven, nor in Pātāla. What should be done by me now?”

Having pondered in many ways for that purpose, that lord of the earth / made a decision in his mind: “The Grandfather (Brahmā) ought to be asked here.

Whomever that god shall direct me to today in this matter, / to him I will give my daughter, and certainly to no other in any way.”

Having thus made his resolve, taking her after that, / he then went to Brahmaloka to ask for a groom for her.

Now, just as that ruler of men reached Brahmaloka, / at that moment the evening twilight of Brahmā arose, O best of brahmins.

Meanwhile, Brahmā, eager for his evening ritual, / seated and immersed in absorption (samādhi), remained at that time.

Satyasaṃdha too, having seen the Grandfather immersed in absorption, / sat down near him, awaiting the end of the absorption.

Then, beholding the Self within the self, the Great-grandfather, / in the fully opened eight-petalled lotus situated in the heart,

standing in the middle of the pericarp, radiant, of manifold hues, extremely steady, / his face moist with tears of joy, his hair thrilling with horripilation,

then having sipped water and washed his feet, looked in all directions, / bowed to by all the dwellers of Brahmaloka.

In the meantime, taking that fair-faced girl / and bowing down along with her, the king then spoke with reverence:

“O god, I have come from the mortal realm into your presence; / I am the king Satyasaṃdha, renowned in the land of Ānarta.

This very beautiful maiden of mine is named Karṇotpalā; / no husband equal to her has been found by me anywhere here on earth.

And an equal one [is sought]; therefore, O best of gods, I have come to your side. / Therefore tell me a husband for her, to whom I may give [her].”

Sūta said: / Hearing those words of his, the lotus-born [Brahmā] then said, / laughing, in the assembly of all the gods, O best of the twice-born:

“If you ask me, O king, concerning a lawful husband for the maiden, / then she must not be given to anyone at present; listen to the reason.

To one born in one's own class and older in age, O lord of the earth, / a girl is to be given, for righteousness, fame, and the increase of the family.

This daughter of yours has attained the status of seniority among mortals / with respect to all the rulers of the earth; listen to the factual reason for that.

Three ages (yugas) have passed for you since you came into my presence; / those mortals whom you saw previously on the face of the earth, O king, have passed away.

Another creation has now arisen on the surface of the earth; / you do not know [this] on account of the majesty born of my world.

And the gods never take a human woman as wife, / who is despised as an abode of phlegm, urine, and feces.

Therefore, stay right here together with your daughter, O king; / elephants, horses, and whatever else you had—all that of yours has gone to ruin.

Sons, grandsons, servants, and whatever other kinsmen you had— / all those have met their death, as well as the others who were seen by you.”

Assenting to this, saying ‘So be it,’ the best of kings remained. / Meanwhile, the daughter, afflicted with deep grief, weeping, said:

“O father, I will not live in this place originating from Brahmā, / abandoned by my female friends and separated from the circle of kinsfolk.

Therefore I will go right there where that mother of mine is, / and those joyful friends with whom I played.

Deprived of a husband, I will not spend the duration of time; / therefore go swiftly there where my mother stays!”

Hearing her words, with a mind softened by affection, / the best of kings took her and arrived at his own country. 38

As he looked around, he saw reservoirs of water in places where dry land had been, / and impassable tracts of land had arisen in place of water. 39

Other people and their customs were established among them. / Even though he asked, he recognized no connection with anyone. 40

Then, having been touched by the air of the mortal world, at that very moment that king / and that maiden were seized by old age, their hair turning white, 41

her body covered with wrinkles, her teeth decaying, her breasts fallen, / unlovely, deformed in body, and flat-eyed, O best of brahmins. 42

The king too, in the same state, trembling at every step, / the monarch asked: “What country is this here? What city is this? 43

Then the people said to him: “This country is Ānarta. / Here, the famous king who knows dharma well is Bṛhadbala. 44

This is named the town of Prāptipura; this river is the Sābhramatī. / This is proclaimed to be the sacred Gartātīrtha upon it, 45

where these sages, tranquil, self-restrained, devoted to the eight virtues, / devoted to austerity, fortunate, are intent upon ritual ablution and silent recitation.” 46

Hearing this, he wept aloud, / embracing his daughter, filled with sorrow and grief. 47

Seeing the two of them, deeply aged and weeping, filled with pity, / all the people came together and, deeply troubled, asked: 48

“Why, old man, afflicted with deep sorrow, do you weep unrestrainedly / together with this old woman? Therefore tell us the cause. 49

Has some loved one of yours perished, or has there been a loss of wealth? / Or have you been humiliated by someone? Speak without delay! 50

Knowing dharma, slayer of the wicked, and devoted to protecting the virtuous, / our king is Bṛhadbala, so that he may bring you happiness.” 51

Satyasandha said: / “I am the ruler of Ānarta, known as Satyasandha. / This is my daughter named Karṇotpalā, ever cherished. / I went from here to the realm of Brahmā to give her in marriage, / to consult the god, the Grandfather, and I stayed there for mere moments. 52–53

Then, having returned here, as I look upon the earth, / everything has undergone complete change; I recognize nothing at all.” 54

Hearing that, those people went, their eyes wide with wonder, / and full of satisfaction related all of that to Bṛhadbala. 55

He too, having heard it all, went very swiftly, / on foot alone, to where King Satyasandha stood. 56

Then, having bowed low before him, he stood with folded hands: / “Welcome to you, protector of the earth, and once again, a heartfelt welcome to you! 57

This kingdom is your own; ruled once more by me, your respectful servant, / govern it according to your will, and give various gifts.” 58

Then, having embraced him and kissed his head repeatedly, / with his face wet with tears, he spoke in a choked voice: 59

“Child, a kingdom has been enjoyed by me, and diverse gifts given; / I have sacrificed with rituals such as the horse sacrifice, with abundant priestly fees. 60

Therefore I shall practice austerity together with this daughter, / so that she may regain her former auspicious youth.” 61

Bṛhadbala said: / “Through continuous tradition, O lord of kings, I have heard all this: / King Satyasandha set out taking his maiden daughter; 62

he never returned anywhere to this foremost city. / Then, O king, the ministers preserved the kingdom for a long time, / and then his son named the famed Suhaya was consecrated. 63

In succession to him, O lord, I was born as the seventy-seventh / man born in your lineage, a great ruler. 64

Therefore, O lord, right here in this auspicious place that has attained sanctity, / at Gartātīrtha, practice austerity together with her, 65

so that, constantly bowing at your feet at the three junctures of the day, / I may undoubtedly attain welfare. Let your grace be shown!” 66

Satyasandha said: / “In the sacred field of Hāṭakeśvara, there was formerly established by me / a liṅga of Vṛṣabhanātha; does it still exist, good son? 67

I shall constantly worship it day and night; / therefore take me there together with this daughter.” 68

As the two kings were conversing with one another in this way, / the brahmins arrived from Gartātīrtha full of curiosity, / having heard that the king, their auspicious ancient forefather, had arrived. 69

Then that ruler of the earth, having given them guest-water, stood with folded hands, / and spoke respectfully of the news of heaven, saying, “Please be seated.” 70

Then all those brahmins, seated in order of seniority and at their ease / on the four sides of the king, filled with wonder, / asked that monarch for the news originating from Brahmā's abode, 71

how he had departed there, and how he had come as before, / and the various conversations that had taken place with the Lotus-born [Brahmā]. 72

Then, reaching the end of the narrative, King Satyasandha, / approaching Bṛhadbala who stood nearby, said a few words to him: 73

“I have sacrificed with manifold splendid rites endowed with abundant priestly fees, / and [given] various gifts of which there is no counting. 74

Once, O son, I went to the supreme city of Camatkārapura; / and I saw that city surrounded on all sides by brahmins, 75

endowed with silent recitation and study of the Veda, devoted to the fire sacrifice, / endowed with the duties of the householder, possessing the fruits of both worlds. 76

And then it was thought in my mind: Praiseworthy is that ancestor of mine / by whom this eternal fame, free from decay, was acquired. 77

Therefore, I too, having established such an elevated city, / shall give it to the brahmins for the increase of that fame. 78

As I was constantly contemplating in this manner, O king, / in the meantime the journey to the realm of Brahmā came to pass. 79”

"This one regret alone remains in my mind; / nothing else at all [remains], O protector of the earth, for one whose purpose has been achieved in every way. (80)

Therefore, make a request to some of the foremost brahmins among these great-souled ones, / so that, having created an excellent settlement, I may grant it to them at your command." (81)

Then he besought the best of brahmins for that purpose: / "Taking pity upon me, sir, let this acceptance [of the gift] be made. (82)

As this king gives this excellent city out of true devotion, / I shall sustain you, as will all those born of my lineage." (83)

Then Bṛhadbala, bringing some [brahmins] with great difficulty, / announced to the king: "Let it be given to these." (84)

Then, having washed the feet of them all, that lord of the earth, / true to his promise, gave them excellent land for the sake of a city. (85)

Setting out himself, he gave an order to Bṛhadbala: / "You must bring this city to suitable perfection, O conqueror of enemy citadels." (86)

Having gone with her to that sacred field of Hāṭakeśvara, / delighted on reaching that liṅga, he then performed austerity for a long time. (87)

Karṇotpalā too, having reached a certain sacred body of water, / installed Gaurī and performed austerity endowed with faith. (88)

Meanwhile, the king succumbed to the law of Time: / the ruler of Ānarta was slain in battle along with his sons. (89)

Then all those brahmins originating from Gartātīrtha, / approaching Satyasandha, spoke filled with grief: (90)

"A gift was merely accepted by us, O protector of the earth, / and no fruit arose for us regarding livelihood arising from the city. (91)

Therefore, make an arrangement yourself for the increase of your own duty, / by which there may indeed be a means of livelihood for us, O best of kings! (92)

King Bṛhadbala has succumbed to the law of Time in battle— / he who was designated by you for our livelihood, O best of kings!" (93)

Satyasandha said: / "I have renounced the world, O best of the twice-born, and am unable to provide a livelihood. / If only there were any male descendant in my lineage, there would be no doubt. (94)

Therefore, go to your own dwelling; let favor be shown to me. / And through your own misfortunes, King Bṛhadbala was killed." (95)

Thus addressed, those brahmins, considering his words to be true, / swiftly went to their own abode; he too performed austerity for a long time. (96)

Thus ends the one hundred and twenty-fifth chapter, entitled 'Description of the Story of King Satyasandha', in the Māhātmya of the Sacred Field of Śrī Hāṭakeśvara, in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa, the sixth [section], in the Mahāpurāṇa of Śrī Skanda, in the collection of eighty-one thousand [verses]. (125)