Skandapurana 5.125

Sūta said: / As he was thus engaged in austerity together with his daughter, O best of the twice-born, / all the brahmins born in Camatkārapura came. (1)

The brahmins said: / "In all doubts and especially in disputes, / through the absence of a sovereign king, ruin has come upon us." (2)

Then that lord of the earth who had renounced the world was questioned / and implored by the best of the twice-born to protect his own kingdom; / on the next day, standing with folded hands, he spoke: (3)

The king said: / "I am unfit, O best of the twice-born, to remove your doubt / or especially to offer protection; for I have now laid down weapons." (4)

The brahmins said: / "We all, O great king, are superior even to a king; / hence, out of pride and arrogance, we have resorted to our own abode. (5)

To no one, O great king, at any time or in any manner, / was there doubt regarding livelihood or concerning the duties of the settlement. (6)

An immeasurable livelihood was created for us of old by a great-souled one; / thereafter it was increased by the best of rulers devoted to him, (7)

and especially by you, as long as King Bṛhadbala lived. / Whosoever became king in the country of Ānarta, he granted (8)

the entire livelihood to householders with effort, as was proper. / What shall we say before you? For you know everything. (9)

Just as the livelihood was granted of old and protected by you, / therefore, O lord of kings, devise an arrangement regarding the settlement of our livelihood, / a means by which order and livelihood may continue in comfort." (10)

Then, having reflected for a very long time, he summoned those born at Gartātīrtha, / born in the lineage of Upamanyu, who had mastered the Vedas. (11)

Then, having bowed down, he spoke respectfully: / "To the brahmins residing especially in my settlement, (12)

all services must be performed by you, endowed with modesty like servants; / protection must be given constantly; and your every word [is to be observed]. (13)

These will maintain the excellent standard of conduct, / in all doubts and especially in disputes. (14)

And in other royal business, these will give the decision / after hearing your word, whether auspicious or inauspicious. (15)

These are to be maintained with favor and brought to prosperity according to ability, / abandoning all envy, for the growth of my settlement." (16)

Having been answered "So be it!" by them, the king / again respectfully addressed the best of brahmins born in Camatkārapura: (17)

"For the sake of your livelihood in all matters, at all times, / these brahmins born at Gartātīrtha have been given by me. (18)

Let everything of yours be established according to their word; / indeed, prestige is established when indicated by the four quarters. (19)

It is not otherwise, O best of brahmins, whether little or much / is spoken by the other hundred thousand born in your city." (20)

Sūta said: / Then those delighted brahmins, taking those best of the twice-born, / carried out all tasks at all times according to their counsel. (21)

Then, in that city, proper conduct promoting righteousness was established / for everyone in all matters, as was the growth of the city. (22)

Those brahmins born at Gartātīrtha, by their grace, / attained supreme prosperity and rejoiced, endowed with happiness.

Then, after some time, the king came to that excellent city, / and having approached all the brahmins, respectfully said:

“By your grace, great austerity has been performed in this sacred field. / I shall now go to heaven, O best of brahmins.

There is no king now present in our lineage; / therefore, O best of brahmins, I show this liṅga to you,

both for worship and for sustenance, and especially for enjoyments. / Therefore its worship should be performed diligently by you alone, / especially the chariot festival, having taken pity upon me.”

The brahmins said: / “Twenty-seven liṅgas according to desire are upon the earth, / and are constantly worshipped by the sons of Camatkāra.

Just so, as the twenty-eighth, we shall always worship / this liṅga sprung from you. Be free from worry, O king!

We shall always perform its festival in the month of Kārtika, / with offerings of oblation and worship, and songs and instrumental music according to our ability.”

Thus addressed, delighted by them, he went to his hermitage, / and having bathed that liṅga, he performed worship with great devotion.

Sūta said: / Thus that liṅga born of Hara was entrusted by him / to all the eminent brahmins, O brahmins, since the destruction of his lineage was at hand.

Whatever mortal, endowed with faith, bathes and worships it / during the entire month of Kārtika, surely attains liberation.

When the day of Soma arrives, one who seizes the opportunity for a year, / and thus performs its worship after bathing it according to the rule, / that mortal too goes to liberation: this was heard by me from my father.

Thus ends the one hundred and twenty-sixth chapter, named 'Description of the Māhātmya of Satyasaṃdheśvara', in the Māhātmya of Hāṭakeśvarakṣetra in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa, the sixth [part] of the Skanda Mahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses.